Chapter 15:

Markus's first feeling on the Fields of Asphodel was that of pity.

It looked like a gigantic field that housed a multi-tragic funeral or something. People would wonder about, murmuring to one another as the dead atmosphere echoed to near nothing as all that was heard was shuffling steps on barely muted feet. The dead would come up to you and try to say something, but he couldn't understand them at all as youcould barely see their face as they shimmered. The dead were angry and saddened, which Markus took notice of. Their mute voice could say nothing as they moved on, just wandering aimlessly. The thick warm moist air surrounded the group as they walked through the black trees - Grover told him they were poplars - grew in clumps here and there.

The cavern ceiling was so high above with wickedly sharp stalactites that gave a faint grey glow. Fallen ones dotted around the fields that impaled themselves in the black grass. It was a good thing the ghosts were dead, no need to worry about those things hitting them.

Annabeth, Grover, Markus and Percy tried to blend in with the crowd, keeping an eye out for security ghouls while they crept along, following the lines of new arrivals that snaked from the main gates towards a black-tented pavilion with a banner that read:

JUDGEMENTS FOR ELYSIUM AND ETERNAL DAMNATION

Welcome Newly Deceased!

Out the back of the tent came two smaller lines.

To the left, spirits flanked by security ghouls were marched down a rocky path towards 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, one could see people being chased by hell hounds, burned at the stake, forced to run naked through cactus or listen to opera music. Markus could make out a small hill, with the tiny figure of Sisyphus struggling to move his boulder to the top.

The line coming from the right side of the pavilion was much better. This one lead down towards a small valley surrounded by walls - a gated community, which seemed to be the only happy thing about the Underworld.

Beyond the security gate were neighbourhoods of beautiful houses from every single period in history: Roman villas, medieval castles and Victorian mansions. Silver and gold flowers bloomed on the lawns. The grass rippled in rainbow colours. Markus could hear laughter and smell barbecue cooking.
And in an instant he knew what this place was.

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, both Markus and Percy knew that was where they wanted to go when they died.

"That's what it's all about," Annabeth said with a soft smile. "That's the place for heroes."

With startling realization, Markus said, "M-my mum. S-she might be in there."

It was entirely possible. Considering how she died - protecting him from monsters as he ran off - that was bound to get her to land here. Maybe…

The group could see the longing and small hope that he had in his eyes. It looked like he wanted to go into Elysium and see his mother for himself./span/p

Percy grabbed his hand gently, showing that he was there for him.

Markus nodded slightly, silently thanking him for that.

Looking back on the place, Elysium seemed so small, while the Fields of Punishment and Asphodel were so much bigger. Guess humanity had little good going around in them.

It was kind of disheartening, to be honest./span/p

They left the judgement pavilion and moved deeper into the Asphodel Fields. It got darker. The colours faded from their clothes. The crowd of chattering spirits began to thin.

After a few miles of walking, the group began to hear a familiar screech in the distance. Looming on the horizon was a palace of glittering rock obsidian. Above the parapets swirled three dark bat-like creatures: the Furies.

Well, some monsters were eager for a rematch.

"I suppose it's too late to turn back," Grover said wistfully.

"We'll be okay," Percy said, trying to sound confident.

"Maybe we should search some other places first," Grover suggested quickly. "Like Elysium, for instance…"

"Come on, goat boy," Annabeth said, grabbing 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.

"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 them.

"Hey! Grover!" Markus shouted, trying to grab for him.

"Maia!" Grover yelled, but the magic word seemed to have no effect. "Maia, already! Nine-one-one! Help!"

Percy got over being stunned and made a grab for Grover's hand, but was too late. Grover was picking up speed, skidding downhill like a bob sled as the demigods quickly gave chase.

Annabeth shouted, "Untie the shoes!"

It was a smart idea, but not as easy when your shoes are pulling you feet first at full speed. Grover tried to sit up, but he couldn't get close to the laces.

They kept after him, trying to keep him in sight as he ripped between the legs of the spirits who chattered at him in annoyance.

Percy 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.

The slope got steeper. Grover picked up speed. The demigods had to sprint to keep up. The cavern walls narrowed on either side, and then they had entered some kind of side tunnel. No black grass or trees now, just rock underfoot, and the dim light of the stalactites above.

"Grover!" Percy yelled, voice echoing. "Hold onto something!"

"What?" he yelled back.

He was grabbing at gravel, but there was nothing big enough to slow him down.

The tunnel got darker and colder. It smelled evil down here. It made your hair stand on ends as it felt like you were entering a den of deranged murderers.

Then Markus and Percy saw what was ahead of them, and they stopped dead in their tracks.

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 towards the edge.

"Come on, guys!" Annabeth yelled, tugging at the boys' wrists.

"But that's -" Percy muttered with wide eyes.

"I know!" she shouted. "The place you described in your dreams! But Grover's going to fall if we don't catch him." That shook the kids out of their shock as they started the chase again.

Grover was yelling, clawing at the ground, but the winged shoes kept dragging him towards the pit, and it didn't look like they would get to him in time.

What saved him were his hooves.

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. It was now slow enough that Grover could grab hold of the big rock and use it like an anchor.

He was ten feet from the edge of the pit when the kids caught him and hauled him back up the slope. The other winged shoe tugged itself off, circled around them angrily and tried to kick them before Markus opened one of his water bottles and used the water to blast it, sending it down the chasm to join its twin with an injured wing.

They all collapsed, exhausted, on the obsidian gravel. To Percy, his limbs felt like lead, and his backpack seemed heavier, as if somebody had filled it with bricks.

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…" The satyr panted. "I didn't…"

"Wait," Percy said, straining his ears. "Listen."
They all heard something - a deep whisper in the darkness.

Another few seconds, and Annabeth said, "Percy, Markus, this place -"

"Shh." Percy stood.

"This is bad news," Markus said, looking at the pit cautiously.

The sound was getting louder, a muttering, evil voice from far, far below them. Coming from the pit.

Grover sat up. "Wh-what's that noise?"

Annabeth heard it too, now, her eyes widened. "Tartarus. The entrance to Tartarus." Percy uncapped Anaklusmos while Markus got out Wavebreaker.

The bronze swords expanded, gleaming in the darkness, and the evil voice seemed to falter, just for a moment, before resuming its chant.

You could almost make out words now, ancient, ancient words, older even than Greek. As if…

"Magic," Percy said, his sea green eyes wide.

"We have to get out of here," Annabeth said, gulping at the old words.

"Kronos."

As soon as Markus muttered that name, the chanting stopped. The group felt ice fill their veins, the air leaving them. It seemed like the the voice didn't like being interrupted. The atmosphere suddenly turned cold and dark. Grover shivered, bleating out goat nonsense in a panic. Annabeth clutched her beads necklace nervously, fear evident in her eyes. Percy's sword arm was shaking. Markus could see that he was trying to look brave, but it didn't seem to work.

Then the chanting continued where it left off, faster, stronger, hungrier.

Markus had a bad feeling about what might happen if they stayed here for too long. He turned to the group. "We need to leave. Now."
The group was frozen stiff, but they managed to move, running slightly. The voice behind them got louder and angrier, and they broke into a sprint.

Not a moment too soon.

A cold blast of wind pulled at their backs, as if the entire pit were inhaling. For a terrifying moment, Percy lost ground, his feet slipping in the gravel. If they'd been any closer to the edge, they would've been sucked in.

Struggling forward, they 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 that they'd gotten away.

"What was that?" Grover panted, when the group collapsed in the relative safety of a black poplar grove. "One of Hades' pets?" he suggested, clearly not wanting to even think it was what Markus said it was.

Markus turned to Grover, putting Wavebreaker away. "You know what that was, Grover," he said gravely. "Or rather who that was."

Annabeth looked like she was in too much of a panic to even think about it, too scared to even agree with the notion Markus made. "I-I thought he wasn't - isn't he supposed to be -"

She seemed startled, as well as scared. Markus didn't blame her. He didn't even bother pointing out that he was right all along. It just didn't seem like the right time.

Percy seemed scared, which no one blamed him for.

Percy capped his sword, putting the pen back in his pocket. "Let's keep going." He said, turning to Grover. "Can you walk?"

He swallowed. "Yeah, sure. I never liked those shoes, anyway."

Grover tried to sound brave about it, but he was trembling as badly as the rest of the group. Whatever was in that pit was nobody's pet. It was unspeakably old and powerful. Was Markus right? Was that really their grandfather, Kronos? The truth seemed to terrify him. He almost wished it were false. Then Percy slapped his face lightly, telling himself to keep going forward. He sighed in relief with his back towards the pit now.

Desperate to leave the pit behind, they headed towards the palace of Hades.

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, the group could tell 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. Like some deranged prophecies that had come true.

Inside the courtyard was the strangest garden they'd ever seen. Multicoloured 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 a fist, clumps of raw diamonds. Standing here and there like frozen party guests were Medusa's garden statues — petrified children, satyrs, and centaurs — all sporting some twisted expression between a smile and a scream.

"Well, at least the Underworld is into art, at least," Markus joked slightly to lift the heavy atmosphere. It didn't seem to work.

In the centre 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."

It was then Percy remembered the story of Persephone. One bite of Underworld food, and they would never be able to leave. Markus had to pull Grover back to stop him from eating a particular juicy pomegranate.

They walked up the steps of the palace, between gleaming black marble 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. They never had to worry about rain down here it seems.

Every side doorway was guarded by a skeleton in military gear. Some wore Greek armour, some British redcoat uniforms, some in camouflage uniforms with tattered American flags on the shoulders. They carried spears or muskets or M-16s. None of them bothered the questers, but their hollow eye sockets followed them as they 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 them, rocket-propelled grenade launchers held across their chests.

"You know," Grover mumbled, "I bet Hades doesn't have trouble with door-to-door salesmen."

"Or have that many visitors," Markus added.

Percy's backpack weighed a ton now and he couldn't figure out why. He wanted to check what had somehow secretly jumped in there, but this wasn't the time.

Markus, noticing this, asked, "You all right, Percy?"
Not wanting his brother to worry about him, he nodded. "Yeah, fine."

Markus probably would've said more, but, seeing Percy's mood, dropped the matter.

"Well, guys," said Percy. "I suppose we should...knock?"

As if in response to his words, hot wind blew down the corridor, and the doors swung open. The guards stepped aside.

"I guess that means entrez-vous," Annabeth mumbled with a shaky breath to calm her nerves.

The room inside looked just like in Percy's dream, except this time the throne of Hades was occupied.

Hades was the third god Markus and Percy had met (well, fifth for Markus, counting Hecate and Ryūjin), but the first who really struck them as godlike.

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.

Markus had to remember to take a breath. He wasn't going to show fear here.

Hades' aura was affecting him, just as Ares' had. The Lord of the Dead resembled pictures you'd see of Adolph Hitler, or Napoleon, or the terrorist leaders who directed suicide bombers. Hades had the same intense eyes, the same kind of mesmerizing, seductive charisma.

"You are brave to come here, Sons of Poseidon," Hades said in an oily voice. "After what you have done to me, very brave indeed. Or perhaps you are simply very foolish."

He looked at them, expecting one of them to speak.

Markus had the sudden feeling of kneeling at the foot of Hades' throne. Just for a little nap. It would be so ni-

And instantly, Markus smacked himself. He then steeled himself, refusing to fall under Hades' spell.

Percy swallowed the lump in his throat and stepped forward. "Lord and Uncle, I come with two requests."

Markus mentally groaned. Somehow, he knew this was all going to be screwed.

Hades raised an eyebrow and sat forward in his throne, causing shadowy faces to appear in the folds of his black robes, faces howlingly silently in torment, as if the garment were stitched out of trapped souls from the Fields of Punishment, trying to get out. One had to wonder if that was the same for all of his clothes. Markus pitied the souls who were stitched into Hades' underwear. Damn, that was harsh.

"Only two requests?" Hades scoffed. "Arrogant child. As if you have not already taken enough. Speak, then. It amuses me not to strike you dead yet."

Percy glanced at the empty, smaller throne next to Hades'. It was shaped like a black flower, gilded with gold. He wished Queen Persephone was here. The boy 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 him in the back.

"Lord Hades," Percy said. "Look, sir, there can't be a war among the gods. It would be... bad."

"Really bad." commented Grover.

"Return Zeus's master bolt to me," Percy said. "Please, sir. Let me carry it to Olympus."

Markus' eyes widened in disbelief at his words. He didn't know much about godly etiquette, but even he knew that Percy messed up in what he said.

Hades' eyes grew dangerously bright. "You dare keep up this pretense, after what you both have done?"

Here Markus decided to intervene. "After what we've done? But we haven't anything."

"Yeah. What exactly have we done?" Percy asked curiously.
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, godlings?"

Percy looked like he was going to say something, but decided not to. Good. It was probably something dumb.

"You are the Lord of the Dead," Percy said instead. "A war would expand your kingdom, right?"

"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?"

Percy wanted to answer him but Hades was now on a roll.

"More security ghouls," he moaned. "Traffic problems at the judgement pavilion. Double overtime for the staff. I used to be a rich god, Percy Jackson, Markus Henderson. I control all the precious metals under the earth. But my expenses!"

"And speaking of expenses," Markus interjected. "Charon wanted a pay raise." Sure, probably a dumb move. But Percy pretty much started it, might as well continue.

"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, godlings. 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, children, but I am not so stupid. I see his plan."

"His plan?"

"You both were the thieves on the winter solstice," he said. "Your father thought to keep you two 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, and sent the dracanae after you, Markus Henderson, Poseidon might have succeeded in hiding his scheme to start a war. But now you have been forced into the open. You two will be exposed as Poseidon's thief, and I will have my helm back!"

"Wait, wait, hold up," Markus said, shocked. "Why would you believe we stole your helm. We didn't even know about the Greek gods before!"

"Don't play innocent, boy! The other demigod and the satyr have been helping you two - 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!" Percy said. "Poseidon didn't - we 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 -"

"Return my helm now, or I will stop death!" Hades shouted. "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 and Markus Henderson - your skeletons will lead my army out of Hades."

The skeletal soldiers all took one step forward, making their weapons ready.

"That's bullshit," Markus called out, furious. He was sick of being blamed for shit he didn't even do! "You threaten us, when we have never done you any wrong. We didn't even know about your stupid helm!"

"Yeah. You're as bad as Zeus," Percy said. "You think we stole from you? That's why you sent the Furies after me? And the dracanae after Markus?"

"Of course," Hades said.

"And the other monsters?"

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?" both Markus and Percy blinked.

"Return my property!"

"But we don't have your helm. We came for the master bolt."

"Which you already possess!" Hades shouted. "You came here with it, little fools, thinking you could you threaten me!"

"But none of us did!"
"Open your pack, then," Hades commanded and Percy felt dread. Was that why that pack was so heavy?

Percy slung it off his 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."

Markus tried to figure out how all of this came about, so he traced it back to the source. After a second, his eyes widened, and exclaimed, "That sneaky son of a bitch!"

He then turned to Hades, waving his hands peacefully, trying to quell the rising tension. "Wait, uncle. 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's face grinned at Percy 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."

Hades loosed a ball of gold fire from his palm. It exploded in front of Percy, and what was revealed was Sally Jackson, frozen in time. She looked like she had when the Minotaur caught her and tried to squeeze her to death.

That's just cruel, Markus thought with a glare.

Then Hades turned to him. "Do not think I have forgotten about you, Markus Henderson."

Confused, Markus looked to Hades, who waved his hand, and a spectral, pale ball of light appeared in the throne room, right beside Hades' throne. The ball then grew bigger, turning into the shape of a person. The features were blank, showing a body of a formless spirit.

Then it began to grow features: long hair the colour of the spectral light, feminine features across the face, a long flowing gown appearing over her body. Markus didn't recognize who it was at first, but when the features settled in, when they were becoming familiar, he gasped. He almost broke down in tears.

"M-mum," he croaked, seeing the spirit taking the form of Melissa Henderson, his mother.

The ghost looked like she was sleeping. She looked the same as when she died, in Markus' opinion. But now she looked like some doll, some inanimate object that was treated like a toy. Seeing her like this, in front of him, made him furious.

"Yes," Hades said with satisfaction. "I took them. I knew, Percy Jackson, Markus Henderson, that you would come to bargain with me eventually. Return my helm, and perhaps I will let Sally Jackson go. She is not dead, you know. Not yet. But if you displease me, that will change. As for Melissa Henderson, she is a ghost in my domain. Displease me, and she will be sent to the Fields of Punishment for eternity. Her soul shall never find rest."

Hearing that he took her from her resting place and was about to suffer eternal punishment because of a stupid night cap, Markus roared in rage. He took out Wave breaker, brandishing the sword in his hand. "Let her go, Hades! She has nothing to do with this!"

"And she will be returned safely," Hades said. "As long as I get my helm back."

Markus would've leaped up and started slashing at Hades if Annabeth and Grover hadn't grabbed him together, holding him in place. Still he was shaking in fury. How dare that bastard bargain with his mother like that? Markus immediately forgot about his defence for Hades previously. Now he was a Grade-A jackass.

"Don't you dare touch her!" he roared. "Neither Percy or I have the damn thing! Both our mums have nothing to do with this! If you so much as touch her, I swear I will destroy you!"

"You dare threaten me, demigod?!" Hades roared also.

"I'm not threatning, you bastard! I'm making a promise! Damn it, let me go!" he said the last part to the two who were holding him.

"No! If you do, you'll die!" Grover exclaimed, struggling to hold him after he elbowed him in the nose.

"I don't care! He -"

"We know, Markus!" Annabeth said. "We know how angry you are, believe us. But if you attack him, he'll kill you and punish your mother anyway!"

He didn't like it. Hell, he loathed the situation right now. If he wasn't so angry, he would've broken down and cried at the situation. How dare that bastard desecrate his mother's memory?

Seeing his brother like that made Percy's heart ache. He was in the same situation he was in. Except Markus' mother was already dead, and was about to be sent to the Fields of Punishment. Whereas his might also end up dead. He thought back to the pearls he and Markus had. Maybe they could get him out of this. If he could just get his mum free-

"Ah, the pearls," Hades said, after calming down from Markus' threat. "Yes, my brother and his little tricks. Bring them forth, Percy Jackson."

The boy's hand moved against his will and brought out two of the pearls.

Here Hades looked towards Markus, who was still writhing in rage. "Bring forth your pearls, Markus Henderson. Or your mother shall suffer."

Markus wanted to carve into Hades' face with a rusty knife (along with a lot of other things), but he snarled, and reached into his pocket and brought out his pearls.

"Only four," Hades said. "What a shame. You do realize each only protects a single person. Try to take Sally Jackson, then, little godlings. 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."/span/p

Percy looked at Markus, Annabeth, and Grover. Their faces were grim.

"We were tricked," Percy told them. "Set up."

"No shit, Sherlock," Markus said, his anger still there.

"Yes, but why?" Annabeth asked. "And the voice in the pit-"

"I don't know yet," Percy said. "But I intend to ask."

"And I intend to castrate Hades with a rusty knife, and feed his bits to him," Markus growled. None of them commented on the disturbing imagery.

"Decide, boys!" Hades yelled.

"Percy. Markus." Grover put his hand on the boys' shoulder. "You can't give him the bolt."

"I know that." Percy said grimly.

"Leave me here," Grover said. "Use the fourth pearl on your mum. And Markus, your mother can be saved."

"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."

"No." Annabeth drew her bronze knife. "You three go on. Grover, you have to protect Percy and Markus. You have to get your searcher's license and start your quest for Pan. Get Percy's mum out of here, and save Markus' mum's spirit. I'll cover you. I plan to go down fighting."

"No, let me," Grover insisted.

"Think again, goat boy," Annabeth argued back.

"Enough!" Markus shouted, silencing them both. As much as he wanted his mother's spirit be put to rest, he didn't want to sacrifice his friends for that.

Percy felt the same way, like his heart was being ripped in two. They all had been with him through so much. Grover dive-bombing Medusa in the statue garden, and Markus saving them from Cerberus; and Annabeth helping as well. He had spent thousands of miles worried that he'd be betrayed by a friend, but these friends would never do that. They had done nothing but save him, over and over, and now they wanted to sacrifice their lives for his and Markus' mothers.

He honestly had no words for how lucky he felt to have people like this having his back throughout this whole mess.

"I know what to do," Percy said solemnly. "Take these." He handed out his pearls to Annabeth and Grover. He held out his hand to Markus, who understood what he was doing. He gave him one of his own pearls.

Annabeth said, "But, Percy..."

But Markus shook his head to her. He clapped his hand on Percy's shoulder, giving him some comfort.

Percy turned to his mother. The boy desperately wanted to sacrifice himself and use the last pearl on her, but he knew what she would say. She would never allow it. The bolt had to be brought back to Olympus and the truth told to Zeus. To stop this pointless war. She would never forgive him if he saved her instead. He 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.

"I'm sorry," Percy told her. "I'll be back. I'll find a way."

The smug look on Hades' face faded. "Godling...?"

"We'll find your helm, Uncle," the son of the sea told him. "We'll return it. Remember Charon's pay raise."

"Do not defy me-"

"Also, Cerberus might like an iPod. Apparently, he likes cartoon music." Markus added cheekily.

"Percy Jackson, Markus Henderson, you will not-"

Percy shouted, "Now, guys!"

They smashed the pearls at their feet. For a spine chilling moment, nothing happened.

"Well, shit," Markus muttered.

Hades didn't intend to even give them any time for dramatic effect (damn him!) and 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 their feet exploded with a burst of green light and a gust of fresh sea wind. They were each encased in a milky white sphere, which were starting to float off the ground.

Spears and bullets sparked harmlessly off the pearl bubbles as they floated up. Hades yelled with such rage, the entire fortress shook and it seemed like it wasn't going to be a peaceful night in L.A.

"Look up." Grover yelled. "We're going to crash!"

Sure enough, they were racing right toward the stalactites.

"How do you control these things?" Annabeth shouted.

"I don't think you do!" Percy shouted back.

"Whoo!" Markus cheered in glee. "This is like a roller coaster! And Hades." Here he directed his voice down to the Lord of the Dead. "If you so much as torture my mother's spirit, I swear I will climb back down and beat the shit out of your undead ass!"

They screamed as the bubbles slammed into the ceiling and… darkness.

Percy winced his eyes shut, thinking they were dead, but opened them to realize they were going through the earth. For a few more minutes, he couldn't see anything out the magic bubble, then the spheres broke through the ocean floor as the four soared upwards through the water. With a whoosh, they broke through the surface, in the middle of Santa Monica Bay, knocking a surfer off his board with an indignant, "Dude!"

Percy grabbed Grover and hauled him over to a life buoy. He caught Annabeth and dragged her over too. He saw Markus beside him, looking as dry as a bone. A curious shark was circling them, a great white about eleven feet long.

Percy said, "Beat it."

The shark turned and raced away.

The surfer screamed something about bad mushrooms and paddled away from them as fast as he could.

Percy wondered what time it was, thankfully Markus took a quick look at the sky and informed them that it was around early morning

Meaning it was June 21, the day of the summer solstice.

In the distance, Los Angeles was on fire, plumes of smoke rising from neighbourhoods all over the city. There had been an earthquake, all right, and it was Hades' fault. He was probably sending an army of the dead after them right now.

But at the moment, the Underworld wasn't their biggest problem.

They had to get to shore and get Zeus' Master Bolt back to Olympus.

And most of all, Percy and Markus had a thing or two he wanted to do to a certain immortal cousin of theirs.

Hello, everyone! No spontaneous greeting for you. I'm just going to keep it simple.

Here's another chapter posted. Uhh. Thank God. This was quite a long one, not going to lie.

So, I added the bit where Hades took Markus's mum's soul and also used that as a bargaining tool. Why? I wanted to do something different. Plus Hades didn't have anything to convince Markus, because he believed him to be the thief along with Percy. So I added that part in. But it was also a bit depressing to write. …Oh well.

Next chapter is the fight with Ares, which will introduce another of Markus' powers, as well as a brother tag team battle, which I know some of you have wanted for a while. Hope you enjoy.

Also thanks for the support for the story, all those who reviewed, favourited and followed. Thank you so much.

Read and Review!