Me: So, hello?

Omni: Good to have you back, Hanaichi-chan!

Reiner: Oh, you're back again.

Me: Of course I'm back, dumbass! I'm the writer you know!

Reiner: Why are you acting so awkward?

Me: Huh? Well, uh, you know the problem is...uh...

Reiner: Omni, you know what happened to her?

Omni: I can take a guess. What's wrong, Hanaichi-chan?

Me: It's just, you know, I never expected this chapter to be so...

Reiner: You are scaring me now!

Me: I won't spoil anything though, but now I feel a bit depressed after writing this. Excuse me while I'm sitting in that corner while drowning myself in chocolate and rainbows and unicorns to cheer me up.. Omni can you please continue with the usual? And please don't spoil anything at the beginning.

Reiner: Omni, just what the hell is happening?

Omni: Sorry Reiner, but you heard Hanaichi-chan.

Hanaichi-chan does not own PJO or HOO.

And enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 23

I tapped my arm as I looked around the museum I am in right now, The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Any moment now, Percy will show up and tell us that someone called The General had summoned a bunch of skeletal warriors to hunt us down. My eyes darted around as I tried to find something that can reveal to me Percy's presence, but then again he used Annabeth's invisibility cap, which made him invisible. I sighed quietly as Grover tried to track Artemis down with something that looked like acorns or something that looked like that. Suddenly the back of my hair stood up, I quickly turned around and scanned the small crowd of people behind me. The Museum looked a little bit deserted, only a few of people were around here, a group of little kids with their teacher, a couple of families and nothing out of ordinary. Soon after this, Percy will come and tell us that The General, a.k.a Atlas, will send an army of Skeletal warriors to hunt us, well in this case, hunt Percy down.

I started to wonder what kind of monster they will send us after this, I mean I already killed the Nemean Lion. There's a lot of possibilities here, although there a possibility that Luke has something worse than the Nemean Lion at his disposal. Which is making me think: why wouldn't he kill the Nemean Lion himself if he wanted the pelt so bad? Why had he waited for me to kill it first? Did he know if he bathed in the River Styx with it he will be fully invulnerable?

'That stupid boy couldn't handle it,' I heard Kronos say inside my mind. 'He's too weak.'

I tried my best to ignore it.

'But you, on the other hand,' Kronos chuckled. 'You're stronger than him, after all you are different from the rest of the demigods in here,'

I frowned a bit as I watched the group of little kids go to the gift shop. Why won't he leave me alone already?

'Like I said, I live in the darkest part of your mind boy,' he sneered at me. 'Your doubt, your anger, and your hatred of your situation. Even when you constantly tell yourself that you are over it, it still lingers in your mind. You didn't delete that dark part, you just swept it under the rug and hoped that it will never resurface or that someone didn't notice it.'

My hand twitched when I heard Kronos say that, because it's the truth. I was never able to forget what the gods have done to me, I'm not completely over it, I just pushed all of that part away into the deepest parts of my mind. And the only line that kept me from snapping is my mother, Percy, Annabeth, and Thalia. They are the only ones that kept me from killing the gods and make them pay for what they did. Without them, I probably would have already left to join Kronos' side.

I heard laughter inside my mind. 'That string is so thin, boy. You are already hanging by a thread, a very thin thread. You are angry that the gods still doubt you, even though you almost died just to save their ass.'

"Hey! Reiner!" I blinked and turned to find Grover looking at me with a concerned expression.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "You looked a little dazed and distracted."

"Sorry," I muttered and pinched the bridge of my nose. "I was just thinking about something."

'Why do you continue on keeping me as a secret, boy?' Kronos whispered. 'When will you finally realize you will never escape from me?'

Grover arched his eyebrow. "About what?"

"Well, why didn't Luke send something else to chase us," I said and looked at one of the displays. "I mean after the Jake incident, there has been nothing. I mean, doesn't that seem way too easy?"

Grover's eyes darted around. "I'm been wondering about that part, too. I haven't caught anything, I mean any monster scent or anything."

"Anything from the tracking?" I asked him.

Grover blushed a bit. "I don't know, I mean Lady Artemis definitely visited here, although it appears it was only briefly."

I nodded. "You know where we need to head next?"

Before Grover could answer that I felt something bumped into me hard, I had to balance myself so I didn't fall. I blinked as the air in front of me started shimmering and Percy appeared from thin air, and he looked exhausted, like he ran from several miles away. His eyes met mine and he began to speak very quickly, he explained everything he heard from a giant man called The General, and about The General growing an army of skeletal warriors from dragon bone that were planted in the ground and watered it with blood, and how the skeletal warrior caught a piece of his clothing and now they were hunting him down.

"Percy," I interrupted him. "Are you following us? Were you following us with Joker?"

Percy's mouth opened slightly as he tried to catch his breath. "Well, I, uh," he then glared at me while speaking sarcastically. "No! I just got bored sitting in the camp. So I decided to take a stroll in DC, stumbled across the General who happens to be plotting to kill all of you, and I got bored again and decided to jog from that place to here!"

"No need to be sarcastic," I rolled my eyes. "I saw you following us, and you are not very good at it. Really, man? You used Joker?"

"He didn't attract too much attention!" he snapped at me. "Blackjack would attract attention!"

"Enough!" Zoe said loudly.

I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from saying something stupid, while Percy took a deep breath to calm his erratic heartbeat. Then his breathing pattern stopped for a moment as his eyes focused on something behind me, his mouth opened and closing as his pupil dilated. Zoe, Thalia, and Bianca already had their weapon ready.

"Right," I sighed as I turned around and saw the Chimera along with 2 Gryphons behind me. "Monsters. I think Grover and I just jinxed us."

Grover threw me a look that said 'don't drag me into this' at me as he took a step back quietly. The Chimera roared in my general direction and I saw her tag glistening under the light, well it looks like she's already joined Kronos' army now. I quickly jumped to the side when the Lion head started to spit fire towards me. I quickly readied my weapon as I watched the Chimera closely as it was watching me closely, too. The gryphons, on the other hand, started to attack Percy and the others, ignoring me completely. Looks like The General sent this Chimera to hunt me personally.

"Aren't you supposed to be on Hades' side?" I asked. "I mean your collar said that you belong to DOA Studio."

The Chimera roared again as it breathed fire towards me again, I took a side step as the fire hit a display behind me. Crap, the government will lose their shit if they saw that their precious history burnt to crisp by some mythical monster that looks like a big Chihuahua. I ran forward as I swung my sword at the Chimera, The Lion head pulled its head back as the Snake head lunged at me and spat some acid at me, I quickly ducked as the acid hit the floor behind me, the acid began to corrode the floor slowly as I gulped slowly. It won't melt me right? I know I'm completely invulnerable and fire proof, but that acid looked super deadly. If it hit me what will happened to me? Will I melt into a pool of human goo or will I be completely fine with it? I had to dodge again as the Snake head spat some venom at me again. It looked angrier every time I dodged its attack, I barely managed to land an attack to her, as she either spat fire or venom at me. I looked behind her and saw my friends get a little overwhelmed by the Gryphon attack, I mean they are very fast and agile at flying. And the only one that was able to land a hit on it is Zoe and Bianca. I had to help them, but first things first, I had to face the Chimera first.

I didn't want to kill her, since she's Hades' property and all. I just had to snap her back to her senses and bring her back to Hades.

"Where's your mother?" I asked. "Echidna, right? Where is she?"

The Chimera stopped for a moment before it roared in anger as she jumped towards me and tried to stomp me. It looked even angrier when I mention her mother's name, something definitely happened with Echidna that made her angry like this. Maybe Echidna forced into this, or Luke's army already killed Echidna and took the Chimera as his prisoner or something like that.

"You work for Hades," I reminded it slowly. "Looked at your collar, girl!"

Well, uh, I made her even angrier, because right now it spat fire and venom at me. I managed to avoid both of them, but the Chimera was getting smarter and faster. She swung her body around and slammed her tail towards my chest. I gasped as my body was sent flying back into one of the displays, which happened to be a space shuttle. I rubbed my head as I pushed myself from the display, maybe she hated being Hades' property. But, I'm done playing nice with her, I will make her remember that as long as she wore that collar, she will heed to Hades. And I will make her learn that the hard way. I quickly ran towards her direction with my sword ready at hand, I quickly slid on the floor while the Chimera spat a fire ball at me. I sliced her ankle and quickly pushed myself up, and attacked her left hip. The Chimera roared in pain and anger as she turned to face me, I balanced my sword again as I watched the Chimera carefully, I had to be careful so I didn't kill her accidentally, because it will take a lot of time for her to reform again. The Chimera took one step forward, and I tightened my grip on my sword handle, I quickly ran towards her, and at the same time, the Chimera sent her snake head towards me. I dropped my sword to the ground and curled my finger into a fist, and punched the Snake head with all my power, I hope that my punch will hurt it because my body already hardened with the Nemean Lion's pelt that melted into my skin and the boost in strength that came from the Curse of Achilles. The Snake head hissed in pain as I continued to run towards the Lion head, this time I made my fist enveloped in black Hell-fire and I swung my fist at the Lion head. The Chimera let out a roar of pain and anger, as I quickly put my hand on the Lion head's snout and brought it down quickly, without missing a beat I grabbed my bracelet that on my right wrist and quickly pointed it at the Lion head that was about to attack me. The Lion head only growled when the black fire started to hurt her snout, while the Snake head was hesitant to attack me.

"Down girl," I said fiercely while looked at the Lion head right in her brown eyes.

Noticing the Stygian Iron sword in my left hand, The Lion head pulled back while her eyes were watching me carefully, afraid that I will stab her.

"One more move, and I will absorb all of your living essence," I whispered coldly. "I don't want to do that since you are Hades' property," I shifted my eyes to the Snake head. "You must be noticed that I'm Hades' son, only a child of Hades can wield this sword. Hence you are also my property as well."

The Lion head stopped growling at me, while the snake head already went into her original position, and was now watching me carefully. My eyes trailed to the collar that the beast wore, it's not her original collar, it's different. I drew a sharp breath when I started to notice what kind of collar the beast wore, I gritted my teeth in anger and disgust when I noticed it wore a large shock collar. I didn't know how they able to make a shock collar this big, but then again, Luke had Cyclopes on his disposal and Hephaestus' forges on Mount St. Helens, along with some monsters called telekhines.

"I won't kill you," I said again, this time in a softer tone.

I slowly lifted my hand from the Lion head without breaking the eye contact, and then moved my hand onto the collar that wrapped around her neck. The Chimera's whole body stiffened and she let out a growl while the Snake head hissed at me, slowly I ran my hand through the collar and tried to find the clasp that binded it together. When I found it, slowly I began to unclasp the collar, the heavy collar fell onto the floor and made a loud sound. I retracted my hand slowly, my eyes still trained on the Lion head, sometimes shifted onto the other head.

"You are free now," I said slowly and smiled a bit. "You don't have to worry about that bastard hurting you anymore."

I didn't know how powerful the electric shocks were, but judging by the size of it, it must have been thousands of volts, maybe more than a thousand volts, the jolt that can kill a human instantly. I slowly took a step back and straightened my body, the Chimera began to stand up but her eyes never left me, then she began to take a step back and leapt onto the lower floor, making some mortals screaming before making a hasty exit from the entrance. I let out a breath that I held, and then I quickly ran towards my other sword and took it from the ground. I quickly connected the ends of it and tapped my pendant while my swords changed into a bow. After entering the right combination for an explosive arrow, I pulled an arrow and aimed at one of the Gryphons, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes to steady my hand so I can aim better. I opened my eyes quickly while aiming at the Gryphon that landed on a display that hung on the air, I released the arrow and it hit the Gryphon on its side. The monster roared in anger and I quickly pushed the button again. The arrow exploded and shattered all of the building's window, the Gryphon was already gone and the display came crashing down onto the lower floor, the alarm blaring throughout the building.

"Have Thee lost thou mind?!" Zoe screamed at me.

"No," I said darkly while I pulled another arrow. "I'm perfectly sane."

"You just blew a bomb inside here!" Thalia yelled at me. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

I released another arrow and it hit the other Gryphon.

"It's the only way!" I yelled back. "Since you are unable to kill it!"

I pushed the button again and another explosion occured inside the building, killing the Gryphon instantly. Zoe gave me disgusted looks, but I caught a hint of fear in her eyes.

"Thou…thou are a monster," she said.

I chuckled a bit and tilted my head to the side. "Oh, really? I'm a monster just because I helped you, or because I'm better than you?" I taunted her.

"Reiner," Thalia whispered. "You…this isn't you!" she grabbed my arm and forced me to face her. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

I looked at her electric blue eyes, and Thalia took a sharp breath, she took a step back while her hand covered her mouth.

"Your eyes," she muttered loud enough for me to hear her.

"My eyes?" I asked her. "What about it?"

I quickly dissembled my bow and looked at my reflection on the blade of my celestial bronze sword. I was unable to breathe when I saw a few specks of gold began to appear in my eyes and my eyes were much darker than before, it was almost black at this point.

"Kronos," I whispered slowly. "How?"

'Your anger,' Kronos spoke inside my mind. 'And I have already possesse you, after I had been exposed to your blood and that encounter.'

My mind began to wander on my last summer when I saw Kronos' coffin for the first time, that was the first time Kronos spoke to me. Before that, he did visit me once in my dreams, you know the day before Luke almost killed me. And now he was able to control my actions?

'No, I'm not controlling it,' he said and chuckled. 'Your mind is a frail thing boy, when humans are in anger, they are unable to think clearly. Just one push, and the mind can tell the body to do the worst thing ever. I just whispered the thing you just did and you did exactly as I wanted.'

I growled under my breath. That goddamn Titan was using my anger that blinded my reasonable judgment?!

'If you are wondering why your eyes had that speckle of gold' I felt Kronos smirk. 'You unconsciously channeled my power, boy. You must be wondering how in the world you are able to use my power? Well, a tiny part of me already inhabits your body since that day when I spoke inside your mind for the first time. When you blacked out, I stopped the time for a moment inside the ship and made Luke implant a little of my consciousness inside of you.'

So, Kronos did have a little power even though he didn't have a body, and some parts of his body were still scattered throughout Tartarus, I thought. Those Gryphons were very agile and fast beasts, aiming at it would be a hard job for even me and The Hunters, but somehow by some pure luck, I able to hit them perfectly where I wanted. My hand began to tremble a bit, fuck, did Kronos really affect me that much? And I admit, my thoughts wasn't exactly the same from a few years ago, after they separated me from my mom and trained me insanely, I began to doubt everything. My existence, my power, and my purpose.

I knew not too long ago, I promised myself that I will protect this world and everything in it, and I'm able to let my past go. Right now? I'm not so sure anymore. I did still questioned how the fuck was I stranded in here? And how the fuck that the Fates gave me all these powers that made everyone become afraid of me, even Zeus himself was so keen on blasting me to bits. My head began to pound painfully and I quickly closed my eyes. No, no, no, I repeated. I couldn't have these dark thought, I can't let Kronos' power influence me again, since I already learned that Luke already planted some of Kronos' consciousness inside me. Because if I kept doing that, Kronos will able to fully control me.

"Reiner!" a masculine voice spoke to me. "Snap out of it! Speak to me, goddamnit!"

My eyes snapped open, and I was already face to face with Percy, his right hand gripped my wrist and he already lowered it. I blinked slowly as I tried to bring my focus back onto him, Percy looked extremely worried at me.

"We have to get out of here," I spoke slowly. "I-I-m" I glanced at Thalia who still looked at me equally worried as Percy. "Goddamnit!" I yelled and lowered my head.

Percy loosened his grip from my wrist and I pulled it from his hand. I quickly turned my back and hauled my body over the railing and jumped onto the first floor, ignoring the petrified looks from my quest mates.

Third Person POV

Percy only watched in horror as Reiner jumped from the second floor and landed gracefully on the first floor like a cat. Then he disappeared through the exit like nothing happened, Percy glanced at Thalia who looked sad and worried about Reiner's condition. Yes, he is a little bit afraid after the stunt that Reiner pulled. Who in their right mind fires not only one but two explosive arrow in the middle of broad daylight and some mortals witnessing it?

Percy still remembered Reiner's eyes at the time, it almost like he had been possessed by something. Percy knew sometimes Reiner can be a bit different from his usual goofy self, like that one time Reiner almost turned himself into a younger version of Hades. But this time is different, Reiner's eyes are darker than ever, and Percy found a tiny speck of gold inside Reiner's irises. Percy wanted to believe that his eyes were playing tricks on him, but the air around Reiner at that time was…both powerful and cold.

"Percy!"

Percy turned and found Thalia at his side.

"I'm worried about Reiner," she spoke in a genuine worried tone.

"Me too," Percy said. "We'll talk later," Percy added hurriedly when he saw Bianca head towards them.

"We have to go now," Bianca spoke.

Percy and Thalia looked at each other, before they hurriedly ran to the exit. Percy almost forgot the reason that he came with them, but he thought that he can tell them later. Right now Reiner is his first priority, his life might be in danger. While they tried to run from the Smithsonian that was now already surrounded by the police and SWAT teama, they managed to catch up with Reiner who was now already walking normally, as if he did nothing.

"Percy, do you know something?" Thalia whispered.

"About what?" Percy asked back.

"About what happened to Reiner not too long ago," Thalia looked at me impatiently.

"Ah yes," Percy hummed. "Well, I don't exactly know what happened inside his mind," then he added sadly. "Even though we are childhood friends, I felt like he's keeping something from me. He said that he didn't hide anything, but I knew that he hid something important."

"He did that to you too, huh?" Thalia mumbled while staring at Reiner's back. "He's always helped me when I'm in trouble you know?" she sighed sadly. "But, he never asked me for any help"

"That's Reiner for you," Percy laughed bitterly. "He's always ready to help us, but he never lets anyone help him. He always keeps his trouble to himself."

"I remember this one time, that I had to beat some sense into him," Percy then smiled fondly at the memories. "Well more like we kicked each other's asses, he promised me to let me help with his problems. You just have to find the right time and act to make him realize that he's not alone."

"Lucky you," Thalia mumbled. "I want to help him too, I want him to know that I will be there to help him."

Percy studied Thalia's face. "Do you like him huh?"

"Drop it, Percy," Thalia growled.

Percy only gulped when he heard that. "Fine, whatever."

"It's only fair," Thalia added in a softer tone. "He was always there for me, no matter what, he's always there to pick me up whenever I fall down. He treated me as a normal girl, he never saw me as Zeus' daughter. For once, I just want to help him. I know that he's in pain sometimes," Thalia sighed sadly. "His eyes, sometimes it's just, so sad you know. I don't know why when he stared at the sky or the sea, he just looked so old and sad and-," Thalia looked at Percy. "-broken."

Percy only nodded, since he sometimes caught Reiner doing that. Those eyes, even though Reiner never spoke, Percy could see a lot of emotion running through those blue orbs. Reiner looked different at that time, like he didn't belong here, like he belong somewhere else. He's been through a lot of things, that's what ran through Percy's mind when he caught Reiner stare at the sky one day.

"He will tell us," Percy said in a firm tone. "When he's ready, he will tell us. I know Reiner, he will tell us when he's ready. Maybe right now, he can't understand what happened or maybe he's trying to figure out what happened. But when he figures out all of that, he will tell us everything."

"I envy you," Thalia whispered to herself. "To know so much about him. You're able to understand him that easily while here I am, trying so hard to figure him out."

"What did you say?" Percy asked.

Thalia blushed lightly and she shook her head quickly. "Nothing!"

Percy stared at Thalia with a puzzled look while Thalia quickened her pace.

First Person POV

I sat far away from the group as I watched the sun began to descend from the sky, after the whole thing at the Smithsonian's, I began to distance myself from them. I sighed mournfully, after all it's impossible to push Kronos away from me, since he lived inside me. Kronos' explanation circled around inside my mind, and it began to affect me slowly, it was eating away at me slowly. I glanced when I saw someone sit in front of me, I saw Percy giving me a concerned look, a genuine concerned expression.

"Reiner," he spoke carefully. "About what happened in the Smithson-,"

"I'm sorry," I cut him off while staring at my hand. "I-I didn't know what possessed me to do that. I never meant to scare you or-," I found myself unable to breathe since I had to explain everything, including that a fragment of Kronos' consciousness already lived inside me.

"Reiner, you can tell me," Percy said and he put his hand on my shoulder.

I lifted my head and leaned towards Percy's ear.

"A fragment of Kronos' consciousness is already inside of me," I whispered "That is what made me lose control at the Smithsonian."

Percy froze at my words. "Kronos what?"

I pulled myself and looked at him in the eyes. "Percy, I don't know anymore. I mean I only thought that only his voice was affecting me. And now he claimed that he actually lived inside me?" I let out a bitter laugh.

"Reiner." Percy whispered. "We-we can figure this out, okay?! I'll find a way to make him disappear for good!"

I shook my head slowly. "I don't know if you can do that. You know what? The only thing that kept me sane, that kept Kronos from controlling my action?"

Percy opened his mouth but no sound came from it.

"It's you," I said and smiled sadly. "My mom, Thalia, Annabeth, Grover, Chiron, and basically everyone at the camp. You guys are my string that's keeping me from turning my back on the gods. You guys kept me going, even though I knew that death was always waiting for me at the end of it."

"Reiner, what are you talking about?" Percy's voice began to waver.

"I trust you," I said firmly. "I trust you with my life. So, when the time comes, I trust you will do the right thing."

"Reiner, I don't like where this conversation is headed," Percy said.

"Please kill me when Kronos takes over my body," I said and smiled sadly at him.

Reiner: Oh, god why the hell is this chapter so dark?

Me: ...

Omni: Reiner has a point. It was rather dark.

Reiner: YOU! Do something!

Me: ...blame the movie I just watched, it depressed the hell out of me...

Reiner: The fuck?! Just what the fuck did you watch?!

Me: *shove movie ticket to Reiner*

Reiner: Oh wow, they already made the third movie about it already? And shouldn't those movie should be lighter that the other universe?

Me: ...beats me...the trailer said that it will be the usual . But, it got darker faster than I ever imagined. Do you already watchthat movie? You know the recent one that got a huge hype?

Omni: Yeah. Avengers: Infinity War, and yeah it got dark pretty quickly.

Reiner: *Backs aaway* o-okay, then. Calm down lady. That's only a movie.

Me: it's messing with my imagination and mood.

Reiner: psst, hey Omni do something, before she writes an even darker story about me.

Omni: Not sure what much I can, but I'll try. And I'll keep her from going off the deep end.

Me: You know what, I think I have even darker path for you.

Reiner: Uh that ending was already darker and sadm you know.

Me: Ah...i think sleep is good now. Omni can you do the closing? I want to go to bed, maybe it can help improve my depressed mood.

Reiner: *sigh*I already missed her usual old self.

Omni: Yeah, no kidding. Anyway, please click the follow and favorite button, everyone! And don't forget to leave a review!

Bye bye guys! See you in the next chapter!