Hey everybody, its Wade98. And yes, I know it has been almost a month since my last update but I have a good reason for being late and I'm sure a lot of people can relate with me. Hopefully.

You see not long after the last chapter I had to start going with my mom to get ready for school, getting supplies, and all that stuff. And now it has started so I haven't had much time to write. Combine that with the length I had to make this chapter and you'll see exactly why it took so long.

And the reason I had to make this chapter longer than usual is 1. Because I owe it to you for the wait and 2. Is a spoiler.

Anyway I'm sincerely sorry, it has been killing me to not update so here it is.

But first, reviews.

Princess of Fandom

Torture or kill
I gm nice enough to let you choose cuz you left me that dam cliffhanger...

Well as much as I probably deserve both of those your highness, I'll go with the option that lets me still write these chapters. That option is option C, which is RUN! (I love Doctor Who. XD)

Wccasey

Great Story. Is the crossover the Mortal Instruments?

Thanks. And no, but I honestly I wish the Mortal Instruments was an option. I wouldn't be able to write a crossover for it because I haven't read the rest of the books and that is because I currently can't get them. Don't have the money to afford them.

Thestralqueen147

Are you Sirius?! (Sorry a little harry potter pun I couldn't help me self) XD

LOL, I love it. Sirius was one of my favorite characters in the Harry Potter series.

JustLucky05

Nice! I wonder what that package is? I can't wait to see what happens when they find Percy. Keep up the great work!

Eh heh, believe me, HOW they find Percy is much more interesting. And there is going to be a lot more than just freeing Percy in here. Be ready for some shocking revelations. And I'll be sure to keep working.

Candycrum

Love it but i really want to knw what makes sense

Well I am sorry to say this but that isn't in this chapter, but the next one. Sorry.

Sithdoom

hmm i must be it does become a crossover then i will there im not all that much into crossovers tbh but ill save final judgement for when that time does come.

Well thank you, and I hope you will enjoy it when I begin writing it. The thing is, and this is a big clue, the main character of the other story is a lot like Percy. They both had their lives flipped upside down when they thought life was normal and so were they. I the only difference between their lives before upside down is that Percy had to deal with Gabe. Meanwhile the character of the other story was given a pretty good life before he had to be thrown into his freaky world.

A Ws Swd Brn

While it wasn't perfect, I think it was much better than what I usually see when "Percy is betrayed" and stuff. I wish it could still be Percabeth, though :(

Thank you and I am sorry it isn't Percabeth but I just didn't want this to be Percabeth. Sorry.

Narwhal King

Please have a huge fight with a narwhal that shoots out a cannon because Leo would do that

You sir have the most creative comment I have seen so far. Sadly even though I know Leo would probably do that, I don't think Percy would let him. So I can promise a big ass cannon later and a badass narwhal, but not both at the same time. Sorry your highness.

Any who, on with the long awaited chapter.

Chapter 12

Artemis' POV

I hate this.

Dominic comes back into my life and there is a brief moment of happiness. Now he goes into Tartarus and I am left without him. Not only that but I am feeling something for a male I never thought I would again since my brother and I were little.

Worry.

I am currently sitting in my cabin room, sharpening my knife. (Now you may ask why I would do this if they were made by my half brother Hephaestus so they never dull. I would tell you to shut up. It helps me think.) All of a sudden one of my hunters, Ray Fletcher, walked in with a stoic face.

"Milady, Lady Hestia is here to see you, along with two of the other hunters." She spat other like an insult. My hunters obviously disliked the idea of another group of hunters that accepted boys, especially since they hid from all of us for millennia. But Ray had a special hate since that wolfs little comment to her two years ago.

I nod to her and follow her out into the main cabin where my hunters slept. I see Hestia sitting beside a hearth in the wall, along with the two hunters she came with. The hearth in the cabin wasn't usually used since the cabins had ventilation systems built by my half brother's children. But the hearth was there in a symbolic way since the hunt is a home and a family. And because Hestia is one of the only people I am friends with.

But today there was a roaring fire in the fireplace and all three of the visitors were focused on it. I walked over, Ray trailing behind me as she is my second in command when Thalia is gone. I sit beside my favorite goddess while my substitute lieutenant just glares at the male figure on the other side of Hestia, expecting him to try something.

Hestia turns and smiles at me. "Artemis, how are you doing this evening?" She asks in a kind tone.

I smile back. "I am okay, but I worry for Thalia." I reply, not mentioning who else I am worried for. "Now may I ask what you are doing here aunt?"

I see her eyes glint knowingly at my response. "Oh, well Phanes left behind a message. He thought it would be a good idea to give each group of hunters, females from his side of course, a chance to switch to the other group if they feel uncomfortable around males or do not wish be eternal maidens, yet still feel scared around others." She explained.

Before I could respond, Ray spoke. "Why would any of us want join them? We would not join the hunt if we wished to be around boys." She scoffed.

This is when the male on Hestia's other side decided to say something. "Forgive me, but I doubt one person can speak for another, let alone a large majority." He said calmly. Ray didn't like this and put her knife against the boy's throat. I am about to step in but Hestia stops me. I look at her curiously but her eyes say one thing. Wait.

"Quiet boy! Be grateful you aren't already dead by my arrow, and that is only because you are with Hestia." She threatens him. Well this is a good visit.

Nobody's POV

Ray held her knife to the boy's throat, waiting for him to try and fight back so she can be justified in hurting him. But he just sits there, his face hidden by the hood the Hunter's of Betrayal wear.

Confusion covers the huntress' face for a moment. "What's wrong boy, scared to fight me?" She taunts.

He simply shakes his head, shocking Ray. "No, I am simply not a fighter. I prefer to heal. Not hurt." He said in the same calm tone as before. "But I do believe the hunter behind you would like to talk."

Ray's eyes widen in realization and spins around just to receive a swift kick to the gut and be knocked back a couple feet. Her sisters rush to grab their weapons, but hesitate. Unlike the first hunter, this one was female.

She stepped forward menacingly. "If you do that again, these walls will be repainted with your blood." She said coldly.

Ray spat a little blood away and got up as her sisters helped her stand. She sneered at the enemy huntress. "I'm guessing you have fallen for this boy like other maidens who were blinded by love. How foolish of you to protect such a cowardly male." Ray says, trying to get the girl to attack again.

Oddly, the girl just shakes her head. "Wow, you're stupid. For one, he isn't my boyfriend, he's my little brother." She says hugging the guy in his chair.

"I'm not little." He mutters annoyed(A/N Funny how much Artemis could actually relate to this.).

"Yeah, well I'm older, so that makes you my little brother. So shut up." She tells him amused. He just slumps. "Second, he was just speaking his mind and you are the one that put a knife to his throat. So yeah, I'll protect him. Third, I know my brother is anything but cowardly because I have seen him do a lot in our years in the hunters. Meanwhile you barely even know him but you judge him because of what others have done. So yeah, who's foolish now?" She finishes, sitting with her apparent sibling.

The surrounding hunter's of Artemis look at her, stunned by what she just said. Partly because they were siblings and partly because…she was right. They usually judged guys by their own past experiences or what they've seen. They never have looked for the good in males. Some of the hunters felt guilt, remembering their brothers and other family members they left that had never done anything bad. Even Ray seemed a bit guilty at what she had done, remembering her cabin with a bunch of brothers that she never thought to visit after she got recruited by Artemis. She had so many good times with her oldest brother, Will. But that never crossed her mind ever since she was abandoned by her so called friends a few years ago.

Hestia then stood. "I believe it is time we go. The chance to switch hunters will be open tomorrow after breakfast. Good night." And like that she flashed away herself and the two that were with her, leaving the hunters to sulk in their thoughts.

Dominic's POV

Okay, seriously, this is more stressful than I thought it would be.

I mean sure, I've been on dangerous mission before and have led a lot of hunters to places that would make even the strongest warriors wet their pants. But Tartarus was a new level of danger. I was constantly on alert, checking around the ship to see if there were any incoming attacks from below or above. I really didn't want to lose any of my friends just because we were snuck up on.

I really wasn't sure if I was worrying too much or if this is just how Tartarus is supposed to affect people.

Eventually after the fifth time I had circled around the ship Luke got me and made me go to my cabin, saying I needed to chill or I would have a heart attack. I agreed, seeing that would be the lamest way to die in Tartarus and I almost speared him when he tapped my shoulder.

So here I am sitting in my cabin trying to relax when I hear a knock on my door. After a quick 'Come in' my dad walks in. He looked at me and I could tell he knew how stressed I was.

He sits on the foot of my bed. "So I heard from Luke you were pretty stressed." He said in his own state of worry.

I sigh. "Yeah, I guess being down here just made me a bit paranoid." I say exhausted.

"He told me you almost stabbed him." He deadpanned.

I smile embarrassedly. "Okay, maybe more than just a bit." I admit.

My dad just rolls his eyes. "Dominic, we are on a ship that has its own camouflage, hiding us from monsters. Even if something did find us by chance, there are weapons loaded onto the top deck and below deck. And if we run out of ammo you and the others have been trained to fight the strongest of monsters. Believe me, you have nothing to worry about." He told me with a proud smile.

I thought about it for a second and nodded slowly. "Yeah, I guess you're right." I said, realizing the odds are pretty good of us getting out of here. But I was still bit tense.

He seemed to notice this and frowned before he smiled mischievously. "Or maybe you're more worried you'll die a virgin."

I blush a bit. I know what he is actually doing. Drawing my attention from my worry. But this was still an embarrassing subject.

I playfully(?) glare at my father. "Dad, shut up." I order him, trying to get my cheeks to return to normal.

He just laughs. "Oh come on son, you know I'm just joking. But I have to ask you an important question." He said in a tone that was trying to sound serious. I glare harder, knowing what he is about to ask. "Do we need to have the talk?"

I groan, trying to think of a way out of this. "Dad, please stop talking." I beg.

He puts his hands up, as if in surrender. "I'm just asking because I know you have a girlfriend now and as happy as I am for you, I'm not sure I want to be a grandfather yet. So I need to know if you are aware of protecti-"

"DAD!" I yell at him, extremely embarrassed. He grins evilly and begins to laugh, collapsing on the bed. I put my face in my hands. "Ugh, this really is hell." This just makes him laugh harder. I then think of something and take my head out of my hands, smirking. Time for revenge.

"Hey dad…" He looks at me, still laughing until he sees my face and stops abruptly. He's now looking at me cautiously. "Now since I have a girlfriend, maybe we can look for someone for you to date." I suggest.

His eyes widen in both realization and fear. He quickly gets up. "I think I should go." He says hurriedly, heading for the exit. I follow him of course.

"Oh come on dad, you need to get back out there. If you need some help, when we get out of here we can ask Aphrodite for help." I say enthusiastically. His face flashes in fear and he begins running down the hall, me on his tail. "Well if you think you're that rusty we can get some of her godly children to help as well."

"Help!" He screams. Meanwhile I just laugh, keeping up with him so I could keep antagonizing him.

Timeskip

Nobody's POV

After a few hours and some soft encouragement, they eventually got Phanes down from the crow's nest and had gotten to bed, hoping to get a few hours sleep before having to confront Tartarus and his monsters. When they got up they could just barely see some shape in the distance of a large structure. Even from where they were you could feel the power just radiating from the place, evidence that Tartarus was waiting. Several of them were worried for Joel and the others, hoping they made it in time to battle and that nothing happened that delayed them.

Everyone stood on deck, fully geared up(Except a Latino son of Hephaestus). Phanes kept double checking his coat pockets, making sure he wasn't missing anything while the two on the ship that looked most nervous were Jason and Piper. Unlike the hunters, they couldn't simply turn invisible if a monster came their way. They would have to fight.

But the surprising thing to a couple of the questers was Thalia standing at the front of the ship, next to Irene. If you saw her eyes you would see a burning determination in her eyes instead of fear.

They were quickly approaching Tartarus' palace now. But you know what was really messed up?

The place actually looked good.

It had obsidian stone walls and stained red windows. The shape and style of things were extraordinary and the many torches that littered the area made it look amazing. Which just seemed wrong considering this was the home of one of the most dangerous and evil beings in creation.

Dominic then whistled real quick to get everyone's attention. "Alright, now let's go over the plan one more-" He began before noticing Leo's absence. "Where's Valdez?" He asked confused.

"He said he'd be in his room. I'll go get him." Phanes volunteered. He ran down below deck, leaving everyone else in an awkward silence. But they were soon joined by Leo, who had a very red face, and a wildly grinning Phanes.

"So Leo, what were you doing down there?" Luke asked curiously. Before Leo even opened his mouth, Phanes answered.

"Oh he was just making out with a mirror." Phanes said, looking as if he was holding back laughter, much like a couple of others after hearing what he said.

"I told you before, it was a communication device I made to talk to-" Leo started before getting cut off.

"Look, as much I would absolutely love to hear the rest of this blackmail story, we have a mission." Dominic said, a slight smile at Leo's embarrassment. Everybody nodded, their faces getting stoic. "Alright, now not all of us will be going into the place at once. So a small group of five will be going while four of us stay on the ship, ready to cover our escape or to save us if we are captured. The five to go in are going to be myself, Phanes, Thalia, Zoe, and Jason." He announced. "So Leo, Piper, Allison, and Luke will be ready up here with everything from the ballistae, to crossbows, to Leo's shrapnel cannons. We will go in and the estimated time before getting out will be one hour and thirty minutes. If it takes any longer, the people on the ship will begin firing. Everyone clear on that?" They each nodded. "Alright, let's go."

The five going in then set off. Jason carried Thalia down on the winds while Phanes, Zoe, and Dominic glided down on their wings. Thalia wasn't affected by her fear of heights as she was too focused on the mission.

They landed on top of one of the walls and began making their way discreetly to the nearest door. While they were, they could hear the many monsters outside the walls of the palace, roaring and screeching, trying to claw and pound their way into the place to get to them. The monsters that could fly kept circling, as if trying to spot us somehow. Luckily Phanes was able to use just enough of his power to conceal the Grace siblings for their descent. Anything more than that and any immortal being of power could pick up on it.

Soon they reached a large door about ten feet high. Phanes quickly undid the lock on it with a lock picking set he pulled out of his coat pocket. Behind the door was a staircase going down. They went down as quickly and quietly as possible. Weirdly though at each floor there was a label that showed what was on that floor. There was everything from a cafeteria floor to a study.

The steps went far down, farther down than the palace showed in height meaning they were underground. Eventually they reached a twelfth floor down that said 'holding cells'.

The Grace siblings were about to rush in but Phanes stopped them. They were about to ask why but he gestured for them to 'shh'. He then knocked on the door. It was opened and on the other side was a large telekhine. Phanes quickly stabbed it with a knife. It dissolved into dust.

Phanes slowly pushed the door open wider to see a long hallway dotted with doors with grates near the top. There were about twenty doors in total. A laistrygonian was sleeping in a chair at the end of the hall. Before anyone else could go to kill it an arrow zoomed past and went straight through its forehead. Everyone looked to see Thalia holding her bow.

"Nice shot Thals." Jason said. She gave a small smile at the compliment.

"Spread out. We have an hour and six minutes to get Percy and whoever else is here and get out." Dominic told them with a quick look at his watch.

They started looking into cells but the problem was they were to dark to see anything. They had a quick debate and decided to open each door, one at a time.

They started with the one at the beginning of the hall. Phanes unlocked the door and everyone readied their weapons. Phanes swung the door open and inside…was empty. They repeated the process with the next door but this time a mere skeleton was in it. It obviously wasn't human from the differently shaped limbs and extra appendages so nobody worried about the dead body.

Moving on to the next door, it had a living occupant. The man was chained to the ground and had only a loincloth like thing on his body. He was badly bruised and cut. In his hair was a pair of horns. He looked up and everyone saw his eyes the same color as the blue sea.

He looked puzzled to see us. Meanwhile Zoe gasped and Phanes and Dominic looked shocked. But Jason just walked forward, his gladius ready in case of attack. "Who are you?"

The man looked at Jason with forlorn eyes. "I am Oceanus, titan of the seas."

Zoe's POV

These words shocked Thalia and her brother. Meanwhile I stepped forward. "Grandfather, why does Tartarus have you chained in a cell? Wouldn't you be free and helping him?" I asked confused.

His eyes flashed with anger when I said Tartarus. "No, actually when Gaea learned of my failure in the second titan war she had Tartarus take me here. I am now tortured weekly by the minions he has. But may I ask how my granddaughter is alive and what she and her friends are doing down here? Last time I heard you were killed by your father." He said, still confused himself.

"That would be because of me." I heard Phanes say as he stepped forward. Oceanus' eyes widened.

"Phanes? But I thought you were-"

"Faded, caused by Zeus. Well no. I have actually been in hiding for the last millennia and have recruited warriors both dead and alive to a group I call the Hunters of Betrayal." Phanes explained, summing up his long life pretty quickly.

Oceanus' nodded to this, a bit shocked. Once he recovered he spoke again. "Okay, but that still doesn't explain why you're down here."

"Tartarus is rising and one of my lieutenants gave himself up so Tartarus wouldn't execute certain prisoners he had, but I doubt he meant you. No offense." Phanes explained.

"Non-taken." Oceanus replied. "I know nobody is worried about me on either side. My wife has already faded long ago so I don't have anyone to worry about me." His face grew sadder with each word he spoke.

This seemed to put a rather depressing feeling in the air as everyone realized just how broken Oceanus was. Then Dominic spoke up.

"Well what if we freed you?" This stunned all of us. What is he talking about?

"What do you mean child?" Oceanus wondered.

"I mean if we freed you, would you swear to never go against Olympus again and to help us in this war?" Dominic asked.

"And after what I did, why would you offer me such mercy?" Oceanus asked stunned.

"Because I think you've suffered enough and that you've seen the error of your ways. Does anyone here disagree with me?" He said, daring any of us to challenge him. No one did. "Good. Now Oceanus, do you swear?"

The old sea titan looked at all of us like we were an oasis he had found after travelling through a desert. "I, Oceanus, titan of the sea, swear on the Styx to never turn against Olympus and to help in the war against Tartarus." He said, thunder rumbling in the distance.

Dominic nodded to Phanes, who then moved forward and undid the shackles locks. Oceanus stood and bowed. "Thank you child for giving this old fool a chance to redeem himself." He thanked Dominic.

Dominic simply smiled. "You are welcome. Now come on, we have to find Percy and get out of here." He told him, his face getting serious again. As we went on Phanes gave Oceanus a pair of jeans and a blue shirt to where instead of his loincloth. Everyone nodded as we exited the small room and moved on to the next rooms. Most of them were empty or had aged skeletons in them.

Eventually we had made our way through half of the rooms when we were entering another, Phanes looking in first. His face turned to complete shock. I thought I could see a tear at the edge of his eye and I wondered what was in there. Dominic was about to look in the room but Phanes stopped him. "No, boys stand back. Zoe and Thalia, please come and help me." He then entered the room without another word. Thalia and I slowly moved into the room and I saw someone who had been missing for years, ever since the Titans fall and the gods began ruling.

In front of me, chained to a wall was Lady Rhea, Titaness of motherhood and fertility and former queen of the titans.

Allison's POV

I am currently standing at the front of the ship, petting Irene. I am thinking about two things. One is obviously the mission as I'm worried for Percy like everyone else.

The other thing, or rather person, is Vlad.

I've liked him for a really long time but he hasn't really shown any sign that he likes me back. Before the quest he just seemed so embarrassed about what Kirsty was suggesting. I can't believe that she did that knowing I had a bad crush on him. She can be so annoying about my crush. But then again she wasn't wrong. He did look pretty good, his fit tan- NO, ALLISON, STOP THINKING ABOUT THAT!

You know I had a bad case of irony yesterday because I was about to confront Vlad about my feelings before Joel stopped the ship. And even worse, things got a bit awkward between us when the ship lurched.

Flashback

I was looking throughout the ship for Vlad so I could ask him how he feels about me. I figured it was about time I just ask him. The problem that presented itself: I couldn't find him.

I first checked his room but he wasn't in there so I began searching around the ship until I finally found him in a little training area Leo installed in the ship. He was beating away at a training dummy with his two black swords. But something else caught my attention and made my cheeks turn red. He had no shirt on.

I pried my eyes away from his body and looked at his face (As if that had much of a different affect). I cleared my throat to get his attention. He stopped and looked at me. It took him a couple seconds to process why I was just standing there when he remembered he was shirtless and blushed like mad. He sprinted over to a bench nearby and grabbed his shirt, slipping it on. I was half relieved and half disappointed about that.

A blush still adorning his cheeks, he began speaking. "So Alli, whatcha doing down here?" He asked, trying to change the subject subtly. He failed on subtle but I was glad to move on.

"I was, er, wondering if you might want to spar?" I wasn't chickening out, I just thought it would be easier to do if we get rid of the tension in the air.

He nodded and got into a ready stance as I pulled out my sword. It was referred to as a kopis. It looked pretty cool and it curved a bit along the blade.

So with that we began pacing the mat we were on, studying each other for weaknesses. Eventually I got impatient and sprung forward slashed at his midsection. He jumped back before swinging one of his own blades at me. I caught on mine and parried it away just in time to back away from his next slash. As I got a bit of distance between us I pulled out my knife so I could fend off both of his blades. Then I moved back in to attack again.

Like that we were going back and forth, slicing and blocking, dodging each other's blows and getting the occasional scratch from the others blade. It almost seemed like a deadly dance with blades. I was actually enjoying it. At that moment I actually forgot where we were, forgot what was happening, and forgot why I came down here. It was just me and Vlad in our spar.

But like all good things, it had to end. We had caught each other's blades with our own and were trying to overpower the other. I could tell he was putting all his muscle and weight into it. That actually gave me an idea as I slightly let up, letting him push me back a bit. Then, as quick as any child of Hermes, I moved out of the way, taking my blades away from his. Now with nothing holding him up, he stumbled forward, tripping over his own feet and face planting onto the ground. He tried to roll over and get back up but only got halfway before I pinned him down, putting my sword against his neck.

I grin, looking down at him. "Nice job keeping your balance ballerina boy." I taunted.

He rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, like I was supposed to know you'd use a cheap trick like that." He countered trying to sound annoyed but he was smiling.

"Cheap trick. No, that was brilliant. You're just mad you were beaten." I told him. We both laughed a little bit. Then I remembered why I was here. I got semi-serious and put my blades away. I began subconsciously playing with a stray thread on my shirt while still kneeling next to him. "Vlad, could I talk to you about something?"

He nodded, a curious look on his face. Just as I was about to ask though, the entire ship suddenly lurched forward, sending me crashing on top of Vlad. Now I'll leave you to imagine the interesting position we were in now.

Once we realized our position, we both turned redder than Apollo's sun chariot. We sat there for a few seconds, unsure of what to do. Then I got off of him. Not looking at him I muttered. "We should probably go see what that was." I suggested.

He agreed and then went up, the situation from before on both of their minds.

End Flashback

After that came Joel's little side quest and like that Vlad was gone. I never even got to ask him about his feelings towards me.

Before I can sulk in my thoughts anymore I hear someone approaching from behind. I turn to see Piper standing there with a small smile. "Hey." She said, leaning on the railing next to me.

"Hey." I replied.

"Penny for your thoughts?" She asked.

I sighed. "Well, other than the quest, I'm just thinking about a guy." I said hesitantly. I knew that Piper wasn't like other children of Aphrodite or Venus, but I wasn't entirely sure.

"May I ask who?" She said curiously. Well she didn't start squealing and screaming like a usual one so I judged it safe.

"Vlad." I stated, a small blush coming to my face.

Her smile gets a bit bigger. "Yeah? I think you two would make a cute couple." She said. "Has he asked you out yet?"

I shook my head. "No, I've actually been having problems." I explained to her about what happened before Vlad and the others left. She acted like a good friend and didn't laugh at my misfortune. "So, you are a daughter of Aphrodite, any advice on how I should approach him now?"

She smiled kindly at me. "Well, I honestly think you should just go for it. Don't ask him how he feels, tell him how you feel and see how he reacts." She told me.

"You sure?" I asked. I didn't want to actually make things worse.

"Believe me, it's better to just throw yourself out there. There isn't much else to it. Besides, I think he likes you too."

"Really?" I said, a bit hopeful. "What makes you think that?"

"I'm not exactly sure. It's like a sixth sense to Aphrodite children, you know?" She said, looking thoughtful.

I nodded, knowing that a lot of demigods had a sixth sense type of thing relating to their parents powers. We then continued talking for awhile until there was a massive crash below us.

Phanes' POV

I finally found her.

Rhea.

She has been missing for so long, I thought she had faded. But she had been down here the whole time.

You see, ever since I met her all those years ago, I had been in love with her. Other men also liked her but that was mainly for her beauty while I loved everything about her. She was so loving and peaceful, caring to a fault. But she wasn't a pushover. She was still stern enough to be able to handle others like Zeus. She was absolutely wonderful.

But before I could ever do anything close to asking her out, Kronos had won her over and they were soon married. I gave up on trying to be with her after that but then she helped her children overthrow her husband and I thought I might have a chance to be with her. I was going to see her when Gaea then started a war with the Olympians. During that war I lost track of her. I kept looking and looking but she was nowhere to be found.

Before I could address the Olympians about it the whole disaster with Zeus' paranoia happened and I couldn't even try ask them about it. Then my son started his hunters and I kept secretly searching everywhere we went.

And now here she is.

She was chained to the wall, passed out. Her head was resting limply on her shoulder. Her usual long flowing dress was in tatters, rips and holes dotting it everywhere. Her usually tan skin was pale and smudged with dirt here and there along with a few bruises and scars. But to me she was still the most beautiful person I have ever seen.

I move forward, undoing the shackles holding her to the wall. I didn't want the boys seeing her since some of the tears in her dress were in some private places. When both chains were undone I had Zoe and Thalia catch her and let her down to the ground easily.

I had the girls check her for any serious injuries while I went to explain to the boys. When I saw their faces they were majorly confused. "Dad, who was in there?" Dominic asked curiously.

"It was Lady Rhea." I announced. Realization hit them like a ton of bricks and they were about to see for themselves but I stopped them. "She has several rips in her clothing and I think it would be good to respect her privacy." They understood and nodded. Oceanus looked concerned for his sister. I'm guessing he didn't know either.

Thalia came out. "She has one broken ankle and a deep cut on her left side but other than that she is okay. Zoe said to ask you for some medical supplies." She informed me. I pulled out the necessary bandages and a splint with other things from my coat and gave them to her. She rushed back in and we waited. Thalia came back out a few minutes later. "Clothes?" I pulled a second coat out of mine and gave it to her. She went back in. A few seconds later we heard her say, "It's safe."

We walked in to see Rhea now leaning against a wall, the coat wrapped around her. Zoe was steadily pouring nectar in her mouth. I could see some of the color returning to her skin. Rhea then began coughing, possibly attempting to breathe through her mouth first and inhaling a bit of nectar. Her eyes fluttered, adjusting to the light coming into the room. When she could actually see she looked at the ones gathered, more stunned than scared. Probably because she knows over half the people gathered.

Her eyes landed on Zoe sitting next to her. "Zoe? What are you all doing down here child?" She asked.

"Lady Rhea, it is a rather long explanation. It is best saved for later." Zoe then asked the question on everyone's mind. "Milady, how did you end up down here?"

Rhea sighed. "That would be because of Kronos. He had apparently gotten Tartarus to abduct me for my betrayal. I have been trapped down here ever since then, getting tortured for my act." She said sorrowful. This made my anger boil silently.

I shook it off and spoke up. "We have to get moving. We only have so long to get everyone and get out." They nodded and Rhea attempted to stand but her ankle was still hurt. She almost fell but I caught her. She looked at me, an embarrassed glint in her eye.

"I'm sorry, my leg still isn't healed." She apologized.

"It's alright. Here, allow me." I offered, helping her walk out of the cell. I looked at the gathered hunters and the two Grace siblings. "We'll have to do this faster. Who here knows how to pick a lock?" I saw Thalia and Dominic raise their hands. I reached into my coat and tossed them each a lock picking set. We set off down the hall, Jason with Thalia, Zoe and Oceanus with Dominic, and Rhea with myself.

We made quick work of each room, most of them being like the rest. We finally reached the last two and up close these look recently opened. Thalia undid the one on the left while Dominic had the other on the right. The doors swung open and inside each were two different sights.

Behind Thalia's door was a man with silver hair chained to the wall, wearing a cut and tattered blue janitor's uniform. He looked up and we saw curious silver eyes to match the hair. A little to the left of him was a small cat with a barbed collar chained to the ground. I recognized Bob, formerly Iapetus, and the cat must've been 'Small Bob' that Percy told the hunters about.

Behind Dominic's door was a slightly different sight. There was a red skinned man with scaly reptilian legs. His hair and beard were rust colored and he wore a shirt mad of sheep skin and green spotted leather. Unlike Bob, he was unconscious I recognized this to be Damasen.

Two similar things between both of them was that they were both badly beaten and bruised, scarred up and down their visible body parts. The other thing was that they were shrunk down to the size of normal men. This was most likely to make it easier to torture them.

I let Jason and Thalia help Iapetus while I let Rhea lean against a wall so I could tend to Damasen, as well as get him down from the wall without falling on his face. I undid his shackles and set him semi-gently on the ground. Zoe began pouring nectar in the giant's mouth while Dominic and I did our best to heal whatever injuries that weren't going away with the nectar.

He finally groaned, waking up. He looked around at us in confusion. "Who are you and why are you healing me?" He asked.

"Hello Damasen, we're friends of Percy's. Any idea where he might be?" I said quickly. He wasn't in the cells so there must be somewhere else that he's being held.

"I would believe he is somewhere above on earth. Why would I know where he is?" Damasen wondered, still not understanding.

"Well Percy may have sacrificed himself to Tartarus so he wouldn't kill prisoners he had, which turned out to be you and a few friendly titans." I explain as everyone from the other room comes in. Bob looks considerably better.

Both of the newest escaped prisoners looked at me in disbelief for a second before getting grim looks. "Well if what you say is true then he will be in a torture room a couple floors down. That's where we went at first since we were 'newcomers'. When Tartarus and his children get tired of torturing the same prisoner they get sent here. Occasionally he will still come down here and torture us for fun." Damasen informed us, the others nodding in confirmation.

"Alright, let's go." Dominic says, heading for the door.

It's time to get the Hero of Olympus back.

Percy's POV

Ugh, this is getting old.

I just got another new toxin used on me. Apparently it was very rare and difficult to find, but the dracaena said they brought it out just for me. Don't I feel special.

Oddly enough though, the dracaenas were now leaving. I was confused until someone new entered and I paled.

It was Jenny.

"Ah, I see you're happy to see me again." She purrs, sliding a hand over my body.

"I thought you…were being punished by-"

"By Lord Tartarus? Well yes, but he was a bit lenient." She said, flinching a little as she walked. "He knows you didn't appeal to the idea of being with me so he saw this as a way to torture you. He is allowing me to have my fun as long as I make this as painful as possible for you." She explained while still feeling my body all over. I restricted myself from flinching when she touched a fresh wound. "But perhaps if you work with me, we can make a compromise."

"Never." I growled out.

She sighed. "Oh well, I guess I can just take it by force then if you still wish to be that way." She said as if she were actually disappointed. She grabbed the waistband of the remains of the pants I still have. Before she could pull them down though, she arced back in pain, a familiar spear head driven through her abdomen.

As Jenny dissipated into dust I saw something that filled me with both joy and terror.

Standing in the doorway was Thalia Grace.

I was about to start apologizing about sacrificing myself but she surged forward and kissed me.

Gods, I needed that.

When we broke apart she whispered in my ear. "You're lucky you are injured right now or else you wouldn't get such a happy welcome." As she backs away I can already see the 'I'm going to hurt you later' look in her eyes. I gulped before I looked past her to see a grinning Phanes and his son.

"Well, now that that is out of the way, allow us Percy." Dominic said, Phanes and him coming and unlocking the cuffs to the wall. I fell, barely catching myself on my feet. I steadily took a step forward. I seemed okay to walk. I made my way out of the room to see Zoe and Jason, along with a few other surprising people. I saw Bob and Damasen, a lady that looked a little like Hera but she had my dad's eyes. And then the last one I vaguely remember seeing an image of at my dad's palace. It was Oceanus.

I had mixed feelings to the immortals around me but I decided to wait to react and let someone explain to me what I missed. Luckily, Dominic provided a short one.

"Okay Percy, say hello to the prisoners that you saved. Bob, Damasen, Rhea, and Oceanus. And yes, Oceanus is good now. We'll give longer explanations later. Right now we have to get out of here." He said quickly. I nodded, about to follow him down the hall we were in when the toxin from a little while ago kicked me again. I fell to one knee, shocking the others. Phanes knelt next to me, handing me a piece of ambrosia. I chewed on it, the taste of mom's blue cookies filling my mouth while I got a bit more strength.

When it was gone I looked up at the worried faces. "Sorry, they used a toxin on me. Not sure how long it'll last though." I explain. Oceanus and Rhea looked confused.

"Young demigod, you have sacrificed yourself to be tortured with some of Tartarus' worst toxins and cut in many places to keep us from being killed and you are now apologizing for being tortured?" Rhea says confused.

I nodded. Oceanus shakes his head. "Perseus, you are truly a one of a kind demigod." He exclaims.

Before we can continue talking, Dominic interrupts us. "Okay, we can continue talking about Percy's selflessness later. We have to move." The son of Phanes said. We all nodded. We continued moving, me being able to walk with the ambrosia I ate. We went up many floors. I think we reached ground level because I could hear outside, the infamous sounds of monsters roaring and screeching.

Thalia was saying we should be close to the door they came in when we heard the lumbering of multiple monsters coming down the stairs. We were about to turn around and head downstairs but others were approaching from there too.

Luckily or not, we had been stopped at a door. Phanes quickly undid the lock and we rushed through to see a horrible sight.

"Welcome Perseus. I have been waiting for you and the others to finally make it upstairs. Will anyone take up an offer for a drink?" Tartarus offered, holding a bottle of whiskey as we were in the same room I woke up in.

Dominic's POV

What the fuck?

That is one of the many questions I had running through my mind as I wonder how he could have known we were here. We were so careful!

As these thoughts run through my head I keep my eyes on the primordial of the pit. We stay silent to his offer. He shrugs. "Fine, suit yourself." He says, placing the bottle down and drinking his own glass. He finishes it in a second. "You know, you had me fooled for awhile, but I felt the guards below returning to reform so I knew you were here." Okay, we probably should've thought of that. "I was going to stop you, but then I thought 'Where is the fun in that?' So instead I allowed you to free the prisoners and get Perseus so you felt like you were winning. Once you got all this way up I had two groups of monsters surround you into entering here. I hope now you realize that you have no hope of escaping.

"So I'll give you all one chance. Surrender to me and help me destroy Olympus or be forever trapped here. It is your choice." He said, getting to the point. We obviously weren't going to take the offer, so I did as I'm sure the others were and began thinking of what to do. Tartarus sat on a couch next to a fireplace in the oddly fancy room.

I checked to around, trying to see any possible exits or distractions and a brilliantly stupid plan began forming in my mind involving the bar in the corner and a certain concealed weapon I had in my jacket. Like a lot of my stupid plans, I named this one fittingly.

Operation Fireball.

"Well, that certainly is a tempting and convincing offer." I say, hoping to stall a little as I start walking around the room. The others look at me in a bit of curiosity and confusion. "But afterwards, when this war is over, what will happen?"

Tartarus looks at me, a curious and suspicious look in his eyes. "Obviously my kingdom will rule over all, in the Underworld and on earth." He said.

"Well yes, but where will we be in this world of yours. I mean will we get certain benefits or just live like everyone else in your kingdom." I asked in a business-like tone.

"Hmm, what benefits do you want exactly? Immortality? Paradise? Any of these are available if you wish. I have promised many of my allies these things." Tartarus offered.

"I see, but the things I want are a bit more difficult to obtain. When this war is over, there are a few enemies I know are down here that I want to be put under some of the worst punishments you can think of. I also want to be able to handle them personally when I wish." I tell him, grabbing what I think is called brandy and a glass. I pour it in, walking to the corner of the room. I set the bottle down on a table and down the foul tasting drink quickly. I never was much of a drinker, but I could stomach it.

"Many of my allies also ask for this, some wanting your head on a silver platter." Tartarus pointed out.

"Mmm, I would've guessed that. But are you willing to provide the things I want?" I quipped, heading back for the bar and this time grabbing scotch and pouring myself a glass of it. This time I set the bottle on a table between the couch and fireplace. A few more and part two of Operation Fireball will be going accordingly.

Tartarus thought about it for a second before smiling and nodding. "Yes, I suppose I can provide these."

I fake a smile. "Good, now," I say turning to my friends, about to sip my drink. "what will it take for you all to join?" I look at them, hoping they can read my eyes to see what I'm actually doing.

Zoe seems to see it first. "Well, I wish for Lady Artemis' hunters to be spared if I am to join you. I believe that same thing goes for Thalia." Zoe says, looking to the daughter of Zeus. This draws Tartarus' attention as I slowly make my way back to the bar grab another bottle of liquor, taking it to another location in the room.

She seems to get it to. "Yes, I care about my sisters a lot and if they die then you can forget about me joining you." She stated in a determined tone. I set the third bottle on the bed out of the primordial's sight.

The rest seem to catch on to what is happening as they watch me taking bottles around the room. "My hunters will also have to be spared Tartarus. After the years I have spent with them they are like my children." Phanes said, even further drawing the pit's attention away from me as I grab the second to last bottle for the plan, setting it on the mantle of the fireplace. Almost done.

"And if you spare my friends at both camps, then I will consider joining you." Jason said cautiously. As I grab the last bottle needed, I pour one last glass of whisky; this of which I believe is called moonshine.

"And for us, we wish to have freedom." Oceanus stated.

Tartarus seemed to think for a moment before nodding again. "I suppose I can agree to these terms. But if any of your friends or hunters get in the way I can't promise anything." They nodded in understanding.

He then looked at Percy. "And you Hero of Olympus? What is your decision?"

Percy looked down, doing some great acting before looking up and nodding. "I will follow my friends." He announced, shocking Tartarus.

"May I ask why you all are so eager to join me now?" Tartarus asked suspiciously.

"Tartarus, I have walked the earth with my hunters for thousands of years, keeping out of sight because I was basically an outlaw, and in my time I have watched the Olympians do nothing but squabble over things like children. Almost all of them are too prideful for their own good and involve the innocent lives of mortals in their spats only too often. An example being of the war started just because one man was bribed into saying one goddess was the most beautiful of them all. You could say knowing what we do, we have lost faith in the Olympians." Phanes deadpanned. "After all, children should not rule the world." Of course that is completely believable.

Tartarus seemed to think so too. "Agreed nephew. Now, shall we move on to making it official? Swearing an oath on the Styx?" Tartarus said almost anxiously.

This is when I spoke up again. "I have a better idea Tartarus." He turned to me, a suspicious look in his eye. "Why don't you show Olympus their new enemies?" I suggested as his eyes lit up with humor.

"I like how you think hunter. We shall do just that." Tartarus complied. He waved his hand and in the middle of the room the same hazy poisonous mist he summoned on Olympus. It slightly shimmered and it showed the Olympian throne room at night time, with the gods themselves sitting there in anticipation of something happening. When they saw the image they each grabbed their weapons of power. "Hello Olympians." Tartarus said smugly.

"What do you want Tartarus?" Zeus spat.

"I have an announcement to make to you all. Here, I shall once more bring your children so they may witness something truly horrifying." Tartarus said as a purple flash happened on the other side, revealing both sets of campers and hunters. I was hoping he'd do that.

As the new occupants of the throne room begin to see why they were here, the mist on our side expanded to show everyone in the room currently. Both immortals and mortals on the other end of the image paled and tensed at the sight before them, a lot of them gaining horrified looks.

Poseidon is the first to respond, looking to be angered once more. "Tartarus, release them." He ordered in a deathly calm voice. His knuckles looked to be bone white from squeezing his trident in frustration. I could only imagine the intensity of the storms above right now.

Tartarus meanwhile just smiled in evil amusement. "And why would I release my new allies' sea god?" He wondered.

This shocked everyone in the throne room into freezing. A lot of them stared at in disbelief and betrayal in their eyes.(A/N Ironic on the second one.) Artemis looked at me, almost unnoticeable tears in her eyes. I couldn't bear to see her heartbroken face so I focused on something elsewhere. Same with Poseidon and Percy.

Zeus looked as pale as a ghost as he responded. "What do you mean Tartarus?" He asked, trying to sound confident but failing miserably.

"It's simple Zeus. Through some offers I made to the ones gathered in this room, such as sparing lives or allowing them to have freedom, I have won them over as allies. They seem to believe that you have done enough damage as rulers. As one of them said, 'the world shouldn't be ruled by children.'" He quoted my dad. "Now you all shall see each of them swear oaths to fight against Olympus."

He was about to pull Percy forward first but I stepped forward, an emotionless mask on my face. "I'll go first. Save the best for last." I tell him. He grins, nodding in agreement. I then look directly into the message, at all the depressed and hurt looking faces and began phase two of the escape plan. "I, Dominic, son of Phanes," I pause for a second before putting on a small smile no one saw. "have just thought of something." I finish. Confused looks are everywhere in the throne room an even one on Tartarus' face when I say that.

Well, here we go

Nobody's POV

Dominic turns to Tartarus, replacing his unnoticed smile with a frown. "Tartarus, I do believe I forgot something to put in with my requirements for me to join you." Dominic said.

"Well then what is your needed trade offer?" The pit asked curiously.

"Well there is this girl that I am dating and I really don't want to lose her-"

"And you want her to be spared for you. Fine, you'll have her. But like I said before, I'm not responsible if she gets in the way." He reminded the demiprimordial. Dominic could practically feel Artemis' gaze boring into his back "Now move on and swear the oath."

"Well there's a problem with that. She won't just stand back and watch all of her friends and family get killed and destroyed. More likely she'll be one of the people leading an attack against you." Dominic informed him.

"Then you can find someone else. There are plenty of fish in the sea great-nephew." Tartarus said impatiently.

Dominic smiled sadly for all to see, shocking almost all the inhabitants on the other side of the message. The ones not surprised were a majority of the hunter's of betrayal who seemed to have figured it out what was happening and where I was going. The majority had trouble containing their smiles they got.

"Oh dear great-uncle, if only it were that easy. No, I can't move on. I have been in love with this girl for over three thousand years and my feelings haven't changed since. To me, she is the most beautiful person in the world right down to her core." Dominic exclaimed, as by now Artemis was blushing away as the demigods from the camps' and her hunters looked for this girl in the crowd of Phanes' hunters. Meanwhile the gods also figured things out and they had varying reactions from Aphrodite squealing a bit as she pulled out a pad of paper(Dominic's thoughts: Probably to plan on how to mess with our relationship. Yeah, I'm not going to let that happen.) to Apollo grinning broad daylight into both rooms to Zeus grumbling a bit to himself at being fooled by an act and the kid not asking his permission to date his daughter. The rest though just seemed happy that joining Tartarus was just an act, especially Poseidon.

"That may sound cheesy, but it's true. And another thing that makes this girl impossible for me to get over is that she is absolutely willing to kick my winged ass back to ancient Greece when I'm wrong or have done something stupid." Dominic continued. "She doesn't just tell me I've done something wrong or take it easy on me and because of that I am grateful because honestly, I know I need the sense beat into me sometimes. Heck, a lot of guys out there need their asses kicked sometimes. Percy is one of them. No offense Perce."

"Non-taken bro." He replied, a small smile on his face as well as Thalia's. But nobody really noticed as everyone was still focused on Dominic.

"Now the last reason I can't just get over her has come up recently. For the longest time I have kept my distance from her because I believed that if I spent any more time with her I wouldn't be able to bear it since I thought she wouldn't date me. Specifically, I spent over three thousand years still in love with her and believing I couldn't do a damn thing about it. Now I find out not to long ago I could've told her and she would've given me a chance like she is now? Yeah, now that I have her with me, now that I know she likes me too, I am never letting her go again. So if she doesn't join you, neither do I." Dominic finishes, leaning on the wall behind the bar, smiling at the message and the many different reactions people had to his statement.

Artemis now had a soft smile on her face, the tears in her eyes now from happiness at his words. He is so stupid. I guess that is part of why I love him. She thought.

Phanes then took Dominic finishing as a cue he could talk. "Well, if my son is not joining you, then I guess my hunters and I aren't either." Dominic's father said, going to stand by his son.

Percy and Zoe were next. "Well, you heard the man. We're not following you either." Percy said in a tone of finality.

The Grace siblings went over. "We came down here to help Percy, so guess we're not following you either." Thalia said, her brother grinning beside her.

The other immortals they saved went to stand by the questers as well. "They are our friends and they saved us so we go where they go." Bob said simply.

As each of them went to stand with Dominic, Tartarus got angrier and angrier. He looked steaming mad by now. As the last of the group had went over, Tartarus looked like he was about to yell but paused. He calmed himself before smirking. "Fine. You all will be kept here then, all new toys for my children to play with. Meanwhile, I believe I will deal with Phanes personally." He said menacingly.

He was about to flash them away as the Olympians and others in the message got wide-eyed, but the son of Phanes spoke first.

"Wait, Poseidon gave me a message to give to you." He told him.

Tartarus raised an eyebrow while everyone turned to look at the sea god who just smiled. "And why can't he tell me himself right now?" The primordial asked.

"Because this is the type of message you have to tell someone in person." Dominic said, rummaging around in his jacket. "Now I know I had it written down here somewhere." Dominic acted like he was looking for a piece of paper as he prepared the weapon to use.

"Come now, I don't have all day." Tartarus complained.

"Aha! Here it is." Dominic exclaimed as the weapon was ready to fire. I better brace myself; these things have a lot of kick. He thought. "Okay, so the message says…" He trails off, pulling the weapon out.

One of Leo's shrapnel cannons.

"…go fuck yourself Tartarus." He finishes as he shoots the cannon through the bar, igniting the remaining alcohol on it. The blast sends all of the flames flying everywhere along with celestial bronze shrapnel and broken glass in Tartarus' direction, encompassing him and the rest of the room easily as he is caught off guard by the sudden attack. The bottles around the room were heated so much by the flames that they each exploded from pressure, causing each bottles flaming contents to spatter everywhere with even more broken glass.

The blast and flames wipe out the mist message and stuns the others in the room from the destructive attack. Nobody expected Dominic to do that.

And where was Dominic? That is what the others are wondering as they recover from their shock. They look behind where he was to see he had been blown back through a wall. The hole lead outside where he lay on the ground, surrounded by rubble. They were about to rush and check on him when he groaned, sitting up.

"I am so happy I was wearing the hunter armor. Even though I survived, remind me to never do that again. It fucking hurt." He exclaimed, slowly getting up.

"How did you expect it to feel Dominic? Ticklish?" Percy said, helping his adopted brother up.

The rescued immortals were about to ask what now when a voice called at them from above. They all looked up to see the Argo 3.0 sitting in the sky.

"Ahoy there land lubbers! Supreme Commander Leo is here to rescue ye!" Leo shouted down in a bad imitation of a pirate voice.

The gathered titans and one giant looked shocked at the floating ship while the rest shook their heads at Leo's antics. Percy and the other hunters, along with Jason and Thalia, flew up to the ship. Phanes carried Rhea while Dominic got Oceanus, Percy got Bob, and Luke went down to help Zoe get Damasen(He still isn't his giant self yet but he is still too heavy to carry alone.).

As soon as everyone was on the ship, Dominic looked at Leo. "Hit the gas Leo, we have to get out of here befo-"

As it was half expected, an enraged roar rose to everyone's ears from below, accompanied by the distinct sound of a structure collapsing. Everybody looked over the side of the ship to see a now gigantic Tartarus rising, the spot of his palace he was in crumbled and a few places still burning from Dominic's escape plan. Tartarus' suit had changed into his similarly looking armor. The exposed pieces of skin had many burns and cuts on them from before, ichor leaking from them.

He looked up at the flying ship, pure hatred in his eyes. "I see you little insects now. Your ship can no longer hide you from me or my monsters." He shouted. As if in response, dozens upon dozens of flying monsters swarmed the vessel. There were all kinds from Stymphalian birds, to gryphons, to venti. Those were just the ones the ship members recognized. "Wreck the ship first! They are not to leave!" The evil immortal ordered.

With that the monsters began their destructive jobs. Ripping the sail to shreds, snapping the oars. The heroes tried to stop them, killing as many as they could, Irene helping by breathing fire on the ones she could reach. But there were simply too many too stop. The ship began slowly descending against Leo's will.

"Leo, can you keep us in the air!?" Phanes called as he fought off a pack of gryphons with his own spear.

"No! The ship is too damaged right now! We're being forced to land while the system goes through procedures to repair things!" He replied, blasting away venti that attempted to get in the control room.

"Well can you at least put some distance between us and the monsters we are about to sink into?!" Percy interjected, referring to the monsters moving around and howling anxiously in there wait for the ship.

"Can do!" Leo said before using his complicated controls in the way almost only he knows how to use. Suddenly the ship jerked to the side, moving away at a fast pace as it sank. Luckily, it was sailing away faster than it was going down. And apparently the monster couldn't keep up as they were soon getting past the monsters in pursuit of them. Tartarus glared menacingly at them, pissed that his prisoners had eluded him for the moment.

As the ship was about half a mile away the flying monsters retreated, seeing as they would regroup with the rest since it was obvious their prey wouldn't make it far enough away. The crew members settled, gaining a bit of rest before they rushed to get ready for another fight.

Phanes went to Leo in the control room. "Leo, what's the ETA of when we land and how far will we get?"

"We have half an hour tops and we can probably make it a good ten miles before we hit the ground. And before you ask, it is going take at least an hour for the ship to be in flying condition again." Leo said quickly, still using the many instruments in the control room.

Phanes sighed and went outside. He announced to the ships passengers what he learned which put them in a slightly depressing mood.

"How are we going to protect the ship long enough for it to get repaired? I mean the amount of monsters back there was more than anything we've seen before. And when we've had to deal with hordes like that we had the troops to back us up." Allison asked pessimistically.

"It's alright Allison. We'll make it through. Don't forget, we still have ammo for the weapons on the ship. We can handle them long enough for the ship to repair itself." Phanes said reassuredly.

Allison visibly calmed but still looked worried. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I just wish Joel and the others would get here soon. They've been gone for long enough don't you think?" She asked.

Phanes frowned. "Yes, I am curious as to what is taking them so long. But I am confident they will make it back here in time." He said encouragingly. The others nodded, but not very surely. Phanes then spoke again. "Now, we should start getting ready. First," He turned to Percy and the other former prisoners. "we get you all to the medical bay to treat your wounds so you are in fighting condition."

They agreed and began their way down there, Percy guiding them as he was the only one who has been on the ship previously. Bob helped his sister down the stairs. Phanes then looked at the rest. "Allison, Jason, and Thalia, you three go see Leo and ask if there is anything that you can help fix faster so we can get out of here faster." They nodded and went to the control room of the ship. "Finally, the rest of you will help load and prepare the weapons of the ship. After I finish treating the others downstairs we will also help. Now go." They ran off as Phanes went downstairs to the medical bay.

One unspoken question sat in the back of everyones mind as they went to do what they were told.

How were they going to fight hell itself?

How?

Timeskip

When the ship landed, at the bottom of a hill, everyone besides Leo and Allison were outside, facing the direction they came from, knowing the monsters would come from there. Allison and Leo stayed on the ship in case anything made it through to attack as well as do any needed hand repairs.

Everybody was anxious, waiting for the army to approach them. Everyone had their weapons at the ready, from sword to spear to bow, all aimed in anticipation for the fight.

As they stood there, Jason looked to his left at Percy, the very guy he came down to get. Piper and him never got to apologize to Percy which worried him. If this was where they died, he wanted things between all of them to be okay.

"Percy." He said getting the son of Poseidon's attention. "Look, I just want you to know Piper and me are sorry for what happened two years ago, along with everyone else. I just wanted to make sure you knew that in case we die now." Jason explained, a tone of sadness in his voice, not even looking at percy anymore.

For a moment there was silence then Percy spoke. "Jason, shut up." This shocked the son of Zeus but Percy continued before he could reply. "If you're going to apologize, you're going to do it up on earth. Hopefully with a blue pizza. Until then, shut up and focus on the matter at hand." Jason glanced at percy to see him with a smile on his face.

This surprised Jason but he too smiled, along with everyone else who heard their exchange. Before they could continue enjoying the moment, they heard a low rumble. The sound of an army charging.

At the top of the hill monsters emerged, growling hungrily at us. Not far behind followed a once again human sized Tartarus, still in his armor. He was grinning evilly at the gathered people at the bottom of the hill, glad that he finally obtained victory. Meanwhile, the cornered heroes and immortals were gazing around at the monsters that had begun circling around ship, ready to attack from all sides.

"Rhea, how much strength have you and the others gained back from being healed?" Phanes asked, looking at Tartarus warily.

"Not enough Phanes. I am sorry but it seems you will be facing Tartarus by yourself." She stated disappointedly.

"Don't worry. I'll handle big ugly while you all keep the army at bay. We have to buy as much time as possible for the ship." Phanes announced.

Everyone nodded. The sounds of the monster snarling and growling filled the air for a few seconds. Then they just barely heard Tartarus shout 'Charge!' before chaos ensued and the battle begun.

End chapter.

I know, 'Another cliffhanger!?'. But I wanted to get another chapter out to you guy before an entire month went by since the last one. And honestly, this chapter is long enough to fill two, maybe three of my usual.

And I have been thinking about telling you all what the crossover will be with so I can make sure you all are familiar with the series. So yes or no, want a surprise or want to be ready?

So as usual please review, favorite, and follow my story and I will try to get back on my usual time schedule.

See you next time.

Wade98