The warrior crashed into existence, sprawling face first into the cool marble floor. His black armor was missing more than just a few plates. Ichor leaked from everywhere. If ever it was hung in a mortal museum, perhaps in a glass case with a half dozen lights shining on it, they would hail it as a work of art. The golden blood splattered over the midnight stygian iron. Priceless.

To gods though? A single drop of Ichor was the worst sign of weakness. Allies would distance themselves and enemies would creep closer. If you bled like a mortal, were you really a God? So when the warrior in black and gold came into sight, the Titan did not hesitate. His sword emerged from the scabbard in half a moment. In one swing, the immortal was decapitated.

There were murmurs and shifting of feet. The chamber they were in was big enough to hold a small crowd of 50 and nothing more. Only about half that number was present, all gathered around the Titan. Only out of fear did they not mention the horrible smell wafting in from outside. And that's all they were: scared little gods.

"I take it the attack on their little camp was unsuccessful." One of them snickered.

The Titan sat back down and one of his servants crept closer to the headless god, chanting under her breath. As she continued, the corpse started to burn away and the remains of his divine essence floated into the thick air like fireflies. The spellcaster coaxed the remnants towards the Titan. One by one they landed and melted right onto his skin.

The crowd of onlookers had just witnessed the birth of the world's first Soul Eater. Or so they thought.

One of them spoke up boldly. "How long before you start using that thing on us?"

The Titan smiled an icy grin. Not his fault though, anything he did was cold. "Like Zeus?"

Silence.

"There are perhaps two score of you here and a couple notable names. Yet I do not fear. With this weapon, I could easily slaughter you all. But I am not Zeus. I do not seek to punish the ... innocent so to say."

The same god spoke once more. "Then what do you seek? A rebellion? An army of servants? Need I remind you, Zeus has maintained the peace for millennia. Why should we join your cause?"

"As you know, son of Zeus, your father has decided the best way to respond to the threat we face is by fleeing. But as Father of Foresight, I see through his intentions. I know what he plans and I know how it will end."

Another, more frustrated, voice spoke out, "Then speak!"

The Soul Eater laughed. "I cannot tell you, Aeolus. By sunset, my words will have reached Zeus' ears."

The first god shook his head. "You must give us something to consider."

"Well consider this, Hercules: When Zeus disappears, I will use this blade to conquer the world and anyone who dares rise against me will find themselves on the wrong side of history. Like I said, I have seen what comes next. I know how to escape the clutches of defeat. Would you really doubt the two most prominent Oracles this world has seen?"

They were silent.

"Very good," His eyes shone with satisfaction. "Then, let's get started."

There were more than a few times in his life where Percy questioned his morals, his sanity, and his character. This time though, it was actually scaring him how unsure he was of himself. The questions he was asking? He didn't know the answers. In the past, there were always justifications for doing this or that. Down in Tartarus, he was protecting Annabeth. Up in Olympus rejecting godhood he wasn't crazy, he was human. He was in love. Now?

...

The warrior in black armor had disappeared. The remnants of his army were mostly gone. He could hear people shouting, laughing, crying. That was good. That meant things were happening. There was still life in the camp. But Percy couldn't stop shaking. And he couldn't bring himself to turn around because he didn't know what he would find in peoples' eyes.

Eventually, he heard his name being called. Annabeth.

She turned him gently. She didn't need to ask him. She knew he wasn't okay. She wasn't either. They had a couple minutes to grieve before they had to make sure everyone else was okay.

...

When they came back, Nico, Will, and his siblings had already started moving people into the infirmary. The Ares cabin dispersed and formed a perimeter and patrol along the borders of camp. Beyond that, people were still in shell shock doing what they could to help their friends. Annabeth went one way, Percy the other. She began rounding up her cabin, organizing teams to lead the recovery. Percy went up to the wrecked Pavilion. Gathering strength, he controlled the waves and began work putting out fires.

As each blaze went out, more and more nymphs and nature spirits limped into Camp looking for help. The infirmary was already way past capacity but Annabeth knew what she was doing. Already she had a team of Hephaestus kids building a couple makeshift medical rooms attached to the Big House.

Percy sagged as the weight of the water settled back onto the lake. Behind him, he heard a voice.

"Lord Perseus!" A woman cried.

He turned, a flash of heat rising to his cheeks. "Yes?"

The response died in his throat. A water nymph was limping up to him, a small girl in her arms. Across the child's body and face were horrible burns.

"Please! Can you help my daughter? I don't want her to-" Her voice broke into hysterical sobs.

"I...I don't know if-" He could heal his own wounds if he had a water source but he had never tried on someone else. Doubt suffocated him but the poor kid was dying. He was always finding new ways to use his powers to this very day a few minutes ago. The pressure was mounting but he didn't know what to do. How to even start.

He placed hesitant hands on the girl's forehead. The nymph gripped her daughter tighter. A barrelful of water drifted over and swirled around her. He mustered what he could but he couldn't focus. Panic gripped him. He tried to envision her wounds closing, the crimson patches fading but all he saw was Chiron sucked into the cold black sword, the warrior's head exploding, the child dying, the mother's denial.

Sweat trickled down his face. Or were they tears?

"I'm trying." Percy's hands shook, his knees trembled. His voice broke. "I can't. I'm sorry."

The mother was silent for a moment, her eyes unseeing. Then she turned and ran whispering, "No, no, no, my beautiful girl!"

Percy sank to his knees and keeled over.

...

The sun had begun its slow fall through the orange sky and the camp's spirit followed. Tensions were still high but they settled into it. The infirmaries were still full but everyone had gotten their share of medical attention. The Pavilion at least was restored and they had a short, silent dinner. Annabeth went up, said a few words honoring the memory of their friends and mentors, and wished them a good night. By the end, tears streamed down her face.

As they cleared out, they cast a few anxious glances at Percy who had not touched his plate. He sat through the meal staring at the waves, lost in a storm of his own emotions. He had been the only one to not offer a crumb of his food to the gods. Annabeth kept her silence until now.

"Percy?" She laid a hand on his shoulder.

He wiped her tears away. "I'm okay."

She gave him a stare. "Did you see how they were looking at you? They're scared enough already, Seaweed Brain."

He shook his head, looking down at his cold lonely pizza. "I'm not who they think I am. I'm not who they want me to be."

"That's a choice you're gonna have to make. I know how much you wanted to leave this world behind. We were both so ready. But look at what's happened. We would be abandoning them. We're in this now whether we want to or not. I don't want to see you like this."

Percy fought to keep his composure. "I don't want you to see me like this either but...I don't know what to say."

They heard footsteps and silently agreed to continue the conversation later. Will and Nico stopped at their table.

"How you guys holding up?" Will took a seat. He was marked with stress lines and dark shadows under his eyes. He ran a hand through his unkempt hair. "Sorry, dumb question."

Percy grunted but appreciated the sentiment. "How's the infirmary?"

Will sighed, lacing his fingers together. "Manageable."

Nico had the same tired look yet somehow his composure barely changed. Perhaps as a son of Hades, his tolerance for death and war was more resilient. "You know, I never connected with Chiron as a mentor or...you know, but I'm surprised how much it hurt. I don't know how the heck we're gonna move forward."

He glanced at Annabeth. "I'm sorry about Malcolm by the way. If it helps you feel better, I felt his energy enter Elysium a few minutes ago."

Her eyes began to water. "Thanks."

The thought suddenly struck Percy. He opened his mouth to voice it but Nico beat him to it. "I'm sorry, Percy. I felt him disappear but after that, radio silence. But I might have an idea of what happened and I think it's possible-"

He suddenly stopped, taking a moment to consider his next words.

Percy couldn't take it. "What are you talking about?"

Nico looked at Will who was staring at Percy with almost pity. "I think we could find a way to bring him back."

Annabeth grabbed Percy's hand under the table. Her grip cut off the blood flow. "How?"

Will now gave her the same look he was giving Percy. "We should discuss this with the other counselors. Come on, they're waiting for us in the Big House."

Hecate followed after Zeus' tracks. His boots left deep dents in the black sands of the River Styx snaking its way past the lands of the dead. Visiting the realm of Hades always made her uncomfortable. So much necro energy in one place. Of course, as goddess of magic, she was extremely familiar with all aspects of sorcery but necromancy was always one she shied away from.

The Fields of Punishment were almost solely responsible for the noise pollution of the place. Even miles away you could hear the screams of murderers, rapists, corrupt politicians. War criminals and sadists. She wondered how Hades retained his sanity or even if he enjoyed it. How else could someone stay here for so long? Every time she came down here, the size of Hades kingdom astonished her. The collective deaths of all the mortals the world had ever seen gathered in one place. The 19th century truly had been a boom in his business. Perhaps not multiplying it but certainly adding a huge addition.

Standing atop a sand dune, their enhanced vision allowed them access to the darkest corners of the vast fields. The Underworld wasn't so much long as it was wide, stretching for miles and miles to the left and right. The Fields of Asphodel were simple fields full of dead grass, a handful of trees, and innumerable humans dressed in black robes. They walked in circles, forever wondering who they were, not knowing what they were searching for. To the left, you got what a lot imagined hell to be; a wide dirt road leading to a sudden drop where the fun began. Stalagmites wrapped in barbed wire, lava rivers crisscrossing the place with no visible bridges. There were thousands of patches where eternal fire burned the damned alive. Like decorations, special punishments around them were put in place for certain individuals. Large, muscled, tentacled things straight out of hentai wandered around looking for their next target. Platforms with nooses were everywhere but with a twist: violent earthquakes constantly had the rope swinging and jumping, ensuring the pain never calmed. The rivers of Fire and Woe snaked through where demons beat the dead while shoving their heads in the holy water, keeping them in a constant state of drowning. You couldn't die if you were dead. In fact, every single person sentenced to these horrors were enchanted with healing factors to ensure they always recovered.

Rumors reached Olympus of the Three Furies being beasts of lust whom gleefully spent their time raping demigods who found themselves in the Fields of Punishment. The catch was their genitalia was barbed for males, and their tongue covered in spikes and thorns for the females. It made sense in a way; they were sisters of Aphrodite.

Hecate had to turn away. It was a sickening place.

To get to the black palace, it was a just a 20 minute walk. Zeus and Hecate walked in silence until she had to ask.

"I'm no goddess of wisdom, but I assume there's a reason we're down here? And a reasonable one because leaving the Underworld without a ruler seems like the worst decision to possibly make right now. Not even considering the amount of energy we would expel in the effort."

Zeus clenched his jaw. Out of any of his underlings, Hecate was always the one questioning his methods. Anyone else and he would have threatened to vaporize them on the spot. But she was the sole reason the peace between demigods, mortals, and the immortal was possible. Her inheritance, the Mist, was an extremely useful tool. Without it, so many headaches would ensue. Even replacing her would be troublesome. There so few qualified to take her post, if any. Beyond that, Hecate was the most powerful and most willing to follow his orders. He needed no help slaughtering his way through the immortal hierarchy. But he had other plans that simply weren't possible without a mage's expertise.

"If it soothes your mind, your king," Zeus resisted the urge to thunder it, "Is not a mindless fool. The Titanomachy, the Gigantomachy, the Ichor Purge; The crown jewels of my mastermind. I observe all angles and reap power from my conquests. We would not have started this chapter without a motive and motive hidden within that one. You do my bidding and I reward you. There's easy access to Tartarus in here. Don't give me reason to toss you in."

Hecate kept her fury buried deep inside. "Of course, my lord. Forgive me." She let a couple minutes pass before asking. "If I may, how do you interpret the Fates' warning? Of course, we must hide from this...this Sibling. But if it finds us as they predict?"

Zeus paused up the rocky path, just meters away from the entrance to the palace. "The Fates eternally speak in riddles. However, they made it clear yesterday that he may not find us. If he fails, the better for us. But what concerns me is the idea that powers of his scale exist. What if another were to find his way here? We would be massacred. I must be prepared."

Hecate considered. "The universe is unfathomably large. There will always be a bigger fish."

Zeus smiled. A cold calculating smile. Hecate could not shake the image of Kronos from her brain. Where was this going to end?

Instead of answering her, he turned on his heel and kept walking. Hecate followed.

They walked up the obsidian steps to his palace. Zeus sent a surge of power, slamming the doors open. His blood red cape rippled as he marched in, full of purpose. From there it was a blur; they walked past endless murals depicting death in its rawest, bloodiest shape. Hecate noticed the aura around Zeus strengthen to the thickest levels to the point where ozone flooded the air and lightning constantly danced around him. She followed his example, gathering her power before Zeus stretched out a hand.

"No," He said in the rich deep voice he reserved for war counsels. "We're not here for battle. At least not without trying our hand at negotiation first."

She tried not to let her surprise sketch her visage. She nodded.

Before he even touched the doors, they swung inwards. Sitting atop the throne of fused bone was the Lord of the Underworld. Clearly he knew they were coming but he hadn't even bothered to dress formal. His albino white skin still enjoyed black silk robes and his head sported the same golden crown. The only visible difference was his bident, clenched in his right fist.

"Zeus," Hades inclined his head. "Hecate. What brings you to my kingdom?"

"Matters of great importance, brother. A favor."

Hades' eyes flickered at "brother" and narrowed ever so slightly at "favor".

"Times like these, I imagine whatever next leaves your lips will affect the world for centuries." Hades did not blink. He wished to memorize every second of what was to come.

Zeus began pacing, leaving Hecate in the middle of the room. Hades stiffened, suddenly twice as alert as he already was.

"I'm sure you've spent your time considering the words of the Fates as I have."

His mouth barely moved. "I tend to pay attention to omens of doom. Good for business."

Zeus ignored the joke. "They say we hide. I say we prepare."

Hades raised an eyebrow. "Yet you order us to cower and hide."

Hecate was inclined to agree. Hades knew from the beginning Zeus would play another angle, she thought. This would be no dance. The Wealthy One would force directness from Zeus with surgical precision.

Zeus stopped his pacing right back where he started only closer. He knew his brother was itching to rise to his feet. But to do so would be too direct. "Do you really think the Sibling is the only threat to our world?"

Hades paid attention to "our".

"I think...any shift in the balance we have attained will be derailed completely if we do not tread carefully." He said after a long pause.

Hecate found her voice. "I agree."

Zeus' beard twitched. He ignored her. "Brother, I know I can attain the strength to protect what we have built."

Finally, Hades broke. He let out a booming laugh. "Zeus, you are perhaps the only Olympian who could come down here and say this to me without an ounce of irony. The Ichor Purge showed Olympus your true colors. I wonder how much time passed after the Fates before you hatched this scheme. An hour, perhaps?"

Hades chuckled once more before turning serious. "As a god of death, necromancy is something I am very close with. I can already guess why you need her. A mage of her age and experience, she knows many rituals. I oversee many foul deeds down here. But what I think you're planning, it makes me shiver. A Second Ichor Purge disguised under the blanket of goodwill and "protection". We're not so different as I'd once thought, brother."

Zeus clenched his fists. "Indeed we are not."

Hecate raised an eyebrow. To hear some self-awareness was honestly not expected. Zeus could be so delusional at times.

Hades sat forward, holding his bident closer. "Tell me what you want."

Zeus stared past his ink-black eyes directly to his very essence. As dark as obsidian. As durable as tungsten. Immovable. In that moment he knew he would not get what he was here for. But he said it anyway. "Your Helm."

Hecate expected laughter once more. Instead, Hades became as still as stone. He now fully resembled a corpse, not even breathing.

"I see." His eyes shifted to Hecate and back again. "And after I give you my Helm, what next? You swim to Poseidon's palace and rent out his trident? Destroy this Sibling and give them back? Or keep them and in exchange you won't wipe us off the face of the world?"

Zeus ran a hand through his beard. Hecate noticed the Master Bolt begin to flicker with electricity. Hades noticed, too.

"Or maybe I hand over my Helm and you smite me on my throne. After, your little sorceress can encase my essence and power for you to drink out of. I think not."

"I will not be denied, Hades." Zeus reached for his Master Bolt.

In one instant, in one blink, the crown on his head morphed into an obsidian black Galea, complete with an enormous midnight mane. The waves of terror that filled the room made Hecate sway, her knees trembling violently. She was suddenly disoriented beyond anything she had ever experienced. Somehow, Zeus stood tall and strong. But one glaring detail was how his hand stayed rooted to his weapon in a white knuckle grip.

Hades was not amused nor boastful. Calm controlled fury painted his face. He stood as tall as Zeus but with his hair and helmet and the sudden armor that materialized, he looked twice as buff. Almost like a god-werewolf. His bident was wreathed in black fire. The chamber shook, loosing large stalactites. From a dozen secret tunnels emerged ghouls and ethereal monsters, unharmed by the physical. The Furies descended from above, their leathery bat wings wide open, their long fire whips snapping, breaking rock. They hissed and crawled close to Hades. From behind him emerged Persephone and Demeter, both wielding wicked scythes. The doors behind them exploded and Cerberus flew in snarling, only with a new look. His three heads and massive body were strapped with heavy stygian iron armor with spikes coming out of every angle. Behind the father of hell hounds, the entirety of Hell marched. Countless souls armed with enough celestial bronze and stygian iron to take over the world.

"I AM HADES! LORD OF THE UNDERWORLD!" He leveled his bident at Zeus. "You and your tyranny have suffocated Olympus long enough. Best you find a higher god to pray to because judgment is upon you."

The Helm of Darkness drowned out all else. Zeus could not move, could not think of anything but one action: Run.

He soared backwards and all hell broke loose. Hades roared and threw his bident. Zeus bashed it aside. If he used the Master Bolt, the colossal weight of the Underworld would come crashing down on them all. Would he survive the weight of the world?

Cerberus barked thunderously and leapt through the air to Zeus. Hecate finally reacted and threw a burst of power, sending the hell hound yelping back to the ground. The Furies rocketed upwards, simultaneously attacking Zeus. With expert evasive maneuvers he evaded, dancing through the air. Mother and daughter joined, approaching Hecate, their scythes swinging dangerously. She had enough mental capacity to cast a massive shield spell, trying to gather courage under the Helm's mental assault.

The bident returned to Hades' outstretched hand and he joined Zeus in the air. It didn't matter that he was vastly outclassed. His Helm evened the odds. He traded blows with Zeus and his loyal Furies wreaked havoc on his body. Zeus yelled and a blast of power sent the hags crashing into the cave walls. Only through Hades' will did they survive. Zeus let loose a surge of electricity but Hades endured, feigning a stab and jabbing the butt of his bident into his jaw. The Furies whipped again, wrapping him in fire and celestial bronze.

Demeter and Persephone finally broke through her shields, swinging with murderous intent. Hecate barely survived numerous decapitations and limb amputations. She blasted spell after spell but the Olympian and her daughter were too much.

Hades dove for the killing blow and Zeus broke. He slammed his hands together, and the shockwave disoriented the room, blasting them with light and sound. He swooped down and grabbed the blinded Hecate. As he fled further and further, his mind cleared from the effects of the Master Helm. He longer doubted himself, no longer felt the need to cower before Hades. He unclasped his Master Bolt. They would escape beaten, shamed, and humiliated. And no one would live to see it.

Zeus focused his power through the cool cylinder, activating the ultimate weapon of destruction ever created. A cacophonous surge of energy trumpeted out. The darkest corners of the Underworld were lit until every crevice and nook were visible. Zeus himself felt an adrenaline rush from the sheer amount of power he had just unleashed.

"ZEUS!" Hades bellowed.

The energy raced toward the palace. In the two seconds of travel, Hades knew what he had to do. Only something equally as powerful could stand a chance of tanking a blast like that. He ripped the helmet off his head and threw it with all his strength. The bolt travelled into the Helm of Darkness, containing more than half the blast yet the Underworld still lit up like the largest collection of fireworks ever.