AN/: Hi guys, I've recently uploaded a side story called The prince of the seas and love's secret and I'd really appreciate it if you could check it out.

Chapter 42

Artemis POV

I barely heard what Percy said, he said it so quietly.

"I like you too, you're the only bearable man out there," I told him. "But I don't see how that's particularly relevant, did you save Zoe just because we're friends?" I asked him confused.

"Uhm," Percy stuttered. "That's not really what I mean." He told me and I had to take a moment to try and understand him. I just felt I was beginning to understand him and I felt myself start to blush when there all hell seemed to break loose outside my tent.

Percy and I both immediately rushed outside to see a number of my hunters still in their pyjamas they were armed and facing possibly the largest hellhound I'd ever seen outside of Cerberus. The only hunter not armed was Thalia who was by the side of a deathly pale boy who was leaning up against the enormous dog.

"Nico!" Percy called out, apparently recognising the boy next to Thalia. Percy rushed forwards towards his cousins as I remembered that Nico was the name of Hades's son although that didn't explain the pickup truck sized hellhound that stood over them.

"Girls, wait," I ordered them. Apparently neither Percy nor my lieutenant thought the hellhound was worthy of attention and seemed perfectly calm around it so I ordered the girls to wait before attacking it. I made my way over to the trio of demigods while keeping a wary eye on the hellhound.

"What happened?" I heard Percy asked the Nico boy.

"Attack… underworld… need help." Was all the boy was able to say before passing out, from the looks of it due to exhaustion.

"Can we put him in my tent?" Percy asked looking worried for his cousin.

"As long as he stays there when he wakes, I don't see why not," I told him. Percy lifted his cousin up and began carrying towards his tent.

"Don't hurt Mrs. O'Leary," he said as he walked away. I turned to look at Thalia.

"Is that," I gestured towards the hellhound that toward over us. "Mrs. O'Leary?" I asked.

"Oh yeah," Thalia reached up and scratched under the hellhounds chin as if she were a normal dog rather than an immortal hell-spawn. "She's Percy's." I raised an eyebrow.

"Percy has a hellhound for a pet?" I asked incredibly confused on how something like that could have happened.

"Yeah, he inherited her from Daedalus when he died," Thalia explained as the hellhound lay down with a loud thump.

"Hey," Percy said jogging back from his tent. "Are we going to the underworld?" he asked me, I shook my head.

"I can't take the hunters down there," I said and I saw Percy look confused.

"Why not? Hades needs help," he told me.

"You can go but I can't risk the others down there," I told him in a tone that told him it wasn't up for debate.

"Alright," Percy said, wisely deciding not to argue. "Can Thalia come?"

"Hades might like you for getting his throne back but I'm still a daughter of Zeus, I don't think it would be wise for me to go to the underworld, I don't know if Hades would be exactly welcoming." Thalia said looking a little worried about the idea of going to the underworld. "Plus someone needs to look after death breath when he wakes up."

"Alright so just me then," Percy said. "Hey girl," he walked over to Mrs. O'Leary and patted the top of her head, "Can you take me to the underworld?" He got a loud bark in response nearly deafening me as Percy climbed onto her back.

"Percy," I said gaining his attention. "Well resume our conversation when your back," I told him remembering our unfinished conversation in my tent. Percy looked at little nervous but nodded before Mrs. O'Leary stood up to her full hight. "Come back safe," I told him.

"Don't I always?" Percy winked at me causing me to blush ever so slightly.

"No," scoffed Thalia which Percy just waved off.

"Come on girl," Percy said causing the hellhound to bark once again and run off into the shadows of the forest.

Percy POV

Mrs. O'Leary and I reappeared on the bank of the Styx near the entrance to Tartarus that Luke's cursed shoes almost pulled me into. Pouring out of the entrance was an army of nearly every monster that I'd ever seen that were clashing with an army of undead warriors that prevented the monsters from entering the underworld. In the middle of the fray was a black stygian iron chariot pulled by two skeletal horses and piloted by a tall man in matching black armour, atop the charioteer's head was a helm that switched between a typical Greek helm, a wreath of black flames and a circle of human bones.

I slid off Mrs. O'Leary's back and uncapped Riptide as I made my way through the ghostly warriors towards the front lines. As I neared the front lines I heard my uncle call out to me.

"Percy! I take it Nico's message got through." As I neared Hades I could feel the power of the helm of darkness creep at the edges of my mind, making me want to turn around and get as far away from it as possible.

"Yeah but he's passed out!" I called back over the sounds of the battle. I stabbed Riptide out towards an empousa turning the monster to dust. Moving onto the next target I blocked a strike from a telekhine and slashed Riptide down sending the dog-faced monster back to the pit.

I took a moment and looked around the battle and saw two figures slowly approaching side by side, immediately I knew that they were titans. The first titan I didn't recognise but the second figure dressed head to toe in silver battle armour I did recognise. The man wielded a long spear with practiced ease, impaling spirits without even breaking stride.

"If I take Perses do you think you can handle Iapetus?" Hades asked me from his chariot. The name Perses was familiar, I think Annabeth mentioned him before but I couldn't remember what his domains were.

"I think I can manage that," I replied ducking under a cyclops's club and dispersing the cyclops to dust.

I fought my way closer to Iapetus as he also fought his way to me. It wasn't long before I was standing fifteen feet away from the once friendly titan.

"Hello Bob," I greeted the titan the helped me escape Tartarus.

"Perseus Jackson, you'll pay for wiping my memories," he threatened me.

"I'm getting tired of all you immortals threatening me," I said but internally I was a little nervous, Bob was a fearsome warrior whether it be with a spear or with his broom, last time I fought him I was forced to wipe his memories otherwise I might have lost the fight.

"It's not a threat it's a promise," he said holding back a laistrygonian giant from attacking me making it clear that this was a personal battle.

In a couple large strides Bob closed the distance between us and stabbed his spear towards me which I sidestepped easily. I tried to get close to him with Riptide but his spear and larger size gave him a distance advantage. As I struggled close the distance between us a couple of ghost soldiers tried to attack Bob/Iapetus but he dispatched them while easily keeping me at bay. We went back and forth for a couple minutes, neither of us landing a blow on the other however I was tiring faster than the titan. I focused on my powers and sent a blast of fire towards Iapetus, scorching his clothes and burning the flesh underneath.

"Argh! So I've heard about your new little tricks," he said swiping his spear at me. I sent another fireball towards him but this time he was ready and dodged it leaving it to land in the army of monsters behind him. It was clear that we were at a stalemate in terms of sword-spear combat so the key to the battle would be my use of powers although I had to be careful with my energy levels.

I stepped back out of the reach of his spear and focused on the closest water source. I felt a slight tug in my gut however the rivers of the underworld don't like being controlled in the same way normal water does. I wrestled with the river and prayed to goddess of the Styx, promising to give her offerings if she lent me her waters. All of a sudden the pull in my gut intensified as I pulled water from the river and sent it crashing over Iapetus. I really hoped that I hadn't just made him invulnerable and I charged forwards as Iapetus cried out in pain, apparently the water still hurt as much as I remembered.

"You little-" Iapetus started before I punched him in the face. I slashed Riptide across him opening a wound in his neck. I was about to slash Riptide again when Iapetus composed himself and grabbed my arm, squeezing it tightly. I set my arm on fire, causing him to let go and cradle his burnt hand. Seizing my advantage I stabbed Riptide down turning Iapetus into dust.

"Goodbye Bob," I said somewhat sadly, I felt bad killing who had once been a friend of sorts.

I looked around the battle and it seemed like the ghostly forces were winning and slowly pushing the monsters back into Tartarus. Hades and Perses were still locked in combat, Hades had dismounted his chariot and the pair had their swords clashing together. I'd never seen my uncle in a fight before and it seemed like the eldest son of Kronos could definitely hold his own in a fight. The pair were in a crater the size of a basketball court and I remembered that Perses was the titan of destruction.

I ran towards my uncle planning to help out but in my rush I dropped my guard and was hit by a stay arrow fired from somewhere in the depths of the battle. I cried out as the arrow pierced my left shoulder and I fell to my knees. I scrunched my eyes closed and took some deep breaths, trying to overcome the pain. I cursed as I knew there was no water or fire nearby to help heal my wound as with an arrow in my shoulder I was in no state to help Hades fight a titan.

Still on my knees I opened my eyes and saw a hellhound standing in front of me with a hungry look in its eyes. I raised Riptide to try and defend myself but stopped when a shadow flew over me and landed on top of the hellhound. Tangled together were two hellhounds trying to bite at each other when finally the larger of the two managed to clamp it's jaws down on the smaller ones neck. The remaining hellhound looked back at me and did the shake thing dogs do to try and clear the monster dust from its fur.

"Thanks girl," I said standing and scratching Mrs. O'Leary's ear with my good arm. I looked over to see how my uncle's fight was going and saw him with his stygian iron sword at Perses's throat before swiftly decapitating the titan. Hades look tired but quickly walked back to his chariot that was waiting for him at the edge of the crater.

Once the titans were dispatched it didn't take long for Hades's army to overwhelm Tartarus's forces and push them back into the pit. I still had an arrow sticking out of the front of my shoulder and walked over to Hades who was watching as the last few monsters were killed.

"Thank you, nephew," he said when he saw me approach. He still wore his helm of darkness that made me want to turn tail and run away or cower in fear, thankfully he took it off as I neared him. "Are you okay?" he asked nodding towards my shoulder.

"I'll live," I said although I was in a considerable amount of pain. "Tia at the hunt hopefully should be able to patch me up."

"You've done me another great favour, first returning my throne and now protecting my domain," Hades told me thankfully. "I owe you, Perseus, you are always welcome in the underworld."

"Thank you uncle," I replied politely.

"I'll let you return to the hunt; however I request you visit Nico sometime, it would do him some good to spend some time with the living," Hades said.

"I will, I've missed him," I said truthfully, I hadn't seen Nico since the end of the war.

"Very well, I'll see you again soon Perseus, I should inform Olympus of this battle." Hades said before fading into the shadows.

I let out my best New York cab whistle and Mrs. O'Leary appeared out of the same shadow Hades left via.

"Hey girl, can you take me back to the hunt?" I asked and she let out a bark that showered me in dog saliva. She crouched down allowing me to carefully climb on her back and ran into the shadows.

We reappeared in the middle of the hunter's camp scaring a number of them who were relaxing by the campfire. I dismounted my faithful hellhound and looked at her.

"Thank you, girl," I told her as I clasped my hands together. In my hands appeared a whole prime rib that I chucked on the ground for her. Mrs. O'Leary ate the whole thing in one bite, bones and all before giving me a slobbery lick up the face and disappearing into the shadows.

"What was that about returning safe?" asked Artemis looking at the arrow in my shoulder.

AN/: Sorry no Pertamis quite yet but I promise it'll happen soon. I hope you enjoyed! xxx