RedAce16: Thank you! For the most part, Percy's time in Tartarus will be in the same areas as in the book and in the same order. However, the beings he faces will be different and tougher as well as his encounter with Nyx. I won't go into detail because that'll just spoil it but I will say Pallas won't be the only titan he sees. Hope you enjoy!

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As Percy got into his stance ready to defend himself at a moments notice, he couldn't deny that the Titans slightly deranged grin combined with the raw power said titan was radiating solely towards him was completely unnerving. To make matters worse Percy, who was already weak compared to the titan due to his power usage against Arachne, almost stumbled back from the aura alone. Somehow the grin on Pallas' face got wider seeing the demigod still standing when a minor god in his position would be falling over themselves. "I'm impressed with both your strength and willingness to face a Titan, however, you wouldn't be able to even scratch me with your low strength reserve." At Percy's questioning looks he replied, "oh don't give me that look. You said it yourself I'm the titan of battle, I can feel your weakness," he mused more to himself "In fact, using so much power in such short amount of time should have killed any normal demigod...such power at top condition would truly be monstrous to face aga-."

His statement was cut short when his eyes widened in surprise looking at the demigod he presumed to have been dead on his feet that was over 30 feet beforehand was now slashing at his throat. Only his instincts and veteran experience to listen to those instincts allowed Pallas to jump backward and only receive a minor cut on his jaw. Narrowing his eyes at the son of Poseidon with a lot more caution now, he pulled a spear for his left hand and round shield for his right hand out of thin air. Percy mentally cursed himself for underestimating the second generation Titan, he grabbed Riptide with two hands now already knowing first hand how powerful an immortals blows were to receive. Being in such close proximity to the titan of warfare, he fully felt the power he had. While it was still more than the average foe he faced, Pallas was still considerably weaker than the six first-generation Titans he had fought like Hyperion or Iapetus. If he had anyone else to assist him or if he wasn't so weak at the moment this fight would be simple, not necessarily easy but it would for sure be won in his favor.

He was brought out of his when the Titan gave a low chuckle and said, "you know I was told by my lady to not kill you..." his voice trailed off as his eyes glazed over for a split second but quickly returned to normal as well as a feral grin on his face. "However for you demigod, I want to see the power you have and my lady agrees, so show me your strength mortal!" His voice started somewhat normal with only a slight sadistic tone but soon ended with a loud roar of power coming from the voice of the titan. Pallas had done unexpected opening move by slashing his shield as if it was a sword which caught Percy off guard causing him to get hit on his left shoulder and stumble to his right onto the floor only to have to roll further right to avoid a stab aimed for his heart. As Percy got up he frantically shouted, "your lady problems are so not on me! Just buy her roses for god's sake!"

"You dare mock my lady as a shallow commoner!?" Pallas yelled out in outrage. Percy's eyes narrowed the more he had to spin aside and roll to avoid a barrage of lethal attacks. Realizing he wasn't going to outlast a titan of battle Percy decided his only way of winning this encounter was by taking the offense. So he took a risk. The next time he found the opportunity to do what he wanted was several minutes later, by then he was feeling quite spent so he had to finish this quick or he would fall. When Pallas went in to stab at the heart of the demigod hoping to break through his defense only to be surprised by the demigod using a water-coated left hand to grab the point of his spear and proceed to attack him with a ferociousness he hadn't seen since during the war between the gods and Titans. Now with only a shield to defend himself since he had to let go of his spear or lose his left arm he backed up trying to concentrate on creating a new spear for him to use only to be pushed back even more by strikes coming for his legs, head, and even heart all in a matter of seconds. Pallas was now a whole lot more concerned about his health than before.

However, the titan could feel the sword pounding into his shield begin to become weaker and slower with every thrust slash and stab. With a roar, Pallas pretended to pull his shield back for a swing on the demigod. Seeing that the demigod feel for the feint and attempted full swing on the opposite side of where the shield was supposed to be rearing back, Pallas quickly redirected his shield and took the full hit of the sword which made the demigod go off balance. Taking advantage of the demigods lack of balance he slammed his shield into Percy's chest which sent the demigod flying back 15 feet. Being on his back on the floor now he could feel his weakness now that he didn't have the full effect of adrenaline pumping in his system. "Gods how was I just fighting a second ago..." he groaned out. Percy now had cuts and slashes his left arm and even several on his face. The worst of his injuries wasn't even the huge bruise on his chest from the taking the shield full on, but from the blisters that were forming all over his body. "Right... Tartarus the place made to slowly kill you huh," he thought to himself.

Before he could attempt to rise, Pallas was above him with a spear in hand and shield on his back sporting several deep gashes on his chest and left arm. "I'm impressed by your resilience but you were neve-" he was cut off by hiss escaping his lips and him dropping to his knees when the demigod kicked him straight where Apollo doesn't shine hard enough to hear bones crack. "I always get told I talk too much yet here you are. Talking more than me," Percy muttered. As Percy got up he pulled out Riptide, which he dropped on his little flight via shield from his pocket and uncapped it. Stumbling over to the titan who was trying to recuperate from the literal low blow he kicked the shield away and swatted a weak stab from Pallas away. Percy now thinking all he had to do was put the edge of Riptide to Pallas' throat and finish him, put the sword to his throat only to feel a burning sensation and gasp in shock.

Percy barely jumped back and looked away from the titan before Pallas took his divine form and he turned to ashes. "I didn't even know Titans had divine forms!" Percy thought to himself. When Percy didn't feel the warm feeling on his skin anymore he slowly turned to look at where he had the titan a moment short of his defeat only to meet the gaze of a very pissed of and a now in perfect condition Pallas. He sheepishly smiled and said, "If I said I was sorry how believable would it be?" The Titans only response was to growl out "not very." Trying to take Pallas by surprise he lunged at him slashing for his throat only to be caught by Pallas' bare hand and had Riptide yanked out of his hand then thrown 50 feet behind Pallas. "You're done." Pallas simply stated.

Having no strength left Percy let himself ungraciously full onto his butt and sighed. "Why did Gaea send you after me when I'm already in the pit?" Percy asked feeling he had nothing left to try. Pallas looked at him and sat down next to him surprising the demigod and saying, "She didn't." Looking skeptically at the titan Percy asked, "What about the whole "my lady wants you alive" thing?" Snorting Pallas replied, "My lady is my wife. As if I would ever work with that old dirty hag." Percy jumped to his feet and said in a low tone, "Wait, wait, wait, timeout. You're telling me this whole time it was Lady Styx who sent you to me?! Wouldnt that mean the whole fight was pointless!" Grinning, Pallas punched Percy in the back of the leg effectively making him sit back down. "Don't tell me it was a bad fight. I haven't had to go in my Titanic form in many millennia!" the titan exclaimed with too much joy in his voice for Percy's liking.

Sighing in defeat Percy questioned Pallas, "to ask the million dollar question, why did Styx send you anyways? And are we seriously supposed to be cool after that fight?" Pallas' eyes glazed over for a split second before responding, "First of all I'm here to give you a warning to not attempt to swim in her river as you will dissolve into nothingness, so you can never again gain Styx' blessing. Secondly, you already know how gods can fade due to lack of worship. You also know Gods grow stronger the more they are worshiped. Well with you running around taking on immortals as a mere demigod and facing Kronos using Styx' blessing, which is what it is really called, worship for her has gone up even more than in the old days. However, she doesn't get more powerful with it like other gods. Her oaths become much more binding and she can fairly punish those who break their oaths even the immortals," he paused for a moment lost in thought before saying, "Consequently Orcus, the Roman god of broken oaths has become more powerful as well and will likely approach you sometime later, however that will be for a later time."

Letting his eyes glaze over again for a couple seconds he then continued, "sorry getting sidetracked. Why Styx sent me is because she wants to repay the favor in the form of information on how to survive. And to answer your second question, No." He once again stopped only this time it was to send a meaningful glare to Percy who gulped. Satisfied with the reaction he got Pallas carried on, "My wife wanted me to essentially 'escort' you out of here but with your low blow I think you deserve to try your luck alone. No complaining just suck it up kid. Now onto the important parts, I realize you have been using the Cocytus as a water source to reenergize. Well don't, the only reason you not have been completely affected by its magic is that you're a son of Poseidon. Your way to survive the naturally poisonous air down here will be to drink the Phlegethon river. It seems crazy at first, but it's also the river used in the Fields of Punishment so the souls can continue with their suffering work. Again, it sounds bad but its necessary for you to remain strong and survive here, to get to the river you will continue walking across the hill behind me and scale down the cliff, from then it will only a mile away and it will heal you. You'll find monsters down there and you'll follow them, they will lead you to the doors of death eventually."

After catching his breath he continued, "should you really need to escape somewhere nowhere is exactly safe. However, there are places monsters avoid like a fallen shrine to Hermes, the forest of curses which you should definitely avoid, the drakon swamp is somewhere I even have not explored, and then there are the poison meadows of Ahklys. She is only ever seen with either Apate or sending people and monsters alike into Chaos. Any questions? No? Ok well, my work here is done. Consider yourself even with Styx as of now." As he stood and turned to leave he stopped and looked at Percy with a slight glare. "For your sake, I hope we never meet again because of what I'll do to you." With that dark message, he started glowing a dark orange making Percy divert his gaze and disappeared from sight.

Percy sat still on the floor processing everything he just learned. To begin with, he was supposed to have Pallas' assistance in getting out but he blew that by jumping into a fight against a titan, which given his circumstances he was in the right to do. Then he was also warned not to ever try to go swim in the Styx river because he wouldn't survive, he admitted he would have liked to have the blessing to traverse Tartarus but quickly decided to let it go since it couldn't be helped. "To survive I'll have to drink out of the Phlegethon...a river of fire. Which is who knows how far fighting monsters the whole way. I am so fucked..." Much to the disdain of his body, which felt like everything was on fire, he stood up and looked in the direction of where Pallas had said and only saw mounds of the black glass making up the floor he stood on that he would say were the equivalent to hills for as far as he could possibly see. Beginning his long walk he could only think "Yep, I am definitely fucked."