A/N: I am SO sorry. I had a couple of personal problems to work out. Please review and I will try to finish the next chapter soon. Please don't hate me for not updating. I really did try my best. Thank you all for being patient. Here's the next chapter:

PERCY (IX)

"Bianca di Angelo," Percy said in awe. It was weird and scary to meet Bianca in Tartarus.

The weird part: Percy had heard that Bianca chose to be reborn and try for the Isles of Blest, where you went to if you reached Elysium three times. The scary part: He knew that Bianca was probably here to kill him.

He uncapped Riptide. "What do you want?"

"Percy!" Annabeth yelled, but Percy ignored her. He pointed the tip of his sword so that it was lined up with Bianca's neck.

The ghost who wasn't Bianca smirked, which looked strange on the Hunter's face. Percy's thoughts flashed back to the time Kronos had invaded Manhattan. It had been Luke's face, but the smile was so inhuman, it could only be Kronos'.

"So," Bianca said coldly. "You have come to close the Doors of Death." She spoke it with such finality, it didn't really sound like a question.

Still, Percy replied, "Yeah, what's it to-" he broke off. Bianca had switched to the form of Luke. Everything was the same, the sandy blonde hair, the scar on his jaw line, even the blue eyes. Percy was glad to see them blue and not gold. Percy swallowed, finally knowing who they were dealing with. "What do you want?"

Luke smiled. "So you have figured out who I am. Well done, little hero, but that will not help you. I only help because my master has commanded me to. This will only happen once in your puny half-blood lives."

"So why even bother?" Percy asked, trying to sound defiant. Unfortunately, it came out more miserable than anything.

The ghost's form changed again, this time, to Beckendorf. More guilt welled up inside of Percy. Annabeth, who had been frozen throughout the whole exchange relaxed. Percy guessed that Annabeth was still a little touchy on the Luke subject.

He hissed in frustration, which sounded pretty weird in Beckendorf's voice. "I have already told you, hero! Because my master commands me! The Lord of Death will have your soul. Now, we do not have much time! We must go!"

Percy shook his head, trying to clear it. This ghost did not make any sense. How was he supposed to go if the Lord of Death was going to have his soul?

"Show us your true form, Melinoe," Percy demanded.

Beckendorf's smile faltered. "As you wish, hero."

Suddenly, Percy and Annabeth were looking at a woman with split personalities. Half of her body was chalk white and the other half was shriveled black, like a mummy. She wore a golden dress and a golden shawl around her shoulders. Percy wished he hadn't said anything. Melinoe creeped him out.

Annabeth gasped. "Percy! That's…." she couldn't seem to finish her sentence.

"I know," Percy said glumly. "I met her when Nico, Thalia, and I traveled to the Underworld after Ethan Nakamura."

"Yes," Melinoe said absently. "The hero without any ghosts. Tell me Percy Jackson: how many ghosts do you have now?" She hissed in laughter. Percy rubbed the bead with the EmpireStateBuilding. There were so many names, so many campers who didn't survive to see the end of the war. Beckendorf, Silena Beauregard, Michael Yew, everyone who had died fighting for Olympus. Not to mention those who had died in the Battle of the Labyrinth.

He didn't answer. Instead he asked, "Why did Hades send you?"

He bet she would have rolled her eyes if they weren't deep black holes sucking your soul out. "You, Percy Jackson, have a lot to learn. Never question a god's help."

"Right," Percy said, trying to square with that fact. Why would Hades break the Ancient Laws just to help his least favorite demigod in Tartarus? Now that was a question he couldn't wait to ask Hades when he got out of the mess they were in. If, he thought, correcting himself. It was only an 'if'. First they had to find the Doors, and to do that, they had to battle a whole army of monsters by themselves. Well, by themselves plus a creepy ghost lady who wanted him to die. Yeah, fun.

Annabeth took a deep breath and kissed him on the cheek. "Come on, Seaweed Brain. We should just follow her. If Hades wants to help, than he hates Gaea more than he hates you."

Was that possible? Percy didn't find it very likely, but he nodded and gestured for Melinoe to lead. Instead of going forward, though, she passed straight through the opposite wall that they were leaning against. After a couple minutes, Melinoe came back.

She hissed in annoyance. That was the only way he could tell what her mood was since her face was clear of emotion. "I remind you, heroes, that I am not a patient goddess. Come quickly." This time when she passed through the wall, that section disappeared, leading into another lit tunnel wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side.

"How did she do that?" Percy asked Annabeth quietly.

She flicked him in the head. "Not only is she a goddess, she's the goddess of ghosts. How do you think she did that?"

Percy didn't answer. He hoped that the dim lighting of the tunnel was hiding the fact that he was blushing. He sighed and kept following Melinoe.

Percy just kept thinking about the mess that he Annabeth had gotten themselves into. Nico was supposed to be leading the others to Greece. To the House of Hades. But could they actually succeed? Their chances seemed pretty slim at the moment, considering they were following a ghost lady who was supposed to help navigate them through Tartarus.

After a couple of hours, they reached an opening in the tunnel. Percy's jaw dropped to the floor when he saw what was happening in the room the tunnel led to.

"Get down!" Annabeth hissed, dropping to the floor behind a conveniently placed rock. Percy followed her example and ducked behind the rock, just as a shadowy monster passed by. He shut his eyes tight and prayed to every god he could think of that nothing would find them. Of course, the monster didn't even seem to notice Melinoe. She just stood there calmly. He felt Annabeth tighten her hand around his and he squeezed her hand in an attempt to try and comfort her.

Trying to breathe the air in the cavern was like trying to breath with a pillow over your face. It was almost impossible. Percy gagged at the stench. He tried to push his nausea down so he wouldn't throw up. If he did, the monsters would hear, plus, Annabeth would never kiss him with vomit breath.

"Why would you lead us to a place like this?" Percy asked in annoyance.

"Percy," Annabeth warned, but Melinoe wasn't paying any attention to the two behind the rock.

Annabeth poked her head around the rock. She returned her gaze and motioned for him to do the same. He complied. What he saw disturbed and amazed him. The monsters were fashioning the hardest looking armor Percy had ever seen. It looked as if it would shatter even a celestial bronze blade. They were also fashioning weapons: swords, spears, and even some wicked darts that looked like they could tear apart a car with a single throw. Annabeth and Percy shared a look of despair. There was no way that either of the camps could go against any of this stuff.

"Behold," Melinoe hissed. "The great armory of Gaea. What a pathetic lot. They don't even look like they can do any damage! Pah! Pity. I wish we could just use it to destroy the stupid beef heads instead."

"That's it!" Annabeth whispered.

Percy wasn't sure what was weirder, Melinoe calling Gaea's army beef heads, or Annabeth getting an idea from the nonsense that Melinoe had just omitted from her mouth.

"What?" Percy asked quietly.

Annabeth's gray eyes sparked with the excitement she always got when she had a plan. "I know how we can slow down Gaea!"

Melinoe drifted closer, and Percy waited for her to continue. She explained her plan in full detail.

"Well," Percy whispered, "I really hope this works. Otherwise, we're toast."