AN: Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed the last chapter. I will be updating as regularly as possible, and I will also try to get out my PJ/Arrow crossover as quickly as possible. However, I also do have personal things I am struggling with, and am very busy, so I can't always write. I hope you guys understand. However, I will do my best to bring out chapters as soon as possible. Anyways, please enjoy!
Recap:
Perseus walked them past the Garden of Persephone, where he had to bat Grover's hand away from touching a pomegranate, and to the steps of the palace. Each doorway was guarded by a heavily armed skeleton, whether it be in Greek or US gear.
As they reached the door, they stopped in their tracks. "I guess we should knock?" Max said nervously. Suddenly, the door opened and Perseus walked in, followed by the trio.
Maximus recognized the room, seeing as it was from his dream, but Hades was in his throne instead. He looked scary. He was ten feet tall with pale white skin as if he hadn't seen the sun ever. He wore black robes like Charon, but wore a golden crown.
"You are brave to come here, son of Poseidon," Hades said in an oily voice. "After what you have done to me, very brave indeed. Or perhaps foolish."
Perseus stepped forward in front of the three demigods, and immediately Hades' facial expression changed. "Hello Lord Hades."
Present:
Hades' face was steady, yet his eyes widened. Perseus smirked, knowing the god wasn't expecting him to be here. Hades used his godly power to create a bubble of darkness within the two and the god walked up to Perseus and gave him a smile. "How are you Perseus?" Hades asked.
"I'm good, I was just looking after my brother on his quest to find Zeus' sparkler," Perseus said, causing Hades to chuckle.
"Sparkler, huh? I might need to start calling it that instead of Master Bolt," Hades said. A few moments later, Hades looked at Perseus in the eyes. "Did you just say brother?" Hades asked.
"Yes, uncle," Perseus said. "I did. Poseidon is my father." Hades took a step back, visibly shocked.
"But, I thought..." Hades started.
"Yes, Thetis adopted me, but Poseidon is my father. He couldn't save my mother, due to the Ancient Laws, who was killed by Ares. I don't blame him, but I am sad I never got to know him. Honestly, if I met him again, he would probably be more of an uncle than a father, but I would like to create a relationship with him," Perseus said somberly.
Hades pondered what Perseus had just said. "How many people know about you?" He asked.
Perseus smirked. "Not too many. You, obviously, my mother and brother, Zoë Nightshade, Maximus, and his mother Sally," Perseus said, giving the lord of the dead a pointed stare. "I know you have her, why?"
Hades looked at Perseus apologetically. "Well, my Helm has also been stolen, so I thought it was Poseidon," Hades said.
Perseus shook his head. "Well, at least I know the greater force responsible, but not the pawn," Perseus said.
Hades' eyes widened. "No, it's not him, is it?" he asked.
Perseus looked at him grimly. "Yes, it's the Crooked One. Maximus said he saw him in a dream in the pit. A demigod must used the shoes given to my brother to lead him into the pit," he said angrily. "It must be that son of Hermes, Luke. He gave him the shoes. Either he is working for him or incredibly stupid and didn't know what the shoes did, and I'm guessing it's the former."
Hades shook his head. "Well, we know he stole the bolt and the helm, but where is my helm? The bolt is here," he said. "It's in your brother's backpack. Are you sure he didn't steal it?"
Perseus' eyes widened. "Skatá! It was Ares! Luke was found by Ares, who gave my brother the bag, which probably had some spell on it to when he reached the underworld, the bolt would appear."
Hades thought about it. "Yes, that seems right. Anyways, I must talk to your brother now. I'm sorry for stealing his mother, but it had to be done."
Perseus nodded. "Yes. While I don't like it, I agree. Anyways, you must be lenient with him. He is prone to speaking up and angering immortals, something you are familiar with considering I am here, and you must give him back his mother after he retrieves your helm. He only has three pearls, so they will go get the Helm from Ares and his mother will be at home afterwards. Agreed?" he asked the lord of the dead.
"Agreed," Hades said shaking his hand. Hades then released the magic, allowing the trio to see Perseus and Hades facing each other with emotionless expressions.
While the conversation was going on, Maximus turned to his friends. "What do you think is going on?" he asked.
Annabeth looked at him questioningly. "Perseus said him and Hades were old friends, maybe they are catching up," she suggested.
Max took in the possibility before just waiting for his brother and uncle to finish their conversation, and saw them facing each other.
Hades looked at his nephew. "Why are you here, nephew?"
Maximus bowed. "Lord and Uncle, I have only two requests."
Hades chuckled. "Only two? How arrogant, maybe I should smite you where you stand," he stand, drawing a sharp look from Perseus. The trio wondered what that was all about. Hades gestured for Max to continue.
"War between the gods would be, catastrophic," Max started, causing Perseus to snort. "So, can you return the master bolt to Olympus?"
Hades' smirk disappeared, and an expression of rage covered his face. Before he could blow up on the demigod, Perseus came over and whispered in his ear. "Remember what we agreed on. My brother is ignorant about your Helm," he said, causing the lord of the dead to calm down slightly. After talking to Hades, Perseus gave his brother a stare. He had told them at the beginning that Hades hadn't stolen the bolt, yet he still said that he did.
"Boy, I do not have the Master Bolt," he said in a deathly calm voice. "However, you do."
Annabeth and Grover looked at Max with a shocked expression. "Max..." Annabeth started.
"I didn't steal it!" Max exclaimed.
"No, you didn't," Hades said. "However, I would check that backpack of yours."
Maximus, with trembling fingers, took off his backpack and placed it by his feet. He slowly opened the zipper to find the most powerful godly weapon in existence. "The Master Bolt," he whispered. He turned to his friends. "I didn't steal it, this isn't even my bag!"
Annabeth's head shot up. "It was Ares! He stole the bolt!" she exclaimed.
Hades chuckled. "At least one of them has common sense," he said. "However, there is a problem."
Maximus looked up at the lord of the dead. "What is it, Lord Hades?"
"My Helm is missing," he said reluctantly, causing the trio's jaws to drop. "And because I thought you stole it, I...I took your mother," he finished.
Max's jaw dropped and his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "However, if you go retrieve my Helm from Ares, I will give you back your mother right away," Hades said. Hades brought out a golden fire from his palm, and in it stood Sally Jackson. "Now, go, use your pearls and you will get your mother back soon," he ordered, before flashing away.
Maximus stood there in shock. Annabeth and Grover came over to him and gave him a comforting hug. "I'm sorry Max," Annabeth said. "But we will get your mother back. All we have to do is beat up some war god."
Maximus chuckled before looking at his brother, who gave him a thumbs up. "Don't worry guys, I'll meet you at the beach. You'll know when I get there," he said, before disappearing into mist.
Maximus looked at his friends before giving them each a pearl and they slammed them to the ground. Suddenly, pearl bubbles wrapped around the trio and they were whisked away from the Underworld back to the land of the living. They exploded into the Santa Monica bay, and Max dragged his friends to a life buoy.
The coast guard eventually picked them up, but didn't bother to ask why we were in the middle of the ocean and just left us on the beach, which Maximus wasn't to mad about. He had a date with a war god.
LINE BREAK
Maximus, Annabeth, and Grover trudged slowly through the beach. Finally, Max spoke up. "The prophecy was right. 'You shall go west and face the god who has turned'," he said somberly. "But it wasn't Hades, it was someone else. Someone who wanted a three way war that I would have caused. God damn Ares."
As he said the word 'Ares', the trio turned to see a biker with a leather jacket and a baseball bat propped on his shoulder, and he was leaning against a red and black Harley with dark red sunglasses.
As they reached him, Ares smiled. "Hey kid, you are supposed to be dead," he said. "However, I'm pleased you aren't."
"You tricked me," Max said. "You stole the Helm and the Bolt."
Ares grinned. "Nope. Gods and other weapons of power is a big no-no. However, you aren't the only hero that can run errands."
"Who did you use? Clarisse? She was at the solstice meeting."
Ares smirked. "It doesn't matter. The only problem is that you are alive, so you are impeding the war effort. Hades was supposed to kill you, and then Old Seaweed would be mad at Corpse Breath, who would have the Bolt, so Zeus will be mad at him. However, Hades is also still looking for this."
With that, Ares pulled a ski cap, which immediately turned into an elaborate bronze helmet.
"The Helm of Darkness," Grover gasped.
"Exactly," Ares said. "Now, where was I? Oh right, Hades and Zeus and Poseidon will all be mad at each other, and war would break out between them."
"But they're family!" Annabeth protested.
"Exactly," Ares said. "That's the best kind of war."
"You gave me the bolt in Denver, in the backpack," Max said.
"Yes and no," Ares said. "This might be too complicated for your stupid brain to follow, but the backpack is like the bolt's sheath. The bolt is connected to it, just like the sword you have. It always returns to your pocket, right?" Maximus wasn't sure how he knew that, but he was the god of war for a reason. "Anyways, I tinkered with the magic so you only get the bolt when you reach the Underworld. If you died, no biggie, I'd just keep the weapon." Ares finished with a smirk on his face.
"But why didn't you keep it? Why send it to Hades?" Annabeth asked.
Ares' jaw twitched. "Why didn't I...yeah...with that fire-power," he said to himself.
Max and Annabeth exchanged nervous looks.
"I didn't want to be caught with it," Ares said finally.
"You are lying," Maximus said confidently. "Sending the bolt to the Underworld wasn't your idea, was it?'
"Of course it was!" Ares said, smoke coming from where his eyes would be.
"You didn't order the theft," Max said. "Someone else stole the items, but when Zeus asked you to track it down, you found the thief. However, someone told you to let them go. You kept the items so other hero could finish the delivery. That thing in the pit is ordering you around."
"I am the god of war!" Ares exclaimed. "No one orders me around! I don't dream!"
Max smirked. "Who said anything about dreams?"
Ares hesitated, before returning a smirk. "Let's get back to the problem, kid. You, being alive. I can't allow you and your idiot friends to return to Olympus, so I've got to kill you. Nothing personal." The god snapped his fingers and a wild boar was released from the sand. The beast pawed at the sand, itching at the opportunity to kill the trio.
Suddenly, a figure in a dark cloak and mask appeared and stabbed the boar in the side. "Ahh, that felt good," the cloaked figure said, before standing next to the trio.
"Who are you?" Ares asked.
"No one, I'm just here to help some friends of mine," the cloaked figure responded. "Come on Ares, fight Maximus and I. You are a god, we are demigods. What do you have to lose?"
Ares chuckled. "Do you really want to fight me? The god of war? You aren't on my level."
Suddenly, Ares had a leaf shaped blade to his throat. "As a matter of fact, I think I might give you a run for your money," the cloaked man said. Removing his sword from the war god's throat, he went back to the questers. "Now, fight me and Max, and if we win, you give us the Helm. If we lose, you can kill us. Deal?"
Ares covered up his shock with a smirk. "Get ready to die, demigod scum," he said, morphing his baseball bat into a large two handed broadsword with a hilt of rubies. Maximus pulled out Anaklusmos, while the cloaked man pulled out his leaf shaped blade. Suddenly, Annabeth gasped. She knew what sword it was, and knew it was Perseus.
"Ready, brother," the cloaked man, Perseus, said in his brother's ear. Maximus' eyes widened before he nodded. Ares looked at the two demigods. The younger one's stance was flawed, but that isn't surprising considering he is twelve and barely trained, while the other had a perfect stance which seemed to have no flaws. However, it was the blade that shocked the god of war. He hadn't seen that blade since the Trojan War, and was almost afraid.
"What is it Ares, seen something new?" The cloaked man taunted.
Ares growled and charged forward with his broadsword at Maximus, who dodged towards the water. The strike was met with a bronze leaf shaped blade from the cloaked man. Ares, realizing he didn't have the numbers advantage, summoned two blades and started to double wield. However, the cloaked man kept up with Ares with each stroke, even leaving a few cuts on the god of war, leaving golden ichor in the beach.
Maximus and Perseus fought side by side as the god of war came towards them, trying to get inside their guards over and over, but Perseus didn't let that happen. When he saw Max about to get hit, he used his water powers to stop the sword of the god of war. Eventually, Maximus was disarmed by the god of war, and the blade fell towards Perseus' feet, who picked up the similar blade and familiarizing himself with himself of the weight of the sword again.
"Are you ready to lose to a puny mortal?" Perseus said to Ares, who snarled in return and charged at Perseus.
Annabeth and Grover watched as the cloaked man, Perseus defended each of Ares' heavy strikes with ease, waiting for an opening. Ares' two swords disappeared and he brought his hands down, a massive broadsword in it. Perseus brought his blades up in an X behind his head, blocking the strike, causing Ares' eyes to widen. Perseus shoved the swords up, knocking Ares back.
"Maximus!" Perseus called, throwing Anaklusmos to his brother and bought his sword to his throat, while Maximus stood behind him, pointing the sword at the back of the throat.
"Yield," Perseus said, pointing the sword into the throat of the war god. Ares looked up, and started laughing.
"I have not been bested in a while, young godling. Tell me, who are you?" he asked.
The cloaked man smirked underneath his mask. "I am not young, that is for sure," he said. "Now, give me the Helm of Darkness."
Ares reluctantly snapped his fingers, causing the helm of darkness to float over to the cloaked man, who caught it.
"You have made an enemy of me, godling," Ares snarled. "You will rue this day!" Suddenly, Ares' body began to glow, unleashing his true immortal form. Perseus ran over to his brother and covered his eyes as Ares flashed away.
Perseus took off his mask and cloak, revealing himself to Annabeth and Grover, who already knew it was him, and pulled out the Helm of Darkness. He looked over to see the Furies, and threw the helm to them. "Give Lord Hades my regards," Perseus said as the Furies flew away.
Perseus walked over to Maximus and hugged him. "That was amazing, brother," he whispered in his ear, and Max broke away grinning.
"Nice job Perseus," Annabeth said.
Perseus shrugged. "It wasn't only me, Maximus helped too. He helped subdue him and helped me understand Ares' style," he said, giving his brother a lopsided grin.
Maximus took the backpack back from Grover and was relieved to find the Master Bolt inside it.
"We have to get to New York, tonight," he said.
"But that's impossible," Annabeth chimed in. "We'd have to..."
"Fly, yes," Max said. "But Zeus wouldn't dare strike us down when we carry his most powerful weapon, would he?"
"Who knows, Zeus is a paranoid bastard," Perseus said, causing thunder to rumble over head. In response, he stuck up his middle finger to the sky, and spun around 360 degrees. "However, we don't have to fly."
AN: Hey guys. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know I've uploaded two days in a row, but don't get used to it, I'm sorry. I try to upload as much as possible, but I want to try and upload for my crossover. I think I might take a break from uploading for a few days to get my crossover up and running, who knows. Anyways, please let me know what you guys think. Also, please check out my Percy Jackson/Arrow crossover, it's called Who are you, Percy Jackson or Oliver Queen? Thanks so much, and please review!