Alrighty I finished the first chapter! I am really excited to be writing this story. I have planned it out in my head, but have yet to fine tun it. So, I am open to any and all ideas. I might not use your ideas, but I will definitely consider them. Please PM me your ideas, or I might not see them right away. I must remind you, I have no update schedule. So the updates will be random. But, I do plan to complete this once I've started it. There will be some Assassin's creed references. Also there will be some language. I think that's about it. As always, thank you for reading and please review.

The Secret War

Prologue

Olympus

Summer Solstice Meeting

Hades sighed, as he mentally prepared himself for one of the biggest headaches he would receive all year. He stood up from his throne, tilting his head from side to side to get all the kinks out. "Alecto, Tisiphone, Megaera," he called out. Three shapes detached themselves from their position where they had been hanging, upside down on the ceiling, to fall towards him. Midair, they twisted and outstretched their wings, with a 'whoosh' noise. Their speed slowed greatly, before they gently landed on the floor in front of him.

"Yes Lord Hades?" The three furies asked in unison, making Hades wonder yet again if they had some way to coordinate that, or if it was just a coincidence. He shrugged. It didn't really matter anyway.

He shook his head a little, in an attempt to clear his thoughts. He sighed again, before opening his mouth to address his three lieutenants. "I am off to Olympus," he spoke this word with disdain, "For the Summer Solstice meeting. While I am gone, I am placing you three in charge, as I usually do. If anything happens, let me know at once. Et cetera, Et cetera. You three know the drill."

The three nodded, the motion causing their wings to sway slightly. "Of course Lord Hades." Hades sighed yet again, as he resigned himself to his fate, before flashing out. His view of his throne room slowly faded away.

When his vision returned, he was standing outside the throne room of Olympus. He scowled, as he noticed several nymphs quickly walking away from him. He turned his back on them, stepped quickly up the steps, and pushed open the doors to the throne room.

The throne room was massive, with twelve large thrones occupying the far wall. The thrones were reflective of their owner's domains, and were arranged in a slight curve. On the opposite side of the room, occupying the back wall, was an amphitheater, where citizens of Olympus could sit in on a meeting. However, after 2,000 years, the novelty had faded. It had also become progressively more dangerous to attend a meeting, unless you were a god or goddess. But as the minor gods and goddesses didn't have a say in what happens, they had slowly stopped coming. In the center of the room was the Hearth, where Hesita sat and tended to the fire. Hades walked towards her.

Zeus had glanced up as the doors opened, and as he realized that they were only missing one person, decided to announce it to everyone. "As Hades is now here, we are only missing Poseidon. Then the meeting can begin."

Everyone rolled their eyes. They already knew that, they had eyes didn't they? Stupid drama queen.

Hades, who had chosen to ignore his younger brother, stepped down to where Hesita was tending the fire, 'fire' being a generous word to describe the small blaze. She glanced up and smiled at him as he sat down beside her.

"Brother. It is good to see you."

"It is good to see you too, sister."

Hades leaned over and hugged her. Hestia was the only god or goddess who he really cared about. (other than Persephone, of course) She had always been there for him, and really seemed to listen. She was also the only person to keep in contact with him after he was exiled from Olympus.

"So, what news? Have you felt any more stirrings?" Hestia's voice was calm, but there was a nervous undertone to it as well.

Hades nodded slowly, his gaze on the flickering flames. "Yes, I believe he will soon have enough power to rise again. And our little brother ignores the evidence brought before him and does nothing to prepare for war."

Hestia looked at Hades in alarm. "Surely you don't think that it will go that far?"

Hades looked at Hesita in surprise. "Of course it will. When father finally returns, and he will return, we must be ready. He will try to overthrow Olympus, and it will be like the Titan War all over again. We must rally the allies we have left, and alert the demigods. THE DEMIGODS!" Hades turned to Hestia in alarm. "They are not prepared for this. They have trouble with monsters, much less a Titan. They cower inside their camps, too afraid to leave. Quests are rare. Only the hunters don't have a set camp, but they have Artemis. And the assassins haven't been seen since Perseus…"

Hades paused, lost in the memories of his late 'nephew'. Hestia took Hades hand in hers, causing Hades to look at her. "I know. Hades, it will be okay."

"But it won't! Zeus in his paranoia had pushed many away, and the minor gods and goddesses would switch sides in a heartbeat if Kronos were to rise." At the word Kronos, a chill seemed to sweep through the room, causing the fire to flicker wildly. Hestia focused her attention on the fire, making the flames slow down.

"How can you just say that everything will be okay?" Hades's voice was quiet. When she spoke, Hestia's was even lower. "Because either we win, and everything is okay… or we lose. And then we really don't have anything to worry about."

It was at that moment that Poseidon walked in. Hades's thoughts were on all the preparations he must begin. They were going to be at war soon, whether Zeus wanted it or not.

Zeus stood up from his throne, and loudly cleared his throat. The rest of the gods and goddesses, having already seen Poseidon enter, were already looking at Zeus.

"Now that we're all here, the meeting can begin. Does anyone have anything important to report?"

Hades stood up from his spot by Hestia. "I have something to say."

Immediately, all eyes turned towards him. "As you all know, I am king of the underworld. The underworld is closer to the pit than each of your domains are. As a result, I receive many signs that come from the pit. And the signs are telling me that father is rising. His essence is being gathered, and soon he will have enough strength to rise yet again. When he does, we must be prepared for war."

Hades paused and took a breath, but was interrupted by Zeus. "Enough of this! There is no possible way for Father to rise. His essence was scattered when we cut him up with his scythe. End of conversation."

"But brother, you must see reason. All the signs show that-"

"No brother," Zeus spat. "There is no chance that father will ever rise again, and I officially declare this matter to be closed."

Hades looked around the room, making eye contact with each of the gods and goddesses there. Hera wouldn't meet his eyes. Athena looked him at him nervously. Surely she, with all of her knowledge could tell that something was up. She opened her mouth, glanced at Zeus, and shut it. She looked down. Ares was busy sharpening a giant, double bladed axe. Aphrodite was busy fixing her makeup in a small, handheld mirror. Apollo was frowning. As the god of truth, he knew his uncle's words to be true. However, one glare from Zeus was more than enough to shut him up. Poseidon wasn't paying attention. His focus was on a mortal woman he had recently met. Sally Jackson. Just thinking about her made him smile. Hades groaned inwardly, turning to look at Dionysus, who was asleep. Stupid drunk. He moved his gaze to Hephaestus. Hephaestus was tinkering with some gears in his hand, oblivious to the world around him. Hera was glaring at Zeus. She suspected that he had been cheating on her recently, or that some mortal woman had caught his eye. Demeter was reading the latest issue of the farmer's almanac. Hermes was on the phone. Artemis was staring off into space. She was probably thinking about Perseus, again. Hades stood up abruptly.

"Fine. You can sit here on your thrones, and ignore what is coming. As for myself, I will be preparing for war. Don't come running to me when Kronos rises." Ignoring the shudder that went around the room at the name 'Kronos', Hades stormed out of the Throne room, slamming the door behind him.

On his way down the steps, a figure walked across the deserted courtyard towards him. "Lord Hades?"

Irritated, Hades turned around to see who would dare bother him, when he was in a horrible mood. As the figure neared, he realized that he recognized them. Immediately, he dropped to the ground.

"Lady Chaos."

Chaos rolled her eyes. "Stand up, Hades."

Hades did with a small smile on his face. "It's been a while, hasn't it. I believe the last time I saw you was during the third crusade. What have you been up to?"

Chaos smiled. "Quite a bit, actually. While I would love nothing more than to catch up with an old friend, I am here on business. Hades, I need your help."

Hades immediately nodded his head. "I'll do it. You've never led me astray so far, and I don't think you ever will. So, what can I do for you?"

Chaos opened her mouth, but hesitated. When she spoke, her voice was low and serious. "I need an oath, Hades. I need you to swear that you will not reveal what I am about to show you."

Hades looked at her curiously. This was the first time she had made him swear an oath, and he wanted to know a little more about what he was getting himself into. "Can you tell me anything about what you're going to show me, before I swear the oath?"

Chaos thought for a moment, before slowly nodding her head. "I can, but it may not completely answer your question. If I tell you some more, will you swear the oath?"

Hades nodded. "I trust you, but I just want to know what I'm getting myself into."

Chaos nodded. "That's fair. Alright. As you know, I created the universe. To make sure it's running smoothly is a giant job. I try to let things resolve themselves as much as possible, but sometimes I, ah, cheat." At Hades confused look, she elaborated. "When I 'cheat', I interfere. A long time ago I interfered with this world, and I took something. I think it is time to return what I took. I watched the council meeting, and realized that you were the only one actively preparing for war. I also have had more contact with you than any other person in this world. In summary, I wish to return this thing to you."

"Is that it?" At Chaos's nod yes, Hades sighed. "Alright. That didn't fully answer my question, but any help will be welcome." He took a deep breath. "I, Hades, swear on the river Styx, to keep whatever I am shown or told by Chaos secret, unless she says otherwise."

Chaos grinned. "Come. We have a lot to discuss." She turned around and pointed at the wall. A swirling, black, vortex opened. She marched over to it, before turning to look back at Hades. "Well, come on."

Hades swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. "You want me to go offworld with you?"

Chaos straightened. "Yes. This is a very top secret conversation, and so I would prefer to do it where I know no one might be listening."

Hades walked over. "So, do I just like, jump in? Or should I walk in?"

Chaos shrugged. "Either one works, but if you jump you are more likely to fall over."

"Walking it is, then."

Chaos stepped into the portal, her form bending unnaturally in the middle, as if the portal was sucking her in. Hades stepped closer, and closer. All of a sudden, the portal sucked him in. With a 'shriek' from Hades rapidly fading, the portal snapped shut with a 'pop'.

Hades stumbled, barely catching himself on a table. He straightened up, and looked around. He was in what looked like a house, probably from the 1950's. He was standing in the middle of the kitchen. Across from him, Chaos was leaning against the refrigerator.

"So," Hades started. "What is so important that you bring me to the 1950's to tell me?"

Chaos looked at him confused. "How did you know that we're in the 1950's?"

"What!? We are!? I was being sarcastic!"

Chaos snorted. "I'm just kidding. This house exists in one of the most secure locations in the universe. I check in on Earth every so often, and 'update' this house to look like the ones from Earth."

"Okay, that's interesting, but why do you update this house? Do you live here?"

Chaos smiled. "That is part of why I brought you here. Tell me, how much do you know about Perseus's disappearance?"

"Perseus? Why do you want to know about him?" Hades' tone was guarded. His nephew had been one of the few people to treat him as an equal, and not discriminate against him for being the king of the underworld. He had also made time to see how his uncle was doing, and would visit regularly. He had brought the Olympians together, they actually acted like a family, for once. "Besides, don't you know all? I mean, you are the creator of the universe."

"Please, just humor me."

"Alright." Hades pulled out a chair at the table, before turning it around backwards and sitting. "I don't know that much about what happened. There are many different stories and rumors that have circulated over the centuries. But what I believe to be true is this. Sometime after the Giant war, and after Greece fell, Artemis co-founded the hunt. Perseus was the other founder. They traveled around, rescuing maidens and killing monsters. Percy would act as a guardian, unless he wasn't there.

You see, one of his domains was assassins. And so, he founded the assassins. He would spend several months with the hunters and Artemis, and a month with his assassins. Very little is known about them, except that they haven't been seen since Perseus disappeared, and their mark looked somewhat like the capital letter 'A' but without the straight line across. Anyway, one day when Perseus was with his assassins, the hunters ran across Orion.

Now the hunters disliked men, but not to the extreme that they do now. Orion, having very great skill in archery, skill that rivaled Perseus, Apollo, and Artemis themselves, was allowed to travel with the hunters for a time. I don't know too much after that, no one does, but the most common rumor is that Perseus came back, got jealous of how close Orion and Artemis were, and killed Orion. When Artemis found him then, after he had killed Orion, and killed Perseus, sending him to Tartarus to reform. She then placed Orion in the sky.

Then it starts to get weird. Usually gods reform and escape the pit after several hundred years at the most. But Perseus has been missing for about 1900 years. I, and several others, would have felt him return to Earth from the pit, but he has not. No one knows where he is. And his assassins haven't been seen since he disappeared. Even Artemis has looked for him, though no one knows why. She didn't have any success either. It was, no, it is the biggest mystery of all time. But why did you want me to tell you that, surely you know what happened?"

Chaos nodded. "I do know what happened. However," she raised a hand to stop Hades' question. "I do not think that it is my place to tell you what happened. That is a job for Artemis, Orion, who is dead, or Perseus himself."

"But that's exactly it! Artemis has been asked, many times, to tell what happened. After many arrows shot into painful places, people got the idea. Don't ask her. Orion, as you said, is dead. And Perseus hasn't been seen in 1900 years! He has been sorely missed. The 'family' that was Olympus has fallen further and further into discord as time goes on. And with Kronos rising he is needed now more than ever. But I still don't understand. Why did you want me to tell you that, when you already know what happened?"

Chaos pushed off the fridge, bringing her body into a standing position. "Follow me, and I'll tell you why." She turned, and opened a door which led to a hallway. She started down it, pausing at the second door on the right. Hades was following closely behind, and almost walked into her.

"Behind this door, is the reason I brought you here tonight. Before we go in, remember your oath to me." Hades nodded his head, starting to get a little annoyed. Couldn't she just tell him what this secret was, instead of dragging him all the way to this Gods'-awful train-wreck of a house? What did she have anyway, some sort of death ray? He was brought out of his thoughts as Chaos reached for the doorknob.

She turned the doorknob slowly, and pushed open the door even slower. She moved to the side, to allow Hades to enter first. Hades walked in, prepared for anything, or so he thought. For the thing that was lying there, or rather, the person that was lying there, was the last thing he expected to see.

"You took him!?" Hades was pissed. Here was one of Hades's favorite people, one of his few friends, and some of his only family. "How could you!?"

"I have my reasons. Now, If you will let me explain." Hades motioned for her to continue. "Again, remember your oath. Nothing we discuss leaves this room."

Hades nodded. 'Get on with it already.' he thought.

Chaos glared. Apparently, she had heard what he thought. Then, he realized that he had said it out loud. "Sorry…" he sheepishly said.

"Anyways, where was I? Oh yes, that's right. Now, for you to fully understand my reasoning, you need a bit of backstory. That is why I asked you to tell me what you knew about Perseus's disappearance. Part of your story was right. Perseus was with his Assassin's when Orion ran into the hunt. He was allowed to travel with them because of his skill with the bow. One day, Perseus returned, and was delighted that his half-brother would be joining them. He had always loved his family, and that familial love extended to Orion."

Hades nodded. He was what had brought the Olympians together again. He had united them in time to fight against the giants. Without him, they would have lost that war.

Chaos continued. "Now I know that I said it wasn't my place to tell you this, but it will make you understand the situation better. Back to the story. Perseus was delighted that his younger half-brother had joined the hunt. That is, until he found Orion attempting to rape one of the hunters. Perseus asked Orion what he was doing, while stealthily drawing one of his throwing knives. When Orion responded truthfully, Perseus attacked. He threw his knife, and it landed in Orion's sternum. They fought, and Perseus easily won. He left him where he was dying, to check on the hunter. Artemis, hearing the scuffle, walked in at the worst possible moment. Seeing Perseus standing over one of her hunters, who was unconscious and tied up, she immediately assumed the worst. She killed Perseus where he stood. An arrow straight through the head. As he fell, he saw Artemis and realized that she, his best friend, had killed him. He saw her run to Orion, who it was too late for. She put him in the stars, to remind her of her friend. Perseus witnessed this, and felt his heart break. It seemed as if it was a dream. Could this be real? Everything was going horribly wrong. Artemis picked up her hunter, and exited the clearing without looking back. Meanwhile, Perseus was dying, both literally and metaphorically. He had just seen his best friend, his crush, kill him, and place a rapist in the sky. Except, instead of disintegrating into golden dust, like immortals do when they die, he was fading. His body was turning into ashes, and those ashes were being scattered on the breeze. It was then that I intervened. I took what was left of him, and froze time around him. He stopped fading automatically. He was unconscious, so I brought him here. I've been feeding him positive memories, memories of people that still care about him. At first it was an attempt to stop him from fading, and it worked. His body slowly grew back. Then the memories started to repair his mind. So, I also began to feed him information. Information about Earth, the mortals' history. I have taught him every single thing that has ever happened or been invented. He knows every language, every martial art, every weapon."

"He already knows everything about weapons," Hades interrupted.

"That may have been true, but what about those new things, gons."

"Gons? I think you mean guns."

"That's right. He doesn't know how to use one of those, does he?"

"...Fine... you have a point."

Chaos smiled triumphantly. "I know I do. Back to what I was saying. Sometime in the near future, he will awaken. He will know everything that has happened in Earth's history. He will know how to use every invention man has created. I will be there when he awakens, and task him with defending Olympus, while also remaining unseen. No one must know that he has returned. He will fight a secret war from the shadows, striking when he can, slowing the Titans as much as possible. I assume you have heard the prophecy?"

"If you mean the one about a half blood destroying or saving Olympus, then yes, I have."

"That is part of why he must remain unseen. The half bloods have grown weak. They will need to learn that they are the children of Gods! They should not cower behind a wall! They should be roaming the land, happy and free. Monsters should be few in number, and wary of any half blood that they encounter. You remember the days of ancient Greece, don't you."

Hades nodded. How could he forget. Those were the days. The gods were in their prime, and if there was a threat, they would call their allies and march against any and all enemies. Half bloods would adventure all over the known world, on a never ending quest for glory. And the sacrifices, oh the sacrifices. Even though many Greeks feared him, they still sacrificed to him.

Chaos continued to talk, cutting off his train of thought. "Also, sometime after the Second Titan War, if you win, the Giants will rise. He will need to fight them as well. After or during that war, he can reveal himself to the gods. If you win that war as well, then you shall experience a golden age, an age better then the days of ancient Greece itself!"

"The giants will rise?! That's… really not good. But it does make sense. So, why did you tell me this? Also, what can I do to prepare?"

"I'm glad you asked. I told you this, because I want you to be there when Perseus wakes up. I will also be there, but I think it would be good for him to see a recognizable face."

"Why me though? Why not someone else, like Hesita? She would be the perfect person for this."

Chaos pursed her lips. "I considered her, at first. But I soon realized that she would do anything for family. While that is not a necessarily a bad thing, it sort of is a bad thing."

"But why? How could helping a family be bad?"

"It is not good given this circumstance. If I were to tell her that Perseus was here, the first thing she would do is think of Artemis. Artemis, who has many times gone to Hesita for council. What I didn't tell you, is Artemis had a crush on Perseus as well."

Hades fist pumped. "I knew it! I knew it! Ha! Ares owes me 5,000 drachmas! I knew-" He looked up at Chaos. Chaos was giving him a 'really'? Hades' mouth snapped shut. His face flushed dark red in embarrassment.

"Anyways…You need a bit more backstory. Again, not my place to tell you this, but I've already started the tale. I might as well finish it. When Artemis told the hunters what happened, many of them didn't believe her. They told her that Perseus would never do that, she must have mixed the two up. Artemis refused to back down,so they decided to ask the hunter what happened. Several days later, she woke up. When the hunter woke up, the others asked her what she remembered. When she told them what happened, Artemis felt immense guilt. She had killed her best friend. She had believed that her Percy, would rape one of their friends. As she realized what she had done, she immediately returned to the scene of the crime. She searched for hours, for any sign of her friend, only finding his sword, Anaklusmos. She returned to the hunters, where she mourned for months. She dealt with intense stress, for the first time in her immortal life. What if he hated her when he returned? What if he ignored her all together? However, all these thoughts were pushed to the back of her mind as he didn't return. Many asked her what happened, and she only ever told Poseidon and Amphitrite, his parents. All the others were chased away with arrows. After five hundred years, and he still hadn't returned from the pit, she started to search for him. She and her hunters have never stopped looking. Her hunters because they miss him, she herself because she feels immense guilt, and she misses him. So, that is why I didn't choose Hestia. She would have immediately told Artemis, in an effort to make her feel better. But Artemis needs to be focused. If she knows Perseus is alive, she will be more of a hindrance than a help. After the second war, then there will be more than enough time for them to talk and reconcile."

It made sense to Hades. He was honored that he had been chosen by Chaos for this task. "So is there anything else that I should know, or do?"

The reply was swift. "Prepare the underworld for war, and when your nephew needs help, you help him. Until he wakes up, that is all you should do."

Hades nodded. "Will you help inform him on what is going on when he wakes up?"

"Of course. Now, I will not see you for several more years. When I do show up, or tell you it is time, I need you to come straight away. Until then, remember your oath. Can you do that?"

"Of course."

Chaos ushered him outside the room. He paused at the doorway, and turned to look back at his nephew. "Sleep well, nephew. You're going to need it." He then turned back around, and exited the room. He walked back down the hallway towards the kitchen, with Chaos close behind. When Chaos entered the room, a portal opened on the far wall.

"Go through that, and you'll be in your throne room. Remember what we talked about, and remember your oath. And Hades?"

Hades had walked over to the portal. He turned, and looked back at Chaos.

"Thank you."

Hades nodded, before stepping forward into the portal. Behind him, Chaos sighed. She had a lot of work to do. That talk with Hades had gone longer than expected, and now the Gaon Republic was being invaded again. Never a dull moment in the life of the creator. Before she flashed out, she whispered, "Good luck Perseus, Earth's fate rests on your shoulders."