Disclaimer:
I DO NOT own this series. That goes to the wonderful Rick Riordan and Hyperion Books. I am just borrowing the story and characters. I will say that the story lines will be written down because it makes it much easier to follow along and know the current placement, especially if it has been a while since reading the book. Also, this is not beta'd so there will most likely be a few mistakes, feel free to let me know. Enjoy!
Oh, this is also only my second story ever so please be gentle. I've been really enjoying getting to share how I would imagine characters would react to their tales and I hope to continue to do so.
Book
'thoughts'
"speech"
AN: Sorry this has taken so long to get out there. My schedule has been so wonky. Having 8ams some days and midday classes others really threw me off. Whatever. On with the story!
We Find Out the Truth, Sort Of
Zeus read out the title and nobody dared comment anything. The gods could only roll their eyes at the look he was using to 'scare' the group into listening. Taking a glance at the children showed his attempt was futile as many were struggling to not burst out with laughter. Even Sally was fighting a smile.
Apparently, the Thunderer did not notice this and continued reading.
Imagine the largest concert crowd you've ever seen, a football field packed with a million fans.
Now imagine a field a million times that big, packed with people, and imagine the electricity has gone out, and there is no noise, no light, no beach ball bouncing around over the crowd. Something tragic has happened backstage. Whispering masses of people are just milling around in the shadows, waiting for a concert that will never start.
If you can picture that, you have a pretty good idea what the Fields of Asphodel looked like. The black grass had been trampled by eons of dead feet. A warm, moist wind blew like the breath of a swamp. Black trees—Grover told me they were poplars—grew in clumps here and there.
"Why was that more accurate than any explanation I could have come up with? I'm the one who's lived there!" Nico complained.
"I'm just that good Neeks." Percy jokingly preened.
"Quiet Fish boy."
"I still can't get over how on point your descriptions are though. They're really good." Will jumped in.
"He's right, anything I could have imagined wouldn't have been a single thing you have described honey." Sally told her son. For the longest time she had wondered about pretty much everything about the legends and such. Even when Poseidon had told her who he was she didn't believe him until he decided to show off.
The only thing Zeus did was begin to read louder than before causing the group to quiet down. Oh, how he wished he could just finish this quickly. He was getting annoyed about the many arguments on what to do about their father.
The cavern ceiling was so high above us it might've been a bank of storm clouds, except for
the stalactites, which glowed faint gray and looked wickedly pointed. I tried not to imagine they'd fall on us at any moment, but dotted around the fields were several that had fallen and impaled themselves in the black grass. I guess the dead didn't have to worry about little hazards like being speared by stalactites the size of booster rockets.
Annabeth, Grover, and I tried to blend into the crowd, keeping an eye out for security ghouls. I couldn't help looking for familiar faces among the spirits of Asphodel, but the dead are hard to look at. Their faces shimmer. They all look slightly angry or confused. They will come up to you and speak, but their voices sound like chatter, like bats twittering. Once they realize you can't understand them, they frown and move away.
The dead aren't scary. They're just sad.
Hades let out a long, heavy sigh. "That is very much true. Unfortunately, there really is nothing I can do about it. The magic of the Underworld just gives off that feeling. Few places actually have a pleasant feel to them."
"I assume the garden and your palace for sure?" Percy asks.
The Lord nodded, "as well as some private areas or meeting rooms. Places where others come for visits or meetings. For some death magic is much more straining than others."
"It definitely wasn't comfortable for me. I'm sure other nature creatures and spirits feel it much worse than I did." Grover commented.
"And you were lucky enough to only deal with it the once." Percy added.
"Judging by that commentary I'm assuming that means you have been more then?" Poseidon questioned his son.
The Sea son nodded, "I've went down twice for a quest or quest-like reason and then I've visited for the playdates and such. The magic doesn't affect me as much as it used to due to something specific that comes into play later, but also being near Nico so often helps the body become accustomed to the feeling and you kinda build some resistance."
"Huh, I never thought of that, but it makes a lot of sense." Nico wondered, "I've been so confused over how comfortable you seem whenever you visit."
"I like coming down to see everyone. Especially since Uncle Hades gave me permission to visit people in Elysium." Percy shrugged.
"I did?!"
"Oh yeah! Although, I think I'm the only one you've let do that."
"Why?"
"Um, the main reason probably comes up in the fifth book…"
Hades could only sigh, "Well, we better continue then."
We crept along, following the line of new arrivals that snaked from the main gates toward a black-tented pavilion with a banner that read:
JUDGMENTS FOR ELYSIUM AND ETERNAL DAMNATION
Welcome, Newly Deceased!
Out the back of the tent came two much smaller lines.
To the left, spirits flanked by security ghouls were marched down a rocky path toward the Fields of Punishment, which glowed and smoked in the distance, a vast, cracked wasteland with rivers of lava and minefields and miles of barbed wire separating the different torture areas. Even from far away, I could see people being chased by hellhounds, burned at the stake, forced to run naked through cactus patches or listen to opera music. I could just make out a tiny hill, with the ant-size figure of Sisyphus struggling to move his boulder to the top. And I saw worse tortures, too—things I don't want to describe.
"Well, that's… vivid."
"Shh, don't make us think on it more."
The line coming from the right side of the judgment pavilion was much better. This one led down toward a small valley surrounded by walls—a gated community, which seemed to be the only happy part of the Underworld. Beyond the security gate were neighborhoods of beautiful houses from every time period in history, Roman villas and medieval castles and Victorian mansions. Silver and gold flowers bloomed on the lawns. The grass rippled in rainbow colors. I could hear laughter and smell barbecue cooking.
Elysium.
In the middle of that valley was a glittering blue lake, with three small islands like a vacation resort in the Bahamas. The Isles of the Blest, for people who had chosen to be reborn three times, and three times achieved Elysium. Immediately I knew that's where I wanted to go when I died.
"Wow." Rachel exhaled at the imagery. It sounded amazing.
"It's the nicest place to visit." Percy smiled.
"Sometimes we get lucky and find past heroes who loved to share stories." Annabeth bounced a little excited at the reminder.
"So, you're saying we need to try and snag a trip to the Underworld with Nico." Connor grinned.
"Ooh, I already have ideas…" Travis rubbed his hands together.
Hades could only panic, "How about we hold off on those ideas?"
He wasn't very convincing, but the fear in him was pretty evident.
Some of the others let out some chuffs and snickers at the god's look.
"That's what it's all about," Annabeth said, like she was reading my thoughts. "That's the place for heroes."
But I thought of how few people there were in Elysium, how tiny it was compared to the Fields of Asphodel or even the Fields of Punishment. So few people did good in their lives. It was depressing.
We left the judgment pavilion and moved deeper into the Asphodel Fields. It got darker. The colors faded from our clothes. The crowds of chattering spirits began to thin.
After a few miles of walking, we began to hear a familiar screech in the distance. Looming on the horizon was a palace of glittering black obsidian. Above the parapets swirled three dark batlike creatures: the Furies. I got the feeling they were waiting for us.
"Oof yeah, I always have to keep an eye out for the Furies." Percy grimaced.
"Son?"
"All three have quite a grudge against Percy." Nico helpful answered for his cousin.
"Considering there's only been one time we didn't attack each other; I would say it goes both ways Neeks." The son of Poseidon groaned.
"Oh, I'm definitely not going to be enjoying these other quests am I honey?" Sally had to ask.
"Sorry Mom."
"I suppose it's too late to turn back," Grover said wistfully.
"We'll be okay." I tried to sound confident.
"You didn't." the two deadpanned.
"I figured."
"Maybe we should search some of the other places first," Grover suggested. "Like, Elysium, for instance ..."
"Come on, goat boy." Annabeth grabbed his arm.
Grover yelped. His sneakers sprouted wings and his legs shot forward, pulling him away from Annabeth. He landed flat on his back in the grass.
"Oh, I forgot about this. I kinda just forced myself to forget." The satyr whined.
"Me too." The couple agree.
"What's happening?" Hermes asked causing the trio to grimace hard. This wouldn't end well for the god's hope.
"Grover," Annabeth chided. "Stop messing around."
"But I didn't—"
He yelped again. His shoes were flapping like crazy now. They levitated off the ground and started dragging him away from us.
Hermes blanched, "That doesn't make any sense…"
The trio held firm with their silence, as did the other campers. They had never heard about this moment, but it was easy to guess who caused it.
Apollo had put what he hoped was a comforting arm around his brother If anything were to happen to these three because of a gift from the messenger, the god would never recover.
"Maia!" he yelled, but the magic word seemed to have no effect. "Maia, already! Nine-one-one! Help!"
I got over being stunned and made a grab for Grover's hand, but too late. He was picking up speed, skidding downhill like a bobsled.
We ran after him.
Annabeth shouted, "Untie the shoes!"
At this point Grover had buried his head into Percy's chest. Everyone could see how he was shaking violently at the memory. It was clear why the satyr seemed to have blocked this moment from his mind.
Percy was combing his fingers through his best friend's curls, shoving as much of a calming and safe feeling down the empathy link.
Sally and Annabeth trying to give additional comfort as much as they could.
It was a smart idea, but I guess it's not so easy when your shoes are pulling you along feetfirst at full speed. Grover tried to sit up, but he couldn't get close to the laces.
We kept after him, trying to keep him in sight as he ripped between the legs of spirits who chattered at him in annoyance.
I was sure Grover was going to barrel straight through the gates of Hades' palace, but his shoes veered sharply to the right and dragged him in the opposite direction.
"Oh no." said Underworld god exhales.
"What brother?" Zeus actually paused at the clear worry in Hades' tone.
"They're heading towards The Pit."
Sharp inhales from everyone ring out.
The slope got steeper. Grover picked up speed. Annabeth and I had to sprint to keep up. The cavern walls narrowed on either side, and I realized we'd entered some kind of side tunnel. No black grass or trees now, just rock underfoot, and the dim light of the stalactites above.
"Grover!" I yelled, my voice echoing. "Hold on to something!"
"What?" he yelled back.
He was grabbing at gravel, but there was nothing big enough to slow him down.
A high-pitched whine came from the scared satyr, soft shushing following quickly.
The tunnel got darker and colder. The hairs on my arms bristled. It smelled evil down here. It made me think of things I shouldn't even know about—blood spilled on an ancient stone altar, the foul breath of a murderer.
Even Nico shuttered at that imagery; it was difficult to remember how young these children really were.
Then I saw what was ahead of us, and I stopped dead in my tracks.
"Why are you stopping?!" that was Hermes crying out.
"Probably father influencing him, wanting to buy time for poor Grover to get farther." Hestia whispered.
The tunnel widened into a huge dark cavern, and in the middle was a chasm the size of a city block.
Grover was sliding straight toward the edge.
"Come on, Percy!" Annabeth yelled, tugging at my wrist.
"But that's—"
"I know!" she shouted. "The place you described in your dream! But Grover's going to fall if we don't catch him." She was right, of course. Grover's predicament got me moving again.
He was yelling, clawing at the ground, but the winged shoes kept dragging him toward the pit, and it didn't look like we could possibly get to him in time.
All the campers were on the edge of their seats with worry.
What saved him were his hooves.
"Oh, thank gods." Thalia melted into her seat.
The rest of the group losing a bit of their worry.
The flying sneakers had always been a loose fit on him, and finally Grover hit a big rock and the left shoe came flying off. It sped into the darkness, down into the chasm. The right shoe kept tugging him along, but not as fast. Grover was able to slow himself down by grabbing on to the big rock and using it like an anchor.
He was ten feet from the edge of the pit when we caught him and hauled him back up the slope. The other winged shoe tugged itself off, circled around us angrily and kicked our heads in protest before flying off into the chasm to join its twin.
The Messenger God let out a shaky breath, "You were all okay after this, right?"
"We were very shaken, but we were fine otherwise." Annabeth spoke for the trio.
"Do you know how this happened?" Hermes interrogated.
It was Percy who nodded harshly, but Annabeth answered. "We get the full story closer to the end of the quest, so we should just wait. I'm sorry, but it would be better to get the explanation as we did back then."
Hermes could only nod, worry still present.
We all collapsed, exhausted, on the obsidian gravel. My limbs felt like lead. Even my backpack seemed heavier, as if somebody had filled it with rocks.
Grover was scratched up pretty bad. His hands were bleeding. His eyes had gone slit-pupiled, goat style, the way they did whenever he was terrified.
"I don't know how ..." he panted. "I didn't..."
"Wait," I said. "Listen."
"Don't boy." Dionysus sneered.
"He wouldn't be able to resist it." Athena reasoned, "Not when they are so close to him."
I heard something—a deep whisper in the darkness.
Another few seconds, and Annabeth said, "Percy, this place—"
"Shh." I stood.
The sound was getting louder, a muttering, evil voice from far, far below us. Coming from the pit.
Grover sat up. "Wh—what's that noise?"
Annabeth heard it too, now. I could see it in her eyes. "Tartarus. The entrance to Tartarus." I uncapped Anaklusmos.
The bronze sword expanded, gleaming in the darkness, and the evil voice seemed to falter, just for a moment, before resuming its chant.
"Thank goodness you have it." Poseidon sighed.
"Why?"
"It was forged in the sea, magically it is too unpredictable. At least against other types of magic." The Sea God explained.
"Whatever it can do, I'm grateful to have it." Percy replied.
I could almost make out words now, ancient, ancient words, older even than Greek. As if ...
"Magic," I said.
"We have to get out of here," Annabeth said.
Together, we dragged Grover to his hooves and started back up the tunnel. My legs wouldn't move fast enough. My backpack weighed me down. The voice got louder and angrier behind us, and we broke into a run.
Not a moment too soon.
"Oh, now what?" Sally whispered.
A cold blast of wind pulled at our backs, as if the entire pit were inhaling. For a terrifying moment, I lost ground, my feet slipping in the gravel. If we'd been any closer to the edge, we would've been sucked in.
We kept struggling forward, and finally reached the top of the tunnel, where the cavern widened out into the Fields of Asphodel. The wind died. A wail of outrage echoed from deep in the tunnel. Something was not happy we'd gotten away.
"What was that?" Grover panted, when we'd collapsed in the relative safety of a black poplar grove. "One of Hades' pets?"
"That would have been preferred." Hades and Grover mutter.
Percy was quick to check in with the satyr, "You good now, G-Man?"
He received a nod, "Yeah, thanks Perce."
The Satyr decided to stay wrapped against his friend, after that remembrance he needed it, not to mention what Percy would have to remember in a bit.
Annabeth and I looked at each other. I could tell she was nursing an idea, probably the same one she'd gotten during the taxi ride to L.A., but she was too scared to share it. That was enough to terrify me.
I capped my sword, put the pen back in my pocket. "Let's keep going." I looked at Grover. "Can you walk?"
He swallowed. "Yeah, sure. I never liked those shoes, anyway."
He tried to sound brave about it, but he was trembling as badly as Annabeth and I were. Whatever was in that pit was nobody's pet. It was unspeakably old and powerful. Even Echidna hadn't given me that feeling. I was almost relieved to turn my back on that tunnel and head toward the palace of Hades.
Almost.
The Furies circled the parapets, high in the gloom. The outer walls of the fortress glittered black, and the two-story-tall bronze gates stood wide open.
Up close, I saw that the engravings on the gates were scenes of death. Some were from modern times—an atomic bomb exploding over a city, a trench filled with gas mask-wearing soldiers, a line of African famine victims waiting with empty bowls—but all of them looked as if they'd been etched into the bronze thousands of years ago. I wondered if I was looking at prophecies that had come true.
"Some yes." Hades stated, taking the moment to relax some. Hopefully the worst of this chapter was over.
"Huh, cool."
Inside the courtyard was the strangest garden I'd ever seen. Multicolored mushrooms, poisonous shrubs, and weird luminous plants grew without sunlight. Precious jewels made up for the lack of flowers, piles of rubies as big as my fist, clumps of raw diamonds. Standing here and there like frozen party guests were Medusa's garden statues— petrified children, satyrs, and centaurs—all smiling grotesquely.
In the center of the garden was an orchard of pomegranate trees, their orange blooms neon bright in the dark. "The garden of Persephone," Annabeth said. "Keep walking."
"Again, we didn't know it was Medusa those were coming from." Hades was quick to remind everyone.
I understood why she wanted to move on. The tart smell of those pomegranates was almost overwhelming. I had a sudden desire to eat them, but then I remembered the story of Persephone. One bite of Underworld food, and we would never be able to leave. I pulled Grover away to keep him from picking a big juicy one.
We walked up the steps of the palace, between black columns, through a black marble portico, and into the house of Hades. The entry hall had a polished bronze floor, which seemed to boil in the reflected torchlight. There was no ceiling, just the cavern roof, far above. I guess they never had to worry about rain down here.
"Oh yay, Percy humor and sarcasm has returned!" Apollo cheered, succeeding to lighten the mood some.
Every side doorway was guarded by a skeleton in military gear. Some wore Greek armor, some British redcoat uniforms, some camouflage with tattered American flags on the shoulders. They carried spears or muskets or M-16s. None of them bothered us, but their hollow eye sockets followed us as we walked down the hall, toward the big set of doors at the opposite end.
Two U.S. Marine skeletons guarded the doors. They grinned down at us, rocket-propelled grenade launchers held across their chests.
"Dude, we should totally make movies or something. Percy's explanations are perfect to describe scenes and stuff." Travis commented.
"What would we need movies for?" Will asked.
"We could end up rich is what! Just imagine how the mundane people would think of it. It could be big like Harry Potter!" Connor supported his brother.
"Um, let's not guys. Too many things happened in these quests for us to talk about, let alone share everything. Which is what I'm already having to do." Percy shut down the idea.
"Oh, right. That wouldn't be fun huh?"
"You know," Grover mumbled, "I bet Hades doesn't have trouble with door-to-door salesmen."
Snorts are let loose.
"Percy's sarcasm has definitely rubbed off on you goat boy." Chris laughed.
"Thanks!" the satyr cheered, smiling widely which was very much welcome after seeing his fear.
My backpack weighed a ton now. I couldn't figure out why. I wanted to open it, check to see if I had somehow picked up a stray bowling ball, but this wasn't the time.
"Well, guys," I said. "I suppose we should ... knock?"
A hot wind blew down the corridor, and the doors swung open. The guards stepped aside.
"I guess that means entrez-vous," Annabeth said.
The room inside looked just like in my dream, except this time the throne of Hades was occupied.
He was the third god I'd met, but the first who really struck me as godlike.
Hades preened extravagantly, oozing confidence at his brothers.
"Oh, don't give us that look, you peacock. He met you in your domain, of course you seemed larger than life." Poseidon waved in the Silent One's face.
"Yes, I'm sure there were other gods he's met that looked just as 'godlike'." Zeus added, seemingly trying to catch the eye of the son of Poseidon.
The three turned to Percy hoping for an answer.
The boy flushed, "Um, well it may sound biased, but Dad scared me the most out of everybody."
"Don't downplay it, Percy. You were smoking and almost combusted." Annabeth chided her boyfriend.
"What?!" Poseidon yelled concerned.
"Um, that's way later. Um in the fifth book." Percy ducked his head.
"That's not helping Perseus." Sally jumped in.
"I know…"
"Fine, I will continue. Hopefully we will be learning about the fate of my bolt." The thunderer sighed.
He was at least ten feet tall, for one thing, and dressed in black silk robes and a crown of braided gold. His skin was albino white, his hair shoulder-length and jet black. He wasn't bulked up like Ares, but he radiated power. He lounged on his throne of fused human bones, looking lithe, graceful, and dangerous as a panther.
"A lovely description, nephew-mine." Hades smirked.
"It is one of my better ones."
I immediately felt like he should be giving the orders. He knew more than I did. He should be my master. Then I told myself to snap out of it.
Hades' aura was affecting me, just as Ares's had. The Lord of the Dead resembled pictures I'd seen of Adolph Hitler, or Napoleon, or the terrorist leaders who direct suicide bombers. Hades had the same intense eyes, the same kind of mesmerizing, evil charisma.
"You are brave to come here, Son of Poseidon," he said in an oily voice. "After what you have done to me, very brave indeed. Or perhaps you are simply very foolish."
Numbness crept into my joints, tempting me to lie down and just take a little nap at Hades' feet. Curl up here and sleep forever.
I fought the feeling and stepped forward. I knew what I had to say. "Lord and Uncle, I come with two requests."
"Ooh, bad idea to pull out the uncle card that early…" Nico winced.
"You know I'm not good under pressure!" Percy whined.
"Well, unfortunately it had to be Percy who talked. If one of us had, this wouldn't have gone as well as it did." Grover defended.
"Oh boy." The Lord of the Underworld sighed, he just knew his temper was going to show itself.
Hades raised an eyebrow. When he sat forward in his throne, shadowy faces appeared in the folds of his black robes, faces of torment, as if the garment were stitched of trapped souls from the Fields of Punishment, trying to get out. The ADHD part of me wondered, off-task, whether the rest of his clothes were made the same way. What horrible things would you have to do in your life to get woven into Hades' underwear?
"I'm not going to deem that worthy of an answer." The god said, when he got looks from some of the group.
"Only two requests?" Hades said. "Arrogant child. As if you have not already taken enough. Speak, then. It amuses me not to strike you dead yet."
I swallowed. This was going about as well as I'd feared.
I glanced at the empty, smaller throne next to Hades's. It was shaped like a black flower, gilded with gold. I wished Queen Persephone were here. I recalled something in the myths about how she could calm her husband's moods. But it was summer. Of course, Persephone would be above in the world of light with her mother, the goddess of agriculture, Demeter. Her visits, not the tilt of the planet, create the seasons.
Annabeth cleared her throat. Her finger prodded me in the back.
"Lord Hades," I said. "Look, sir, there can't be a war among the gods. It would be ... bad."
"Really bad," Grover added helpfully.
"Return Zeus's master bolt to me," I said. "Please, sir. Let me carry it to Olympus."
Hades' eyes grew dangerously bright. "You dare keep up this pretense, after what you have done?"
I glanced back at my friends. They looked as confused as I was.
"Um ... Uncle," I said. "You keep saying 'after what you've done.' What exactly have I done?"
"Man, I was so confused. Nothing made sense anymore." Percy shook his head. "Typical, me not knowing everything when I should and being stuck as the middle-man between people's plots."
"So, not a good moment?" Clarisse deadpanned.
"Not the best, no."
"Wait, plots? As in more than one?" Zeus questioned.
"Well technically it was all from the same person, just multiple people trying to accomplish the task." Percy shrugged.
The throne room shook with a tremor so strong, they probably felt it upstairs in Los Angeles. Debris fell from the cavern ceiling. Doors burst open all along the walls, and skeletal warriors marched in, hundreds of them, from every time period and nation in Western civilization. They lined the perimeter of the room, blocking the exits.
Hades bellowed, "Do you think I want war, godling?"
I wanted to say, Well, these guys don't look like peace activists. But I thought that might be a dangerous answer.
"You are the Lord of the Dead," I said carefully. "A war would expand your kingdom, right?"
"Maybe I should just show the Underworld to people. It would dissuade this stupid idea of wanting more death than there already is." Hades rubbed his eyes.
"A typical thing for my brothers to say! Do you think I need more subjects? Did you not see the sprawl of the Asphodel Fields?"
"Well..."
"Have you any idea how much my kingdom has swollen in this past century alone, how many subdivisions I've had to open?"
I opened my mouth to respond, but Hades was on a roll now.
"More security ghouls," he moaned. "Traffic problems at the judgment pavilion. Double overtime for the staff. I used to be a rich god, Percy Jackson. I control all the precious metals under the earth. But my expenses!"
"Charon wants a pay raise," I blurted, just remembering the fact. As soon as I said it, I wished I could sew up my mouth.
"At least you are aware of how stupid that comment was."
"Don't get me started on Charon!" Hades yelled. "He's been impossible ever since he discovered Italian suits! Problems everywhere, and I've got to handle all of them personally. The commute time alone from the palace to the gates is enough to drive me insane! And the dead just keep arriving. No, godling. I need no help getting subjects! I did not ask for this war."
"But you took Zeus's master bolt."
"Lies!" More rumbling. Hades rose from his throne, towering to the height of a football goalpost. "Your father may fool Zeus, boy, but I am not so stupid. I see his plan."
"His plan?"
"Ugh, blamed because of my father. Another typicality." The son of Poseidon growled.
"This happens often?" It was Artemis who posed the question.
"Yeah, I've even had monster siblings who have attacked me for glory from dad." Percy grumbled causing his father's face to fall.
Poseidon could only feel sadness and disappointment. He loved all of his children, but he couldn't interact with any of them. It broke his heart every time one was in danger.
"You were the thief on the winter solstice," he said. "Your father thought to keep you his little secret. He directed you into the throne room on Olympus, you took the master bolt and my helm. Had I not sent my Fury to discover you at Yancy Academy, Poseidon might have succeeded in hiding his scheme to start a war. But now you have been forced into the open. You will be exposed as Poseidon's thief, and I will have my helm back!"
"But ..." Annabeth spoke. I could tell her mind was going a million miles an hour. "Lord Hades, your helm of darkness is missing, too?"
"What." Hades' face was unreadable.
"Two missing weapons?!" Many of the gods yell.
"How could they have even been taken?" Sally wondered aloud.
"Um, that's explained later as well." Her son answered.
"Do not play innocent with me, girl. You and the satyr have been helping this hero—coming here to threaten me in Poseidon's name, no doubt—to bring me an ultimatum. Does Poseidon think I can be blackmailed into supporting him?"
"No!" I said. "Poseidon didn't—I didn't—"
"I have said nothing of the helm's disappearance," Hades snarled, "because I had no illusions that anyone on Olympus would offer me the slightest justice, the slightest help. I can ill afford for word to get out that my most powerful weapon of fear is missing. So I searched for you myself, and when it was clear you were coming to me to deliver your threat, I did not try to stop you."
"You didn't try to stop us? But—"
"And now I'm just steamrolling over you trying to explain. This quest is just a mess always, isn't it?" Hades groaned.
"Unfortunately, that pretty typical of any quest." Thalia explained.
To hear that still shocked the gods; to them quests never seemed to be that difficult.
"Return my helm now, or I will stop death," Hades threatened. "That is my counterproposal. I will open the earth and have the dead pour back into the world. I will make your lands a nightmare. And you, Percy Jackson—your skeleton will lead my army out of Hades."
The skeletal soldiers all took one step forward, making their weapons ready.
At that point, I probably should have been terrified. The strange thing was, I felt offended. Nothing gets me angrier than being accused of something I didn't do. I've had a lot of experience with that.
"You're as bad as Zeus," I said. "You think I stole from you? That's why you sent the Furies after me?"
"Of course," Hades said.
"And the other monsters?"
"And now we've hit the blaming each other stage of this 'consultation'." Hephaestus said.
"Sounds like every meeting we've had ever." Aphrodite giggled.
Hades curled his lip. "I had nothing to do with them. I wanted no quick death for you—I wanted you brought before me alive so you might face every torture in the Fields of Punishment. Why do you think I let you enter my kingdom so easily?"
"Easily?"
"Return my property!"
"But I don't have your helm. I came for the master bolt."
"Which you already possess!" Hades shouted. "You came here with it, little fool, thinking you could you threaten me!"
"But I didn't!"
"Open your pack, then."
"What." Zeus was stoic, having to pause his reading.
"Please just keep reading, sir." Annabeth mutters softly, trying to avoid the gods' ire.
With a long exhale Zeus continues.
A horrible feeling struck me. The weight in my backpack, like a bowling ball. It couldn't be...
I slung it off my shoulder and unzipped it. Inside was a two-foot-long metal cylinder, spiked on both ends, humming with energy.
"Percy," Annabeth said. "How—"
"I—I don't know. I don't understand."
"You heroes are always the same," Hades said. "Your pride makes you foolish, thinking you could bring such a weapon before me. I did not ask for Zeus's master bolt, but since it is here, you will yield it to me. I am sure it will make an excellent bargaining tool. And now ... my helm. Where is it?"
I was speechless. I had no helm. I had no idea how the master bolt had gotten into my backpack. I wanted to think Hades was pulling some kind of trick. Hades was the bad guy. But suddenly the world turned sideways. I realized I'd been played with. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades had been set at each other's throats by someone else. The master bolt had been in the backpack, and I'd gotten the backpack from...
"Oh, you better not start blaming me, godling." Ares snarled.
"Quiet Ares!" the War Gods' father snapped.
"Lord Hades, wait," I said. "This is all a mistake."
"A mistake?" Hades roared.
The skeletons aimed their weapons. From high above, there was a fluttering of leathery wings, and the three Furies swooped down to perch on the back of their master's throne. The one with Mrs. Dodds' face grinned at me eagerly and flicked her whip.
"There is no mistake," Hades said. "I know why you have come—I know the real reason you brought the bolt. You came to bargain for her."
A sharp inhale from Hades was heard. 'Was he really bargaining a mother's life to her child?'
Percy had blanched at the memory, arms tightening around Grover and snagging his mother's hand firmly.
"I'm here baby, I'm here." Sally whispered in his hair.
Hades loosed a ball of gold fire from his palm. It exploded on the steps in front of me, and there was my mother, frozen in a shower of gold, just as she was at the moment when the Minotaur began to squeeze her to death.
I couldn't speak. I reached out to touch her, but the light was as hot as a bonfire.
"Yes," Hades said with satisfaction. "I took her. I knew, Percy Jackson, that you would come to bargain with me eventually. Return my helm, and perhaps I will let her go. She is not dead, you know. Not yet. But if you displease me, that will change."
"What am I doing? Why I am I doing this?" said god muttered.
"Desperation, sir. Your helm had been missing as long as the bolt and your being blamed doesn't help." Grover replied shyly.
"That still shouldn't impact me to bargain this way."
"I think there was more at play, Uncle H. I have some of an idea I believe in the next chapter." Percy mumbled.
"Ah, fine we shall have to continue on."
I thought about the pearls in my pocket. Maybe they could get me out of this. If I could just get my mom free...
"Ah, the pearls," Hades said, and my blood froze. "Yes, my brother and his little tricks. Bring them forth, Percy Jackson."
My hand moved against my will and brought out the pearls.
"Only three," Hades said. "What a shame. You do realize each only protects a single person. Try to take your mother, then, little godling. And which of your friends will you leave behind to spend eternity with me? Go on. Choose. Or give me the backpack and accept my terms."
I looked at Annabeth and Grover. Their faces were grim.
"Oh honey." Sally sighed realizing her son's predicament.
"We were tricked," I told them. "Set up."
"Yes, but why?" Annabeth asked. "And the voice in the pit—"
"I don't know yet," I said. "But I intend to ask."
"Decide, boy!" Hades yelled.
"Percy." Grover put his hand on my shoulder. "You can't give him the bolt,"
"I know that."
"Leave me here," he said. "Use the third pearl on your mom."
"Very noble satyr." Artemis praised causing Grover to blush.
"He's the best goat boy." Thalia ruffled his curls.
"No!"
"I'm a satyr," Grover said. "We don't have souls like humans do. He can torture me until I die, but he won't get me forever. I'll just be reincarnated as a flower or something. It's the best way."
"Gods, the pair of you are just as self-sacrificing as the other. A match made in heaven." Clarisse complained getting small grins from the two friends.
"No." Annabeth drew her bronze knife. "You two go on. Grover, you have to protect Percy. You have to get your searcher's license and start your quest for Pan. Get his mom out of here. I'll cover you. I plan to go down fighting."
"Also noble, daughter." Athena added trying to bridge the rough connection with her child.
"No way," Grover said. "I'm staying behind."
"Think again, goat boy," Annabeth said.
"Stop it, both of you!" I felt like my heart was being ripped in two. They had both been with me through so much. I remembered Grover dive-bombing Medusa in the statue garden, and Annabeth saving us from Cerberus; we'd survived Hephaestus's Waterland ride, the St. Louis Arch, the Lotus Casino. I had spent thousands of miles worried that I'd be betrayed by a friend, but these friends would never do that. They had done nothing but save me, over and over, and now they wanted to sacrifice their lives for my mom.
"I know what to do," I said. "Take these."
I handed them each a pearl.
Annabeth said, "But, Percy ..."
I turned and faced my mother. I desperately wanted to sacrifice myself and use the last pearl on her, but I knew what she would say. She would never allow it. I had to get the bolt back to Olympus and tell Zeus the truth. I had to stop the war. She would never forgive me if I saved her instead. I thought about the prophecy made at Half-Blood Hill, what seemed like a million years ago. You will fail to save what matters most in the end.
"Oh son." Poseidon sighed.
"You poor dear," that was Aphrodite.
"I'm right here, honey." Sally was reassuring her boy.
"I'm sorry," I told her. "I'll be back. I'll find a way."
The smug look on Hades' face faded. He said, "Godling...?"
"I'll find your helm, Uncle," I told him. "I'll return it. Remember about Charon's pay raise."
"Oh my gods, you still mentioned it." Nico rubbed his face.
"I keep my promises…"
Nico flinched at that comment, leading to looks of confusion and concern. Thankfully Percy was unaware, that would have made Nico's guilt worse.
"Do not defy me—"
"And it wouldn't hurt to play with Cerberus once in a while. He likes red rubber balls."
"Percy Jackson, you will not—"
I shouted, "Now, guys!"
We smashed the pearls at our feet. For a scary moment, nothing happened.
Hades yelled, "Destroy them!"
The army of skeletons rushed forward, swords out, guns clicking to full automatic. The Furies lunged, their whips bursting into flame.
Just as the skeletons opened fire, the pearl fragments at my feet exploded with a burst of green light and a gust of fresh sea wind. I was encased in a milky white sphere, which was starting to float off the ground.
Annabeth and Grover were right behind me. Spears and bullets sparked harmlessly off the pearl bubbles as we floated up. Hades yelled with such rage, the entire fortress shook and I knew it was not going to be a peaceful night in L.A.
"Look up.'" Grover yelled. "We're going to crash!"
Sure enough, we were racing right toward the stalactites, which I figured would pop our bubbles and skewer us.
"How do you control these things?" Annabeth shouted.
"I don't think you do!" I shouted back.
We screamed as the bubbles slammed into the ceiling and ... Darkness.
Were we dead?
No, I could still feel the racing sensation. We were going up, right through solid rock as easily as an air bubble in water. That was the power of the pearls, I realized—What belongs to the sea will always return to the sea.
"Man, those would've been so convenient other times after this." Percy murmured.
"For sure."
"If only, Seaweed Brain."
For a few moments, I couldn't see anything outside the smooth walls of my sphere, then my pearl broke through on the ocean floor. The two other milky spheres, Annabeth and Grover, kept pace with me as we soared upward through the water. And—ker-blam!
We exploded on the surface, in the middle of the Santa Monica Bay, knocking a surfer off his board with an indignant, "Dude!"
I grabbed Grover and hauled him over to a life buoy. I caught Annabeth and dragged her over too. A curious shark was circling us, a great white about eleven feet long.
I said, "Beat it."
The shark turned and raced away.
The surfer screamed something about bad mushrooms and paddled away from us as fast as he could.
Somehow, I knew what time it was: early morning, June 21, the day of the summer solstice.
In the distance, Los Angeles was on fire, plumes of smoke rising from neighborhoods all over the city. There had been an earthquake, all right, and it was Hades's fault. He was probably sending an army of the dead after me right now.
But at the moment, the Underworld wasn't my biggest problem.
I had to get to shore. I had to get Zeus's thunderbolt back to Olympus. Most of all, I had to have a serious conversation with the god who'd tricked me.
"This is gonna be fun!" Ares rubbed his hands together with glee.
"Really cutting it close huh Water Boy?" Thalia grinned.
"Hey! It worked out Pinecone Face!"
"Quiet!" Zeus boomed, "Who's reading next?"
"I will." Hera stated, "the faster we get through this the better."
Zeus handed his wife the book.
The Marriage Goddess opened to the next chapter and saw the title, shooting a look of incredulity towards Percy.
AN: Thanks for reading! Again I'm sorry this took so long to update, but never fear I will not abandon this. It may be long breaks between chapters, but I will power through.
As always reviews give me life. See y'all next time!
