In which we love our trio, also Hades is the long suffering uncle who is secretly amused by their antics. And thank you everyone for your understanding and well wishes. He's got a few months left apparently so I have no idea how things are gonna play out but I appreciate the understanding.
Replies:
Ryan Fowler: Thank you. It's not easy but at least for now he seems pretty happy and not in too much pain. That helps some.
Drizzle: Apparently he's got a few months- which is amazing but it's gonna be real hard when he does start getting really bad so I appreciate everyone's kindness and understanding.
Guest: It's weird, it felt like a punch to the stomach at first but now it's sort of just there in the background, knowing that he's not got that long. Which is stupid because he's fifteen so he's pretty old, and his mum who is also ours is around 20 so I knew they were both old and probably don't have that long in a sort of abstract way but still. It hits hard when you get told how long. And honestly I don't know. I believe they do sometimes use guns but swords are more practical I suppose- they use less metal in the long run.
Percy landed lightly, grinning when she turned her head and saw Piper and Annabeth emerging out of the shadows a second later, Annabeth stumbling slightly- and Piper quickly caught her shoulder to stop her from falling.
"I will never get used to that." Annabeth shook her head, a smile playing across her lips. "You're both naturals at it-"
"Just wait until Percy decides to turn you into a bird-"
"In my defence it's definitely a lot easier at times." Percy pointed out logically, brushing herself down as she looked up at Hades Palace. "So, are we ready to see Uncle H."
"I still can't believe he lets you call him that." Piper snorted. "How do you do it Percy? I swear it's like, impossible to hate you-"
"Oh I dunno, tell that to Haley."
"She barely even counts as a person." Annabeth waved a hand. "Who cares what that bitch thinks?"
"I sure as hell don't." Percy grinned, "If we're all ready, let's go then."
With that she was leading the way. With the amount of times she'd visited already it was pretty obvious that she knew the Underworld very well, after all she was completely relaxed- something she doubted any other hero would have been able to say.
It didn't take them long to make their way throughPersephone's gardens and through the large doors into the palace- which the skeletons on guard quickly opened when they saw the three girls, one of them practically bowing to Percy. Which made Annabeth laugh and Piper grinned.
"You know most of the spirits probably believe that you're Hades daughter-"
"Please don't." Percy laughed, "I love uncle Hades I do, but I'm very happy with just one Underworld god as a parent. I think two would be a bit overkill- possibly literally."
"You are very connected." Annabeth's voice was thoughtful, "Your ties to the Underworld are probably as strong as your ties to the sea."
"Well duh." Percy gave a wry smile, "There's a reason uncle Hades likes me so much. Well, being respectful does help."
"And yet you have openly stated you'd call Zeus Lord Thunderpants. To his face."
"Please don't." Annabeth practically squeaked the words, "I don't want to lose one of my two best friends thank you very much."
"Ugh, you spoil all my fun." Percy shot Annabeth a grin. "Relax brainbox." she slung an arm over Annabeth's shoulder. "Fine, if I ever meet old sparky I'll be respectful to him-"
"Unless he annoys you-"
"Well obviously." Percy giggled, "If he tries to smite me I'll claim diplomatic immunity as a Princess of the House of Life and the vessel of Chaos-"
"I-" Annabeth paused, "That might actually work-" her brows furrowed and her face turned thoughtful, "Technically speaking- I mean-" she started muttering under her breath and Percy couldn't help but smile fondly- and she caught Piper's eye as the other girl rolled her eyes and shook her head, a soft smile on her own lips.
Annabeth really did think too much sometimes. She liked having everything all perfectly planned out- Carter had often remarked that he had no idea how she put up with Piper and Percy, who were both incredibly spontaneous, and who thrived off of instincts more than planning- though Percy was much more extreme in that respect than Piper. But that came with being, well, being her. Chaos didn't exactly stick to plans after all. Any plans she made tended to go wrong unless they were last minute crazy ones- in which case they tended to go off insanely well- though they could barely be called plans.
And she was fairly good at battle strategy- as long as she allowed herself room to do whatever seemed like a good idea at the time.
But- well, she was making an effort to get better at sticking to plans, even if it sometimes chafed, if only because it made Annabeth happy.
And Percy pushed those thoughts aside when Annabeth stopped muttering, because they'd reached the tall proud doors that led into Hades throne room- since he was expecting them he should be there waiting.
The skeletons guarding the doors both nodded at Percy- giving tiny bows, and Percy held up her hand, "W'peh." and the hieroglyph flared in the air in front of her for a brief second before fading and disappearing as the doors swung open without so much as a creak. And she grinned faintly as she glanced at Annabeth and Piper- even after a year of living with the Kanes Annabeth still got a slightly wide eyed look whenever Percy used magic in front of her so casually.
Piper just bumped their shoulders together, laughing. "You Percy Kane, are a show off."
"I'm literally an actress, of course I'm a show off."
"You're ridiculous is what you are." Piper snorted, "See when you talk like that it sounds like all the fame's gone to your head."
"How do you know it hasn't?"
"Because we know you." that came from Annabeth, "For a famous person you're really normal. You're not like I imagined you-" she paused, "Well, not like I imagined Percy Kane. Or how I imagined Ariadne either actually-"
She was cut off by a slightly impatient little cough- and Annabeth's face flushed even as Percy turned her head to look into the throne room.
Hades was sat in his throne, and even from where they were stood at the other end of the room by the doors Percy could see that he didn't look impressed- though- he had a very slight glint in her eyes that told him he was amused. "Children." he gave a small nod, rising from his throne. "Thank you for deigning to notice me."
"Sorry uncle Hades." Percy beamed at him, clasping her hands behind her back as she skipped across the throne room towards him- and Annabeth and Piper were both trying to stifle their laughter as Hades let out a long suffering sigh.
"Stop that right now niece. I worry when you try to act so innocent-"
"Really uncle?" Percy gave a mock offended look, pressing her hand to her chest, "You wound me, really you do-"
"The last time you acted like that you snuck into the fields of punishment and caused chaos-"
"But in our defence we were just visiting an old friend." Piper said quickly, which earned both of them a confused look from Annabeth.
"An old friend? In the Fields of Punishment,"
"There was this preacher dude, con man really." Percy grinned widely, "You might have seen him on tv. The one who said that everyone involved with the Blake Adventures would rot in hell as blasphemers?"
"I remember watching that interview." Annabeth said slowly, "Didn't he got a bit crazy a few weeks after that?"
"Yep, and then he drove his car off a cliff, couldn't have happened to a nicer man. Anyways because he talked shit about me and my family Pipes and I broke into his house and I walked across his pool-"
"You-" Annabeth paused, "Walked across-" her eyes widened, "Percy you didn't!"
"Oh she did." Piper grinned, "I actually filmed it all- which turned out to be a mistake- Sadie made it her job to show it to everyone in Brooklyn House and obviously it got back to Sally and Carter and Percy got in trouble-"
"No blue cookies for a week." Percy huffed the words, "How cruel do you have to be to deprive a girl of blue cookies?"
"Did you really just ask that?" Hades raised an eyebrow, "Persephone Kane you have seen the Fields of Punishment-"
"Yes and I think those punishments- as fitting as they may be, are not as cruel as keeping me away from my cookies gods damn it."
"Yes well, I admit I may have to steal you from your father when your time comes niece- you could do very well coming up with punishments here."
"What did you do?" Annabeth was clearly trying to look disapproving- and she was failing at it, rather badly actually.
"Well since Piper and I spotted him during our first visit I decided to check in on our old buddy. He was very shocked to see us-"
"Especially when Percy just popped up in front of him out of nowhere."
"He asked if I was a demon- which I personally think was very rude." Percy declared seriously, "And of course Piper pointed out that he knew who I was but let his arrogance blind him to the truth-"
"And I may have used some slight of hand and some food dye to make him think I turned water into wine-"
"You-" Annabeth pressed her hand to her mouth, "You convinced him-"
"That I was his messiah yes. And that if he followed me I may grant him redemption-"
"Alecto was not impressed." Hades pulled a face, "Those in the Fields of Punishment are not supposed to wander around-"
"But I mean, in my defence it was funny-"
"What did you convince him to do?"
"I took him to the Asphodel fields and convinced him that the only way to redeem himself was to give lost spirits who needed help the clothes from his back. So we wandered Asphodel looking for spirits missing items of clothing- and we got him to give his to them. By the time Alecto found us he was walking around in his underwear." Percy snickered, "I know it's immature or whatever but I personally found it hilarious and it was exactly what that asshole deserved."
"I-" Annabeth shook her head, "Who's idea even was that-"
"Well Percy wanted to torment him- and I remembered that he was a con artist who scammed people out of loads of money so I suggested it would be fitting for him to give everything he had to people."
"It was hilarious." Percy declared, "A little mean spirited but hey, it worked. And it was funny when Alecto arrived and dragged him back to his punishment."
"Yes, well, you've both been banned from the Fields of Punishment." Hades remarked, "While I appreciate the humor of what you did, some of the souls there are very tricky. You're not to interfere with them again."
"I was about to say I can't believe that you basically pranked a dead person." Annabeth shook her head, "But I can. Gods what even is my life these days-"
"An exciting adventure?" Percy suggested, shooting Annabeth a grin, "C'mon brain box you know you find us entertaining."
"I don't know how I survived before I met you." Annabeth's voice was a touch more honest than Percy had expected and it made her feel warm and then Annabeth paused, "Wait, that would have been after I met you guys- where was I when you were on your little adventure."
"Visiting the First Nome with Carter." Percy said smoothly, "Remember? You wanted to see the library and Carter needed to see Amos. I couldn't come because I had an interview later in the day."
"Oh." Annabeth nodded, "I remember that day- the library was amazing. And you did keep giggling when I got home."
She's like a five year old." Piper laughed, "It's ridiculous." she shot Percy a look, "For a successful actress you can be terrible at lying sometimes-"
"No, no I'm not terrible at lying- not with important things at least. But when it's stuff like that- I mean, I don't even bother." Percy shrugged. "It was funny."
"Alecto would disagree."
"Yeah well, Alecto is not my biggest fan anyway. She's still grumpy that Pipes and I slipped away when she was chasing us."
"You're correct there." Hades nodded, "She'll likely never like you I admit." he leaned back in his throne, "But she knows that you're to be left alone. All three of you are off limits. Down here at least."
"Zeus is still in the dark?"
"I've not said a word to him and he seems none the wiser."
"What about my mom?" Annabeth hesitated, "Does she- I mean she knows I disappeared you told me that much-"
"She believes you ran away." Hades expression was almost sympathetic. "And she also believes that you likely died, given the fact that you disappeared from her senses."
"Huh." Annabeth gave a sad smile, "The only reason she noticed me is because I ran away. I guess that says a lot. She must be so disappoint-"
"Shush!" Piper was pressing a finger to Annabeths lips. "You know the rule Annabeth Chase. No insulting ourselves."
"It is a good rule." Percy agreed "'Sides, who cares what she thinks. You've got us."
