1/12/17, - Hey, I am so sorry for being out of hte picture for so long. You probably have forgotten all about me. I deserve it. I got busy. Super busy. I gave birth to a baby boy last summer: Oliver Alexandro. I have 3 children and 250 students... so I am busy all the time. However, it doesn't mean that I don't want to finish this story. I want to so badly. I haven't stopped thinking about it for weeks.

Honestly, This is a chapter that I left undone before going on hiatus. It was just missing two paragraphs. It's all I can offer right now. I will try to squeeze some writing time...

14. The Second Act

Sitting on a luxurious black leather sofa was Nyx, a smaller version or herself instead of the 40 feet tall woman that Theo's parents told him about. She was just she was described, made of ash and smoke with a galaxy dotted black dress. In her hand, she had a glass of a red liquid that didn't seem to be red wine.

Lycaon and his packed pushed the demigods in front of Nyx who stared at them with a wicked satisfactory smile.

Theo quickly took a step forward and said to Nyx "Leave my friends out of this. I'm Theodore James Jackson, my parents are Percy and Annabeth. You want me, not them. Remember what my parents did to you. You had to be laughing stock of Tartarus for a while." As he talked, his chains made noise only to remind him that he had the disadvantage unless he was smart, way smarter than Nyx.

Nyx lost her smile remembering how those demigods put her on shame decades ago. The boy was right about that. She said viciously "We need more entertainment and set the score to my favor. You are right. I want you more than them."

Theo knew what he was doing and said "Let's make a deal."

Nyx stared at him and asked curiously "What kind of deal?" She had to be careful if the boy had the same silver tongue of his mother.

"I will fight, only me" said Theo. Jason and Lana gasped surprised. Jason quickly grabbed Theo's shoulder despise his chains, he whispered urgently "You can't do that."

"I got it" whispered Theo back at them.

"Not exactly appealing" said Nyx amused. She was already thinking on the publicity. "A son of Jupiter would sell tickets, specially a former Roman praetor."

"The girl is sick by Rhode's curse. She won't last one match and he is old, not exactly interesting" said Theo.

"Still sell tickets" said Nyx still amused.

Theo tried to smile, a winning smile when he said "Think what I am offering you: twins against each other. Can you imagine the tickets sells? The publicity? 'The children of Percy Jackson, hero favorite son of Poseidon, in a death match'. This place will be full in a heartbeat. My parents have a lot of 'acquaintances' down here, you know."

"I can see the family resemblance but I am not fully convinced" said Nyx with fake annoyance.

"Okay. If I win the first match against my sister and only her, you will let them reach the Hades palace… I will stay for your games. Can you imagine my parents coming for me? Believe me, they will tell them… Then, you will get the revenge you deserve. Meanwhile, plenty of entertainment for the crowd and think on the food sales, even action toy figurines with combos" said Theo and he could see Nyx thinking it over.

"Special editions" said Nyx slightly dreamy, but she couldn't be fooled again. She regained her steady head "If you don't win…"

"You know what it means… three more fighters for your pleasure" said Theo hoping to convince her.

Nyx smiled as she thought she had won a sweet deal. She said "You really make a tough bargain but I will take it"

"I knew you would" said Theo with a faint smile to himself "Promise it by the Rivers"

"As long as you do the same" said Nyx businesslike "You go first, legacy."

Theo sighed and said "I promise to win the first fight and stay while you let my friends Jason and Lana go, by the Styx"

"I promise to let them go if you win" said Nyx "By the Rivers and my very own existence."

They shook hands and Theo felt so utterly cold as Nyx was the blackest coldest thing he had ever felt before. His hand skin turned icy blue and said weakly "Can you give me a minute alone with them?"

"Sure thing" said Nyx savoring the effect she had on the boy and sat once again on her sofa.

The lycanthropes took a couple of steps back giving the demigods some privacy. Jason and Lana, mostly she, wanted to yell how an idiot Theo was.

"Jason, I want you to drink the vial and take Lana safely out of here" said Theo before they could talk or try to talk him back of his promise.

"Wait!" said Lana "You can't actually do this." Theo's face was determined just like everything he ever did for his family, for Lana.

Jason saw the same and simply asked "Are you sure of this? You might never come back if your sister doesn't kill you first… or Nyx."

"Yes. Don't worry about them" said Theo "I know how defeat Mer… and Nyx. She won't kill me that easily, probably torture me and use healing river water to keep me on my toes. She wants my parents; that's why she won't kill me and why Mer is still alive… she is waiting for her revenge."

Lana wanted to tell Theo a lot of things but her throat was knotted shut. She could only whisper "Good luck." Theo barely heard her but he knew she meant it. They looked at each other and Theo wished for her Lana to hold his hand.

Lana tried to reach for him but her chains weren't long enough and then Lycaon got between them saying "Move" he pushed Theo to the fighters' room at ground level. Theo looked back to his friends before leaving the room: Jason's frightened yet encouraging weak smile and Lana. His eyes locked in her wishing it wouldn't be the last time he saw her.

"You will stay as my guests for the time being" mustered Nyx as she was stirring lazily the red liquid of her wine glass "Sit down and get comfortable. This fight will be thrilling."

Jason and Lana looked at each other nervous as it had never happened to them to 'hang out' with an immortal, not even to Lana who spent a week at Atlantis years ago. They shrugged and found their way to comfy chairs and a table filled with snacks. Jason stole little pieces of cheese that it tasted like old socks. Maybe for him, it tasted like socks but he didn't dare to wonder how it would taste for a monster.

Down on the arena ring, Lycaon and two other lycanthropes escorted Theo until he was before a door to the 'play field'. Nobody said a thing and Theo appreciated the lack of questions or comments. He was thinking over and over for strategies to survive. He needed to survive, so Lana and Jason could leave Tartarus.

From the darkest corner, his sister was sitting with a sword and a wicked smile. It wasn't her Stygian Iron sword, just a simple demigod sword. She looked at the lycanthropes and stood up gracefully in one single movement.

"Meredith?" asked Theo as he saw her coming closer.

"I'm Cyan, the Dark Sword" said his sister without really looking at him. Her eyes were on the doors, calmly waiting for them to open, to start the fight.

Theo stood in front of her and asked hopefully "Don't you remember me?" His voice almost cracked.

"I am a killing machine. I don't need memories" said Mer not really looking at him "Are you my next opponent?"

"Yes" whispered Theo trying not to let his heart sink to the ground.

"The carnage is calling us and it's glorious" said Mer dreamily and Theo felt sadder than he ever felt before. Alabaster, Rhode and Silenus really created a killing heartless machine. He wondered if he could save her anymore, if he didn't make a mistake to make this deal with Nyx.

Mer took a step forward to the arena and to fight and Theo needed to know something.

"Wait… Tell me how you ended here" said Theo with his hands at front almost touching his sister. He wanted to touch her, to be sure if she was real. Maybe it was an illusion, a prank from Nyx to make him stay.

"I am a killing machine… I heard once that I escaped of Hades' hands" said Mer almost robotic like she still knew how to talk but not with the same warmth as humans.

"How?" asked Theo.

"The fight is about to start" said Mer and the doors opened right at cue. She passed her brother and she walked out in a roar of applauses. She waved without joy to the crowd who chanted her name over and over 'Dark Sword, Dark Sword'

The young man was now alone with the lycanthropes who looked at him like fresh meat. Were they wondering of eating him after his sister chopped him up in pieces?

"I'm ready" said Theo himself "You can do it." He followed to his sister to the middle of the arena where a 3 heads monster was waiting. He was dressing a tuxedo and a microphone in his hand. Theo felt like in a Las Vegas show.

"Let's start the Second Act and a real treat for you. For the first time, the other child of Percy Jackson, twin of our beloved Dark Sword and I believe plenty of you have met him before. Give a loud applause for the Slayyeeerrrr!" said the monster and the crowd roared loudly.

"The Slayer? I am the Slayer?" said Theo looked at the monster. He was surprised of the name. He never felt like one before.

"What? It's a good stage name" said the monster shrugging "Sorry but Fluffy Bunny was taken."

Theo wasn't sure of even nod since he was digesting the idea of being the Slayer. Before he could even think in something else, the 3-heads monster was gone, the crowd was still cheering and his sister was looking at him with drawn sword and a wicked cold empty smile. He looked around and a bell ringed like a boxing match. The fight had just started.

Mer was looking at him with fixed attentive eyes and no movement on both parties. Theo couldn't move first… just yet. He knew that Mer was a predator, the big bad wolf and like all predators she had to have a flaw. Most predators are strong but cowards when they don't see the advantage in the fight. Their sense of self-preservation was greater that their pride or hunger, but not Mer. She had no sense of self-preservation, so she would never back down of a fight.

Theo wondered if Mer was still the same fighter as before or her time in Tartarus had changed. Was she smarter? Or faster? Or more vicious? Theo didn't have much time to think about it as Mer charged to him like a bull: fast and strong. She simply shoved him to fall on his back, making the crowd wilder.

Theo didn't stay down to think as he got up fast before Mer could bury her sword on his chest. Theo tried to slash at Mer but she jumped back faster, barely brushing her. He went forward again and both swords met in the middle. Mer was faster and stronger. Before he could do something, he was already bleeding for his right forearm. She was honestly a better tuned-up killing machine than before. Theo didn't want to think about but he knew he had to do something fast. He knew he couldn't use his words or charm here. There was no way of fooling her sister.

Mer attacked first and Theo reflected the slash and cut his sister's forehand, barely a scratch. She smiled teasingly hoping to anger her enemy. If Theo wasn't smarter, Mer's trick would have worked like a charm. He knew she was teasing him and he tried to suppress his smile as he thought for a second that he still knew her.

Mer bolted again like a full speed train and then he saw it: Mer's flaw. It was so simple and effective to end the fight before he died. However, timing was everything.

Their swords crossed again and Theo managed to cut lightly Mer's shoulder, just enough for her to look away for a second. Theo saw the opportunity and drew as many distance between them. The crowd yelled 'coward' as it seemed that Theo was running away.

Theo faced his sister again and he saw her run at him in full speed. He didn't wait for her as he ran matching her speed. He wondered how he hadn't noticed before, how nobody did. It was something of their childhood. Mer always ran in straight lines with eyes half-closed so she wasn't good of changing her course during the run.

10 feet before they both crashed at each other, Theo jumped forward in a somersault high enough to past her. Before Mer could stop or even realize what had happened, Theo turned and buried his sword on her back. Mer fell forward and her body ended up like a human brochette. She clumsily tried to move as she was bleeding out fast. Suddenly, she didn't move at all.

"I won" whispered Theo without any sense of victory. He had slashed his sister deeply and she wasn't moving anymore. He felt his heart shatter and his eyes were watering, yet he refused to look back as he saw paramedic monsters or something like passed by him going to her. Suddenly, he heard his sister grunt and it was amazing. It was some kind of miracle and Theo sighed feeling so relieved that she was still alive. He wasn't a complete monster.

The tuxedo monster approached to him with a wide smile as the crowd was cheering now Theo's stage name 'The Slayer, The Slayer,' louder and louder. He raised Theo's hand in victory but Theo didn't felt like he had done something utterly good.

"My sister?" Theo asked meekly.

"Don't worry about her. Our doctor and a good bath will mend her in no time and she will be ready for the next fight" said the tuxedo monster. Theo understood what he meant: healing river water.

Before Theo could ask anything else, the pack of security werewolves were at sight.

"The Boss Lady wants you up" said Lycaon as he pushed Theo roughly. The young man didn't complain as he wanted to see his friends.