Hello everyone! This is the follow up to Gone, if you haven't read that, please go back and start reading at Wrath. If you don't, you could be very lost here. Before we start I'd like to thank everyone that followed and reviewed and favorited my last two stories in the series. I have no clue what this series should be called, so if you want to, send in reviews or PMs about what you think the series title should be! I'll set up a poll as soon as I get at least two ideas! Special thanks to the three people I asked to help with the naming of this story, I appreciate your help! For new readers, I update usually once a day, or maybe two days. One more thing, I hope we only gain readers and don't lose anyone. If you do review (you don't have to, I understand), just please be nice. I wil tolerate constructive criticism but flames and mean people will find themselves getting yelled at by me and Stanley and maybe Damian and Joker. Curious people can PM or review to find out more about Stanley, Damian and Joker. Thank you for reading at least chapter one! I own nothing and enjoy this story! :)
Third Person POV
Percy stood waiting for the rest of his team on top of Half-Blood Hill. He was looking at a phone he secretly had, a gift from his mortal boss. It beeped and Percy looked at his newest text.
Have they asked questions yet? Do they know more other than you are a brainiac and didn't tell them?
Percy smirked. No. And I haven't given anything away. I bet they forgot already. His boss knows he wouldn't give away information like that; he knows the consequences. One day though, Annabeth would remember and ask. The smirk wasn't because Percy liked this man and was happy no one found out. No, it was because he wanted someone to find out. If they found out he could finally be free.
Percy was knocked from his thoughts when he heard someone climbing up the hill. "Hey Percy. Since when are you up so early?"
"Hey Thals," Percy responded, casually and quickly hiding his phone. Half-bloods aren't supposed to own phones, but his was special. It would cause suspicion though. "I guess i get up this early now just to start the day." He shrugged. "Is it a crime?"
"I guess not. Are we the only ones here yet?"
"Yep. Even Argus isn't up. He's probaby resting his eyes."
Thalia smiled. "Do you know where we're going for this?"
Percy thought before replying. "Well, we need to find a cave. Somewhere."
"I kinda gathered that Kelp Head."
Percy internally sighed. If only they knew... Then they wouldn't call him a Kelp Head. It was for their own good though... "Sorry! That's all I know about where we're going! Annabeth is the brains here!" He forced a smile, but he's already so good at that, so it looked genuine.
Thalia grinned at her cousin's response. "Okay, but what about the rest of the prophecy. What was it again?"
"Water and Wisedom will travel to the cave
one to become an enemy's slave
another to be sacrificed in a goddess's name.
Cause the leader's wrath and break the curse,
or else fail and bring home much worse," Percy recited.
Thalia was impressed at her cousin's memory. "Nice. Do you know what any of it means?"
"I can guess. Water and wisdom is Annabeth and I, and we travel to a cave. Pretty simple there.
"One to become an enemy's slave. I'm guessing one of us gets captured and is a prisoner of the enemy. That's the best possible solution I have for that one.
"The next line, another to be sacrificed in a goddess's name. That doesn't sound too good. I think another person is also captured, or maybe we were all captured and one person was selected to be sacrificed. I don't know to which goddess though. There's over a hundred and I don't know which ones are the super evil ones. Maybe it's Nemesis or Hera, maybe even Athena. The last two don't like me, but Nemesis doesn't really like anyone too much.
"Cause the leader's wrath and break the curse. It can be taken three ways. The leader could be me or the leader from the opposing force. That's way 1. Way 2: I could get angry. Way 3: ...I know I tried to talk it out with Wrath, and we mostly get along, but what if he causes damage? Is that what the prophecy is talking about?
"Or else fail and bring home much worse. That's so cheery-sounding. So happy and encouaging. Anyways, if we fail, something bad happens. What happens, I don't know. I don't think I want to know. Someone could die or be injured or be captured forever, or be left behind, or tortured..."
"We won't let that happen," Thalia cut in, seeing the look in her cousins's eyes. "No one will be hurt or left behind. We bring everyone there, we bring everyone home."
Slowly, Percy nodded, thoughts and possibilities spinning at a hundred miles an hour around his brain. "Yeah, no one left behind or injured. Sounds good to me."
Thalia sent a concerned look at her spaced-out cousin before turning around to see the person climbing up the hill behind her.
A boy was carrying a black bag with a skull on it up the hill. His shaggy black hair was covering his face, but you could tell those black eyes were staring at you the moment they were on you. He wore all black and scowled at a butterfly that effortlessly flew by, as if mocking him.
"Nico! Hurry up!" Thalia called.
He scowled. "I'm coming I'm coming. People rushing me. Why me? Why not Annabeth? She's not even here!"
Thalia pretended not to hear her boyfriend's muttering as he climbed up the hill. She glanced at Percy, who was still spaced-out, then called back down to Nico. "Actually, stay there. I need to talk to you about something. Right now. In private."
Nico stopped walking and stared at the daughter of Zeus as she climbed down the hill. "What's wrong?"
"It's Percy. We were talking about the prophecy, and then at the last line, he basically spaced-out. I don't know what's wrong. The only thing he said was an agreement to something I said. I don't think he really understood though," Thalia whispered.
"What do you think he's thinking about?"
Percy
Flashback (only percy can see this. This is what's going on in Percy's mind as Nico and Thalia are taking.)
It was dark. Percy was walking alone in Tartarus. No Annabeth, no Bob, no Damison. Just himself and his thoughts.
As Percy rounded a corner, he felt a tingling sensation, like he just drank two gallons of soda and was about to have a sugar high. He knew this felt familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
As percy turned the corner, a figure jumped from the shadows. Percy leapt back and grabbed Riptide.
"Son of Poseidon. How unexpected," the voice purred. It was gruff and male. The figure matched the voice. His appearence was gruff and he was obviously male.
"Out of my way. I've had enough to deal with. Do you really want to be the thirty third person that's tried to kill me since I was down here?" Percy asked exasperated. He was tired of these weirdos trying to kill him all the time.
The figure snarled. "Do you know who I am Perseus Jackson?"
"Nope. And I don't care either." Maybe if he had been feeling better mentally, he might not have been so rude to a stranger in Tartarus.
"You will care Poseidon's spawn! I will become your greatest nightmare!"
"Don't think so."
"Really? I am... OCEANUS!"
Percy's eyes widened. "As in the Titan in the sea?"
Oceanus nodded.
"The one that hates Poseidon?" His voice rose an octave.
Oceanus nodded.
"The one that almost killed Poseidon, Triton, Amphrite, Delphin, and the mermen army at the same time?" he squeaked.
Oceanus nodded.
"Oh. Can I say I'm sorry?" Percy asked.
"It is too late for that. You can either come peacefully or I can use force."
At least I get a choice, percy thought. "I choose peacefully. You are too strong to be bested by a puny demigod such as me."
Percy wasn't a coward though. He had a plan. He'd butte Oceanus up and attack him at the best time. He'd never suspect anything.
"I believe you are wrong," spoke the sea Titan. "You will not simply "butter me up and attack at the best time'. I know what you were going to do. You think too loudly. To make sure you behave..." A pair of handcuffs appeared on Percy's wrists. "There. No escape. Let's go."
Percy followed Oceanus deeper into Tartarus. After all, what was he supposed to do? He'd never get the cuffs off without Oceanus's key. As much as he didn't like it, he had no choice. Do this or die. Not much of a choice is it?
Finally the two stopped outside a large shack. It was made out of something that resembled bones and was held together with a red liquid. You could smell it from a mile away. Oceanus walked right in, with percy dawdling behind, trying not to breathe through his nose.
"Come right over here. Sit down," Oceanus instructed pointing to a large couch. Cautiously, Percy followed orders and took a seat. Nothing happened, so it seemed like a normal couch.
"Want a drink?" Oceanus asked. Percy shook his head.
"What I'd really like though is if I could get these handcuffs taken off. That'd be great."
"Sorry. No can do. You might still try to attack me. Sure you don't want anything to drink?"
"I'm sure," Percy said. Oceanus shrugged than walked over to a wall. He kicked a brick three times.
Nothing happened. "What was that supposed-" percy started.
Before could finish, chains sprang up and wrapped around him from the couch. The couch sprang up and stood vertically in front of its owner. Oceanus took a sip from his soda. "Maybe you should've gotten a drink."
Percy said nothing; there was a gag wrapped around his mouth.
"Now, let's see. Would you like to tell me about the defenses on Atlantis and that silly Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter?" Oceanus asked.
Percy shook his head no.
"Alright then. Let's do this the hard way. Or as I like to call it, the fun way." The evil glint in his eyes told Percy he'd better get out of there. He started to get Riptide out of his pocket. Oceanus saw though.
"Oh no. You mustn't ruin my couch! Speaking of which, let's fix that right now." With a wave of his hand, Oceanus changed the couch to an operating table. The chains were thicker and there were more of them.
"Now for that sword. We can't let you have that during the game. It'll ruin the fun!" Percy watched as Riptide was taken from his pocket and put in a Celestial Bronze cage. "I'll never escape now."
"Now for the materials..." Oceanus walked to the wall and tapped it four times. A section slid out. It was a wall of weapons. Daggers, whips, knives, bows and arrows, swords, a scythe, an ax, harpoon gun, and several other weapons. He selected a whip and a dagger.
"Now for the fun," he laughed.
Percy's screams and Oceanus's cruel laughter echoed throughout the section of Tartarus.
Flashback end
Percy blinked at the hand waving in front of his face. Annabeth was watching concerned.
"You've been staring into space for at least five minutes. Ready to go?"
Percy nodded with a grin. "Course! Let's go!"
"Adventure, here we come!" Nico yelled as they drove away.
"Seriously?" Thalia exclaimed.
"Seriously! I'm a big boy! I can make my own decisions!"
"Would you like ketchup or mustard on your hot dog?"
"Um, you could help me?"
"Told ya so!"
Nico scowled and muttered curses as they drive away. Something about stupid daughters of Zeus.