Chapter 4 - Sleep

The despair on the faces of the other demigods made Percy regret telling them about what they'd found out, but he knew they needed to know. If they were ever going to step out of the Labyrinth again, they would need to know what to expect from the mortals.

Percy shut his eyes and leaned against the wall. He was annoyed that he hadn't taken the chance to take a short dip in the Potomac while they were in Washington D.C., but it was too late now. And he still smelt and looked like a mess, the same as everyone else. He spun Riptide between his fingers as he thought, trying to figure out what they were going to do.

Finally, Percy sighed and pushed himself off from the wall as he stood. He made his way over to Hades, pressing his lips together. "Do we know where we're going?" Percy bluntly asked the god.

Hades grunted. "For now the only aim is to survive. We can worry about that later."

"We've done nothing," Percy pointed out, his frustration rising. "We're just sat around and moving every so often when a monster comes along and – they're dying Hades," Percy pressed. "What are we supposed to do?"

The god glowered, gaze darkening. "Every other god or goddess will have either gone missing or have pledged themselves to the Titan Lord by this point, Jackson," Hades snapped angrily. "What do you suggest? We can't go to the Underworld – we could try, but I doubt we'll be leaving again if it's true and his brother has taken over – and that Camp or Olympus is surely not an option either."

"But isn't there anywhere else?" Percy pushed. "Maybe somewhere away from the Titans?"

Hades pressed his lips together. "There might be," he admitted. "But I have no way of knowing if it's safe or not. If we try to go there, it could easily be a trap." The god sighed. "It's best not to try until we can be certain they're not overrun."

Percy was confused, but he assumed Hades was figuring it out. "Okay, so there's a place, but we can't go there yet?"

"Yes," Hades said.

It was then that Percy was noticing just how worn the god seemed. His dark hair was greying, body clearly becoming frailer. "Are… you alright?" Percy asked hesitantly. Sure, Hades was his least favourite god, but he was the only god they had right now. And he was a hell of a lot better than a Titan. "Is your throne…?"

Hades just shook his head tiredly.

"Oh," Percy said. No wonder Hades wanted to avoid the Underworld if his throne had been destroyed there. Percy didn't want to ask the god what would happen if his throne was never fixed. Percy worried then what would happened to the gods and goddesses, where they were.

"The Titan Lord will not be kind to those whom stood against him," Hades said, either reading Percy's mind or seeing from his face what he thought.

"And what about those who died standing against him?" Percy asked.

"I expect dead heroes and heroines will be sent to the Fields of Punishment," Hades mused. "Both demigods and mortals. If the Titans could not make them suffer in life, then they would suffer in their death."

Percy's gaze dropped, his stomach churning. He desperately hoped then that Kronos wouldn't know what his mother and Paul looked like, that he and Iapetus wouldn't be able to single them out amongst all the dead souls heading through into the Underworld. Percy didn't know, but he hoped his mother and Paul would be at peace in death.

Hades knew what he was thinking, from one look at the god's face. "My suggestion would have been for you to pray. But the only ones to pray to now are the Titans."

Percy nodded slightly. "We can't stay down here forever."

"We could," Hades disagreed.

Percy firmly shook his head. He had his mother and Paul to avenge, and everyone else. "No. We can't," he said. Percy retreated from the god then. He didn't want to think about the people he'd lost anymore, and he doubted Hades would accept Percy talking back to him again. He was surprised the god was being so docile as it was.

"Hey," Percy murmured as he paused briefly by Will. "How are they?" He asked, nodding to the two demigods who'd been close to death.

"Still not great," Will admitted. "But at least… they have a better chance now," he said.

Percy nodded his head slightly. "You eaten?" He asked.

"Yeah," Will said. "Thanks, Percy."

Percy nodded again and left Will to care for the injured. The poor guy looked dead on his feet.

They all needed a place to stay that was safe. But in this new world, there wasn't anywhere that was safe for them now.

Percy groaned as he settled next to Annabeth. Nico was hovering near Will in case the son of Apollo needed his help, and Percy couldn't be bothered to tell Nico that Will didn't want company.

Annabeth looked alarmed at his noise, but he gestured to her that he was okay before shutting his eyes. "Tired," he mumbled to her, "wake me if something happens?"

Annabeth nodded slightly. "Of course," she agreed.

Percy shut his eyes.


Percy had seen Othrys before, though both times the Black Fortress had been rebuilding still. But he knew, the instant he opened his eyes and saw the darkened corridor stretched out before him. The scattered blocks of marble and obsidian were gone, now in place in the towering behemoth of a Palace that entombed Percy in on all sides. He let out a sharp breath which steamed in the freezing temperature, shivering slightly.

Percy slowly turned in a circle, looking either way down the corridor as he scanned the immediate area. He didn't know why his subconscious had decided to dream of this place, or if it was a demigod dream or something else - at least until he heard a rumbling voice in the distance. Percy's blood chilled in his veins - Hyperion, he'd know that voice anywhere.

Percy hesitated before he warily began to head in the direction of Hyperion's voice, the pitch and volume raising sharply as he did so before Percy could begin to make out the words.

Then a second voice, one Percy vaguely recognised, but couldn't place. "- calm yourself, brother. You are far too impatient these days."

Percy heard a faint whimpering as he inched closer, hesitating slightly as he approached two massive doors that stretched far above him. An army of at least thirty columns wide would be able to march through those doors with ease. Percy pressed his palm against them and was surprised to find he could simply slip through them.

And then immediately wished he hadn't when he spotted the three Titans seated on giant thrones in a V formation. The crying came from a figure slumped on the ground before them, red blood seeping over the floor. Cold blue eyes cut towards the mortal briefly before returning to his brothers. It wasn't a Titan Percy recognised, though he couldn't help but feel wary of his frigid gaze. Hyperion sat across from him, wearing golden armour and his skin smoking as he glowered at the mortal on the ground. But it was the Titan Lord in the centre whom Percy couldn't drag his gaze away from.

"We have waited for thousands of years, yet now that we are once again ruling it seems that the world will not so easily accept it."

"You would have been a fool to expect anything else," the icy blue-eyed Titan rumbled. "Our conniving nephew, Prometheus, created them with the intent of them having minds of their own. With that comes disloyalty and treason."

"They will learn," the Titan in the centre said, voice surprisingly gentle and soothing. It took Percy aback. "Any creature can learn obedience with some convincing," Kronos continued. He was intently observing the mortal on the floor. "This one seems to have done so, no?"

The mortal was too busy crying in pain to answer, but Kronos only raised his voice sharply. "That was a question to be answered, mortal."

"Yes - I, yes."

"Yes, what?"

"My King," the mortal said hurriedly. "Yes, My King."

Kronos smiled. "See? They learn quickly." He gestured to two guards, whom moved forward and grabbed the mortal. "Unfortunately, I do not give second chances," Kronos said, entirely unmoving as one of the guards drew his sword and removed the mortal's head. Percy instinctively stepped forward, voice catching in his throat as he watched. "Give it to the monsters. They can always do with more food," Kronos said, a faint frown forming across his features.

Percy froze as the guards dragged the mortal's remains past him, holding his breath and stepping aside. Human eyes stared out from behind a helm, and Percy glared at the traitorous demigods serving the Titans and killing mortals at their command .

The doors slammed shut behind them, a thick trail of blood along the floor.

"What of the half-breeds?" Hyperion demanded as soon as the doors were shut. "We know they were seen. There have been Arke messages-"

"Social media," blue-eyes supplied.

Hyperion sneered. "Same difference, Koios. We know where they were!"

"And Lelantos found no sign of their presence only a few minutes later when he arrived," Koios said. "They are running, and they are welcome to keep running. If they continue doing so, that's far less time to plan rebellion." His gaze drifted towards Kronos, whom was only looking thoughtful as he scanned the throne room.

"If they're dead they can't rebel at all," Hyperion snapped.

Kronos tilted his head slightly, and Percy realised with a chill that froze his blood that the Titan Lord was staring straight at him. Luke's lips twitched slightly, faded scar stretching with his smile. "One would think so. But death tends to inspire insurrection, does it not?" He mused thoughtfully. "Demigods tend to develop outrage when those they care about - regretfully - die rather horrible deaths. And I would not even trust the dead not to attempt rebellion."

Percy knew exactly what Kronos was referring to there. He grit his teeth at the harsh reference to his mother and Paul, but before he could answer, he found himself frozen in place.

A fist seemed to close around his chest as Kronos' smile grew. "You should be mindful of where you dream, Perseus. Many places are not suitable for demigods," the Titan Lord said dryly. "Perhaps you can deliver a message for me," he continued, leaning back into his throne. "To your friends, and to my foolish and traitorous son. Let them know that the longer they continue to run, the least forgiving I will be when you are all caught."

Percy wanted to say none of them would be captured, but Kronos didn't allow him to speak. "Continuing this path will only lead to you being torn apart," the Titan Lord warned him. "And we will find you, Perseus. No matter how long it takes, I can be patient. I have waited thousands of years to sit on my throne again… I can wait a decade or several to crush rebellion." His eyes seemed to stare straight through Percy, smile growing. "But perhaps smoking you out of your burrow will not take so long."

Hyperion snapped his fingers then, and Percy could only see fire.

Percy was shaken awake and nearly skewered Annabeth with Riptide before he realised it was her. "You were screaming," Annabeth said worriedly, eyes probing and questioning.

Percy gaped at her, his heart still hammering. Smoking you out of your burrow will not take so long. "He knows," Percy gasped as he hurriedly scrambled to his feet. "He knows where we are - the Titans know we're in the Labyrinth."