Hey guys, I'm really sorry about not updating on time. I'm giving you guys two chapters instead of one because of it. Again, I'm really sorry.

Ink...

Chapter Twenty-One: Pleading and Problems

Sitting at my table, I sighed. I was completely alone.

"You look lonely."

I turned and almost drowned, which is saying something. Apollo was standing there in all his two legged, water breathing glory. I blinked. "What are you doing here?"

He grinned and slid next to me. "I volunteered to do this."

"So did I."

My head whipped around to see a smiling Hermes. I sighed. "Because the gods just can't accept a 'no'."

They laughed and pinned me in like book ends. Hermes on my left. Apollo on my right. I was acutely aware at how everyone was staring at me slack jawed. Well, I guess not a lot of the students were visited by two of the Olympian gods.

"Not really. We just know who's best for the job!"

I sighed. "Oh really?"

Hermes nodded and stole my grapes. He started munching them as he spoke. "Try and deny these facts. One, Tartarus is after you, so no matter what you do, you have to face him eventually. Two, Kronos is helping him, so no matter what you do, you have to face him eventually. Three, the gods are powerful; we would definitely be fighting alongside you this time instead of fighting Typhon."

I sighed. "Four, I've already been included in two fucking Great Prophecies and have had my fill of them! Thanks for that, Apollo."

He lifted his hands. "Oi! You know how the future works, Perce! I had nothing to do with it!"

Hermes nodded. "Yeah, it's all on the Fates." Apollo shivered.

I snorted. "And yet, there are some things that they don't know either."

Apollo looked quickly at me and leaned in closer. "What do you mean by that?" His eyes gleamed with curiosity and unease.

I started. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

Hermes moved closer. "I don't think that was nothing."

I gulped. These guys were still gods and would be seriously determined to find out a secret that even they didn't know. "Styx! I swore on the Styx. Don't push me guys!"

They sighed and relaxed. "Fine." Apollo muttered. His eyes lit up again. "But anyway, you can't deny that you'll have to fight Tart and Grandpa sometime. Wouldn't it be better to have us with you as you do it?"

I groaned. I was silent for a long time, ten to fifteen minutes. Hermes continued stealing my food.

"I'll do it, but I…" I stared at them both, back and forth. My eyes were pleading. "I can't go back in that water. I can't." My voice was faint. "I'm not as strong as everyone seems to think I am, guys. I…just can't…" I rested my head on my forearms.

Hermes rubbed my back. "I know, Perce. I know."

Apollo sighed. "At least we accomplished 50% of our mission. That's something." He looked at me. His voice was sad and grave. "I don't want to see you die, Percy. You've been the closest mortal friend I've ever had. If we fight Tartarus and Kronos, we're going to have to fight with our full strength. You know that means our full glory. You'll be incinerated. The curse will give you a fighting chance."

I sighed. "I…"

Hermes leaned forward and rested his hand on my shoulder. "Please Percy? You can bathe in the New Tiber afterwards."

I groaned and muttered. "I'll have to make a visit to my mother. Also, you two are going to have to duke it out with Dad."

Apollo gulped. Hermes went pale. "Fuck."

I snickered grimly.

Palace

Amphitrite saw me first. "Percy! How was you first day of school? Oh! Poseidon!" She stood and bowed slightly to Hermes and Apollo. Poseidon came in.

"Hello Percy! Welcome…oh no, not you two." He gave them a guarded look.

Apollo looked slightly affronted. Hermes just rolled his eyes. "Listen, Percy practically commanded us to come here." I just shook my head.

"Tell him what you told me."

They gulped and did as I asked. Poseidon agreed with the first part but scoffed at the second. "No amount of bathing in the River Styx will prevent Percy from being incinerated! This would just cause him needless pain!"

Hermes sighed. "Bathing in the Styx was the only thing that kept him from dying against Kronos. The stakes haven't changed much except that Kronos is even more powerful! And Tartarus will be with him!"

Poseidon sighed and leaned against his throne's back. He looked weary. "What do you think about this, Percy?"

I sighed. "It gives me an even higher chance of surviving." Hermes gave me a curious look, but was distracted when Delphin came rushing in.

"My Majesty! The entrance is trembling!"

I cursed. "My chariot!" Triton was calling for his as well. Dad was ordering our armor to be brought to us. I summoned my trident. Apollo summoned his arrows. Hermes' caduceus was instantly in his hand. Amphitrite also has her armor brought to her.

We arrived at the entrance ten minutes later. Poseidon's entire standing army was floating nervously in front. I stared at them. "PART WAYS! DON'T STAND DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE TUNNEL, YOU FOOLS!"

They instantly parted. Not a second too soon. An enormously strong current pulled inward. One Mer was caught in it. I cursed and pulled the current back. Triton helped me, so did Dad. Tugging him. I grunted in effort, and the man was suddenly free. He floated above the tunnel. I leaned against my chariot. Triton and Dad were also exhausted. The strength of Tartarus was extreme even out of his territory.

Apollo touched all three of us, and strength flowed back into my body. I sighed and looked at him.

"Handy…" He grinned.

The tunnel shivered. We all stilled. Something appeared. A hand. A giant hand. With a triumphant roar, Polybotes and some of the other giants emerged from the cave.

Apollo cursed.

"JACKSON! I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD!"

I sighed and swam forward. "If you couldn't take my head in Tartarus, what makes you think you can kill me now?"

He grinned. "Because I know your secrets! You cannot fight against an axe! Kronos has told us all!"

I raised an eyebrow. "How long does it take you to reform?"

He blinked. "Ten years. But I will not need to reform today!" He drew a mighty double headed battle axe. I sighed. His brethren were all grinning stupidly. The Twins were there too.

"Long enough. Good planning Kronos. Really smart." I grinned and used my new Trident. Suddenly, he screamed. His eyes bulged. He had a hole in his chest. Apollo grinned and shot an arrow into his brain. Hermes shot a beam of energy from his caduceus at the Twins. Poseidon did a killing blow on the last giant. Triton was blasting the other giants to pieces. I was busy blasting them to pieces with my handy dandy forked stick as Tyson called it. They didn't stand a chance. A demigod and a god together can kill a giant.

I smiled. "Slightly over did it, but it's good to be on the 'easy win' side for once. We got one good piece of info from all this too."

Apollo looked at me. "What's that?"

I smirked. Hermes answered for me. "Kronos is feeding them complete bullshit. His basic plan is to have Tartarus fight us, get both Tart and us cut to pieces and then swoop in and finish us off, while we are exhausted, and he is still fresh."

Poseidon nodded. "Makes sense."

Hermes sighed. "Looks like we're going to have a Titans/Primordial vs. Demigod/Olympian War."

I smiled grimly. "I can't wait."

Darkness was creeping out of the tunnel. I stared at it. "Something's coming." Everyone readied themselves. "Something big. Only really powerful monsters can come through that tunnel." I stared at the darkness. Pitch black. Come on! Think like Annabeth. What was coming? What lived in Tartarus and was completely dark. Dark…Nyx! I cursed.

"Night! She's coming!"

Apollo gulped and suddenly turned brighter. I blinked and looked away. Triton muttered something under his breath.

I breathed a prayer to Ouranos. If you still hear prayers. If you care at all about this mortal that's praying, then please hold back your sister. Please.

I heard chuckling. Very well, little, brave demigod. I will hold her back. I will speak with her myself.

The darkness paused. For a very long time. Then it receded until it was completely gone. I heaved a sigh of relief. Poseidon looked confused. All the immortals did, as well as the soldiers.

Tyson called the Cyclopes to order. He looked grimly at the tunnel, waiting for something else to come out.

Amphitrite swallowed. "I don't understand. Why did she withdraw?"

I sighed. "It did not suit her needs to continue this course of action." Hermes was staring at me again.

"Percy-"

I interrupted. "I'd better go and get my blessing. Apollo, taxi?"

He grunted. "Great. I'm a taxi service now, am I?"

Hermes slung an arm around him. "I could use a lift."

Apollo raised an eyebrow. "Get your own ride!"

Hermes huffed. I snickered.

"Close your eyes." I did as Apollo said. When the glow ended, I was at home.