Chapter 37-

"If Persephone Jackson is on our side, why did she kill Nico Di'Angelo?" Zeus asked the question sitting on everyones minds. Perseus looked over at Percy, silently questioning her. Percy stood by the doors, in full armor as always.

"Whatever Kronos was going to do to him would've been hundreds of times worse then the death Percy gave him." Perseus answered quietly, watching the faces of the gods around him.

"Kinder? She killed him! My son is dead!" Hades leapt off his throne, striding towards Perseus in a threatening manner. In the seconds that passed, everybody held their breath.

"Listen carefully." Percy broke the silence, stepping between Perseus and Hades. "Kronos doesn't kill. He breaks. What your son got was wrong, but what he would've gotten is much, much worse." Her voice was wobbling and Perseus reached forward to grab her shoulder "Don't say that torture is better then death if you don't know what it's like to be at the mercy of another." She was growling, but tears streamed down her face as her helmet grew warm.

"How would you know that torture is worse?" Hades questioned. Percy faltered and stepped back.

"I've been both at death's door and at the mercy of the titan king." And with that, she walked out. Once again, she had backed out of telling them her true identity.

Xxx

"Excuse me, miss." Achilles voice made her freeze as she exited into the now cool air of autumn. "My friends and I would like to talk to you." She turned and watched as he tilted his head questioningly towards her. Odysseus and Theseus stood behind him.

"I'm sorry, but I've got places to be." She turned back around to begin walking, but he reached out and grabbed her shoulder, making her wince at the familiar act.

"Like where? You're stuck here until Perseus leaves and it doesn't seem like that'll be happening anytime soon." Percy shrugged off his hand and turned to face them, knowing she had to talk.

"What do you, oh high god of Olympus, want from me?" she was being sarcastic and Theseus snorted, trying to hide his laugh as she said this.

"That sounds like something my sister would say." He spoke only once he had gained control of himself and Achilles nodded in agreement.

"You had a question." She stated, keeping them on topic so the topic did not wander to her.

"So, we were listening in to the meeting, which we really shouldn't have been doing," he was talking, but his voice seemed to be getting quieter and quieter. "Hey, are you alright?" he was reaching for her and her vision was flickering in and out.

"Persephone." Kronos's voice echoed through her head and she shuddered violently as they appeared in his torture chambers. His eyes were dark and viscous as he slowly approached her.

"My Lord, Kronos." She kneeled at is feet and he grabbed her hair, slamming her up against the wall.

"You're failing me, Persephone." She yelped as he pulled out a knife and flung it into the wall beside her ear. His aura was powerful and angry. She had never seen him like this "I need the Olympians on my side. Do not fail me." He slammed her into the wall and her vision turned black, but the pain remained and so did he.

"My Lord, you do not need them." She whispered, trying desperatly to see what was coming next. A fist slammed into her stoamch and she doubled over, wretching violently and tasting salty blood.

"Order has turned agaisnt us, because of you." He growled, pulling the knife out of the wall and slicing open her upper abdomen before punching her again. "I warn you, do not fail me or else all those who you love will die violent deaths.."

"I won't, my lord." She whispered, looking into his dark, gold eyes. He knew she wasn't loyal to him, she could see it on his face. Somehow, it scared her more.

Xxx

"What's going on?" Persephone had collapsed against the wall just as the gods and Perseus had been walking out of the throne room. Zeus had yelled this as many of the gods rushed towards her.

"Back off!" Perseus swung his sword out and threatened those around him before knealing beside her. "Hey." He was careful not to say her name as he felt for her pulse and quikcly noticed the blood dripping from her armor. "Easy." He steadied her as she jumped awake so quickly, he had to brace her agaisn the wall before she attacked him.

"Kronos knows." She shuddered and reached out towards Perseus, his form seemed to be from far away.

"What?" he paused and her head fell forward, delierium and vertigo sweeping through her.

"He knows." Perseus sucked in a deep breath and nodded slowly, tears forming in his eyes as she said this.

"Okay, we'll figure this out, okay?" he questioned, tilting her ead towards him "Okay?" he questioned harder now, shaking her slightly. She nodded and he sighed in relief "Hey, I need to see where this blood is coming from."

"Stab wound." She mumured, closing her eyes and swallowing. "Just take it all off." She motioned with a weak wave of her hand and he looked at her in surprise.

"Are you sure." She didn't answer him, as she had blacked out "Okay, Percy." He whispered, looking behidn him at the gods crowding them.

"Theseus, good thing you like surprises. come help me." He nodded to the god as he approached.

"What do you mean." He questioned. Perseus pulled Percy around so that she was lying down.

"Apollo, I think we're going to need your help." He unclipped Persephone's breastplate and pulled it off of her. Luckily, Kronos had chosen a two piece, so the top came off without going over her head. "Ready for your surprise?" he questioned, looking at Theseus with raised eyebrows. In one swift motion, he pulled Percy's helmet off and everyone around them gasped.

"Percy." Theseus reached forward and Perseus moved out of the way as his cousin voered his mouth in disbelief. "But, how?"

"Percy was sent here to gain your trust." Perseus looked around at them "Kronos wants you on his side. This is her punishment for not revealing herself." He motioned to her wounds and Apollo quickly began to heal them.

"Wy are their so many new scars?" Apollo whispered, looking at Perseus accusingly. Perseus winced, but his eyes held unimaginable sorrow.

"Sixteen days worth of torture for killing Nico." He said it loudly, so that everyone around them heard.