Hey guys! Sorry for the slow update :(

I did it though! So savor it…and don't hate me too much after you finish…or Nico.

Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians…except in my mind.

Previously…

"How do you know he has to do with whatever happened?"

"Because," I spat, seething with rage, "His name was the last thing Annabeth said before he shot her!"

…

"The path that Percy chooses is soley his decision," spat Zeus, already getting worked up over an opinion he didn't approve. "He joined the Olympians and pledged to serve! His desires or wishes no longer matter to us!"

…

"I'm sorry you had to find out this way," he mumbled, so low that only Tyson heard.

…

"We've got quite a cousin. Don't you agree, Thalia?"

"Cousin?" Thalia repeated, letting the thought sink in. Across from her, Percy appeared on screen, and her jaw dropped. "I'm related to that?"

…

Grover's lip trembled, bringing him closer to the edge of tears. "He wants you to assassinate Kronos himself. And he wants you to do it t onight."

"What!"

NOW.

PERCY'S POV-

"Saying it the first time was hard enough, Percy, and unless you want me to turn into a human sprinkler system, I won't repeat it."

"But when did he decide this?" I clutched at the edge of my desk. "Why today of all days?"

"I know its last minute." Grover seemed honestly sorry and guilty for something he had no control over. "I'm only delivering the message…and telling you that there's going to be a partner going with you."

"Wait, who said I'd be doing this?" I snapped, angry that my life was being controlled by a group of puppet masters. "I could easily say no to this death sentence, don't you think?"

"You can't." Grover deadpanned, feeling dirty for having to add blackmail into this. "Because Annabeth will die if you're not there to rescue her."

I flinched away from the laptop, shocked. "How do you know about what happened to Annabeth?"

"Video cameras. We have them everywhere. Did you really think we'd miss putting them into creepy dark places? Those are the most important."

"You saw it happen?" I clenched my fist, as if getting ready to punch my screen. "And you didn't think to do anything?"

Grover lowered his head, full of shame and an awful feeling growing in the pit of his stomach. "I was ordered not to. Zeus wanted to give you a reason to go into headquarters, and he thought that was the perfect one. I'm sorry. I did what I could within my power to save her…but I don't have very much."

I didn't move. Honestly, it scared me that The Olympians were willing to go to such measures to keep their agents in line. If I didn't do what they wished, it'd be easy for them to wave a threat over my head and have me obey in the same way as a dog. It really put things into perspective…and helped me realize that in reality The Olympians and Kronos's Army weren't very different at all. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that they were both the opposite side of the same coin.

"Is there anything else that I need to know before I leave?" I wasn't going to outright say that I accept. That would only serve to raise The Olympian's stupid ego.

"The rest will be told to you by your partner." Grover checked his wristwatch, presumably reading the time, but I knew he was really trying to avoid any form of eye contact with me. "She should be there in…3…2…1…"

Creak

I swiveled to face the intruder coming through my front door, not surprised when I was met with the sight of Reyna stepping into the room with her black battle clothing, an obsidian-colored ancient Greek helmet in one hand and a satchel in the other.

"Good day, Perseus." Reyna smirked, much cooler in demeanor than she'd been the last time I'd laid eyes on her. She dumped the heavy bag into my arms, shutting the door in the process. "Suit up. It's almost show time."

I was glad that Calypso wasn't here at the moment. After worrying her with my outburst earlier, it had taken what felt like an hour to convince her I was fine until she finally stopped fussing. Still, even with my complaints, she'd gone to the nearest CVS in search of some type of medication and hadn't returned. By the time she arrived, I would probably already be gone.

Clad in a battle outfit similar to Reyna's (minus the womanly curves), I shoved various weapons into my hidden sleeve pockets, hoping that I wouldn't have to speak to Reyna. Although she seemed to have returned to her normal self, I still felt a tension between us. It may have only been me, but I had a hard time trusting a person with my life when they had previously threatened it before.

"I see you've been busy with more than just your mission."

"Hmm?" I looked at Reyna standing in my bedroom doorway, swallowing a forming lump in my throat. The way she was leaning against the frame gave me a sense of dejavu that reminded me of the previous time Annabeth stood there in that same position. It was the day we went to spy on Ethan.

I didn't enjoy replaying memories from the past few days. Especially not when Reyna was in an identical situation to someone who had gotten kidnapped. It brought an almost ominous shadow over my heart.

Reyna nodded at a neatly folded pile of girl's clothes on the edge of my bed. Shit! She must've been getting the wrong idea!

"It seems that you've been having some pretty wild nights."

I grew red with embarrassment, realizing that Reyna was pointing out the worst of situations on purpose. She was pulling one of her usual cruel jokes. The type that made the victim squirm; the target usually being me.

"It's not like that!" Too late, I realized that I sounded like a squealing five year-old. "She's just a friend!"

"Oooh!" Reyna feigned a grimace. "I'm sorry. You're stuck in that zone, aren't you?"

"Shut up." I scowled, throwing off the praetor. On a normal day, I would probably have at least attempted a lame comeback, but this wasn't one of those times. I wasn't in the mood for anything.

Reyna frowned, crossing her arms. "You're not acting like your usual dorky self. What's wrong?"

I sighed, shoulders slumped in an I-give-up posture. "I had a lot of important people in my life before the whole Olympians thing. There was Tyson and my mom and Nico and Thalia and…and Annabeth."

I removed Riptide from my sleeve and twirled it around my fingers, hoping that the mesmerizing smoothness of it would distract me. I continued, still focusing all my attention on the weapon in disguise. "I left them because I thought that being involved with the U-Council would somehow help keep them safe. And when I came back, I tried my best to avoid everyone. Especially Annabeth, who wouldn't quit being persistent even when I kept pushing her away." I chuckled. "It got kind of annoying. But I guess that's what made me finally have the guts to kiss her. And when I did, I thought everything would turn out alright somehow. I even thought of what it could be like for the two of us together in the future. How stupid is that? I let myself get carried away thinking like an optimist."

"It doesn't sound stupid to me," Reyna replied, speaking in a gentle voice she rarely used unless she felt extreme pity. That got me angry.

"Yeah, well it was," I snapped. "If it wasn't for my useless emotions, she wouldn't have gotten kidnapped by Kronos's goons! This is why I hate romantic comedies! Because this whole love thing is a joke!"

Reyna bit her lip, remaining in her stoic standing position. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." I gave my room one last once over, knowing for certain that this would be the last time I ever returned for a long while…if ever. "The only reason I'm telling you this is because I want you to know that I'm no longer loyal to The Olympians. It's their fault that all this happened and it's on them when I quit. I promise that I'll cooperate for now, but once this mission is over I'm done. I don't care whether my dad reveals himself. I just…hope you guys won't hate me. "

Reyna remained silent for a few minutes, studying my face for any sign of relent. She found none.

"Percy," she sounded firm, yet at the same time soothing. "It'd be nearly impossible for us to hate you. You may no longer feel any loyalty to the U-Council, but I know that you will always remain so to your friends. And because of that, it would be my honor to work with you one last time."

Reyna unsheathed her sword, holding it an ancient Olympians sign of trust. It was like an old sword-bond I was expected to return. And I did.

With Riptide already conveniently in my hands, I removed the pen cap and watched it grow into a shining weapon that radiated oceanic power. Showing no hesitation, I crossed swords with Reyna, something that to us Half-Bloods was equivalent to a pinky promise times a thousand.

"Let's make this mission end with a bang," I smiled.

"In both our honor and in that of your friend Annabeth's." Reyna's eyes again flickered to the pile of clothing on the floor. "Who I take was the one staying over?"

"No, but that's another story," I replied. "There's no time for that now. We've got an unscheduled appointment with Kronos."

I re-capped my sword, shivering at a sudden memory. There was an old wives tale between The Olympians that those to sheathe their sword first after a promise, would be the person to die first. Of course, I wasn't so gullible to I'd believe that, but it still sent a sense of fear tingling down my back.

"And the whole Army while we're at it," Reyna stood up straight, jutting out her chin with pride. "What's that saying again? Go big or go home?"

I smiled. "Hell yeah."

There were guards everywhere, all of them being buff and tall. That, added to the fence surrounding the entire building should have been an obvious indicator of the suspicious activity going on within. Of course, it wouldn't matter being that the whole thing was hidden in the midst of a secluded forest.

I tipped my cap forward, casting my face into even darker shadow. We were approaching the main gate.

Reyna stepped on the pedal, driving our truck with caution. It had begun to snow hours ago and it hadn't gotten any better.

"Careful," I warned.

"You think you need to remind me?" Reyna sounded sour, gripping the wheel even tighter. As if that would keep the car from tipping. "I'm not an idiot…unlike someone."

"Does that mean I'm forgiven?" I opened the glove compartment, pulling out the fake ID's the U-Council must have been perfecting long ago. They identified us as minor members of Kronos's Army.

Reyna tilted her head, attempting to hide the grin adorning her stern face. "For taking my place in a mission that I was more entitled to have? I suppose."

We came to a screeching halt, becoming immediately enclosed inside a group of Army guards. One of them stepped forward, tapping roughly on the Reyna's window. She rolled it down.

"Yes? If there's-" Reyna's voice caught in her throat.

I leaned forward, trying to catch a glimpse of what had Reyna so panicked. From where I sat, I could see that she was stock-still, unable to speak.

"Identification please." The guard held out his hand, ignoring Reyna's behavior. I sat back against my uncomfortable seat. Whatever had bothered the Praetor would have to wait until we got past the gates. There was no use trying to see who it was that was causing her all the trouble if it meant showing my face. By now, The Army probably regarded me as their Public Enemy Number One. It wouldn't be the best idea to let them know I'm here…at least, not yet.

"Right." Reyna shook her head, waking from her stupor. I handed her our papers, which she in turn gave to the guard.

"Now, if you could just drive through that tunnel over there, while we check these, we'll be done here." The guards gestured Reyna forward, remaining hidden from my view. "We'll give you back your cards once you're done."

Reyna nodded, pushing us forward and rolling up the window.

"Don't move," she kept her eyes straight ahead, pale as a sheet. "These things are X-Ray machines."

"Wasn't planning to," I muttered, furrowing my eyebrows. I'd never seen Reyna so wide-eyed. "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost or something."

Reyna pursed her lips, eyeing me from the corner of her eye. "I think I did."

Getting past the gates was surprisingly not as hard as I thought. After getting our ID's back from the same security guard-who I'd only gotten a brief look at-there was not much else to do but sneak past the various Army members and into the main hall without looking too suspicious.

"Care to tell me what went on back there?" We were now walking through a dark room, careful to avoid falling off the suspended metal catwalk. Ahead of us there was a door, looming over the deserted circular area.

I sighed. Can the entryway to a majorly important room be more obvious?

"Nothing happened." Reyna scanned our surroundings, hand itching towards her jacket pocket. "I thought I'd recognized the guard, but I was probably overreacting."

I scoffed. "You've been doing that quite a bit lately."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Reyna stopped, seeing two men appear out of the shadows.

"Hey! You're not supposed to be here!" One of the security guards pointed his gun at Reyna. "You have to be authorized in order to be near this place!"

"Whoa! Calm down man!" I raised my hands in a sign of surrender. "We've got a stamp. Just let us show you our ID's."

The man and his partner cautiously lowered their guns as we handed them our cards. I waited a few seconds, completely at ease.

"Hey!" The man's eyes widened in realization. "These things are fakes! What are you two doing carrying around fake-"

I shut the man up with a head-butt. "Oops."

The other guard, seeing his friend crumpled on the floor, jumped back. In a second, he was heading straight for the emergency alarm button, and might've made it had not been for Reyna shooting him in the back with a tranq gun.

I grinned, feeling not the least bit sorry for the fallen men. "Nice aim. Now…what were we talking about?"

Reyna scowled rummaging through the men's pockets for their access pins. "This is where we part ways. There's no time for explanation."

"Come on!" I leaned against the railing, letting my inner-cocky show. "There's a pretty big chance we're going to die today so why not spend it telling each other our deepest, darkest secrets? It'll be fun!"

Angry, Reyna's eyes blazed. She dropped the poor guy on the floor and stomped up to me, resembling a wild boar about to tear apart it's prey.

I gulped, knowing that I was done for.

"For starters, drop the act," Reyna hissed. "I know you're as afraid as I am so don't go all high and mighty on me now." She grabbed me by the collar, blocking my air flow. "Tell me one good reason that I should tell you anything about myself?"

I closed my eyes and sighed. There was no use hiding my feelings when it came to Reyna. To her, I was an open book that could easily be read with the right words. Fortunately, she had a weakness.

"I can't think of one," I replied, challenging Reyna. "Except that I'm afraid to die not knowing anything about my own battle partner."

"That's hardly fair." She let me go. "You haven't spilled anything about yourself either."

I rolled my eyes, mentally face-palming myself with a brick. "That's because you've never asked. You can't expect me to just walk up to you and go, 'Hey Reyna! Let me spill my entire life story to you! And while I'm at it, why don't I tell you all about that wet dream I had last week!'"

"Gross," Reyna scrunched her nose, putting a considerable distance between us. "You're lucky I'm not aloud to injure you right now."

"So does that mean you'll tell me why you were so mad at me before?"

"I guess…"

"Yes!" I pulled Reyna into a hug, something I would never have done under normal circumstances, but let myself do now. Sadly, it earned me a pressure point to the shoulder. "Ow! I thought you said you couldn't injure me!"

Reyna motioned me to sit on the ground next to her. "As long as it's not permanent, I'm fine." She folded her hands on her lap. "No one knows about my past so if we do survive this, you better keep your mouth shut because if you don't-"

"You don't need to threaten me, Reyna." I frowned, wishing I had more of her trust. "I'd never tell anyone something unless you wanted me to."

She clenched her teeth, holding back a smart remark. "Fine, but…don't interrupt. It's hard enough talking about this as it is."

I nodded.

"When I was a child," Reyna began, "I lived in a small town located in Puerto Rico. It was there that both my sister and I were brought up together with all of my family." She smiled, reminiscing memories of better days at the beach. "There were so many of us. Aunt's, uncles, cousin's, close friends…I lost count of how many people were related to me. All I know is that I loved them all. It was a perfect life for me and it's possible that it still would've been except…"

Reyna stopped, chocked up on held-back tears. Her hands were trembling and I worried she might have a breakdown.

Throwing caution out the window, I interlocked our fingers. In no way was I doing it to be a romantic or anything like that. I already had Annabeth. But it was still my way of showing that I would be there, as nothing more than a friend, yet nearby when she needed a shoulder to cry on. Not like Reyna would do that often.

Getting the message, Reyna smiled and squeezed my palm against hers. This gave her the courage to continue. "I won't pretend that I remember exactly what happened that day. There was too much to keep track of and my eight year-old mind couldn't handle it all. All I know for sure is that my family was murdered…and it was done with the help of a girl not much older than I was back then.

"That summer, we were vacationing on an island named after the sorceress Circe from the myths. My sister and I were the only ones out on the beach that day, while everyone else preferred to stay inside. It's that decision that saved us from receiving the same fate that our cousins did.

"The moment my sister Hylla suggested we go back to the mansion, there was an awful screeching sound. It was so loud and alien that we just stood there and did nothing, but cover our ears. It wasn't until we saw our family being loaded into cars that we took action. Our parents, maids, cooks, everyone was being taken to who-knows-where and we were so far away. There was no way we would catch up to them, but we tried anyway. Hylla held my hand as we chased after the criminals in charge of stealing away our whole life and we would've kept running until we got caught ourselves if it wasn't for that one little girl stopping us."

"She grabbed our arms and told us to hide in her home so that they wouldn't find us. It was too late for our family. They were going to get killed and if we didn't stay out of sight, we'd be taken too. I never saw her again after that. She had disappeared after giving us her house key, and we were left to fend for ourselves for nearly three months. All I have to remember her by is the charm she had given me that day." From her pocket, Reyna pulled said dolphin-shaped charm from her pocket and placed it on the floor between us. "She had said to use it only if the men were ever to return, with the warning that I must run the moment I did. I still have no idea what that meant. At the time, I had thought of that child as my rescuer. I believed she was my hero and dreamed of someday finding her. To thank her for what she had done for us."

Reyna laughed without any sense of humor. "It was only until The Amazons rescued us that I learned the truth…that girl was the reason our family had met their death in the first place. She had been the princess and Kronos's Army was her kingdom. She had been born into The Army and taken their orders her entire life. The girl had done something evil that day, but as to what that is, I will let you guess. Because I'm not telling you anything beyond that.

Reyna pulled her hand from mine, not roughly. "Now, let's get on with the mission." She tried to hide it, but I could see that she was wiping at her eyes. I didn't say anything though. It was best to let her be. "All this sentimentality is tiring."

I stood up, full of a newfound determination. "Let's hop to it then." I grabbed the man's nearest gun. "Time to get Kronos where it hurts him most."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible."

Reyna spun around at the same time I pointed my weapon at the man behind her. Standing there, I could see that he was clad in a golden suit of ancient Greek armor, holding a sword equally as impressive. His face remained hidden behind an elegantly carved helmet, yet I knew who was behind it without needing to see-not like I wanted to anyway.

"Hello Percy Jackson." His voice was deep, with a slight rasp to it that made me parched just hearing it. "I'm glad to see that you brought us such attractive company. We've been wanting some eye candy for a while."

"Hyperion," I growled, angry, but not nearly as much as Reyna. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Ha! I'd be surprised if you hadn't!" Hyperion chuckled, buff chest rumbling. "Even you can't be that ignorant."

"Yeah, well, your little reputation won't be so sweet once I beat you." Despite my lower ranking, I was confident that I could defeat Hyperion. I'd only shown little of what I could do so far, and now I finally had an opponent worth going all-out for. There was no way I could lose.

"Oh, really?" Again, Hyperion's amusement echoed throughout the room. "How about a one on one then? I would take the both of you but…I'm not one to hurt the ladies."

Reyna looked like she wanted to kill him before he could cry, "mommy," and she probably would have, had I not told her the thing she least wanted to hear.

"This is where we go separate ways, right? That's what you said."

All hatred was passed on to me. "I can't leave just yet!"

"You heard me. In the time I fight Hyperion, you could be going ahead in the mission." I offered her a sad smile. "And we don't have much time."

"You say that like...you're going to…" Reyna went silent, stepping away from me and turning around. "Never mind." She glanced over her shoulder, sending me a warning look with narrowed eyes. "I better meet you on the other side."

I nodded, walking forward to face Hyperion, both to show that I wasn't afraid and to keep from seeing as Reyna left my side.

"It's just the two of us," I confirmed. "Who makes the first move?"

Hyperion shot forward, sword already drawn. He thrust his blade forward, aiming at the most vulnerable spot he could think of; the chink in my armor.

Luckily, I had been expecting him to do exactly that, and taking out Riptide in a flash of bronze, I performed a move Luke had taught me on my first week at Half-Blood Alley. He'd said that it took years to master this particular technique, yet to me it seemed so simple…so natural.

Hitting the base of Hyperion's sword, I used a mix of balance and gravity to twist it out of his grasp. The moment it clattered to the floor, Hyperion wasted no time in swinging his foot and colliding it with my stomach. I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt.

Still, I gripped Riptide, refusing to drop it.

"Is that all you've got?" I coughed, smirking despite my pain. "Even Dionysus can do better! And he's an idiot!"

Hyperion charged, his ego temporarily wounded, aiming to crush me with sheer muscle. I stayed put, not moving even as he got closer…because that's exactly what I wanted him to do.

Come on…come on…Gotcha!

The moment Hyperion was in arms reach of me, sword inches from stabbing me in the face, I slipped out one of my more rarely used weapons; the electric throwing knife.

Part of the reason I didn't sheath this particular projectile, was because I didn't have the patience to charge it for two hours after each throw. What type of person can stand waiting that long? I can hardly stand setting apart three minutes for toast! My biggest excuse though, was that the knife hurt my opponents so much that they were paralyzed for five hours. I didn't want to deal with that either.

Until now.

Caught off guard, Hyperion had no time to duck as my silver blade dug itself deep into the flesh of his right arm. What's worse, it wasn't over yet. My enemy stood stiff, shocking currents putting his body through painful spasms. The thing was called "electrical" for a reason.

"Gah!" Hyperion shook, speaking even though he was in danger of biting off his tongue. "W-what d-d-did yo-ou d-d-o t-t-o me, b-oy!?"

"The shaking will wear of in seven minutes." I smirked, pulling the blade from his shoulder, yet relieving him of none of the electrical currents. "I warned you about me, and now you're facing the consequences."

Planning on leaving him at that, I turned and sought the huge doors that would ultimately lead me to Kronos…but not without blowing Hyperion a very wet raspberry. Mature, I know.

But it was that very gesture that would've saved me.

Looking back, I saw hat Hyperion was not as weak as I thought him out to be. He too had a small weapon up his sleeve, and was planning to throw it right at me. Immediately, I made as if to jump to the side, but there ended up being no need.

Because the second he released the golden knife, a familiar someone stepped in front of me holding up a shield.

Hyperion gasped, eyes widening at the person he saw standing before the both of us. "My Lady!"

She didn't give him a chance to say anymore. Using her shield, the girl struck him in the back of the head, knocking him our cold.

I sucked in a breath, realizing that the moment she appeared, I forgot to breathe.

"Calypso," I gasped, caught off guard. "What are you doing here?"

She faced me, her innocent smile making her eyes crinkle around the sides. "I'm following you, silly! Now come on! Let's get out of here!"

REYNA'S POV-

The back door was farther than I expected. It took me approximately fifteen minutes just to find my way around the complicated twists and turns I encountered. That stupid Jackson!

I could tell that this was the third time I've taken the wrong route and gone in a circle. There was no easy way to navigate around this wretched place without getting hopelessly lost…which I undeniably was, though I would never admit such a thing aloud.

I readjusted my worker's slacks, receiving yet another wary look from a passing Army member. There was no reason for me-a supposed supply crew member-to be wandering down the trainees campus. Luckily, being young and taught not to question, no one stopped to interrogate me. Slowly, this served to calm me down. At least, until I was grabbed roughly by the arm and pulled into a storage room by force.

Instantly, my battle senses went into full blast. Quick as a snake, I struck a blow, aiming for the nose of the person whom had assaulted me. I knew that if I didn't escape now, me-and possibly Percy-would be done for. Screaming was not an option. I was in enemy territory now and there would no sooner be assistance than there would be raining hamburgers.

"Stop." The grip of the person who I presumed was a man tightened around my wrists, while with his other hand he shut my mouth. Seeing that he wouldn't let go of my arms anytime soon, I aimed a kick at his shin…then stomach…then groin. Just my luck, the man who's attention I managed to get was unlike the other's I had met so far. This one was fast, and he knew what my moves were before I even sought to do them.

"Listen," He said, firmly.

I tried to dig my nails into his eyes, but sadly couldn't with him restraining me and all.

"Listen to me!" He repeated.

By this point, I was ready to pull a Jackson and head-butt him.

"Reyna, stop!"

That shut me down. "How do you know my name?"

I still couldn't glimpse the man's face, but I knew he meant no ill-intentions. In fact, his voice reminded me of one I heard years ago, when I was first requested by the Legion. Now, if only I could place a name onto those hidden features.

"Because I know everything about you and everyone else in this building." I couldn't be sure, but the man's lips seemed to quirk up, hinting at an inside joke. "Watching from the sidelines does that to a person."

"You're not an Army Member, are you?" I already knew the answer, but asked nevertheless. Suspecting was one thing, hearing it said out loud was another.

"I was in the Navy for a few years." The man calmed down, feeling more comfortable now that I wasn't getting ready to beat the life out of him. "But no, I don't work for Kronos."

I narrowed my eyes, suspicious. The person in front of me may have not been an immediate threat, but that didn't make me any less wary.

"Then who do you work for?" I questioned.

The man let me go, confident that I would be unable to leave. And he was right. I knew full well that he was the one holding the power, not to mention the knowledge I wanted to know.

"I'm more of a freelance type of guy," the man locked the door behind him, somehow doing so without worrying me at all. He didn't do it in a way that hinted at evil. It was more of an action done to keep anyone dangerous from coming in. "Yet, I know that you're not, right? Working for the U-Council and all."

"How do you know that?" I clenched my hands, trembling. Who did this person think he was, intruding in other's private affairs?

"Relax!" He held out his palms in sign of surrender. "I'm on your side here! I just happen to know quite a bit about the Olympians. More than they would ever want to admit, actually."

The man chuckled, seemingly remembering an amusing memory. Unsettling was the only way to describe how I felt.

"Who exactly are you?" I allowed my shoulders to slump, giving up any hope of escaping from this mysterious character.

Seconds passed, feeling like hours, until the man at last stepped into a spot where I could clearly see his face.

And what I saw made me gasp.

"You can call me Edson." Edson's eyes held a glint of cheerfulness, as if he was feeling alive for the first time in years. "Edson Punet Poine."

I gaped.

PERCY'S POV-

"Tell me again, how did it ever occur to you to steal a map?" I was honestly confused in this aspect. "You didn't even know where you were following me to."

Calypso shrugged, trying to hide how obviously nervous she was. "It felt right. Maps are always useful, so I figured, why not take one?"

"But-"

"Just tell me where you want to go!" Calypso snapped, surprising me. Who knew such a petite girl could look so angry? "If this place is as dangerous as you say, it wouldn't do to remain hiding where someone could easily find us."

"I-I um…there." I pointed at a spot on the center of the map, the same area Reyna had told me Kronos dwelled. "It's beyond those doors." I gestured towards the giant oak doorway behind us. "I'm just waiting a bit longer before I go in. I need to meet someone there, while you wait here."

Calypso pursed her lips, looking momentarily distracted. "Listen…Percy, the truth is…I haven't been completely honest with you. I hadn't really been following you."

I frowned, feeling a nagging in the back of my head the moment she confessed this. "Then how would you know I would be here?"

"I-I'll show you." Calypso stood up, wringing her hands. "Follow me. You have to see this."

"See what?" I got on my feet, taking two steps back from the girl in front of me. "How would you know about this place? And why would you make me show you where I was going on the map, if you already knew?"

Calypso clenched her fists. "He needed a confirmation. I'm sorry, but…you need to come with me."

"Are you insane?" I tried my hardest not to yell at her, but mostly failed. When it came to my temper, there was no turning back. "What are you rambling on about?"

Instead of answering, Calypso turned on her heel and headed straight towards the entrance to the main hall in front of us. "Wait!"

I headed towards Calypso, accidentally stepping on something the moment I did. What the heck?

I leaned down and picked up what turned out to be the charm Reyna had left behind. By the time I went back to following Calypso, I had hardly seconds to stop her, and by the time I caught up, her palms were already out, ready to push open the main doors.

"Don't! You don't know what could be waiting there!" I yanked away her arm, and held her to my chest, ignoring the gasp she let escape. Despite my firm hold, I was being gentle, wondering why in the world this innocent person would ever know about the Army's dark secrets. "We don't want to get caught!"

Calypso stiffened, clutching my shirt and shaking. There was regret etched all over her face, frightening me even more. What could she be so guilty of that would make her react in this way?

"I'm sorry," She repeated, "but it's too late for that. My father and his brothers are already waiting."

And with that, Calypso shoved me with more force than I thought possible, turning on her heel and opening the doors that would lead to my ultimate doom.

I instinctively stood as if ready to fight, but knew it was pointless when I saw what was on the other side of the door.

It was me against hundreds of dark-clothed muscular Army Members, and unlike with the heroes in the movies, I didn't have a chance.

"Ah." A stocky man in a pinstriped, black suit stepped into my line of vision. "I see that my daughter has fulfilled her mission." He grinned at Calypso, and I saw her grimace. "Now I can truly say that she has made me proud."

On cue, the entire group of people clapped, the sound reverberating throughout the Harry Potter-like courtroom. It was robotic, controlled by the man in front of me.

Calypso bowed, keeping her head low, not out of respect, but fear. Would it be weird of me to say that I still felt bad for her?

"Thank you, Lord Atlas," she mumbled.

"Now as for you," Atlas had me in a neck-hold before I could do anything, his daughter's moment of triumph quickly forgotten. "We've got a little surprise we've been wanting to unveil for quite a while now."

I scowled, by some miracle pivoting high enough to kick Atlas square in the face. To say that he was surprised I had retaliated was an understatement.

"Don't touch me," I growled, dusting off my hands. It may have been stupid, but I wasn't going to go down easy. If all these men wanted to fight me, then so be it. I wasn't one to go down without a struggle.

"Leave him."

The whole room, including me, turned to face a man who had slipped silently through the back entrance. Immediately everyone became silent, in a way the expressed both reverence and fright. We all knew who this person was.

Again, the man spoke. "I don't want to damage the boy, and really there is no need. After he sees the predicament he's truly in, he won't try to stop us even for a second."

"What makes you so sure about that?" I challenged, making everyone in the room jump in their seat. A few actually sent me warning looks, while the rest just looked like they wanted to stick me in a ditch for being so stupid. Nobody back-talked Kronos unless they were reckless or downright stupid. I was both.

The big man himself seemed unbothered by my comment, except I wouldn't have been able to tell either way. His face was fully covered in a mask made of a silver metal, engraved with the face of the original Kronos from the legends. Somehow this didn't make me feel better.

As if to prove that he was undeterred by a wimp like me, Kronos stood even taller, puffing out his muscular chest covered in a suit similar to the one I wore. We were both dressed for battle.

"I've dealt with people much more frightening than you." He scoffed, clapping his hands twice…as if he was signaling for something to be done. "And I don't think you'll be very confident once you see who we've caught."

I clenched my fists, realizing what Kronos meant; he had captured Reyna. Or at least, that's what I believed. What he did next threw me off completely.

Instead of the handcuffed Praetor that I was expecting, two men walked out carrying a large and comfy-looking chair.

"You might want to sit, young Perseus." If Kronos didn't have his face covered, I would've been able to see the leer that undeniably adorned his face. Thankfully, I was saved from seeing what was probably the most unattractive thing in all of Tartarus. "This may be too much for your little brain."

"No thanks," I growled. "I'm not one for plushy chairs."

Instead of replying, Kronos chuckled and waved at a screen I hadn't noticed was there. "Suit yourself. I was simply taking a precaution."

Before I could reply, I was cut off by the image of my kneeling mother on show. All around me, the entire room guffawed and smacked each other's backs. They'd found my weakness, and wanted to exploit it to the fullest.

"Percy?"

I held back the lump rising in my throat. My mom's eyes met mine, and it dawned on me that we were talking to each other live. After four years of separation, she was finally seeing me, taking in the fact that I was never dead or gone. I was always nearby the entire time, and there she was, fearing for my safety and happiness while I was perfectly okay.

"Feeling guilty for leaving behind your poor mother?" Kronos mocked. "I don't have the best conscience, but even I know better. How dare Percy Jackson abandon the woman who gave life to him?"

"Shut up!" I shot back, physically unable to keep my body from shaking.

All these years I've wanted to meet my mom and explain to her that I never meant what I did. It was the only option I had, but I never wanted to be part of any Intelligence group. I never wanted to leave her or Tyson.

"He's getting angry!" Someone sneered from the crowd of onlookers.

The laughter only grew louder.

"Now, now," Kronos fake-scolded. "Keep quiet. We don't want to ruin Perseus's family reunion. He still hasn't said hello to the rest of the group!"

The screen's camera zoomed out, and it took all my willpower not to unsheathe my sword. Above my mother, stood the traitor himself.

Nico was smiling, holding a midnight-colored blade to my mom's neck. Behind him, there sat Luke and the Ethan on either side of Tyson and Thalia, holding them tightly by each arm.

As if I hadn't had enough, Kronos started clapping his hands, praising the runt for his work.

"Why, I'm pleasantly surprised, my Nico! You did a perfect job. Although…" Kronos tapped his chin, pantomiming contemplation. "I reckon that there's someone else who needs introducing?"

"You're correct uncle." Nico dug the sword deeper into my mother's neck, making me red with anger. "Why don't you show him our special guest?"

"It'd be my pleasure." Kronos snapped his fingers and immediately there appeared more footage of an empty cell, with the words, Who's the Queen now? scrawled on the wall.

A minute passed, until Kronos at last yelled, "Where is the girl!?"

I broke into a short-lived grin when I realized who must have been in there before. Annabeth had been locked in that room, and Kronos was going to use her as blackmail along with my family, but Reyna had somehow found her and helped her escape. She was definitely the queen.

"Ah, I see she managed to find her way out." Nico muttered, not seeming bothered at all.

"Never mind that." Kronos turned to face me. "Your family is still at stake, and they will remain that way unless you decide to be our bait for finding your father. It's either you or your family's life."

"Actually…" Nico began.

"What is it now?" Kronos snapped.

"Well, I may have forgotten to mention this, but his family and friend will die whether he cooperates or not."

From behind Nico, Thalia spoke up.

"You little brat! Stop playing him and shut up already!"

Nico rolled his eyes. "It won't be a pity when I kill her."

Next to Thalia, Tyson shook his head as an attempt to take back her words. The whole time he was there, he hadn't spoken, much less looked me in the eyes. It was almost as if he was afraid of me.

"Nico," I spoke without realizing it. "Why?"

The dark-haired boy frowned, and for a moment his artificial sense of good humor was erased. "Because it was your fault Bianca died. She was my only real family left. My father meant nothing to me…and you took her away. So now I'll take away your remaining family too."

My mom's eyes widened, and a look of horror replaced her shock from before.

Nico noticed and laughed. "Oh yes. Didn't you know? Your son is a murderer!"

"Bianca was shot by a gang member and you know that!" Thalia shouted. "Percy had nothing to do with it, so stop blaming everyone who was associated with her!"

"Luke, would you please quiet my dear cousin down for me?" Nico pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand. "She's getting on my nerves."

Without a single word, Luke pulled a gun from his jacket and aimed it at Thalia's head.

I ran towards the screen, knowing that it wouldn't really do anything, but wishing that it could. "NO!"

From behind me, a guard grabbed my collar and pushed me onto the chair. That didn't keep me from hearing the cracking of a gunshot and seeing Thalia's limp body fall into a puddle of her own blood.

I froze, making it easier for the man to hold me down. I hardly noticed the gentle grip he had on my chest, and stared in terror at the unmoving Thalia. Her eyes were still open, worsening what I saw. They were lifeless…gone somewhere far away.

"Nico…you promised we would be friends." Tyson was shivering, desperately looking at the boy on front of him and wishing it were all a dream. "After Percy left…you said…you said…"

Unable to finish, my brother's voice broke, and he was left drowning in his own sadness with no hope for his future.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

Kronos coughed, regaining his composure. "Nico, I demand you to stop! We need them as blackmail. Once they are gone, he will no longer do as we wish!"

Again, Nico's face darkened and he tilted his head to the side. With his black clothing and broken leer, he looked like death herself.

He tapped my mothers head, and giggled. "I would, but you see…haha…ha…I don't care about your petty Army. I'm only in this for the revenge!"

Whispers began throughout the room, sounding like the hissing of cobras. I caught someone saying, "He's gone insane!"

And I had to agree.

"So you see," Nico continued, changing moods completely. "You can stick your blackmail up your tiny ass."

"Nico."

My mom, who had always kept strong for the sake of her two sons, who had given everything for those she cared about, was sobbing.

"Honey, please let go of whatever anger you have." Despite her obvious fear, Mom still managed to keep her voice firm. "Whatever happened, don't let it control you anymore. Please, stop this."

Though it only lasted a few seconds, Nico's face softened, and I could've sworn I almost saw him crack. If that was the case, it didn't keep him from doing what he did next.

"Ethan, please bring Tyson over and seat him next to his mother."

I began struggling in my seat, ignoring the Army member constantly pushing me back down. "Nico! Don't hurt them! Please!"

I choked on my own tears, but kept shrieking nonetheless. It'd been a long time since I last cried, and everything I had kept inside was finally let out. The pain was too much, I could hardly believe it hadn't killed me.

"I'm begging you! Nico-"

"Luke, can you come over here and shoot Tyson for me?" Nico waved over the blonde boy. "Make it fast. I don't want a mess."

My whole world stopped, everything and everyone focused only on the horrific scene in front of me. Time slowed, and the last thing I saw before Nico cut off the connection was my mom and brother simultaneously saying, "Goodbye Percy", as Nico swung down his sword and silenced their voices forever.

In the midst of all the trouble, the guard keeping me in my place leaned down and whispered, "Annabeth and Reyna are out of the building. Use the charm."

Through my blurred vision, all I could see was the man's sea green eyes and jet-black hair. That was the moment he disappeared, and Kronos yelled for his men to lock me up.

Hardly aware of what I was doing, and not bothered either way, I pulled the metallic dolphin figurine from my pocket and weighed it in my hand. It was the size of my pinky and hardly an object that could be considered harmful.

That was what I believed until I inspected it closer and felt the slot on it's belly.

It was a bomb.

I looked around and saw the men cackling in their seats, shouting things like, "Look! The child is crying for his mother!" and "Did you see how he begged?"

They were people who followed orders blindly, despite the torture it caused others.

In the corner, I could see Calypso watching the scenes playing out before her, but doing nothing to stop it. She was the child who had brought the death of Reyna's family, and today it would be her own weapon that ended the elders she despised.

I stood, aware that in only minutes I would be tied up and kept as the Army's pet, in the same way I had been the U-Council's.

Maybe in another life.

Right now, I was fully prepared to finish them off, to stop the hurt they caused on the weaker and the indifference they held after.

They were done for…and so was I.

I closed my eyes, hearing nothing and regretting everything.

Remembering…

Mom.

Tyson.

Thalia.

The Nico I didn't want to shove into a pit of lava.

Grover.

Reyna.

Jason.

And Annabeth.

I counted every breath, going up to the number twenty.

I flipped open the panel, and ghosted over the switch that would get rid of Kronos's Army once and for all…

Hello and Goodbye.

And clicked.

boom.

…

..

.

I can see the oceans. They're in his eyes.

And that's the end! There's still an epilogue so don't worry. Promise.

Also, I have three branch stories that will come from this one so I'll tell you about them in my next "chapter". It's going to be really short so don't die too much once you read it. K bye!

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