Children of the Harvest (rewritten)

by Angel Cauldwell

It had been over a year and a half since the battle of Manhattan of when the avengers were formed. Of when it was revealed that Lieutenant USA and Captain America still live.

22. Chapter 22

Emily's pov

As Emily, Phil, Steve, and Aubrey made their way back to the ship that they ran into Percy of who told them to come with him and kept running towards the ship. The other three looked at Emily of who merely shrugged saying, how should I know what is going on. When the five of them made it to the park of where the Argo II was that Emily saw that Piper and Jason were sort of having a picnic or something like that. Before leaving the ship that she gave the horn of plenty to Piper for the time being till Emily came back from scouting around. For the horn of plenty would have stood out too much when she was walking around Rome or that was one reason. They gathered on the deck so that Gleeson could hear the story as well, when Percy finished that Emily raised an eyebrow. She never meet those two immortals but she was sure that they were not Gregory Peck and Aubrey Hepburn. It was Piper that spoke first.

"So Annabeth was kidnapped on a motor scooter by Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn."

"Not kidnapped, exactly. But I've got this bad feeling..." Percy took a deep breath, like he was trying hard not to freak out. "Anyway, she's - she's gone. Maybe I shouldn't have let her, but - "

"You had to, You knew she had to go alone. Besides, Annabeth is tough and smart. She'll be fine." Emily could hear the charmspeak in Piper's voice, Percy seem to relax some, Emily put her hand on Percy's shoulder and he looked at her.

"Trust Piper, Annabeth will be fine. You know she will be, you know what she is like."

"Maybe you're right. Anyway, Gregory - I mean Tiberinus - said we had less time to rescue Nico and Arabella than we thought. Hazel and the guys aren't back yet?"

"It's two in the afternoon. We said three o'clock for a rendezvous."

"At the latest."

"I ought it was later than that, of course we didn't have a watch with us." The others chuckled when Emily said that. Than Percy pointed at Piper's dagger.

"Tiberinus said you could find Nico's and Arabella's location...you know, with that." Piper bit her lip.

"I've tried. The dagger doesn't always show what I want to see. In fact, it hardly ever does."

"Please. Try again." Emily tried not to snort with laughter as Percy pleaded, yes it was her half siblings that was at risk, but with how Percy's eyes were that she couldn't help the snort. For his eyes looked like a cute baby seal that needed help, Emily seen it before and she wondered of how Annabeth could win an argument with Percy.

"Fine." Piper sighed, and drew her dagger.

"While you're at it, see if you can get the latest baseball scores. Italians don't cover baseball worth beans."

"Shh." Emily watched as the light shimmered and rippled across the blade, there was ruins, Emily knew what it was at once to was the old forum.

"I was just there. That's in the old Forum." The view zoomed in, on one side of the stone floor was a set of stairs that been excavated leading down to a modern iron gate with a padlock. The image zoomed straight through the doorway down a spiral stairwell and into a dark cylindrical chamber like the inside of a grain solo. Piper dropped the blade and the image faded, Emily looked at Piper puzzled when she dropped the blade.

"What's wrong? It was showing us something."

"We can't go there."

"Piper, Nico and Arabella are dying. We've got to find them. Not to mention, Rome is about to get destroyed." Piper picked up the blade once more, the light shimmered again and two giants in gladiator armor were sitting on overtop sized praetors' chairs. They were toasted each other with golden goblets as if they won an important fight between them stood a large bronze jar. The vision zoomed in again, Emily gasp as it went inside the jar to reveal Arabella and Nico curled in a ball, no longer moving and all the pomegranate seeds eaten.

"We're too late." Emily refused to believe that they were too late and was going to say so but Percy beat Emily to it.

"No, No, I can't believe that. Maybe he's gone into a deeper trance to buy time. We have to hurry." The blade's surface went dark and Piper slipped it back into it's sheath, it looked like her hands were shaking. Emily reached out and she could barely touch her connection to Nico and Arabella and she could tell that they are not dead or not yet.

"We should wait for the others. Bucky, Lauren, Hazel, Frank, and Leo should be back soon."

"We can't wait." Gleeson grunted.

"It's just two giants. If you guys want, I can take them."

"Uh, Coach, that's a great offer, but we need you to man the ship - or goat the ship. Whatever. As well as Jennifer, Phil and Aubrey." Phil shook his head before he looked at Emily.

"You know, after all this over, it would be hard to go back to what was I doing as well as no longer being called Phil." Emily smiled when Phil said that, she wondering of who was looking after S.H.I.E.L.D. with Phil here. However Gleeson didn't pay any attention to what Phil said and spoke.

"And let you five have all the fun?" Percy gripped Gleeson's arm.

"Hazel and the others need you here. When they get back, they'll need your leadership. You're their rock."

"Yeah. Leo always says you're his rock. You can tell them where we've gone and bring the ship around to meet us at the Forum."

"And here." Piper unstrapped her dagger and put it in Gleeson's hands. His eyes widen with shock, Emily looked at Piper wondering if there was something she saw in there that she didn't like.

"Keep an eye on us with the blade. And you can check the baseball scores." Gleeson nodded grimly and he seemed prepared for his part in the quest.

"All right. But if any giants come this way - "

"Feel free to blast them."

"What about annoying tourists?"

"No." All of them said it at the same time.

"Bah. Fine. Just don't take too long, or I'm coming after you with ballistae blazing." Finding the place was easy enough, Percy led them right to it, it was on an abandoned stretch or the hillside overlooking the ruined forum. Getting in was easy as well, Jason's gold sword cut through the padlock and the metal gate opened. No one saw them up there and no alarms went off when the gate opened, stone steps spiraled down into the gloom. Emily wondered what awaited for them down there, though Emily was getting a bad feeling about this and it was Jason who spoke first.

"I'll go first."

"No!" Emily, Steve, Percy and Jason looked at Piper.

"Pipes, what is it? That image in the blade...you've seen it before, haven't you?" Piper nodded and she looked close to tears.

"I didn't know how to tell you. I saw the room down there filling with water. I saw the five of us drowning." They all frowned.

"I can't drown." From how Percy said it that it sounded more like a question.

"Maybe the future has changed. In the image you showed us just now, there wasn't any water."

"Look, I'll check it out first. It's fine. Be right back." Before any of them could say anything that Percy disappeared down the stairwell. It felt like forever but finally Percy came back of when it couldn't be more than a few minutes. "Good news: no water. Bad news: I don't see any exits down there. And, uh, weird news: well, you should see this..."

They descended cautiously, Percy took the lead with Piper right behind Percy, Jason was behind Piper with his gold sword out. Emily was behind Jason and she grasp her poppy and it changed into her bronze sword and Steve took out the sword that their mother gave to him with his Captain America shield on his back. Emily shifted the cornucopia that was on a leather cord over her shoulder, Emily was surprised that the river god gave it to her willingly. It seems that the old river god saw the good in what she did for him as well as seeing she was a daughter of Demeter by birth. The stairwell was a cramped corkscrew of masonry no more than six feet in diameter. As they wound their way underground that Emily saw old graffiti gouged into the stone, it was filled with Roman numerals, names and phrases in Italian. Of which means mortals found this place before, recently as well, but she couldn't be sure of how recently that was. Than the five of them reached the bottom of this place and Percy turned.

"Watch this last step." He jumped to the floor of the cylindrical room, of which was five feet lower than the stairwell, Emily wondered why the stairwell would be like that or why it was designed like that. Than Piper clambered down after Percy and Jason followed Piper than Emily and Steve jumped down into the room below. The walls were curved and they were once painted with frescoes of which faded to egg shell white with only flecks of color. The domed ceiling was fifty feet above, around the back of the room were nine alcoves that were carved into the wall. Each niche was about five feet off the floor and big enough for a human sized statue but once one was empty. The air in the room felt cold and dry almost like an unused well and there were no other exits other than the stairs.

"All right. Here's the weird part. Watch." Emily was wondering what so weird about this room, than Percy stepped to the middle of the room. Suddenly there was green and blue lights rippled across the walls, Emily could hear the sound of a fountain one room, but there was no water. There was no other lights but Percy's, Jason's, Emily's and Steve's blades but the weird thing was that she could smell the ocean.

"Do you smell the ocean?" Not only did she smell the salt water but the smell of a storm was getting stronger, like a summer hurricane was approaching. The smell reminded her a bit of Bucky, for he has the smell of summer on him, as well as oak, an odd mixture to match up. But Bucky commented on her smell, that she smelled like nature, cinnamon, and homemade food, of which was just of an odd mixture.

"An illusion?" When Piper did that, that Emily felt thirsty for some odd reason,

"I don't know. I feel like there should be water here - lots of water. But there isn't any. I've never been in a place like this." Jason moved over to the row of niches and he touched the bottom shelf of the nearest one which was just at his eye level.

"This stone...it's embedded with seashells. This is a nymphaeum."

"A what?"

"We have one at Camp Jupiter, on Temple Hill. It's a shrine to the nymphs." Of course, how could Emily forget about that, well she hardly went up there expect to visit the Vesta, Ceres and Pluto temples. Emily walked past the Nymphaeum before at Camp Jupiter but she never really bothered to go inside of it. Emily went over to one of the Niches and ran her hand along the bottom of the niche, the alcove was studded with cowries, conches and scallops. The seashells seem to dance in the watery light, the cowries, conches and scallops were ice cold to the touch. Emily know that nymphs were friendly spirits, for the nymphs and naiads get along very well with children of Demeter as well as children of Aphrodite. However this place didn't feel like the canoe lake back at Camp Halfblood, or anyway back at Camp Halfblood. For this place, his Nymphaeum, felt unnatural, hostile and dry, it was like someone decided to raid this place so it can never have water and made sure no water could enter this place again. "Shrines like this were all over the place in Ancient Rome. Rich people had them outside their villas to honor nymphs, to make sure the local water was always fresh. Some shrines were built around natural springs, but most were man-made."

"So...no actual nymphs lived here?"

"Not sure. This place where we're standing would have been a pool with a fountain. A lot of times, if the nymphaeum belonged to a demigod, he or she would invite nymphs to live there. If the spirits took up residence, that was considered good luck." Emily than spoke up.

"For the owner. But it would also bind the nymphs to the new water source, which would be great if the fountain was in a nice sunny park with fresh water pumped in through the aqueducts ... "

"But this place has been underground for centuries, Dry and buried. What would happen to the nymphs?" Suddenly the sound in the room changed from the sound of water of a fountain to a chorus of hissing. The sound was like the sound of ghost snakes, of which made Emily's hair stand up or they felt like they were standing up. The rippling of light shifted from sea blue and green to purple and sickly lime, above them that the nine niches glowed and they were no longer empty. Emily couldn't believe of what she was seeing when she looked at the niches that was above them when they glowed. Standing on each of the niches was a withered old woman so dried up and brittle that they seem to be mummies. Their eyes were dark purple as if the clear blue water of their life source was condensed and thickened inside of them. The fine silk dresses that they were wearing were now tattered and faded, their hair looked like they were down in the style of a roman noble woman. Where the hair was piled into curls and arranged with jewels, but their locks were disheveled and dry as straw. It was almost looked at nine oracle mummies but unlike the oracle mummy that this nine were alive and breathing.

"What would happen to the nymphs?" The nymph in the center niche spoke, she was in worse shape than the others, her back was hunched like the handle of a pitcher. Her skeletal hands only have a thin papery layer of skin, on her head was a battered wreath of golden laurels that glinted in her road kill hair. Her eyes were fixed on Piper.

"What an interesting question, my dear. Perhaps the nymphs would still be here, suffering, waiting for revenge." Emily wasn't sure what to do, she didn't want to kill this poor nymphs, something happened to them clearly of what happen to them was something that Emily wasn't sure of. Emily watched Piper turn around, so Emily turned around as well and saw that the doorway was gone, now there was nothing but a blank wall. Jason and Percy stood on either side of Piper while Emily and Steve stood by each other with their swords in their hands. Emily and Steve were standing behind Jason, Percy and Piper.

"Who are you?" Emily wanted to know that, the central nymph turned her head to look at Percy.

"Ah...names. We once had names. I was Hagno, the first of the nine!"

"The nine. The nymphs of this shrine. There were always nine niches." Than Emily spoke.

"Jason, I don't think she means that she was the first nymph to come here." Emily wasn't sure of what Hagno meant of what she said, Emily just knows Hagno wasn't the first Nymph in this place. Hagno bared her teeth at Jason in a vicious smile.

"Of course. But we are the original nine, Jason Grace, the ones who attended the birth of your father." Emily sort of expected that, she knows that nymphs looked after Zeus, but she didn't think that the first original nine were the ones that looked after Zeus. Emily knows that they were not like this when they were looking after Zeus, Emily looked at Jason as his sword dipped.

"You mean Jupiter? You were there when he was born?"

"Zeus, we called him then. Such a squealing whelp. We attended Rhea in her labor. When the baby arrived, we hid him so that his father, Kronos, would not eat him. Ah, he had lungs, that baby! It was all we could do to drown out the noise so Kronos could not find him. When Zeus grew up, we were promised eternal honors. But that was in the old country, in Greece." The other nymphs wailed and clawed at their niches, they seemed to be trapped in them, that made Emily feel worse for this nymphs.

"When Rome rose to power, we were invited here. A son of Jupiter tempted us with favors. A new home, he promised. Bigger and better! No down payment, an excellent neighborhood. Rome will last forever." The other nymphs hissed at them.

"Forever."

"We gave in to temptation. We left our simple wells and springs on Mount Lycaeus and moved here. For centuries, our lives were wonderful! Parties, sacrifices in our honor, new dresses and jewelry every week. All the demigods of Rome flirted with us and honored us." The nymphs wailed and signed. "But Rome did not last. The aqueducts were diverted. Our master's villa was abandoned and torn down. We were forgotten, buried under the earth, but we could not leave. Our life sources were bound to this place. Our old master never saw fit to release us. For centuries, we have withered here in the darkness, thirsty...so thirsty." The others clawed at their mouths, Emily could feel her throat closing up.

"I'm sorry for you. That must have been terrible. But we are not your enemies. If we can help you... " Emily could hear the charmspeak but she wasn't sure if it would work on nymphs or not.

"Oh, such a sweet voice! Such beautiful features. I was once young like you. My voice was as soothing as a mountain stream. But do you know what happens to a nymph's mind when she is trapped in the dark, with nothing to feed on but hatred, nothing to drink but thoughts of violence? Yes, my dear. You can help us." Percy raised his hand.

"Uh...I'm the son of Poseidon. Maybe I can summon a new water source."

"Ha!" Hagno cried when Percy said that and the other eight echoed, "Ha! Ha!"

"Indeed, son of Poseidon. I know your father well. Ephialtes and Otis promised you would come." Emily noticed that Piper put her hand on Jason's arm, like she was not balanced properly.

"The giants. You're working for them?" Hagno smiled.

"They are our neighbors. Their chambers lie beyond this place, where the aqueduct's water was diverted for the games. Once we have dealt with you...once you have helped us...the twins have promised we will never suffer again." Hagno turned to Jason, Emily has a feeling that this was not going to end well. "You, child of Jupiter - for the horrible betrayal of your predecessor who brought us here, you shall pay. I know the sky god's powers. I raised him as a baby! Once, we nymphs controlled the rain above our wells and springs. When I am done with you, we will have that power again. And Percy Jackson, child of the sea god...from you, we will take water, an endless supply of water."

"Endless? Uh...look, I don't know about endless. But maybe I could spare a few gallons."

"And you, Piper McLean. So young, so lovely, so gifted with your sweet voice. From you, we will reclaim our beauty." Than she looked at Emily and Steve.

"And Emily Barnes, we will take the immortality in you to help sustain our life force. And Steve Rogers, we will take the strength you have. We have saved our last life force for this day. We are very thirsty. From you five, we shall drink!" All nine niches glowed and the nymphs disappeared, water poured from their alcoves, slickly dark water that was like oil. At the moment, Emily wished that she was at Camp Fishblood as the black water poured around her legs. There has to be something that they could do or something that they could have given her for to help her. The desk water kept rising, Emily wondered what to do, Emily looked at Steve of who looked just as confused as she did. The basin was filling up with alarming rate, Steve, Emily, Jason Piper, and Percy pounded on the walls looking for an exit but they found none. They managed to climb into the alcoves to gain some height but with the water pouring out of each niche that it was like trying to balance at the edge of a waterfall. The water was soon up to Emily's knees, from the floor it was most likely eight feet deep and was rising fast.

"I could try lightning. Maybe blast a hole in the roof?"

"That could bring down the whole room and crush us."

"Or electrocute us."

"Not many choices."

"Let me search the bottom. If this place was built as a fountain, there has to be a way to drain the thing. You guys, check the niches for secret exits. Maybe the seashells are knobs, or something."

"Percy, I don't think that is a good idea." Emily looked at the water. "This isn't normal water." Percy looked at Emily.

"We have to try something." Emily looked at the water before looking at Percy and nodded. Percy jumped into the water, Jason, Piper, Emily and Steve went from niche to niche kicking, pounding and wiggling the seashells embedded in the stone. None of them had any luck in finding a way out of this room, there must be a way out of this bloody room. Emily stopped pounding for a moment when the word bloody entered her mind, if she was on the surface she would have laughed at the thought of her thinking bloody. She couldn't believe that word entered her mind, but now wasn't the time to think of that word entered her mind. suddenly Percy broke the surface, gasping and flailing. Piper offered her hand to Percy and Piper was close of being pulled in so Emily helped Piper with pulled Percy up above the water.

"Couldn't breathe. The water...not normal. Hardly made it back."

"I told you Percy. That this water is not normal. Something happened to this nymphs from between when this was stopped being use to now." Emily could feel the water rise around her and she could feel it affecting her, she felt like she was dying. It was affecting Steve as well, for he seem to be going back to how he was before the serum took affect. At the moment Steve was the same height as Emily was of which was weird, he looked sick as well, Steve looked like he was close of going into an asthma attack. Emily knows that was rather common for Steve before the serum to have an asthma attack but it has been seventy years since his last asthma attack. Of which worried Emily, for that means that if he has an attack now that it would be the worst one yet, she hoped that he won't have an attack. Emily noticed that she was becoming wrinkled and dry so was Piper of which was just wrong so very wrong. Jason was rather pale, not only that but he seem to be having trouble holding his sword like Percy, Emily and Steve. Percy was drenched and shivering, his hair didn't look as dark as it did before, it was like the color was draining out of him.

"They're taking our power. Draining us."

"Jason, do the lightning." Jason raised his sword, the room rumbled, but no lightning appeared. Instead a miniature rainstorm formed at the top of the chamber, rain poured down filing the fountain even faster but it wasn't normal rain. The stuff that came out of the cloud was just as dark as the water in the pool, every drop stung Emily's skin.

"Not what I wanted." The water was up to her neck, Steve was already back to how he was before the serum and his hair was just starting draining of color and he was struggling under the sword and the shield. So that Steve was three inches shorter than she was, of which was just messed up, or it seems messed up now. Emily tried to help Steve with staying above the water, but it was doing no good since she wasn't in much better shape than he was. Emily was breathing heavy but she was unsure of who was breathing heavier, herself or Steve, for it sounds like Steve was having an asthma attack. Emily's knees were close of buckling as she tried to keep Steve and herself above the water.

"We'll survive." Percy started to push back the water with the back of his hand.

"Can't - can't control it!" Suddenly Emily felt the cornucopia grew warm against her skin and Emily suddenly knew what to do. They couldn't fight this not like they could usually, they have to hold it back for would make them weaker if they didn't hold it back. Emily shouted over the rain as the water went up further.

"We can't fight we have hold back, that just makes us weaker." Jason shouted over the rain.

"What do you mean?" The water was up to their chins now, another few inches that they would have to swim it, than Steve was basically already swimming. Emily and Piper were close of swimming as well, Emily looked at the ceiling above her to see how far the water went up. The water wasn't halfway to the ceiling yet and she hoped that there still was time to do what she was thinking.

"The horn of plenty. We have to overwhelm the nymphs with fresh water, give them more than they can use. If we can dilute this poisonous stuff... "

"Can your horn do that?" Percy was struggling to keep his head above the water of which was a new experience for him, just like when a demigod learns of who their godly parent was for the first time. Percy looked scared out of his mind, Emily couldn't blame Percy for that, for he never been in a position of where he couldn't breath underwater lie he was now as far as Emily knows.

"Only with your help." Emily understood of how the horn worked, Emily remembered when she sent the diet coke and diet Pepsi aboard the one ship that she had to use her experiences with Dionysus in order to do that. But Emily needed to go deeper than she has done before with this, she needed all their help in order to do this. "I need you four to channel everything you've got into the cornucopia. Percy, think about the sea."

"Salt water?"

"Doesn't matter! As long as it's clean. Jason, think about rainstorms - much more rain. Piper think of the surfing you did with your dad. Steve, think of the times when we were four to six of when our father took us to the ocean as well as the lake at camp. The four of you hold the cornucopia." They huddled together as the water lifted them off their ledges, Emily tried to remember the time she went to the sea with her father and Steve. That she played there with Steve and her father as well as the times she went to the lake at camp to go swimming with Lauren. Emily put one of her arms around Steve while Piper have both arms around Percy and Jason and one of piper's hands was touching the horns of plenty like Emily and the others, but nothing was happening. The rain came down in sheets still dark and acidic. The rising water was swirling threatening to pull Emily under and her strength was fading, she was growing working by the minute.

"No good!" Jason was spitting out water.

"We're getting nowhere."

"You have to work together. All four of you think of clean water - a storm of water. Don't hold anything back. Picture all your power, all your strength leaving you. More so with you, Percy as well as Jason."

"That's not hard!"

"But force it out! Offer up everything, like - like you're already dead, and your only goal is to help the nymphs. It's got to be a gift...a sacrifice." They got quiet at that word.

"Let's try again. Together." Emily put all of her concentration toward the horn of plenty, they wanted her immortality, so let them have it. Suddenly clear water blasted from the horn with such force that it pushed them against the wall. The rain changed to a white torrent, so clean and cold that it made Emily gasp.

"It's working!"

"Too well. We're filling the room even faster!" Jason was right, the water was rising quicker, the roof was only a few feet away. Emily shouted over the rain

"Don't stop! We have to dilute the poison until the nymphs are cleansed." Than Piper shouted.

"We need to do everything we can to cleanse this place. Like Emily said we need to cleanse this nymphs."

"What if they can't be cleansed? They've been down here turning evil for thousands of years." It was Piper who spoke this time.

"Just don't hold back. Give everything. Even if we go under - " Emily's head hit the ceiling, the rain clouds dissipated and melted into the water, the horn of plenty kept blasting out a clean torrent. Emily watched as Piper pulled Jason closer and kissed him.

"I love you." Emily held her breath as the current roared in her ears, bubbles swirled around her, light was still rippled through the room. Emily was surprised she could see it, it seem like the water was getting clearer, but her lungs felt like they were going to burst at any moment. Emily poured out the last of her energy, that she has, into the horn of plenty as clean water went on streaming out of it. There was no room for more clean water, Emily wondered what would happen now there was no more room for it to go. Suddenly Emily's vision went dark, than suddenly Emily heard roaring, she thought it was her heartbeat at first. But it was than Emily realized it was not her heartbeat but the room itself, the water swirled faster and she could feel herself sinking back down. With the last of her strength that Emily kicked upward, her head broke the surface and she gasped for breath. Than Piper and Steve broke the surface and gasp for air, Emily was glad to see Piper and Steve were fine or better than they were a few moments ago. The horn of plenty finally stopped pouring water out, the water in the room was draining almost as fast as it filled the room.

Than Piper cried out, Emily would have jumped if she hadn't been in water when Piper cried out, it was than that Emily realized that Percy and Jason were still underwater. Steve and Emily helped Percy up and Piper was helping Jason, when Percy reached the air that Percy gulped and began to thrash around but Jason was as lifeless as a rag doll. As the water went down that Emily looked at Steve of who was breathing better and he going back to how he was before the water filled the room up. When the five of them touch the floor of the room hat they were back to how they were before the water started to fill up the room. Piper was clinging onto Jason as the water went down, it seem like she hardly noticed when the water drained away and left them on the damp floor. Piper was yelling Jason's name as well as shaking him trying to wake him up and slapped his face, Emily couldn't seen any injuries that Jason might have. Emily figured Jason has too much water in him at the moment, of which means that Jason can't breath.

"Jason!"

"Piper, I can help." Percy knelt next to Pipper and touched Jason's forehead, suddenly water gushed from Jason's mouth. Jason's eyes flew open when he water let Jason, than there was a clap of thunder and lightning threw Percy and Piper backwards. But Steve took his shield from his back and went in front of Emily before the Lightning hit them and the Lightning rolled off the shield. Steve lowered his shield as Jason was to sit up, not only that but Jason was coughing and gasping, Emily ran over to Jason and Steve followed Emily.

"Jason, are you all right?"

"In a minute, I will be fine." Jason started to sit up as Piper and Percy managed to come around again form the blast of lightning. Jason was still gasping and he coughed as he spoke to Piper and Percy.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to - " Piper tackled Jason with a hug, Emily smiled lightly when Piper hugged Jason. Emily stood up from she was kneeling and looked around the room, Emily thought that her immortality be gone or something. For before they used the horn that she felt her immortality being taken away from her almost for she felt raw almost like she was a full mortal again. But her skin was still slightly tanned and it still gave that healthy glow she gained when she become immortal as well as having that orange glow around her since she become the protector of the roman state and the home. However those things wasn't really noticeable when one looks at her. Emily looked over at the others and noticed that Percy was grinning.

"In case you're wondering, that was clean water in your lungs. I could make it come out with no problem."

"Thanks, man. But I think Emily and Piper are the real heroes. They saved us all." Emily was about ready to say something to Jason but a voice echoed through the chamber.

'Yes, they did.' The niches glowed once more, nine figures appeared, but they were no longer withered creatures like before the flood happened. Emily smiled when she saw how the nymphs looked now, for they were young beautiful nymphs in shimmering blue silk gowns. Their glossy black curls pinned up with silver and gold brooches, their eyes were gentle shades of blue and green. As Emily looked at them that eight of the nine nymphs dissolves into vapor and floated upward to where the sun was. Only the nymph, Hagno, in the center remained

"Hagno?" The nymph smiled.

"Yes, my dear. I didn't think such selflessness existed in mortals...especially in demigods. No offense." Percy got to his feet.

"How could we take offense? You just tried to drown us and suck out our lives." Hagno winced.

"Sorry about that. I was not myself. But you have reminded me of the sun and the rain and the streams in the meadows. Percy, Steve, and Jason, thanks to you, I remembered the sea and the sky. I am cleansed. But mostly, thanks to Emily and Piper. They shared something even better than clear running water." Hagno turned to Emily and Piper. "You have a good nature, Piper. And I'm a nature spirit. I know what I'm talking about. So do you, Emily. Being born a daughter of Demeter, this is to be expected. You know nature and life better than any of your half sibling before and since your birth. You helped me to see it once again, for this I thank you. You also understand the value and balance of life better than anyone else." Than Hagno looked at Emily's stomach, when Hagno did that, that Emily knew that Hagno knows Emily was pregnant. Emily put her hand over her stomach before Hagno looked up at Emily.

"I expect you to pass that knowledge to your child." Emily knew the others were looking at her shocked when Hagno said that, but Emily didn't look at the others in the room. Hagno looked away from Emily before she pointed to the other side of the room and the stairs to the surface reappeared. Directly underneath the stars was a circular opening shimmered into existence it looked like a sewer pipe that was big enough for a person. It was just big enough to crawl through Emily figured that was how the water drained out in the first place. "You may return to the surface or if you insist, you may follow the waterway to the giants. But choose quickly, because both doors will fade soon after I am gone. That pipe connects to the old aqueduct line, which feeds both this nymphaeum and the hypogeum that the giants call home."

"Ugh. Please, no more complicated words." When Hagno spoke that she sounded sincere.

"Oh, home is not a complicated word. I thought it was, but now you have unbound us from this place. My sisters have gone to seek new homes...a mountain stream, perhaps, or a lake in a meadow. I will follow them. I cannot wait to see the forests and grasslands again, and the clear running water."

"Uh, things have changed up above in the last few thousand years."

"Nonsense, How bad could it be? Pan would not allow nature to become tainted. I can't wait to see him, in fact." Emily looked at Percy, Emily bit her lip, she knows Pan was died. It seem Percy wanted to tell Hagno that fact but he seem to stop himself though.

"Good luck, Hagno. And thank you." The nymph smiled one last time and vaporized. Briefly the Nymphaeum glowed with a softer light like a full moon, Emily could smell exotic spices and blooming roses. She could almost hear distant music and happy voice and laughter, it was almost like people were celebrating that the five of them lived through this.

"What is that?" Emily watched as Piper slipped her hand into Jason's hand.

"The ghosts are dancing. Come on. We'd better go meet the giants." Emily smiled lightly, it really does seem like as if ghosts of the past were really dancing here. Than Steve spoke.

"There are two giants right?" Emily looked at Steve when he said that., Emily wondered why he asked that.

"Yes, why?" Steve raised his sword and looked at Emily before he spoke, with a slight smile on his face, it was the same kind smile he put on before they attacked a HYDRA base in World War II.

"Cut off one head." When Steve said that Emily smile, Emily raised her bronze sword and crossed her sword with Steve's sword.

"And two more shall take it's place." Steve pushed down the two swords so that the two swords were facing the wall instead of the ceiling like before.

"Let's go find two giants!" The other three didn't understood the joke between Emily and Steve and what they did with their swords. Neither Emily or Steve expected Percy, Piper and Jason to understand their inside joke, like Piper not understand the Dam inside joke. After Emily and Steve did that with their swords, that they entered the drainage pipe, Percy lead the way while Emily took the back. After thirty feet that the pipe opened into a wider tunnel, Emily could hear rumbling and creaking like a huge machine that needed to be oiled badly. As soon as they entered the wider tunnel that Steve turned to her and spoke before any of them could go on further.

"Emily, are you really pregnant?" Emily put her hand over her stomach.

"I am."

"When were you planning on tell me?" Emily shrugged.

"In two weeks at the earliest."

"Why not when Lauren brought she was pregnant, two weeks ago?"

"Because the child convinced a few hours earlier before Lauren learned she was pregnant." Silence fell upon them, after a few moments Jason spoke.

"Wait, you are only two weeks pregnant?"

"About, yes."

"How can you know that?"

"Because I am the champion of Hestia and I can sense family connection no matter good or bad. When there is someone I know that is pregnant that I will learn about it between two weeks to a month. I am the only exception to this, for the moment I am with a child I will know, my Hestia abilities have been going crazy in that area for the past two weeks. For it is a little difficult for me not to know if I am not pregnant." After a few moments that Percy spoke up.

"We can talk about this later. We need to find Arabella and Nico." So they went on walking of which didn't last for too long, for they reached a turn in the tunnel a few hundred feet later. Percy held up his hand signaling them to stop and wait, so they stood there and waited for Percy to take a look. Emily and Steve walked up behind Percy before Emily and Steve also looked around the corner. The corridor opened into a vast room, the vast room has twenty feet ceilings and rows of support columns to support it. The creaking and rumbling came from huge gears and pulls systems that raised and lowered sections of the floor for no reason that Emily could see. Water flowed through open trenches, Emily wasn't thrilled to see the water in the trenches after what happened, the water was powering the water wheels that turned some of the machines. Other machines were connected to huge hamster wheels with hellhounds inside, Emily couldn't think of how much Cerberus, Fluffy or Mrs. O'Leary would hate being trapped inside one of those things.

Fluffy didn't like Hogwarts too much when Fluffy was inside the castle for that one year and he was all to happy to be back in the underworld when the end of the year came. Besides the hellhounds turning the wheels, that there were other things that broke Emily's heart was the cages suspended from the ceiling. The cages on the ceiling have a bunch of live animals, a lion, several zebras, a whole pack of hyenas and even an eight headed hydra. Emily couldn't care less about the hydra whether it was a hydra soldier or even the actually hydra monster itself. But the rest of the animals she could see that she felt bad for, she may not be a child of Pan or even a hunter of Artemis, but she hates to see wild animals locked up like this. As Emily looked around that she thought of Leo and how much he would love seeing those machines at work. Actually Emily could see every child of Hephaestus, that ever lived, wanting to see how those machines work in this room.

"What is it?" Emily wasn't sure how to answer or even what she could say to Piper of what she was seeing. Percy gestured forward to Piper and Jason since Emily and Steve were already there and could see the room. As Piper and Jason looked around the corner that a life sized wooden doll out of a gladiator popped up from the floor. It clicked and whirred along a conveyor belt, it got hooked on a rope, and ascended through a slot in the roof.

"What the heck?" The five of them stepped inside the room, Emily scanned the room as soon as she was inside. Than Emily spotted what she was looking for, she was close of crying in joy for she felt relief spread through even if Nico and Arabella were still in the jar. For there was a raised dais with two empty oversized praetor chairs and standing between them was a bronze jar big enough to hold two person. Emily could see their life auras and they were still alive but just barely. Percy noticed the jar as well, for he spoke and pointed at the jar.

"Look."

"That's too easy."

"Of course."

"But we have no choice. We've got to save Nico and Arabella."

"Yeah." Emily went first and started across the room, she was picking her way around the conveyor belts and moving platforms. The hellhounds in the hamster wheels paid no heed to Emily and the others, Emily wanted to set them free but she needed to get to Nico and Arabella. The other animals gave them bored looks as if to say that they would kill them but it would take too much energy to do so. Emily looked out for traps but it was difficult since the machines could work as traps as well as normal demigod traps. They jumped a water trench and ducked under a row of cages wolves, they were halfway there when the ceiling over them opened. A platform lowered and standing on it like an actor, with one hand raised and his head high was a purple haired giant, Emily assumed that this was Ephialtes.

Ephialtes was rather small for a giant, he was about twelve feet tall but it seems like he was trying to make it up with his loud outfit. He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt that even Dionysus would have found very vulgar of which was saying something. For Dionysus liked things like what the giant was, but it was so much louder than anything that Dionysus wears. The Hawaiian shirt has a garish print made up of dying heroes, horrible tortures, and lions eating slaves in the colosseum. The giant's hair was braided with gold and silver coins, he has a ten feet spear strapped to his back. He was wearing bright white jeans and leather sandals on his snakeheads that make up his feet, of which Emily wasn't thrilled to see. The snakes flicked their tongues and writhed as if they didn't like the idea that they were feet at all, Emily couldn't blame them. Ephialtes was smiling at them as if he was really pleased to see the five of them standing there instead of dead. Emily wished she could back to the days of World War II, for things were much simpler back than than they are now. Even the godly world was more simple back than of which was saying something. Than Ephialtes bellowed.

"At last! So very happy! Honestly, I didn't think you'd make it past the nymphs, but it's so much better that you did. Much more entertaining. You're just in time for the main event!" Jason and Piper closed ranks on either side of Percy, Emily and Steve stood by each other. Emily wished Bucky was here with her but she was glad it was Steve that has her back, for Steve was one of the ones she wanted to have her back at a time like this. Bucky and Lauren were the other two that she would want to have her back, there were a few others besides Steve, Bucky and Lauren but those three were her first choices. Arabella was very close of joining the first choices, but it would be hard for Arabella to join the fight at the moment.

"We're here. Let our friends go."

"Of course! Though I fear they are a bit past their expiration date. Otis, where are you?" A stone was throw away and the floor opened, the other giant rose on a platform. "Otis, finally! You're not dressed the same as me! You're... What are you wearing?" That was a good question, for Otis looked like the world's largest, as well as the ugliest, grumpiest ballet dance. He wore skin tight baby blue leotard, Emily wished that the giant put on what his brother was wearing instead. The toes of his massive dancing slippers were cut away so that his snakes could protrude from the openings. There was a diamond tiara was nestled in his green firecracker braided hair, he looked glum and miserably uncomfortable. But he, somehow, managed a dancer's bow of which couldn't be easy with the snakes or the spear on his back. "Gods and Titans! It's showtime! What are you thinking?"

"I didn't want to wear the gladiator outfit, I still think a ballet would be perfect, you know, while Armageddon is going on. I have some extra costumes... "

"No!" Emily has to agree with Ephialtes on that fact, she wasn't going to wear a ballet costume. She already has a skin tight uniform as well as Steve, she didn't need any more than that. She also has her S.H.I.E.L.D. jumpsuit, but she hardly wore it in the last year, she only wore it once or twice as oppose to wearing it about ten times a year. Than Ephialtes faced Percy and he was grinning painfully.

"Please excuse my brother. His stage presence is awful, and he has no sense of style."

"Okay. Now, about our friends..." Ephialtes sneered.

"Oh, them, We were going to let them finish dying in public, but they have no entertainment value. They have spent the days curled up sleeping. What sort of spectacle is that? Otis, tip over the jar." Otis trudged over to the dais, he knocked over the jar and the lid popped off. Emily was close of crying out when Arabella and Nico spilled out, she was close to tears when she looked at them. Arabella and Nico were close to death, but they were not dead thankfully, but they looked like they could be dea. For Nico and Arabella were deathly pale and were too skinny, Emily wanted to go over to them to check on them. But Ephialtes was in her way.

"Now we have to hurry. We should go through your stage directions. The hypogeum is all set!" Emily was ready for anything and everything, she didn't come half way around the world to save her siblings and to stop Gaea to be stopped here, not now. Otis was standing over Nico and Arabella and it was clear that they were in no condition to defend themselves. Emily raised her bronze sword as well as Steve and Percy raised theirs while Jason raised his gold sword.

"We're not going to be part of any show. And what's a hypo - whatever-you-call-it?"

"Hypogeum! You're a Roman demigod, aren't you? You should know! Ah, but I suppose if we do our job right down here in the underworks, you really wouldn't know the hypogeum exists."

"I know that word. It's the area under a coliseum. It housed all the set pieces and machinery used to create special effects." Emily looked at Piper when she said that, Emily was guessing of how Piper knows that word.

"Exactly so! Are you a student of the theater, my girl?"

"Uh...my dad's an actor."

"Wonderful!" Ephialtes turned toward his brother. "Did you hear that, Otis?"

"Actor. Everybody's an actor. No one can dance."

"Be nice! At any rate, my girl, you're absolutely right, but this hypogeum is much more than the stageworks for a coliseum. You've heard that in the old days some giants were imprisoned under the earth, and from time to time they would cause earthquakes when they tried to break free? Well, we've done much better! Otis and I have been imprisoned under Rome for eons, but we've kept busy building our very own hypogeum. Now we're ready to create the greatest spectacle Rome has ever seen - and the last!" At Otis's feet, Nico and Arabella shuddered, Emily was glad of the fact that they were moving now, even if it was only a small amount of movement.

"So! Stage directions, you said?"

"Yes! Now, I know the bounty stipulates that you and the girl Annabeth should be kept alive if possible, but honestly, the girl is already doomed, so I hope you don't mind if we deviate from the plan." Emily looked at Percy when Ephialtes said that, Emily knows that not all heroes get a happy ending, but she hoped that Percy as well as other demigods would have a break from wars after the Titan war a year ago or about a year ago.

"Already doomed. You don't mean she's - "

"Dead? No. Not yet. But don't worry! We've got your other friends locked up, you see." Piper made a strangled sound when Ephialtes said that, Emily was close of crying out.

"Leo? Hazel and Frank?"

"Bucky and Lauren?"

"Those are the ones. So we can use them for the sacrifice. We can let the Athena girl die, which will please Her Ladyship. And we can use you three for the show! Gaea will be a bit disappointed, but really, this is a win-win. Your deaths will be much more entertaining." Jason snarled.

"You want entertaining? I'll give you entertaining." Piper stepped forward, somehow she manger a sweet smile.

"I've got a better idea. Why don't you let us go? That would be an incredible twist. Wonderful entertainment value, and it would prove to the world how cool you are." Nico and Arabella stirred and Otis looked down at them, his snaky feet flicked their tongues at their heads.

"Plus! Plus, we could do some dance moves as we're escaping. Perhaps a ballet number!" Otis seem to forget about Arabella and Nico before he lumbered over to Ephialtes and wagged his finger.

"You see? That's what I was telling you! It would be incredible!" Emily thought it was going to work, that Piper pulled it off. Otis was looking at Ephialtes imploringly, Ephialtes tugged at his chin as if he was considering the idea. But than he shook his head.

"No...no, I'm afraid not. You see, my girl, I am the anti-Dionysus. I have a reputation to uphold. Dionysus thinks he knows parties? He's wrong! His revels are tame compared to what I can do. That old stunt we pulled, for instance, when we piled up mountains to reach Olympus - "

"I told you that would never work."

"And the time my brother covered himself with meat and ran through an obstacle course of drakons - "

"You said Hephaestus-TV would show it during prime time. No one even saw me."

"Well, this spectacle will be even better. The Romans always wanted bread and circuses - food and entertainment! As we destroy their city, I will offer them both. Behold, a sample!" Something dropped fell from the ceiling and landed at Percy's feet, a loaf of bread in a white plastic wrapper with red and yellow dots. Percy picked it up, Emily looked at the twin giants in confusion.

"Wonder bread?"

"Magnificent, isn't it? You can keep that loaf. I plan on distributing millions to the people of Rome as I obliterate them."

"Wonder bread is good. Though the Romans should dance for it." Emily glanced at Nico and Arabella of who were starting to move. Arabella managed to look up as she moved, she looked a bit surprised to see Emily standing there as well as Steve. Emily gave her a look that told her to not to say anything and at least try to crawl away from where she was if she was able. Percy went on talking to the giants to directed their attention to Percy and away from Nico and Arabella.

"Maybe, you should bring our other friends here. You know, spectacular deaths...the more the merrier, right?" Ephialtes fiddled with a button on his Hawaiian shirt.

"Hmm. No. It's really too late to change the choreography. But never fear. The circuses will be marvelous! Ah...not the modern sort of circus, mind you. That would require clowns, and I hate clowns."

"Everyone hates clowns. Even other clowns hate clowns."

"Exactly. But we have much better entertainment planned! The five of you will die in agony, up above, where all the gods and mortals can watch. But that's just the opening ceremony! In the old days, games went on for days or weeks. Our spectacle - the destruction of Rome - will go on for one full month until Gaea awakens." Emily panicked, for more than just Gaea waking up, for that was the day after Arabella's birthday was well as the day before a couple of Arabella's friends get married as well.

"Wait, One month, and Gaea wakes up?" Ephialtes waved the question away when Jason asked it.

"Yes, yes. Something about August First being the best date to destroy all humanity. Not important! In her infinite wisdom, the Earth Mother has agreed that Rome can be destroyed first, slowly and spectacularly. It's only fitting!"

"So... You're Gaea's warm-up act." Ephialtes's face darkened at those words.

"This is no warm-up, demigod! We'll release wild animals and monsters into the streets. Our special effects department will produce fires and earthquakes. Sinkholes and volcanoes will appear randomly out of nowhere! Ghosts will run rampant."

"The ghost thing won't work. Our focus groups say it won't pull ratings."

"Doubters! This hypogeum can make anything work!" Ephialtes stormed over to a big table covered with a sheet, he pulled the sheet away. Revealing a collection of levers and knobs that were just as complicated looking as the control panel on the Argo II.

"This button? This one will eject a dozen rabid wolves into the Forum. And this one will summon automaton gladiators to battle tourists at the Trevi Fountain. This one will cause the Tiber to flood its banks so we can reenact a naval battle right in the Piazza Navona! Percy Jackson, you should appreciate that, as a son of Poseidon!"

"Uh...I still think the letting us go idea is better."

"He's right. Otherwise we get into this whole confrontation thing. We fight you. You fight us. We wreck your plans. You know, we've defeated a lot of giants lately. I'd hate for things to get out of control."

"You're right." Emily was surprised by what Ephialtes said as well.

"I am?"

"We can't let things get out of control. Everything has to be timed perfectly. But don't worry. I've choreographed your deaths. You'll love it." Arabella and Nico started to crawl away, Arabella wasn't making any sounds but Nico was groaning. She wanted to bang her sword against Nico for making so much noise that the giants might notice of what they were doing. Jason switched his sword hand.

"And if we refuse to cooperate with your spectacle?"

"Well, you can't kill us. You have no gods with you, and that's the only way you could hope to triumph. So really, it would be much more sensible to die painfully. Sorry, but the show must go on." Emily didn't think that Ephialtes was the anti Dionysus, he was more like Dionysus gone crazy on steeds. Percy looked at them.

"I'm getting tired of this guy's shirt."

"I'm getting tired of that's guys leotard." Emily handed the horn of plenty to Piper of who took it from her.

"Combat time?"

"I hate Wonder bread."

"I hate both of them." Emily merely smirked when Steve said that, Emily figured Steve said that because Emily, Percy, Piper and Jason said something. When Steve said that, that they charged. Things went wrong at once, the Giants vanished in smoke and reappeared halfway across the room in different spots no less. Percy went towards Ephialtes but Emily and Piper went towards Nico and Arabella, they crossed across fiery pits to get to them. Nico and Arabella were being stalked by a pair of leopards while Emily and Piper went to Nico and Arabella that Jason and Steve charge at Otis. Emily and Piper managed to get to Nico and Arabella before the leopard did, Emily and Piper stood over guard Arabella and Nico. Emily still has her bronze sword in her hand, Piper was aiming the horn of plenty over the heads of the leopards. A pot roast shot over the heads of the leopards and they went after it, Emily was rather glad that she has that thing now. It was than that Emily noticed that the hydra was out of it's cage and that Percy was battling it as well as Steve. Percy managed to get to one of the guns in this room and he yelled at them.

"Duck and cover!" Steve got off the hydra and rolled to one side, as something fired at the hydra. The hydra vaporized right off, but the recoil knocked the easel sideways and sent more projectiles all over the room. A chunk of the ceiling collapsed and crushed a waterwheel, more cages snapped off their chains. Two zebras and a pack of hyenas were set free and they ran out of the room, a grenade exploded over Ephialtes's head but it only blasted him off his feet, the control board didn't look like it was damaged. Sandbags rained down on Emily, Piper, Nico and Arabella, Emily managed to pull Arabella to safety but Piper wasn't as lucky. For one of the bags caught her shoulder knocking her down.

"Piper!" Jason started to ran toward her, he forget about the giant he was fighting of who was aiming a spear at his back. Before Emily could cry out at Percy yelled.

"Look out!" Jason was quick and he rolled to one side and the spear sailed over him, Jason flicked his hand and summoned a gust of wind that changed the spear's direction. It flew across the room and skewered Ephialtes through his side as he was getting to his feet. Ephialtes began to crumble to monster dust.

"Otis! Will you please stop killing me!"

"Not my fault!" The missile shot one last sphere of Roman candle fire and it hit the ceiling above Otis. That section of the roof collapsed on Otis crushing him flat. Emily ran over to Nico and pulled him over to where Arabella was sitting as Steve ran over to where Emily and Arabella were. Jason ran over to Piper's side, Piper yelped when Jason touched her arm, Nico sat up, looking around bewilderment. Steve knelt down next to Emily as she hugged Nico while Arabella managed to get closer to Emily and Nico. Arabella managed to hug both Nico and Emily, however the battle wasn't over, for Emily looked over to the mound of dust that was reforming. Ephialtes was glowering at Percy and the pile of rubble shifted than Otis busted out, his head was slightly caved in. All the firecracker popped from his hair, his braids were still smoking and his leotard was in tatters making him look worse. Emily let go of Nico and Arabella as Jason yelled at Percy.

"Percy! The controls!" Percy unfroze and grabbed riptide from his pocket before uncapping it before lunging at the switchboard. Percy slashed the blade across the top destroying most of the controls.

"No! You've ruined the spectacle!" Emily yelled at Percy.

"Watch out, Percy." Percy turned too slowly, Ephialtes swung his spear like a bat smacked Percy across the chest, he fell to his knees. Jason ran to Percy's side while Emily and Steve managed to pull Nico, Arabella and Piper to safety. Emily help Piper get up by lifting the sandbag enough to get her up, Nico was barely conscious but Arabella was a little more conscious that Nico. Emily knew the giants were getting stronger by the minute, the only way to get out of this mess was to have a god.

"Tired, Percy Jackson? As I said, you cannot kill us. So I guess we're at an impasse. Oh, wait...no we're not! Because we can kill you!"

"That," Otis picked up his fallen spear, "is the first thing sensible thing you've said all day, brother." The two giants pointed their weapons ready to kill Percy and Jason.

"We won't give up. We'll cut you into pieces like Jupiter did to Saturn."

"That's right, You're both dead. I don't care if we have a god on our side or not." Emily looked at Steve, they were more or less guarding Nico, Arabella and Piper. But the question was should one of them try to help Percy and Jason. Steve was looking at her and he was asking the same question as she was asking him, Emily would have said something but a new voice spoke.

"Well, that's a shame." Another platform was lowered from the ceiling, leaning casually on a pincecone topped staff was a man. He was wearing a purple camp shirt, khaki shorts, sandals with white socks and a broad brimmed hat. He raised his hat and purple fire flickered in his eyes. "I'd hate to think I made a special trip for nothing." Everything seem to went quiet when Dionysus entered the room, the machines went to a halt and the animals stopped growling. The two leopards paced over and butted their heads affectionately against the god's legs and Dionysus scratched their ears. "Really, Ephialtes. Killing demigods is one thing. But using leopards for your spectacle? That's over the line."

"This - this is impossible. D-D - "

"It's Bacchus, actually, my old friend. And of course it's possible. Someone told me there was a party going on." It was still hard to believe the change between Dionysus and Bacchus, appearance wise, the change affected Dionysus a lot. Ephialtes's spear was quivered.

"You - you gods are doomed! Be gone, in the name of Gaea!"

"Hmm." Bacchus didn't seem too impress and he strolled through the ruined props and other things. "Tacky." Bacchus waved his hand at a painted wooden gladiator before Bacchus turned to a machine that looked like an oversized rolling pin studded with knives. "Cheap. Boring. And this..." Bacchus was looking at the rocket-launching contraption, which was still smoking. "Tacky, cheap, and boring. Honestly, Ephialtes. You have no sense of style."

"STYLE? I have mountains of style. I define style. I - I - "

"My brother oozes style."

"Thank you!" Bacchus stepped forward and the giants stumbled back.

"Have you two gotten shorter?"

"Oh, that's low, I'm quite tall enough to destroy you, Bacchus! You gods, always hiding behind your mortal heroes, trusting the fate of Olympus to the likes of these." Ephialtes sneered at Percy and Jason hefted his sword.

"Lord Bacchus, are we going to kill these giants or what?"

"Well, I certainly hope so. Please, carry on." Emily stared at Bacchus, like you kidding right.

"Didn't you come here to help?" Bacchus shrugged.

"Oh, I appreciated the sacrifice at sea. A whole ship full of Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi. Very nice."

"And six million in gold and jewels."

"Yes, although with demigod parties of five or more the gratuity is included, so that wasn't necessary."

"What?"

"Never mind. At any rate, you got my attention. I'm here. Now I need to see if you're worthy of my help. Go ahead. Battle. If I'm impressed, I'll jump in for the grand finale."

"We speared one, Dropped the roof on the other. What do you consider impressive?"

"Ah, a good question... Perhaps you need inspiration! The stage hasn't been properly set. You call this a spectacle, Ephialtes? Let me show you how it's done." Emily noticed something, a glimpse of red in one of the openings of the ceiling of where the platforms came from. Steve noticed it to for he was looking at the opening as well. Than a face appeared just over the edge, when she saw the face that she smiled, Bacchus was about ready to do something when Emily spoke up.

"Lord Bacchus!" Bacchus turned and looked at Emily in surprised as she stood up and walked over to him and Steve followed her, he got the idea of what she was going to do and she hoped it would work. "Instead of Percy and Jason fighting them why not let Steve and I fight them instead. We didn't do much fighting them just now, besides we were somewhat bored and we need something to do." Bacchus seem to think about for a minute before he nodded and spoke.

"Very well, but I will do the same for you two as I was going to do for Percy and Jason." Bacchus dissolved into purple mist, Piper, Nico, Arabella, Percy and Jason disappeared. The entire floor rumbled and began to rise the ceiling opened in a series of panels making the sunlight pour in. Emily and Steve stood back to back as the floor started to rise up into the sunlight above them of which seems rather bright now after being below for so long. The air around them shimmered like a mirage, she could hear the roar of a crowd above her as they entered the sunlight, The hypogeum ascended through a forest of weathered stone columns into the middle of the ruined coliseum. Planks were laying across the ruined support beams so that the arena has a proper floor again, the bleachers repaired themselves till they were gleaming white. There was a giant red and gold canopy extended overheard to prove shade from the afternoon sun.

The emperor's box was draped with silk flanked by banners and golden eagles, the roar of applause came from thousands of shimmering purple ghosts. The Lares of Rome were brought back for an encore performance, vents opened in the floor and sprayed sand across the arena. Huge props sprang up, garage size mountains of plaster, stone columns and for some odd reason life sized plastic barnyard animals. A small lake appeared to one side, there was ditches crisscross end the arena floor, Emily and Steve moved so that that they were standing side by side facing the twin giants. Just out of the corner of her eye at she could see Thor standing on top of the Coliseum, she was happy to see Thor, not only that but Sig was standing next to him as well.

"This is a proper show!" Bacchus boomed across the coliseum, Bacchus was sitting in the emperor's box wearing purple robes and golden laurels. At his left sat Nico, Arabella, Jason, Percy and Piper, of which was not that surprising to Emily. Jason and Percy looked worried as they looked down at Emily and Steve, Piper's shoulder was being tended by a nymph. At Bacchus's right crouched a satyr offering up Doritos and grapes, the god raised a can of diet Pepsi and the crowd went respectfully quiet. Emily looked to where Thor and Sif was and nodded telling them to be ready, out of the corner of her eyes that she could make out he avengers, than Emily looked at Bacchus and spoke.

"So, You're just going to sit there? What a big surprise that is."

"The demigod is right! Fight us yourself, coward! Um, without the demigods." Emily expected the lazy smile Bacchus gave.

"Juno says she's assembled a worthy crew of demigods. Show me. Entertain me, protectors of heroes of Olympus. Give me a reason to do more. Being a god has its privileges." He popped his soda can top and the crowd cheered, however Emily managed to shout and the crowd went silent as she spoke.

"You will be entertained, Bacchus, but it will not be by the protectors of the heroes of Olympus. You see we are four short of that. Today you will be entertained by," Emily looked around, she could see all the avengers in their different locations, she could see the shining gold and red of iron man and the green of the hulk, the red hair of Natasha was well seeing one of the arrows of Clint just behind Natasha and she could see Thor and Sif. She wasn't sure of how the avengers and Sif got here to Rome but she didn't care at all of how they got there. Than she looked at Arabella and gave her a look to stay there no matter what happens and what follows, Arabella nodded before she looked back at Bacchus. "The avengers. We avenge. In a time like this, we assemble."

Everyone was glaring down at Emily when she said that, Steve noticed the other avengers whisk she spoke to Bacchus. She knows Steve noticed them, Bacchus tilted his head when Emily said that, he was about ready to say something when suddenly there was a rain cloud with lightning and thunder. Bacchus seemed surprised by this as well as the twin giants, Emily heard the fake mountain coming at her and she bolted just in time and rolled out of the way as arrows hit the giants. Clint and Natasha entered the stadium with two celestial bronze knives Emily gave her while Clint was his bow and arrows that were celestial bronze as well. The hulk was smashing the Giants but the giants only go somewhat flatten but killed, Tony was using some of his weapon of which flatten the Giants somewhat. Emily Ran to help and she slashed at the feet of Otis while Steve was doing the same thing with the other giant. Thor and Sif entered the area, throw summoned his lightning and hit the giant that Steve was fighting and the giants turned to ash as Steve cut off the giant's hand. Sif ran over to Emily's side and spoke.

"I was hoping this day would come when we fight side by side, Lady Emily."

"You are not the only one. Ready?" Sif nodded and they ran at Otis of which surprised him, Emily and Sif swing their swords at his legs. They managed to cut off his feet, Sif climbed on top of him and put her sword into Otis' hear whiek Emily stabbed in the side. Otis turned to gold dust and disappeared. As Otis turned to gold dust that his twin brother also turned to gold dust when Steve and Natasha managed to throw knives at Ephialtes while Thor's hammer hit his face. There was cheering when the fighting started, but shock silence fell upon the crowd of Lares in the Coliseum. Emily was in a kneeling position, Emily and Sif got up from where the position there at and Emily looked at Bacchus. Bacchus looked utterly shocked and horrified of what Emily and the avengers did without a greek God and did with two norse gods instead. Honestly, Emily was unsure if the Giants could be defeated by the norse gods or not, now she knows that they can. Emily took a couple of steps forward before she spoke to Bacchus. "I guess your trip was indeed pointless wasn't it?" Bacchus glared down at her, it seems that he suddenly realize that she knew the avengers were there the whole time.

"You know, Emily, there are times when I have high doubts that you are a daughter of Demeter. You are better suited as a daughter of Athena." Emily tilted her head when he said that.

"I am a daughter Demeter and proud to be one, the same goes for being a daughter of Hades. Honestly, I will have it no other way. I prefer to be a child of Demeter and Hades than a daughter of Athena. No offense to Athena, she is one of the better goddess on Olympus, but I enjoy and accepted the fact that I am a daughter of Demeter and Hades." Bacchus just looked down at her, before he could say anything that a large dark oval shape descended from the sky fast. As the Argo II landed that Emily saw Leo at the helm with Hazel, Frank and Jennifer at his side. Bucky, Lauren, Phil, and Aubrey were at the other end, Gleeson was on the firing platform he looked a little disappointed but he was shouted at Emily and Steve. "That was awesome Rogers, but you should have let me give me a shot at the giants next time you fight them." As the others disembarked from the Argo II that the crowds of ghosts shimmered and disappeared. Piper, Nico, Arabella, Jason and Percy struggled down from the emperor's box as the Colosseum's magical renovation began to turn into mist. However the arena floor remained solid but otherwise the stadium looked like it hadn't just hosted a giant killing. Bacchus was looking down and spoke.

"Well. That was fun to watch. You have my permission to continue your voyage." Sif glared at Bacchus, Bacchus jerked back at the glare that Sif was giving him. Emiky was close of laughing at the glare Sif was giving Bacchus. Emily looked at Steve of who looked like he was going to fall to the floor laughing his head off, but it was Percy spoke.

"Your permission?"

"Yes. Although your voyage may be a little harder than you expect, son of Neptune."

"Poseidon. What do you mean about my voyage?"

"You might try the parking lot behind the Emmanuel Building. Best place to break through. Now, good-bye, my friends. And, ah, good luck with that other little matter." Bacchus was about ready to leave when Sif spoke.

"You should be ashamed of yourself for not joining in the fighting." Bacchus stared at but wisely decided not to respond to Sif, than he vaporized in a cloud of mist that smelled faintly of grape juice, Emily would have ran over to Arabella and Nico but there was she wanted to know,Moshe looked at Sif and Thhor,

"Explain of you two got here and I really don't care which one that explains." Thor was the one that spoke.

"Well, Heimdall told me of what was happening to you and the others, Lady Emily. From what he told me that you were on your here to face twin giants. I wasn't sure if you could face them by yourself and so I decided to come and help. I wasn't sure on how the two giants fight so I brought Sif with me for the fight. I also called the other avengers before coming here to help." Emiky was about ready to say something but that was when Gleeson trotted up to Emily.

"Was that Dionysus? I love that guy!" Than he looked Thor of who was now standing by Sif, both of them looked at Fleeson, like what? "Who is that and why he did he call you Lady Emily." It was Thor that spoke.

"I am Thor, god of thunder. On Asgard we refer to all the women as Lady and their name." Gleeson was about ready to say something when Nico and Arabella ran over to Emily and hugged her, they were quickly joined by Jennifer and Hazel. That was when Percy spoke.

"You're alive! The giants said you were captured. What happened?" Leo shrugged as Emily's four siblings let go of her.

"Oh, just another brilliant plan by Leo Valdez. You'd be amazed what you can do with an Archimedes sphere, a girl who can sense stuff underground, and a weasel."

"I was the weasel." Frank spoke glumly, Bucky walked over to her and hugged Emily as Leo spoke up once more.

"Basically, I activated a hydraulic screw with the Archimedes device - which is going to be awesome once I install it in the ship, by the way. Hazel sensed the easiest path to drill to the surface. We made a tunnel big enough for a weasel, and Frank climbed up with a simple transmitter that I slapped together. After that, it was just a matter of hacking into Coach Hedge's favorite satellite channels and telling him to bring the ship around to rescue us. After he got us, finding you was easy, thanks to that godly light show at the Colosseum." Emily managed to get about half of that, maybe not quite half but she got more than most of the rest of the people there expect for Tony and Bruce. Well it was just Tony since Bruce was still the hulk at the moment but he was turning back as Leo spoke through.

"Where's Annabeth?" Leo winced.

"Yeah, about that...she's still in trouble, we think. Hurt, broken leg, maybe - at least according to this vision Gaea shown us. Rescuing her is our next stop."

"Tell me about the vision. Tell me everything." The floor shook, the wooden planks began to disappear, spilling sand into the pits of the hypogeum below.

"Let's talk on board. We'd better take off while we still can." As they got on that the avengers and Sif were surprised to see Phil there on the Argo II, but didn't question it as they boarded. When they sailed out that Emily asked Thor to go and get S.H.I.E.L.D. and ask the rest of the avengers to go with Thor, Emily called for Mrs. O'Leary. Phil agreed with Emily on that fact, however he told them to protect the two camps as best they could from Gaea with the help of S.H.I.E.L.D. the avengers climbed on her or at least the ones who couldn't fly did, of which was basically Bruce, Natasha, and Clint. As Tony and Thor flew off that Mrs. O'Leary jumped into a shadow but Sif insisted on staying with Emily due to her status in Asgard. The Argo II veered south over the rooftops of Rome, around the Piazza del Colosseo, traffic stopped and that a crowd gathered and were looking at the ruins. It seems that no one even noticed the Greek trireme, Emily felt like she was going to faint or something.

Sif was basically on guard as they went to get to Annabeth, Bucky was holding Emily and was giving her some ambrosia. Mostly from how weak she felt from the fighting as well as a couple of scars she got from the fight she just did. Of which not really that bad for her healing powers healed those fast, Hazel was feeding Nico some Ambrosia, it seems that running to Emily and from being in the jar took a lot out of Nico. For he could barely lift his head and his voice was so utterly quiet that Hazel was forced to lean on to hear Nico. It seems that the jar and running to Emily had similar affects on Arabella, for she was hardly lifting her own head up and her voice was just as quiet as Nico's. It pained Emily to see Nico and Arabella like this, even if she wasn't as close to Nico as she was to Arabella. The three of them even had fights with each other, but what does one expect, for siblings fight or most normal siblings do. For Emily and Steve never fought each other, instead they fought together, side by side, even before the war. Emily could never think of a time when she fought with Steve during her life. Emily figured that was mostly because of the fact that they were picked on for their size when they were younger till Emily was adopted.

Due to the fact that Hazel was feeding Arabella and Nico Ambrosia that it was Leo and Frank told them of what happened in the one work room. And how Leo used the Archimedes spheres, as well as the visions hat Gaea showed them, as Leo and Frank told the story that Emily looked at Sif. Sif was looking at the two boys but it was hard to tell of what was Sif thinking at the moment, Emily spoke of the godly world she was part of to Sif but Sof never ad much contact with Emily's world before. After they finished that the crew decided the cryptic advice that Bacchus gave was their best chance of finding Annabeth. Emily would have helped locate of where Bacchus suggested. But she was still a bit weak and dizzy, mostly due to nearly drowning, fighting two Giants, finding and protecting her two siblings and being pregnant. Emily remained by the railing with Bucky's arms around her supporting her. Sif was on Emily's one side, Sif looked at Emily befor she spoke.

"You didn't seem this tired after we fought on Asgard a few times while you were there."

"That was becaus, I hadn't been nearly drowned, being nearly drained of my powers, fighting two Giants, among other things. Not only that but I am not being hunted by greek monsters on Asgard either, besides I have some time between our fights to be able to be ready for our next one." Sif nodded when Emily said that, Emily leaned against Bucky as Percy knelt next to Jason and Piper. Jason was looking after Piper of which was not a big surprise, though Jason, Piper and Percy were close to where Emily, Bucky and Sif were.

"How's the shoulder?" Piper smiled.

"It'll heal." Than Piper looked at Emily. "Both, you and Steve, did great." Jason and Percy looked over at Emily, before Emily could say anything that Jason spoke.

"You and Steve are a great team." Emily snorted when Jason said that.

"You are making it sound like that was the first time Steve and I fought together, side by side. Did you forget Steve and I lead the howling commandos in World War II? That was not the first time we fought side by side and it will not be the last time either." Before anything else could be said that Leo cried and was pointing at his monitor.

"There it is! Frank, you're amazing! I'm setting course." Frank hunched his shoulders.

"I just read the name off the screen. Some Chinese tourist marked it on Google Maps." Leo grinned at everyone else on the ship.

"He reads Chinese."

"Just a tiny bit."

"How cool is that?"

"Guys, I hate to interrupt your admiration session, but you should hear this." Hazel helped to Nico to his feet while Jennifer helped Arabella to her feet. Arabella managed to grasp the railing and walked over to Emily while holding the railing, Emily left Bucky's arms and went over to Arabella and hugged her. It was hard to see Arabella like this, after watching Arabella grow for sixteen almost seventeen years now. When Arabella become friends with Harry and after her first year at Hogwarts that Emily knew that Arabella would have to face a lot of things. Maybe not quite as much as Percy or Harry would in their respective worlds, even if Arabella was part of both worlds. Emily was no seer or oracle, but she knows that Arabella will still have a lot to face in her life and she was sure that a fair of amount it wasn't with Emily. Looking at Arabella that Emily realized something, Arabella was always pale but now both her skin, as well as Nico's, looked more like powdered milk. Not only that but their eyes were sunken, it reminded her of the time that she saw Bucky at the HYDRA base. Nico manage to rasp and his eyes were darting nervously around the group as everyone looked at Nico.

"Thank you, I'd given up hope." Emily wanted to hug Nico and Arabella tightly but with how frail and sad they looked that she didn't dare.

"You two knew about the two camps all along. You could have told me who I was the first day I arrived at Camp Jupiter, but you didn't." While Arabella slumped against Emily, Nico slumped against the helm, it looked like he could broke down any minute.

"Percy, I'm sorry. I discovered Camp Jupiter last year. My dad led me there, though I wasn't sure why. He told me the gods had kept the camps separate for centuries and that I couldn't tell anyone. The time wasn't right. But he said it would be important for me to know..." Nico doubled over in a fit of coughing. As Nico coughed that Arabella spoke.

"Emily led me there after my father revealed to me about the Romans a few years back. He told me similar things as he did Nico." Hazel held onto Nico's shoulders till Nico could stand again. Emily held onto Arabella, Emily wasn't sure what else to do, Arabella seem broken like Nico, Emily wasn't sure if they would be the same ever again after what happened. Emily seen how angry Arabella could get more so when when someone tries to avoid death, like he one guy with that stone. Arabella could be scary when that happens, but it was more scary to see Arabella in is state than when she was angry.

"I - I thought Dad meant because of Hazel and Jennifer, I'd need to look out for them. But now...I think he wanted me, as well as Arabella even though she knew sooner than I did, to know about both camps so we understand how important your quest was, and so Arabella and I went looking for the Doors of Death." The air turned electric, almost like Jason started throwing off sparks.

"Did you find the doors?" Arabella was looking at Nico of who nodded.

"I was a fool. I thought Arabella and I could go anywhere in the Underworld, but we walked right into Gaea's trap. We might as well have tried running from a black hole."

"Um... What kind of black hole are you talking about?" Nico started to speak, but whatever he needed to say must been too terrifying of which made Emily felt even more bad as well as worried of what happen to them. Nico turned to Hazel, Emily could feel Arabella shaking in her arms, something that Emily wasn't used to from Arabella. Emily pulled her closer and held Arabella trying to comfort her, though wasn't sure if that would be enough. Hazel put her hand on Nico's arm before she spoke.

"Nico told me that the Doors of Death have two sides - one in the mortal world, one in the Underworld. The mortal side of the portal is in Greece. It's heavily guarded by Gaea's forces. That's where they brought Nico back into the upper world. Then they transported him to Rome." Piper was still holding onto the cornucopia for it spit out a cheeseburger, it was clear that Piper was nervous.

"Where exactly in Greece is this doorway?" Nico took a rattling breath but it was Arabella that spoke.

"The House of Hades. It's an underground temple in Epirus. Nico or myself can mark it on a map, but - but the mortal side of the portal isn't the problem. In the Underworld, the Doors of Death are in...in..." Emily felt cold almost like she was the one that been frozen in ice instead to Steve, it was clear of where the other side of the doors were. It was clear to Emily of why Nico and Arabella were shaken up, it wasn't just the jar that they were in. They were also in Tartarus, the deepest part of the underworld, a place no one dared entered, both Emily and Hades avoid that place. Shortly after Emily was adopted and after her fake death that Emily stood at the edge for the pit. Emily never went back there to that pit again, she still has nightmares about that place for years after that. But those nightmare since stopped, thankfully. She could understand of why Nico and Arabella were in state, Emily kept holding Arabella and poured hope into Arabella and a nick to try to calm and help them.

"Tartarus. The deepest part of the Underworld." Nico nodded when Percy said that.

"They pulled me into the pit, Percy. The things I saw down there..." Nico's voice broke, Arabella was holding onto Emily as tightly as she could. Emily was in somewhat frail state but Arabella was worse, her tighten hold was very weak compared to how it was, normally.

"No mortal has ever been to Tartarus. At least, no one has ever gone in and returned alive. It's the maximum-security prison of Hades, where the old Titans and the other enemies of the gods are bound. It's where all monsters go when they die on the earth. It's...well, no one knows exactly what it's like." Hazel's eyes drifted to Nico and Arabella, the rest of Hazel's thoughts didn't need to be spoken out loud. For no one but Nico and Arabella knew what it was like down there, Emily couldn't even began to think of what it must be like down there and Emily seen some scary things in the last seventy years though most of it was rather recent. Hazel handed Nico his sword, Jennifer walked forward and handed Arabella her sword. Emily looked at Jennifer, wondering where she got one of Arabella's sword, for Emily knows Arabella have two swords at one point or at least covering her whole life. Arabella was mostly leaning on Emily but Nico was leaning on his sword like it was an old man's cane.

"Now I understand why Hades hasn't been able to close the doors. Even the gods don't go into Tartarus. Even the god of death, Thanatos himself, wouldn't go near that place." Leo glanced over from the wheel.

"So let me guess. We'll have to go there." Nico shook his head.

"It's impossible. I'm the son of Hades and Arabella is my sister, and even we barely survived. Gaea's forces overwhelmed us instantly. They're so powerful down there...no demigod would stand a chance. We almost went insane." Emily looked at Nico, Emily knew that some demigods had things worse than others, Nico was one of the ones that wasn't as lucky. It could be said the same about Emily during World War II, for it looked like something broke permanently inside of Nico. Arabella seem to be almost the same way, she was close to be almost broken permanently but it seem that it would easier to help Arabella than Nico. Emily promised herself that she would help them from whatever happened down in Tartarus, though she was sure that they may not be ready to talk about it. But they know Emily long enough to know if the needed to that they could talk to and she wasn't going to make them tell her of what happened down there.

"Then we'll sail for Epirus. We'll just close the gates on this side."

"I wish it were that easy. The doors would have to be controlled on both sides to be closed. It's like a double seal. Maybe, just maybe, all seven of you working together could defeat Gaea's forces on the mortal side, at the House of Hades. But unless you had a team fighting simultaneously on the Tartarus side, a team powerful enough to defeat a legion of monsters in their home territory - "

"There has to be a way." No one said anything or offered any ideas. Than the ship started to descend towards a building that could be passed as a palace.

"We'll figure out the Tartarus problem later. Is that the Emmanuel Building?" Leo nodded.

"Bacchus said something about the parking lot in back? Well, there it is. What now?" Emily looked at the building, Annabeth was facing her worst enemy and nightmare to all children of Athena. Emily wished that she could help Annabeth on her way there and she was sure Percy felt the same way as Emily did. But Emily knows that Annabeth must done it alone by herself in order to get there without any help. Otherwise she would have died on her journey to get there or the mark wouldn't show.

"We have to get her out."

"Well, yeah. But, uh..." Emily looked at Leo, he paused before he changed of what he was going to say. "There's a parking lot in the way." Emily looked over at Gleeson as Percy looked at Gleeson.

"Bacchus said something about breaking through. Coach, you still have ammo for those ballistae?" Gleeson grinned like a wild goat.

"I thought you'd never ask." Emily let go of Arabella, Arabella let to of emily before she grasp the railing with her sword in hand as Gleeson fired on the parking lot. The parking lot caved in and exploded in a blast of fiery light, Emily was sure that down there that it looked like it was raining cars. But from up on the ship that it looks like the cars were falling down. Emily saw the cars hit what looks like a floor with huge Chinese handcuffs and a fiat 590 slammed into the handcuffs. The handcuffs and the car disappeared as the car punched through the floor. Emily could see the gold and ivory of the Athena Parthenos. Than Percy yelled down into the cavern below the parking lot as the Argo II lowered itself k to the cavern.

"Annabeth!"

"Here!" Emily could hear Annabeth sobbing form below, Emily was glad that Annabeth was still alive and made it through. As the Argo II descended that Emily could make out the cavern, it looked like here has been for hundreds of years for there was years worth of spider webs or what was left of it anyway. The room seem to be shaking, but Annabeth managed to stand even with her leg wrapped with bubble wrap from the looks of it. Emily noticed that Annabeth's backpack was missing which means the laptop, that Daedalus gave her, was missing. Not only that but it seems that she didn't have her dagger either, of which seem rather odd since Emily never seen Annabeth without her dagger. Annabeth edged closer to the gaping hole as the ship was lowered, when the Argo II was four feet from the floor that it stopped. The rope ladder was lowered and Percy climbed down first, Emily climbed down as well as the others, but Sig stayed on the Argo II. When Percy reached Annabeth that he turned her gently away from the pit and wrapped his arms around Annabeth. Annabeth buried her face in his chest and broke down in tears, Emily smiled slightly, at least Annabeth wasn't dead.

"It's okay. We're together." Emily and the others gathered around them, it seemed that Annabeth wasn't surprised to see Arabella or Nico there. Piper knelt next to Annabeth and examined the bubble wrap cast that Annabeth made.

"Your leg. Oh, Annabeth, what happened?" Annabeth tried to explain, as Annabeth explained that Emily went over to her and placed hope and the feeling of home into Annabeth of which seem to help Annabeth some. As Annabeth spoke and told her story that Emily knelt down by Piper and unwrapped the cast and started to heal the broken ankle or helped he healing to go faster. As it healed mostly that Annabeth seem to move the ankle better, Emily knows that the ankle would be stiff for a while but it was healed. When Annabeth finished that everyone was amazed even Emily, for Emily wasn't sure of how well Annabeth would do with this quest.

"Gods of Olympus. You did all that alone. With a broken ankle."

"Well...some of it with a broken ankle." Percy was grinning.

"You made Arachne weave her own trap? I knew you were good, but Holy Hera - Annabeth, you did it. Generations of Athena kids tried and failed. You found the Athena Parthenos!" Everyone looked at the statue.

"What do we do with her? She's huge."

"We'll have to take her with us to Greece. The statue is powerful. Something about it will help us stop the giants."

"The giants' bane stands gold and pale. Won with pain from a woven jail. It was Arachne's jail. You tricked her into weaving it." Leo raised his hands as Emily stood up of making sure that the ankle would be fine, it looked like Leo was making measurements of the statue.

"Well, it might take some rearranging, but I think we can fit her through the bay doors in the stable. If she sticks out the end, I might have to wrap a flag around her feet or something."

"What about you guys? What happened with the giants?" Percy told Annabeth about the nymphs, including the part of where Hagno brought up Emily's child, when Percy reached that part that everyone looked at her in surprise. Everyone knew by now Lauren was pregnant even if Lauren wasn't showing yet, some looked surprised expect for the ones that did know of which was about half of the crew. Than Percy went on and told Annabeth about rescuing Nico and Arabella, the appearance of Bacchus, the fight with the twin giants in the colosseum with the avengers. Nico or Arabella didn't said much, Percy even told Annabeth about the doors of death and what had to be done to close them.

"So the mortal side is in Epirus. At least that's somewhere we can reach." Nico and Arabella grimaced, but it was Nico who spoke.

"But the other side is the problem. Tartarus." The word echoed through the chamber, Emily felt the cold blast of air that exhaled from the pit behind her. Emily knows, from the cold air, that the chasm go straight to the underworld, Percy felt it to for he guided Annabeth further from the edge of the pit. There was spider silk on her legs and arms that acted like a bridal train, it seem Annabeth was going to say something but Percy spoke.

"Bacchus mentioned something about my voyage being harder than I expected. Not sure why... " The chamber groaned, the Athena Parthenos tilted to one side of the cavern. It's head was caught one one of the support cables that was holding this place together, however the marble foundation under the Athena Parthenos was crumbling,

"Secure it!"

"Zhang! Get me to the helm, quick! The coach is up there alone." Frank transformed into a giant eagles and they soared towards the ship. Jason wrapped his arm around Piper before he turned to Percy.

"Back for you guys in a sec." Jason summoned the wind and shot into the air with Piper.

"This floor won't last! The rest of us should get to the ladder." Phil, Aubrey, Bucky and Lauren went to help with the statue, Lauren and Bucky were using their wind powers to help keep it stable, while grappling lines shoot from the Argo II and they wrapped around the statue. Emily noticed that some of grappling lines came from arrows and some of the lines were plants. Hazel, Nico and Arabella looked at Emily, Emily gestured for them to get to the rope ladder first. Emily could hear Percy as he spoke to Annabeth.

"It'll be fine." Lauren, Bucky, Jason and Frank were flying around from line to line trying to secure the statue. Nico just barely reached the ladder after Arabella and Hazel went up on it first when Emily felt something wrapped itself around her ankle. Than Emily heard Annabeth gasp, Emily looked back as Annabeth stumbled, than Emily felt a pull around her ankle and she stumbled to the floor because of the pull. Steve was about ready to ask what was wrong but Percy best him to it.

"What is it?" Emily and Annabeth tried to move, or stagger in Annabeth's case, to the ladder but Emily was going backwards as well as Annabeth. Emily looked down to her ankle was and Emily almost cried out in shock, for wrapped around her ankles was spider webs. There was another pull and Emily fell to the floor and onto her face, the same thing happened to Annabeth. Emily managed to pull herself up somewhat both Hazel and Arabella were shouting from the ladder.

"Their ankle! Cut it! Cut it!" Emily was the only one that seem to understand what Hazel and Arabella were talking about, Emily grasp her sword was about ready to cut the web threads from her ankles. Before she was able to do anything that the webs yanked Emily and Annabeth backwards,as a result that Emily lost her hold of her sword of which back to being a poppy. Steve and Percy lunged at both of them, Steve lunged at Emily while Percy lunged at Annabeth. Steve grabbed her arm, but the momentum carried Steve along as well as Percy when Percy grabbed Annabeth's arm. Emily could hear Hazel and Arabella yelling from the rope ladder.

"Help them!" Emily caught a glimp of Nico hobbling in their direction while Hazel and Arabella were trying to disentangle their swords from the rope ladder, their other friends were focus on the statue. So their shouts was lost in the general shouting and rumbling of the cavern, Emily's heart was racing as Annabeth and Emily hit the edge of the pit. Annabeth was sobbing, it was clear that Annabeth knew what was happening now as well as Emily. Their legs went over the side, it seem that Percy and Steve was understanding what was happening.

"No. My sword..." Percy couldn't reach riptide without letting go of Annabeth, Emily struggled against the webs that managed to wrap themselves around her ankles. Of how that happened was beyond her, Emily tried to lift her legs and she tried to cut the webs off. But whatever was on the other end was strong and heavy and kept pulling at the threads so that Emily couldn't move her legs high to cut the threads off. Suddenly they went further into the void, Annabeth passed out for a few moments during that time. When they were part way down into the pit that Percy and Steve managed to grab a ledge about fifteen feet below the top of the chasm. Emily looked down and gulp, she could sense when this pit leads to, the one place that no god, mortal or demigod to go through expect for two. Nico and Arabella were proof that they could make it though but they were also proof that Tartarus was dangerous. Steve was holding onto the ledge with one hand and his hand was gripping her wrist than a voice spoke from the darkness below.

'No escape, I go to Tartarus, and you and one of your friends will come too.' Emily looked down at the darkness before looking at Steve and grabbed his hand with her other hand. The pit shook, Emily tighten her grip on Steve for he was the only thing that was keeping her from falling into the pit. Percy and Steve were barely holding onto the ledge, Emily knows that no matter of how long Steve would hold on that she would fall. Nico leaned over the edge, not only that but somehow Arabella got off the ladder and was also leaning over the edge. Emily could hear Hazel yelling for the others, Emily looked down at the darkness, she knew what she has to do and she knows that Steve wouldn't like it and neither would Arabella. For Emily knew it was too late for both Annabeth and herself to be saved, but at least she wouldn't be by herself down there, Emily looked up at Steve and spoke.

"Let me go, Steve." Steve looked pained as soon as she said that, she could see it in his eyes the scene of when he flew the plane into the ice and snow and he froze for almost seventy years. She knows that he understood of where she was coming from, that it has to be like this. "This is the only way to close the doors, not only that but you can't pull me up even with that serum in you. You might become stronger and everything, but you can't go through this." Steve was deep in thought and his grip loosen, she was about ready to to let to when suddenly Steve's grip on her wrist become tighter. Emily looked at his hand before looking back at Steve.

"No, this is different than the plane and the Red Skull."

"How is this different than the plane, Steve?" Steve closed his eyes and spoke.

"I had a choice with the plane and it was my fight with the red skull not yours, but you didn't get a choice to be pulled in there."

"But the idea is still the same, Steve. You might have been aware you are a demigod for seventy years but you don't have the training of a demigod should have more with how old you are, while I do. Besides you don't know how to use your powers as well as you should. It would be unfair to you to be in Tartarus. It would be an unfair fight and journey, like it would been if I went with you. We could have defeat the red skull easy yes, but it your fight alone. But this is Annabeth's and my fight. We can close the doors on this side." Steve looked down at her, Steve knew it was hopeless for her to to get out of this mess. But she could see the determination his eyes as well as seeing the never give up look that he gets when a bully pushed him around like back at Camp Lehigh or even back when they kids on the playgrounds. Before Steve said or did anything that Annabeth spoke.

"Percy, let me go. You can't pull me up." Emits looked over at Percy, his face was white, Percy could see that it was hopeless as well.

"Never." Than Percy looked up at Nico, while Steve looked up at Arabella. Arabella looked scared and worried, Emily knew that Arabella knows where the pit leads to, just like Emily and Nico know where it leads to. "The other side, Nico! We'll see you there. Understand?"

"But - "

"Lead them there! Promise me!"

"I - I will." Than Steve yelled at Arabella.

"Arabella, help Nico and the others to get there. If something happens to Nico, promise me, you would lead them the rest of the way and meet us there."

"But ... I will." Emily could hear laughter from the darkness below and the voice spoke once more.

'Beautiful sacrifices to wake the goddess.' Steve tightened his grip on her wrist as she tighten her hand around his hand. Steve and Emily locked eyes, they both knew what the other was thinking, even before Steve said that she knew what he was going to say it.

"I am with you till the end of the line." Than Percy spoke to Annabeth.

"We're staying together. You're not getting away from me. Never again."

"As long as we're together." Emily looked at the sunlight from far above, ever since she started going to the underground that she would look at the sunlight one last time before she entered the underworld. Even though she knows when she went to the underworld before that she would see it again in a few more months. But this was the first time that she wondered if she would ever see the sun again, not only that but would she ever see Bucky again. She could hear Nico and Hazel screaming for helping but Arabella was crying and couldn't stop crying. At the same time, Steve and Percy let go of the ledge, Emily managed to wrap her arms around Steve's neck as Steve put his arms around her waist as they started to fall towards Tartarus while Percy and Annabeth were holding hands.

Bucky's pov

Bucky was in shock, Bucky was one of the ones that could fly as well as Lauren, Jason and Frank that is when Frank turns into a bird. Everything happened so quickly, they managed to secure grappling lines to the Athena Parthenos just as the floor gave away. Frank, Lauren and Jason dove down to save the others but they only found Nico, Hazel and Arabella hanging from the rope ladder. Arabella was crying her head of and hadn't fully stopped yet, Steve, Emily, Percy and Annabeth were gone. The pit to Tartarus was buried under several tons of debris, Leo pulled the Argo II out of the cavern seconds before the entire place imploded and it took the rest of the parking lot with it. The Argo II was parked on a hill, overlooking the city. Jason, Hazel and Frank went back to the scene of the catastrophe hoping to dig through the rubble and find a way to save Percy, Annabeth, Emily and Steve. But they came back demoralized, no mortal was hurt at least, but the scene was swarming with police and rescue workers.

Dazed with grief, Bucky and the others carefully loaded the Athena Parthenos into the hold. The statue just fit, of what to do with it was beyond Bucky, Bucky stared at it before he went to the deck with the others. When he was looking at it that one thought came to his mind, that he lost his wife, the woman he loves, because of that blasted statue. Gleeson, as Emily and Lauren calls him, was too miserable to help with anything for he kept pacing the deck with tears in his eyes. He was a pulling at his goatee as well as slapping the side of his head muttering the same things over and over again. "I should have saved them! I should have blown up more stuff!" Than Leo told Gleeson to go below deck to secure everything for departure. The twelve demigods gathered on the quarterdeck and gazed at the distant column of dust that was still rising from the site of the implosion. As they looked at the site that Leo spoke.

"It's my fault." It seems like Hazel and Jennifer seem to understand.

"No, No, this is Gaea's fault. It has nothing to do with you." Jennifer walked over to Leo and gripped his hand while Hazel went on. "Leo, listen to me. I won't allow you to take the blame. I couldn't bear that after - after Sammy..." Hazel choked up, Bucky looked at them as they interacted. Jennifer put her arms around Leo's neck and put her head on his shoulder, that seem to calm down Leo and made him relax. It didn't help Bucky to watch that though, it reminded him to much of Emily of who was died now along with their child. Nico and Arabella shuffled over and they were leaning on their swords, it was Arabella that spoke.

"Leo, they're not dead. If they were, I could feel it."

"How can you be sure? If that pit really led to...you know...how could you sense them so far away?" Nico, Jennifer, Arabella and Hazel shared a look, Bucky shivered when they looked at each other. Bucky got use to Nico and Arabella, Nico was somewhat creepy and Arabella, well that was hard to explain since they didn't get along at first but it was Emily of who managed to get them to form a brother and sister relationship. Hazel and Jennifer never seem like a child of the underworld and it was Hazel that spoke.

"We can't be one hundred percent sure. But I think Nico is right. Emily, Steve, Percy and Annabeth are still alive...at least, so far." Jason pounded his fist against the railing, Bucky wanted to do the same thing, however he was worried that he would break the railing with his metal arm for his metal arm was rather strong.

"I should've been paying attention. I could have flown down and saved them."

"Me, too." Frank looked on the verge of tears, Bucky was also close to tears, Emily might be alive. But for how long would she be alive, he didn't know, he should have stay with Steve and Emily instead of helping with the statue. Than maybe he would be with Emily at least instead of here. Piper put her hand on Jason's back.

"It's not your fault, either of you. You were trying to save the statue."

"She's right. Even if the pit hadn't been buried, you couldn't have flown into it without being pulled down. Arabella and myself the only ones who has actually been into Tartarus. It's impossible to describe how powerful that place is. Once you get close, it sucks you in. Arabella and I never stood a chance."

"Then Steve, Emily, Percy and Annabeth don't stand a chance either?" Nico twisted his silver skull ring.

"Percy is the second most powerful demigod I've ever met. No offense to you guys, but it's true. If anybody can survive, he will, especially if he's got Annabeth at his side. I remember hearing about Captain America and Lieutenant USA back in the 1940s. I don't know Steve as well as I do Emily but I know he is strong, capable as well as determined. It would be hard to break his spirit and that can also be said about Emily as well that it would be hard to break her spirit as being strong and determined. But there is no doubt in my mind that Emily is the most powerful demigod I have ever meet. She spend eighty years training as well as fighting and she also is both a daughter of Hades and Demeter and the champion of Hestia. They're going to find a way through Tartarus." Jason turned.

"To the Doors of Death, you mean. But you told us it's guarded by Gaea's most powerful forces. How could four demigods possibly - ?"

"I don't know. But Percy told me to lead you guys to Epirus, to the mortal side of the doorway. He's planning on meeting us there. If we can survive the House of Hades, fight our way through Gaea's forces, then maybe we can work together with Steve, Emily, Percy and Annabeth and seal the Doors of Death from both sides."

"Steve promised me to help Nico and all of you to get there and to lead you if something happens to Nico."

"And get Steve, Emily, Percy and Annabeth back safely?"

"Maybe." Bucky didn't like the way Nico said that, Bucky wanted to see Emily again and as soon as possible. "I don't know how they'll manage it, but Steve, Emily, Percy and Annabeth will find a way. They'll journey through Tartarus and find the Doors of Death. When they do, we have to be ready."

"It won't be easy, Gaea will throw everything she's got at us to keep us from reaching Epirus."

"What else is new?"

"We've got no choice. We have to seal the Doors of Death before we can stop the giants from raising Gaea. Otherwise her armies will never die. And we've got to hurry. The Romans are in New York. Soon, they'll be marching on Camp Half-Blood."

"We've got one month at best, Ephialtes said Gaea would awaken in exactly one month."

"We can do it." Everyone stared at Leo. "The Archimedes sphere can upgrade the ship. I'm going to study those ancient scrolls we got. There's got to be all kinds of new weapons I can make. We're going to hit Gaea's armies with a whole new arsenal of hurt." At the prow of the ship, Festus creaked his jaw and blew fire, Jason managed a smile and clapped Leo on the shoulder.

"Sounds like a plan, Admiral. You want to set the course?" Bucky looked at the cityscape of Rome as it turned blood red in the sunset with the hope to see Emily once more.

"Yeah. Festus, raise the sails. We've got some friends to save." The Argo II went into the air, as the others went around trying to keep themselves busy that Bucky remained where he was looking at Rome as it disappeared behind the ship. Since leaving the cavern that Sif left to tell Odin of what happened to Emily, so there was a chance that norse warriors would be coming, maybe. Bucky spoke as they flew away.

"Emily, I will find you and when I do that I will never let you go again ever again. I have let you go too many times in my life to do it again."