A/N: OMG! I am so sorry for not updating in a while… ): I was having computer problems and everything got erased and I had to start at the beginning losing everything. So, I will post more chapters to make it up to you.
"Chapter 10," Hades said.
"Wait, Hades, before you start, I have to talk to dad," Thalia said.
Zeus perked up before he remembered that Thalia was no longer his daughter. Percy looked at her questioningly before following her out of the throne room.
She looked at him and sighed, "Dad, come on. Just talk to her, it wasn't her fault."
Percy sighed and said, "Thals, what do you want me to do? Because I don't know,"
"I don't know! Something! You can't let something dumb like that come between you. Think of my little sisters, would they want to see you two fighting?" Thalia exclaimed.
"Do something?! I don't know what to say! What to do!" Percy shouted.
A look of hurt flashed in Thalia's eyes. Her dad never yelled at her.
Percy took a deep breath and sighed, "Thalia, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. It's just… I love her and I don't know what to do."
Thalia gave him a small smiled and said, "Then, show her that,"
"But how?" Percy said.
Thalia gave him a knowing look and he got the message.
They started to walk back towards the throne room neither aware of some of the eavesdropping Olympians.
When they walked back in the room, some people eyed them with curiosity. Instead of taking a seat by his mother or his other friends, he sat down awkwardly beside Zoe. She slipped her hand in his and gave him a small smile.
Hades began to read the chapter.
Ch. 10
10 Months after the Battle of the Labyrinth
Perseus sat in his throne next to his father in the throne room in the void. It had been 10 months since the campers emerged victorious against a small portion of the Titan Army. The losses were high but not crippling. Since that time the Labyrinth had been destroyed. The Hunters of Artemis had captured Daedalus inside the maze as he tried to flee deeper within its depths.
"Coward," Dionysus sneered.
A couple of people looked at Athena but she kept her eyes glued to the floor not wanting to meet the gazes of the people in the throne room.
He had been betrayed by the Titans who refused to give him refuge after their attempt to destroy the demi-gods had failed. Zeus demanded Daedalus be brought before the council to be judged and later executed. Athena though, had spoken with Artemis before the hunters were sent to capture him and asked that she bring him to her instead. After a long discussion, Athena had finally forgiven Daedalus for killing his nephew millennia prior and she understood his actions seeking freedom after millennia stuck inside his workshop in the Labyrinth. Using Poseidon and Hestia as a go-between, she convinced Hades to allow Daedalus to escape the Fields of Punishment and instead Hades assigned him the duty of Architect of the Underworld, designing improvements in Elysium, the Isles of the Blessed, and Hades Palace.
Athena smiled and looked thankfully at Poseidon, her long- time rival, and Hestia.
After Hades agreed, Daedalus was given a painless death by Thanatos and with the Labyrinth bound to Daedalus' life forces; it collapsed under the weight of the land above it.
Artemis simply reported to Zeus that Daedalus resisted once brought out of the Labyrinth and the hunters were forced to kill him. When Zeus Iris-messaged Hades to make sure Daedalus was sent to the Fields of Punishment, Hades responded by flipping his younger brother the bird and swiping through the message; much to the amusement of his siblings and the majority of the council.
Zeus glared daggers at Hades while he smirked at his younger brother and started laughing when a shadow glazed over Zeus' eyes and he panicked. Everyone looked at Hades who looked at Percy who was trying and failing to look innocent.
After a couple minutes of Zeus trying to get out of his temporary blindness and everyone laughing at him, Percy waved his hand and Zeus' vision went back to normal making him sulk in his throne that his own family didn't try to help him.
Zeus with no authority in Hades' domain was left without options.
Chaos and Perseus were discussing the Titan War, which would begin within the next couple days. Kronos had taken the body of Clarisse La Rue as a host and was currently readying his army for the invasion of New York and Olympus.
"Clarisse, that weakling. She-" Ares started before he was throne across the room by a giant shadow hand and beaten, scratched and left bloody while Percy glared daggers at him. Zoe tried to talk him out of beating up Ares, but Percy could only see red. He pulled out his sword and stalked over to him but stopped when he heard one thing.
"Daddy," he turned around and saw Artemisia walking towards him and attaching herself to his leg.
All red that he saw before was long gone and everyone knew three things. One, Zoe was losing her touch with Percy. Two, Artemisia saved Ares' life. And three, when Percy's in his pissed state, only his daughters can help out.
He walked back to his seat and slipped his hand back in Zoe's but to his surprise, she pulled it back and rested it in her lap.
Krios and Perses were leading a smaller army toward Camp Jupiter to destroy the Roman demi-gods.
"Perseus, there is something you must do that you will not like. I would never ask this of you if it were not the only way, but in order for Thalia to defeat Kronos, you must convince her to bathe in the River Styx." Chaos said cautiously.
"What!? No way father, that could kill her. We will find another way to help her defeat Kronos. I will kill him myself if I have to. I will not ask her to risk her life even more so than she already is." Perseus replied angrily to his father.
Thalia smiled at Percy but he missed it and sat there with a confused look on his face on why Zoe was now mad at him. Thalia groaned. Was the drama never going to end? Just when she thought things were getting better.
"I'm sorry; I cannot allow you to interfere with her destiny. She must defeat Kronos herself if she is to be strong enough to survive the upcoming war with your siblings. Her mother is dead, so you will not need to seek her blessing for Thalia to enter the Styx. You and Zoe can go with her but she must do this alone. You cannot try what Thetis did with Achilles, Thalia is almost 17 and she must enter upon her own free will for the river to work. In order for that demi-god Clarisse to host the Titan of Time she had to become invulnerable by a taking a dip in the River Styx. If Thalia is to defeat Kronos she must be on a more even playing field." Chaos explained to his son.
"So that's how she did it, I was wondering how so it could happen without the raw power killing her." Athena said.
"There has to be another way to do this. If she does not have something to tie to her to her mortality she could dissolve in the Styx. It has happened to many other lesser heroes who wanted to achieve Achilles' fame." Perseus argued.
Chaos smiled, "She has plenty to tie her to her life on the earth. She has her friend Annabeth, she has her brother, she has you and Zoe, and she has the boy she loves Luke. She will survive. With this she will defeat Kronos and she will be ready to fight by your side against the Giants."
As soon as the words the boy she loves came out of Hades' mouth, a shadowy figure formed beside Thalia and growled. Thalia knew exactly who it was and wrapped her arms around him before the shadow could finish forming.
"Nico," she said. He finished forming and wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.
"It's in the past. I love you," Thalia said making Nico smile again. They took their seats while Luke glared jealously at him.
Perseus stared at the floor for several minutes trying to think of another way but his mind only came up blank. Finally he sighed loudly, "If she does not survive I will rip the Titans and their army apart by myself. Gaia will learn of my existence and it will endanger the world even more. So I hope for the sake of Earth you are right father."
"WHAT?! You would put the world at risk for just one mere demigod?" Zeus asked.
This got Percy's attention and his snapped in Zeus' direction.
"That 'mere demigod' is my 'immortal daughter' so I would watch my mouth if I were you Zeus unless you want to end up like your son over there." Percy said and pointed to Ares' limp bruised, battered, and bleeding body in the corner for what seemed like the tenth time.
"Trust me son, I know what I'm doing. She will survive, she will become the hero she was meant to be, ready to fight alongside a Primordial God for the survival of Earth." Chaos said smiling.
"When should we do this father?" Perseus asked.
"Today, the sooner she is ready the better. The Titans are dangerously close to launching their attack on Olympus and any later may be too late." Chaos said.
Although the Olympians knew that since they were here that everything was okay, they still paled at the thoughts of losing their thrones.
Perseus nodded, waving his hand to open a vortex. He turned to his father, "Wish me luck, I will need it to convince Zoe of your plan."
With that he turned into a wolf and jumped through the vortex, coming out a mile away from the hunter's current campsite.
When Perseus neared the hunter's camp, he saw a familiar 12 year old girl walking in the woods alone, deep in concentration.
"What was I thinking about?" Artemis said. But her question remained unanswered.
Perseus transformed back into his normal self and cleared his throat to get her attention.
In reply she launched an arrow aimed right at his heart. He raised his hand and the arrow stopped in mid-air and gently floated back to the girl.
"Trying to kill old Perce huh?" Hermes said trying to ease some of the tension in the room but it wasn't working.
"Hello Perseus, today is not a good day for you to steal Zoe away for a date." Artemis said calmly still with an expression that showed she was deep in thought.
"Unfortunately, that is not why I am here I'm afraid. Zoe is needed for a mission assigned by my father." Perseus said, trying to study Artemis' expression.
Percy looked towards Artemis and smiled. She figured that since he smiled either something good was about to happen or that it wasn't something to worry about.
Artemis arched an eyebrow, "A mission from your father? I thought you weren't needed at Camp Jupiter until tomorrow?"
"We aren't, I need her to come with me for something worse. I'm afraid my father thinks Thalia can't defeat Kronos without having the same advantages as his host. I need Zoe to come with me to bring Thalia to the Styx. Zoe and I have to get her to take a little swim in the Styx and become invulnerable." He said dejectedly.
Artemis' eyes widened. Then her face morphed into an expression of understanding. "I was curious how a demi-god was able to host a Titan. I guess that question is answered. Very well I will have Zoe meet you shortly."
"Great minds think alike," Percy said and Artemis and Athena both beamed at him.
Artemis turned to walk back toward her camp but was stopped by Perseus.
"Wait. Can I ask you something?" Perseus asked.
"Duh, what're friends for?" Artemis said in an obvious voice making Percy roll his eyes at her.
Artemis stopped and turned back to him. "Sure why not." Came her casual reply.
"When I saw you, you looked concerned about something. If you don't mind me asking, what is it that has you worried?"
Artemis narrowed her eyes. After a minute she sighed, "I suppose it won't hurt to tell you. I don't think we Olympians will be able to stop Typhon. Too many of us have become lazy and too consumed with our personal lives that many are not nearly as powerful as we were the first time Typhon was defeated and imprisoned."
"We are not lazy!" exclaimed about half the council and Artemis looked away but still paled at the thought of them fighting Typhon.
Perseus stared at her for a moment before responding, "I think you may be right. Your father is not as powerful as he once was. Many of the council will be useless in the fight. Dionysus will be fighting in the place where Hades fought in the original battle. That diminishes your chances immensely."
Dionysus tried to glare at Percy but after seeing a majority of the council backing him up, he remained silent. But Zeus still glared at Percy for calling him weak. Apparently, they had forgotten that he was a primordial and could defeat them with a snap of his fingers.
Artemis' face fell at his statement. "My father is such a fool. Hades would be a valuable asset to the council, even more so during time of war like this. I'm afraid Thalia's victory could be pointless if Olympus is destroyed by Typhon anyway."
Hades smiled at Artemis who looked shocked before returning the smile. And Zeus glared at his daughter and upset at how his family really felt about him.
Perseus stood deep in thought for several minutes until he had an idea. "Artemis, may I see your bow?"
Artemis took a step back. "Umm… Why?"
Perseus chuckled, "Artemis I realize your bow is your symbol of power. I have an idea to help you in the battle against Typhon. If you trust me, then let me help you win that battle."
"What are you doing Perseus?" Athena asked.
'Blessing her symbol of power," he said.
Artemis stared at him for a while. He was a man. Yes, he was one of the only ones she somewhat liked but trust is a different issue. She had trusted only one man in her life and it had ended terribly. She trusted Orion and the things he told her only to discover he was a rapist who had tried to seduce one of her huntresses.
"Is that really what you were thinking Arty? Orion? Come on," Percy whines and pouted at Artemis who rolled her eyes.
But that had been her own fault; she had been too infatuated with him and his hunting skills to see the obvious signs. She continued to stare at Perseus. He was Lupa's son and he had never hurt Zoe. He had only protected her, on multiple occasions as well. Also he was a Primordial God; he could probably take her bow by force if he wanted to and he did not. She realized if he was good enough to get her blessing to be with Zoe then she knew she trusted him. She exhaled deeply and handed him her bow, still scared of what would happen.
"Don't trust me Arty?" Percy said and this time she got up and slapped him in the back of his head.
Perseus began to chant quietly in a language she did not recognize. Her eyes widened when her bow glowed. It was a mix of red and gold. When he stopped her bow dimmed until the glow was gone. He handed it back to her.
She looked at it apprehensively. "What did you do to it?" She asked still worried.
Perseus smiled at her, his large canines reminding her of one of her best friends.
"Notch an arrow but don't fire it yet." Perseus told her. She did what he said still a little worried.
"What's gonna happen?" Artemis said kinda worried about what he did to it.
"Now, see the tree over there?" He asked. She nodded.
"Aim for the tree. Now imagine the arrow is gold." He instructed.
She did and was shocked to see her arrow turned a bright golden color.
Perseus smiled, "Now fire."
She did and what she saw amazed her. She watched the arrow fly towards the tree. Time seemed to slow incredibly. She watched as the arrow slowly fly toward the tree, an aura of gold trailing like a tail behind it before it hit the tree.
The mouth of every Olympian and person in the room except the ones from the future dropped to the ground in disbelief of what happened to her symbol of power.
"WHAT THE HADES WAS THAT?!" She yelled confused, slightly worried, and slightly excited.
Hades glared at Artemis before shrugging his shoulders.
Perseus laughed, "Your arrow controlled time around its target. You were only aiming at a tree but if the tree were moving it would have slowed. What you saw was the how the tree was moving through time. If you fired at a monster, time would have slowed for the monster, effectively making the monster incapable of escaping the arrow."
Artemis stared at him with wide eyes, before grinning at him. She was about to speak to thank him but he stopped her.
"But wait, there's more," Apollo said jokingly.
"Wait. There's more. Notch another arrow and wait." He said smiling at her reaction.
Apollo and Percy air high fived seemingly forgotten the previous tension between them and Percy even forgot about the pissed off Zoe sitting right next to him.
She repeated the process, waiting for his instruction.
"Now imagine the arrow as red." He told her smirking. "After it turns red, fire."
She did. This time the arrow did not seem to slow time. It glowed an aura of red before hitting the tree with explosive force. A gaping hole appeared in the tree. As well as the tree twenty feet behind it.
Artemis was at a loss for words.
As were many of the Olympians who thought that Percy would bless their symbols too.
Perseus smiled at her again. "That was an arrow using power from the battle part of my domain. Pretty cool huh?"
"Cool? Naa bro, that's most definitely badass." Hermes said.
Artemis just gaped at him unsure of what to say. Eventually she regained her bearings, "What did you do?" She asked smiling.
"I blessed your bow, or for you, your symbol of power. Just like I blessed Zoe and Thalia, it's like I blessed you. Except since you're a Goddess it is more powerful. It's also limited to you bow. But it's also your symbol of power so it will increase your strength. Not to my level but above most other Gods. Not Poseidon, Hades, or Hestia, but the others on the council. Your speed and endurance should increase so you can fight faster and longer. You are now a very powerful Goddess. Not that you weren't before, because you were, just up to big-three level now." Perseus explained to her.
Again their mouths dropped and Artemis had a big smile from ear to ear before smirking at Apollo.
Artemis was trying to understand what had just happened. She was curious of one thing though.
"Why did you say Poseidon, Hades and Hestia? Don't you mean my father and his brothers?"
"Yeah, why not me?" Zeus said.
Percy scoffed and said, "Hestia's better,"
Perseus laughed at the question. "Hestia is the most powerful of all the children of Kronos and Rhea. She was the first born and thusly inherited the most power. She is just a peaceful Goddess, but if she wanted to she could rule Olympus. Your father is probably the fourth strongest overall out of the six, only because your father's domain is powerful. That is why he has filled the council with his children and only his children, to ensure he remains in power."
Hera shook her head in agreement as did a majority of the council.
Artemis was shocked, but it did make sense. Another question popped into her mind.
"Why did you do this?" She asked cautiously.
Perseus smiled, "For a few reasons actually. First, you'll need it against Typhon. Secondly, I wanted to. You are like a mother to Zoe. I want to make sure you are safe and nothing will happen to you. It would devastate Zoe and I love her too much to see her hurt. Your also one of my mother's closest friends and I can't bear to see her hurt either. You allowed Zoe to remain a hunter when you wouldn't for most others and your letting me see the woman I love without trying to kill me. Also, despite the fact I am a man, something you hate, I like you. You're a good Goddess, one of the best on the council. You take your duties seriously; you use your power to help the world, not yourself. You protect young girls and empower them, teaching them to become some of the fiercest warriors on the planet. I have immense respect for that, I just wish more Gods and Goddesses were like you." Perseus replied honestly.
Artemis smiled and gave Percy a hug, something she found she was doing a lot. But, before long, almost all the goddesses including Nyx and the demigoddesses piled on top of him.
Artemis' face broke into a smile. Then she stepped up to Perseus and pulled him into a hug.
"I may not like men, but as I told you before I do like you. I may not have known you for long but I can honestly say you're the only man on the planet I consider a friend and the only one I trust." She said as she hugged him.
"You don't trust me?" Apollo said looking hurt.
"You don't count, you're my family." She said and the smile returned to his face.
When she stepped back she had a question, "Could you do this for the other God's symbols of power?"
"I could but I won't.
"What?!" Apollo and Hermes said at the same time. Others started to glare at Percy but he glared back and pointed to the book.
First you're the only Goddess who knows about me besides my mother and I also won't because I don't want to.
"Oh yeah I forgot about that," Hermes said.
Other than Poseidon, Athena, you and Hestia, I have no respect for the council." Perseus explained.
This caused people to glare at Percy again before he explained that he didn't know them yet and that he was still upset about the way of his birth.
Artemis smiled at Perseus. "Thank you Perseus, for everything. For helping me in the battle against Typhon as well as for what you just said. Now I will go get Zoe and send her out to meet you." She said gratefully.
Fifteen minutes later, Zoe came walking through the woods with a small smile on her face. When she saw Perseus her smile grew immensely. She sprinted straight to him and jumped into his arms.
"Hello Zoe. Excited to see me?" He asked her smiling warmly.
"Of course, I missed you." She said smiling back at him.
At this, Percy turned to look at Zoe who was still pissed for some reason that he didn't know and he just decided that whatever her problem was, she had better deal with it.
"So what is that your father needs us to do?" She asked.
Perseus' face darkened. He also looked nervous. "Well, we need to take Thalia to the Underworld. My father says in order to beat Kronos, Thalia must be invulnerable. She must take a dip in the Styx."
Zoe's eyes widened and then flashed dangerously. "What?! That's too dangerous. She could die before she even has a chance to fight the Titan Lord."
Now Thalia smiled at Zoe who kinda smiled back at her. She sat down on Nico's lap and sighed in content missing the envious glare Luke sent to Nico.
Perseus put his hands up in surrender before replying, "I said the exact same thing. But father says it must be done and if that's what he says then I believe him."
Zoe stared at him for a minute before finally relenting, "Fine, but if something happens to her, I will rip apart the Titan Lord myself. Then I will rip you apart you for this dangerous plan."
Perseus laughed, "That is exactly what I told my father. But she is strong. She will be fine. Father said it's needed not just to defeat Kronos but also for the war after too."
Zoe nodded dejectedly; still not pleased with the plan.
Perseus snapped his fingers and a vortex appeared. They walked through, right into the Zeus cabin where Thalia was asleep taking a nap.
"I remember that day," Thalia said with a glare directed at Percy.
Perseus coughed loudly, causing Thalia to open an eye. When she saw it was him she threw a pillow at him and buried her head underneath another one.
"Thalia, I'm sorry for waking you up but we have something serious we need to discuss" Perseus told her.
Thalia sat up slowly, gazing into Perseus' eyes. She didn't see any of the usual mirth. She was slightly worried why he was here now.
"Ok, so what's up?" She asked curiously.
"Thalia, there's no reason for me to beat around the bush, you can't beat Kronos as of right now." He told her seriously.
"So serious about it Perce, so straightforward." Apollo said.
This caught Thalia's attention. "What do you mean? I thought you said I was supposed to destroy him based on the prophecy." She asked irritated.
"Feisty, I like," Hermes said before he saw the look Percy, Nico, and even his son Luke sent at him.
"You are Thalia, but my father says there is something that you must do first. It is very dangerous and if it was anyone but my father telling me to do this then I would never allow it." He paused for a minute before finishing, "Thalia, you need to become invulnerable. You must bathe in the River Styx." He said seriously.
Thalia was beyond shocked. "You want me to become like Achilles? Are you crazy? I could die in the damned river!"
Thalia had chills run down her back remembering the pain of the river.
"I understand your worry, but you must do this. Clarisse did it in order to host the Titan Lord Kronos. So in order to fight her you must be on an even playing field. I am asking you to trust me Thalia. I know it sounds crazy but I know you can do it. Please trust me." Perseus said earnestly.
Thalia stood there thinking what to say. She didn't want to do this but she knew Perseus would never put her in danger unless it was absolutely necessary. She knew she had to do this. She couldn't fight someone invulnerable without being invulnerable herself.
"Okay Percy, I will do it. But if I die in the damn river I will come back to haunt you for the rest of your existence." She said in a serious tone but while smirking at him.
"You'd let me do that right Hades?" Thalia asked with pleading eyes and a smirk dancing on her lips.
After a moment of silence, Thalia broke it with an observation.
"You two seem to be spending a lot of time together lately. First the date I interrupted and now this. I see Artemis has given some leeway on Zoe's duties as a huntress. Next thing you know you two will be getting married." Thalia said jokingly.
"She's a damn good guesser, I'll give you that," Hephaestus said finally putting down the object he'd been tinkering with the majority of the story.
Zoe and Perseus blushed a deep shade of crimson.
Thalia raised an eyebrow at them and then gasped, "Oh my Gods! You are getting married aren't you?" She asked excitedly.
Perseus looked at Zoe who was still blushing. She nodded her consent to tell Thalia.
"Actually we are. I proposed a while ago and we are going to get married after the war with Gaia." Perseus said happily, earning him a smile from Zoe.
"I take it from the lack of ring on Zoe's finger that you aren't telling people yet, including Artemis and the hunters." Thalia said with a smirk.
Perseus waved a hand over Zoe's left ring finger and the ring appeared on her finger.
"Enchanted so you wouldn't be able to see it," Zoe said pretending Percy wasn't sitting next to her.
"Actually, I've just enchanted it to be invisible to everyone besides the two of us." Perseus replied. "But no, other than my mother and father, you are the first to know."
Thalia grinned at them. "Well aren't I special then?" She said jokingly.
Thalia's face shifted into an evil smirk. "Well since I consider Percy my father, I guess that makes Zoe my new mother doesn't it?" She said while laughing.
Zoe's face became a deep shade of crimson before she cracked a smile as well. "I suppose I could do worse if I were to have a daughter. Now, let's get this over with before the Titans have already destroyed Olympus. I need to know whether or not I have to kill Percy should something happen to you in the river,daughter." Zoe said the last part she said mockingly to Thalia.
Zoe smiled at Thalia and it was returned.
Perseus snapped his fingers, opening up a vortex to the Underworld.
Thalia hesitated. Perseus and Zoe noticed this and looked at her with confusion.
"Well, despite the fact I hate him and do not consider him my father, I am still a child of Zeus. My Uncle Hades will kill me if he sees me in his domain." Thalia said nervously.
"Thalia, he won't know you're there. And even if he did, you have Primordial God to protect you. I don't dislike Hades but I will not let him hurt you, I promise you."
"Basically, Percy likes me better than you Zeus," Hades said with a smirk on his face before Poseidon included that Percy liked him on top of them both. Then, Hestia added that he liked her better than all three.
Thalia smiled a bit then stepped into the vortex.
They came out a few feet away from the banks of the River Styx.
Thalia stared at the deep dark waters of the Styx with apprehension. It certainly did not look inviting.
Chills ran down her back again this time Nico whispered something in her ear making her blush.
Perseus stared into the river with apprehension just like Thalia; he did not want her to lose his adoptive daughter to this cursed river. He steeled his nerves and put on a confident face as he explained to her what to do.
"Thalia when you go into the river you must focus on what keeps you tied to this world. Think of all the reasons you have to live and all that you fight for in this world. Now, pick a spot on your body that will be your Achilles spot. Achilles had his heel because that is where his mother held him when she dipped him in. Pick a spot and imagine a type of cord that extends out of that spot and is tied to the outside world. If you start to lose yourself in the river think about the things in this world that matter to you and the cord should help keep you grounded." Perseus explained.
"Ground rules, if not you can incinerate in that river," Percy said.
He pulled her into a hug and whispered, "I know you can do this. You're destined for great things in this world and this is just a trial you must overcome on your way to achieving those things. Just know I love you and you have made me so proud of the young woman you have become. Now get in there so you can hurry up and kick that Titan's ass."
"I love you too Percy. Thank you for being the father I never had." She whispered back with a few tears in her eyes.
Zeus looked offended but bit his tongue when he saw the warning glance Percy shot him. And Thalia looked at Percy with thankfulness and happiness in her eyes.
Thalia hugged Zoe and turned to the river. As she walked toward it she stumbled on a rock and fell in head first.
"Thalia!" Perseus and Zoe shouted in unison. Perseus was about to jump in after her when he heard a voice behind him.
"Really? You'd jump in there after me?" Thalia asked before getting the look that said 'Duh. Now are you going to keep asking dumb questions?'
"Don't worry, that's natural. Everyone trips. No one would enter the river once their skin touches the water. The pain is too intense. So the river trips them so they do not turn back." A male voice said behind Zoe and Perseus.
They turned and saw a ghostly figure of a tall well-built man with Greek armor and a bloody heel.
"Achilles," Demeter said. "He wouldn't have died if he ate more cereal, he'd be more alert."
Hades quickly read before she could continue her cereal talk.
"Achilles!" Perseus and Zoe said together.
"Aye. Do not worry about the girl. She will be fine. I usually try to persuade people from trying the bathe in the Styx but I could tell her intentions are pure and she has enough to ground her to the earth." Achilles explained.
As soon as Thalia began to walk toward the Styx she had a bad feeling about this plan. She imagined a point on her left side, 6 inches down from the pit of her arm. A place concealed and protected by armor when she is in battle. As she walked up to the river, of course she tripped over a rock and fell in head first. Not exactly the brave and heroic entrance she had planned. The minute she hit the water, she felt unimaginable pain on every inch of her body. She tried to focus on the point she had imagined on her side. She tried to picture a cord tied to the outside world but it was too difficult. The pain was so intense she couldn't focus.
Even though he knew she made it, the color from Percy's face drained as he looked at Thalia.
The images of different people in her life flashed through her head. She saw Annabeth as an eight year old yelling at her to hold on.
Annabeth smiled at her and she smiled back.
She saw Luke waving at her and trying to grab her hand which was just out of reach. She saw a boy with blonde hair and electric blue eyes just like hers telling her to hold on and he would see her soon.
"Jason," Thalia said and she could feel Nico nodding his head in agreement.
But no matter who tried to help her, none were able to reach her. She could feel her body start to dissolve slowly in the river. She was losing herself and was going to die. Then she saw and image of Perseus and Zoe looking at her with a smirk on their faces. Perseus smiled and said "Seriously Thalia, you've been through a million different challenges in your life and you're going to die in a fucking river? Remember the damn cord before I send you back in time and let that douchebag Zeus turn you into a tree." He said with Zoe laughing next to him and nodding along. Suddenly Thalia felt a sharp tug on her left side. It was holding her in place, fighting against the river for control. She felt the cord pulling her up and out of the depths of the river.
"I was your anchor?" Percy said to her. Thalia smiled and nodded her head. Percy looked everyone in the room and said two words in their minds.
"Group hug," The second the words came out of his mouth, he was tackled by about 100 people minus Ares, Dionysus, and surprisingly Zoe.
She was suddenly spit out of the river and landed next to Perseus, Zoe, and a ghostly man that looked like he was the reason the word badass was created.
Hades smiled and said that he'd have to remember to tell Achilles that when this book was over.
"Thalia!" Perseus and Zoe yelled.
Thalia opened her eyes slowly. She looked up at the concerned faces of Zoe and Perseus and the smiling face of the ghostly badass.
"You two suck." She said tiredly to Zoe and Perseus.
Achilles began to laugh and was soon joined by Perseus and Zoe. Zoe pulled her to her feet and asked, "How do you feel?"
"Well besides the fact my skin is burning and bright red and the fact I almost dissolved into the river, just peachy." She sarcastically replied.
"Ahh, as bright as ever," Apollo said and ended up getting a slap upside the head by Thalia.
Thalia looked at the ghostly man more closely. He had Greek armor and a sword hanging from his belt. She looked down and saw his heel was bleeding profusely. Thalia's eyes widened dramatically, "A-Ac-Achilles?" She stuttered out.
"Yes mame." He replied with a smile.
"Why are you here?" She asked.
"Geez, not even a 'How are you?' or a 'How's the afterlife' or anything. So plain," Apollo complained.
"I showed up to stop him," he said while pointing a Perseus, "from diving into the river after you when you tripped. And don't worry, everyone trips. It's the river's way to stop people from turning back after touching the river." Achilles explained.
Thalia looked up at Perseus with a smile. She was happy to hear he would jump into a cursed river to save her.
That made Thalia think about what had happened while in the river. She has assumed it would have been Luke that was her mortal point. She loved him, she was sure of that and she did see him but it wasn't him that saved her.
Nico scowled but Thalia kissed him wiping it off of his face and 'sending' it to Luke's.
She also saw a blonde haired boy who had eyes just like hers. She knew who it was. It was her brother Jason. How she knew what he looked like today she had no idea. But even he didn't save her from the river. It had been Perseus and Zoe. She thought about why those two had been able to pull her out. She knew the answer even before her brain had thought of it. It was family. The one thing Thalia had longed for her entire life. She never had a real one. Luke and Annabeth were like a family to her, but not a true family. But now she had found a real one. One she could depend on and they could depend on her. She felt at peace finally. After all the years of being alone, first with her mother; then on the streets with Luke and later Annabeth; even at camp she felt somewhat alone. But not anymore. She finally had a family, and that was something she was not going to let go of.
Percy smiled at her and she returned it from where she sat with Nico.
Thalia turned back to see Perseus smiling at her along with Zoe. Achilles had disappeared, most likely back to Elysium or wherever it was he spent his afterlife. She smiled back and she had a hunch they knew what she had been thinking about.
Perseus opened a vortex that took them back to the Zeus cabin at Camp Half-Blood. Once there, she hugged them both after they said they had to leave to prepare for their fight at the Roman Camp Jupiter.
"Thalia, the next couple days will be very difficult. The hardest of your life, but I know you are ready. When you do battle with Clarisse you need to realize that she is no longer Clarisse. She gave that up the minute she let Kronos take over her body. When the final battle happens, show her no mercy. You can expect none in return." Perseus told her.
"Not now, Aunt Claire is -" Thalia started before a shadow covered her mouth and Percy told her in her mind not to give too much away.
Thalia nodded, a fiery look to determination in her eyes. Perseus knew she was ready.
"I may be on the other side of the country but if you have an emergency pray to me and I will try to help. Depending on the situation over there, I may be able to come help you. Just know I am very proud of you and believe in you, you will save Olympus." Perseus said before pulling her into one more hug. Afterword he grabbed Zoe's hand and jumped into another vortex, bringing them back to the area where the hunters were currently camped.
Line Break
Zoe was leading a group of hunters out of the campsite and heading toward Camp Jupiter. Perseus had gone ahead, they had a plan to avoid the hunters from having to trek all the way there.
A young man jumped out of a shadow in front of the hunters. Every hunter with the exception of Zoe grabbed their bows and aimed for the young man. He was around 5 foot 10, with jet black hair, dark onyx colored eyes and wearing light Roman armor with a purple tee-shirt underneath.
"Who is it?" Hermes asked. Some shrugged their shoulders and others ignored him.
"Wait!" Zoe commanded to her sisters. They stopped, but did not take their aim away from the boy.
"Who are you, and what do you want,Boy?" Zoe snapped. She knew who it was but needed the other hunters to believe that she didn't.
"I am Nicholas, Son of Pluto. I come with a message from Lady Lupa." He said. The girls reluctantly lowered their bows.
"That sounds like identity theft to me. Nicholas di Angelo, son of Hades, in Rome son of Pluto, I rest my case," Apollo said making Nico roll his eyes at him.
"The attack on Camp Jupiter is happening sooner than expected, most likely tonight. Lady Lupa asked me to transport you to camp so you can have more time to prepare. She also apologizes for sending a male but I am the only child of Pluto at camp and no one else can shadow travel." He said calmly.
"Nico he's trying to take your identity," Apollo joked and some people chuckled while Nico semi glared at Apollo.
Zoe nodded, smiling slightly at the good act Perseus was putting on.
"Please join hands in a line. One of you will have to grab my hand so I can get us there." He continued.
The hunters looked at each other, none wanting to hold the boy's hand. Zoe waved them off, volunteering to do it since she was the lieutenant.
The hunters did as told and Perseus, or "Nicholas", grabbed Zoe's hand, squeezing it gently with a sly smile before he pulled the shadows to him and traveled the hunters to Camp Jupiter.
Once there, the boy pointed to a large tent near the cohort barracks, "That is where you will stay. Lady Lupa has assured you will not be disturbed. She requested I bring your leader to meet with her while the rest of you settle in and prepare."
"Thank you," Artemis said smiling at Percy thankful to him for taking care of her girls.
The hunters nodded and at Zoe's word made their way into their tent.
Perseus smiled at Zoe and grabbed her hand and shadow travelled them into his mother's home inside New Rome.
As soon as they got there, he glowed and transformed back into himself and then picked up Zoe in a hug, giving her a soft and tender kiss.
She smiled into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. Just as they were about to deepen the kiss they heard someone clear their throat next to them.
"Thank the gods for Lupa," Apollo said. Percy didn't understand what Apollo was getting at and agreed with him.
"Sorry to interrupt but we have much to discuss about the upcoming battle. Your make out session can wait until later." Lupa said with a mischievous smile on her face.
Zoe blushed and Perseus gave his mother a slight glare. The glare vanished when she glared back.
"Ahh, the old wolf stare, gets me every time," Hermes said remembering Mercury getting the wolf glare once.
"The Titan Army is marching to Camp Jupiter from Mount Othrys as we speak. How do you plan on fighting Perseus? The hunters will notice a new member in their mix and the campers will notice a new camper in their lines." Lupa asked confused.
Perseus smirked, "Father taught me a new trick. To the hunters I will look like a camper but to the campers I will look like a huntress. Once the battle is over I will disappear from view and return here."
"That's smart," Athena said. And Percy nodded his head at her.
Lupa smiled at her son. She was about to speak again the alarms sounded from the entrance of camp.
Lupa looked at Zoe and her son, "They're here."
"Finished this chapter," Hades said.
"Who's next," Hades said.
Erebus took the book and said he'd read next.
While everyone else was talking Percy looked at Zoe expectantly.
"What?" she asked in a harsh tone.
"What exactly is your problem with me Zoe?" Percy asked getting irritated with her attitude.
"Hmm… I don't know maybe it's the fact that I can't calm you down anymore?" Zoe said getting louder with each word making the whole throne room get quiet.
"So your pissed that you can't control me?! Zoe I'm my own person. I have things to do and you can't always tell me how to feel and when to feel it." He shouted back at her.
"Daddy, stop it" Andromeda said to him and he picked her up nodded and went to sit by the other females in the room.
Zoe huffed and looked to Artemis for support but was surprised when Artemis shook her head with disapproval.
She turned around and crossed her arms and Erebus started reading.