Yes, it's a little earlier than usual. Covid's messing with my schedule.

Okay, this week's shoutout is to the author herecomesthepun, for multiple stories on their account. The chapters are ridiculously long, yes, but the story quality is too good to ignore.

Also, as you can notice, I've changed all the chapters to Roman numbering.

Well, this is bound to be a... difficult chapter (sigh).

Note: I do NOT own PJO or HOO. Otherwise, I wouldn't be uploading this here.

Chapter XLIII

The darkness pressed in around him, the searing heat of Tartarus emanating from the depths of the pit. Percy winced at the sharp gusts of wind that occasionally buffeted him as he continued his way down, but he pushed his discomfort aside, instead focusing on the long way he still had to go.

No matter how far he looked down, he couldn't catch a single glimpse of Tanya. She had disappeared completely, which was to be expected after all. There had been almost five minutes of separation between her falling and him following her down. Add to that the fact that Tartarus would have probably pulled her down even quicker so that he would be forced to journey to the bottom, and he saw no feasible way of managing to somehow escape the mess he was in.

He shook his head slightly, ignoring the sharp whistle of wind in his ears. He had to focus on finding her, no matter what. And he knew this wasn't only about saving her. The majority of his demons could be traced back to one single individual, and he was sitting in the centre of the pit. He knew that to truly break free of the final shackles that bound him to the past, he would have to be there to see the downfall of Tartarus.

I hope this Demon King actually arrives and isn't someone who'll simply wait for me to weaken the Lord of the Pit until he can step in, because in that case, I might be screwed.

He knew he had been impulsive when he'd decided to take the knife with him, but he didn't regret the decision. He was taking a far bigger gamble by jumping into the pit. Here, he would be in the heart of Tartarus' domain, where the primordial would have no compulsions to not harm him even if he did nothing more than stay out of the way.

He still didn't believe that it had been Tartarus that opened the pit on the surface personally, no matter what he said about finding a loophole in the Laws. He assumed that it would be more likely for him to have used someone as a medium, telling them exactly what he had to do and giving said person a temporary boost in power. That would classify as not doing it himself, and he would face no penalties. Anything he said about doing it himself would serve as an effective weapon to unsettle them. He also couldn't ignore the fact that whoever Tartarus had used as a medium had almost certainly been torn apart due to the influx of power, meaning that the lord of the pit wasn't concerned about conserving his numbers. He had an endgame in mind, Percy was sure of it.

He knew his mind was wandering, but he made no attempts to stop it, for once. He had to keep himself occupied, since it was obvious that he would keep falling for an awfully long time. He wasn't going to guess how long it would take for him to land, but if he had to guess, he would say that the lord of the pit would probably expedite the process, yet still ensure that it took a long time. He knew just how much the fall could play on someone's mind. Besides, even if his fall wasn't getting sped up, he knew for certain that Tartarus was watching him, waiting for him to arrive in the heart of the primordial's domain.

As he fell even deeper into the chasm, he looked back on his impulsive decision to tell Artemis how he felt, but he found that he didn't regret it at all. If he did manage to live through this experience, he would probably be in hot water with her, but he would accept it without question. The only thing that mattered to him was that he had finally gotten it off his chest. How she responded was completely up to her, but he was finally at peace.

The fall continued, the wind rushing across his armour. He tapped the centre of the chest plate, causing it to shrink back into the pendant once more. Even though it was far lighter than average, it would probably tire him out if he had to lug it around throughout Tartarus. It would be better to have his normal attire on when he finally landed. After all, the pit was never kind to outsiders.

The Olympians were in complete disarray following Percy's sudden jump into Tartarus. Even him kissing Artemis merited nothing more than a passing mention in the face of the fact that they had lost one of their best fighters in what many considered to be a futile attempt to rescue a single solitary demigod.

All such talks were halted when they noticed that the couple thousand monsters had regrouped, charging right towards them. The other demigods felt a flicker of fear arise within them, knowing that they weren't prepared to face them by any means. It was going to be a massacre before the Olympians managed to rally together and take them out.

They readied themselves in their scattered positions, prepared to fight for their lives, when they saw another massive wave of water bearing down on one half of the monster army, a virtual tornado of flames descending on the other half. A furious wave of power washed over them, causing their eyes to instantly drift over to the dual sources.

Poseidon stood to the right, his trident clasped in a death grip as his eyes darkened to a shade that was almost pitch-black, the anger rolling off him in waves. He was pointing his symbol of power forward, aiming it towards the centre of the portion of the monsters he was handling. They watched in morbid fascination as the beasts desperately tried to scramble out of the way of the massive wall of water, yet to no avail.

All of them were instantly submerged, being thrown about within the swirling mass of water without any respite. They could see that Poseidon was not going to be satisfied in simply killing them quickly. He was taking out all the pain, anger, and frustration at losing his son to the depths of the deepest and darkest part of the Greek world out on the monsters who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. They never stood a chance as the God of the Seas continued to rend them apart with his iron will, never letting up in the slightest.

However, what concerned them even more was Hestia's expression. They had always known her to be the kindest goddess on Olympus, never doing anything to hurt another being. They had never seen an expression any worse than a light frown on her face and were completely taken aback by the unadulterated fury that was present on her features. Like Poseidon, it seemed like she was using the monsters as a scapegoat to vent everything she felt at being unable to help her son.

The swirling cone of fire pulled the monsters towards itself, despite their best attempts to scramble away. Within moments, they were pulled up within its unforgiving clutches, agonized screams escaping them as they were seated by the heat, unable to escape the fiery grip. Just like their companions in the grip of Poseidon's attack, they didn't stand a chance.

What astounded them was the sheer power rolling off the two of them. Granted, they had just been exposed to the absolutely crushing aura that belonged to Tartarus himself, but even so they could tell that the two Olympians' rage had bloated their already powerful aura to ridiculous levels. There was no separation between the two of them when it came to the power they emitted, and even the demigods could tell that in the state they were currently in, even Zeus would be unable to subdue them if it came down to it.

The carnage continued for some time more, before finally drawing away, the two Olympians' powers dropping a little closer to their normal levels, although still elevated due to the simmering rage. The demigods stared in shock as they saw the suddenly barren field before them, a testament to just how destructive the two Olympians could be when they were truly enraged. No monster remained, every single one of them having been wiped out.

Poseidon stared at the crack in the ground balefully, his eyes still darker than night. "Move aside. I'm going after my son."

Hades looked concerned, grabbing his brother's arm. "Poseidon, don't do anything rash. You would jump into Tartarus to—"

"Yes, I would, brother," the sea god interrupted. "I will not allow my son to be condemned to the tortures of the pit alone! Now move out of my way, I'm going."

"And I'll join you," Hestia said, her eyes burning furiously. Unlike before, they couldn't see any warmth in them, instead feeling the pain and anger at seeing her only child jumping to his doom with her being unable to do anything to stop it.

Poseidon didn't say anything, simply nodding in agreement, before moving forwards, intent on entering the fissure. However, before he could even make it a couple steps, the ground rumbled once more. In an instant, the chasm began to rapidly seal itself.

His eyes widened is shock as he tried to rush forward, but he was too late. By the time he reached the former location of the entrance to the pit, all that was left was a scarred patch of ground, the only indication that it had ever been there in the first place.

They felt his rage spike again, along with Hestia's. He smashed his fist against the floor, sending a massive shockwave throughout the area. Everyone else present stumbled at the sheer intensity of the quake, but it had virtually no effect on the ground.

A roar of sheer anger and despair tore from his throat as he stabbed his trident into the ground, trying to open it up once more, but remaining unsuccessful. He would have probably kept going if it hadn't been for Hestia.

She had somehow calmed down before laying her hand on his shoulder, sending a soothing wave of energy into him. Poseidon slowed down in his furious attack, before finally giving up his head dropping as he realized that he couldn't do anything. He turned back to the troops assembled behind him, his eyes still burning.

"Find Hecate and Iris," he hissed, the winds whipping at his hair. "Tell them we need to open up a message to Tartarus."

He saw the faint red light at the bottom of the tunnel, a bit of surprise rearing within him. He hadn't expected it to come so quickly, even if Tartarus had influenced it. It looked like the primordial didn't want to waste any time at all, or maybe he just got tired of watching Percy fall.

Percy waited until he could properly see the ground before he did anything. Nearby, he could see the Phlegeton flowing rapidly, something that caused him to grin slightly. He could easily soften his landing, and at the same time, he could make sure that he would be able to survive the rancid air of Tartarus, all in one fell swoop.

He exerted his control over the river of fire, causing it to rise to meet him as he descended. The waved of flames wrapped around him as he finally broke out of the tunnel into open air, slowing him down quickly. As it lowered him to the ground, he took a long draught of the liquid, feeling only an iota of the pain he had experiencd the last time. Maybe immortals and gods were immune to most of the effects, or it could also be due to his intrinsic connection with fire. Either way, it was a relief to not experience the burning pain all over again.

He stood up, seeing the landscape to be nearly deserted, in stark contrast to what he remembered in similar regions from his last journey. It looked like Tartarus had exhausted all his forces in the previous raid, but he didn't find any comfort in it. After all, it was only a matter of time before the monsters reformed, while their troops didn't have any such advantage.

In the distance, he could feel a weighty presence, one that almost blared out the location of his final foe. Frankly, it was even more concerning to see that Tartarus was so blatantly inviting him into his abode instead of forcing him to search around for it. The confidence the primordial held easily bled over into arrogance, but he couldn't say that it wasn't justified. After all, he was barely a toddler in both age and power in comparison to the Lord of the Pit.

The harsh red glow of his surroundings reminded him of what he saw whenever he allowed his rage to overtake him, except for the few colours scattered throughout. The small part of him that was tied to his domain of monsters felt oddly comfortable in the depths of the pit, since it was probably where most of the beings he was a patron of were born. Still, he couldn't shake off the feeling of wrongness, like it was a place he had no business being in.

His eyes returned to the path before him, following it as he hugged the Phlegeton's course. He was going to stay alongside it for as long as he could in case he needed another drink of its fiery contents. He had no idea how long it would last for a god, and he wasn't about to take any unnecessary risks with his life.

His path was uninterrupted for a long stretch of time while he simply focused on putting one foot before the other, ignoring all distractions around him. The noises he heard were disconcerting as multiple sacs containing the bodies of reforming monsters formed around him. He still considered them as pustules on the surface of Tartarus, but now, he didn't have to worry about them since they were still within the confines of their membranous bags.

His eyes occasionally drifted around, trying to see if there was anything he could use. He knew it had been idiotic to jump into the pit without any sort of preparation, but his mind had been in far too much disarray for him to have been thinking straight. All he could think of at that moment was how he was failing yet another person who had trusted him, and that he wasn't going to allow them to die this time around.

His rings glinted in the dull red glow of Tartarus, his bracelets hidden beneath the sleeves of his hoodie. He took comfort in their presence, having always been served well by his weapons. However, he could also feel the weight of the dagger on his hip, the one that had been coated with the Essence of Styx.

It was probably lighter than any of his other Stygian Iron daggers, but he could still feel the evil that radiated off the small weapon. The poison that was present on the blade was one the Olympians abhorred, and it truly put into perspective just how immoral Tartarus was. Even in their worst phases, neither the Titans nor the Olympians had ever resorted to the cursed substance, yet the primordial had already used it against them thrice, and all of them were ones that had no chance of success. It was like the being was flaunting just how much he possessed, and that he wasn't afraid to use it.

He was still lost in his thoughts when he heard a soft growl from behind him. He turned around, only to see a fully grown sabre-toothed tiger slowly approaching him, its fangs bared in a threatening display. Percy responded in kind, Riptide springing into life in his right hand. He was about to launch forward when something made him stop in his tracks. It was like a half-forgotten memory, one that lingered at the edge of his mind, waiting to jump out at the opportune moment.

"Small Bob," he whispered, recognizing the animal as the one Iapetus, or as he later called himself, Bob, carried around while he had helped Annabeth and him to escape from Tartarus.

The monster growled, clearly not giving him the same courtesy. It looked like the best was ready to disembowel him as soon as recognize him as an old comrade. Percy was silently questioning why it was so, before finally noticing its eyes.

Unlike before, the entire eyeball was an inky black, with a thin strip of grey acting as a mocking imitation of an iris. He could tell that the tiger was under Tartarus' influence, a chess piece used to break his spirit further at having to kill one of the few beings that had supported him when he had been trapped in the pit the previous time around, desperately trying to find a way out. He had to admit that it was working quite well, since he could feel the regret well up within him at the realization that he would be forced to kill the creature before him.

The tiger lunged towards him, it's two curved fangs angling for his throat. He simply moved out of the way, raising the sword in preparation to end it, but hesitated for a split second. It was enough for the creature, at that point no more than a puppet, to turn around and lash out with its paws, catching him in the chest. Its four claws dragged across his front, tearing his clothes but not being able to break his skin. However, it still stung, finally forcing him into action.

He shoved the monster to the floor, causing it to yelp in surprise. Before it could react, he was already on top of it, this time not hesitating as he pressed his sword against the tiger's neck, channelling power into it to break Tartarus' influence. However, the hold was stronger than Percy had expected, so when Small Bob lashed out, he was forced to push his sword into the animal's body,

"I'm sorry," he whispered, and he saw the sabre-toothed monster's eyes slowly lose their inky black colouring, reverting to the colour he remembered, even after all the decades that had passed. He could see the pain within them as the beast slowly dissolved into dust, but also a hint of gratitude. He could tell that it had not been pleasant to be under Tartarus' control.

He stood up once more, his eyes once again locking onto the fortress that had finally become visible in the distance. He was going to try his best to take the bastard out, Demon King or not. He had gone too far, and now, Percy was pissed.

Poseidon watched helplessly as his son forged onwards, unable to contact him in any form. He turned around desperately to the two goddesses beside him. "Is there no way for him to be able to talk to us? Please, even if it's only for a minute, I'll take it."

Iris shook her head, a small amount of sweat shining against her brow. "We can only maintain a one way opening. The atmosphere and aura of Tartarus is almost alien in comparison to our world, and it's only due to Hecate's efforts that I can even maintain this. It's hard enough since there's no water source on his end. I can probably maintain this for another ten minutes before I have to give out."

The sea god shook his head, stepping beside the two goddesses who were focused on keeping the connection open. He slammed his trident into the ground, ensuring that the fine stream of water that was shooting out of the ground to create the required mist didn't stop.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," he said, before sending a surge of energy into them both. Hecate and Iris gasped in surprise, feeling the energy course through their bodies. They were back to full strength once more and could easily maintain it for another thirty minutes if need be.

Poseidon felt his power be temporarily drained by almost a third, but he considered it to be a worthy sacrifice. If it meant being able to see his son's progress, he would gladly do it again, even if he was unable to help Percy.

Artemis stood off to the side, absently watching the proceedings as she tried to make sense of her confusing emotions. She didn't know what to make of Percy's actions right before he jumped into the pit. A part of her was screaming to ignore it and treat him like any other male, but she adamantly ignored it, knowing that it was the same part of her that had caused the rift between the two of them during his first tenure as guardian of the hunters.

However, there was another part of her that had sparked up when his lips had met hers, even if it had been only for the briefest moment. That was the part that had confused her the most. What would have reacted in such a way to his actions and admission of his feelings. Surely it wasn't...

She froze, but before she could elaborate, she heard a slight gasp from those gathered before her. Her attention was once again diverted to the one-sided Iris message, her previous thoughts being shoved into the recesses of her mind. What she saw was enough to make even her gasp in shock.

He was standing before a massive, black fortress, its walls looking like they had been hewn from stone by masons who only had the barest knowledge of stonework. However, all it did was make it look even more intimidating, with the jagged edges and sharp spike that littered the surface. The outer walls rose to nearly a hundred feet in height, making it nearly impossible to scale even if it wasn't for the massive moat of lava that surrounded it.

As they watched, a drawbridge slowly creaked as it lowered, finally crashing to the ground in front of Percy. Artemis could see the hesitation in his eyes, before he finally stepped forward, crossing the bridge and finally entering the castle proper.

The land in between the walls and the main castle looked even more horrific than the rest of Tartarus. Pale skeletons littered the area, both monster and human. She didn't even know that monsters could leave bones behind except as spoils, but it seemed like the primordial knew a way to force them to do so. It was extremely effective in unsettling all of those watching, and she couldn't imagine how Percy must have felt while walking in between them.

They watched silently as he approached the main gates of the palace, if it could even be called so. Its walls were slightly less rough than the ones surrounding it, but they were still intimidating, the coal black material reflecting only the barest amount of light. The gates had innumerable engravings on them, all of which depicted monsters and humans in agony, trying to escape some unknown entity. They had a decent enough idea who it was meant to represent.

Percy pushed the doors open, stepping into the the castle. Even thought they were in an enclosed space, it looked like the red shade of the pit was still present all around. The black walls were tinted with a dark red, making it look like it had been painted with the blood of the deceased before being left to dry out. A few demigods felt revulsion well up within them, even before they reached the next sight, one even more horrific.

Heads of various monsters were mounted on the walls, macabre trophies that the lord of the pit had amassed during his dictatorial rule over those trapped in his domain. All of them were massive, probably among the largest of their kind. The hellhound head hinted that the beast would have been almost indistinguishable from Lady Leila in size, while the multiple drakons seen would have easily dwarfed the one they'd seen in the battlefield.

Percy moved forward, but they could tell that he was uncomfortable at the sight surrounding him. Being the God of Monsters, it couldn't have been easy. The only reason he had been able to slay so many in battle was because they had made their allegiance clear, but he didn't know if the heads mounted on the walls were of those who had followed Tartarus but were killed anyways or those that had stood true to his side. Truthfully, Artemis didn't know which was worse.

The audience watched as he forged onwards, their hearts beating out of their chests. The atmosphere within was enough to set them on edge, never knowing when an attack would come.

A sudden noise caused most of them to flinch, while Percy instantly spun in the direction of the sound, both his swords expanding into his hands. He stood stock-still, waiting to see if anything would come of it. Seconds passed, but it seemed like it had been a false alarm.

Percy, however, didn't look relieved in the slightest. He kept his weapons out, his body language showing no signs of him relaxing anytime soon. His eyes kept flicking to the sides, his other senses still on high alert.

It was a wise choice. Not more than a few seconds later, they heard something rushing towards him from the opposite direction. Percy instantly rolled along the ground, avoiding a powerful slash from the sword of Echidna.

The mother of monsters looked murderous, which made sense since he had just been personally responsible for the deaths of so many of her children. He didn't look happy to see her either. Even after he had taken his mantle as God of Monsters, Echidna had refused to acknowledge him, regarding him as an usurper who should be dealt with. They had faced off in multiple occasions, with the mother of monsters always running away before he could strike her down.

This time, however, they could see that there would be no retreat from either side. Percy was blocking all of Echidna's blows, weaving through her guard, but the monster looked completely unaware of exactly what he was doing. Instead, her face was still set in the expression of fury, not wanting to spare him as her attacks kept trying to injure him, but remaining unsuccessful.

Percy finally had enough of it, stabbing her in the gut before spearing Pyrkagiá through her heart. All of them saw the expression of disbelief on Echidna's face, before an insane smile crossed it.

"It doesn't matter if you've bested me, Perseus. My master will take care of you soon enough," she said, slowly crumbling away.

He twisted his sword harder, causing her to disintegrate quicker than before. "We'll see how that turns out, shall we?"

He kicked the small pile of dust before turning away, moving on towards the end of the hallway. They could feel the weight of the moment hanging in the air. On the other side of the doors, he was going to come face to face with the being who had been playing with his life for the last century.

Percy breathed deeply as he stood before the wrought iron doors, twelve feet in height. Even after scaling down to the interior of the palace, everything was still massive, and he still doubted whether Tartarus could fit through the doorway without having to duck his head.

He steeled himself, placing his palm against the metal. Before he could even push it, he jerked back, feeling a slight sting in his hand. He flipped his palm around, yet saw nothing visible. His eyes returned to the doors, far more critical this time around. He assumed that it was something that had been installed by Tartarus to taunt him, telling him that he was completely out of his element.

Once again, he placed his palm against the metal, ignoring the sharp sting as he pushed the doors open. He stepped over the threshold, not really knowing if he was prepared to face what awaited him within.

As he stepped into the massive throne room, he felt the suffocating aura that filled the space. It was obvious that Tartarus was present in the room, since no other being could have an aura that was simultaneously so malevolent and powerful. He almost fell to his knees, yet somehow managed to keep moving forward.

He glanced around, taking in the appearance of the room. It was almost circular in shape, and large enough for him to feel slightly less claustrophobic than he had previously while walking through the palace, although that slight bit of relief was offset by the crushing aura that was still surrounding him. However, the primordial had yet to make an appearance, and he would be damned if he would waste the opportunity to scout the terrain.

The floor was far smoother than he'd expected, with the only rough patches close to the walls. Otherwise, it looked like what would be expected on the surface world, except for its dark red colour, like the walls he had passed on the outside.

Around fifty yards ahead of him, he saw a massive throne, rough and gnarly as it sat on a raised podium that looked like the ground itself had pushed been up without any added work done on it. If he was honest, it fit Tartarus perfectly, since there was nothing refined about either the being or the pit. Both were raw and gritty, never holding anything back as they tried to break a person's mind, body, and soul.

He was about to approach the empty dais when the aura that had surrounded him thickened immeasurably, forcing him to his knees. He gasped out in pain as the raw power washed over him, overwhelming all his defences. It was terrifying to have a true idea of just how much separation was present between the two of them, but he wasn't going to give up so easily.

He forced himself to look up, battling against the oppressive pressure that surrounded him. His eyes finally reached the dais once more, immediately zoning onto the form of the primordial that hadn't been there previously.

Tartarus was looking at him with what he could only describe as a curious expression, since the only cues he had were the being's body language. His head was tilted slightly to the side, like how a child would act when they were looking at something that sparked their interest. His face gave away nothing, remaining like always a swirling black vortex that emitted a slight pull, although he could tell that the primordial was suppressing it. He wasn't as tall as he had previously been, but was still a towering fifteen feet in height.

However, Percy's eyes were drawn to the figure that was present at Tartarus' feet. Tanya was struggling against the bonds that were binding her feet and arms, her wrists wrapped securely behind her back as he sat propped up against the side of the throne. Her mouth was gagged, only allowing muffled sounds of distress to escape. Her eyes locked onto him, terror shining through in the hazel orbs. She was begging him to help her, unable to do anything to escape from the clutches of the nigh-insurmountable being that held her captive.

"Let her go," he ground out, his voice dipping into a growl. He had to fight to pass every word through his clenched teeth, the primordial's aura trying its best to crush him. "She has nothing to do with this. Leave her alone, and let's keep this between the two of us."

Tartarus laughed once more, the sound even more bone-chilling when in the heart of his domain. "Is that so," he asked once he'd calmed down, his voice ringing throughout the chamber. "Well, I actually have someone else I would like you to meet."

"Who are you..." Percy began, but the primordial overrode him, turning towards the doors he had just entered through.

"Bring him in," he commanded, his voice gaining a hard edge as he spoke. Percy turned despite himself, wanting to see what it was.

He watched as a quartet of dracaenae slowly wheeled in what looked like a massive structure, twelve feet in height and ten in width. They placed it in the centre, yet he couldn't see what, or who, was being held since the entire thing was obscured by a heavy curtain.

"Enough of the suspense," Tartarus said. "Let our guest see who we have with us today."

The lead dracaena trembled, before whipping the cloth off to reveal who was under it. The wind rushed out of Percy's lungs as he finally managed to see the scared and mangled body that was present below.

"Bob," he whispered, feeling like someone had just ripped his heart out and was stamping it into the ground.

The Titan glanced up, grinning slightly, but the effect was ruined when he immediately began to cough violently, a fair amount of ichor dripping out of his mouth. Despite the revulsion he felt, Percy couldn't take his eyes off the battered figure of his old friend.

He was shackled to the edges of the frame, his arms handing above his head limply. His feet were tied down as well, but it was obvious that there was a lot of pressure being applied to his wrists. Yet, Percy's eyes were drawn to his body.

Scars and bruises littered his body, leaving almost no part of his skin unblemished. And except for a loincloth, there wasn't anything covering up his body, revealing the true extent of the damage that had been inflicted on him. However, the worst damage was done to his face.

One of Bob's eyes was swollen shut, him barely being able to see out of it. The other looked normal, but Percy could see some of the scarring that surrounded it. It was obvious that he had come close to losing the other one completely. Below them, his entire face was criss-crossed with small scars, starting from his chin all the way up to his eye-level. His hair looked far more clumped and matted, with many tufts missing. The scalp looked almost burnt, like Tartarus had intentionally set his head aflame.

Percy almost threw up at the sight but managed to focus once more. "B-Bob," he whispered once again, his voice even more choked than before.

The Titan finally regained control of his breath before answering. "Hello, Perseus. It's nice to see you, although I wish it were under better circumstances." It was all he was able to get out before once again dissolving into a round of hacking coughs.

Tartarus slowly walked forwards, and Percy almost felt as if the primordial was disappointed. "I had wished to have Damasen here as well. A failure of a child he may be, but you were close to him, were you not? But alas, sacrifices had to be made."

"Sacrifices?" Percy choked out, his eyes swivelling back to the primordial.

"Yes, sacrifices," he replied. "You see, the two of them were quite stubborn to not participate in my small little game, even up to the time I dragged that pretty little thing in here," he said, pointing to Tanya who was still tied up at the base of his throne. "It was only when she was brought before them that I gave them the ultimatum. Take part in my game, or watch her suffer.

"Iapetus here finally gave in, but my worthless son still refused, saying that he would never partake in anything so barbaric. His words were causing the demigod to act up, so I had to make an example of him."

"What... did you do," Percy asked, although he felt the fear within him. He wasn't sure if he truly wanted to know the answer.

"I had no choice," Tartarus replied. "I was forced to destroy his essence, sending it into the deepest part of my domain. He will never return, if he even manages to maintain his consciousness. I believe all he'll experience is pain for quite a long time. I think it was enough to make her understand that it would be better to keep her mouth shut, and convince Iapetus over there to take part in this. A true shame. It would have been better if everyone were present."

Percy could feel the rage bubbling up within him at Tartarus' words. The knowledge that one of the two people who had helped him escape the pit was now truly gone tore at his heart, but he forced himself to focus on what was present before him.

"What is your game," he asked, the words almost incomprehensible due to the amount of anger lacing them. "What do you want me to do?"

"It's quite simple, actually," the primordial said. "You get to choose which among the two of these will live, and which will die."

Percy felt as if his stomach had just dropped. Lead was filling his insides, weighing him down as the impossible decision was presented before him. He had to choose who was to live, but more importantly, he had to choose who was to die. He was to be responsible for the death of one of the people he cared about.

"Save her, Perseus, don't let him—" Bob began, before Tartarus flicked his wrist, silencing the Titan.

"Quiet, insolent child," he growled. "You cannot influence his decision. It should be his and his alone."

Percy still knelt on the floor, frozen as he tried to grapple with the enormity of the situation before him. He had to make a choice, and make it quickly. He held no delusions about just how impatient the primordial was. He wouldn't have more than a minute to make a choice, forcing his mind to go into overdrive.

He looked at Tanya's terrified face, seeing the emotions clearly reflected towards him, before glancing back to Bob. Even though the Titan was silenced, Percy could tell what he wanted just from looking at his eyes. Bob was ready to sacrifice himself to keep both alive, just like how he had been when Percy had been trapped in Tartarus the first time around.

He took a deep breath, coming to his decision.

"Please, spare Tanya," he pleaded. Don't harm her, I beg of you."

Tartarus simply shrugged in response to his words. "As you wish," he said, moving over to where Bob was hanging. The Titan simply bowed his head in acceptance, ready to meet his fate.

The Titan glanced up one last time, having regained his voice for the brief period that it took for the primordial to reach him. "Did you tell the stars I said hello?" he asked, his voice soft with acceptance.

Percy nodded mutely, unable to speak.

Bob sighed, a small amount of contentment crossing his face. "Could you please do it once more? I don't think I'll be leaving anytime soon," he said, right as his captor finally reached him.

Tartarus didn't waste any time with words. Instead, he drew a five-foot-long blade, and even from where he was located, Percy could tell that the edge was simply oozing with the Essence of Styx. He watched helplessly as Tartarus shoved the whole thing through Bob's chest, before sending a wave of his own power through the already battered body, causing the Titan to choke on his own breath before going limp.

He could only watch as Bob's body slowly turned grey before crumbling into ash, just like how Dakota and Brandon had died. He knew what it meant. There was no return for his friend, no matter what.

He could feel the tears well up in his eyes as Tartarus slowly walked back towards the throne. Somehow, he managed to push them back, instead focusing on the primordial once again.

"I took part in your game," he choked out. "Now let her go! This is between you and me. I don't want her to be caught up in this."

Tartarus finally reached the spot where Tanya was bound, her fearful eyes not leaving the figure of the powerful being. She knew that her fate rested in his hands now, with not even Perseus being able to do anything.

The lord of the pit looked at him once more, before replying. "You forgot one thing, Perseus. Each game deserves to have a moral behind it, don't you agree? Well, I believe this one does as well."

He felt the primordial's aura try to crush him once more, causing him to choke on air. "Wh-what is it?" he spat out, desperate to see the girl he'd grown so close to finally set free from the nightmare she was trapped in.

Tartarus replied casually. "You should never trust me, even when I say something, especially when you don't make me swear on Chaos' name."

The primordial drew his sword once more, too fast for Percy to keep up with. Before he could even say anything, Tartarus shoved the blade straight through Tanya's heart.

The entire valley was silent, all of them trying to come to terms with the brutality they had just seen. So many of them had chosen to turn away when Iapetus had been revealed, unable to stomach the sight, but they couldn't stop themselves from hearing the ultimatum that Percy had been presented with.

Artemis had felt her heart break for the son of Poseidon. She finally had come to terms with just how much he had been through in his life, short as it was in comparison to hers. Yet, it seemed like the misery was only going to keep compounding. She wanted to blame the Fates, but she knew that the primordial he faced was most likely outside their jurisdiction.

However, nothing could compare to the devastation she saw on his face when Tartarus had shoved the blade straight through the heart of the young daughter of Aphrodite, even after he had said that he was going to release her.

She could hear the agonized screams from the crowd, and she could easily pick out who it came from. Malcolm, Thalia, and Reyna looked almost as broken as Percy when they saw their companion get run through. Lara wasn't present, something that caused her even more grief. Her hunter had fallen in the final charge, slain by a massive hellhound when she had lowered her guard.

Artemis could do nothing but watch as Tartarus held the sword in place while the light in Tanya's eyes dimmed, before her body finally fell limp on the blade. A low moan was heard from Percy, the first sound he had made after the heinous act.

She saw a small, bright light leave the demigod's mouth, causing her to reel back in shock. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her soul had come out in front of them, instead of being sent to the Underworld. It struck her just how powerful of a being Tartarus truly was.

Before her very eyes, the primordial delicately held the small, bright ball in his palm, looking at it like it was an interesting souvenir. She felt the worry bubble up in her gut, knowing that it wasn't going to end well.

Tartarus huffed slightly, before crushing his palm, dissipating the light present. He opened it up, showing that there was truly nothing left.

She felt the breath escape her body in a whoosh. She knew what the action meant. He had just destroyed her soul. There was no trace of Tanya anymore. She wouldn't even be present in the Underworld, wouldn't be able to try for Elysium or rebirth. It would be like she never existed at all, the only traces left being their memories.

A pained scream echoed from the Iris message, letting her know that Percy had realized the same thing. She was frozen, watching helplessly as Tartarus approached the grief-stricken Olympian.

He stopped before Percy, regarding the broken person before him. The person he himself had broken through his own actions over so many years, culminating in that one final act.

"Don't worry," the primordial whispered. "You won't feel the pain for long. It will all go away."

He looked down at the god almost pityingly, as if he felt even a hint of remorse for his actions. Then, he brought forth the cursed sword once more. thrusting it straight through Percy's gut.

Well, there you have it. We've reached... yeah, we've reached here. I told you everyone wouldn't have a happy ending. Even so, this was probably the most difficult chapter I had to write, not due to lack of ideas, but rather due to... well, I think it's quite obvious why. All I can say is that I'm sorry.

Anyways, a quick word from our beta.

B/N: Don't murder Prop, it'll get better, I promise. Prop, I hope you upload this from a remote island in the middle of the ocean or something, because you're going to have hundreds, if not thousands of people out for blood, your blood…

Check out All Time Low, Paramore, Evanescence, and the All-American Rejects on most streaming services.

Now, back to our regular journey on a downward moving escalator that happens to be called life.

- TheMeister7

Anyways, answering a few questions

To Guest: Artemis didn't switch her weapon since she focused on taking out those further away, while Percy handled those closer to them. I know Apollo switched to swords, but I feel that the two twins will have different fighting styles.

To vikasmahajan191175: I hope this chapter answered your question.

To Guest (again): No, he can't assume traits of monsters like that. His senses are sharper, even when compared to other gods, and he does have longer and sharper canines, but that's about it.

To Previously Yesse: Uuhhh... I'm heading to my bunker.

To Guest (are you the same one as the previous two, or different?): Yes, people noticed, but shit hit the fan at that moment, so even that was pushed to the side.

To parallaxyt: Hmm... that's a good question. The first question is whether she would have fallen under the influence of the Vapour of Lethe, but if we ignore that, it will basically be a battle between her knowing that Percy is a good person and her loyalty to her mistress, but I do believe that in the end she would have probably sided with Percy.