A/N: I'm so sorry that it's been so terribly long since I posted a chapter. I've been crazy busy and was in Denmark for a month. Long Story. Anyway, here's the next installment. Please read and enjoy!

The Chase

Jack knelt in a bush at the edge of a clearing. The sun poked through the treetops, lighting up a patch of the otherwise dark forest. Leaves twirled through the air around him. The wind gently lifted his hair off his forehead. Otherwise he was still.

The hair on the back of Jack's neck stood straight up. That Fox was here. Somewhere. Jack could feel its presence. Those big red eyes were scanning the trees just like his own were doing now. One of them would have to make a move. Only the Fox had the luxury of time.

A bush to his right ruffled. Leaves parted and a black jaguar slinked into the clearing. Jack's grip tightened on his dagger. The jungle cat paced towards the center of the clearing then stopped. Its lips peeled back in a silent snarl. It's back arched and claws dug into the dirt. The jaguar's gaze settled in Jack's direction but not quite on him.

Could it be behind me?

Jack breathed deeply. Do not move.

With a final hiss, the jaguar darted to the other side of clearing and disappeared.

Jack turned his head as far back as he could without shifting his weight. There was no hulking silver form waiting to snap its jaws on him. He released his breath.

A branch shifted above him. A twig smacked the top of his head.

No. No way.

Wincing, Jack peeked upwards. The only animal in the tree was a brown sloth, who must have shifted in his sleep. Jack almost laughed at himself. Take it easy.

Could I have lost it? No. It wants me to follow it.

Careful to stay hidden, Jack started to shift around the edge of the clearing. The Fox didn't know where he was, or he'd be dead already. He still could surprise it. And it would never expect an aerial attack.

Jack scaled the nearest tree, taking extra care to keep quiet. It was slow going. The branches were so thick and woven together that it was almost a floor. As long as he stayed quiet, Jack would have no problem finding his target.

He wasn't wrong. Only a few branches later, Jack found himself above the silver beast, which was sitting almost opposite where Jack had been minutes before. It was strange seeing such a large animal so effortlessly motionless, its legs bent and ready to pounce, eyes wide searching for any sign of the trailing demigod.

Then Jack realized he didn't have a Phase 2. He wasn't supposed to – and couldn't if he wanted to – kill the animal. He was supposed to follow it somewhere. But Jack would rather do that on his terms than the Fox's.

Jack reached into his pocket and removed a small black cube – one of Dax's transforming rubix cubes. For the love of Zeus please be loud.

Jack clicked the small white button and dropped the cube through the branches. It landed in a pile of leaves next to Fox. Nothing happened.

C'mon.

The Fox raised its head and turned towards the sound. It sniffed at the cube. Nothing happened.

Come on!

Jack could see his reflection in the Fox's white fangs as it locked onto him. He looked terrified. The beast growled. The cube did nothing but blink.

"Way to go, Dax." Jack drew his bow as he stood up on the branches. He let one arrow fly. The silver tipped connected with the cube, and it exploded.

Greek fire ripped apart the clearing. With a howl, the Fox was on its feet and running. Jack's tree took the brunt of the blast. The trunk started to collapse. Jack leapt and grabbed onto a neighboring branch. The fire was spreading up this tree too. It groaned under Jack's weight. He swung up and onto it, barely keeping his balance.

With one more leap, Jack was on a stable tree. There was nothing he could do about the fire. He started running across the branches after the Fox.

The Fox wasn't trying to evade him now. It ran as fast as it could in a straight line. For such a usually graceful animal, it smashed through branches and shouldered aside tree trunks with ease.

Up ahead, a patch of light shown through the dense web of branches. It grew larger and brighter the closer Jack ran. He had no idea what was on the other side. The Fox didn't show any sign of slowing, so Jack pressed on.

It didn't really dawn on Jack exactly how high he was. That is, until he was two steps from the opening. Then the light dimmed to reveal emptiness, a drop, and then another tree line on the other side of the gap. The Fox was directly under him now. Jack took another step and then launched himself through the opening and into empty air.

Beneath Jack, a river nearly twenty feet across separated the two swaths of jungle. At first, he thought this was a trick. The Fox had stopped short. Jack would splash down and be carried away. He would fail.

But then the Fox burst through the trees and leapt up and over the river. Jack reached the peak of his jump and began to fall, on a direct collision course with the airborne Fox. Jack pulled his dagger out from belt.

Jack stabbed downward, praying that his knife would sink where his arrows didn't. The silver of the blade blended in with the Fox's fur. The beast howled as the knife found purchase. Jack smiled for a moment before the rest of his body slammed onto the Fox's hard back. The wind was driven out of him and red swam in his vision. Jack groaned and used all of his energy to hang onto the knife handle with both hands.

A few seconds later, Jack was thrown into the air and slammed again as the Fox landed. It didn't even break stride as it tore into the trees yet again. Branches ripped at Jack's hair and clothes. He squeezed his eyes shut.

Jack heard a crunch as left shoulder smashed against something so unforgiving Jack could only assume it was a tree trunk. His left hand slipped off the knife. His right fingers burned. He imagined his knuckles turning white and stretching.

Another branch raked his back. His fingers slipped. Jack was hanging on by his fingertips now. The Fox only seemed to be gaining speed. Jack tried to open his eyes, but everything was a blur of green and red and silver.

An image flashed into his mind. His friends, standing around the Marathon's deck, waiting for him. Jenni and Piper were trying to calm Skylar down. Annabeth and Dax talked quietly to the side, discussing worst case scenarios and how to move forward. Percy angrily throwing rocks into the air for Jason to zap. Eventually they'd follow the string to find Jack's broken and bleeding body in the middle of the Amazon. The Fox was nowhere to be found. It was over. They'd failed.

No.

Jack squeezed his right hand, wrapping it around the blade until he had a tight grip. All the joints in his arm felt like stretched laffy taffy.

Then the Fox stopped.

Well, it didn't stop so much as it threw the emergency brake on. The Fox dug its claws into the dirt and bent low. Jack's momentum whipped him forward hard enough to dislodge the knife and send him airborne once again.

Jack landed with another crunch. He moaned and tried to sit up. His left arm was useless, the shoulder exploded with pain when he lifted it. His right arm felt rubbery, too exhausted to feel pain, but it supported him enough to let him get to his knees.

A gust of sour smelling air blasted Jack's face. He raised his head slowly. The Fox's bared fangs were only a foot from his face. It snorted again, and Jack had to resist the urge to throw up.

"If you're going to eat me," Jack said, "At least don't use me for a tissue first. Trust me, boogers don't taste as good as they look."

The Fox tilted its head, its black eyes studying Jack. Jack stared back, defeated. There was nothing he could do to escape if the thing decided to eat him.

Suddenly, the Fox growled. Its jaw opened –

Whelp. This is it. I hope they have Xbox in Hades.

– and snapped shut, only inches from Jack's face.

The Fox made a dissatisfied grunt and sauntered past Jack. Its tail swung and hit Jack on his right shoulder, nearly toppling him to the ground again.

After steadying himself, Jack let out a deep breath. He closed his eyes, more than in need of a short nap – No!

Jack turned his head, and watched the back of the Fox disappear into a large cave. Above the entrance, an Ancient Greek sign hung. Dodona. Annabeth could figure that one out.

"Hello there," said a voice on Jack's left.

Seated on a rotting log was a man with long white hair wrapped in a ponytail. His full beard was the same color and ran down his jawline, coming to two extended points on the corners of his chin, like soft, snowy chin-horns. However, his eyebrows were dark as night. His eyes were a dark purple, like clouds as the sun finally set.

The man stood and smoothed his black tunic. His smile wasn't forced, but looked standard, like every person or even god the man met deserved the same treatment from him.

"Are we going to be friends?" Jack said as he struggled to his feet, "Or can we skip the chit chat."

"I can't say we'll be friends. I hate to say I have none. Perhaps Akhyls, but that's because she feeds off of me, much like a whale's barnacles. Commensalism, it's called. Do you know much biology?"

"No, it wasn't my best subject."

"I suspect recess was your best subject, no?" The man smiled again. He waved his hand, dismissing the thought. "A pity though. Biology and chemistry is so interesting. Perfect, observable cause and effect. Science, nature – they are blameless you see. People are not."

The white-haired man began to pace around his log. Jack sneered and flashed his dagger. "Neither are gods."

"Precisely, but that is because you have a conscience, as do immortals. Too bad, it would make things much easier – to make it all black and white. But then they wouldn't keep me around either."

"I'm wondering why they do at all," Jack said. His shoulder burned with every shift of his weight. He did not have the patience to deal with this guy. Whoa. I sound like Dax – all gritty and impatient.

"Bear with me, young hero." The man stopped and looked at Jack sympathetically. "Yes, you're hurt. Come now, let's do this before I make you suffer any more than I have to."

The man took Jack by his good arm and led him into the cave. The sunlight faded as they moved deeper into the tunnel, which was still it on the inside. Crystalline growths were everywhere, sparkling with little white lights that resembled stars. The light seemed to come from within the crystals themselves.

They came to a fork in the tunnel, where it split into two. The one on the left was as sparkly as the one they came down. The right tunnel was considerably darker.

"I'm going to go out on a limb," Jack said, looking at the man, "We're going into the dark."

"If you only knew, young hero. You'll go down the left path in time. Most likely, not definitely. But no matter what path you take, every step from here on out will only get darker." For a moment, the man almost looked sad. A little guilty even. "But you shall see, or maybe not." He laughed at his own joke. "Come."

There were still enough crystals in the darker cave to see, barely. Jack could walk easily, but his guide was only a silhouette next to him.

"Where are we going?" Jack asked.

"To get your reward."

"What is it?"

"You'll see. Only those pure and blameless can wield it."

"Who are you?"

"Momus."

"Never heard of you."

"You're not the first, and you won't be the last." They came to a stop. Crystals on the ceiling reflected in a large still pool in front of Jack. "You do know me by my other name. Blame."

Momus evaporated into shadow next to Jack.

"What is this? Where'd you go?" Jack said as he brandished his dagger, which caught the light of the crystals.

"You cannot see where the blame lies. You must to even hope of finding me." Momus' voice seeped out of the shadows to surround Jack.

"I don't' care about finding you."

"Then you'll never have your reward, and you shall fail in this quest. That blame will fall squarely on your shoulders."

Jack gripped his dagger tighter. He hated the gods' little games. Leave the puzzles for Dax and Annabeth and anyone who wanted them. But then, that's probably why he was the one in the cave. The easiest to test and pull at.

"What do you want?"

"Step to the pool, hero. See."

Jack took a few hesitant steps and stood at the side of the pool. The water shimmered. Like a movie, a battle rippled across the pool. The battle for Olympus. In one corner, Poseidon deflected Enceladus' spear and Ryder slashed at him with his flaming whip. Thalia and Jason were chased by Porphyrion, while Ares followed launching taunts at the giant's back. Jack gulped. He and the roman, Octavian, were back to back, trading blows with a pair of giants.

The image of Jack cried out as a blade nicked his leg. Octavian instinctively checked on him, and the giant struck him down.

"Who is to blame?" Momus asked. His voice had lost the warmth of earlier.

The image rippled and changed. Octavian sat against the rocks, coughing blood. Jack sat next to him. As Dax ran away, Jack used his powers to heal his legs while Octavian died beside him.

"Who is to blame?"

"The giants! Gaea!" Jack yelled at the cave.

"You could have saved the boy."

"No!" Jack's eyes scanned the cave for any sign of Momus. The god couldn't have simply evaporated. "He was too far gone."

"But you are the son of Apollo, the god medicine. You are the grandson of Mercury, the god of doctors. Surely, you could have done something."

Jack's eyes were stuck on the two sitting boys. Blood ran down Octavian's chest. His eyes rolled back. Jack healed his leg and saved himself.

"No, I'm not strong enough. I am not a healer."

"But you could have kept him alive long enough to get him to one of your siblings, no? You obviously have some power. You healed yourself."

"I couldn't!"

But Jack wasn't so sure. He hadn't thought to try that in the middle of battle. He only wanted to fight the giants. If Dax or Percy had told him to try maybe. If they'd told him. Was it his fault? Was Octavian dead because Jack couldn't think on his own?

The image faded to black. Jack searched the room. Nothing moved. The shadows were deep and still. Every instinct in Jack's body told him to run, but based on how tired his legs felt, he wouldn't make it very far.

"Alright," Jack croaked, "What's the point? You just get off on torturing teenage boys, that it?"

"Hardly."

The water in front of Jack rippled again. A giant swung a studded club and bashed Jack into the air. A shimmer. Jason carried Jack through the air and deposited his unconscious body at Will Solace's medic station.

"So?"

Jack mentally cursed himself. He'd learned a long time ago not to ask questions like that.

"I'll do it!" Multiple voices echoed through the cave. In the water, Jason, Percy, Dax, and Ryder stood in a circle. No. Jack didn't want to see this. It was bad enough in his imagination. The real thing might be unbearable.

Ryder voice clashed against Jack's eardrums. "Tell the others I wish I could've said goodbye. Let Jack down easy for me."

Ryder turned from the others and ran towards a giant man, who was made of storm clouds and fighting with a giant Gaea. Jack couldn't tear his eyes away. There was a blistering flash, and the water settled back to a still black.

Jack's throat was hot with anger. He blinked tears out of his vision. "What do you want from me? You want me to take the blame? Say that it was my fault? Well it wasn't! I wish it was. I wish I could explain why he died, why they all died."

"Then why do you feel guilty?" the invisible god said.

"Because I wasn't there! I couldn't have done anything. I mean, they were fighting primordials for Hades sake."

"You weren't there. You were somewhere else," Momus whispered thoughtfully, "Shall we explore that thought?"

Jack coughed. "No, you don't have to go to that trouble."

The water brightened, but only just. The bow of the Marathon, shrouded in night, materialized. Jack leaned on the railing next to a visibly uncomfortable Clark. Jack started to smile, then remembered what happened only a few short hours later.

"You gotta protect Skylar for me, okay?" Jack's own voice echoed.

"You know I will."

Gods, it had been so long since Jack heard Clark's voice, he nearly burst into tears right then.

"I need you to swear it," Jack said, "Please?"

Clark shook Jack's extended hand. "I swear on the Styx."

The image whirlpooled and changed. Jack, Skylar and Clark fought back to back to back in an army of monsters. Dax and Jenni's chariot screeched overhead and crashed. Jack took off after it, leaving the other two alone.

Clark swung and killed a hellhound. An empousai raised its claws to gut Skylar, who was fending off an earthborn. Clark reached over and disintegrated the she-demon. Another empousai stabbed Clark, who left his flank open defending Skylar.

"No," Jack whispered.

Clark fell to the ground. Monsters closed around the pair. A flaming whip lashed out and cleared a path. "Fall back to the fountain!" Ryder yelled.

Another ripple. Jack, Skylar, and Percy knelt next to a bleeding Clark.

"You idiot. Why'd you go and get stabbed?" Jack asked as he ripped off Clark's breastplate.

Clark coughed, "I promised you I would protect my family."

Jack slashed his dagger through the water, erasing the image. He was breathing heavy. "Show yourself, it's only fair."

"You idiot. Why'd you go and get stabbed?"

"I promised you."

"I promised you."

"I promised you."

"Enough!" Jack yelled, "You've made your point."

"Have I?" Momus said. "I'm not sure. Answer a few of my questions to clarify a few things. That scene was so… complicated."

"I don't think so."

"Why did Clark save Skylar?"

"You heard him. We're family." Jack crossed his arms.

"Yes, but he died to save her. Would you have done the same?"

"For Skylar? Absolutely."

"Ah, so you used the boy. You pulled his strings."

"What?"

"Well, he'd have sacrificed himself for her for the same reason you would."

Yeah, Clark liked Skylar. Big deal. "So?"

"You knew that. You made him promise his life to defend her."

"No. Only if something happened to me. That was the deal."

"But you lived. He didn't."

I promised you.

"Stop that!"

"Why did Clark die?"

"It was war!"

"Was it your fault?"

"No!"

"But you blame yourself."

"Because I wasn't there! I couldn't help them when they needed me. He made a choice!"

"Say it."

"What?"

"Admit blame. You will have your prize."

Jack almost broke down right there. He sunk to his knees, hands planted on the rocks at the pools edge. Was it his fault? Did he trick Clark? No. That wasn't right. But if he didn't do it on purpose, did it still count?

"I don't want your damn reward." Jack spit in the pool.

"Then you will die! All of your friends will die and it will be your fault. Can you live with that?"

"Sounds like I won't have to."

"I'll make sure mother spares you, so that you can watch and feel that guilt for eternity."

"Who's you mother? She the one I have to kill?"

Momus' laughter rattled off the cave's walls. "Kill? You think you can – I'm sorry, young hero. Bear your guilt now and I will spare you in the future."

Jack's hands gripped the rocks tighter. His left shoulder felt detached. There was a sharp rocking digging into his left knee. But he couldn't move. He was there on all fours, holding himself up against this guilt, which pressed on his back like Momus was sitting on it.

Momus' words floated through his mind. You cannot see where the blame lies. You must to even hope of finding me.

See the blame. Like the image. Jack shifted his weight onto his bad shoulder with a yelp. He dug in his pocket with his right arm and pulled out a golden drachma. Percy told him a long time ago never to be caught without one, you never knew when you needed to call ahead to camp for a pizza to be ready. This probably counted for more than a pizza.

"See the blame," Jack said. "O Iris, goddess of the rainbow, show me who bears the blame for what Momus has shown me."

"What?" Momus said.

Jack flipped the coin into the pool.

At first, nothing happened. Jack nearly cried in those few agonizing seconds. Then the pool rippled. An image of Gaea's mud body, complete with burning red eyes, solidified in front of Jack.

A woman's voice, like a cool summer breeze, floated into the cave. "Gaea is the one you seek, Momus."

"The shadows are not your domain. Be gone!" Momus bellowed, but his voice shook.

Next to Gaea, another image appeared, this one of Zeus chaining the doors to Olympus.

"And who is to blame for Gaea's waking?" Momus asked.

Jack started to laugh, which only hurt and made him cough again. "Cause and effect, dude. Go back far enough and Chaos breathing life into everything is the reason every little event happens. Sometimes there is no blame. Sometimes schist just happens."

The shadows retreated a little into the cave. Jack could see to the other side of pool, which was only about five feet. There was a shimmer of a silhouette. Jack clasped his dagger and then threw it.

"That is ludacris! Why I – erg!"

The dagger sank into Momus' chest. The god exploded into a cloud of bats, which roared over Jack's head and out of the cave.

Stepping stones rose out of the water. On the other side, next to where the dagger fell, something glowed against the rocks.

With a groan, Jack slowly forced his body to stand, and then gingerly stepped across the rocks. At his feet lay a silver quiver, intricately decorated with glowing golden laurels. In it were arrows that seemed to be made from pure light.

As Jack picked up the quiver, it glowed brighter, illuminating the entire cave. The room was littered with chests overflowing with gold and decaying wooden desks that spilled old scrolls on the cave floor. Then the glow faded and he could only just make out the outlines.

Later. He'd look at that later. The other tunnel. He had to go down the other tunnel and follow the Fox.

Jack's vision swam as he crossed the rocks and headed back down the tunnel. The rock he had knelt on was either still embedded or had cut him to the bone, because he felt hot blood run down the front of his calf. His legs threatened to buckle from exhaustion.

Sleep, Jack's bones whispered.

Not now, guys. There's a world to save. His shoulder ached in protest.

Jack found his way back to the fork, and then turned down the other tunnel. The bright crystals only made his vision even burrier. But he kept walking, holding onto the wall as a crutch and guide.

After a while he realized his feet weren't grinding on rocks anymore. He blinked a few times. Green replaced the red. He was back in a jungle of some kind. But the towering and unkempt Amazonian trees were gone. Giant hedges and venus flytraps large enough to swallow dinosaurs grew. Purple orchids hung from branches. His feet carried him along the dirt path.

Blue whizzed in front of him. Jack stopped. The outline of a person appeared in front of him. A woman, dressed in a soft sky blue dress. Her silver hair flowed down to her waist.

"Oh dear," her voice was as soft as a feather pillow, "What's happened to you?" She grabbed Jack's elbow lightly. "Come on. You need to lie down. Your friends will be here soon. I hope."

"Friends," Jack repeated dreamily."

"Is my brother okay?" the woman asked.

Jack mumbled incoherently. He had a vague sensation of falling forward towards the ground before blacking out.