I don't own Percy Jackson, and I never will. I'm cool with that though, since I can barely keep up with this story as it is.

Dark clouds gathered over Camp Half-Blood.

The campers bustled around its grounds, busying themselves with whatever task was available. Some carried pieces of armor, hastily equipping them before they were sent out to the front lines. Others brought the wounded to a ragged white tent that served as the medical bay. The younger campers drew circles on the ground, or ineffectively tried to sleep. Anything to distract them from the clouds above.

Katie sat against a tree, right by the shore of the camp lake. 'Why do I keep coming here?' she asked herself, looking around the place that had become so familiar to her. Turning her head, she found the notches and cuts that Percy had made on the tree trunk during his training. Running her hands against the indented wood, the demigoddess couldn't help but think of how lonely it felt. Of course, she'd kept up with her own training, but without her friend to motivate her...

Banging her head against the tree, the daughter of Demeter scoffed. 'Listen to yourself, Katie, brooding over some shorty. There are bigger things to worry about.'

Shifting her glum eyes to the sky, Katie gave an involuntary shudder. Things had been getting progressively worse the more time passed. As the storm increased in its intensity, so did the number and power of the monsters. Manhattan and its surrounding areas had turned into a war zone, with demigods fighting for their very lives against a never-ending ocean of beasts.

Selfishly, Katie counted herself lucky that her cabin had been the least used. Demeter kids had never been particularly good at fighting, and most of her current cabin mates were younger than her. Needless to say, if any of her siblings got sent out... she wouldn't know what to do with herself.

"Katie!"

Standing up, the demigoddess faced her caller, only to find the Camp Overseer striding her way. She grimaced at the sight of Luke Castellan.

With bags under his bloodshot eyes, dirty cheeks, and pale face, the son of Hermes' handsome visage had broken down due to stress. It pained her to see someone as impenetrable as Luke get stuck with such a laborious position, but Chiron was much more useful on the front lines, taking out waves of monsters. "Yeah, Luke?" she questioned, walking over to meet up with him.

He sighed, reaching up to rub the base of his nose. "Katie, how many times do I have to tell you to call me 'Overseer'? It's been almost a week already."

Katie stuck out her tongue. "I guess you'll just have to deal with it," she patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry though, I respect you on the inside." He rolled his eyes, but gestured for her to follow him back the way he came. "So... what's up?" Katie asked, strolling along next to him.

Luke rubbed his eyes, vehemently trying to hold back a yawn. "Look, Kate... You aren't going go like this..." He hesitated, and Katie felt her heart stop. He wouldn't... He couldn't...

"Luke..."

"I'm sorry, alright?" The son of Hermes growled in frustration, and Katie clutched her chest. It felt like it would explode. "There was an accident. Ten Ares campers got taken out of commission by a drakon. We need more help," Luke told her, though the words felt heavy on his lips. "The Demeter cabin has been giving the least-"

"We aren't fighters, Luke!"

"-WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO!?" Luke screamed, stomping his feet and ending their walk. He breathed heavily, and managed to calm himself down "I'm..." He looked up at the thundering sky. "I... I don't know what else to do Kate..."

Katie followed his gaze, forcing back her tears. She knew the entire camp had to make sacrifices, but her siblings were so young...

"We can't keep going like this," Luke stated, but Katie barely registered his words.

'This has to stop,' she thought. 'This is what our camp was made for but... There are just too many...'

"I hope they come back soon," she said. Luke glanced at her, forcing down the bile that was making its way up his throat.

"They're in a lot of danger," Luke told her. "They might not come back at all."

He expected some sort of outburst, but Katie merely closed her eyes and let the first tear fall down her cheek. "They'll be back," she said, missing Luke's flinch. "I know they will, I trust them. Him."

Luke sighed. "I suppose..."

You got it Luke! I'll keep 'em safe for sure!

His lips quirked upwards. "Yeah... I suppose they'll be back any day now."

As they kept their eyes on the sky, thunder boomed, and for the first time in years, rain fell.

Chapter Ten: The Other Side

"Man, how much longer is it gonna take?"

Annabeth kept her gaze on the swirling black wall in front of them, though she frowned at Percy's question. "You could stand to be a bit more patient, you know. We've only been here for a few minutes."

The group had finally reached the city of Los Angeles, or at least its borders. Positioned atop Karkinos' shell, all three quest members waited for Aeolus to blow away Zeus' electric barrier.

"I don't know, Annabeth," Grover muttered, looking at his wristwatch. He held it out, showing its screen to his two companions. "We only have a a couple of days left to get the bolt back and bring it to Zeus." The satyr gulped. "We might not make it..."

His blonde friend was about to reassure him, but Percy snorted. "Pfft. I'm not worried about whether we make it or not. I mean c'mon, I'm here," this got a round of eye-rolls, "I'm just worried about how long we have to wait. This is so boring!"

Just as he said that, a great gust of wind blew around them, pushing away the black electrical wall until a big chunk had been dug out, revealing the Los Angeles cityscape. The young demigod immediately shut up, slightly gaping at the sight. In front of them was a huge hole in the middle of what was basically a barrier of storms.

Annabeth couldn't help but smirk. "I guess that's that then." She straightened out her shirt, clapping her hands together and holding them close to her forehead. Closing her eyes, the daughter of Athena sent a quick prayer. "Thank you Lord Aeolus, we won't waste your gift."

Percy crossed his arms. "Hn, took 'im long enough."

A strong wind rushed by once more, pushing the psychokinetic off the giant crab shell he had been sitting on. He landed on his back with a gasp, losing his breath from the story-long drop. seeing this, both Annabeth and Grover laughed, and Percy could only glare up at them. "Ha... Ha... Very funny."

"Get your butt in gear, Jackson!" Annabeth shouted, her grin still in place. "Lord Aeolus said he could only open up the electromagnetic barrier for a few minutes at best!"

Percy pushed himself up. He bent his knees and jumped five feet onto one of the crab's legs, then jumped again onto the top of its shell. "Alright," he said, walking back over to his two friends, "let's get moving then."

Grover was slack-jawed, but Annabeth only shook her head. "H-How..." the satyr started. "How... H-How..."

The young demigod waved his hand in dismissal, and Annabeth patted Karkinos' forehead. The giant crab started moving through the opening in the barrier, and Grover's question died in his throat.

The three quest-mates walked through the deserted streets of Los Angeles, looking for anything that might be an entrance to the Underworld. Wild winds blew chaotically, and the barest hints of sunlight allowed them to see in the ever-present gloom. In the distance, they could spot the black barrier surrounding the city, twisting and churning its way around.

"Where is everyone?" Percy asked, his voice barely heard over the sounds of the storm.

"It's like a ghost town in here..." Grover mumbled, looking around for any signs of life. "Why'd we have to leave Karkinos in the outskirts? There's no one here to see her."

"Everyone's inside," Annabeth told them. "They're probably watching us from the windows."

Percy turned to a darkened window. Squinting, the young demigod could barely make out the small shapes of what he guessed were children. "Great," he sighed, "a city full of stalkers. Just what I needed."

"I'm not sure that's how it works," Annabeth said. She put a hand on her chin, holding it thoughtfully as they continued to walk. "Whatever. We need to find the Underworld now before we run out of time. Any ideas?"

Grover perked up. "Hey, I've got it! Maybe it's behind the Hollywood sign! It makes sense, you know, 'cause Hollywood is evil!"

Percy scoffed. "Please Grover, that's stupid. As if anyone would actually think to put the entrance of hell somewhere so cheesy."

The three paused at that, looking at each other strangely. Percy turned a narrowed eye to his satyr friend. "Y'know Grover, as dark as it is, you look almost... African-American."

Grover nodded, shifting his gaze onto Annabeth. "And Annabeth looks almost... brunette."

All three shivered for reasons they couldn't understand, and continued on their way. Percy huffed in impatience, breaking their awkward silence. "How are we supposed to find this place? We're not failing a quest just because we're lost!"

Annabeth shook her head, crossing her arms. "Calm down Percy, it's not like there's a map or anything. Besides, maybe it's time we called camp and asked Chiron for help."

Percy raised a brow. "We can call camp? I thought demigods weren't supposed to use phones. You'll be lucky to even get any reception at all from where we're at."

The daughter of Athena ignored him. She looked around until she found a fire hydrant. Walking up to it, the blonde looked at Percy. "Think you can break it open?" she asked, patting the fire hydrant like a puppy.

Percy stared at her strangely, but shrugged and decided to just wait and see what Annabeth wasn't telling him. Taking out Riptide, the young demigod winded up his arm. After surrounding the blade with air molecules, he swung his sword in a horizontal arc, lopping off the fire hydrant's top and releasing a geyser of pressurized water.

The three jumped back before they could get wet. Percy sheathed his sword and crossed his hands behind his head, walking up to Annabeth. "Okay, so now that we just destroyed all hope of survival for anyone who's house gets set on fire by lightning, what now?"

The blonde took out a golden drachma and held it with both hands. "Not much to work with, but here we go," she muttered. "Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering. Show me Chiron at Camp Half-Blood!"

She threw the golden drachma at the building mist, where it dissolved into nothingness. An image wavered into view, and the three quest members found themselves facing the view of mid-day Camp Half-Blood. They gasped in shock, not believing the sight that greeted them.

It was bleak, much bleaker than any of them thought such a happy place as Camp Half-Blood could get. Annabeth opened her mouth, probably getting ready to call someone, when two people came into view.

"Oh! What do we have here?" asked Travis Stoll, not showing any signs of surprise. Connor Stoll also caught on to the situation, and Percy could only groan at the coming conversation.

"Hmm... Seems to me like our little saviors need some help!"

"Call the police!"

"Rally the army!"

"The army has already been rallied, brother."

"Ah!" Connor rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well... Rally another army!"

"Guys!" Annabeth cut in. "This is important! Is Chiron there?"

"The horseman! Of course!"

"You mean the man-horse, my brother!"

"Horseman!"

"Man-horse!"

"Annabeth? Is that you?"

The image wavered, and Percy almost thought the connection would break. 'Looks like I was right about the bad reception,' he thought. When the Iris Message came back into focus, the young demigod was met with the sight of a haggard trainer of heroes.

"Chiron?" Annabeth asked, covering her gaping mouth with both hands. "You... You look... well..."

The centaur looked terrible. His pale skin was filled with cuts and bruises, some of which appeared to be newly placed. Percy stepped in front of Annabeth, taking it all in before speaking.

"You look like crap, Chiron," Percy said, ignoring Annabeth's uncommitted glare. "In fact, the whole place looks like crap. What the hell happened?"

There was an undertone of worry in Percy's apathetic voice, one that the old centaur recognized from his days as a middle school teacher. Chiron gave the young demigod a reassuring smile. "Do not worry," he told them, "everyone is just under a great deal of stress, including me."

"Because of the monster attacks?" Percy asked with a frown. "Is everyone alright?"

"I just told you not to worry, did I not?" Chiron asked. "We are as fine as we could be, all things considered, though I'm sure you didn't call for a check-up."

"We didn't," said Annabeth, pushing Percy out of the way. "We're almost there, Chiron. I know that the entrance to the Underworld is somewhere around here in L.A., but we don't have time to go around looking for it. You know where it is, don't you?"

Chiron nodded, his face sullen at the reminder of their task. "Of course I do. I've seen it myself often enough. You will find the way in a place called the DOA Recording Studios."

"Hey, we just passed by there a few minutes ago!" Grover exclaimed, looking back the way they came. His face twisted in confusion. "Did we really just miss the entrance to Hades?"

"What does 'DOA' mean anyway?" Percy asked.

"Dead by Arrival," Chiron answered. His image started flickering, and Annabeth fished around her bag for another drachma. "No!" Chiron's distorted voice called out. "Y-ou kn-ow wher... to go now! There... isn't mu... time left, pro...eed on your qu-est!"

Before any of them could react, their centaur trainer waved his hand through the Iris Message, breaking their connection.

Percy faced his teammates, his expression filled with determination. "You heard the man, er, horse! We don't have much time left, so let's go!"

He dashed away to their destination, forcing his friends to run after him. 'Chiron...' The ragged image of his teacher flashed through his mind. 'Just hold on, it won't be long before I end this whole thing once and for all!'

Entering the DOA Recording Studios, Percy was first struck by the complete silence that permeated the room. If someone dropped a pin, it would've probably sounded like a nuclear explosion right next to his ear. The second thing that he immediately noticed was how filled up the room was with the dead. There was barely any space to stand, and a long line snaked its way around, ending in front of an elevator with a button that only went down.

The two demigods and their satyr companion squeezed their way to the front desk, where a blonde man in a suit read a newspaper. They stood in front of him, and when it became obvious that he wouldn't attend to them, Annabeth coughed politely.

The man finally looked up, and Percy had to stop himself from gasping when he met the man's eyes. Looking at those empty eyes, the young demigod found himself feeling depressed, like there was no chance he would ever succeed at anything for the rest of his life. Blinking rapidly, Percy snapped out of his slight trance.

"You... You're a god, aren't you?" the psychokinetic asked, forcing himself to not make any eye contact. 'Do all gods have weird eye powers?'

The man only blinked blandly, no discernible reaction on his face. "Yes, I am. Charon, god of boundaries and territories, at your service. Is there anything you need?"

"Wait, Chiron?" Percy questioned, and Charon twitched ever so slightly. "I know a guy named Chiron. Small world, I guess."

"Now, listen here," the god began, his voice carrying a hint of annoyance. "I am tired of getting confused for that donkey man!"

"He's actually a horse-"

"I don't particularly care what he is!" The deity told him, getting louder and louder. The commotion caught the attention of some of the people in the room, but they quickly lost interest. Annabeth groaned, and Grover couldn't decide on whether to follow her example or tremble in place. He ended up doing both.

"It's Charon!" the god continued. "Say it with me, Cha-Ron, not Chiron! You'd think that after all these centuries, people would stop making the same mistake!"

Percy waved his hands in a panic. "Woah, woah, woah! Okay man, it's Charon! I get it! Calm down!"

Charon huffed, going back to his blank, emotionless state. "I suppose it doesn't matter. What do you kids want?"

Percy sighed in relief. 'I really shouldn't make a habit of pissing off every god I meet,' he though to himself. 'But I didn't even say anything that bad! These guys need some anger management.'

"What's everyone else here for?" he asked rhetorically in response to Charon's question. "We need to get into the Underworld, pronto."

Annabeth elbowed his side, making him yelp in pain. Charon narrowed his soulless eyes at the sight. Dead people didn't feel pain. "You three are dead right? I can't allow anyone into Hades unless they're dead, and I'm not seeing any fatal wounds."

The daughter of Athena looked him dead in the eye, her face just as expressionless as the god's. "Yeah, we're dead. It was a naval accident. We drowned, so no wounds."

Despite wanting to pull her hair by the roots, Percy couldn't help but be impressed. Lying to a god's face was no easy feat, and she wasn't even from New York like he was.

Charon gave them all a critical eye before sighing and grabbing his newspaper again. "Hmph, whatever, brats. You can go take a seat and make yourselves comfortable. It'll probably take a few decades, but I'm sure you'll go down there eventually. Child deaths... you can never see 'em coming..."

Before Percy got the opportunity to complain, Annabeth dragged him and Grover over to some open seats. Sitting down, the psychokinetic glared at his blonde friend. "What was that!? 'A few decades!?' We've got two days!"

Annabeth glared back at him, not deterred in the slightest. "I know that, stupid, but we can't really complain, especially with the impression you gave him."

"Me!? How about you-"

"Guys!" Grover shouted. "We've got more important things to worry about, namely the 'getting into the Underworld' part, remember?"

The two demigods continued their glaring contest for several more moments, but reluctantly turned away. Annabeth looked around the room, her grey eyes taking in everything before her. "He's right," she said. "We need to get in there right now." Looking at the two boys, she stood up from her seat. "I'll go see what I can do. In the meantime, try to think of how you died."

Percy eyed her, confused. "Wait, what about the drowning thing?"

"The only reason that worked was because Charon just didn't care enough to do something about it. If any of these waiting souls found out that we're taking their spot, there could be a riot or something. Just try to think of something believable, alright?"

She left, and the two boys were left on their own. After a couple of minutes, Percy was already bored. He sighed, leaning down to rest his head against both hands. He then turned to Grover, who was still looking at the assortment of spirits with a pale face. The young demigod sighed again, and when his satyr friend didn't react, he sighed louder. Grover blinked, looking over at the irritated demigod.

"Huh? What's up, Percy?"

The psychokinetic shrugged his shoulders. "I'm bored. What are we supposed to do until Annabeth comes back?"

Grover mulled it over, and his eyes lit up. He took out his reed pipes and wiggled them with his fingers. "Hey, how about I play some music? It should keep us occupied for a while."

Percy involuntarily cringed, remembering all the times his friend had played his 'music' on their quest. It sounded like a cat that just got its tail bit off. "Uh, G-man? You don't have to... Really, I'm good."

Grover looked confused. "Why not?"

Percy thought about how he could tell his friend that he was terrible at music without hurting his feelings. Grover was insecure enough as it was, and any tactless comments might put him in some kind of depression.

"Well... You kinda suck."

"Wh-What!?"

Percy scratched his cheek. "Yeah, you're not very good."

Grover looked scandalized. "What the heck!? Why'd you have to put it so... so... so bluntly?"

The young demigod's hands went up as if to say, 'well, what can you do?' "I'm generally known to be a blunt person."

Grover huffed, crossing his arms and turning away.

"Hey," Percy said, "c'mon man." He nudged Grover on the shoulder, but the satyr refused to look at him. "Don't be like that, Grover."

After a few more tries, Percy gave up. 'Well, looks like I'm getting the silent treatment,' he thought. 'Great, what now?'

The psychokinetic suddenly felt a cold spot on his shoulder. He turned his head and came face-to-face with one of the many spirits crowding the DOA Recording Studios. "Uh... Hey?" Percy asked uncertainly.

The spirit stared at him, probably getting used to trying to focus on the young demigod without a brain. "Hey man," the spirit greeted, an obvious hippie accent in its voice, "I don't see kids around very often. How long've ya been here?"

Percy thought about just ignoring the guy, but there wasn't really anything else to do, and Annabeth had told them to make up a story right? "Oh, y'know, a few years. So, how'd you die?"

The spirit's glazed eyes glazed over even more, to the point that it looked... well, dead. "Uh... Hm... Oh, yeah! I was... I was with some buddies, right? And I... What'd I do?" He scratched his spectral scalp. The spirit continued to think for several moments, and Percy wondered why he even started talking to the man in the first place.

"I remember now!" the spirit exclaimed, snapping its ghostly fingers. "I was with some buddies, and we were driving... y'know... Uh... intoxicated." He waited for Percy's hesitant nod to continue. "So we're driving, right? And this guy sittin' next to me, he tells me that his house is right past the bridge, 'cause I was droppin' everyone off, right? So I went across the bridge, turns out it was unfinished! Can ya believe that!? Drove right off a bridge!"

The young demigod nodded, wondering if his ghostly acquaintance was more than just intoxicated on the day he died. The spirit tried to nudge him on the arm, but his elbow went right through Percy's, eliciting a shiver. "Uh, so how 'bout you man? How'd a kid like you die?"

Percy thought about it. 'Well...'

Just try to think of something believable, alright?

The psychokinetic smirked. Screw believable. He was too awesome for believable. If he was going to die, it was going to be in the most epic way possible.

"Oh, well it's actually pretty interesting that you to asked," Percy said, his smirk widening. "Ever heard of the 'Young Astronaut Program'?"

Meanwhile, Annabeth was still trying to find a way into the Underworld that didn't involve spending dozens of years in a waiting room. All of a sudden, the crowd of spirits shifted, congregating around someone. Two someones.

Reaching her teammates, Annabeth grabbed Percy's shoulder and turned him around to face her. "What's going on?" she asked.

Percy smiled, his expression a mixture of pride and embarrassment. "Well... you see..."

"Haven't you heard?" someone said behind her. The blonde turned around and saw the hippie spirit that had spoken to her.

"Heard what?"

"This guy," the spirit pointed at Percy, "no... this hero, sacrificed his life to bring world peace!"

Annabeth was dumbfounded. She looked to Grover, who appeared a little squeamish being surrounded by so many dead people. "World peace?" she asked.

The satyr seemed just as confused as she was. "Yeah, I don't know."

"Ugh! So uneducated!" said a lady spirit, pulling out a folding fan from her pocket and waving it in front of her. Of course, the wind didn't affect her bodily state, as she was dead, but it really drove in the 'snobby rich lady' stereotype. "This incredible young man became the first and last twelve-year-old astronaut!"

"Wha-"

"Yeah!" shouted another spirit, this one dressed in Pizza Hut clothes and carrying a box of what Annabeth guessed was supposed to be ghostly pizza. "He was even the first human to discover aliens!"

"Don't forget how he defeated the entire Russian army, by himself!"

"Or how he ended world hunger!"

"Woah guys, I think the most impressive thing is how he invented the internet."

"The internet doesn't even compare to his legendary drilling project to the center of the Earth!"

"What about the time he found the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail?"

Grover got close to Annabeth, covering his mouth with one hand. "I think that being dead makes you dumber," the satyr stated, and the blonde could only nod.

"It's decided then! This young man must be rewarded for his efforts!"

"I say we let him go down first! Who's with me?"

"Hear, hear!"

Percy quickly took advantage of the situation. "Wow, thanks guys! But, uh, I couldn't go without my friends here," he gestured towards his still shocked companions, "I mean, what kind of guy would I be if I just left 'em hanging like that?"

"So generous!"

"I've never seen someone so selfless!"

"If I wasn't dead I would marry him!"

"I say we let them all down first!"

"Hear, hear!"

Before they knew it, the three quest-mates were inside the crowded elevator. Charon turned up a second later, and raised an eyebrow at the sight of the new kids going into the Underworld after just a few minutes. The god pressed a button, and they found themselves going down.

Annabeth finally snapped out of her shock. "What the... What was that all about!?"

Percy smirked. "That," he told them, "is why you need me. I'm just that good."

Instantly, all awe they felt towards the young demigod was swept away when they remembered exactly who he was. The daughter of Athena shook her head, not willing to say anything to him, and Grover's deadpan expression said it all. "You know," the satyr said, "I really wish I still had that sprayer."

The three had finally reached their destination, or at least the last leg of their journey. In front of them lay the great Walls of Erebos, the last thing standing in their way to Hades' palace.

The only real entrance was heavily guarded by one of the most famous and dangerous monsters in history: Cerberus. With a gulp, Annabeth led her team forward, trying to hide their presence among the crowds of undead heading in the same direction. To get inside the Underworld, they had to pass under the enormous three-headed dog without getting detected as alive, something hard to do considering they were the only ones with a scent. Regardless of the danger, the three heroes walked ahead, refusing to give up so close to their goal.

That plan went south almost immediately. Cerberus was able to easily sniff them out, and Percy got to relieve his dream, only that instead of a giant eagle, the monster was going after him.

He squared his shoulders, took out his sword, and equipped his shield. Annabeth prepared her hat, while Grover shakily put his reed pipes to his lips. Right when they were about to get run over, the satyr started playing, and with no warning, Cerberus went from a terrifying nightmare to a cute, three-headed puppy.

The change was so sudden and unexpected that the three quest members froze. The giant dog strutted over to their paralyzed forms, and nudged a horrified Grover with its nose, almost knocking the satyr down on the ground. Cerberus then sat on its haunches and seemed to wait for him to continue.

Eventually, they all realized just what happened. Hesitantly, Grover began playing his music once more, and Cerberus began swaying side-to-side. The satyr stopped playing and looked at Percy's wide eyes. For the first time that the young demigod had known him, Grover smirked. "Who isn't very good now, huh?"

Percy's shock was replaced by grudging respect. "Whatever, goat boy. Let's just go." He took a step forward, but Cerberus suddenly went back to being a growling monster. Before it tore the young demigod apart, Grover calmed the best with his music.

"Okay," said Percy, taking back his foot, "that's not gonna work."

Annabeth watched it all, her calculating eyes capturing the strange scene. Finally, she sighed. "It looks like we can't get past it unless Grover distracts it with his music."

"Alright," Percy said, "he can play, we get by, and six-eyes here," he pointed his thumb at Cerberus, "won't follow us in. What's wrong with that?"

She slapped him on the back of his head, leaving the young demigod grumbling and rubbing the stinging scalp. "Idiot," the blonde said, "what makes you think it won't follow us in? It's not like there's a leash." She turned to Grover. "Look, we can't risk taking Cerberus away from its job, because then anyone could get into Hades. Can you stay here and keep playing until we're done?"

Grover hung his head. "So that's it, huh? Stick me with guard duty while you guys go face the god of the Underworld? Guess I should've seen it coming."

Annabeth reached out for him, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Grover, you know I didn't mean it like that-"

"No, it's fine," the satyr said, shrugging off her hand and walking over to the panting monster dog. "I'll just stay here, you guys keep going. At least someone appreciates my music."

The daughter of Athena set her worried gaze on Percy, and the young demigod didn't know what to tell her. Who knew Grover's self-esteem issues went so deep? But they had a job to do, and didn't have much time left to do it.

The two demigods went through the entrance, looking back at the moody satyr sitting on Cerberus' giant paw. Shaking his head, Percy felt guilt eat at him. He'd told Grover that he wasn't useless, but then insulted his skills right after. 'I'll make it up to you, G-man,' he thought. 'That's a promise.'

"This place is kinda depressing."

Annabeth rolled her eyes, not even bothering to face Percy as they continued their trek through the Fields of Asphodel. "It's supposed to be depressing, idiot. We're in Hades."

The two demigods weaved their way around the shades of the dead, making sure not to make any contact. Percy had asked what would happen if they did, but his blonde companion had given a very good reason not to: do you really want to find out?

"I'm just saying, after Elysium and the Fields of Punishment, this one just doesn't put much on the table."

"It isn't supposed to put anything on the table. The Fields of Asphodel are for those who haven't done neither good nor evil, so they come here and stand around for the rest of eternity."

Percy grimaced. "I knew that, it's just... Looking at it for real, this is like torture."

Annabeth turned around, her face incredulous. "Torture? This? Where were you when we passed by that guy that was getting continuously flattened by rocks? Or the woman that was trapped in a cage with the floor made out of spikes?"

Percy waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, I'm sure that sucked for those guys, but just look around." He spun on his heel, arms outstretched. "This place... It's like they're not even here." He stood in front of one of the shades and waved his hand in front of its face. There was no reaction. "At least in the Fields of Punishment you know what's going on. You're still... you." He sighed, stepping around the shade and taking the lead, Annabeth following after him. "I'd rather get set on fire for eternity than turn into a vegetable."

The daughter of Athena stared at him questioningly. For as long as she had known him, Percy had been like an unstoppable force. No matter how bad things got or how dangerous a situation was, he always faced it head on, usually with a smartass remark. "Percy, are you okay? I know that the Underworld isn't the happiest of places, but-"

The young demigod scoffed. "Please, like some dreary atmosphere could get to me. This just looks like a really boring way to spend the afterlife."

Annabeth narrowed her eyes, but just shook her head at Percy's fake excuse. She wasn't blind to her friend's obvious emotional troubles, but it wasn't the time for such things. Raising her head, her grey eyes spotted something in the distance, and it was coming in their direction. "Hey, what's that?"

Percy followed her gaze. They both stopped walking, their tense muscles ready to dive for cover. The figure got closer and closer, and its features became all the more noticeable.

Annabeth took a step back. "It-It's one of the Furies!"

Percy cursed, taking out his sword as the monster settled on the ground in front of them, landing on several shades which dispersed at her touch. "You two..." it said, its voice sounding distinctly female behind its guttural tone. "Come with me. I have been ordered to bring you to my master."

Percy raised his sword, eliciting a low growl from the creature. "Like that's actually gonna work." Before he could charge at the winged monster, Annabeth put a hand on his arm.

"Percy," she said, " I think we should go with her."

"Wh-What?" he asked, completely gobsmacked. She was supposed to be the smart one, wasn't she?

"Listen," she said before he could argue with her, "I hate this as much as you do, believe me," her voice took on a hint of malice, but it was gone in a second. "We want to go see Hades anyway, right? We've already wasted too much time walking there, and I don't want Grover to wait for us for too long."

He turned to look at the Fury, who was waiting for them with a smile that stretched past her eyes. He turned back to Annabeth. "You better know what you're doing."

She rolled her eyes. "Just trust me."

They broke off. "Alright, bat-lady," Percy told the Fury, who grumbled in response, "we'll go with you. So how does this work? Do we just grab ooOOOH CRAP!"

As he finished his sentence, the Fury swept at them, grabbing each of the two demigods by the backs of their camp shirts. Before they could blink, the two quest-mates were in the air, heading directly for a dark palace in the distance.

Percy glared up at the winged monster. "You could've warned us, y'know!?"

The Fury only laughed, or at least he thought it was a laugh. It sounded more like a squealing pig.

It didn't take long for them to make it to Hades' palace, but the journey there was surprisingly boring. The Fields of Asphodel were humongous, taking up Percy's entire view. He wouldn't of been surprised if the neutral area took up most of the Underworld, which it probably did.

They landed on the front steps, and were immediately flanked by two skeleton guards, both holding an AK-47. He turned to the retreating Fury. "I guess that means you don't trust us," he stated blandly. The Fury laughed again, making him glare in annoyance. Couldn't he get a straight answer from this lady?

They walked through the dark halls of the palace. It was incredibly empty, the only decoration being the torches that lighted up the black and bronze walls. Finally, the two reached a big bronze door, one that reminded Percy of the entrance to Aeolus' office. 'Can't these guys get a little more creative?' he thought.

Suddenly, it felt like a fifty-pound rock got dropped into his backpack. Just as he was about to take it off and check what it was, Annabeth nudged his shoulder.

"Come on, it's time."

Figuring it wasn't that big of a deal, Percy followed her into the throne room, where Hades himself waited on a throne of skulls.

The god of the Underworld was extremely pale, with eyes that matched his pitch-black shoulder-length hair and beard. He wore a long robe that looked like it was made out of blood, and with a start Percy realized it probably was.

Annabeth dropped to a kneel, and Percy did so as well, if a little reluctantly. As much as he hated it, he'd have to show Hades some level of respect if they were going to get the Master Bolt back. That and Annabeth had annoyed him about it for hours on end in fear that he would mess up their chance because of his natural disregard for politeness and expectations.

"Lord Hades," Annabeth spoke, "thank you for allowing us into your palace."

Hades didn't appear very impressed. "Save your pleasantries, demigods. It has been a long time since one of your kind entered my domain." He glared at them intently, and Percy found it harder to breathe. "What did you come to me for, daughter of Athena?"

"W-We came for the Master Bolt, sir," Annabeth coughed out.

Hades' power suddenly blasted off him, and both demigods were blown several feet back. Percy stood up, reaching for his pocket. "You dare..." the god said, his head hanging down. He looked up to them, and Percy had to use all his willpower to not run out of the room, crying like a baby. "You dare come into my home and accuse me of theft!?" Hades shouted. "Is this another one of Zeus' tricks!? I will have no more of it! He is the one that took from me!"

Percy glared, trying to look brave, though his shivering body probably wasn't helping. "Wh-What the hell d-d-do you mean? Y-You stole th-the Master Bolt!"

Hades shifted his powerful gaze on him, and the young demigod felt his knees buckle. His bag felt so heavy... Why did it feel so heavy? "Do not interrupt me, demigod!" the god said, his raspy voice sounding much louder than it should've sounded. "Do you really think I want this petty war to start? You've seen the Underworld, how crowded it is. There isn't enough room for the amount of spirits it would bring!"

Percy gasped, the weight of his back almost dropping him on his knees again. "Well, if y-you didn't do it, w-w-who did?"

Hades' anger suddenly turned into glee. "Oh... Oh! My, my... What is this power I feel? It certainly couldn't be coming from you..." the god put his hands together, rubbing them up and down. The psychokinetic, despite the almost unbearable pressure on his back, couldn't help but think it was way too cheesy. "Your bag, take it off, boy."

All of a sudden, Percy felt fear grip his heart. A crazy idea jumped into his head, one so unfathomable, so completely ridiculous that he couldn't help but think of it. There was no way...

"Take it off, boy!"

You did what I told you to, and I gave you your information. As far as I can see, we're done.

He took off the bag and was barely able to hold it up with both hands.

"Now..." Hades said. "Open it. Show me what lies inside."

I will tell you this, child. Give me your bag, and I'll make the death of you and your companions less painful.

Percy opened his backpack, and to his horror, inside was a two-foot celestial bronze cylinder sparkling with electrical power. Annabeth caught the sight, and her face paled to such a degree that it rivaled the cackling god before them.

"What an interesting turn of events..." Hades commented, his malicious smile implanting itself into Percy's memory as the scariest sight he'd ever witnessed. "I'm sure we can come to an understanding, wouldn't you agree?"

AN:

Jeez, that took a while. Well there you have it, the most expected twist in the entire story. Don't worry though, if you're looking for an unexpected twist... it's coming.

We're reaching the end here, if that wasn't obvious enough. Trouble at camp, trouble in the quest, trouble in the world itself... There's just trouble all over the place.

How will our heroes make it out of this one? Will Camp Half-Blood survive the wait? What will Hades do with the Master Bolt in his grasp? Find out next time!