"This war has been going on for days, and we have lost too many of our allies to continue this fight. There's one, and only one, way to end this."

"How do we do that?"

"There's no we."

Thalia looked startled. "No, Percy, I am not letting you go in alone."

"We have no choice. That's the only way I can go in. I'll distract Father as you and a group of demigods search for my family."

"Father?"

"Sorry, Tartarus, old habit. The only way we can save them is if I do the unthinkable."

"But once it's over, there's no doubt he's going to want revenge from you."

"I know, which is why I won't be around after this."

"No! This is not the time for some suicidal thought—"

"Thalia!" Percy set his hands on both her shoulders as she started to yell at him. "There, is no, other way. Only one of us is going to be able to walk out this fight, if I play my cards right. But I will do anything to ensure the safety of you, Artemis, my family and the Hunt. Twelve years ago I swore an unbreakable oath that if need be, I would lay down my life for the safety of Artemis. Artemis is the Hunt, the Hunt is Artemis, when I accepted the challenge I knew what I was getting myself into. Not only am I her Guardian, but I am also her husband, the father to our children, I have to be absolutely ready for everything. Now listen to me, if I win the fight, we won't have to worry about Tartarus any longer. Do you understand?"

Thalia gulped. She knew if Artemis heard any of this she would be doomed, but she nodded her head nonetheless.

"Good," Percy nodded. He stepped away from his cousin/sister-in-law, and secured his bow on his back. With all the black he had on, there was no doubt he could easily hide within the shadows of the dark pit.

"Grab whatever you need, Jason, Piper, Nico, Leo, Hazel, and Annabeth, and go save my family. And that," he turned to face Thalia before continuing, "is an order." He walked away.

. . .

Percy had marched into a clearing far away from civilization. With his combat boots, black leather hood, and other armor on, he closed his eyes and reached out for the Dark Lord. Not two seconds passed by before an enraged Tartarus appeared before the Dark Angel, who had his large black, Chaos Steel, wings spread out. The man had a large body, with sharp, wolf-like ears, an angular face, and a stance that showed nothing will get passed him. Tartarus smiled sadistically at his "son."

"I see you have been training, my little prince."

There was a low growl that emitted from the back of the Dark Prince's throat. The Guardian twirled Riptide in his hand, his knuckles turning white with the amount of pressure he was applying to the vice-like grip on his sword.

"Enough," Percy said, "I am done with the games. I am not your son! That honor belongs to Lady Hestia and Lord Poseidon! Not you!"

"Ah, but that is only your opinion, is it not? Tell me, am I not the reason you have the capabilities and powers of all my sons and daughters combined and more? Am I not the reason that you are the most powerful being in the—Chaos forgive me if I am wrong—universe?!" His voice started out calm, but as he continued, Tartarus' voice got louder and louder until he was shouting across the clearing.

"Am I not the reason that you believe you have the power to defeat me?! Am I not, the reason why you are able to do what you do? To go ahead and split yourself into multiple people, and have secret affairs without any of them knowing? I made you who you are. I made you King of the Universes. I gave you all the power you possess. And you do not feel obliged?! I AM THE ONE WHO GAVE YOU ALL THAT POWER! YOU ARE HEIR TO MY THRONE!"

"I don't want to be heir to your throne! If being king of the Underworld makes you a monster, I want no part in it. Do you understand? I am, who I am, not because of you or Chaos or Artemis or the freaking universe! I am me because I made myself who I am today!"

Tartarus gave a small, sarcastic chuckle. "So then tell me, Dark Prince, why do you bring me here today?"

Percy raised his sword. "I, Perseus Jackson, challenge Tartarus, for the throne of all his domains." Thunder rumbled. Now it was up to Tartarus of whether he accepts or not.

Tartarus smiled and spread his arms out wide. "I accept this fool's challenge!"

From nowhere, pieces of dark armor started to build itself up on Tartarus, the same armor Percy saw when he was about seventeen. A large sword appeared in Tartarus' hand, causing Percy to grip his sword even tighter.

"Are you aware, young Perseus, that perhaps the both of us might not make it?"

"Yes, I am."

"So then who would take the throne?"

Percy put one foot in front of the other, wings spread and hold up, prepared to sprint forward. "My queen."

Their swords clashed.

. . .

"Where are we supposed to search?"

Thalia sighed as she gathered the demigods Percy had asked her to. "I don't know," she admitted, seemingly defeated. Everyone in the room was tired due to all the fighting, the lines were falling apart. Thalia, for a second, glanced at the bars on Jason's SPQR tattoo, smirking at the fact that her brother-in-law/cousin/Guardian had three more bars than he did, a blow to poor Jason's ego, for he had been with the romans all his life. She averted her attention back to the task at hand.

"I think Percy will let one of us know—"

Annabeth stiffened. "I know where. He just told me. He says that Artemis and all the other captured demigods are back at their base, where he was. He said that where the beast was in the cage, there is a dug-out prison there that will appear once we remove the cage."

"Why does this feel too… easy?" Leo was the one to ask the unspoken question.

Thalia shook her head. "Because we're not doing anything, Leo. We're simply going to walk in, get what we're looking for, and walk out."

"Exactly. Why is it that simple? Why doesn't Jackson do it himself?"

"Gods damnit Jason, why don't you put that pride away for one day?! My brother is out there, giving up his life so that way we can save everyone else's!" Thalia snapped, banging her hands on the metal table. Everyone but Annabeth jumped.

"What are you talking about? Percy's a god."

"Are you in, or are you out?" Thalia didn't have time for this.

"Thalia, I am your brother. Calm down."

Piper shot Jason a glare, she loved her fiancé, she really did, but sometimes his pride and power can get the best of him. "Now is not the time, Jason," she used a bit of charmspeak to get him to stop angering the already enraged Thalia Grace. His eyes glazed over.

"Percy is the one doing all the heavy and dirty work in this mission."

"As always," Annabeth grumbled.

"He is challenging Tartarus," the adult demigods in the room began to murmur amongst one another. "Earlier, when I said he is risking his life, it's because he is. He may be immortal, but he swore an oath to lay down his life for Artemis if need be. Today is his day. He asked me to gather you guys, and to come up with a plan to save his family, he told me that was his final order. He's serious about this guys, so we have no room for flaws or failure. Am I understood? Good. I've already placed hunters here, here, and here," she pointed to trees on a map surrounding the area of the Dark Side's base. "Annabeth came up with a plan. Annabeth?"

As Annabeth described the plan in great detail, the family and friends of the soon-to-fall Dark Angel (Percy), listened. The ground shook as the camp's borders were attacked once again. The demigods paid no mind. They were planning their hopefully final mission for this war, right here, right now. They decided to not only save the captured ones, but also have the Hunters and Connor and Travis sabotage the equipment of the monsters. Connor and Travis ran, grinning like the pranksters they are, preparing for the signal. They formed a circle and set their hands on each others shoulders, bowing their heads in praise for the fallen ones.

No one dies in vain, not today, not tomorrow, and not ever.

They moved out, Jason and Piper flying, Hazel and Leo underground, Annabeth and Thalia in the trees, and Nico in the shadows. They moved with the grace and stealth of a panther, and the speed of a cheetah. Deep down, they knew that everyone was thanking their enhanced demigod powers.

By the time they were in position, it was dusk. Thalia looked around her, put a finger to her lips in a shushing manor, and waited as a single cyclops approached. She slid the dagger from her back sheath out of place, and slowly and quietly pulled it out, holding it in a icepick grip. With Percy's assassin silence, she jumped off the branch and onto the shoulders of the cyclops, holding a hand to its mouth and slitting its throat. The ichor and golden dust of the monster splattered onto the ground before disappearing with the wind. She looked up and signals for the others to follow, before taking off on the ground, her steps silent and light and breathing controlled. With the knowledge of this being a close-quarters battle, she left her bow alone, strapped to her back, and sheathed her dagger, pulling out two hunting knives instead and holding the both of them in an icepick grip.

She turned her head, looking left and right, before deciding that the coast was clear. She knew that her sisters were keeping an eye out in case something went wrong. She did not want that to happen. She nodded her head, and the demigods jumped from the trees, flew down, rose from the ground, and ran out of the shadows. They assisted her as she grunted and pushed the large cage back, the metal groaning with the sudden movement. They looked down into the dug-out cell.

There she was, passed out on the floor, demigods surrounding her as her hand laid on her swollen belly. One roman demigod looked up at them, dirt on her face.

"I think you guys are a little too late."

Percy gave out a cry as he had no other choice but to use his wing as a shield. His wing remained intact, but it still hurt like hell. He growled. He had had enough with these games, and was ready for the end. Roaring, he charged.

Tartarus brought his sword in front of him and blocked the blow, chuckling a bit at the sudden surprise.

"Who do you think you are? You can't beat me. Not without dying yourself."

Both men pulled back, breathing heavily from the ongoing, three hour fight they have been having. Percy pulled out a dagger from its sheath and held it icepick style. Tartarus laughed. "That won't do anything, how pathetic—"

"I am Perseus Jackson, husband of Artemis and Chaos. Champion of Hestia, Zeus, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Chaos, Ares and Hermes. Bane of Kronos and Gaia. Son of Hestia, Poseidon and Sally Jackson. God of balance, swordsmanship, liquid and tides, guardians, wolves, loyalty, time, earth. King of the universe and creation, demigods and heroes. The Fifteenth Olympian, and," Percy spread out his midnight black wings, using his power over the earth to create a large hole that leads straight to the Underworld, "your end."

He flew forward, sword straight as he aimed for Tartarus' chest, Tartarus took a step back.

With a loud roar, Percy closed his eyes as he impaled his "father" in the chest, wincing as Tartarus stabbed him in the chest with a sword of his own. Percy kept on flying, behind his closed eyes, seeing the face of his wife, children, friends and family. He almost smiled with how pathetic his ending looks and sounds, but knew there was still more to come.

He opened his eyes when he felt the sword being pulled out of his chest, and then thrusted back in.

Tartarus was practically gutting the Dark Prince.

Percy started to fly faster than the speed of light and began to push downward, into the never-ending plummet to the Underworld. Suddenly, the dark walls lit up as if a projector had been turned on, and he watched as silent movies started to play.

These were memories, taken with his eyes as the camera. To his left, he saw—while ignoring the sword still thrusting in and out of his chest and abdomen—the first time he met everyone he has ever seen. Sally, Gabe, Grover, Rachel, Annabeth, Thalia, Nico, Bianca, Zoe, Artemis, Chiron, Poseidon, Athena, Hestia—everyone. And slowly, those memories faded as they ran out. He turned to his right.

He saw all his laughs and smiles and cries and every other emotion he has and ever will feel/felt. He saw Artemis and him falling in love, Sally and Jake being born, the late nights he and Artemis spent together, all his memories were being portrayed on the walls of the earth like some movie.

She's pregnant.

He closed his eyes and grabbed Tartarus' sword by the blade, ichor spewing from his hand. He pulled his sword out of Tartarus and stabbed him in the heart, pulling out and then cutting his wrists. If he was going to go down, he was going to go down like a true warrior.

He saw the hands of the Fates stretch out a bit of yarn, and cut.

Tartarus' eyes widened, noticing this new-found courage in the eyes of his Dark Prince. So this wasn't just a dream, he smiled, they were truly falling, and after the fall, both of them would not make it.

Percy closed his eyes as he saw the approaching end, "Say hi to Carter for me?" He asked the wind, accepting his end.

He swung.

Tartarus' head hit the ground before his detached and hacked up body did.

There was an explosion due to the impact, and Perseus Jackson lay motionless on the ground, unmoving.

The Guardian had fulfilled his duty.