AN:

I'm back with another chapter! This one is pretty long too. It's worth mentioning that I feel like this is one of the best chapters I've ever written. I had so much fun putting this thing together. I think you're really going to enjoy the path this chapter takes. You get more of Percy and Zoë's relationship, which is always good, plus what I think is an amazing fight scene. Most importantly though, we dive deep into Percy's psyche. Fair warning, this chapter may seem a bit trippy and confusing, but it will all make sense by the end. If not, I'll try to explain in the other AN. Anyways, I hope you enjoy, you're in for a fun one. Here's chapter 21 of "The Spartan"

Tartarus, July 2010 CE

Their feet trudged along the solid ground. The tunnel was shrouded in darkness, meaning they both had to walk guided by only the light of Anaklusmos. The air was harsh and freezing, biting deep into their exposed flesh. Their breath was visible in front of them, casting a hazy cloud into their faces as they walked.

"Any idea how much longer this tunnel will go?" Percy wondered aloud, teeth chattering.

Zoë looked over to him, arms wrapped around herself protectively. She was trying to stave off the unbearable cold of the tunnel, but it wasn't possible. Both her and Percy's clothes were suited for the Roman summer, and even worse, torn in several places thanks to their time in Tartarus. The lack of covering hadn't been too bad in the heat of Tartarus, but deep in this tunnel Perses had made, it was nearly a death sentence.

"Hopefully soon. I'm not sure how much longer we'll last" she said.

Zoë's cheeks were rosy, and goosebumps riddled her skin. Protectively, Percy reached out to wrap his non sword-arm around her. He knew he wasn't any warmer than she was, but the contact would help a bit. When he touched her, his mind changed. Her body was like ice on his, chilling him to the bone despite his already freezing temperature. He squeezed her tighter, cursing his celestial bronze bracelets. With his powers he would've been able to heat the water in the air to warm them both up, but he was severely lacking in that department right now, meaning they were stuck in the cold.

"You're right." Percy admitted. "We've got to be getting close though."

He pulled her tighter too him. Freezing to death wasn't the most glamorous way to go, but they didn't seem to have a choice. As they trudged further and further into the darkness, Percy wondered if they should've taken their chances with the monster army.

"And when we get there? Who's to say our," she was afraid to say his name, considering where they were, "…Host will be any better than this?" Zoë questioned.

She looked up at him, her eyes meeting his as they walked. He could see the worry there. The fear. He was sure his eyes were telling her the same thing. They had no illusions as to what awaited them at the end of this tunnel. There was no doubt he was infinitely more dangerous than a cold tunnel, but they were running short on options.

"When we get there…" Percy pondered the question for a moment. "When we get there, we kindly ask one of the most dangerous beings in existence to do us a favor for nothing in return; then we hope he doesn't blast us to smithereens."

"Well aren't those comforting words?" She joked, leaning into his side, worry forgotten in his presence. He threw his head back and laughed.

That was one of the things he liked about Zoë so much. She was all business when it mattered, but in the face of near insurmountable odds, she was always able to find a way to have faith. To be able to enjoy any moment, especially when she knew it could be her last. She was a lot like him in that way.

"Maybe not. How about this? When we get there, I bet we'll have a fancy tea party. Maybe some scones? A nice friendly conversation too, and then we'll be on our merry way." He shot back. His hand absentmindedly rubbed against her arm as he spoke.

"Much better." She smiled up at him. Her eyes twinkled in the dim light.

They fell into a comfortable silence after that. They walked together deeper still, the cold only seeping further in their bones as they did. Their shoes trod heavily on the hard ground, sending echoing footsteps through the tunnel. After a while longer, things started to change from the infinite and repetitive blackness. As they moved, they started to be able to see without the light of Anaklusmos. Percy sheathed his weapon, now relying on the natural light from up ahead.

"Do you feel that?" Zoë asked, pointing ahead.

She didn't wait for a response. Zoë pulled away from underneath Percy's arm, hand slipping down into his. She quickly jolted forward, tugging him with her. He could understand her excitement. He had felt it too. The light up ahead was giving off the faintest warmth, and he wasn't too proud to admit he was agonizingly cold. The prospect of feeling his fingers again was quite enticing.

Before, they had been trying to conserve energy; you didn't really have much time to rest in Tartarus after all. Now they were running, chasing after the comfortingly toasty breeze they had felt from the light. As the tunnel grew warmer and brighter, they finally came to an opening, leading into a massive cavern.

They heard a rumbling just as they passed through the entrance. They skipped their examination of the room, turning just in time to see the tunnel they had just come from collapse, sealing them in. The wall smoothened out, giving the appearance that the entrance had never been there in the first place.

"Guess we're stuck here." Percy said dryly. They turned to take in their surroundings, shock filling them both.

"What is this place?" Zoë asked, not really speaking to anything in particular.

"Well… It's certainly not a McDonalds." Percy joked from beside her.

And it wasn't. The walls were the same signature black stone that covered every inch of Tartarus, but they were too angular and sleek. Too refined. They looked man made. Intricately carved columns of black marble held up the ceiling, bedazzled with various gemstones twinkling in the light. The walls were lined with torches, filling the room with light and a heavenly warmth, melting away the biting cold that still clung to their skin.

"It's empty." Percy commented, seeing the end of their journey was significantly less inhabited than they had expected it to be.

"And warm." Zoë said, voice filled with wonder.

The interesting part of the room, however, was the raised platform in the middle of the room. It was built atop a small pyramid, with steps leading up to whatever was on top. The outsides were carved in strange and unrecognizable hieroglyphics, piquing both of their curiosities. Together, they began their ascension.

The further up they got, the more their breathing grew ragged. The air was extremely thin as they climbed, like all the oxygen was being siphoned out of the room. The higher they got, the more powerful the suction grew. By the time they reached the top, they were seeing spots dancing at the edge of their vision. It was like they had conquered an entire mountain in the span of two minutes. Still, what they saw at the summit made them forget their exhaustion.

"What the hell is that?" Percy asked.

"I was about to ask you the same thing." Zoë breathed out.

Imbedded in the top of the pyramid was a ring of gold. Along the edges were more strange symbols, glowing a harsh red. In the circle was what looked like a swirling pool of stars. It was as if the whole galaxy had been condensed into a whirlpool of water deep in the pits of Tartarus.

"I've never seen anything like it before." Percy admitted.

"What do you think it is?" Zoë asked from his side.

When they spoke, it was like their words were being sucked out of them. The air was impossibly thin, daring them to choke on its emptiness. The whirlpool at their feet was the source of the suction, there was no doubt. They could feel it beckoning to them, like it had its own gravitational force, just like the pit had done when they clung to the edge. It was far from comforting to experience that tug again.

"I think it's… I think it's a portal…"

"A portal?" Zoë raised an eyebrow.

"That, or it's just a hot tub with a crazy cool bath bomb. Either way, we're getting in." Percy said confidently, stepping towards the galaxy below. He was stopped by Zoë's hand on his arm.

"Are you sure about that Percy? We've come too far to die just because you wanted to take a space bath." She looked pointedly at him. She was always the babysitter in their relationship.

"Zoë, we don't really have a choice. We either die trapped in this room or jump in and hope this is a portal. We need to survive. This is our only chance."

She glanced between him and the swirling stars, still unsure. She could understand his reasoning, but still she was hesitant. It was hard to psych yourself up to jump into a pool that had the same feeling as Tartarus. Still, as Percy said, it was becoming clearer and clearer they didn't have a choice.

"I'm not su-" she said, but he cut her off.

"Zoë," he grasped her hands, clutching them between them like a lifeline. "This is the only choice. I just need you to… To take a leap of faith with me. Together."

"Together." She nodded.

She turned readying herself to jump, but he pulled her back. He grasped her face in his palms, his calloused hands gently caressing her skin. He stared at her for a second, before capturing her lips in a kiss. It was short and sweet but filled with passion and complete adoration.

"What was that for?" Zoë asked when he pulled away. She didn't look upset in the slightest.

Percy smiled at her, like he knew some secret that she didn't. He stared at her like the world was a mystery. Like she was the only thing that made sense. He looked into her eyes like her inky black irises held the secret to the cosmos. Like she was his everything. He was quiet when he finally spoke again.

"If we are jumping to our deaths," he whispered, "I want kissing you to be the last thing I ever did." Then, hand in hand, they jumped into the unknown.

Palace of Tartarus, July 2010 CE

To say their journey through the portal was trippy would be an understatement. Percy felt like he was a comet rocketing through space. All around him images of stars and distant nebulas clouded his vision in a wonderful light show. It was as if he was just a passenger on a spaceward vessel venturing deep into the cosmos. The awe-inspiring experience lasted only a few fleeting moments, but it felt like an eternity to him, and he lapped up every second.

It ended for he and Zoë as quickly as it began. The two of them tumbled from a similar looking whirlpool to the one they had jumped in, tangling together in a heap on the floor. Slowly, the pair removed themselves from each other, pressing their hands against the cool black ground to stand.

All around them, a hallway not dissimilar to the cavern they had come from greeted them. It had the same marble pillars, but the torch light was different. The torches emanated a crimson red, casting a sinister glow across the black stone that made up the room. Dangling from the ceiling were rotting corpses in various states of decay, dripping unthinkable substances onto the marble floor. At the end of the hall was a massive set of mahogany doors with images of screaming ghouls depicted in intricate gold etchings.

"The décor is lovely. Do you think he'd get us in touch with his interior decorator?" Percy joked. Zoë elbowed him in the ribs for that one.

"That hurt you know." Percy said, rubbing his chest in mock pain. Zoë walked on ahead, leaving him to tend to his "injury".

Zoë looked back over her shoulder at him shooting him a smirk. "Good." She chirped. Percy shook his head, jogging to catch up with her.

When they got to the doors, their sheer size truly dawned on them. They were several stories tall and looked to be extremely heavy. Percy doubted that even Briares would need to duck his head to get through them. In other words, they were completely dwarfed. The screaming ghouls on the door almost seemed to be laughing, as if to say, "No way this tiny guy can open us!"

Unfortunately for Percy, he wasn't provided a chance to prove the doors wrong. They swung open untouched, seemingly of their own accord, giving way to the room inside. Walking through the doors, Zoë and Percy took in the room they now found themselves in.

The room was all black marble and obsidian, giving the appearance of standing in an empty void. The ceiling was high and vaulted, with dangling chandeliers of red fire dripping embers down onto the sleek floor. Massive pillars with etchings that glowed like magma lit the room, giving the entire place a fiery sheen. Despite all the fire and magma, the room was cool, like the heat was being sucked away by a massive vacuum.

Rolled along the floor was a carpet of what seemed to be human skin. It seemed to be stitched together by a rather untalented seamstress, the joining parts of the hide ripped and torn by the erratic stiches. At the end of the human carpet was a raised dais, standing proud and tall. It was constructed of sterling white bone, but the same liquid that made up the portals dripped lazily over it, oozing like magma as it rolled down the grim seat.

The most terrifying thing in the room however was not the décor. It wasn't the throne. It was the man in the throne. The man, if you could even call it that, was at least eight feet tall, and seemed to be completely covered in corded purple muscles, bulging in the light. The light around him seemed to be being sucked towards him, devoured by his very presence.

The ground frosted beneath his stygian iron boots. Around his waist was an armored skirt of black bones, weaving over his legs like a wreath of death. His chest plate was a morphing enigma of black metal, constantly shifting, covered in the faces of thousands of screaming monsters and people, all looking to be in excruciating pain. Percy had no doubt they were actual souls trapped in the armor.

His face was what made him most frightening. Where his purple head should be, there was something much worse. His head was a hunk of molten metal and rock, but his face was absent. In its place was a miniature black hole, swirling incessantly. As they drew nearer, Percy saw trails of stardust trace their way from he and Zoë to the mans face, like it was drawing in their very life force. It probably was.

"Tartarus." Percy squeaked out.

He had meant to sound confident and proud, but it was impossible in the face of the immense power he felt washing over him. He felt Zoë reach out for his hand, interlocking their fingers as they clutched each other for security. The swirling face of the deity of the pit slowly turned to him, cocked at an angle with interest.

"No mortal has dared to seek me out before." The primordial said slowly, like their courage surprised him.

His voice alone seemed to defy logic. It was as if the words themselves were being sucked towards him. Not even his thoughts could escape him. Tartarus was the end all be all. The irresistible pull of the abyss.

"We uh… We need a favor." Zoë choked out. The mere presence of Tartarus was suffocating her. Percy was experiencing a similar issue.

"A favor?" the primordial let out a booming laugh. It sounded like a shelling of bombs cascading over them as they huddled in the trenches. The god rose from his throne, straightening to his full height. He strode confidently towards them, his long legs helping him glide towards them with vigor. Percy and Zoë backed away, fearing this was their last moment.

Suddenly, the massive man stopped. He waved a hand, and a short table appeared, surrounded by three stools. On the table were three teacups, a tea pot, and a plate of scones. Percy shot a look of disbelief to Zoë, who's face mirrored hers. Tartarus didn't seem to sense their discomfort, ignoring them as he sat. If he wasn't so horrifying, the sight of the massive man on the tiny stool might've been quite comical.

"Sit." He said, pointing towards the stools opposite him.

It wasn't a choice. For the first time, Percy experienced the full extent of what his blood controlling abilities had done to his targets. His body moved on its own accord, immune to his own machinations as he struggled against it. Tartarus was controlling their motions at a whim, forcing them to be seated. It was clear that his power, especially deep in the bowels of, well, himself, was absolute.

"Tea?" Percy said with a snicker. Sure, he could be wiped away by a thought at any moment, but he had totally called it.

"Is this not how mortals negotiate?" Tartarus questioned, his voice sounding hostile.

"No, you're right. Totally right." Zoë rushed out. The powerful being nodded slowly in approval, like he had known he was right anyways.

"I have granted you this audience out of respect for your bravery in seeking me out," Tartarus began, "But you should know, I am not keen to grant you any favors. The fact that I have manifested a physical being just to speak with you is favor enough."

They weren't quite sure what to say to that. Still, this audience was going better than expected. They'd figured they were going to be incinerated on the spot when the primordial saw them. The fact that they were getting a chance to win him over was more than they had ever hoped for.

"We understand that." Zoë said, choosing her words carefully, "And we're beyond grateful. But we need to return to Earth to-"

"To defeat my beloved Gaea. I know what you seek girl." Tartarus interrupted. Zoë winced at his words.

"Yeah, to do that." Percy retorted. He was gaining confidence now. He figured if he was going to be murdered by an all-powerful being, he wasn't going to do it cowering. "But to do that, I need my powers. So, I need you to remove these stupid power dampening things."

He raised his hands to emphasize his point. Zoë shot him a scolding look, eyes screaming one thing at him; "What the hell are you doing?" Meanwhile, it was impossible to gauge Tartarus' reaction to his outburst. His face was still a blank pool of swirling nothingness. He said nothing for a while, his face sucking the noise out of the room. Suddenly, without warning, his voice thundered throughout the throne room, shaking Percy and Zoë to their very souls.

"And you think I will aid you in defeating Gaea? In escaping me? What gives you the slightest inclination that there was the tiniest chance of me even considering your request?"

"If you weren't considering it, we'd be dead already." Percy countered pointedly.

Zoë's eyes widened. She knew sometimes it seemed like Percy had a death wish, but this was taking it to a whole new level. Luckily, the all-powerful deity didn't seem upset. In fact, he let out a booming laugh, sounding like a massive rockslide, clearly amused by Percy's disrespect.

"You have courage, mortal, I will give you that. Not even my own children, the giants, would dare to think of speaking to me that way. Your disrespect has no limits. Still, you are right. I am considering your request."

"Why?" Zoë asked incredulously before she could stop herself. She clamped a hand over her mouth, but it was too late. Now Percy was looking at her like she was the one with the death wish.

"Because," Tartarus explained, "As much as I adore my beloved Gaea, she is not who she once was. She does not care for the ramifications that her rising would truly have. Not even you mortals, the gods, or even the giants can truly fathom what her wakening will do if she is able to fully manifest a physical form."

"What… Ramifications?" Percy asked slowly, his curiosity piqued.

"Look around you," Tartarus said, sweeping his hand across the room. "Even now, the entirety of this room is begging to implode, to cave in on itself, to be utterly destroyed, all thanks to my presence. Only because I am willing them to hold together are the fabrics of reality not being torn asunder. As we speak, what you're experiencing is but a small fraction of my power. Now imagine it a thousand times over."

All around them, they could see he was right. The room itself seemed to be warping and contorting, as if space and time were just abstract constructs. The longer they lingered, the worse it had been getting. The truth in Tartarus' words was evident.

"So, you can see," he continued, "What the issue is with Gaea, or any primordial for that matter, rising is. If any primordial achieves a full physical form, all of reality would fold in on itself. It would unleash a wave of power that would destroy the physical realms of the universe. Even the other primordials would suffer. Only Chaos would remain. It is why even in the height of our power, we only ever created manifestations of ourselves as we slumbered. But now, as Gaea has aged, she's forgotten as much. She's grown blind to the one rule we primordials have. The one rule even I abide by."

"So… You'll help me remove these cuffs then?" Percy asked.

"That, mortal, depends entirely on you. You must prove yourself worthy of my assistance."

"And how would I do that?" Percy questioned hesitantly. He couldn't mask the fear in his voice at the primordial's proposition.

Tartarus said nothing. Instead, he reached across the table, pressing both of his massive hands to either side of Percy's head. In the background, Percy heard Zoë cry out, but it was muffled by his own screams. Pain more intense than any he had ever felt erupted in his skull, begging him to rip out his own mind. His eyes filled with hot tears of agony, and then everything faded to black.

?, ? ? ?

Percy groaned as he lay on the ground. His eyes fluttered open, slowly taking in his surroundings. He was in some random house. It looked ancient. Like a Greek home from when he was a young man. He wasn't sure where he was, but the ground was soft and cold beneath him. The air was fresh and tasted like spring. Looking at his wrists, he saw his power restraining cuffs were gone. That was odd. One thing was for certain now though. He wasn't in Tartarus.

"Zoë?" he called out hastily. There was no response. Where had Tartarus sent him?

Walking out the door of the hut, Percy found himself in the clearing that Chiron had trained him in. It had been so long; he hadn't even recognized the home he'd been raised in. He wasn't sure if it was due to his long life or the stress of Tartarus sending him here that was causing his lapse in memory.

"I need to get back." Percy murmured to the cool night air.

He looked up to the stars, standing next to his childhood home, two things he had missed immensely when he had been in Tartarus, but he didn't feel relief. He didn't feel like he was finally home. He felt alone. He was free and Zoë was trapped with the manifestation of the pit. He needed to get back. He just wasn't sure how.

Over the treetops, illuminated by the moonlight, massive billowing plumes of smoke worked their way skyward. He figured that was a good a lead as any, so he decided to investigate. It took him a while to press through the trees and intense vegetation, but finally he burst his way through the underbrush, coming face to face with the source of the fire.

His heart dropped in his chest. He recognized this place. It hadn't looked like this when he'd visited, but there was no doubt. This was Sparta, and it was in flames. He heard the clash and clang of swords coming from within the city walls, along with the screams of citizens. He summoned his armor, and burst through the city gate, blood rushing with adrenaline as his spartan spirit urged him to defend his city.

He wasn't sure why or how Tartarus had managed to send him back in time to the sack of Sparta, but he wasn't wasting time pondering it. All his life he'd yearned to serve Sparta's memory, but it was never enough. No matter what he did, Sparta was already gone. Dead. Now he had a chance to change that.

Percy ran through the city streets, boots pounding the ground as he searched for an Athenian to kill. It was like the city was a ghost town of burning buildings though. All around him the city burned and crackled, but no one was to be found. The sounds of battle were gone. In its stead, the faint sound of a baby's cry grew louder and louder.

He charged towards the noise, figuring it was the only indication of human life he had. As he drew nearer, the wails grew louder and louder. The decibels continued to rise, deafening him as the sound pounded against his eardrums. He was outside the house the baby was in now, but the sound was unbearable. He felt his ears begin to trickle blood. Still, he pushed on, slamming the door open. As the light wood crashed against the wall, the crying stopped altogether.

Inside the hut, there was a helmed warrior with his back turned to Percy, sword raised. At his feet there was a woman, bleeding profusely from a cut across her jugular. Lying in the pool of the woman's blood was a baby, playing happily in the blood like it was a toy. Like bloodshed invigorated the child.

"Prepare to die Athenian." Percy shouted at the mystery soldier, raising Anaklusmos.

The warrior made no motion to indicate he had heard Percy, instead continuing to stare at the child frolicking in the crimson liquid. Percy begun his downswing, aiming for the neck of the warrior. Faster than he could comprehend, the warrior whipped around, raising his own blade to catch Percy's.

Percy's eyes widened in shock. He didn't waste time being shocked though. He quickly began his assault, but his amazement only increased. He was entirely outmatched. The warrior dodged and danced through every attack, avoiding them with ease. It was like he knew what Percy was going to do.

Percy tried trick after trick. He strung together every deft and complicated maneuver in his repertoire, each one failing to grant him a single landed blow. He was growing frustrated. Never in his life had he felt so outclassed. It was like he was in slow motion for the masked man, who had yet to throw a single strike.

As Percy continued his assault, he began to wane. He was losing energy. He needed to do something miraculous if he was going to land a single hit on this uncanny opponent. He fought on autopilot as he wracked his brain for something he hadn't tried. Something that could work to his advantage.

Before he could think of anything, the warrior finally went on the offensive. Percy didn't even have time to register it before he was being sent flying through the air by a massive kick. He crashed through the wall of the house, tumbling end over end before finally landing flat on his face.

"Ouch." Percy muttered helplessly from his position on the ground.

Rising, Percy found that somehow their location had changed. They weren't in Sparta anymore. In fact, he was certain they were on the beach at Camp Half-Blood in the modern day. He'd somehow been kicked across the world and into the future. Standing in front of him, unmoving, was the same masked warrior, waiting for him to attack. He smiled to himself. The warrior had made a mistake taking him here. Beaches were his territory.

With a yell, the ocean swelled, careening towards the masked warrior. Percy charged with the wave, hoping to catch the warrior as he recovered from the blast, but he was stopped in his tracks. As the wave reached the man, it split around him, passing him by unharmed. Percy's eyes widened at the display.

Ignoring his failed wave attack, Percy launched his assault. He couldn't waste any time. He needed to win this fight, and fast. He was starting to tire, and the masked warrior seemed as fresh as ever.

As they fought, the same song and dance as before resumed. Percy attacked relentlessly, but nothing hit. He summoned various forms of water attacks, icicles, waves, water whips, you name it, he tried it. Each time, the attacks dissipated just before they reached his adversary. He was literally untouchable. Still, he couldn't just give up.

As the fight continued, Percy's strength was sapped from him faster and faster. After a few more minutes, he simply couldn't raise his blade anymore. He stood helplessly in front of the warrior, only avoiding unconsciousness by sheer will. He was at the man's mercy. That's when the beat down began.

The man didn't even use his sword. He unleashed a flurry of punches against Percy's armor, denting it with each strike. Each crushing blow shattered bone, sending Percy stumbling away. He teetered and wobbled as he stood, somehow still attempting to fight back. Finally, the warrior delivered a vicious backhand that sent Percy tumbling to the sand, landing on his back in a heap.

The warrior was on him in a second, whipping out a dagger from his boot as he closed in. He pressed the knife against the beaten Spartans chest, just a muscles twitch away from ending the immortal warrior. One push, one move, and the blade would pierce his heart.

Underneath the warrior, Percy knew he had no chance. He thought of his options. He could try to control the man's blood, as he had considered earlier in the fight, but that was probably impossible now. He was too weak. He had missed his opportunity. Death awaited him, but he wasn't one to die like a coward.

He delivered a viscious punch to the man's helmet from underneath him, more as a "Screw you" than an actual attempt at survival. The powerful blow sent the man's helmet careening, and the sight he was met with terrified him.

It was his face staring back at him, only it wasn't. It was the same high cheek bones and angular features. The same black hair and green eyes. The difference was, the man's face was contorted in a manic and sinister grin, like a serial killer about to get his next fix.

"What the hell?" Percy sputtered out.

The man snarled; his face peeled into a hideous grin. Then the knife thrust into Percy, puncturing his armor like it was paper. It struck his heart, pushing deep into the vital organ. Then… Nothing.

?, ? ? ?

White. All he could see was white. He had forgotten how much he liked the color white. There hadn't been much of it in Tartarus. He had missed it. Now though, all around him was white. There was nothing but white. No walls. No roof. No floor. Just white.

"You failed." He heard behind him. He would recognize that voice, garbled like a video in reverse, anywhere.

"Tartarus? I don't understand. How was I fighting me? Was I really where I was?"

He was truly confused, but the swirling black hole that was Tartarus' face told no secrets. The god stepped towards him menacingly, and Percy's body reacted on instinct. He drew his sword, aiming the tip towards the primordial's chest.

"You mean to fight me mortal?" he said amusedly.

"I'm not going to let you kill me just because I failed a non-existent test." Percy retorted.

The primordial god's shoulders slumped, like he had been expecting more. Instead, he stepped closer again, and things started to get familiar. The closer Tartarus got, the more powerful his presence became. Percy realized what was happening. He had lived it a thousand times after all. His nightmare from back on the Argo II was coming to life.

Tartarus' power was overwhelming. The primordial was obviously bringing more of his power into the fold. He was almost to Percy now, and the power was oppressing. He could see reality tearing around them. The world around him was literally being ripped apart as the primordial grew in strength. Percy had never felt so insignificant. So weak. So scared. This was true power that he was witnessing. The power to destroy reality itself, and it was all directed at him.

He had seen it happen a million times. He knew it was coming. Still, as Tartarus stepped close enough to touch him, he couldn't fight it. Fear gripped his heart like a vise, and his body gave in. He dropped his sword, the celestial bronze blade clinking against the nonexistent floor. He fell to his knees. This was where his dream always ended. Now he was in the unknown, forced to grovel as he waited for the unstoppable force to end his life.

His most primal instincts took over in the moment. His terror had reduced him to a basic animal, and now he had one choice. A choice ingrained in everything from the moment it was created. Fight or flight. There were no morals to his choice. Nothing mattered but survival. He had to choose.

He extended his senses, feeling the immortal ichor running through the primordial's veins. He tugged on it, willing it to expand. It resisted, harder than even Kronos' ichor had, but he couldn't give up. He forced the golden liquid to obey him, pushing it outward.

He heard the primordial let out a wail of pain, and he gave one to match. His chest exploded in pain as he used his power to an extreme he had never experienced. He felt the strain of the process eating away at his own life force, but there was no other way. He pushed onwards. Finally, the primordial's ichor obeyed his will fully.

With a roar, Tartarus exploded into nothingness, his form disappearing into oblivion. He was simply gone, leaving Percy all alone. All alone with nothing but white. No. Black. Nothing but black. Somewhere during his controlling of the ichor, his world had shifted to black. He already missed the white.

"Congratulations. You've succeeded." Tartarus' voice boomed from all around him.

Percy whirled around frantically, searching for the primordial, but he was nowhere to be seen. He halted his thrashing investigation, instead deciding to humor the voice. He wasn't sure if it was real or not, but he wasn't sure if anything was real at this point.

"I don't get it." He admitted. He felt silly talking to open nothingness.

"Is it not clear?" the Primordial questioned from nowhere. "Did you not feel how truly dangerous a primordial's power is? How unstoppable?"

"Oh, I most certainly felt it." Percy stated, thinking about the fear he had felt moments before.

"And you realize now, there is only one way to stop one of us?"

"Ichor control." Percy said with a frown.

"Yes. You have been gifted with that ability for a reason, by who I have no clue. Perhaps it was Chaos itself, perhaps not. Maybe you've simply pushed the boundaries of Poseidon's abilities beyond what was thought possible. Not even I am sure. All I am sure of is that your ability is unique and vital. With it, you have the power to put a primordial to sleep. Permanently."

"How does that even make sense? You're perfectly fine now and I just did it to you?"

"Not quite. You're trapped in a dreamscape of my own creation in order to test you. That is why I am unaffected. In the real world, it would be as I say. Think about Ouranos. Kronos carved his physical being into thousands of pieces, and chances are he will never rise again. Imagine what would happen to Gaea if you were to completely disassemble her very ichor. She would never dream of stirring." Tartarus explained.

"So, you were testing my ability to control ichor then?" Percy seemed miffed. Control had never been the issue with his powers.

"Not your control. I was testing your willingness to use your ability. All your life you've avoided it. Shunned it. Feared it. When you were fighting the projection of yourself that I created, you refused to use your blood control. Because of your hesitation, you quite literally killed yourself. Not until you faced me did you dare dip into that part of your power. When you face Gaea, you cannot make that mistake."

Percy wanted to argue, but he really couldn't. His power had always been something he feared and avoided, but he realized he couldn't do that anymore. Leave it to Tartarus, literally evil incarnate, to show him the truth. It was wrong, his ability, but it was necessary. The fate of reality itself depended on him putting aside his morals. No matter how he felt, he had a duty to save existence; Spartans lived for duty.

"I… I understand, Tartarus… But I have one other question for you."

"It being?"

"What happens if I fail. If Gaea is too much for me to control?"

"That's the crux of why I'm helping an insignificant mortal like you, actually. If you fail, then the fabric of reality is at stake. And if that happens, Chaos will intervene. Chaos doesn't often make an appearance, but if reality is at stake, it will. Chaos will wipe Gaea, Earth, and all its inhabitants, even the primordials, from existence to protect its creations across the universe. That is why I want you to succeed. Gaea may slumber forever, but your success is a much better outcome for her and myself than if you fail. So… Don't fail mortal, or the last thing you'll feel before Chaos wipes out my existence is me vengefully devouring your soul."

"You know, of all the pep talks ever given, that was certainly one of them." Percy muttered indignantly.

This time, there was no response from the space around him. Tartarus' presence seemed to have left the vicinity. Tartarus wasn't the friendliest guy in the world, but Percy had to admit he was being rather helpful. He wasn't sure who he could thank for that. Chaos maybe? Before he could finish pondering his existential question, for what seemed like the umpteenth time, his vision faded away, leaving him trapped in the veil of unconsciousness.

Elevator of Tartarus, July 2010 CE

Percy woke up to his head on something soft and comforting. He felt a hand softly stroking his hair, and his eyes jolted open. He was met with the sight of a midnight black orbs peering down at him, the black hair that surrounded them cascading down to tickle his cheeks.

Before he could move, Zoë was leaning forward, pressing a kiss to his lips. They both poured relief into it, glad to be reunited again. Percy wasn't sure how long it had been for her, but his trip through Tartarus' dreamland had felt like an eternity and a half.

"Where are we?" Percy asked. His voice was hoarse when he spoke.

"The doors of death. Kind of." she paused before elaborating. "They're actually elevator doors. We're about halfway up now, according to Tartarus."

"And closing them?"

"He said he'd take care of it." Zoë said. He nodded, head still resting in her lap.

"How long was I…" he started, trailing off.

"I'm not sure. Hours. Days, maybe. You know how time is he-. Down there. All I could do was watch you two interlocked and hope you'd pull through." She admitted.

Her voice was wet. He could see tears trailing unashamedly down her face, falling unbidden to his face. He couldn't blame her. Seeing Zoë in the same position as she described would have been torture to him. He could imagine how nerve-wracking it was for her.

"And I did, didn't I?" he said gently with a small smile.

"Yea… You did. You always do…" she whispered back, a smile tugging at her lips too.

"Zoë…" he began. He wanted to tell her about the experience, but he wasn't sure how. He was still struggling with it himself.

"What did he do to you?" she whispered. She must've seen the struggle in his eyes.

He opened his mouth to speak, but he didn't have time to answer. Instead, he was cutoff by a noise from above. The elevator was dinging. They had reached the top. It was time to go home.

AN:

Oh wow, what a doozy that was! I think that might be my favorite chapter. I just really love it for some reason. Anyways, here's the skinny on what you read. First, with Percy and Zoë, I wanted to expand on them. I wanted to show that they're able to joke and converse even in the face of danger. To be able to get through anything with confidence as long as they're together. The whole idea being that together they have everything they need, and that gives them a confidence they wouldn't have alone (Even though they're both brave and badass when they're solo) Now, Tartarus. Oh boy did I love writing everything with him. I wanted to pain him as the most fearsome and powerful thing Percy has ever encountered by far, and I hope I achieved that. It makes Gaea more intimidating, because she's on the same level Tartarus is. Also, I hope my reasoning for Tartarus helping them made sense. Basically, if you didn't get it, Tartarus loves Gaea, but if she wakes reality is fucked, so Chaos will just wipe her from existence entirely. If Percy messes her shit up, she'll just be asleep forever, which isn't that big a deal for primordials anyways. With the visions, well, I wanted to show how Percy is at war with himself over his powers even still. Tartarus showed him in the dreamscape that there is no time for morals when you're fighting a primordial. Percy needed that lesson. He was hesitant to use his strongest ability even when fighting Kronos. He can't make that mistake with Gaea. Anyways, that's all for this time. I really hope you enjoyed because I LOVED this chapter. Be sure to review and let me know what you think, as well as leave any ideas/tips for next chapter. Until then,

Peace