AN 8/15/15: You will have to wait and see, Paper Kaine. I do have multiple evil plots in mind, but you are right, they will mainly kick off once this book is completed. I now understand why Rick Riordan enjoys writing things like throwing the main characters into their version of Hell.

I was extremely torn about what happened in the Lotus but Annabeth gave no more room for debate than Percy did as she loaded us into a taxi. I faintly remember the conversation she had with the driver and the use of her LotusCash card. The card was the only real thing that stuck out in my mind through the fog. It has lots of money on it, could I use it to get back here? We were currently speeding our way through the Mojave Desert. I made a mental note to myself to be sure to keep the card for later. Annabeth had the driver set course for the Santa Monica Pier so we had time to kill on the ride.

Percy started telling us formally about his dream, but he was having trouble remembering some of the details. I silently hoped that he didn't remember the part of his dream that I was in, and he did only tell the part of the dream with Kronos and his servant, not me, so I was okay with that for the time being. I would still notice weary looks he would send me but my mind was still back in Las Vegas.

What I was not okay with was what went down in that cursed Hotel. So many people pulled out of their natural time to live, never ageing. They were stuck like living on an island in time, the flow of time pulling past it as you are still there on the island, stranded. Bianca and Nico were there. I didn't know how the heck they came to be there but I felt like I was stuck in what I should do. If I were to somehow come back and get them out of the Lotus there would be the big culture shock and I wouldn't be able to explain the time change to them without telling them about the Greek world.

Would it be better to leave them in there, blissfully unaware of the outside world changing and together without many worries, or take them out and force this world onto them? I just couldn't do that, if I was to ever go back there and do it, it would be like knocking the ground out from under them. Nobody they would have known would be how they were back then, I couldn't do that to someone else. I had that happen to me and I just couldn't bring myself to do that to others, especially those two. I had been lucky enough to find Sally, they didn't have anyone and I couldn't just bring them across country back home. Sally had enough money troubles as it was, and them going into some home felt wrong. Even with the LotusCash card I didn't think we would be able to have them live with us. I felt such a need to protect them though, to shield them. I just couldn't do that to them. I forced myself to pull my mind away from that for now, I would figure it out after the quest. Right now getting the master bolt back to Zeus was top priority. Thinking about Zeus just made me remember my last seconds in the Lotus though, Nick. No, not now. They are talking about the quest, don't do that to yourself.

"The Silent One?" Annabeth was suggesting after what I figured was Percy mentioning how the servant had called the voice by a certain title. "The Rich One? Both of those are nicknames for Hades." She cast me the briefest of looks, but then quickly set her eyes back to Percy as he spoke.

"Maybe.." But I could tell he was still uncertain. I sure as heck wasn't going to tell them the title that follower used either though, that would just cause a panic if I did. We had to get the bolt back first, then I could talk with Chiron, warn him, and then we could decide what to do.

"That throne room sounds a lot like Hades's," Grover said but I shook my head silently. That place was way more malicious than the Underworld's court. "That's the way it's usually described." I resisted raising an eyebrow. That throne room was way too evil to me my father's, too ancient. That was on Othrys, the throne room of the Titans.

"Something's wrong. The throne room wasn't the main part of the dream. And that voice from the pit.. I don't know. It just didn't feel like a god's voice."

I saw Annabeth's eyes widen.

"What?" Percy asked quickly.

"Oh.. nothing. It was just-no, it has to be Hades. Maybe he sent the thief, this invisible person, to get the master bolt, and something went wrong-"

"Like what?"

"I-I don't know," she said. "Bu if he stole Zeus's symbol of power from Olympus, and the gods were hunting him, I mean, a lot can go wrong. So this thief had to hide the bolt, or he lost it somehow. Anyway, he failed to deliver it. That's what the voice said in your dream, right? The guy failed. That would explain what the Furies were searching for when they came after us on the bus. Maybe they thought we had retrieved the bolt." Annabeth finished, looking pale. I knew she had an idea as to who the voice belonged to but was afraid that she might be right.

I did my best to give her a reassuring look but when she looked at my eyes I avoided hers.

"But if I'd already retrieved the bolt," Percy said. "Why would I be traveling to the Underworld?"

"To threaten Hades," Grover suggested. "To bribe or blackmail him into getting your mom back." I had a passing thought about how they seemed pretty open about using the gods' names, even with all the paranoia surrounding 'the power of names'.

"You have evil thoughts for a goat." Percy whistled.

"Why, thank you."

"But that thing in the put said it was waiting for two items. If the master bolt is one, what's the other?" Then it hit me like the sun after emerging from the Underworld. The reason why my father had sent the Furies after Percy, his Helm of Darkness must be gone too. How could I be so stupid? All the signs were staring you right in the face. You know how he thinks, of course he would send the Furies if something like that had gone missing! Gods.. if Kronos got a hold of both the master bolt and the Helm.. I felt myself grow paler.

Annabeth was busy watching Percy, as if she knew what his next question was and was willing him not to ask it and luckily didn't notice my color change.

"You have an idea what might be in that pit, don't you?" He asked her. "I mean, if it isn't Hades?"

"Percy, just drop it." I told him, trying to save Annabeth from having to answer.

"And you! You sound like you know what it is too. You've been so secretive. What are you not telling us? Why do I keep getting these flashes in my head of you fighting a ton of things? You've been so confident this whole quest, heck you even snuck out to join it because you said you knew you could help us, like Annabeth said in the truck. What are you not telling us?" He demanded. I felt a lump in my throat form and if possible my color drain even more. I had been hoping he didn't remember his dream at all given the after effects of the Lotus, but apparently not. At least it wasn't the full thing. He still knew though, or at least had a general idea - enough to distrust me. It hurt me to see that look on his face. I shrunk back further in my seat. It was just like the face Nick had when he got badly clawed in the back by a hellhound during one fight and I shadow traveled him out and went back to help finish it, even if I was injured myself.

"Percy, leave it. The answer is in the Underworld." Annabeth said firmly, returning the favor. "You saw spirits of the dead, there's only one place that could be. We're doing the right thing." She tried to boost morale and ease the tension between everyone by suggesting different strategies, but it didn't help much. Getting into the Underworld wouldn't be the problem, it would be getting out.

For the rest of the trip we sat in the tense air of the back of the taxi, my mind buzzing with all that had happened.

At sunset the taxi dropped us off at the beach in Santa Monica. It looked exactly the way L.A. beaches did in the movies, and how I remembered them to be, but the smell was way worse. A few carnival rides were lining the pier and palm trees were alongside the sidewalks. Homeless guys were sleeping in the sand dunes and surfers were still in the water, hoping to catch one last good ride in before the sun set. We walked along the edge of the surf.

"What now?" Annabeth asked. The Pacific was turning gold in the setting sun. I saw Percy hesitate for a moment, then step into the surf.

"Percy? What are you doing?" Annabeth asked. He just kept on walking until the water was up to his waist, then chest.

"Do you know how polluted that water is? There are all kinds of toxic-" But her voice died out when his head went under.

"Allison, I have to know. You know what it is, don't you?" Annabeth asked after a minute. I didn't meet her eyes. We had to get back to camp before I told them who it was, unless she figures it out for sure that the voice was Kronos's first.

"What is what? The voice?" Grover asked but neither of us replied. He opened his mouth a couple times but closed it again, as if trying to word something right. "Allison, the way you reacted with that picture, and with Chiron, it's like Annabeth said, it's like you have been to camp, but I would know if you had. Look, I don't know what Percy was seeing in his dream, it could just be something that thing is putting in his head to try to throw him off. I know you're keeping something from the rest of us though, I just can't figure out what."

I sat down heavily on the sand looking out at the sunset. For all I knew it might be my last, there was a chance that I would have to stay down in the Underworld forever. I was okay with that more before what happened in the Lotus, now it is like there are loose threads ready to be unraveled. There was more to this than what I first thought. I didn't want to get my hopes up just to be let down, but I was starting to feel like where Nick might be now just might not be where I had thought. I felt my fingers drawing patterns in the sand.

"Look, there is a lot I can't say. You just have to trust me, and don't mention any of this to anyone outside of the four of us. Everything will make sense soon, I promise you that. After this quest." I finally formed the words that I hoped would settle both of their questions. Grover was shuffling back and forth on his hooves and fiddling with his reed pipes. Annabeth sank down into the sand next to me and nudged me a bit with her shoulder.

"It will be okay. I get that you can't say, but we are with you. As I said, you're a great person, I was able to see that just from how you acted around others when we first met, but everyone has their troubles." I think this is a bit more complicated than what ice cream I should choose, if that is what most people consider their troubles to be.

"Yeah, what she said. I've known you and Percy since Yancy. You are pretty cool. Friends stick together, sorry if I was making you uncomfortable."

I smiled a bit as I ran my fingers on my bracelets slowly back and forth. "Thanks, that means a lot. After this quest.. well after this quest I will tell you everything. I just need Chiron to be there, he knows too. For the matter of the quest though, don't worry. We will get in and out of the Underworld safely. I am making sure that everyone gets out." My hand closed around my sword bracelet. "But if something does happen, I.. I need the two of you to get yourselves and Percy out as fast as you can no matter what happens. Don't wait for me, I can handle myself. If Percy tries to fight you, remind him of Sally and the quest." I knew the boys would figure out who my father was soon but I would still hold onto them not knowing for now. I didn't know if I would be coming out with them, but I would do all that I can to get them out even if it killed me. They deserved a long life.

For all I knew, Hades might just kill me to set things to how they should be anyway. He couldn't break the rules he was supposed to enforce, even for one of his kids. I knew that in the very least we would have to confront him, my dream had shown that much. He would not be happy about one of his nephews entering his domain either. If I had to I would shadow travel the three of them out of there. At this point I didn't care what toll it would take on me after not traveling like that for this long. It felt like the walls were closing in on everything, soon it would be no more.

"You sound like you're expecting us to have to make a quick exit." Annabeth said. I didn't reply. I looked back up at the setting sun, "Percy will be fine in that water, by the way. Nothing can harm him in there."

"You've known for a while now, even before camp, who he was, didn't you?" Annabeth asked. I nodded and left it at that. We sat in semi-comfortable silence as we waited for Percy to come back out of the water and tell us what happened. I myself just sat watching the sun fading as I remembered all my memories of living with Sally and Percy.

Once Percy eventually came back out he was completely dry and we quickly got to our feet to question him. He told us what happened with the Nereid and showed us the pearls. There were only three. We all looked at each other, the unspoken question lingering. I already knew is answer though, I would be the one without a pearl.

"It will work." I told them before anything could be said.

"No gift comes without a price." Annabeth grimaced.

"They were free."

"No." She shook her head. "'There is no such thing as a free lunch'. That's an ancient Greek saying that translated pretty well into American. There will be a price. You wait."

With that happy note we used some of the spare change in the backpack Ares gave us and took a bus to West Hollywood. At one point Percy had gone up to the driver to ask if he knew where DOA Recording Studios was, but the man recognized him. He made up a quick lie and we made sure to get off at the next stop. I knew generally where the entrance was, but the city had changed so much. We wandered around as I looked for any familiar landmarks and them anything. We ducked into alleys twice to avoid cop cars.

As we walked by an appliance store window Percy stopped. On the screens was a man I had the misfortune of knowing all too well. There, on the television being interviewed by Barbara Walters was Gabe Ugliano. She was interviewing him in our apartment, in the middle of a poker game, with a young blonde lady sitting next to him patting his hand.

A fake tear glistened on his cheek. He was saying, "Honest, Ms. Walters, if it wasn't for Sugar here, my grief counselor, I'd be a wreck. My stepson took everything I cared about. My wife.. my Camaro, stepdaughter.." I could tell that last part was forced due to the fact that his left eye twitched ever so slightly, and that I was still listed as "missing". Not saying anything about me would raise questions. "I-I'm sorry. I have trouble talking about it." He finished. Grief counselor my butt.

"There you have it, America." Barbara Walters turned to the camera. "A man torn apart. An adolescent boy with serious issues. Let me show you, again, the last known photo of this troubled young fugitive, taken a week ago in Denver." The screen cut to a grainy shot of the four of us standing outside the Colorado diner, talking with Ares.

"Who are the other children in this photo?" She asked dramatically in typical news anchor fashion. "Who is the man with them? Is Percy Jackson a delinquent, a terrorist, or perhaps the brainwashed victim of a frightening new cult? When we come back, we chat with a leading psychologist. Stay tuned, America."

"C'mon," Grover told us, hauling us away before the glass was mysteriously shattered. What a shame.

It got darker and sketchier characters started coming out. I was able to see fairly easily into the dark alleyways so I was able to steer us away from the worst of it. Modern day L.A. had a totally different feel than modern New York. Back in New York you could be safe if you knew your stuff. L.A. on the other hand was much larger than I remembered more chaotic. It proved harder to navigate.

I had my hand on my bracelet, ready to activate it the whole time we walked. My regular sword wouldn't be any good against a mortal if the need came up and I might need the reach over that of my knife. I had given my steel one away to Bianca anyway, so the stygian iron would be best against mortals and non. It was better to be prepared. We walked past raggedly dressed groups of people that I bet if we were closer, you could smell easily. All looked as if they were debating whether we were worth mugging or not.

They were about to turn down another street that had an alley a little ways down, but I saw a group of bodies and the glint of metal.

"This way," I said quietly and I redirected us. That would be going the wrong direction anyways. The aura that the entrance to Hades gave off was strongest if we kept going straight.

"Why not?" Annabeth asked.

"Gang little further in with what looks like weapons. Don't wanna go down there. I have a good feeling about going straight though." I got a raised eyebrow in response, but we continued straight anyway. As we passed an alley I was busy looking at a group of people further down the road I heard Annabeth yell "Hey!". I quickly turned around. A man from the alley had grabbed her arm and had a knife held in a wobbly hand. He reeked of alcohol and his eyes were bloodshot.

I quickly stepped forward, hitting my right forearm hard against the hand with the knife, successfully knocking it out of his hand. I then proceeded to grab his other arm, put myself in between Annabeth and him, bend and toss him over my shoulder. He landed on the sidewalk with a thud and groaned. I pushed Annabeth back with my body and activated my knife, still grabbing his arm. I roughly rolled him over onto his stomach, putting one foot firmly on his back and pulling his arm back to keep him locked in place. I wouldn't want my arm in that position, personally.

"Do NOT touch her!" I hissed and made a deft kick to his ribs and I nailed him in the back of the head with the hilt of my knife. He was out cold so I let go of his arm and stepped back. I looked to the others to see them wide eyed and mouths open.

"How - where.." Grover stuttered.

"Um, thanks, Allison." Annabeth said, stunned.

"No problem.. guy was drunk off his ass anyways. I'm just going to roll him into the alley then let's leave."

"Gasp! Ally actually cursed!" Percy said with a grin. I rolled my eyes at him but I was smiling. That little bit of teasing showed that he wasn't extremely upset with me still. I rolled the guy with my feet back into the darkness of the alley and made sure to leave him on his side against the wall so incase he threw up he didn't choke. He would wake up with one killer of a migraine tomorrow anyway, but I didn't necessarily want him to die, even if he is a creep. I kicked his cheap knife under some garbage bags and we continued on our way.

After a few wrong turns we finally made it to DOA Recording Studios on Valencia Boulevard, or simply the entrance to Hades.

"We're here."

Its weird to think this book is almost complete. Anyway, enjoy your week! Comment what you thought :)