Helloooo!

Time for another cliffhanger (I know, I couldn't resist) as it is time for the ultimate climax! Things haven't really been mounting in tension, until now! It's time to drop several bombshells, as, in this chapter, you will discover an old demigod in need, a new demigod with a secret, the identity of one – just one – of the camp's traitors! Plus, there's a heap-load of romance... Oh, and remember Chapter 14? Tom revealed he would eventually fail to protect Summer from harm... that moment is now! PREPARE TO CRY!

DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN!

-Silverhand9028

Tom's POV

"Bella?"
I did not believe it.

The girl standing in front of me was familiar – to say the least. She had jet-black hair, cut short into a bob. Her eyes and lips rimmed with black, and she was dressed in a black leather jacket, miniskirt and Green Day tee.

She was Bella, the girl I recognised as a daughter of Hades, and the Camp's Oracle.

"What are you doing here?" asked Summer.

Quick recap – whilst our friends had been driving off cliffs and fighting Phoenixes, Summer and I had had an easy ride. A brief trip to LA, the easy finding of the Underworld entrance and a simple bargain with Charon – being a Hermes kid has it's benefits.

Now, we were here. Traversing through the Underworld, until we bumped into Bella.

"I was seeing my dad," explained Bella.

"Hades?" I asked.

Bella laughed nervously. "Erm... yeah... duh!"

"Why?"
Her sharp green eyes darted left and right. "Just, you know, family meeting."

I didn't believe Bella. She seemed on the edge about something.

"Can you take us to Hades then?"

"Sure," Bella told us.

I glanced at Summer. I didn't need Veronica's thought-deciphering knowledge to tell me what Summer was feeling: confused, unbelieving and wary. This was the first time we'd ever spoken to Bella in the flesh: possessed by an Oracle and talking through a rainbow don't count.

Bella told us her dad was overseeing some important business at the Fields of Punishment.

"Oh, great," muttered Summer, "can't he be at Elysium or somewhere sunny?"

As we walked through the Greek version of hell, we passed several terrifying and bizarre images. An old, angry man pushing a boulder up a hill, some women pouring water into a huge jug, and a screaming man tied to a wheel of burning flames.

"This is... nice..." I remarked, as we searched the area.

Bella ignored my remark. "Here!" she beckoned us to follow her as we ran along some rocks, past a Pakistani terrorist I recognised from TV, who was being whipped with white-hot diamonds. Up ahead, I saw some black-and-bronze gates, behind which I saw a huge, gaping hole. It wasn't just a crack, though. I felt something coming from inside there... something that made my stomach churn. I felt raw power, a destructive hate, a force watching me and wanting, with a deadly passion, to smite me where I stood.

"This is the entrance to Tartarus," said a voice.

We turned and saw a man standing beside the gate. He was tall and handsome, with olive skin and long, silky black hair. He had a thin, short beard and was dressed in a black suit.

Dark, powerful eyes stared at us.

"Dad!" Bella whispered in shock. "What are you doing here?"

I looked at Bella and the man in bewilderment. "But, Bella, you said you were taking us to your dad so why are you asking why he's here?"

"I didn't say I was taking you to my dad," Bella's pale cheeks began to colour.

"Yes you did," Summer crossed her arms, "we asked if you could take us to Hades and you said 'yes'!"

The bearded man looked at us, "I am not Hades. Hades is in trouble. As you know Bella, he was rescuing Artemis from the pit of Tartarus-"
"What?" I asked.

"Look!" gasped Summer. I cast my eyes upwards to see a familiar shape on the rocky ceiling.

"It's the crack that Artemis fell into!" I gasped.

"It led to Tartarus," Bella explained, "my dad was here and he told me to come and check it out."
"But now," I said, "your dad went to rescue Artemis..."
"And was dragged in," the man finished. "However, Hades is not Bella's father."
"What?" we both exclaimed at once.

"I'm not really Bella Connell," she explained, "I'm Hades' granddaughter, Bella Di Angelo. This man is my father, Nico."

"Bella's mother was... her name was Thalia. She was a Hunter of Artemis. She and I...

we had a daughter. It was forbidden of course. Artemis had no choice but to end her immortality."

Tears welled up in his sad, dark eyes.

Summer looked sympathetically up at him. "I'm sorry," she reassured him, "but we need Hades. We're on a quest. We need Artemis' bow, and we need to know something about Hades' debtor and the brother of night."

Nico rubbed his beard in thought.

"I don't know about those things," he told us, "but I know Hades can't help you. It's that pit – first Artemis, now Hades – gods are being snatched."

We opened the gates. Down below, I saw something flicker.

"Hades," explained Nico, "he's fighting it, but I can't get down there."
"Oh my gods..." I gasped.

I turned to Summer, and gasped in horror. A strange fire burned in her brilliant blue eyes.

"I have to get him."
"What?" Bella, Nico and I all gasped.

"Hades. I have to go down there and pull him up. I can do it. I know it. Whatever's down there – Veronica told me - they're confined. (A/N I am sorry but for the purpose of this story I have to start making things up a bit. Sorry about that) For some reason, they can reach gods. But not us."

She turned to me, and I gasped. "Tom, your shoes."
"Summer, don't," I begged her, putting my hand on her shoulder. "Please. You can't. You could die. Easily."

She looked at me. "I must. I feel some kind of burning – in my gut. I need to go down there, I want to."
"Summer." I took her hands, which shocked her – and me. "Summer, I can't bare to see you die. I... I love you, Summer Song."

I expected her to gasp, to balk awkwardly, to freak out. But she didn't. She stared into my eyes.

"I love you too."
(A/N Soppy part alert! I'm being nagged to make it romantic, sorry if this gets kinds weird or graphic)

I pulled her in and kissed her right on the lips. I know, the top of Tartarus. Not the most romantic place for a first kiss. But with Summer it felt right.

We broke away and felt the gaze of Nico and Bella.

Summer looked at me, pleadingly. "Tom... do you understand? I want to go down there."
I let go of her hand – I felt a stab in my heart as I hoped I'd get to hold it one more time.

Silently, she took my white Adidas trainers and put them onto her feet.

A ghostly wind blew from the monstrous bit. Summer's golden locks tickled against my face. They smelt of flowers and summer and happiness.

She turned her head and looked me in the eyes. "Maia!" she yelled.

Two ivory-white wings appeared on the heel of each foot.

"See you on the other side, Snake-face," she smiled. She slowly levitated up... then it all went wrong. The shoes snapped. The wings went haywire – flapping and vibrating, sending Summer up – then down – then all around.

"Summer!" I screamed out.

The wings stopped – then swivelled the shoes around. They were headed straight for the bottom of the pit.

"Summer!" I hollered again.

"I can't stop them!" she wailed. "They're out of control!"
I reached up and grabbed her. I held her by the arm, tightly.

"Kick them off!" I yelled.

"I can't!" she screamed out.

I held on tight to Summer, refusing to let her go. I would not let her down into that pit. Those shoes... I should not have trusted them. Someone else had control over them.

Suddenly, I heard a noise. I looked down into the pit and saw a flash of light – Hades trying to break free. In that one moment, my concentration was lost. My grip on Summer weakened. The wings let out an almighty flap – and Summer fell right out of my arms – and into the pit of Tartarus.

"SUMMER!" I screamed desperately.

"TOOOOOOOM!" I saw her, reaching out, falling down, down, down...

"Tom!" she screeched. "TOM! I LOVE YOU!"

I sobbed and reached out to her.

"Summer... no..."

Her falling figure was lost in the gloom and darkness of the pit. I sank to my knees.

"Summer..."

Nico placed a hand on my shoulder.

"I know how it feels," he assured me.

I sobbed helplessly, my head in my hands. Summer...we were together. I held her. I kissed her. Then... I failed her.

"Those shoes... someone had them under control." Nico pressed on. "Where did you get them? Who enchanted them?"

"I don't know," I whispered, my tears falling on the floor.

"Think back," Nico said, "where did you get them?"

I paused and looked up.

"At school... on my birthday. Somebody got me them..." a cold fist closed around my heart. I realised it in a second. The traitor. The liar. "All along," I gasped, "we never suspected him... the traitor..."

"Who?" asked Bella.

"The shoes were brought to me at school... by Lief."

This chapter is for 'Weirdo. THAT'S ME.' who, very early on, easily guessed the traitor. There are lots of clues, lots and lots, which none of you got apart from this person. I will reveal them next chapter. Anyway, thanks for reading, reviewing, recommending and being awesome! Peace out,

-Silverhand9028