Hi guys, so this is what everybody has been asking for… we are back at the prologue scene! Whoop! I plan to make the story loads more exciting and action packed from now on and it should be easier to write due to the plot developing however I want while I'm writing, as I'm not having to aim it in a certain direction. So the chapters should be more regular again. Ok, so, I hope you like it. I've been wanting to write this for a while now, I got so excited I wrote it straight after I finished writing the last one. :D So here it is... Chapter 5!

Mystery0028: Thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoyed it. You didn't even have to wait long for the chapter as I am back on track. Whoop!

Twi-fic Lover: Thank you so much for your wonderful comment, you actually made me tear up a bit. I am so happy that you genuinely enjoy what I write but... shhhh! Don't give my plot away to everyone, because you are very close. Great minds think alike I suppose.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or Heroes of Olympus, all rights go to Rick Riordan.


Nico's POV:

*Present*

The council met as we always do on the winter solstice. All the gods were in their thrones while we, the immortal demigods, sat on our own chairs in front of our parents. Hermes was just giving a report about how the monsters were attacking less but when they did they attacked in large numbers and with force. I sat on my chair slumping to the side, thinking about what he was saying. I knew what it sounded like, as did the other demigods who all had the same thoughtful expression on their face. It sounded like when Kronos attacked. I twirled my fingers around my shaggy black hair absently while I thought. No, it couldn't be him. He was defeated by P – by a great hero, and couldn't possibly reform so quickly. I quickly turned my thoughts away from Kronos as memorises of my missing cousin attempted to rise up again. It couldn't be Kronos anyway. He was gone. So who else could it be? Maybe Athena or Annabeth knew of someone.

Suddenly a crack echoed through the room, tearing me from my thoughts. The great golden doors had been blasted open with such force they had crashed into the marble walls so hard that cracks spread out in every direction. Everyone in the throne room turned to face the door instantly. Outside I could see the sky was dark despite it being the middle of the day, and rain plummeted towards the ground like an army laying siege to the Earth. A tremendous crash made most of the rooms' occupants' jump, as Zeus' rage added to the storm outside. But I didn't care. I was too horrified by the sight before me. Stood just inside the doors, bone dry, was a group of seven monsters.

Stood towards the back of the group, were four rogue Cyclopes' snarling menacingly at us. One of them glared right at me, as if it had decided to eat me first. The beasts stood at 7 feet tall and were a sickly grey colour, as if they were living stone. Unfortunately, the creatures only covered themselves with a ragged linen cloth. Which was only made worse by the fact that one of them seemed to have got the wrong size. On either side of the group stood a Dracaenae they were covered in dark, forest green scales and had glowing yellow slit eyes. The snake ladies stood on their double-trunked snake-legs slithering backwards and forwards slightly. They seemed to be unsure whether to charge into a fight or run for their lives, but something was holding them in place. And that something – or should I say someone – was what drew my attention. Stood in the centre of the group was a being worse than all the others put together.

The man in the centre was nine feet of pure muscle that made even Ares jealous. His bulging arms were crossed in front of his black shirt, and his feet were set wide below him. Making him an imposing structure and adding to the deadly aura he gave off, this drew peoples gaze instantly. I knew I had never seen the man before but at the same time recognised him; even if he had burned away his mortal host. Now instead of sandy blonde hair of Luke Castellan the man had a chocolate brown military buzz cut, but the same cruel smirk was still plastered on his face. Even if that hadn't given away his identity away, his evil golden gaze did.

Our worst enemy was back, after only just over a century. The titan king, father of the big three. Kronos. I had just been thinking it couldn't be him causing the issues but it turns out I was wrong. Kronos was back and worse than ever. And this time my cousin wasn't around to defeat him. It was such a painful reminder of how he was gone, that I couldn't contain the tear that rolled onto my cheek. Unfreezing I quickly wiped it away and prayed to Chaos no-one saw that, they would think I was crying because I was afraid. And that is one thing I certainly was not.

After a few moments of shocked silence Zeus broke out of his trance like state. "What are you doing here father?" He spat the word 'father' like it was the foulest of insults, which to the titan it probably was. But the titan did not even bother to answer. No. Instead he let out a booming laugh, so violent it shook the entire throne room. I jumped at the noise but I narrowed my eyes at the space behind him. I couldn't see anything though, I thought I saw something behind Kronos. But it must have just been because of my sudden movement. "How can you have reformed already?" Poseidon asked threateningly, rising from his throne. "My son and Hermes' boy scattered your essence too thin." The titan king's laughter ceased and he raised an amused eye brow at his son. "Do you really believe me so stupid as to have put all my essence in the Castellan boy?" He sneered. "No," he continued not waiting for a reply. "I only put half in him. The rest stayed in Tartarus, gaining strength slowly." My eyes widened in shock, we had been idiots. We thought that victory was it and we had won. We thought our victory had ended the war, so we didn't bother checking again. But we were wrong. That was just one battle.

I was furious, and I could see the other Greeks were too. Luke had sacrificed himself, and what good had it done us? It had just given us one hundred years to grow lazy and for the enemy to gain power. We'd even lost our hero. The one prophesized to save us, how could we win the war now? No Greek child of the big three was 16. 'We can't win' I thought in despair. While the gathered council collected their thoughts, the titan continued his speech. "Admittedly, I wouldn't have been able to resurface for much longer if it wasn't for my present." He chuckled darkly. Golden eyes searched the gathered crowd for a moment before they landed on Annabeth. She steeled her gaze and put up a strong front against her lost loves enemy, as the rest of us watched what would happen. "You remember don't you wisdom spawn. About the gift you left for me when you visited Tartarus?" Kronos queried, faking innocence. 'Oh di immortals I hope he doesn't mean what I think he does' I thought, it couldn't be - right? Even if me and my dad couldn't locate his soul. He had to be dead after this long, right?

Slowly the titan unfolded his arms and reached for something behind him. People's hands shot to weapons all around the room, but he didn't seem to care. Kronos just carried on moving his hand behind him and seemed to grab something. It looked like a careless action. But looking closely, I noticed his molten eyes scanning the room cautiously. When he apparently decided no one was going to attack him, the titian whipped his arm forward and threw something to the floor with a sickening crunch. Seeing the titan king cross his arm back over his chest the we deduced it was safe to look away from him. Instead I focused on the object at his feet. I heard a few gasps of shock as people realised what it was, including my own. Sprawled on the white marble floor a metre in front of the titan, but still closer to the monsters than us, was a boy.

He looked to be roughly six foot one in height. He was wearing a pair of blue jeans, the boy wore no shoes or shirt, his clothes were torn in several places and seemed to have dry blood staining them. Slowly the boy moved his head with a muffled groan, for he had hit the floor quite hard. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I knew Kronos was evil but who could do that to a boy, he looked as if he'd been through hell and back. Which, admittedly, he had. The boys mop of jet black hair shifted slightly on the ground. Everyone looked at him with sympathy, it was instantly clear to me that this boy was used to far crueller treatment than this. Just as he was starting to come to, a sharp kick connected to his rib cage. Sending him face first back into the floor. "Get up you useless brat!" The offender yelled. The boy nodded and hurried to comply with his master's wishes.

I scowled at Kronos but quickly turned back to look at the boy who was beginning to stir again. As I looked at him again I realised that he was just a bit older than my physical age of 15, he may be 16 or 17. Far too young to go through any of this. Kronos stepped back again and smiled triumphantly. It made me want to go and punch him in the face, but I couldn't I'd be killed. The boy set has hands on the cold floor and pushed himself up painfully. This showed off the boy's impressive physique that would've had Aphrodite drooling if it wasn't for the uncountable amount of scars that covered his well-muscled arms.

The boy steadily pushed himself to his knees but did not raise any further, nor did he lift his head from where it rested on his chest, letting his dirty black hair cover his face. I wondered why he was doing this, was he afraid? But who of, us or Kronos? Maybe both? I recognised the boy a bit, I definitely knew him from somewhere. And I knew I should know who he was, he was important to me. Maybe he had gone to camp? "Who have you brought to my throne room? Who is this boy?" Zeus yelled at his father, no longer being able to stand the tension. "Do you hear that spawn? They don't even remember you." He laughed looking at the back of the boy's head, if anything it seemed to lower even more.

"All those years you spent saying they'd come for you. Wasted." He taunted, smirking victoriously at the gods. "Please," Poseidon spoke gently. "Will you tell us who you are?" The god looked as if he too knew the mystery boy but couldn't think who it was. The boy didn't move though. "Please." A male voice came from my side of the room. I didn't know who had said it, maybe it was me, but it somehow carried the length of the room to the titan's ears. Another booming laugh shook the room; causing the boy to flinch violently. "Go on then." He encouraged gleefully. "Show them who you are. Show them the scum you have become." The voice was laughing at him. But it carried the silent threat of what would happen if he didn't. I felt pity bloom in my chest, I couldn't even imagine what it must have been like for him to be Kronos' prisoner. Why did Kronos even take him, what did he want from the boy?

He took in a shaking breath and slowly lifted his face to the awaiting crowd. His eyes were still shut, but now I could see the fresh trails of glistening blood that ran from his temple and nose. The rest of his face was also covered in a layer of dirt and dried blood, despite this I could tell that beneath it all the boy was very handsome. I also realised I had been right. Instead of thinking he was a boy, I could now tell that he was a broken and submissive seven-teen year old. Someone who had been in the 'care' of Kronos for a long time, far too long. The teen took another ragged breath to steady himself before he slowly peeled his eyes open. As his eyelids moved out of the way a pair of beautiful sea green eyes were revealed. They were missing their usual glint and were misty with tears, but there was now no doubt of who he was. He was our lost hero.

Percy Jackson.

At that moment all hell broke loose. Percy. Percy was back. And that was where he had been all this time! With Kronos! How could we have let this happen? How could I have let this happen? He's my cousin for Zeus's sake, one of my best friends and despite what I might say – Gods I love him. Rage consumed my heart as I looked into his misty eyes, I could sense misery like I had never felt before radiating off him. I knew that he was 117 years old but he was more scarred and world weary than anybody I have ever known, and I've met people who are hundreds of thousands of years old. That's not right. I looked around me and saw each person with a similar face of shock or dismay. Some people were crying, others only just holding themselves in their seats.

Poseidon was the worst he had tears streaming down his face as he struggled against both Hades and Zeus as they held him down so that their father didn't kill him. He called out again and again to his lost son, but he would not look at him. Percy just stared straight ahead, unseeing, as tears leaked from his eyes. Tearing my eyes away from the grieving father I looked around the other immortal demigods. They were a mess, and I was no better. Piper was sobbing as she slumped against the side of her seat, next to me I could see Hazel crying into her hands too. I wanted to reach over and comfort her but I didn't know what to say. What was there to say in this situation? 'It's ok don't cry it's not like he was tortured, oh wait he was. Never mind carry on.' Yeah that didn't quite seem to work.

Instead I carried on looking around the room; Jason was gripping the sides of his chair so hard I thought his bones would split from his skin. But it was the only thing stopping him from jumping from his seat and running to his brother in all but blood. Thalia also looked as if she were going to run to our cousin, if Dionysus hadn't got vines holding her in her seat that was. The huntress was still fighting against the vines but as I watched she too collapsed against her chair as tears began to spill down her face.

Frank and Leo were taking his reappearance the best, although they too were still greatly upset, Frank sat still in his chair crying silently. I suspected this was not what he wanted to do but instead was what he thought Percy would've wanted, he wouldn't have wanted us dying for him. Not ever. Leo was expressing his grief in his own way. To stop himself from doing anything rash the Latino boy was repeatedly taking pieces of metal from his tool belt and melting them with the fire on his hand. I didn't understand how it helped but it seemed to work for the son of Hephaestus. The worst was Annabeth, she wasn't crying which seemed to make it worse. It was as if her body had stopped working. She was sat ramrod straight in her seat, not moving at all. Barely even breathing. Usually she was closed off but I could tell exactly what she was thinking. She was blaming herself for this. After all, he had sacrificed himself for her and this was the price.

The noise in the throne room was deafening I could barely even think myself. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew I was crying, tears flowing down my face, but I couldn't bring myself to care. This was the boy I loved – even if he did not feel the same way – it felt as if something inside me was dying. As if someone had created a voodoo doll of me and was twisting a knife in my heart. Repeatedly. I held on desperately to the edge of my chair trying to hold myself in place. I was managing, just, but I was still leaning forward. All of me Desperate to get to Percy and help him, but a tiny part of me holding myself back because I'd be no good to him dead. Time seemed to stretch on forever, and with Kronos here maybe it did. But I was still analysing it all, the monsters viciously defending Kronos and Percy. Kronos watching Percy's every move as well as watching our reactions. But most of all Percy. Our lost hero.

He was here found again, but so far. I could see the new bright red scars on his bare chest, along with older white scars. There was more of those, probably from the heavier torture before he broke for Kronos. And then there was the blood, lots of it. Trickling down his face from his temple and bust nose, and then his trousers were red. But I suspected they had not always been, they were stained with the same substance that ran down his face. His own blood. Upon closer inspection I could also see tiny flecks of gold in his blood, indicating he was immortal. Not just frozen in time by Kronos. But partially immortal, like me. He could still die. I was broken from my musings by the titan as he growled "quiet". But no one seemed to hear for they were too noisy.

"Be quiet." He repeated in an angrier, more threatening voice. Still no one heard. This time though Percy curled in on himself slightly, he knew that tone. He knew it wasn't good, probably not good for his health most of the time. Whatever was going to happen would not be good. But I couldn't make a sound to tell the others to be quiet, my voice wasn't working. I could only watch in horror. "Silence!" The titan king said even louder. But still nothing. "Shut up! Or I'll splatter the floor with his blood!" Kronos yelled, placing his sword menacingly at Percy's neck. Even the slightest slip of his hand would kill him. Everyone was silent now, even Poseidon was still in his throne. Kronos laughed and began to cut into Percy's neck anyway. Red blood spilling down his neck. "NO!" I yelled jumping from my seat and reaching out.


Oooh it's getting tense over there on Olympus. How are we feeling about that? I hope I didn't let any of you down with that, I was pretty excited to write it and see what would happen too. I think I'm going to be writing in first person from now on as I need a more emotional view from the characters, I didn't do it before as I needed to swap between Kronos and Percy a lot. Plus, being in Percy's head during torture = not nice.

So I hope you enjoyed that. If you did please review, follow and favourite. So that I can use your input to make the story better and so you can get the latest updates as soon as they are released. Also if you do review I reply to them all at the start of every chapter so if you want to ask me something or get a reply back it is there. Ok guys that's it. See ya.