Hey there!

I know it's been a while since I uploaded a chapter here. Sorry about that.

I have no excuse for not uploading for a while, except I sorta lost interest in the story for a while.

I won't be uploading every day, and not very often, but I do have plans of finishing this story.

And a special shoutout to Bean89, ShadefireDragon, Matt, and another user who's name I don't know (you know who you are!) for putting up with this story! I love you guys!

So, without more of my sorry excuses, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Line Break

Percy was still pacing across the floor of Bunker 9.

"You may wanna stop," Pidge told him. "That's not going to get them out of the Pit."

Percy stopped pacing, but Annabeth was still going.

"Repeat what happened again," she demanded, and Hazel sighed.

"I already told you-Leo rallied up the kids and managed to distract Teresa. While she was being pushed further away from her house, she opened up to floor of her house and Keith, Shiro, Lance, Piper, and Leo fell into Tartarus."

Annabeth stopped pacing and turned to Hazel.

"And that was 4 months ago... we don't know if-"

"No, they're alive," Nico interrupted her. "I can feel it-somehow, from all the way up here, I can still feel them. Also, I haven't seen them anywhere in the Underworld, Elysium or no."

"We just have to trust that they'll find a way back up," Krolia said. "In the meantime, how are defenses?"

"Wearing thin," Percy informed her. "I don't know where those hellhounds came from, or why they showed up as soon as they fell, but we need to get rid of them soon. Thalia's tree can only keep them out for so long."

"Is there anyone we can talk to in order to get them out?" Hunk asked. Hazel faced him with sad eyes.

"Well, I suppose I could talk to Hecate, but I passed out the last time I spoke to her."

"I could try talking to Thanatos," Nico offered. "He might be able to move the doors for them."

"I thought it doesn't work that way?" Percy asked him. Nico shook his head.

"It doesn't."

"Well, we have to come up with something," Annabeth decided. "Nico, talk to Thanatos. He could probably find a way to get a message to them."

"But by the time Thanatos found them, the doors will have moved from wherever they are!" Percy exclaimed.

"At least they'll know that we're trying," Annabeth reminded him. Percy sat down in thought.

"I wish there was a way we could communicate with them immediately," Pidge said. Green nudged her back, giving her an idea.

"The lions!" She exclaimed. Hunk, Krolia, and Allura smiled wide, while the rest of the seven demigods just looked confused.

"What about them?" Jason asked.

"We can send one of the lions down to Tartarus to help them get out!" Pidge exclaimed, but Nico shook his head.

"It's a long fall, and besides, you need the doors to get out," he said. Pidge deflated slightly, but she perked up again immediately.

"The lions can also send thoughts and feelings to their paladins. It's hard to explain, and it's kind of weird, but it can happen!"

"They could send this whole conversation to them!" Hunk caught on. Percy and Annabeth smiled for the first time in months. Nico and Hazel shared a look. This was the best thing they had come up with for helping them out… Frank and Hazel cheered, while the remaining paladins prepared the lions.

They all could only hope that this would work.

Piper looked around a moment longer before dropping to the hot, glass-like substance that was the floor. She sighed and watched the others. Keith, Shiro, and Lance had sat down a while ago, surprisingly. For being trained in the army, they didn't stay vigilant for very long.

Though it was also to be expected. They didn't exactly have the same luck that demigods had-that is, to say, no luck.

It also didn't didn't help that Shiro had gotten a bit of a headache once Piper sat down. Everyone turned to him.

"You alright, Shiro?" Leo asked. Shiro nodded, but he was gripping his head.

"I'm getting a message from Black. Apparently, we've been down here for four months," he said. Piper and Leo simultaneously sighed.

"I would have expected a different reaction," Keith said, but Piper smirked dryly at him.

"Considering the fact that we're demigods, I'm surprised we haven't been down here longer."

That sat there a little longer, staring at the Doors of Death. Finally, Leo relented. With a shrug, he said, "Let's just go through… this may be our only chance for escape."

Piper stood up nervously, helping Shiro up as well. Lance and Keith walked over to Leo, making sure he was all good.

Piper was still curious about the relationship between the three of them, but she knew better than to think about it. It was almost the same thing as thinking about family from your godly parent's side. Some things should never be thought of.

The five of them stood in front of the Doors, all hesitant and a little scared to go through.

"We have to go through now, at the same time," Leo said. "Who knows how much longer they'll be here."

They held hands. Leo turned to Piper with a nervous smile on his face.

"See you on the other side."

And they all stepped through.