Hey so I know last chapter was a bit boring but I figured we needed a little check in with the Argo II. I was originally going to put a little fight scene in there, but I thought it would be better to see just how much Percy affected the rest of the seven and see how depressed they became. Also, sorry I haven't posted in a while. Anyway, I know I always say this, but I hope you enjoy the story and all rights go to the amazing Rick Riordan. Thanks guys! :)

Percy

There was something about marching to a castle that was built by the most evil being in existence that was very nerve racking. Most obvious statement of the decade, but even though Claire continuously assured him that not many monsters came around the castle other than the army (which was positioned inside), Percy couldn't help but look for something at every turn.

"Look at that. That had to be like twenty feet or something." Claire pointed to the rock that just skidded to a halt. Percy's rock landed about three feet behind hers.

"How are you so good at this?" He complained, trying and failing to beat her record. "You're like what? Six?"

"Seven." She stuck her tongue out at him. "And a half." Percy held up his hands in an 'I'm sorry' gesture.

"Maybe if I could get properly fed, no that stupid fire water, I could win. Where's Hermes's Shrine?" He looked around as if he expected to be miraculously right next to it without knowing.

"Oh once they figured out it could be useful to you and your girlfriend, they put it in the castle." She pointed to the barely visible dark shadow looming out of the fog. Percy sighed. He could have done with a taste from home. Maybe even sent a message to Grover like Annabeth did to Rachael. He wondered what their reactions were when they found the letter. Were they relieved they were alive, terrified from finding out they were in Tartarus, comforted from seeing their words on the page, knowing that they'd touched it. He missed them.

On and on they walked, kicking stones, playing 'I Spy', one round Percy named practically everything he could see and the round stretch for almost ten minutes before Claire revealed it was his shirt. The castle started to take shape, showing it's turrets and stone walls. Most castles were covered in ivy or overgrown, but there were no plants here. Sometimes Percy wondered how Gaea and Tartarus fell in love. Opposites attracted he guessed.

Soon they were standing at the door, Percy's heart beating uncomfortably fast. On his way there, he had tried to deny the fact that he was willingly walking into "The Castle of Death" as he liked to call it, but there was no more question anymore. He grabbed the knob and twisted. It didn't budge.

"I have the key." Claire was shaking, not meeting his eyes. Sometimes Percy forgot that she had lived here. He felt guilty for making her come back to where she hated.

"Hey you don't have to come you know." He looked at her in concern.

"No no. I'll be fine." The key shook in the lock, and she turned it. The door creaked open. He and Claire peered into the darkness, waiting for their eyes to adjust and for things to take shape. Finally a dark passage way revealed itself.

"Looks like someone didn't pay the electric bill." His nervous laugh died in his throat. Claire had tears in her eyes. Percy's heart was beating wildly. He couldn't believe he was doing this. He was sixteen years old (maybe seventeen if his birthday passed but Tartarus was bad with time). The past year of his life had been horrible but he kept going. Not that he had a choice. He tried to take a deep breath to calm his stomach which was turning with hunger and fear. The air barely got passed the lump in his throat.

"So... uh... where's the um... the exit?" His hands were shaking almost as bad as Claire's whose whole body was trembling. They started walking in together.

"Just a little further." Her voice sounded distant.

"What I don't understand was why all the monsters were so excited to go to the doors of death when they had an exit right here." He turned towards Claire but couldn't see her expression in the dark.

"It's um slow." She kept her eyes fixated on the passage in front of them.

"How slow?" Percy imagined being stuck in the magical exit for years, only emerging to see Gaea's victory, the world in ruins, everyone dead. Panic rose in him again, almost to the brink.

"I don't know. I've never been." Her tone meant that the conversation was over. Suddenly thundering footsteps were heard from everywhere. Percy turned around sharply, but every direction he turned, there were some behind him. He drew his sword, a dim light in the black hallway. Claire was crying. Percy tried to push her behind him, but she wouldn't budge.

Monsters of all kinds started appearing in the hallway. Empusai, Cyclopses (why cyclopses?!), earth giants, and many many more. Percy's hands tightened on his sword. He was okay going down, but he refused to let Claire die. It was his fault she was back here anyway.

"Percy Jackson." His own name sent shivers down Percy's spine. "A pleasure."

Even though panic made up Percy's every inch, he wasn't paranoid anymore. He knew where the monsters were, he knew the threat, he didn't have to second guess his every thought anymore. Fighting he knew. So even though he was probably more terrified then he'd ever been, his voice was calm.

"Can't say the same." He tilted his head slightly. If he could draw the attention away from Claire he could-

"And thank you Claire. Come here." An empusai grinned and beckoned Claire. Percy's heart sunk and his lips parted. He turned towards Claire who was crying and pale in the dim light. They made eye contact, blue against green. Her eyes swam with tears.

"I'm sorry Percy." Her words were barely audible as she slowly walked away from him. Percy's whole world seemed to crash. Not Claire. She couldn't have been lying to him the whole time. No no no no no no no no. He couldn't trust anyone. He was alone.

"Claire-" his words died in his throat.

"And now Percy, you will die." The cyclops raised his sword pointing at his face and Percy did the only thing he could think of. He ran. He turned and ran straight into the group that was blocking the way forward. He caught them off guard and sliced all of them into sand. He could hear the others following, a step behind. He turned while running and paired a strike that would have killed him and cut the cyclops in half. So close to death. So close to the end of the road.

He turned every chance he got. Slowly the footsteps became more distant. He was loosing them. He turned left again and ended up in a room with no more passage ways out. More panic. He would be cornered in the room. He had cornered himself. He was so stupid. Annabeth would have caught Claire for exactly what she was from the first word out of her mouth. So little yet so many lies. But Percy also saw some truth. The way she cried, how she apologized. She didn't want to do this. But she did it anyway.

He ran his fingers through his hair, almost pulling it out. He walked in a circle and then saw something. Hermes's Shine standing in the middle of the room. Too late for a taste of home now. Maybe he could write a message to Grover. He didn't have paper. Maybe he could rip off a piece of his shirt, he certainly had a pen. What would he say? Apologize? Because of the empathy link, if Percy went down here, Grover would die too.

Suddenly Percy was crying. All he wanted was his friends to be safe and now he practically killed his best friend. Poor Grover. Percy hadn't seen him in so long. If only he could just say one last thing to him and everything would be fine. Just to apologize. Apologize for killing him. He ripped a piece from his shirt and put the cap of the pen on the back of Riptide. He positioned the point over the stained cloth when the army filed into the room.

He threw the cap to the side, returning Riptide to a sword. He gripped it tightly, knuckles white, breath stuttering in his throat. He was going to die here. But, he was going to take as many of them down with him as he could.