Empty darkness surrounded them. The kind that was so dark, you couldn't tell what was in front of you, but you somehow knew there was nothing around for miles. Muted screams sounded through the eternal night, but it was impossible to trace them to their owners, not only because of the lack of sight, but that they seemed to come from multiple directions at once.

Nico lay flat on his back, staring up into nothing, breathing heavy, and trying his hardest to stay conscience. It had taken a lot of energy to fend of Percy's vicious and relentless onslaught, and Nico hadn't used that much power before when he wasn't under control of the disease.

Max had passed out completely, and lay a few feet away, sprawled across the ground. Nico turned his head towards the sound of Max's breathing, though he couldn't make out anything. Nico, aside from everything else, thought for a moment about him. Nico wondered where Max had intended to go, because where ever they were now, wasn't it. Oh, he sure hoped they weren't in China.

Nico thought again about what Max had said: "I promised dad I'd protect you …" What did that mean exactly? Hades arbitrarily told Max to protect him? Like, oh yeah, the kid's a disgrace, but … go ahead and protect him anyway. Why would Hades want him protected? Hades thought he was utterly repulsive, and told him so on a regular basis. There's no love behind that. Why all of the sudden? Because of the disease? No. Hades wouldn't care if he was about to swan-dive into a pit of shark-infested acid. No, that wasn't it. It couldn't be. Something like this would have to be from the heart, right? Like he really did care all alon- No. Nico interrupted his train of thought. I'm not going to get sucked in again. I'm tired of being a victim. I'm tired of vague promises of love, and then shattering when I realize the truth. Every ******* time I fall for it, but not this time. I hate him. I don't give a **** about him anymore. Just me. Just me … and … and Max?

Could Max be trusted? Nico thought he was done with that question. Had Max only befriended him so he could make Hades happy? Had what he said been scripted, and the more troubling, did he mean it? Did he mean any of it? All that stuff about family … but then there's how he defended Hades; "I bet he loves you, he just doesn't show it because … he's Hades. The only kind of love he knows is tough love. Don't give up on him, Nico. You only get one Dad." Total garbage. Nico was ready and willing to bet Hades got some dead-servant to write that for Max to say. To manipulate him. Use him. Nico hated being used. Was Max using him just to get closer to Hades? Suddenly, the breathing next to him sounded a lot more sinister, and vile. The dirty, rotten, little rat. One thing was for sure, Max was definitely a son of Hades.

Nico's head spun violently as he sat up in the cold darkness. He suddenly felt the odd sensation that he should know where he was. A nagging in the back of his mind that urgently shouted to him he should know this black pit of darkness. He surveyed his surroundings, but there was nothing toservy. What kind of place was pitch black and filled with tortured screams?

It dawned upon him with a disabilitating fear of sorts. Nico hadn't been permitted to go here before. No one even dared to go close. This was Tartarus. Home of the remains of Kronos himself. Nico didn't know what part of it he was in, or how close he was to Kronos, but he could feel Kronos's presence stronger than he had thought possible. It consumed him. Forced all other thoughts to perish, and every whim to leave. Nico had the terrifying urge to stay. A voice whispered - in that of surround-sound-speaker sort of way - that this is where he belonged. Where he was safe. Where he was wanted, and sheltered from everything. He could escape. Escape it all. Allude society and it's pressures. All I ask in return, It said, is your compliance. Simple as that. When I beckon for you for a small favor, you grant my wish, as I will all of yours. You are safe here, Nico. You belong by my side. You always have. You and I are not all that different. Both cast aside like common waste. We deserve better, Nico.

Nico needed to escape, alright. From Kronos. He clutched his hands over his ears, but Kronos's ravishing temptations slithered into his brain. Escape your death-sentance, Kronos tempted. I can easily remove it from you system. Or better yet, help you harness it. Use your power for revenge. Revenge against your father, Nico. Your father, who treats who like swine. Your father, who toys with your emotions. Your father, who deserves it. Together we will thrive. Join me.

Nico screamed, "NO! GO AWAY, I HATE YOU! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

This didn't phase Kronos, and he continued on as if Nico hadn't spoken. They take you for granted. They all do. They must suffer.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Who else cares for you as much as I do? No one. You know all too well your father's feelings. Hatred. He is worthless. Your brother? He lied to you, Nico. Betrayed you. He has blinded you with promises of family and love, yet his intentions were to bring you to your father. Why do you think he brought you here? Just a little off. He's using you, Nico. He's a liar. He cares nothing for you. Your his pawn. To get to the king, he needs you as a pawn. Nothing more.

"STOP IT! GO AWAY!" Nico pleaded.

Roslyn never loved you either. She lies just as her heinous mother Demeter does.

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" Kronos persisted on. He would tell Nico anything he didn't want to hear.

She left you devastated, because you were too foolish to realize that it was just the Gods toying with you again. Aphrodite in particular in this case, but they all use you. They torture you - they lie to you, and treat you as garbage. The Gods are arrogant and must suffer. THEY ALL MUST SUFFER. THEY ALL MUST SUFFER!

"NO, J-JUST GO AWAY! PLEASE!" Tears welled in his eyes. "Just leave me alone ... Just p-please leave me alone ..."

THEY ALL MUST SUFFER! THEY ALL MUST SUFFER! THEY ALL WILL SUFFER!The whisper had turned to a booming screech, not asking, but demanding Nico join in. Kronos repeated on and again, THEY ALL WILL SUFFER! And Nico felt as if he was supposed to chorus in as well. He was meant to, even though he wouldn't be heard over the overpowering, ear-drum shattering scream Kronos let out. It was startelingly inviting, and catchy. After a while, alluring, and enticing, as if innocently inviting him to play along. The innocence frightened him, but he as he searched deeper into it ... he could find no hidden intention of harm, or mocking tone. Just as innocent as it was. Surely nothing could come of this innocence.

Suddenly, he wasn't sure of either his surroundings or his identity, all that mattered was the voice. The voice that sheltered. The voice that haunted- No. The voice that loved. The voice that protected. The voi- EVIL, KRONOS IS- The voice that belonged to his true father. His loving, forgiving- LIEING, PUTRID, GROTESQUE, VILE- fa- EVIL! DON'T BELIEVE HIM- father.

Nico fought down that lieing - whatever it was - and joined- no, crooned in with his father, "They all with suffer! They all will suffer! THEY ALL WILL SUFFER!"

Nico rejoiced in the victorious bellowing laughter that followed. Though he was clueless as to why his father was so- EVIL, KRONOS IS NOT- happy. Nico shook his head clear. What was that? It was an alien voice he never heard before. What could it be? What- KRONOS IS POSSESSING- could possibly think such wrong and horrible thoughts about his father? It couldn't possibly be a someone, it had to be a something. What sort of thing was invading- KRONOS IS POSSESSING ME- ... What had it said? KRONOS IS POSSESSING ME, KRONOS IS EVIL, KRONOS IS NOT MY FATHER, KRONOS- IS LIEING, PUTRID, GROTESQE, VILE, AND NOT MY FATHER! KRONOS IS NOT MY FATHER!

Nico realized that the forgein voice was his own. That the mind he so naturally felt his own, had belonged to another. Once he regained his own mind-set, he frantically searched for Max's limp body in the empty darkness.

Kronos knew that Nico had his own mind back, and fought for sovereignty over it. But Nico fought back. His thoughts were a like a scrambled lump of clay. A lump of many different colours - from a kindergatener carelessly not using the separate tubs - too stubborn to blend the colours together as one, bleak, muddy mess. Though Nico very well knew that over time, that could easily change. Or worse, the black putty the sat dormant when not handled, would take over completely if it was forcible smeared around. Nico knew all to well what the lump- what he, would turn into if that happened.

Nico jumped and yanked his hand back as it brushed Max's shoulder. Max's shoulder. Max! Nico refound Max's shoulder, then reached further to find the other. He grabbed, and firmly yanked Max close. Though he wasn't sure what he wanted to accomplish, or what he planned to do next. He just wanted to know there was something- someone there. His grasp tightened as he fought harder and harder to stay in control.

Then, out of the blue, a third component entered the tug-of-war. It at first was unknown, but then Nico's realization unmasked it to be the disease, yet again. Not now! Oh Gods, PLEASE, not now!

Nico was out-numbered two-to-one, and his eager fight to stay in control seemed weak and feeble in comparison. The other contenders towered over him, and imposed threats greater and more so each time until he could do nothing more but to give slack, then let go completely. After all, there are only two ends to a rope, and a tug-of-war like this could only be fought as such.

They both fought fiercely, and in the dirty sense, taking cheap-shots whenever the opportunity came. It was not only a match of wrestling, but a game of strategy. Like military sargents and bratty children fighting over a toy train at the same time. They both ordered troops into certain weak points in the enemy's fortress, and arrogantly shouted petty insults off the top of their heads that meant nothing in particular.

Kronos was obviously the Mike Tyson in the ring with the quaking, bony mess that stood (barely) in the opposite corner. But the quaking, bony mess had tricks. Like it had a sudden unexplained burst of fury, that propelled it forward with a strong stride as the bell for the second round sounded. Like steroids, injected during commerical break (however brief that may have been). Though, for the disease, it wasn't so much as steroids, but as the clock ticking forward, ever closer to Nico's demise. The countdown that had been set to blow off when his conscience mind was completely desintegrated. The countdown was now decreasing. It strengthened. It thrived. It obtained control over Nico, stampeding over Kronos's attempts. The disease was now powerful enough to fend of Kronos.

It tested the body it occupied. It gained sight by forcing the pupils to receed, though there was nothing tosee, with that blackness surrounding even the hand right in front of it's face. It played with it's new toy by making fists with it's sharply-clawed fingers. It wanted to test it's newly sharpened teeth. It wanted nourishment. It wanted flesh. It wanted to hunt, to eventually kill, making the feast so much more satisfying. With that in mind, the body that conveniently lay in it's lap was ... insufficient. It wasn't fair game, with it just lieing there. Insulting. It was below it to just eat the thing. It wanted a hunt. A chase. And to cause havoc and mayhem. To blindly destroy whatever lay in it's path.

This place was infuriatingly empty of anything to destroy. The body that lay unconcience, again, was insufficient.

It's not as if the disease thought or felt things. No. It went by pure animal instinct, and all this would be an interpretation of what it would be thinking, if it could. No, it simply used the mind as a muscle, that didn't inform, but was the gateway to the rest.

It's senses held it back from gunning it in search of something breakable, because it sensed the fact that this was just a rigged and insignificant cliff-face. It screamed, frustrated by the lack of play-things.

Max awoke to empty blackness, un-human screeching, and a serious head ache. He'd never concentrated harder in his entire life, and attempting to shadow travel pushed it over the edge. He must've dropped them in a ditch by accident, because this looked nothing like a casino. (He doesn't know what the Lotus looks like). In fact, it looked like they weren't anywhere. Set adrift into unexplored space in some secluded galaxy- or a black-hole maybe - never to return. The thought wasn't nearly as frightening as the one that came after it. Where was Nico?

It took a couple moments to gather his thoughts and muster up enough energy to move his lips. "... Nico? ... N-Nico, where are you?" His voice came out a lot more rougher and wavering than he would have liked it to. Max wanted to seem strong to Nico, some one who he could lean on when things got tough. He wanted to be there.

In reply, Max apparently made a new friend. One that pounced on him, and pinned him down with razor-sharp claws. The - whatever it was - growled from the back of it's throat, it's breath blasting into Max's nostrils. Why did that smell somewhat familiar? It couldn't ... uh oh. Max recognized the smell to be the sausages served at camp that morning. Either all magical creatures served them the same way, or it was ... Nico sitting on his chest.

Flashback ended.

(Remember way back in chapter nine, I said, 'I am NOT putting this big of a flashback in italics again. I learned my lesson the first time. Just remember that it is a flashback until I say it stops' Well, the flashback that doesn't really seem like a flashback has ended)

Panting hard, half from running and half from crying, Rose stumbled over half-blood hill, and into camp. She had to stop, because her heart was beating through her chest and it seemed like it would burst if she went any further. She collapsed on the hillside, and sheltered her head in her hands.

How had it happened? She was just so angry ... she hadn't been thinking ... Oh Gods, her father, at this point, was there even a salvageable relationship? If she ever went back ... she didn't want to think about it. It was already beyond horrible. She was officially a run-away. Alone. Completely, and horribly alone. Her father was her only family (besides Demeter, who only dropped in for occaisionally visits). Just keep in mind, 'was' is past-tense. Now, she felt empty. So many answerless questions ... what was she going to do?

No, She chided herself. I know what I have to do next. Nico. I have to find Nico. He was the whole reason she had came. She needed him more than ever, and she wouldn't stop until she was in his arms.

She wiped away the tears vigorously (or as best she could), and stumbled into the valley. Sprinting as fast as she could, Rose went inside Hades cabin, "Nico!"

The cabin was empty.

Sorry, again. Sorry to cut Rose's scene short, I'm just really tired, and my heart's not into it right now and ... lot's of reasons. I'll try to make the next chapter better, I really will. I keep getting carried away with other stuff (not necessarily fics), and ... long-story short, I owe you guys for length and a whole bunch of stuff.