AN: Hey Everyone, I had originally planned to do this big updated to celebrate big news. I recently wrote an original Short Story and aim to publish it. I had planned to release this big update to announce it, but the copyright center is taking far longer to get back to me than I expected so I'm just going to go ahead and post it now. I'll prepare another when the copyright actually goes through.

The Silver hunter 8

Chapter 8

-Percy-

His eyes opened the moment he fell asleep, darkness surrounding him as Percy staggered, looking about the shale laden cavern he found himself in. Mist swirled about his feet, licking and trying to crawl up his legs as if it sought to flee from whatever was below. He felt the smoke and wind tug at his clothes, trying to pull him back but something told him he needed to go forward. Almost dazed he took a slow step, shale and stone clattering away form him as he delved downward, the darkness he thought he knew seeming bright as day compared to the pit he found himself at.

Tartarus.

"Ah, well if it isn't my little grandson." A dark voice chuckled, the sound resonating and actually cracking apart some of the shale pieces at his feet "Come to visit me at last?"

"Well I figured Dad had you put in this retirement home for a reason." He shrugged, kicking a shale piece down the pit and imagining it hitting Kronos in the eye "Plus you have a bad habit of biting people and so I figured I'd do you a favor and not put myself near your teeth, between you and me I taste horrible."

"Witty even in my presence," Kronos's voice felt cold and reptilian, every word feeling calculated and as sharp as a blade "but for one so clever you are sadly a fool."

"Rude."

"Oh, my apologies. Would you prefer young naivety?" Kronos asked mockingly.

"...Maybe a little. Although if you're getting lonely in your old age I sent a crazy chick down there to keep you company. Maybe you could be her sugar daddy if you can't get it up anymore." He chuckled at the end, imaging 'Maddie' dealing with the pit with her apparent lack of self-preservation instincts.

"Oh yes, I've met dear Maddie." Percy could feel Kronos' smirk "Such a lovely girl, a good set of beliefs about my treacherous children."

"Pot, meet kettle." He pointed out dryly, getting a long-suffering sigh in return for his efforts.

"Yes, perhaps swallowing my children had indeed been somewhat hasty. But the oracle had refused to tell me which of the six would attempt to overthrow and destroy me, or that they would only do so because I attempted to stop it. How would you react if you were told one of your children would murder you for your crown?" pushing aside the uncomfortable fact that he wasn't entirely sure how he would react he glared down into the pit.

"Well Cannibalism wouldn't have been my first choice…or any choice for that matter, that just sounds all kinds of wrong."

"You are strong child," Kronos' voice hummed through the void "with so much potential its staggering. Join me grandson, help me tear down Olympus! I can make you a Titan, make you my heir. Your mother would make a most excellent queen to stay by my side and I would even allow you to bring your own woman, the lovely Rachel, with you to immorality. Think of it Perseus, miss Dare as your bride for all time, Maddie and those two girls who travel with you as your mistresses. You can take the demigods as your own army. I would let you do as you wish to Artemis and her hunters. You are good Perseus, I can make you great."

Feeling the dream beginning to end as someone was shaking him in the real world he smirked down at the pit "Two words Gramps, 'tooth brush', your breath smells horrible." With that the void vanished into bright streams of light, filtering down through the trees. "Morning sleeping beauty." Lou grinned at him as she tossed a granola bar his way "Here's breakfast in bed, only the best for the pretty one of the group."

"Does that make you Prince Charming?" he chuckled, glad of the playful interaction to help take his mind of the meeting with Kronos.

"Nah, that's Rachel. I'm Maleficent and Annabeth is one of the little fairies." Lou's comment and proud grin has him choking on his breakfast.

"Careful wicked witch," he pushes himself to his feet "if you don't behave I'll have to drop a house on you and nobody would want that."

"Alright Dorothy, just summon Toto so we can gogo." Annabeth piped up with a small giggle.

"Eh tu Brute?" he pouted for a moment before all three burst into laughter. Was the world in danger? Yes. Was brooding and being super serious emos going to help in any way? No. Giving a sharp whistle he heard it echo in the trees, bouncing from trunk to trunk as it permeated the air and beyond the mist. The shadows between two massive oaks grew darker before Erabor leapt out, tongue hanging out and tail wagging like crazy.

"Erabor!" Lou hugged the big hellhound's head and started scratching him "Who's a good puppy? You are! Yes, you are!" after giving the appropriate payment of ear scritches and belly rubs Erabor let them clamber onto his back.

"Alright guys, listen close." he told them seriously as Erabor took off, giving a happy bark at a slack jawed pink poodle as they raced through the woods "I had a demigod vision last night. Looks like dear old gramps is waking up and wants to come out of retirement." With that he began giving them the details of the encounter, what he had learned and what he was worried some of it might mean.

"So, Kronos wants your aide?" Annabeth asked surprised as she held onto him, Lou holding onto her as they zipped across the countryside.

"And wants to marry your mom?" that part seems to disturb Lou more, "They say don't stick your dick in crazy but I'm pretty sure this is that situation in reverse…how would you even phrase that?"

"Don't know, don't care, it's never going to happen." He snorted "I hate Artemis and her brats, I have serious problems with Zeus and his paranoia, but the rest of the gods aren't bad people…immortals…whatever, you get the point."

"So, you're saying you don't want me and Annabeth as your concubines?" Lou teased, he wasn't sure what the daughter of Hecate did to Annabeth, but he heard a rather startled squeak from the daughter of Athena "Give me five minutes alone with Rachel and I'm sure I could convince her to allow it."

"Lou, I'm nowhere near enough to keep you three happy." He chuckled "Plus if I do that then I'll be outnumbered, and I barely win enough 'debates' with Rachel as is, let alone if she's able to call in backup."

"Dang it!" he could hear Lou's pout "If you're watching this Rachel then no fair! Taking one of the good ones before anyone else has a chance!"

-Rachel-

Chuckling, Rachel was torn between nervousness of Kronos having an interest in Percy, outrage at the Titan king's offer, and amusement at Lou Ellen. "Mamma Jackson," she turned to the daughter of Hephaestus "remind me never to be alone with Lou…just in case." Her tone made it clear it was a joke as Sally chuckled and played along.

"Oh, but what about all the grandchildren?!" she mock wailed.

"Sorry but I'm greedy and don't want to make a schedule to get my Percy time." She shrugged "Although if Percy misbehaves I can always threaten to dump him for Lou."

"You're an evil little lady Rachel, you know that?" Alex called over from his sleeping bag, the Jackson home having been a camp out spot for the local demigod friends, so they could watch Percy's quest as a group. Someone always up to keep an eye on it and wake the others if there was a development.

"I know, it makes life so much more fun. High fiving Mamma Jackson she went to go grab breakfast for the group with a couple of the other demigods "If anything major happens then call us so we can hurry back!" she calls over her shoulder as they head to the local Monster Doughnuts. Run by a cyclops it may be, but they had the best chocolate sprinkles.

-Kronos-

Long ago, when he sat upon the throne his greatest weakness had been impatience. He could never wait and see, never take the time to plan and strategize. If he had raised his children to be loyal and told them the prophecy they would have focused on protecting their 'beloved father' from whichever one was the traitor rather than focusing on taking his throne.

The pit had rid him of that weakness. An eternity in the darkness, with nothing but pain and his own thoughts would change any being. In the beginning it had only fueled his anger, his seething hatred. But over the centuries and eons the constant agony of dismemberment began to dull, he became used to the pain, or at least had a higher tolerance for it. With that clarity came the beginnings of planning his vengeance. Centuries and centuries of plots, counter plots. Changing a plan and making new ones at opportunities led him to begin predicting them. It taught him the value of patience as he saw his own plans and the plans of others.

He knew that young Perseus wouldn't join him right away, his will was strong, and he hadn't been shaken enough by the gods to consider doing so. But now a seed had been planted, a piece of doubt in the back of the demigod's mind, 'what would I have done in that position'. Poseidon was too loyal to abandon his precious son, and Hephaestus too proud of his daughter and grandson so they wouldn't shake the boy's faith. But Artemis? With her tortures and murders and 'witch hunts'? Zeus, with his paranoia and infidelity and hubris? Those two alone could be more than enough but add in how the boy might react when his little pawn in their camp reveals himself? How the demigods' father might react to the situation? It had a great deal of potential and Kronos couldn't wait to watch and see how it unfolded.

"Oh, Maddie dear," he chuckled darkly as he looked at the lovely woman "be a dear and go gather me some hellhounds. I'm feeling thirsty."