Phoebe fidgeted with her hands, dismayed. "Are you okay, my husband?"

The Titan's eyes narrowed as he looked out upon his new kingdom, leaning on the Trident for support. The Underworld was running even smoother than when Hades ruled it. The Furies had taken the transition of power smoothly in stride. They had no qualms obeying his commands. They took to torturing Demeter and Persephone with glee. Coeus' new enforcers, the minor gods, did their job well. They kept order were far more efficient than the cronies Hades had running around.

In a few short days, the Underworld would gain massive new territory: the Overworld. Humanity would bid their final farewells and join his army. Coeus realized early on that nuclear power was the one thing that could actually hurt immortals. Zeus believed humans could be kept in control. He was right; they were no real threat if you kept your distance and played it right. But Coeus needed territory. He would not share the world with humans. They had to go.

Athena, while he could sense she was beginning to turn against him, was carrying out orders. Slowly, reeling in the other Olympians: Artemis was the closest at the moment. At least three more would follow before she betrayed him.

Except...

Coeus was no longer sure. Sometimes it was three, others it was two. Foresight worked like that. The future was an ever-evolving web. It was like the Labyrinth of old, constantly changing. But this was different.

"I...I feel my power failing me. Have you foreseen any changes through prophecy?" His gaze penetrated deep.

"N-No. Not one change. Everything you have seen, it's still there." She sounded fearful. Why was that?

Coeus shook his head. His wife...? No, hi wife would never. She had been by his side for millennia. But something was beginning to block his power. He was unsure for the first time in centuries. "This is troubling. I have thoughts to strike now, damn the losses."

Phoebe caressed her husband's cheek. "My lord, you are wise. A momentary lapse should not be enough to make you question centuries of work and scheming."

"Of course not, however I cannot ignore this. Perhaps the Fates have found a way to fight back."

"Tell me, what has changed? Does the demigod still fall?"

"Jackson? Yes, the boy falls. That has always meant to happen. But Athena...I no longer am sure when she will betray me. The demigods, some of them escape. The Fates, they...is it possible?"

The Titaness smiled. "You know the children of the gods more than any. Cowards to the end, just like the Olympians. Look at Zeus. He was not willing to sacrifice and he fled. The Fates surely would not take such a risk."

Coeus thought. "Perhaps you are right. We should observe for now."

"Of course, husband." She planted a kiss on his cheek. "I will be beside you, as always."

As always. Coeus' spine tingled. Even the statement was clouded. He was so sure before. What changed? Why was his foresight failing him?

His brain kicked into higher gears. Even if he could no longer rely on foresight, he had other advantages. He had made enough moves to know for a fact things would be different forever. The demigods would be all but extinct. He had the Underworld to back him. The minor gods served him. His Titan and Giant brothers answered to him now. No god could challenge his power. He was more intelligent than even Athena.

Why then, was his own fate clouded in darkness?

The night they met up with the Romans, Annabeth had the best sleep of her life. Like a baby. No dreams, no waking in the middle of the night screaming, no surprise attacks.

Reyna and her camp had lost so much more than hers. The entire Roman legions crippled, barely survived by 50 soldiers. New Rome completely destroyed with perhaps a dime of the citizens left. When they celebrated the defeat of Gaea, the Romans and Greeks got to bonding a little bit. That bond only strengthened upon seeing each other alive. They hugged and cried together the next morning, shared their fears as the leaders of the camp talked.

They met in Reyna's command tent. Under normal circumstances, Annabeth imagined her quarters would be furnished magnificently. As it was, the seats were limited to a couple of rabbit pelts, a thin tattered rug, a wooden chair and a foldable desk. She almost asked the raven-haired girl if they stopped at the dollar store after suffering the genocide but felt it was a bit much.

"This is ridiculous. Our homes have been completely destroyed, our gods have abandoned us, Percy is gone...and we don't even know who we're up against?" As she paused, Reyna slammed her hand on the cheap table.

Annabeth leaned back on the canvas of the tent. "I know. Whoever it is, they had the sense to keep quiet before making any moves. The ego of Gaea and Kronos was too much to be contained. They just had to show us their dominance and in the end, that was their undoing. But this? This god or titan or whatever Hades they are, they don't even care to take credit. I probably shouldn't ask but where are your dogs?"

Reyna closed her eyes. "I lost them when the city fell. I was cornered and they gave me enough time."

"I'm sorry for your loss." She felt sorry for asking.

Reyna rubbed her eyes angrily. "I'm sorry for yours. Chiron was a great leader. I grew to respect him in the short time I knew him. And Percy...I know he's fine. He gets himself in trouble far too many times but he always finds a way to come back."

"Doesn't matter. I'm gonna go look for him. I only stuck around to make sure we got here safely."

"You've grown up with these people. Not to attack but you would be leaving them in their worst moments."

"I grew up with Chiron. Malcolm. Clarisse and a hundred other people that are now crossing the River Styx. This is the life of demigods. I can't give up my life. Rooted, stuck protecting it and watching others die. I'm not saying we won't be back to help get through this. But this will be the last time Percy and I help the Greek world. We put our lives on pause no more."

Reyna thought for a second. "A couple of years ago, I would have ripped you a new one on loyalty and shamed you but I can't say I'm not starting to feel the same way. I feel like a puppet with invisible strings. I can't deny though that going out there alone is a stupid idea."

Annabeth stood and began pacing. "What choice do I have? I have no ways of communicating with him and I can't just wait and hope he finds us."

The tents of the flap rustled and Will stepped inside. "For one, you're not going alone."

Reyna balked. "Why were you eavesdropping?"

He rolled his eyes. "I didn't want to be kept in the dark. Besides you act like the choice between waiting patiently and eavesdropping on your commanders is a choice at all."

"I suppose I see your point. But you would never catch any legionnaires acting like this."

Will scoffed. "There's a small crowd out there right now."

As he spoke, they heard the scatter of a dozen footsteps.

Reyna took on the qualities of a stone. "Their names?"

"Nice try. I'm no rat."

Annabeth laughed. "Could've fooled me."

"Whatever. As I said before, I either go with you or we can try our luck separately."

"If you're going to insist I have to tell you, my priority will always be finding Percy. Nico...we don't even know how they're controlling him." To herself, she thought or if he's even being controlled at all. "Once we get our Percy-nuke back, we stand a much better chance. We also might need Jason and Piper, wherever they are. They probably don't know about the camps yet."

Will sat cross-legged. "I mean, I guess if there's one place I know Nico is gonna be, it'll be here. He'll be ordered to hunt us down, I assume. Maybe it's best I stayed and waited."

Annabeth nodded. "I think it is. It's your choice though."

Reyna sighed like a tired old soul. "I guess it falls to me to lead your camp. Unless you have a selected leader in mind?"

Annabeth joined Will on the ground. "If Will stays, I say him. But if he decides otherwise, I'm thinking the Stoll twins?"

Reyna blanched and Annabeth snorted. "I know. But they have matured a lot. Believe me when I say they were unbearable just a few years back."

"One hundred percent." Will said. "They've been stabbed more times than I can count for their pranks. Last time they pulled a stunt was when Percy disappeared a year ago. I would suggest we get the all the counselors to chip in though. They won't want to take orders from the twins."

Annabeth nodded. "That's actually a better idea. Maybe I suffered a blow to the head during the escape."

Will smiled. "What we need is a solid course of action. Get everyone on a task, keep them busy and distracted and at the same time make some progress."

Reyna unsheathed her knife and started tracing lines on the table. "I don't think we're gonna make it without the support of the gods. We have no protection, no barriers. Our Sibylline books were either burned or seized during the attack."

Annabeth held up her hands. "Forget our disadvantages. We need to start taking account of anything that's in our favor. For starters, we still have an army. Hazel and Frank should be back with the Amazonians in a day or two. If I know Thalia, she'll have picked up by now that something's wrong and they'll pick up our trail. I can't see Artemis abandoning her Hunters for too long. She might be with them."

"I'm sure Reyna agrees when I say those are a lot of maybe's." Will said cautiously.

Reyna indeed grunted her agreement. Annabeth continued, "Okay, well, Percy told me about the speed of Roman builders. If we can build a fortress on this mountain, that would be a massive win for us. We still have a flock of pegasi for patrols. Lou Ellen can whip up some spells, we can get the Hephaestus cabin to start mining the mountain for material for weapons and armor. Heck if we can get Leo back, assuming he made it, we could have the Argo III up in the air to complete the trilogy."

Reyna rubbed her temples. "What about food? What if the army attacks before we're ready? What if the Amazons have been wiped out as well and Hazel doesn't make it back? Then we're down to one praetor again and-"

"One step at a time, Reyna!" Annabeth urged. With her eyes, she begged the daughter of Bellona to be strong. "If you lose hope too, then I'm crippled."

The praetor took a minute to collect herself but when she opened her eyes, she was the same fierce leader as when Annabeth first laid eyes on her. She instantly knew the camp would be just fine when she left for her search. "Fine. The first step is the fortress." She stood. "Come. Help me organize it."

...

By the end of the first day, the first signs of the approaching army was apparent. The noise and light pollution an army makes is incredible at night. By that time, half the fortress was complete and Reyna called them off. They had a nice dinner with emergency plates and cups Cabin 6 stashed away long ago. They lit a nice fire, said some pretty words, and everyone set off for bed. Only the leaders stayed awake a little bit longer to eye the army camped in the forest.

Annabeth lowered her binoculars. "Looks like they've stopped for the night."

Reyna pursed her lips. "Even monsters must sleep. I wonder if they have nightmares, too."

Lou Ellen stood with them along with Will and Katie. "You'd be surprised. Monsters are really just gods and the children of gods who drew the short stick in life. Came out of the womb monstrosities. They were shunned their entire first lifetime, growing up fed on hate. We share blood with every last one of them. If we grew up the way they did, we would be the monsters; Only a tad bit prettier."

Will's right eye twitched. "Yeah, let's not try to humanize them, okay? I mean, I get your point but it's not gonna make it any easier when they try to kill us."

She shrugged. "You should understand your enemy to realize why you hate them. Once you learn that, you start to question whether they should really be the one you're fighting."

Katie coughed. "On that note, I should probably head to bed."

"Maybe I should turn in, too. Unless you guys need me to take first watch?" He eyed the two girls.

Reyna shook her head. "Rest. Sleep calmly. We don't know how much time we'll have to do that in these coming weeks."

Lou Ellen stuck around. "So, I know this probably isn't going to help much but I think I figured out a way to bring Chiron back if we recover that sword."

Annabeth felt a weight drop from her shoulders immediately. "Thank - well, not the gods. At least we have that. Only problem now is we know Nico has the blade hanging from his belt."

The daughter of Hecate sat on one of the half-built walls. "It's a long shot but you think there's any chance I can turn Nico into a guinea pig?"

Annabeth had to snort. The idea was ridiculous. "Probably not. Whatever Nico went through, I think he's immortal now. Did you feel his aura back at camp?"

Lou Ellen raised her eyes to the stars. "Yeah. I can't believe everything got so fucked so fast."

Reyna reached to scratch Aurum's ears, falling short when she realized he wasn't there. Annabeth pretended not to notice. Reyna's hand turned into a fist. "I can't believe Nico betrayed us like this. I should have known. Children of Pluto." She spat. "Always bad news."

Annabeth clasped her hands together. "You're just looking for someone to blame. Nico is probably the strongest person I know. He would never do something like this."

"And yet he has."

"You were there when Leo unleashed the Argo II on New Rome, weren't you? I'll bet anything an eidolon is controlling him as we speak."

"It doesn't change the fact that our homes are gone and we are here. He is lucky he is Greek. If he was Roman..." Reyna fingered the pommel of her sword.

"If he was Roman what?"

All three jumped as if scalding hot coffee was poured down their backs.

Lou Ellen's face morphed like she drank sour milk. "Oh. You." She slouched off.

Reyna had to restrain herself from running to hug her but Annabeth didn't. She crashed straight into Thalia's arms and tried not to break down for the tenth time that week and failed miserably.

Thalia's eyes were livid. She looked at Reyna. "What in Hades is going on here?" She growled.

...

When they caught her up, Thalia looked ready to blast the place with a hundred thunderbolts. "Out of respect for Bianca, I'll make his death quick. I'm not promising painless."

Reyna was still in shock. They had been keeping in touch for a couple months now, ever since the war ended. "Where have you been? All this chaos and not even a letter? Didn't you even consider I might be worried?"

Thalia had the courtesy to look ashamed. "I'm sorry, Rey. Artemis ordered us to keep quiet and away from the camps. We didn't know what was going on anymore than you."

Reyna trailed off, shaking her head and mumbling to herself. "One letter, one freaking letter!"

Thalia looked over at Annabeth who had recovered her modesty and sat sheepishly. "And no word from Percy? At all?"

She shook her head. "I'm gonna go look for him. Latest I can wait is tomorrow by noon."

Thalia's eyes narrowed to slits. "In this heat? Are you insane?"

"What choice do I have? He went off looking for Nico and obviously he didn't find him. He has to be out there somewhere looking for us."

"Why don't we just ask Nico then?"

Annabeth scoffed. "You really think he's gonna tell us?"

"Don't worry about that. I know how to make people talk."

"Putting your disturbing hobbies aside, Thals, that's not really an option. I just told you he's an immortal."

"You said you think he's an immortal. Besides, how many gods and Titans have we taken down? They're a dime a dozen for us!"

She shook her head. "Your overconfidence isn't going to help us. It's not just Nico, it's Hercules. It's Deimos and Phobos and Janus and who knows how many other gods this guy has in his pocket."

"Sounds to me like you've lost your spark. The old Annabeth would have kept a cool head and taken this all in stride."

"I don't need you to attack me right now, okay?"

Thalia threw her hands into the air. "I'm not attacking!"

"Ladies, ladies, please," Reyna rolled her eyes. "You're gonna wake the camp. Can we just agree that this is a fucked up situation and fighting is not going to help anything."

Thalia blinked a couple times. "Did you just curse?"

"What about it? I curse all the time. Just not around you."

"Why is that? You can't be real around me?"

Reyna scowled but blushed deeply. "That doesn't mean anything! I'm more real around you then half-"

Now Annabeth had to intervene. "Okay, let's save the flirting until I'm out of the tent, yes?"

"What?" Thalia burst out laughing, a tiny edge to it. "I would never flirt with her!"

Reyna looked down silently and Thalia saw her mistake, now the same shade of crimson as her friend.

Annabeth realized she opened up a can of rotten stinking worms and started talking, not even realizing what she was saying. "So, anyway, where's Artemis? I thought she would be here?"

Thalia picked at her tiara then ripped it off, hoping a few short locks would cover her face. "She checks in sometimes. She says it's against the rules and all that but she was the one who told us where you guys were. I guess not all gods turned their backs on you, huh?"

Annabeth almost wanted to melt into the ground. The tension in the room now was oh so palpable. "Hmm. Well, good thing you guys showed up. I don't know when that army is gonna make their move but I assume the force that attacked New Rome is gonna be after us as well. It's good to have some backup. They're gonna need it."

The Huntress placed the silver tiara back in its place and she smoothed out her hair. Her skin had mostly returned to its normal color. "I'll have my hunters on watch. We should be safe for tonight but I don't want you to go off alone. Maybe I'll join you in the morning."

Reyna mumbled something. Annabeth thought she heard "maybe you should". Thalia clearly heard it as well. Her face fell. "Come on. I'll walk you to your tent."

They reached her tent before Annabeth had the courage to ask. "What is up with you guys? You send each other letters now?"

Thalia blushed again and surveyed their surroundings as a distraction. "Yeah. It started off with talks about the Hunters. You know, the requirements to join and all that."

She raised her eyebrows, taken by surprise. "You wanted to recruit her?"

"Well, yes and no. She would make an amazing fit, obviously. I didn't know why she was asking so I started inquiring about her life. Trying to gauge who she was, you know? But then we kind of hit it off. Just like that, we became fast friends. And we started meeting up and it evolved, I guess. Something about her drew me in." Thalia bared her teeth. "She knows I've sworn off anything like that. She can't help it though. And...neither can I."

Annabeth felt like Thalia had stopped talking directly to her halfway through, and just blended into the canvas, letting her vent. When she finished, she turned to Annabeth. "What do you think? Should I go apologize?"

She calculated her answer. "I don't know, Thals. You've made a vow. If you feel this strongly about it, I think you have to consider whether you want to give up this new life you've built, for her. I guess you can always try and do both but...well, you know how that's played out over the course of history."

Thalia looked even more miserable. Annabeth cursed herself. The daughter of Zeus rose to her full height, just a bit taller than her. "Thanks, sis. I'll come wake you in the morning. I have some thinking to do before then."

They hugged and bade each other good night.

Sleep overtook her immediately upon hitting the pillow. One second she was pulling off her sneakers, the very next she was walking into a cave. The place felt and smelled ancient, like mothballs and old books. There was a white fire in the center of the cave, images rushed through the flames in sequences too fast for the human eye. The walls began to sweat gold and a new metallic scent hit the air. Annabeth realized it was ichor. Then she realized the floor was drenched in a red and slick thick liquid.

One by one, the old hags materialized. In their bony hands, two of the ladies were knitting a tapestry and the middle one held the crimson yarn in place. They were not sitting this time. Their faces drooped even more than usual and the veins in their eyes bulged.

"Annabeth Chase," All Three moved their mouths but one voice carried out to her.

Annabeth was not in control of her own body. She could only panic as she felt herself taking step after step closer towards them. She never liked the Fates. The idea that three old gals with a pair of knitting needles supposedly controlled the entire destiny of every life was terrifying.

She felt her lips moving, asking the burning question. "Why are you doing this? Why can't you let us have peace? Haven't we done enough?"

They laughed in their raspy voice. "As long as the Loom stands, there will always be those who take it upon themselves to rewrite Fate. We are the Guardians, not the makers. We Oversee, not create."

Always with riddles. The Greek world was one giant enigma. Three Fates, Twelve Olympians, Solstices, Prophecies. She could never understand the bigger questions and their cryptic answers.

"Where is Percy?"

They calmly continued knitting, not a care in the world.

"Tell me!"

"Do not lose faith. There are events coming beyond even our power to control. The Titan of the North. He draws from the Loom. The Loom must be destroyed. The Titan, Annabeth Chase! We will do our part, you must do yours. Do not lose faith."

Annabeth lost it. She raged and screamed, cursing the Fates for everything that had befallen her and her home. They stared her in the eyes until her vocal chords burst and blood filled her mouth. As it fell to the floor, it transfigured into golden ichor. She was forced to watch as the Fates pulled out the gold and silver scissors and began snipping away at the yarn. One cut, then two, and ten, and a hundred, and ten hundred.

The walls began to bleed faster and the floor cracked open, more blood flooding the room. The eyes of all Three Fates burst and they began withering away into bone and then into dust, leaving behind their white cotton dresses.

As one, the voice filled her head even as she screamed. "Rise, Queen of Monsters."

Athena woke from her slumber with a small yelp.

The beautiful face of a 16-year old girl with auburn hair and piercing silver eyes floated over her own. "Calm down, it's me!"

Athena sat up, shaken by her vision. A vision from the Fates themselves. After a moment, she collected herself and spoke. "You came."

Her eyes were puzzled. "Of course. Why wouldn't I? You're my sister."

Athena fought down a wave of nausea. Gods weren't supposed to feel things like that. Artemis jammed a thumb over her shoulder. "What's up with him?"

In the corner of the small cave, Poseidon was strewn across the floor, covered in bandages. The cloth did a good job of hiding the hideous scars Coeus had left behind. "I...I found him like that."

She studied Athena for a good long minute. "I'm a huntress. My perception is not just limited to animals. Do you want to tell me what really happened?"

"I made a mistake. A terrible mistake."

Artemis smirked. "It looks like he's the one who made the mistake. Not even a scratch on you? Damn, why is Zeus the one calling the shots?"

Athena tried to keep her emotions in check. Relief being one. Self-hate the other.

"I know how much you hate him. Why didn't you kill him?"

Athena began shaking her head and it came rushing out before she could stop it. "I didn't do it. I-I watched it happen. I let it happen."

Artemis began to frown, her eyebrows knitting together until they were fused. "Who did it?"

"A Titan. Coeus."

The goddess of the hunt sat back. "What?"

"He's the one behind it all. He obliterated the demigod camps, he killed Hades, he said Zeus fled to another world. God, he's going to kill me."

Artemis grabbed her shoulders. "Okay, calm down. How do you know this?"

Athena couldn't meet her eyes. "I helped him."

Five seconds of silence.

Then Artemis pulled her hand back and slapped Athena across the face so hard, bits of spittle went flying out. Her hand was imprinted on her face. Athena knew she deserved it but when her sister backslapped the other cheek, she began to retaliate.

"You dare?"

Artemis pulled out an adamantine arrow and jammed it into her throat, hard enough to draw blood. "You're a traitor?!"

Before Athena could respond, the goddess slapped her again. "Was there ever even a Twin?"

She didn't let her respond, slapping her again and again. Each slap would've killed a mortal, even a demigod, but because she was an Olympian she could take it. That didn't mean it didn't hurt.

"I don't care that Poseidon or Hades died but you helped an enemy of Olympus take power? Are you out of your mind?"

Athena kicked her away. "Enough!"

She hadn't cried in many years but now tears flooded her eyes. "I will repent soon enough! The Fates have seen to that! I did it to save us!"

Artemis had half a mind to attack and see who came out of the cave alive but she restrained herself. "You were helping him by killing off your own family? Is that why you called me here?"

Athena knew the guilt was as visible as a spotlight. "The Fates warned us of the coming attack. The Twin: a force too powerful to stop. Do you know what Zeus's plan was? His plan was to recommence the Ichor Purge."

"How is that different from what you're doing now?"

"Just listen, please! Once he failed to kill Hades and Poseidon, he fled. Abandoned us. Everything Coeus told me would happen came to pass. I knew there would be bloodshed. But he is truly the only hope this world has left."

"I see. So after the Titan conquers the world, with all of us sacrificed, that would be a better ending than if this Twin just came and did the same?"

"You have to understand, I thought it was the right thing. I still do. With Coeus, there is a chance to rebuild. The force that approaches is a Devourer. He would consume our world leaving nothing at all. But I see now that even if it is the right thing to do, it cannot be I who does it."

Artemis shook her head. "For a goddess of wisdom, you are one stupid little-" She stopped herself.

Athena walked over to Poseidon and sunk to her knees. "I'm sorry, Barnacle Beard."

The god of the seas shifted, deep in a regenerative slumber. He mumbled a few names with varying degree of emotion. "Zeus. Athena. Triton. Amphitrite. Sally. Percy."

Artemis almost reached for her bow. So easy, just notch the arrow and put her out of her self-inflicted misery. But it was her sister. "I looked up to you, Athena. All my life. A goddess so wise and powerful, she didn't need a husband. A goddess so fierce she stood up to Poseidon and openly mocked him. A goddess so skilled she made Ares suicidal."

Artemis couldn't help herself and snorted at the last comment. "I'll tell you what. Figure out a way to fix this and maybe I won't kill you."

Athena almost sobbed hopelessly. "Fix this? This can't be fixed."

Artemis cocked her eyebrow, one hand raising for her bow. "Is that your final answer?"

Athena just sat there feeling sorry for herself. She shook her head in reluctant defeat. "There's only one thing that completes his victory. His foresight. It's an unbeatable advantage. If you remove that, you're left with a mortal's chance of at least removing him from power."

"Any ideas?"

Athena almost scoffed. Like Coeus, she couldn't stand it when she had to spell out what she thought obvious to others. "Who controls prophecy? The Oracles. Destroy the Oracles."

"That easy, huh? And I assume you would know where they are?"

"I do."

"And I also assume Coeus knows we're having this conversation and is probably on his way to kill the both of us right now?"

Athena shook her head still not removing her eyes from Poseidon, the only one not physically capable of scorning her. "The Fates gave me a vision. They said I had the knowledge to destroy the foundations of Coeus' most powerful advantage. Once I spoke, the effect would be immediate."

"I see. By telling me, we are actively undermining his ability to see. Easy enough. You're going to help me then. If I die trying to save us, you are, too."

Poseidon stirred, still mumbling away. "We have to move him. He's going to search for me and fine him otherwise."

"You're the reason this happened. You carry him. And keep up or I'll put an arrow through your skull, traitor."

Athena hinted but never told Artemis of the full vison. The Fates had indeed given Athena a chance to save them but her redemption would be in her death. Athena didn't know when or where, but she would be flayed alive and tortured for centuries. Not for her crimes against Olympus, but for her betrayal to Coeus.

Nico didn't wake up that morning expecting to go into battle.

The son of the late Hades knew Coeus for a only a week but in that time he picked up on exactly who he was. The Titan was meticulous. He had the patience of a great river slowly carving a canyon through a landscape over the course of thousands of years. He had the power of Zeus, the armies of the Underworld, and the support of the entire godly tree minus the Olympians yet he never declared war or revealed himself. He kept quiet and worked mostly from the shadows, planning small precise strikes.

So why did he just order an attack on the demigods?

Nico hesitated. "But...I thought you said we were waiting for tomorrow?"

The Soul Eater had never lost composure. He did not do so now but Nico could tell he was close. "Do not question me, boy. There have been changes. You attack immediately with everything you have. The faster they are eliminated, the safer the operation is. Once it is done, report to me in person. I will be waiting."

The Iris Message faded. He silently considered. Coeus was supposed to be the Titan of foresight and intelligence. Something major was supposed to happen tomorrow according to the original plan. It now seemed that the Titan was becoming reckless and impatient. Nico supposed this was still a smart play. His armies still outnumbered whatever remained of the two camps. The hidden advantage Coeus had been waiting for yesterday was now irrelevant. Indeed things had changed and he wondered what they might be.

Regardless, his job was not to advise the Titan. If he wanted to attack now then attack they would. It wasn't like Nico could do anything about it anyway.

"Hercules," He called out.

The god came forward reluctantly. He hated being bossed around by a former demigod, irony aside. "Yes?" He said through clenched teeth.

Nico brushed past him just to the annoy the big guy. "Gather the army. Orders just came through. We attack immediately."

Hercules frowned. "Why the sudden-"

"Don't know, don't care. Make sure they see you moving. We'll need a screen so we can move quickly around the backend."

Before Hercules could inquire any further, Nico shadow travelled away. It was a curious thing. Before, his pool of energy had been close to depletion. When he turned that kid into a ghost, he had operated on reserves right up until his quest for the sword. Now that Coeus had supercharged him and turned him immortal, his small pool turned into a lake. He was stacked and yet he didn't know how to properly utilize it. Of course, he hadn't been trained, which was the point. Coeus gave him the power so that he wouldn't die immediately upon facing Percy but didn't teach him a thing in case he somehow figured out a way to tear away from the mind control.

Not that Nico hadn't tried. Though under the spell he couldn't feel remorse for his actions and technically it wasn't possible to betray his master, he still tried various different ways to break out. It was like being suspended in mid air in a metal chamber tied to a hundred celestial bronze chains. There was a tiny little window where he could see what he was doing. The bits of sanity he had left were floating around trying to reform. If he found a way to break out, he feared he might be turn insane. Now, Coeus' power was the crutch that enabled him to think and reason.

In a second, he stepped out of the shadow of a tree in the forest where the other army hid. Benvenuti and Stone jumped in surprise.

"What's up?" Chiara casually asked, as if she had gotten used to his entrances.

"The Titan issued new commands. He says we attack now."

Nick stood, gathering his weapons. "Right now?"

"Did I stutter?"

"Your growth spurt did."

Chiara groaned. "You'd think after we were brainwashed you two would cut this shit out. Not another word, let's go."

...

It was a surprisingly fast process. The concept of killing a settlement of demigods was an efficient way to mobilize a monster army quickly and quietly, something Nico didn't think possible. They reached the edge of the forest when the Hunters of Artemis started raining down arrows upon them. Right around the same time, Hercules and his forces initiated the first assault. That was supposed to provide them the proper noise cover so that they could begin scaling the side of the mountain but it was a little too late for that.

They charged out. Five immortals and about half a thousand dracanae, giant spiders, harpies and other assortments. The Hunters were too quick. Every harpy that rose to meet them were shot down. No monster climbed more than ten feet before they exploded into dust. Nico popped his neck and focused on one of the girls. The sun was a couple inches over the horizon and her bow made a small shadow against the downwards slope she stood on. In a breath, Nico materialized right out of that tiny shadow and drove his new sword through her throat and out the top of the skull. She jerked once and was sucked into the mystical blade.

Now moving like a shadow, Nico cut open half a dozen Hunters before they started turning their bows on him. He started teleporting in and out of darkness, relishing his new power. No longer did he have to worry about conserving energy. As fast it started, all traces of the followers of Artemis were wiped away. Peering down, he saw the first group of monsters crawling their way up. Chiara dazzled him with a wide grin while Nick flipped him off from below. Nico smirked and continued forward through the pass.

Once it opened up, he saw chaos unfold from below. The hell hounds and venti that made up the majority of the other army had made their way up first. They reigned terror on the half-prepared demigods. A lot of them seemed to have been enjoying breakfast still in pajamas. More than a few others abandoned their picks and mining tools where they had begun digging a tunnel. Whether they were planning on building a hideout in there was unclear. In the midst of everything, Reyna, Annabeth, and Thalia led the defense. With those three, the demigods would put up a hell of a fight. A losing fight, absolutely. But still. At the moment, it was yet again the Hunters of Artemis who were causing the most trouble. They were too quick, preventing the army below from reaching them and at the same time picking off hell hounds and the air spirits.

And then out of nowhere, Hercules used those thicc thighs to leap onto the mountain, shattering the spine of some poor legionnaire. The man, myth, and legend had a very large ego but he could back it easily. He assessed the situation in a single 360 and made his move. He unleashed a wave of godly might, sending the Trio flying. Even across the distance, he locked eyes with Nico and conveyed a clear message: "Now!"

Nico did. He walked out of a Hunters imprint and snuffed it out. He unleashed his pent up anger the only way he could, hacking his way through the ranks of Artemis. Very quickly, the goddess of the hunt would find her gifted power returned to her in spades. With all the bodies and arrows flying around, Nico's only warning was a massive thunder boom before the bolt of lightning struck him.

"TRAITOR!" A powerful voice accused him.

He dropped to a knee, head swiveling. Thalia came charging forward letting loose an arrow. Nico cut it out of the air and rose scowling. His focus dialed to eleven. The next one had only left the bowstring for a couple hundred microseconds and the Ghost King stepped out of its shadow slashing. Thalia barely managed to avoid being cleaved in half. Her bow didn't. She somersaulted to the side, tapping her bracelet and bringing out her mace canister. She came up wielding her signature spear and Aegis.

Even the most seasoned demigod would at least flinch at the sight of Medusa's painted visage but Nico was no demigod. He didn't even blink, teleporting behind her. Without thinking, she jumped to the right, closer to the edge of the cliff and the son of Hades slashed at air. She leveled her spear around and summoned another bolt of lightning. Nico instinctively raised the sword at an angle and the energy struck the flat side, deflecting the power right at the daughter of Zeus. The sheer force of her own attack knocked the shield out of her hand. Her eyes went wide, apprehension entering her body for the first time.

Nico didn't give her a chance to consider her options, pressing her closer and closer to the edge of the cliff. Her prowess with a spear was impressive but as a Huntress, she had neglected her training, instead focusing on her archery and the finesse of the hunting blades. So when Nico unleashed a barrage of swordplay, Thalia could hold on only by a thread. The two thunderbolts had drained her and she somehow used the tip of the spear to parry his stygian blade against all odds.

But Nico had his fun. It was time to get serious. In a blinding series, he caught the tip and cleanly chopped the spear into three pieces, aiming a stab at her belly. She jumped back in panic, reaching for her hunting blades but her foot caught the edge of the cliff and Nico stepped forward with a Spartan kick and she went over the edge, screaming.

Close behind him, Reyna screamed too. Her sneak attack foiled, she charged. Nico couldn't help but laugh a little bit. He had finally bested Thalia and now he would take on the fearsome leader of the Romans. He was disappointed to find her challenge lacking.

He groaned disapprovingly. "Reyna, what have you done with yourself?"

She fought without technique, acting only with fury. "You will die for that!"

"Yeah, not really."

Across the half-completed fortress, Hercules was doing his job well. So focused on defending against the loose god, the demigods neglected the other fronts of attack. From the ridge where Nico entered the fray, his army started emerging. Chiara and Nick along with Deimos and Phobos led the reinforcements. Now they had six immortals on the battlefield. The demigods would see no victory today.

Especially true when Hercules' army scrambled over the cliffside where Thalia had fallen, adding another couple hundred to the assault. There seemed to be a commotion below that side but Nico put it in the back of his mind, focusing on Reyna's anguish.

She went all out against the Ghost King who was quickly losing interest. When Annabeth came running up with Will, things started picking up again.

"Nico!" The son of Apollo's eyes were wide in disbelief. It was as if his former lover was seeing Nico truly for the first time.

"Solace." He grinned. "Miss me?" Even as he said, he felt something stir in his blood. Something familiar? Was it..regret? Longing? Possibly love? In a split second, he stiffened and the escaped emotions were shoved back down by the magic of Coeus.

"Nico, please," Will looked close to tears. "Don't make us do this. Just come with us. We can help you!"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a dark figure emerge from the slope. Thalia rose mounted on a six-armed earthborn which, now that he no longer served a purpose, she decapitated with a silver flash of her hunting blades. She almost dove in for second go at him when she noticed the semi-circle gathered in front of Nico.

Reyna circled around over to Thalia's side and she muttered something to her. Annabeth pulled his focus back to her and Nico repositioned himself, trying to keep them all in sight. "Nico, we know someone is making you do this. Lou Ellen can snap you out of it. Just hand over the sword and let us take you in."

Nico could only laugh. "What has happened to me is beyond your power to fix. I serve a new master now."

"The Nico we know would never become someone's puppet." She said but there was an edge to her voice. "We can discuss what happened later. Right now, we're willing to put it all aside if you call off this attack."

Nico answer was a snap of his fingers. A wave spread across the battlefield and immediately scores of monsters turned their way.

"Thalia? You and Reyna want to deal with that?"

Thalia hesitated only for a second. "Be careful." She grabbed Reyna's hand and they left the scene.

Will and Annabeth stepped closer to him, still willing to reason. Nico saved them the time. "You know, you should have seen the look on Percy's face when he saw the charred remains of Camp Half-Blood."

"Annabeth?" Will warned her.

She cocked her head to the side, eyes on fire. "If that's how you want it then."

The son of Apollo was left holding back thin air as she moved with blinding speed. Over the course of the three months since she left Tartarus, Annabeth had become a demon with the bone sword gifted to her by Damasen. She was no son of Poseidon but Nico still had to focus a little bit. Before Will could join her, a hell hound made it past Thalia's defenses and pounced on him.

"What did you do with Percy?" She snarled.

Nico cackled, parrying everything she threw at him. "I wonder, did any of you manage to figure out who's behind all this?"

"The Titan?"

"Bravo! Then I suppose you know what domains are under his control?" He rolled under a lunge and kicked at her back. She ate a mouthful of dirt but was back on her feet in a second. "Foresight and intelligence. He had it all mapped out a century before he made the first move. If you still think there's a chance Percy could survive what we threw at him, that's even more delusional than you thinking I would betray my master for you."

"What did you do to him?!" She dove at him.

Nico pulled out the Cursed Dagger. "Remember this? Do you know where the Titan found it?"

Annabeth halted for a short moment before she went into a frenzy. "YOU MONSTER! IF YOU-"

He jabbed at her mouth, connecting with several teeth. He felt one of them wiggle out of place. "Shut up. I'm speaking."

Blood dripped from her mouth but she wasn't fazed. Behind him, he sensed his former boyfriend rise from the golden dust of the hound. "Annabeth, if you hurt him, I swear to you!"

Nico faked a move on Will and she flew at him, snarling. With grace, he ducked under the bone sword, turning on his heels and driving the blade deep into her side. With a small gasp, she tripped over her own feet and face planted.

Will stuttered. "Oh my-"

Nico emerged from his lover's shadow and wrapped his arm around his neck, yanking him back. "Shh. Calm down, sunshine. It's me." He whispered into his ear, almost lovingly as if they were cuddling back under the shade of a pine back at camp.

Will choked, both because he was sobbing and he was struggling for breath. "I'm sorry." He expected it but deep, deep within he was still shocked when Will's hand shot out with an arrow clutched. Nico caught his hand and surprised himself: As if he had dual personalities and the other had awoken, he responded. "Me, too." He slowly ripped the arrow out of his grasp and dragged the tip across his lover's throat. It confused Nico because despite his intentions, the cut was not as deep as he wanted it to be. Only a marginal amount of blood spilled out. A part of himself had not allowed him to kill Will Solace.

There was hope.

In the thirty seconds the whole exchange took, Reyna and Thalia had just about finished. Thalia was just finishing up the last wind spirit when the daughter of Bellona stumbled onto the scene. She saw Annabeth writhing on the ground and Will bleeding out. The son of Apollo's head was on Nico's lap and the son of Hades caressed it, a tear rolling down his cheek.

"You animal-"

Nico sword sliced clean through her neck before she uttered another word. Her head dropped to the ground, gurgling. Her eyes met his and Nico vaguely recalled hearing somewhere that the human brain remained alive for a few more seconds after a decapitation. "If you think that didn't kill me," He snarled.

"Reyna!" Thalia's knees buckled upon seeing everything gone to shit.

The corpse of the daughter of Bellona evaporated into an obsidian vapor and drifted into the air and into Nico's stygian sword. He waited for Thalia's attack and got nothing so he turned to Annabeth, crouching at her side. That was when the Huntress snapped out of it and made a move. In a surge of great annoyance, he threw out his hand and a burst of godly might sent her head over heels into a horde of monsters. Claws slashed and blood went flying. He didn't really noticed, so surprised by the new ability he unlocked.

"Interesting," He said to himself. And to Annabeth, "Aren't you going to say thank you? I reunited you with your beloved dagger. Didn't your childhood crush gift it to you?"

Annabeth spit out and a tooth. "I...I thought you were redeemable. I hoped to God you could be saved."

"Aww, how touching. You know," He leaned in conspiratorially. "I kind of felt something when I sliced his neck open. It's weird. My emotions were supposed to be completely stripped from me but there's a crack in the armor. If you had time, maybe you could do something about it. As it is..."

She coughed. "Doesn't matter. What you did just now...what you did to Percy...I'm gonna kill you."

He snorted. "From the afterlife? You know the Titan killed my father, right? I think it's what finally broke me. The Underworld has a new ruler. No Elysium for you, no Isles, not even the Fields."

"Wonderful." She rose to her knees but the dagger in her side prevented her from doing much else.

"As for Percy; You probably picked up my hint, you're smart. He's in Tartarus set on a course for the realm of Chaos. The Underworld can't hold someone like him. You should be proud we had to go to so much trouble just to remove him from the picture."

She choked back a sob but not the tears. "Just...if there's anything even resembling a heart left in you...if a speck of the Nico I knew and grew to care for is still there...please. Let me be with him. I need Percy more than you could ever understand."

Nico considered. Under the spells and torture and mind control, there was still the shattered remnants of Nico's soul. The lost parts that prevented him from killing Will and mourned his own foul deeds. Even now, the only thing even resembling emotion was self-hatred. His master demanded obedience. It wasn't possible for him to go against orders. But technically, he would still be killing her.

However...Coeus would still need reassurance. A guarantee that she would be dead even if she survived the fall.

"You know what? Over the last two weeks, I have lost much. My father, my free will, my home...the only other person who ever loved me for me besides Bianca. You want to be with Percy? I can arrange for you to be buried close with your Seaweed Brain at the very least."

He pulled the dagger out of her side and she cried out, doubling over. He grabbed a handful of her golden curls, exposing her throat. He ran the flat of the smooth dark blade across the tanned flesh before raising the blade just a little bit higher. "But I'm afraid I can't grant you the opportunity to see him one last time."

She didn't fight him.

He slashed across her stormy grey eyes, permanently scarring her forever. To her credit, her only recognition of it was a gurgling moan. She lay there clawing at her eyes, kicking her feet. She fought with every last ounce to deny him the pleasure of hearing her pain. Her last act of defiance.

The son of Hades rose, summoning his power and cold fury. "I am the Ghost King! I am a god!" He growled at the dirt. "You will follow my will!" With his mind in the right place and enough conviction, the ground crumbled away violently, revealing a small but deep chasm falling directly into Tartarus. Immediately, the fumes and pull of the Pit wafted out. Annabeth recoiled, almost crawling away out of pure instinct and self-preservation.

"Would you like me to help you?" Nico said quietly.

Annabeth took a second to steel her nerves and began to drag herself towards the Pit, using every gram of willpower she had left. She endured the shrieking pain in her eyes and the pounding in her side. She reached the edge. "Percy. I'm coming."

She threw herself in.

...

The moment Nico sealed the crack, horns resounded across the mountain. From everywhere and nowhere, hundreds of Amazonians emerged firing arrows and decapitating monsters left, right and center. They had a clear attack plan, flanking them and grouping them together. From the clouds, a massive blue-gray dragon dive-bombed onto the scene. Nico sheathed the Cursed Blade and drew his stygian sword but a blue of motion flew into his sight. He had less than a second to register that it was a horse with a girl atop before his half-sister Hazel smacked him with the flat of her massive spatha. The force of impact had him somersaulting head over toe over the edge of the cliff.

The battle quickly came to a close with most of the monsters wiped off the mortal world. Tartarus would soon experience massive monster traffic. Clouds of golden dust polluted the air but the carnage didn't stop. Soon, the only ones left standing were the five immortals. The demigods rallied, forming a large thick ring around them. Pegasus riders secured the skies and Frank the dragon wrapped the gods in majestic fire. Silver arrows rained from all directions and spears found their mark.

Celestial Bronze and Silver did just fine if your goal was slaughtering a god.

First it was poor Chiara who was cut down. All the luck in the world couldn't save her from the vengeance of demigods who had lost everything. Then it was the two brother gods of war who fell to arrows covering every inch of their skin. Nick Stone was decapitated by the cold queen of the Amazonians to the cheer of all her followers. Hercules, of course, put up a massive fight.

He used his enormous strength to brute force his way out of the ring but not without three dozen arrows sticking out of his back like a porcupine. A score of sword gashes covered his limbs. A spear went right through his asshole and out his groin and now his eyes looked like an insane asylum patient's glazed dead stare. His groans were like a zombie's. All his efforts were focused on running straight. Frank's jaws latched on the gods left arm and ripped it out of his socket. Hercules brought his right fist around and slammed it into Frank's scaly head. So powerful was the punch, Frank was knocked right out of dragon form and went sprawling into the crowd of pursuing demigods. It would be a miracle if he was still alive.

Hercules began glowing, a sign that he was teleporting when a bolt of lightning struck him. Heads turned and witnessed Thalia drop to the ground, unconscious. Three bolts in one day, possibly a record. Hercules stumbled and fell on his side and 400 demigods, Hunters, and Amazonians tore him apart.

Lou Ellen checked on the daughter of Zeus, made sure she was still breathing. She force-fed her some nectar and waited for her to come around. "Annabeth. R-Reyna," Her first words were.

The daughter of Hecate forced a smile. "Don't worry. I think I can fix that."

Thalia, delirious, didn't understand a word. She promptly passed out. Lou Ellen gently lowered her head back to the ground and stood. Her eyes searched and knew she hadn't been seeing things. Nico's stygian iron sword lay right where he had been standing. The sword containing the souls of Chiron, Reyna, and possibly Percy Jackson.

...

Nico struggled to rise to his feet. Ichor bled from several places. Atop the mountain, he heard the sounds of a fierce skirmish. From the aura emanating, Nico knew the battle was completely lost. They arrived for only a minute maximum and already, Chiara Benvenuti was dead. Nico stood no chance. Up the mountain, he saw the streak of brown and grey that was Hazel and Arion.

He had to go. Coeus would not be pleased but he had no choice. As he disappeared into the shadows, he had one panicked thought. My sword!

Percy was really starting to see Kelli the Vampire's value. The more she talked, she more he realized Tartarus was like any prison up in the mortal world. It had its own little society and pecking order. The were various regions in Tartarus controlled by a certain monster species but the constant rotation of the landscape made it impossible to build a true stronghold.

Percy absorbed every detail. If he was gonna prevent the Titans and Giants from capturing him, he would need to build himself an army. If what she told him was correct, and from what he's seen it may well be, the monsters in here would do him no harm. By killing one of Tartarus' favored pets, he had gained the respect from them all and news would spread. Even besides that, his aura of darkness and power convinced the monsters he was worth more as an ally than an enemy.

Kelli took him down the Valley where the Delta River ran its course. Every other minute, a new monster would try and join them as escorts but Percy waved them off with a glare. The Giants and Titans followed not too far behind out of sight. They would scream insults at him now and then, prompting Percy to hurry Kelli forward.

Apparently, whatever remained of Kronos was gathered in a deep cave about halfway through the canyon. Monsters avoided the place like a plague. Percy preferred it this way. He wanted as little maggots around as possible. Even being in the vampire's presence was barely tolerable. It wasn't long before they arrived.

"All right, keep watch here. If you want to prove your loyalty, you'll let me know when you see those scumbags coming."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about them, my lord." She flashed a flirtatious smile. "Like the others, the Titans don't dare go near their father's resting place. And the Giants? Well, they're not on good terms with the Titan of Time."

"I don't care. Stay here."

"But how're you going to find your way through the tunnels? It's a labyrinth of dead ends and traps down there."

"And how would you know? You just said monsters don't really consider this place a tourist spot."

"Oh, but I served the almighty Titan. We were very close, you know."

Percy's face soured. "I bet you were."

Kelli acted like a silly cheerleader, waving her hand. "Don't be jealous, babe. That was an old fling."

Some unexplained anger overtook him and he slammed her against the cave wall by the throat. "Me and you? We're not friends. We're not lovebirds. Stop acting like it." He released her, suppressing the guilt at such aggression. "Quickly. Lead the way."

Kelli tried for a half-hearted smile and curtsied. "Yes, my lord."

They navigated through the tunnels for a few minutes before they entered a small cavern. It was completely bare save for one lone figure, hugged by shadows. One torch hung by the entrance and another by an exit. The man stepped forward and Percy almost shuddered. It was Luke Castellan. Or at least some sort of mirage or spirit resembling him.

"Hey, Percy." A small sad smile played along his lips. He was dressed in the blue jeans and orange t-shirt common among Camp Half-Blood. His blonde hair was perfectly combed and for all Percy knew, he was never dead. Except for one small detail: a red splotch under his left arm where the cursed blade reaped him. Percy subconsciously reached for the same spot. The Delta healed the wound but the memory of how it throbbed was still fresh in his mind.

"Yeah, it hurt didn't it?" The son of Hermes chuckled.

"Well, if you don't want me." Kelli whispered before sashaying over to Luke, reaching for his scarred face. "Hey, sweetie! You miss-"

In a blink she exploded into golden dust and Luke flicked Backbite out of existence into some pocket dimension.

Percy almost reached for Riptide. "Why did you..."

A small hint of a scowl hid in Luke's visage. "Like you weren't craving to do that."

Percy couldn't say he hadn't. And he did just almost choke her to death out near the cave entrance. He supposed he couldn't judge. "How are you still...alive, I guess."

Luke sighed somberly. "I'm not. I died with Kronos' spirit tied to mine so I'm stuck with him until he finally dies completely."

Percy nearly didn't say it but couldn't stop himself. "So, never."

Luke grinned maniacally. "Exactly. I should warn you, Percy: I'm not exactly stable. Sometimes Kronos resurfaces and takes over. You know how it is."

"I can't say I do."

"Regardless, if I shift mid-conversation, just know that it doesn't last long. If you stay out of his reach, you should be fine. Should be."

"Great. Another thing to worry about."

"Yeah. So tell me, how're things?" He stared at him. "Did you keep your promise?"

Percy shifted from foot to foot. "I'm trying or...I did before all this happened. We built some more cabins for the minor gods but then Gaea woke from her slumber and we didn't get a chance to continue. We had to rebuild camp and then this shit came about. We couldn't catch a break, man. By the way, did you know there are Roman demigods running around, too?"

Luke smirked. "Camp Jupiter? Of course. Even before I ever joined Kronos, on my quest for the Golden Apples, I came across a son of Jupiter on a similar quest. I think he mentioned the Trojan Sea Monster or something. We kind of hit it off actually but you know the gods. They wiped our memories and I didn't remember anything about it until Kronos unlocked my mind."

"Oh. Well, I guess you also had a hand rebuilding his throne on Mount Orthys?"

"Sure, amongst other things. You actually helped them stave off an attack around the time of the Labyrinth. I won't bore you with the details."

Percy frowned. "Actually, that sounds-"

"Focus, Percy. I don't know how much time I have. We hear things, you know. We knew a little bit about the Titan Coeus and his plans. He managed to get the Titans and Giants working together under the promise that he would liberate them from here if they captured you."

"Yeah, I kind of figured that out. They're actually not too far from here."

"I know. But you're safe here. They're waiting outside now. If you use this other exit behind me, you should be able to outrun them but eventually they'll find you, Percy. I'm guessing you know what they plan to do with you, right?"

He swallowed. "Yes."

"Then you know having over a score of very dangerous and powerful immortals on your tail in their home base is gonna be a little bit tricky to get out of. But not impossible."

Percy stepped closer. "Tell me, Luke."

He opened his mouth but a sudden visible change overtook him.

Percy backed up to his exit. "Fuck."

Luke's face became twisted with malice and cruelty. The scar looked even more ominous now. His eyes began to glow gold. "Perseus Jackson. You have returned to me."

If he made a move, Percy wouldn't have a choice but to run up there, stuck between the most powerful and evil Titan of all time and his brothers and sisters who were equally as deranged. "Why wouldn't I come by for a visit? I missed you, bro."

Kronos smiled, showing all his brilliantly white teeth. "Really? How generous of you. Normally, I would spite any who dared rise against Olympus without my blessing, especially a brother of mine, but I can make an exception. Coeus brought you to me, after all."

"Listen, man, you lost horribly. You're lucky if you manage to get out of here in a thousand years. Just go back to sleep." He calculated an angle of attack where he could get to the other side of the room but it didn't look pretty.

"You're correct, son of Poseidon. I did lose. Because of you. And now you will pay for setting back my revenge another millennia."

"You know Luke was the one who actually took you down right?" Percy cursed himself. "Not that he should suffer any more. He already has to put up with you for the rest of eternity."

Kronos threw his head back in a roar of laughter. Percy saw a chance to leave but was hesitant to make a move. The Titan was blindingly fast. He wouldn't dare underestimate the possibility of a trap.

"Do not doubt he lives in constant agony. But I should think it would be better to have you as my new host. And it that fails, at the least for all my troubles, you will die here. Are you prepared?"

Percy took a deep breath, counting to three. Like a gunslinger, Percy's hand dove for his pocket. In a split second Kronos grabbed Backbiter out of thin air. Before any could make a move, a vast unfathomably dark and evil presence filled the small space. A pocket of moving shadows appeared and the Pit himself materialized out of them. He looked like an exact miniature replica of the physical embodiment he used last time.

Backbiter clattered to the ground, reminiscent of the day Percy himself had dropped Riptide, and Kronos stumbled back. The Pit directed his inverted whirlpool of blackness at the Lord of Time. Luke's face flickered, one second Kronos and the other himself. Both wore the same expression however: horror and pissed-pants fear. They screamed as one as they were absorbed by Tartarus and became one of the souls fighting in the fabric of his shirt.

"Luke!" Percy yelled, terrified. His back was now pressed right against the wall, not even thinking to run. The Pit looked at him and Percy felt his very essence start to rip away. He could only take in the details of the dark primordial. His heavy black boots, chainmail-like armor woven from bones. His gloved fists and purple flesh spider-webbed with fat veins. The shirt he wore had the faces of innumerable lost souls, among them now Luke and Kronos. Percy even thought he saw the imprint of Damasen and Bob but it could have been anyone.

"Half-Blood," The Pit's backwards voice intoned. "You have returned. How delightful."

Percy couldn't even close his mouth, let alone respond.

"I know all about the silly little Titan's plans for you and the mortal world. I suppose it wasn't a mistake letting him and his Titan brethren keep their souls."

Coeus claimed he had escaped on his own accord. He could now add "liar" to the list of adjectives that described the Lord of the North.

"I ponder whether Chaos is sufficient enough a punishment for you. Perhaps it would be more satisfactory to add you to my collection. You could never escape from me...but then you escaped my realm once before. Dissolving you into nothingness, not even a whisper of your soul...yes, I would enjoy that even more. It's humorous. The only two demigods to ever escape me have returned. The poetry!"

That thawed him out. "Annabeth! What did you do?"

Even the Pit's laugh was a backwards sort of howl. "I did not have to act, little demigod. She jumped in of her own accord, hoping to save you. How very romantic."

The fury was building inside Percy and his hands curled into fists, shaking with rage. "If you touch her!"

"A half-god threatening me? Zeus himself I consider a worm beneath my attention. I think I may have spoiled you. Made you think highly of yourself. What could a son of Poseidon do to me? Nothing. You and your threats are as empty as Chaos, Perseus Jackson. It is time you became one with nothingness."

Percy's feet left the floor and he began to rise into the air, floating closer into the very being of the Pit. It didn't matter. Percy summoned Riptide and swung with all his might. Suddenly, there was a warp in reality. Then they materialized at the edge of Chaos near the Mansion of the Night. The Pit lazily grabbed Riptide with his gloved hand and yanked it out of his grip, snapping it in two like a twig.

Percy gasped, feeling in his bones that his beloved sword was gone. The magic was broken and Riptide was no more. It was ridiculous but despite everything that occurred in these past few weeks, that was like the straw that broke the camel's back. He sank to his knees, turning his back on Tartarus.

"DO IT!" Percy roared. Subconsciously, he noticed two small figures in the distance below, standing under the archway to Nyx's home. Their heads turned in his direction and Percy would've bet anything and everything that it was Zeus and Hecate. They ran inside a moment later before he confirmed his suspicion.

The Pit mused for a second. "Very brave of you. But I don't want your last moments spent in resigned defeat. Listen, Perseus Jackson. Listen to me speak of the horrors I will personally inflict upon your beloved soulmate Annabeth Chase."

Percy roared again like a mighty dragon. He felt something stir in his very core. Some energy that had been kept hidden for nearly 18 years, materializing into a sphere made of glass. He dove at Tartarus with clawed hands, fully intending to rip him apart with his bare hands. He grabbed him by the throat with one hand and Percy dangled in mid-air. He kicked at his body and scratched at his arm but the skin was like smoothly polished marble.

"I will torture her in every conceivable way."

CRACK.

"I will tell her your soul resides within my armor, in utter agony for every moment of your existence."

CRACK.

"I will have her wear the very same tunic where you supposedly reside..."

CRACK.

"As I force her to mother me a child before she joins my collection of souls."

Percy Jackson lost it. The sphere of power cracked and his red blood ran gold as it mutated into godly ichor. The power of a Primordial ran through his veins and he unleashed it like a berserker. An explosion of energy made the Pit stumble and Percy dropped to the ground. He rushed at Tartarus, managing three blows powerful enough to murder Olympians before the Pit retaliated. He uppercut him square in the jaw and the son of Poseidon went flying through the air and over the edge.

Percy Jackson tumbled end over end into the realm of Chaos.

A/N:

12,303. That's how many words you just read.

Twelve. Thousand. Three Hundred. Three. Fucking. Bitch. Ass. WORDS.

Appreciate you if you made it through. You are now a man. Or a woman. Or both. ;)

The reason this chapter is so long is obviously because it has the difficult task of wrapping up everyone's storylines. The next chapter is gonna be an epilogue which will be titled, of course, "Epilogue." So clever. Anyway, the epilogue will center around Coeus mostly and what he ends up doing. It will reveal Nico's Fate. It will reveal the Olympians' Fate. It will reveal the Fate of Camp Jupiter + Camp Half-Blood. Maybe I'll follow the example of other fanfics and call it Camp Olympus, lol.

To those who are not interested in what I have to say, I dismiss you. You may go. Don't forget to review/fav/follow, please. Have a good day! And if WWIII kicks off, good luck!

To the rest of you, let me regurgitate some thoughts.

Obviously, now I can be a little more clear in where the story is going. I could technically end the fic here and write a sequel or whatever. Now that you have context, the summary of The Half-Blood God clearly is about the events of this new war and of course with Chiron dead, Percy has to step up. It is he who has to go after the sword to try and revert things to the way they were, or as close as possible. While his quest is short-lived, he learns a lot: he has a sister on the way(shout out Trials of Apollo!), he is actually part Primordial and has the potential to become a powerful god and possibly more, and he is apparently favorited by the Fates and they have laid out a path for him as their Champion, as their catalyst for the survival of the Greek world. All that said, the story IS going forward. If you can believe it, this is just the event in Percy's life that starts him on his new journey. I bet it just clicked in a lot of you guys' brain where this is going. If you're still a little confused, look at the story portrait. And if you're still confused, I'll just say it: Percy ends up in another galaxy. Where else can he go if he fell into Chaos, supposedly the place where everything and everyone dissolves into nothingness? I'll explain it all in the next chapter but you guys can guess the explanation.

I bet what Pontus was telling Percy is making a bit more sense.

Anyway, moving on, Hercules' death was my version of crappy poetry. From his introduction, he boasts about being capable of taking on Camp Half-Blood on his own and ends up being killed by them. Eh? Eh? Am I Einstein reincarnated or what? I'm kidding! Before anyone starts pointing out my plot holes and shit. By the way, if anyone spots any inconsistencies or whatever, let me know so I can go back and edit. I admit, a lot of the time I forget what the fuck I wrote and just make up new shit.

Nico fighting against the mind control was a last second thing. He was meant to be absolutely ruthless and emotionless but I thought that was boring. But, of course, he is under a powerful spell so he can't just completely disobey orders. His mercy on Annabeth was also a last minute thing but I thought it was cool. I hope the Amazonians didn't come off as Deus Ex Machina. I set it up as a throwaway line but maybe that wasn't clear.

Let me see...Coeus losing his foresight abilities was not supposed to happen either. I was just gonna make it so he wipes everyone out and all that but again, that's boring. He's already OP, like give the heroes a chance, right? As for Athena, like I wrote in the story, she will die eventually and under a shitload of pain. Don't worry about that. A lot of you guys clearly wanted her dead.

One last thing, God of Wrath...you are the man. I assume you're a man because otherwise it would be Goddess of Wrath, right? You make up like half of the reviews. I appreciate you, seriously. Thank you for the support. All of you guys, you make me want to keep going when I don't feel like sitting down and writing this shit. Gods, I'm one lazy motherfucker.

So to wrap it up, let me know what you thought! I read everything, trust me. If I build a large fanbase, I might lost that ability but as long as I can keep up, I will. And if you read through this Author's Note, congratulations, it's now 13,150 words you read. ;)