To Tartarus and Back for You

Chapter 4 I Meet Chicken Man

A/N: Hi guys, I don't have much to say, just sit back, relax, and enjoy!

"Oh hi, Carter!" Percy cried cheerily. "And me, and her." A blonde with a streak of red highlight in her hair. "Hi Sadie and Jazz. How's chicken man?" Percy snorted. "You can ask me, since I'm not deaf. We are just fine thank you very much." Carter's dark skin flushed crimson. Carter elbowed him playfully and Percy feigned surprised. They bursted out laughing. "Oh, Jazz," Percy nodded to the blonde girl with a cheerleader air around her, "He's our healing expert. Son of Apollo, god of medicine, music archery, poetry, yada yada, prophecy, blah blah blah, being narcissist, and bunches of things I can't list." He gestured to me. Jason, Percy, Carter and Sadie started to chat, leaving Jazz and me to talk with each other. I gathered they were the Egyptians Annabeth and Percy were always calling friends.

"Hi?" I asked. "Hi! You are hot, Cleo might like you. Up for a date?" She pondered. I wondered whether it was standard courtesy to set someone on a date the first time you meet. "I...uh...I'm gay." I stuttered. "Shame." She clucked. "Well, come over here, I have to talk to you about how you are healing." I followed her to a corner of the room, where there was a polished mirror that stretched halfway to the ceiling. I looked at my weary figure. My hair was a rat's nest. And worse of all, I had scars. Scars that I was sure that wouldn't heal or fade. I traced the three white scratches were drawn on my left cheek and the long scratch that started from my collarbone to my hipbone gently. Nico probably won't love me anymore.

I realized I was wearing a bathrobe that showed my chest and abdomen and boxers. Wait...and bunny slippers? Man, I am a sucker for them, I loved them since they gave me nice memories of my childhood. Sleepover with my "best bro", hot chocolate by the fireplace with my mom, and sleepy Sunday mornings. Ah, lovely days. "Ello? Hello~" I returned, feeling nostalgic and turned to Jazz, who was waving in my face.

"Sorry, just blanked out." I quickly said. She shrugged understandingly. "Those cuts won't heal." She waved at my scars, "We tried ambrosia, nectar, unicorn draught, potions, spells. They won't heal. There was some sort of poison on the monster's nails." "Yeah, I know. Son of Apollo, main healer of Camp Halfblood." I coughed. She patted me on the back. "Sorry, I'm just used to Carter and Sadie, and surprise surprise, neither of them knows anything about health or healing." "Ditto, Percy and Jason all have millions of different death wishes, including me strangling them for not taking care of their own bodies. I mean, wow, they might be dying of poison but they keep joking sarcastically and fighting the enemy." She snickered, "cliche heroes."

After a few more minutes of criticizing our moronic team members until chicken man, uh, I mean Carter, called us to the library for a meeting. The room was filled to the brim with scrolls. The ceiling and floor was painted with ink, curling into lifelike pictures of Geb and Nut, the earth and the sky, with opposite gender deities for each aspect.

"Woah..." I breathed, stunned. I looked at Percy who suddenly said, "Annabeth would have loved this room, she'll ask Chiron to build a Greek and Roman themed one." Guilt weighed me down again. Why do they always have to be so heroic, regardless of who or what they may lose. We sat down at a round table, etched with different hieroglyphics all over.

Carter, Percy, and Jason all began at once, "So..." I guess they were all use to being leaders and hosting meetings. "Let's let Will host this meeting. It's his quest." Percy drawled. I was seriously considering not healing him next time this idiot got himself into trouble. I heaved a sigh and slapped him with a crisp sound. "What the!" He clutched his red face, glaring at me. I didn't care; he deserved it.

"Um, well, we have to go and jump into Tartarus, and commit suicide!" I spat, crossing my arms. Everyone stared blankly at me, and I think they hoped for me to continue, elaborate, and explain. "So, well, I still don't know what we are doing in, where is this anyway?" I stared at Percy. Sadie said in a very distinct British accent, "this is Brooklyn house, so we're in Brooklyn, duh."

I scanned the blonde. She was chewing gum and twirling a highlight of red in her hair. She didn't look like very much, but I still remembered the scrawny looking boy with messed up raven hair drag himself over the property line into camp. He looked so miserable, no one would have suspected that he would be the twice savior of Olympus. I also can see a fire burning deep in the pit of her eyes. Best not to underestimate her.

"And now to why are we here!" I snapped at Percy. Percy purred, "Well, there's an entrance into the Underworld here. At least, we'd be able to make one in Brooklyn." I stared at him. Wow, he was just so straightforward.

"Do you need help?" Carter asked, creasing his eyebrows. I was about to say "Of course", but then, Percy quickly replied, "No, the prophecy doesn't include you. Also, Zia and Walt will be devastated if you died." Jason nodded assent I wanted to scream at Percy and Jason being so reckless, yet so caring. They weren't afraid to feel any pain, but wouldn't stand to see others' pain.

"We can offer transportation." Sadie suggested, spitting her wad of gum into a wastebasket. "Also potions and scrolls of spells for healing. Plus ration." Jazz added to Sadie's statement.

"So, we'll send you to your destination, you jump into a bottomless hole. You bail Will's boyfriend out of the hellhole. You win, go home. And everything will be unicorns and rainbows, and nymphs throwing flower petals everywhere." Carter said. Sarcasm seems to be a common characteristic that runs through all hero blood.

"More or less," Jason said. And we went to work. I gasped as Carter led us outside. A griffin the size of a barge with chainsaw-like wings was parked, um no, stationed outside of the mansion. We clambered on, the wings buzzing. As we lifted of, we waved to Sadie and Jazz standing on the porch. My last thought was, "please don't be clumsy and fall off Will,". Then, we entered a hole in reality.

A/N: I've been having a rough week and will be on vacation until next Friday. I'm not really in the mood for long notes.

-the Graecus from Idris