Chapter 6: Guns and Other Foreplay

At Lake Como six days before the Titan mission, Alexis and Helen panic over freeing Ceres before Drex summons Alexis to a mandatory training. In a vast bunker course, Augustus explains that shooting accuracy is primary against Titans. The Chthonics—Augustus, Kharon, Agatha, Patro, and Achilles—mask up and vanish into fog, explosions, and recorded Titan screams as the simulation begins.

Alexis and Drex scramble through chaos. Patro taunts Alexis, switching from flirtation to cruelty, while Achilles intimidates her with controlled detonations. Alexis fails to track their speed. Augustus offers seeming concern only to evade her shot. Exhausted and rattled, Alexis remains unable to land a hit.

Kharon corners Alexis, choking her against a fake tree until she ‘applies herself.’ Through his power, Alexis senses his feral, possessive obsession. When she resists, Kharon forces her to resume, mocking her aim. The simulation ends with Drex grazing a target and Alexis hitting none, prompting a tense debrief. Patro asserts mentorship rights, clashing with Kharon and Achilles as Augustus presses for answers Alexis won’t give.

In the locker room, Kharon’s severe leg scarring is revealed, and Augustus’s piercings and calm dominance unnerve Alexis. Kharon admits he married her for more than heritage, confessing darker urges and control. Augustus contrasts himself as a praising counterpart while labeling Kharon as cruel. Pressed to acknowledge this dynamic, Alexis capitulates, and Augustus’s “good girl” praise leaves her shaken.