A/N: It's quite disappointing since fewer and fewer readers take interest in my story, but good thing is it's not quite a shock since I've expected this at the beginning. To those who are still following, I send my deepest thank.

Well, because not many people read this story, I'm planning to start another one for my friend. She has some mental issues so I often spend time telling her stories from my imagination after I read her original books. It's quite weird that she always demands for more and for the past few months she's been bugging me to write it down somewhere for her to read. So I guess it'll be great joy for me if you give it a chance.

DeathmatchDrunkard: Thanks for understanding. I'll try to keep writing this story if I feel like it. It'll be very lame if a story is discontinued before it even reaches its climax, right? I appreciate your support.

BeautifulNoMatterWhat: I'm glad last chapter pleases you. I wrote it in a really bad mood in a horrible condition. It's unbelievable that I can still think straight and type this story down after countless stampedes during the holiday but your review's done a great job pushing me. Thanks for reading.

Huy: Thanks for reading again, Snow White. I hope your days away from school were enjoyable because we're about to be tortured again soon. Holiday goes away so quickly!

AN: I hope you had a great holiday. Thanks for getting back to my story again, but if you didn't, it'd have been fine. It's not the end of the world. About my updating frequency, I can't guarantee anything. This is writing for fun, not for making money business!

Chapter 14: Plasma teaches me lesson #1 of Tartarus

Third Person's Point of View:

"I don't know what's wrong with him, Nico!" – Sally Jackson, mother of a certain son of Poseidon was having a hard time after her son's rebellion.

After his conversation with Hestia, Nico had immediately travelled to Sally's apartment because he knew Percy had at least had a word with his mother before he did anything crazy. Not disappointing him, his instincts were luckily right about the first clue to the truth, but it wasn't anything close to his expectations.

"Nico, I'm not like Sally, I don't have a clear look at your world but I know something's going on. Percy's last talk to us was extremely unpleasant. I don't think it was Percy at all! He never talks like that to us, especially to Sally!" – Paul was shock but there wasn't the slightest hint of anger he felt. He knew Percy's life was hard, even harder to a normal demi-god's life.

"Look, Ms. Jackson, Mr. Blofis, I don't know anything for sure either, but Percy's making dangerous decisions. I need you two to stay calm, because emotions don't help much in this situation." – said Nico calmly, his dark brown eyes looked straight into Sally's teary ones.

"I'm trying to, Nico. And please, call us Sally and Paul. Are you guys having a hard time at camp or something?" – Sally composed herself in Paul's arms and gave Nico a strained smile.

The son of Hades sighed heavily and rubbed his forehead. The expression made him looked nothing close to the appearance of a thirteen-year-old boy. If demi-gods didn't die because of monsters, they would have died young because of the amount of emotions they often had in their short miserable lives.

"Yes, Sally, we are all in a very life-threatening time, but right now things are easing down. I'm not sure for how long, but at least no-one dies these few weeks. That's not what we need to discuss right now really. There are other matters that are more important though."

"Nico, if we can help, we'll happily support you with everything in our ability." – encouraged Paul with a worried face, but he was very welcoming.

Nico eyed the parents in front of him. Because of the weight of current situation, he didn't feel other silly emotions like jealousy towards Percy or grief towards his dead relatives like Maria di Angelo or Bianca di Angelo, his long gone mother and sister. Percy must have a really good reason to leave behind such caring and perfect family like this.

"I appreciate the offer, Paul. I just need you to tell me exactly what happened when Percy IMed you two before he… disappeared. Tell me every detail that is unusual, abnormal, suspicious, anything like that in your point of view. It might help my… investigation." – Nico spoke slowly, flinched right after he finished due to his business-like tone and how awkward it was since he sounded like a detective from a security agency, demanding for information from wounded witnesses.

With that, Sally and Paul told Nico every single detail of the conversation that leaded to so much heartache. It was very difficult, reliving the painful moments when Percy's words stabbed her heart like merciless daggers, when he said he wasn't her son. Nico frowned every time Sally's voice went hoarse and Paul had to continue, then Sally would insist on telling him by herself; he knew that Percy had always known how much it would hurt his mother if he said those words, so the purpose behind this crap should be worth all of it. When they finished, it took Nico a few minutes to ingest everything they filled him with. He took Sally's hand in his awkwardly and squeezed it sincerely:

"Look Sally, it's been very rough for everyone. I'm sorry no-one can do anything for you right now. I'll try my hardest to bring your son back, if he wants to be back. Percy Jackson is still out there, somewhere, I just know. The moment he demanded to help me, to be my friend has proven that he won't betray anyone for anything. The Fates can't change that, and I'm going to prove that. Be strong, Sally."

"I don't know how to thank you, Nico. Would you like to…?"

"I'm sorry, Sally, but time's running out. Thank you for your time and support, I'll be on my way now. Try to live on, okay?" – Nico shook Paul's hand before shadow-travelled away.

After his visit to Sally's apartment, he'd found out something useful. It took Percy's a lot of guts to spill the words out to his mother. Maybe next step was finding the answer to the question: Where did he get those guts from?

Percy's Point of View:

After Kronos left me alone, we packed up our camp and went on travelling. Gaea was obviously saving her strength to celebrate our failure, if we failed. Everything was deadly quiet and peaceful, not the kind of peacefulness that I enjoyed.

"Let them destroy themselves. And all we need to do is give them a little push - which we shall do." – said Plasma with a frown.

"What does that mean, Plasma?" – I raised my eyebrow at her weird statement.

"Gaea's tactic for upcoming battle." – After she announced that we were going back to Tartarus, she had become almost like the person she was when I first met her. Utterly blank.

"Well, it won't work. We're here to make sure of that." – I reassured both of us but we could never deny the truth. – "Why aren't we in Tartarus?" – She sounded so sure when she decided, so I was pretty sure that she wasn't joking.

"I said we will go there but I didn't say when." – Plasma emphasized the last word like she was speaking to a very dumb kindergarten child. – "We have to go there anyway. It's not a big problem since you're able to water-travel."

"Yes, I know, I just want to know the exact schedule. The first month didn't even pass yet so we still have plenty of time."

"Why do I have a feeling that you can't wait to go to Tartarus, Percy?" – Was that what was bugging her?

"I didn't say that." – I replied shortly. The truth was I was kind of eager to see Plasma's place in Tartarus; surly she had somewhere to stay there otherwise… I smelled an argument coming up. But no, which I'd rather have then the annoying silence that was covering us.

My mind started wondering unimportant stuff like how many times I would see the sky before I went to the Underworld forever. I snapped out of my trance when I found myself flying towards a tree. Ouch. It looked like Plasma was bored too so she decided to train while travelling.

"That's not very nice, kid!" – I rubbed my back and spots that hit the tree.

"Tell that to the torturers of Tartarus!" – Came the unexpected respond. What?

"What the hell are you talking…?"

"Stop talking and keep your guard up." – She was already behind me and picked me up like I was a disgusting doll. – "If you want to go there with me, you should stop acting sloppy."

What? It took me one tenths second to understand what Plasma was doing. She wanted to make sure if I had enough standards to go to Tartarus. That was what made her hesitate to let me teleport us both to that hellhole. The upper part of my body hit the ground and I stood up slowly like a baby. Damn it, I cursed my instincts. Composing myself quickly, my heart was pounding like nuts, I started to fight back. I wasn't sure what the correct answer in her answer sheet was but I had to get it fast. Her movements were flawless as usual and that rendered me frozen. My arms and legs reacted to ADHD, and I soon coped with the spar. I must have looked really stupid because sometimes Plasma narrowed her eyes weirdly at me. All I could was dodging her attacks or blocking them. Apparently in Tartarus it would be worse, much worse. I grumbled in my throat as sweat formed on my forehead. My hand reached for Blaze and it was already there. The unarmed combat suddenly turned into not so unarmed. Plasma took out a long chain made of some weird metal and began swirling it around dangerously. She was truly a daughter of Kronos and if I could defeat her father then I certainly stood a chance against her, no matter how tiny it was. It was futile, all of my attempts trying to knock her out. The chain wrapped around my left knee and tightened its hold around my clothed flesh. I grumbled in my throat as the other part started whipping me. Blaze glowed in my hand, I let out a scream as I slain the iron chain. It was cut, but then quickly reformed into its normal state. Sh*t, this was going to be a long fight.

The sun was above our heads and Plasma still didn't have a scratch on her. Not that I complained but I was pathetic with bruises on my face. I refused to have the thought that Plasma was ten times more skillful than my training partners at camp, because right now it seemed like I was too bad comparing to her. The sound of Blaze clashing Plasma's chain rang through the air and luckily no-one was around to witness two kids fighting like the world was ending. Actually, it could possibly end in about six months. It was unacceptable that I could still think of things like this during my test. The spar was coming to an end itself when I realized that the attacks were quicker and rapid-fire. I managed to distract her by faking losing my balance and wipe the sword in the wrong direction and successfully pushed her to the ground with Blaze pointed at her neck while her chain wrapped loosely around my chest. We were even again, but it didn't take Plasma a lot of energy while I struggled to catch up with her strikes. Her green eyes stared intensely at mine but I couldn't see any emotions. It was clear that she didn't want this match to be even.

"Plasma Knight, I can survive well in that pit if you can, so if we go, we go. Have a little faith in me would you?"

"Oh trust me Percy; if I have faith at all it would be totally in you, it's me I don't trust." – She mumbled quietly but her eyes glowed dangerously and ardently; making my mind went wild. What?

For a moment I forgot that the fight didn't really end yet, and I had to pay the price. She tightened the chain around me and I ended up panting exhaustedly on the dirt.

"No mercy. No distractions. Nothing." – I gulped at how… deadly she sounded.

But then, Plasma smiled, genuinely as last time. It made it all worth it and I started telling her to let me go:

"Kid, you have to let me go there with you! I know that I can…"

"You talk too much Percy. But ironically I enjoy listening to your rants." – She tilted her head at the sight of me getting out of the tangled chain.

"So it's a good thing?" – I glanced at her.

"A bad thing, too. Both, always both." – She sighed at her own answer.

"So are we going or not?" – I was trying to carve the word we into her brain.

Being the girl she always was, she didn't answer, not verbally at least. I offered her my hand, and she took it. Then Tartarus it was. When darkness surrounded us, a laugh of… satisfaction attacked our eardrums.

A/N: Thanks for reading. I'll appreciate some reviews.