Plot: Hades finds out about Poseidon's broken oath when Percy is five, but instead of simply smiting Percy or sending monsters, Hades does something much worse. Hades decides to curse Percy down into Tartarus, something he's sure the boy won't last more than ten minutes in, in order to make the message sink a little bit deeper.
But Hades didn't count on a certain anti-Ares Giant, who finds the lost and scared boy and takes him in.
Being partly raised in, living, and surviving Hell, Percy is a different demigod with a different attitude. While neither Percy or Damasen know for certain how Percy ended up in Tartarus, Damasen suspects it's one of the Gods because of a prophecy that's been rumoured in the Pit.
By the time Percy is twelve, he is very well known in Tartarus -and both equally feared and respected. The low-ranking monsters try their absolute best to steer clear of him, while the more stupid and overconfident ones tend to learn the hard way. The big-shots like Giants or Titans first find Percy utterly adorable in his attempts to survive, but then change their minds when a desperate and enraged ten years old Percy manages to control a Titan's "blood" and make him into a puppet for a short amount of time. By the time Damasen arrives to rescue his adopted son, the Titan is already taken care of and Percy is passing out with a major nosebleed.
After seven years in which Percy first arrives in Tartarus, the Olympians are finally taking notice that something isn't quite right. Putting aside Zeus's missing lightening bolt (Zeus is positive that Hades got someone to steal it for him,) many Gods/Goddess can't ignore the dread that keeps creeping in and withering in their gut anymore. Olympus decides to send out a quest to travel to the Underworld in order to take back Zeus's master bolt and find out exactly what is happening.
Rules:
1. Percy is not evil! You can have him join Kronos if you want, but he isn't without humanity. Percy has a lack of morals, is more than willing to choke those that have wronged him with their own blood (or "blood") or dice them up, does take satisfaction in paying back karma, but he doesn't kill for the hell of it. He won't hesitate to manipulate others for his own gain (Damasen being the exception), but he still isn't a heartless monster. It's extremely hard to earn Percy's trust, but once you have it, there's not a lot he won't do for you.
2. The quest to the Underworld must have Annabeth and Grover. I don't care who you make the third member, or who leads the quest.
3. If you make this into a romantic story, Percy is not to end up with anyone other than Annabeth! And they aren't to do anything romantic until they're at least fourteen.
4. Make Tartarus Tartarus. The Pit is literally Hell -make the environment realistic. Go back and skim House of Hades again if you must, or go check out the Fandom Wiki.
5. Some way, some how, the quest members end up falling into Tartarus and meet Percy. For whatever reason (although not out of the kindness in Percy's heart) Percy leads them through Tartarus and to the last known location of the Doors of Death. Whether or not Percy makes up his mind in the very beginning, or if the other demigods convince him, Percy ends up leaving Tartarus to check out the surface. Something he remembers (close to) nothing of, and has never done before.
Suggestions:
* Have Damasen dip Percy into the River of Styx after his encounter with the Titan when Percy was ten. If you want, you can make his Achilles Heel his heart -the organ. This means that nothing short of a mountain falling on Percy would kill him. (I got this idea from a fanfic called This Is War, or Falling For You. I can't remember which.)
* Have Percy possess (few) healthy relationships with some monsters and/or other immortals who aren't Damasen. People respect strength -monsters and other immortals shouldn't be any different in that aspect. Even more so, in fact.
* Have Damasen tame the Drakon that Gaea originally cursed him to fight eternally with.
* Have some Primordial or other very powerful Deity bless Percy with partial immortally (Like Artemis's Hunters.) It's been said that the Pit's time is different from the surface's. You can even have Tartarus himself do it, maybe purely because Percy entertains him so much.
* The story's title doesn't have to be Living In Tartarus. Some other options (if you want) are Hell Raised, BornDamned / Damned At Birth, Once Cursed And Forever Changed, Come Hell Or High Water, Home Wicked Home, Hell Raisers, Once Upon A Banishment, and When All Hell Breaks Loose. Or one of your own ideas if you don't like any of mine.
Please review or message me if you're interested in taking up this challenge.
