Bucky's pov
Once inside the Helicarrier that Bucky explained of what happened to the avengers since leaving for the quest of the eight since New Rome. For there hadn't been time to tell the avengers of what was going when they were in Rome not too long ago. While Bucky was telling. The avengers and the new SHIELD that Bucky kept on making sure at Leo didn't go wandering off to tinker with the Helicarrier, Bucky knows and understood of why Leo was so worked up about the Helicarrier. But the last thing he needed or wanted was an ever more hyperactive Leo that would have a harder time of stopping tinkering with the Helicarrier. There was a few times that Leo would just start talking of what he would do to the Helicarrier and the things eh could add to it. Bucky had to quiet Leo when Leo started talking, honestly Bucky hoped that his child was not as hyper active as Leo was. Once Bucky was finished telling the avengers and SHILED EVERYTHING that silence followed, he couldn't tell them of what Emily was facing down there in Tartarus, the only ones who could were not there. Besides he wasn't sure if Arabella and Nico would want to tell anything or say anything about Tartarus at the moment. It was Tony that lean forward and finally broke the silence.
"So you are saying that Vine Plant and Capsicle are in Tartarus and Wicked went through Tartarus. Is Lightning girl and Phil all right though?"
"Last, I knew but like I said, a snow goddess throw Leo and myself off the ship because we are fire users. That fire and ice don't mix. So she needed to get rid of both of us." Tony grinned before he spoke.
"So when your wife says that you're hot ... "
"Shut up, Tony." Bruce looked like he was ready to laugh as well as Leo and the rest of the avengers, Bucky just wanted to find the Argo II so that they could get back on track with getting to Emily and Steve. Bucky could tell that Leo wanted to get back to the Argo II but the Helicarrier was keeping him busy. For the next few days that Leo spent trying to figure out the Helicarrier and how it worked and for the most part he learned of how the Helicarrier works. During that time that Bucky spent with the avengers, training or just talking, Tony and Bruce were mostly in the lab. After about five days that they made it to Malta, just to keep himself entertained that Leo made a makeshift rift with an engine made of celestial bronze. That was also partly because he wanted to use his own way to get across to Malta. Bucky climbed onto the raft while the avengers, or the ones that were there, used a Quinjet to get to Malta. They spend the next couple of hours in Malta, Bucky, Leo and the avengers were sitting at an open air café in the city fortifications when Bucky saw the Argo II entering the harbor. When Leo saw it that they agreed to remain where they were and waited for the others to come up, as they waited for crew that Bucky was thinking of what a strange sight that they must look like. He was sure that people were thinking as they passed them that there was a big guy that was wearing Norse armor, a guy in a black sabbath shirt, a guy with glasses, a woman in a form fitting jumpsuit, a guy with bow and arrows, a guy with a metal arm, and a elvish looking kid.
It was an amusing thought, he wonder if the other three avengers were as well that it would be even more funnier than it was now. For a set of twins would be added as well as Lauren and Arabella of who was rather looked pale next to the rest of the avengers unless of Emily was in her daughter of Hades appearance. Bucky was sure that Leo would have went down running if it wasn't for the fact that they agreed to remain here and the fact that he heard about Tony and at Leo has been asking him questions as they sitting at the café waiting for the others to show up. After a while that the crew from the Argo II came up to the café that they were sitting at, Piper nearly knocked Leo out of his chair. While Arabella was close of doing the same thing with Bucky but not quite since he was bigger than Arabella was so it would be harder for Arabella to nearly knock him over. Arabella greeted the other avengers as well, she seems a lot more happier than she did before Bucky and and Leo were throw off of the Argo II by Khione. From her greetings to the avengers that it was clear she missed them as well as missing Bucky since she only has Nico and her other two sisters to talk to since he was thrown off of the Argo II.
"Leo! Gods, where have you been?"
"Valdez! Barnes!" Gleeson grinned when he saw Bucky and Leo sitting there. Then Gleeson seemed to remember he has a reputation to protect than he forced a scowl on his face, almost making Bucky laugh. "If You two ever disappear like that again, you little punks, I'll knock you two into next month!" Tony looked at Gleeson before he looked at Bucky and spoke
"Did a goat just really threaten you?" Gleeson hit Tony with the bat and Tony fell off his chair, making Phil and Bucky laugh at the shock look on Tony's face.
"I am satyr, not a goat. Call me that again and I will kick you into next month as well." Tony looked at Gleeson before he looked at the laughing Phil.
"You know, I prefer your super nanny threats." As Tony staid that, that Frank patted Leo on his back making Leo wince, Nico even shook his head. Jennifer went over to Leo and hugged him as Hazel kissed Leo on the cheek.
"We thought you two were dead!" Jennifer slapped Leo across the face making Leo blush.
"Don't ever do that to me again." Leo managed a smile and looked at them.
"Hey, guys. Nah, nah, I'm good." Leo kissed Jennifer's nose. "Sorry, I won't do that again." Jason looked between Bucky and Leo.
"What happened?"
"I managed to change the wind direction and one of my friends came to help us. I told it to take Leo and myself to a safe place and it went to the Helicarrier that was out there looking for the Argo II or trying to at any rate." Bucky nodded to the Helicarrier that was on the water at the moment.
"Yeah, it's really cool but I didn't managed to check it out all that much though. How about you guys? What happened with Khione?" Gleeson snorted.
"What happened? Piper happened! I'm telling you, this girl has skills!" Piper started to protested towards Gleeson.
"Coach …" Gleeson paid no heed to Piper and began telling them of happened after Bucky and Leo were thrown off the ship, in Gleeson's version that Piper was apparently a Kung fu assassin. Bucky knows that was not true, for he doubted that Piper has those kinds of moves or that she learned those moves while on this quest. Bucky noticed that Jason was watching Leo and Jennifer, for Jennifer climbed into Leo's lap since Gleeson started his story and Jennifer has her arms around his neck. It was amusing to see some of the demigods become couple, the most fun was Frank and Hazel because they reminded Bucky of how Emily and himself started out. Bucky kept listening to Gleeson's story till he reached the part of where apparently Piper defeated Khione with a roundhouse kick. At that point Bucky was close of laughing into the coke bottle he was drinking out of and the coke went back into the bottle. However, Piper interrupted Gleeson at the moment.
"Coach! It didn't happen like that at all. I couldn't have done anything without Festus." Bucky and Leo raised their eyebrows for they both know that Festus was deactivated at the time when Khione came.
"But Festus was deactivated."
"Um, about that, I sort of woke him up." Piper explained her version of which was more believable than Gleeson's version of the story of what really happened. Of how she rebooted the dragon with her Charmspeak, Leo was tapping his fingers on the table.
"Shouldn't be possible. Unless the upgrades let him respond to voice commands. But if he's permanently activated, that means the navigation system and the crystal …"
"Crystal?"
"Um, nothing. Anyway, what happened after the wind bomb went off?" Hazel took up the story from there, a waitress came over and offered them some menus, it didn't take long for them eating sandwiches and drinking sodas. It was no big surprise, to the avengers at least, that Thor pretty much have double of mostly everything that was on the menu. Since Thor has a big appetite as well as Frank and Percy form what Bucky could make out since getting to know Frank and Percy. Frank grabbed a tourist brochure that was under the napkin dispenser, Nico was standing at the edge of the group eyeing the passing pedestrians. It was that Nico was thinking that the passing pedestrians were enemies or/and monsters in disguise. There was a chance that could be the case but somehow Bucky doubted that fact, however Gleeson was munching on the salt and pepper shakers. Bucky couldn't believe that the others meet his father, but that didn't bother him as much as one would think it would. Even after he learned he was a demigod and the son of Notus that he didn't care as long as he has Emily and Steve at his side like back when they were kids and in the war. Learning he was a demigod made him feel even more connected to Emily and Steve as well as understanding their world better than he did in World War II.
"So then Jason harnessed the venti. And here we are." Leo whistled.
"Hot-air horses? Dang, Jason. So, basically, you held a bunch of gas together all the way to Malta and then you let it loose." Jason frowned.
"You know, it doesn't sound so heroic when you put it that way."
"Yeah, well. I'm an expert on hot air. I'm still wondering, why Malta? The Helicarrier just kind of ended up here." Bucky spoke.
"Well, I told them to land here since the wind told me that we should stay here and wait so I assume that the winds knew that the Argo II was coming here."
"Hey, we should get going. We've got work to do! Ships to fix! Festus to check! Earth goddesses to punch in the face! What are we waiting for? Leo's back!" Leo got to his feet as he spoke, he spread his arms and grinned. Bucky got up as Jason got up, Jason clapped Leo on the back.
"Leo's right. We should get going." After that was said that Phil told the avengers to go back to the Helicarrier to inform a Melinda May of where to take the Helicarrier, while everyone else that was there was wrapping up their food and finish their drinks. Just after they finished wrapping their food and their drinks that Hazel gasped.
"Guys …" Hazel pointed to the northeast horizon, at first Bucky noticed nothing but the sea and land, but than a streak of darkness shot into the air like black lightning as if it was pure night that was tearing through the daytime.
"I don't see anything."
"Me neither." Bucky looked at the others, most of of them looked confused, the only other ones that seem to see it was Thor, Jason, Lauren, Nico, Jennifer and Arabella.
"That can't be … Greece is still hundreds of miles away." The darkness flashed again, momentarily leaching the color from the horizon.
"You think it's Epirus?" Bucky has a bad feeling about this, if that was Epirus than the doors must be opening, he was getting worried that something might happen to Emily down there. Nico nodded.
"The House of Hades is open for business." A few seconds later that a rumbling sound washed over them like a distant artillery.
"It's begun." Bucky looked over at Arabella of who looked just as worried as he felt.
"What has?" The next flash that Hazel's gold eyes darkened like forklift in the first.
"Gaia's final push. The Doors of Death are working overtime. Her forces are entering the mortal world en masse."
"We'll never make it. By the time we arrive, there'll be too many monsters to fight." Arabella finally spoke up.
"But we have to try, to get to the doors and help Steve, Emily, Percy and Annabeth."
"We'll defeat them. And we'll make it there fast. We've got Leo back. He'll give us the speed we need." Jason turned to Leo. "Or is that just hot air?" Leo managed a crooked grin.
"Time to fly, boys and girls, Uncle Leo's still got a few tricks up his sleeves!"
Emily's pov
Emily was staring at the woman, that looked just like her, in front of her, hardly believing of what this woman told them of who she was. Emily managed to stand up more properly and looked the woman that was standing there looking at Emily with a small smile on her face. if she was wearing the same clothing as Emily was wearing at the moment as well as having the same bracelets, poppy, rings and hair style that there would be no difference between Emily and the woman. Emily can sense hope as well as give hope to others, she could feel and sense hope rolling off the woman in front of her, it was a strange thing to see hope rolling off from someone. Emily could tell that the woman was pure hope and nothing else, but it was a wonder of how Elpis looks just like her as oppose to the drawings and paintings that Emily saw of her. For usually her hair was brown, as well as being was more tanned, and her eyes were green but the clothing and hair style remained the same.
"How is that you look like me and how is that you are here?"
"You called to me." Emily raised an eyebrow when she said that, Elpis sighed before she went on. "Emily remember the battle of Manhattan when the truce party came." Emily remembered that too well, the only ones that wasn't present than was Annabeth, Colonel Phillips and Dr. Erskine.
"Yes, something reached out to me as they wanted to be let out, than Morrain said it has happen and comment it would be a bad idea to let you out at that point. She never explained of that was."
"That was because she was aware of what happened when that jar was made and all those spirits were put in there counting me. For you seem I am different from other Protogenos ever since I was put in that jar and I am still in that jar. But I can't say much more for I have little time left, just please make it to Athens before or the day of the feast of Spes, Emily." When Elpis said that, that she vanished. Emily wondered what to do now and what Elpis meant so that Emily forget for a moment of where she was and what they were suppose to do till Annabeth spoke up.
"We have to get away from this cliff. If Akhlys brought us here as some kind of sacrifice …" Emily looked at Annabeth realizing of what they were doing and where they were before Elpis came along, Emily wasn't thinking straight after the information that was given her just than.
"Akhlys said something about feeding us to the night. What was that about?" Emily was about ready to answer the question but the temperature dropped suddenly and the abyss before them seem to exhale. Steve grabbed Emily and pulled her away from the abyess, Percy did the same thing with Annabeth, however Colonel Phillips and Dr, Erskine were far enough away that they didn't have to back up from the abyess. As they backed up from the abyess that a presence emerged from the void. A form so dark and shadowy that she felt like Emily could understand darkness, true darkness, for the first time. Than the darkness, that was coming from the abyess and was in front of them, spoke in a feminine voice that was soft as silk.
"I imagine, that she meant Night, with a capital N. After all, I am the only one." As the darkness formed that a woman was formed, the woman was made out of darkness. The woman's wings were black and she was standing in a shadowy chariot pulled by vampire horses. It was Nyx, that much Emily knows for sure, she was looming over the chasm and she was a churning figure of ash and smoke as well, that she was as big as the Athena Parthenos. Unlike the Athena Parthenos that she was very much alive, Emily could feel power rolling off of her just like she could with the statue. Her dress was void black mixed with the colors of a space nebula as of galaxies were being born in her bodice, her face was a hard to see expect of the pinpoints of her eyes of which show like quasars. When her wings beat that there was waves of darkness rolled over the cliffs, it made Emily feel heavy and sleepy. It was clear that the chariot was made out of Stygian Iron, the same material in her sword that Hades gave to her shortly after he adopted her. The two horses were massive, all black expect for their pointed silver fangs, the horses's legs floated in the abyss turning from solid to smoke as they moved. The horses snarled and bared their fangs at Annabeth and the others, the goddess lashed her whip and the horses reared.
"No, Shade. Down, Shadow. These little prizes are not for you." Emily looked at the two horses, the only horse she can understood was Arion and he cussed half of the time. She only understand him because they were half siblings of which Emily still finds odd, that she has a horse for a half brother.
"Uh, so you won't let them eat us? They really want to eat us." Nyx's eyes burned.
"Of course not. I would not let my horses eat you, any more than I would let Akhlys kill you. Such fine prizes, I will kill myself!" Emily knew that they have to do something to get to the doors of death and get past Night, it seems that Annabeth thought of something.
"Oh, don't kill yourself! We're not that scary." The goddess lowered her whip, Emily looked over at Annabeth, as well as Steve, Percy, Colonel Phillips and Dr. Erskine. Emily was wondering if Annabeth was crazy, when Colonel Phillips looked at Emily that he was thinking along the same lines as Emily. Though Emily was sure that he was more likely thinking that he has a crazy half sister.
"What? No, I didn't mean –" Annabeth looked at the five of them before forced a laugh.
"Well, I'd hope not! We wouldn't want to scare her, would we?"
"Ha, ha. No, we wouldn't." Emily and the others forced a laugh but it seem Dr. Erskine was the most uncomfortable about this and she couldn't blame him for that fact. For he wasn't used to this kind of thing, since he wasn't part of the demigod world. The vampire horses looked confused, they reared, snorted and knocked their heads together while Nyx pulled back on the reins.
"Do you know who I am?"
"Well, you're Night, I suppose, I mean, I can tell because you're dark and everything, though the brochure didn't say much about you." Nyx's eyes winked out for a moment.
"What brochure?" Annabeth patted her pockets.
"We had one, didn't we?" Emily looked at the two horses, Emily didn't say anything, neither did the others expect for Percy. It was simpler this way and hopefully safer than attacking straight on, even if there were five demigods and one mortal.
"Uh-huh."
"Anyway, I guess the brochure didn't say much because you weren't spotlighted on the tour. We got to see the River Phlegethon, the Cocytus, the arai, the poison glade of Akhlys, even some random Titans and giants, but Nyx … hmm, no, you weren't really featured."
"Featured? Spotlighted?"
"Yeah, We came down here for the Tartarus tour – like, exotic destinations, you know? The Underworld is overdone. Mount Olympus is a tourist trap –"
"Gods, totally! So we booked the Tartarus excursion, but no one even mentioned we'd run into Nyx. Huh. Oh, well. Guess they didn't think you were important."
"Not important!" Nyx cracked her whip, the horses bucked and snapped heir silvery fangs when Nyx did that. Waves of darkness rolled out of the chasm, Emily lowered her sword but held onto it as Annabeth pushed Percy's sword arm forcing him to lower his sword. Emily knew that Nyx was one of the oldest beings there was in the Greek world other than Chaos.
"Well, how many other demigods have come to see you on the tour?" Nyx's hand went slack on the reins that she was holding.
"None. Not one. This is unacceptable!" Annabeth shrugged.
"Maybe it's because you haven't really done anything to get in the news. I mean, I can understand Tartarus being important! This whole place is named after him. Or if we could meet Day –" Percy chimed in.
"Oh, yeah. Day? She would be impressive. I'd totally want to meet her. Maybe get her autograph." Nyx gripped the rail of her black chariot causing the whole vehicle to shuddered. Emily looked Dr. Erskine of looked at her with a questioning and scared look, Emily used hope to calm him down but shrugged at his questioning look for she was unsure of what Annabeth was planning.
"Day! You mean Hemera? She is my daughter! Night is much more powerful than Day!"
"Eh, I liked the arai, or even Akhlys better."
"They are my children as well!" Percy stifled a yawn.
"Got a lot of children, huh?"
"I am the mother of all terrors! The Fates themselves! Hecate! Old Age! Pain! Sleep! Death! And all of the curses! Behold how newsworthy I am!" Nyx lashed her whip again, the darkness congealed around her. On either side of Nyx, an army of shadows appeared, among the army was dark winged arai, a withered man that Emily figured was Geras the god of old age, and there was a younger woman in a black toga, her eyes were gleaming and her smile reminded Emily of a serial killer's. Emily figured that was Eros, the goddess of strife, more kept appearing, dozens of demons and minor gods. Emily wanted to run, but what kept her standing there was the thought of seeing Bucky again as well as being above once more to see the sun and stars.
"Yeah, not bad, I guess we could get one picture for the scrapbook, but I don't know. You guys are so … dark. Even if I used a flash, I'm not sure it would come out."
"Y-yeah. You guys aren't photogenic."
"You – miserable – tourists! How dare you not tremble before me! How dare you not whimper and beg for my autograph and a picture for your scrapbook! You want newsworthy? My son Hypnos once put Zeus to sleep! When Zeus pursued him across the earth, bent on vengeance, Hypnos hid in my palace for safety, and Zeus did not follow. Even the king of Olympus fears me!" Annabeth turned to Percy as Emily tried to figure out a way to get to where the doors of death from here.
"Uh-huh. Well, it's getting late. We should probably get lunch at one of those restaurants the tour guide recommended. Then we can find the Doors of Death." Nyx cried in triumph.
"Aha!" Her brood of shadows stirred and echoed: "Aha! Aha!"
"You wish to see the Doors of Death? They lie at the very heart of Tartarus. Mortals such as you could never reach them, except through the halls of my palace – the Mansion of Night!" Emily followed the gestures and looked to where her mansion was. It was three hundred feet below, floating in the abyss, was a doorway leading into a large room. Emily wondered of how to get there as Annabeth sighed and spoke.
"I suppose we could do one picture, but a group shot won't work. Nyx, how about one of you with your favourite child? Which one is that?" The shadows stirred and dozens of eyes turned to Nyx, the goddess shifted uncomfortably. It was like as if her chariot was hearing up under her feet, her shadow horses huffed and pawed at the void.
"My favourite child? All my children are terrifying!" Percy snorted.
"Seriously? I've met the Fates. I've met Thanatos. They weren't so scary. You've got to have somebody in this crowd who's worse than that."
"The darkest. The most like you." Eris hissed.
"I am the darkest. Wars and strife! I have caused all manner of death!" Geras snarled.
"I am darker still! I dim the eyes and addle the brain. Every mortal fears old age!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm not seeing enough dark. I mean, you're the children of Night! Show me dark!" The horde of arai wailed and started to flap their leathery wings, stirring up clouds of blackness. Geras spread his withered hands and dimmed the entire abyss, while Eros breathed a shadowy spray of buckshot across the void.
"I am the darkest!"
"No, I!"
"No! Behold my darkness!" It was like a thousand octopuses squirted ink at the same time at the bottom of the deepest and most sunless ocean trench. There was no way that it could get any darker, it was like Emily was blind, than she felt Steve gripping her hand.
"Wait! I can't see anything."
"Yes! I did that!"
"No, I did!"
"Fool, it was me!" There were dozens of voices arguing in the darkness and the horses were whining in alarm.
"Stop it! Whose foot is that?"
"Eris is hitting me! Mother, tell her to stop hitting me!"
"I did not! Ouch!" The sounds of scuffling of the children of the Night and Nyx was gottting louder and it seems the darkness was becoming even deeper. Emily felt Steve squeezed her hand and than she heard Annabeth.
"Ready?"
"For what?" After a pause that Percy grunted unhappily. "Poseidon's underpants, you can't be serious." Emily knew what they meant and what they were talking about, she was sure Colonel Phillips and would make sure Dr. Erskine would follow along.
"Somebody give me light! Gah! I can't believe I just said that!" Emily smiled when she heard Nyx say that, it wasn't often you hear Night ask for light.
"It's a trick! The demigods are escaping!"
"I've got them."
"No, that's my neck!"
"Jump!" Steve and Emily leaped into the darkness aiming for the doorway when Annabeth said jump. Emily helped them guide to the doors as they fell, Emily could feel her heart seem to slow down as they fell. Emily panic slightly, till she felt solid floor under her feet, Emily felt pain and she stumbled forward, Steve managed to make sure that she didn't fall as he broke into a run dragging Emily with him. Colonel Phillips and Dr. Erskine were just behind them, for she could hear them running behind herself and Steve, while Percy and Annabeth were just in front of them. Emily just knew from the darkness of where they were since she has her eyes closed for now. Above them in the dark that Nyx and her children were still scuffling and that Nyx was yelling at her children.
"I've got them! My foot! Stop it!" Emily was glad of her night vision even if it doesn't work as well down here in Tartarus as it does above or even in the underworld. Emily wasn't sure if she could open her eyes to look at Nyx's home, she didn't dare look to find out. The squabbling sounds of Nyx and her children were getting further away from them as they ran. Of which was good in Emily's mind, as they ran that Emily started to hear a throbbing sound that sounded like a heartbeat. It was amplified so powerfully that the floor vibrates under her feet. As the beat got louder that she could smell smoke, she could hear the flickering of torches, Emily wanted to open her eyes but she knows better.
"Don't look."
"Wasn't planning on it, You can feel that, right? We're still in the Mansion of Night. I do not want to see it." The throbbing was getting louder, sending vibrations up and down Emily's spine of which made her shiver. It was like someone was knocking on the bottom of the world with the beating that was becoming louder. Emily could sense the walls were opening up, for the air smelled fresher than it has for a long time and she could here the sound of a flowing river. If Emily wasn't a child of the underworld that it would lead to death of Steve, Colonel Phillips and Dr. Erskine, death again for Colonel Phillips and Dr. Erskine. For Emily just barely pulled Steve back and grasp the wrist of Colonel Phillips, and she use the shadows to make sure that Dr. Erskine didn't go forward by accident. Emily could hear Percy.
"ANNABETH!" She heard a little bit of scramble before it stopped. "It's okay." It was clear that Annabeth almost fell into the river in front of them, just like Steve, Colonel Phillips and Dr. Erskine were close of doing the same thing.
"Thanks … Can you tell what's in front us?"
"Water, I'm still not looking. I don't think it's safe yet."
"Agreed."
"I can sense a river … or maybe it's a moat. It's blocking our path, flowing left to right through a channel cut in the rock. The opposite side is about twenty feet away."
"Is there a bridge, or –?"
"I don't think so. And there's something wrong with the water. Listen."
"Annabeth, there are no bridges in Tartarus. The closest bridges are in the underworld, the ones your half brother built and he had great fun building them."
"It kept me busy that's for sure. I am not sure if I would have called it a punishment though."
"Neither does my father, but the fields were getting cluttered and it needed to be fixed, so hey let's have Daedalus build roads to help it. It was better than anything that the judges would have come up with."
"Daedalus? You mean Colonel Phillips is Daedalus?" Emily was close of laughing.
"You never told him that after you two got here?"
"No, I just barely meet up with him when I got to that hut. You and the other four came shortly afterwards. Even we were together longer I am not sure if I would have told him than either." Emily nodded, there was a few moments of silence before she spoke once more.
"Besides that, but what you are hearing is the souls of the damned, the souls that are blackest of the black, murderers especially and criminals like that. Some people call it the river of pain, for it is the ultimate punishment for murderers. We are standing at the edge of the fifth river of underworld, the river Acheron." Emily could hear the roaring current as well as a thousands of voices cried out in agony pleading for mercy.
'Help! It was an accident!'
'The pain! Make it stop!'
'Murderers! Yes, like you!'
'Join us, You are no better than we are.' Emily was forced to grip Colonel Phillips harder, for she felt him taking a step forward, she managed to pull him back before he could go into the river. She figured that the efforts of the river would be worse on him than the rest of them, she knew she would be least effected by this river. Since Emily was adopted daughter of Hades.
"Colonel Phillips, no." It seem that snapped him out of it.
"Sorry, it's that ... "
"I know, I am aware of what happened. Is that brand still there?"
"You know what, I have no idea."
"What brand?" It was Steve who spoke that time and Colonel Phillips responded.
"A murderer's brand. One that my mother gave to me."
"Why would she do that?" Before Colonel Phillips could answer that Emily spoke.
"We will talk about it later, now is not the time. For we need to get across this river. Not only that but whatever you do, don't listen to that river. For if you jump in you will be killed and struck in that river forever."
"Well, that's a nice thought." After Steve said that Dr. Erskine spoke.
"Hang on, if this river comes from the underworld, how could you know about it?"
"There are only three ways really, one I am a daughter of Athena and I read a lot, two I just read a lot or three, I was adopted by Hades."
"Let me guess, you read a lot over the years."
"To put it this way, if I wasn't adopted by Hades, that would be the case." Silence followed that statement, after a minute that Dr, Erskine spoke.
"So you and Steve are children of two gods?"
"If Steve was adopted by Hades by now that I would refer to him as Steve's and my father not just my father. In other words no, he only adopted me because Steve was sleeping."
"Thanks for reminding of that."
"What would you prefer me to say you were a Capsicle instead?"
"You spend too much time around Tony."
"Actually that is not fully true, you spend more time with him than I did, since you two are almost always at each other's throat." It was Colonel Phillips that spoke.
"I know that I kept up with most news on certain things but who is this Tony that you are talking about?"
"Tony Stark, or Anthony Stark as you may heard. Tony is Howard's son. But we need to get across the river, I will tell you more later."
"Emily, how would we get across."
"Link hands."
"What?" Than a voice cried from behind them.
"There! Kill the ungrateful tourists!" The children of Nyx have found them. Emily could sense the others linking their hands together than she heard Annabeth.
"Go!" Shadows engulf them, for a few moments they were not on solid ground, than her feet hitting solid ground and she knew that they were no longer in the mansion so Emily opened her eyes. There was a valley that was stretched before the six of them, there was poisonous clouds, the terrain glistened purple with dark red and blue scar lines. They made it across the river and Tartarus for they were in the heart of Tartarus, there was a bombing noise that shook the ground like Thunder. When that stopped that her vision changed so that she was looking an real life heart, Emily was close of taking a sharp intake of breath, she wasn't sure if Arabella and Nico were in a jar when they reached this point or not. But she was sure that no else has seen the heart of Tartarus before as it was suppose to, as soon as her vision changed that ti went back to how it was. Emily spoke up.
"You can open your eyes. But you won't like what you see." The others open their eyes and it was Colonel Phillips that spoke.
"It looks like … Like a giant heart."
"The heart of Tartarus." The center of the valley was covered a fine black fuzz of peppery dots, it was the army of monsters pushing their way through to the mortal world. There thousands of them, she saw some of the monsters that she killed years ago or even more than once. Emily could feel a power tugging at her soul and she knew that was the doors of death.
"The Doors of Death."
"Yeah."
"What happened to Nyx …?" Emily turned around when Annabeth brought Nyx, they were several hundred yards from the banks of the Acheron, of which amazed her since she didn't know the shadow travel would go that far in Tartarus. She was surprised that she could even shadow travel down here but it drained a lot of her energy by doing it down here. For Emily felt weak, very weak, the most weakest she felt since she came down with Percy, Annabeth and Steve. Emily was holding tight onto Steve as a result and she was leaning against him, Emily felt like she was going throw up and fall down on her knees, Steve seem to understand that and put an arm around her to make sure that didn't happen. The Acheron flowed through a channel that cut into black volcanic hills but beyond that, that there was nothin but darkness. Emily was surprised that she was able to shadow travel through that much darkness more so with Nyx over there and her children. There was no signs of anyone coming after them, apparently Nyx and her children didn't want to cross the river. Than Emily heard the skittering of a rockslide in the hills to their left, Emily turned to that direction and grasp her poppy that turned into her sword. A patch of glowing white hair appeared over the ridge, a familiar grinning face appeared with pure silver eyes.
"Bob? Oh my gods!"
"Friends!" Bob lumbered towards them, Emily noticed that the bristles of his broom was burned off and his janitor's uniform was slashed with new claw marks but he looked delighted. On his shoulders was Small Bob and Sarah, they were purring as loudly as the heart of Tartarus. Bob gathered them in a rib crushing hug.
"I found you! You look like smoking dead people. That is good!"
"Urf. How did you get here? Through the Mansion of Night?"
"No, no. That place is too scary. Another way – only good for Titans and such."
"Let me guess. You went sideways." Bon scratched his chin, he seem at a loss for words.
"Hmm. No. More … diagonal." Annabeth laughed, Emily couldn't help but smile herself, it was great to have Bob back. More so after meeting Nyx and her children, Annabeth kissed Bob's nose of which made Bob blink. Emily was close of laughing at the look on Bob's face.
"We stay together now?"
"Yes, Time to see if this Death Mist works."
"And if it doesn't …" Percy stopped himself, Emily wondered the same thing but it has to work or at least long enough for them to get to the doors. Annabeth managed a smile, Emily knows part of it was because their goal was in sight. That they have a Titan with a broom and two very loud kittens on their side, that has to count for something.
"Doors of Death, here we come." Spread to the horizon in front of them was an army of monsters, flocks of winged arai, tribes of lumbering cyclops, clusters of floating evil spirits. Emily did kept looking down at herself as they walked across the heart towards the doors of death. It was hard to believe that this was her, for she looked like a corpse, she wondered if this what the oracle felt like all the time after she was mummified. Emily would have to remember to ask her father not to curse any more oracles if the mummified oracle felt like this after that curse. Bob led them towards the edge of the army, he made no effort to hide, but it would be for Bob to hid in the first place. About thirty yards from the nearest monsters that Bob turned to face them.
"Stay quiet and stay behind me. They will not notice you."
"We hope." On Bob's shoulder that Small Bob and Sarah woke up from a nap, both purred seismically before arching their backs. They turned to skeletal before going back to calico, Sarah leaped from Bob and jumped onto Emily's shoulders. Annabeth was examined her zombie hands.
"Bob, if we're invisible … how can you see us? I mean, you're technically, you know …"
"Yes. But we are friends."
"Nyx and her children could see us." Bob shrugged.
"That was in Nyx's realm. That is different."
"Uh … right." Annabeth didn't sound reassured, but they were here now. They have to try, Emily looked at the vicious monsters that was in front of them.
"Well, at least we won't have to worry about bumping into any other friends in this crowd." Bob grinned.
"Yes, that is good news! Now, let's go. Death is close."
"The Doors of Death are close. Let's watch the phrasing." They plunged into the crowd, Emily was trembling, it took a lot for her to get scared easier than she did at six or even ten. But this was different for Emily was in a place of were it was the monster's home and not her own home. She seen a lot of monsters as well as fought a lot of them and in large groups, but this was different from than. There was no way she could kill them here not with so many down here, for she would be killed with the greatest of ease. Even with her all of powers from her parents and patron that she knew she couldn't defeat all this monsters. That thought scared her greatly, as they walked that Emily kept seeing Tartarus between two things of what she was sure of what the others saw and what it was like. At times that wasn't so bad and she's saw what the others saw, but it seem like she could see all of Tartarus now that she was in the heart. She couldn't put it into words for there no words to put it, she knew that it was being a child of the underworld that she was able to see Tartarus for what it was.
Emily kept holding onto Steve, to make sure that she was able to keep her balance and out of fear of what could happen if they were noticed. Not for the first time that she came down here that she wished that she wasn't a child of the underworld. For her vision wouldn't keep changing so that she would see Tartarus for what it is instead of seeing it as the others saw it. A few feet away that there was a group of Empousai that tore into the carcass of a gryphon while the other gryphons flew around them, squawking in outrage. Dr. Erskine looked like he was going to throw up but she took put a hand on his shoulder as they walked and he seem he relieved for that. A six armed Earthborn and a Laistrygonian giant pummeled each other with rocks, it was hard to tell of they were really fighting or they were playing with each other. There was a dark wisp of smoke, it was an eidolon that seeped into a cyclops, the monster started to hit himself in the face before the eidolon drifted off to possess another victim.
"Percy, look." Emily looked to were Percy and Annabeth were staring at, a guy in a cowboy outfit was cracking a whip at some fire breathing horses. The wrangler was wearing a Stetson hat on his greasy hair, an extra large set of jeans and a pair of black leather boots. At first Emily thought he was another mortal till the guy turned, for his upper body was split into three different chests, each one was wearing a different color western shirt. Emily knows that was Geryon but she didn't know that he died and was reformed again, she wondered when he was killed. She has a feeling it was recent with Percy's and Annabeth's reaction to Geryon, so he shouldn't reformed as soon as he did if it was in the last twenty years at least. She remembers what the arai said about the one curse that Percy got, so Percy must have killed him at some point. Suddenly Emily felt hopelessness coming from Percy, Emily looked over at Percy when she sensed that in slight surprise. For she thought she would sense that sooner or not at all when they reached the heart of his place.
She realized something, unlike her, that he would get older, that at some point he will be killed or die in some way. That the monsters would feel like they last forever, as that thought came across her mind that she realize of why Percy felt that hopelessness. Yes, Emily was immortal but she could only die in battle, at some point she would die, of when that will happen she would never know. She knows a monster could defeat her at some point, however she felt that family connection with her child and her hope become stronger. She knew that even if she and Bucky died that their legacy will live on in their child, the one that they created not too long ago, of which could be a month by now since she doesn't know of how much time as passed in Tartarus. She was only sure of one thing, that her birthday passed while they were in Tartarus, for she was sure they been here in Tartarus more than three days. There was hope that the Romans and Greek can work together, after all they did it in the Titan war without realizing it. Both camps be around for years, long before Emily was born of which was about ninety years or more. Emily noticed that Percy was grinning suddenly and she realized he felt hope once more, though Percy looked like he was grinning in pain though Emily knows that was not true but Annabeth noticed his grin at least.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I was just –" Than somewhere in front of them that a deep voice bellowed.
"IAPETUS!" A Titan strode towards them, he was kicking lesser monsters out of his way as he walked to Bob. Colonel Phillips turned to her and mouthed, Iapetus? Emily nodded to let him know at Bob was once Iapetus, Colonel Phillips looked shocked. Emily looked back at the other Titan, he was the same height as Bob with elaborate Stygian iron armor and a single diamond was blazing in the center or his breastplate. His eyes were blue white, like a glacier and just as cold, his hair was the same color but it was a military cut style. A battle helmet shaped like a bear's head was tucked under his arm, from his belt hunt a sword the size of a surfboard. The Titan stopped in front of Bob and clapped him on the shoulder.
"Iapetus! Don't tell me you don't recognize your own brother!"
"No! I won't tell you that." The other Titan threw back his head and laughed,
"I heard you were thrown into the Lethe. Must've been terrible! We all knew you would heal eventually. It's Koios! Koios!"
"Of course, Koios, Titan of …"
"The North!"
"I know!" Emily watched them interact, she knew Bon was just going with the flow at the moment but she was unsure if he would remember any more than he has done. Small Bob and Sarah crawled onto Bob's head and they began making a nest in his hair.
"Poor old Iapetus. They must have laid you low indeed. Look at you! A broom? A servant's uniform? Two cats in your hair? Truly, Hades must pay for these insults. Who was that demigod who took your memory? Bah! We must rip him to pieces, you and I, eh?"
"Ha-ha. Yes, indeed. Rip him to pieces." Emily was ready to fight if Bob's brother sees them and attack, though she was unsure of how the fight would end. Koios drummed his fingers on his bear's head helmet.
"Ah, it's good to see you … You remember what fun we had in the old days?"
"Of course! When we, uh …"
"Holding down our father Ouranos.'
"Yes! We loved wrestling with Dad …"
"We restrained him."
"That's what I meant!"
"While Kronos cut him to pieces with his scythe."
"Yes, ha-ha. What fun."
"You grabbed Father's right foot, as I recall. And Ouranos kicked you in the face as he struggled. How we used to tease you about that!"
"Silly me." Kroios heaved a sigh.
"Sadly, our brother Kronos was dissolved by those impudent demigods. Bits and pieces of his essence remain, but nothing you could put together again. I suppose some injuries even Tartarus cannot heal."
"Alas!"
"But the rest of us have another chance to shine, eh?" Koios leaned forward conspiratorially. "These giants may think they will rule. Let them be our shock troops and destroy the Olympians – all well and good. But once the Earth Mother is awake she will remember that we are her eldest children. Mark my words. The Titans will yet rule the cosmos."
"Hmm. The giants may not like that."
"Spit on what they like. They've already passed through the Doors of Death, anyway, back to the mortal world. Polybotes was the last one, not half an hour ago, still grumbling about missing his prey. Apparently some demigods he was after got swallowed by Nyx. Never see them again, I wager!" Emily felt Steve grip her wrist, Emily knew he was thinking that if all the giants were out of Tartarus than their friends would be in greater danger than they were before, all that fighting the giants have been in vain. Kroios drew his massive sword, the blade radiated a cold deeper than the Hubbard glacier ever gave it will ever give.
"Well! I must be off. Leto should have regenerated by now. I will convince her to fight."
"Of course, Leto." Kroios laughed
"You've forgotten my daughter, as well? I suppose it's been too long since you've seen her. The peaceful ones like her always take the longest to re-form. This time, though, I'm sure Leto will fight for vengeance. The way Zeus treated her, after she bore him those fine twins? Outrageous!" Emily heard Percy grunted, Emily have been wondering of why this Titan looked familiar but when he said Leto that she understood why. Emily never meet Leto but she meet Artemis and Apollo before, Kroios has Artemis's cold eyes while he has Apolloo's smile of which was rather creepy.
"Well! I'll see you in the mortal world!" Koios chest-bumped Bob, almost knocking the cats off his head. "Oh, and our two other brothers are guarding this side of the Doors, so you'll see them soon enough!"
"I will?"
"Count on it!" Koios lumbered off, almost knocking over Percy and Annabeth as the two of them scrambled out of his way. Thankfully Emily and the other three didn't have to move away as Koios went by, Percy motion Bob to learn forward.
"You okay, big guy?" Bob frowned.
"I do not know. In all this –" Bob gestured around them – "what is the meaning of okay?" Emily peered towards the doors of death though she couldn't see it because of the monsters.
"Did I hear correctly? Two more Titans guarding our exit? That's not good." Emily looked at Bob, it was clear that he was remembering his past more, of how much more he remembers was the question.
"Do you remember Koios? All that stuff he was talking about?" Bob gripped his broom.
"When he told it, I remembered. He handed me my past like … like a spear. But I do not know if I should take it. Is it still mine, if I do not want it?" Annabeth than spoke firmly.
"No, Bob, you're different now. You're better." Colonel Phillips looked a little worried but Emily spoke up.
"Annabeth's right, Bob. You are different and better. Honestly you have a better life this you did as Iapetus. It's like I told you earlier, you decided of what you are and who become. You can be more than a Titan, more than Iapetus. You can change your fate, for there been people who managed to change their fate somewhat or improved themselves in time to change their fate." Small Bob jumped off Bob's head and circled Bob's feet, he was bumping his head against the trouser cuffs. It seems Bob didn't noticed this for Bob still seem confused.
"I think you can choose, Bob. Take the parts of Iapetus's past that you want to keep. Leave the rest. Your future is what matters."
"Future … That is a mortal concept. I am not meant to change, Percy Friend." Bob gazed around him at the horde of monsters. "We are the same … forever."
"If you were the same. Annabeth and I would be dead already. Maybe we weren't meant to be friends, but we are. You've been the best friend we could ask for." Emily walked over to Bob and put her hand on his hand and spoke softly.
"We all change, even Titans change. I been alive for about ninety years and I wasn't the same as i was ten, I don't think I am even the same person when I was twenty two. I have seen a lot in those years, I see war, death, life, and so much more." His silver eyes looked darker than usual, he was looking at Emily, Emily did her best to make Bob feel welcome and happy with the hope that he could be what he wanted to be. That is also if his memories ever returned to him. He held out his hand and small Bob jumped into his hand than Bob rose to his full height.
"Let us go, then, friends. Not much further." The purplish ground was slippery and was constantly pulsing, even thought it looks flat from a distance but it was made of folds and ridges that got harder to navigate as they walked further. There were gnarled lumps of red arteries and blue veins gave Emily some footholds when she has to climb but the going was slow. There were monsters everywhere she looked packs of hellhounds prowled the plains, baying, snarling and attacking any monster that dropped it's guard. Arai wheeled overhead on leathery wings, making ghastly dark silhouettes in the poison clouds. Percy stumbled, his hand touched a red artery.
"There's water in here. Actual water." Emily rolled her eyes when Percy said that, of course there was water, for all five rivers of the underworld are in the heart of Tartarus somewhere. Bob grunted.
"One of the five rivers. His blood." Annabeth stepped away from the nearest clump of veins.
"His blood? I knew the Underworld rivers all emptied into Tartarus, but –"
"Yes. They all flow through his heart." Emily looked at Steve, Colonel Phillips and Dr. Erskine, it was all clear to them that they were in more danger than they thought they were in. If something were to happen to the heart of this place.
"We should hurry. If we can't …" Annabeth's voice trailed off, ahead of them there were streaks of darkness tore through the air like lighting expect it was pure black.
"The Doors. Must be a large group going through." Emily's mouth went dry, if there were large groups going through the doors and the giants were waiting on the other sides than her friends would be in even more danger than before.
"Do all the monsters go through the House of Hades? How big is that place?" Bob shrugged.
"Perhaps they are sent elsewhere when they step through. The House of Hades is in the earth, yes? That is Gaea's realm. She could send her minions wherever she wishes." Emily's spirits sank, it was bad enough to think that the monsters would be in the house of hades but the monsters going anywhere where Gaea wants them to go was worse.
"If Gaea has that much power, couldn't she control where we end up?" Emily looked at Annabeth as Bob scratched his chin.
"You are not monsters. It may be different for you." Bob helped them over another ridge and suddenly the doors of death were in plain view in front of them, a freestanding rectangle of darkness at the top of the next heart muscle hill. It was about a quarter mike away, surrounded by a horde of monsters so thick that Emily could have walked on their heads to the doors. Emily couldn't make out the details of the doors, but there were two titans were flanking either side of the doors were familiar enough. For one of the Titans that Emily saw in person and the other she she in a dream during the battle of a Manhattan when the Romans were attacking the Titan's base. The one on the left was the one she meet in person sort of, she wasn't sure if he would remember her, for the Titan in the left was wearing a shining golden armor that shimmered with heat.
"Hyperion. That guy just won't stay dead." The one on the right wore dark blue armor with ram horns curling from the sides of his helmet. This was the one she only saw in dreams before it was Krios, the Titan that Jason killed in the attack against the Titan's base, Mount Tam.
"Bob's other brothers, Bob, if you have to fight them, can you?" Bob hefted his broom like he was ready for a messy cleaning job.
"We must hurry. Follow me." Emily hoped the death mist would work till the they get inside the doors, fifty feet from the door that they froze when the saw the doors. Or at least, Percy, Annabeth, Emily, Steve, and Colonel Phillips froze. Dr. Erskine stopped but he was confused of why they froze.
"Oh, gods. They're the same." The doors were frames in Stygian iron. The doors of death was a set of freestanding elevator doors, two panels of silver and black etched with Art Deco designs, expect for the fact that the colors were different that the doors of death looked exactly like the elevators in the Empire State Building to the entrance of Olympus. When Emily got over her shock that she noticed the other details, the frost spread from the base of the doors, the purplish glow in the air around them and the chains that held the doors there. There were cords of black iron ran down either side of the frame like rigging lines on a suspension bridge. There were tethered to hooks embedded in the fleshy ground, the two titans stood guard at the anchor points. As Emily watch that the entire frame of the elevators shuddered, black lightning flashed into the sky above. The chains that held the doors shook, the Titans planted their feet on the hooks to keep them secure, the doors slid open. Revealing the gilded interior of an elevator car. Emily noticed that Percy looked like he was ready to charge forward but Bob planted a hand on his shoulder.
"Wait." Hyperion yelled to the surrounding crowd.
"Group A-22! Hurry up, you sluggards!" A dozen Cyclopes rushed forward waving little red tickets and shouted excitedly. There was no way that they could fit into the elevator. But as the Cyclopes got closer that their bodies distorted and shrank, the doors of death suck them in. Krios jabbed his thumb against the up button on the elevator's right side, the doors slid closed, the frame shuddered again and dark lightning faded. Bob spoke but he was addressing the kittens so that the monsters wouldn't wonder of who he was talking to.
"You must understand how it works. Each time the Doors open, they try to teleport to a new location. Thanatos made them this way, so only he could find them. But now they are chained. The Doors cannot relocate."
"Then we cut the chains." Emily looked at Hyperion and Krios, it was hard to defeat Hyperion the first time but it would be even more harder now to defeat and kill him. For one thing hey couldn't changed him into a maple tree like before for they didn't have satyrs down here.
"Our camouflage. Will it disappear if we do something aggressive, like cutting the chains?"
"I do not know."
"Meow."
"Bob, you'll have to distract them, Percy and I will sneak around the two Titans and cut the chains from behind."
"Yes, fine. But that is only one problem. Once you are inside the Doors, someone must stay outside to push the button and defend it."
"Uh … defend the button?" Emily panicked slightly when Bob said that, for that means one of them must stay behind in Tartarus and most likely forever. But she wondered why it was twelve minutes though, Bob nodded and scratched the kittens under the chin.
"Someone must keep pressing the UP button for twelve minutes, or the journey will not finish."
"Why twelve minutes?"
"I do not know. Why twelve Olympians or twelve Titans?"
"Fair enough."
"What do you mean the journey won't finish? What happens to the passengers?" Bob didn't answer, Emily wasn't sure if she even wanted to know that fact.
"If we do push the button for twelve minutes and the chains are cut –"
"The Doors should reset: That is what they are supposed to do. They will disappear from Tartarus. They will appear somewhere else, where Gaia cannot use them."
"Thanatos can reclaim them. Death goes back to normal, and the monsters lose their shortcut to the mortal world."
"Easy-peasy. Except for … well, everything." Small Bob purred, Emily wanted to say that someone will have to stay behind, but there was a chance that they could all die depending on who stays behind.
"I will push the button." Grief overcame her as well as sadness, it was happening all over again of where she lost a close friend or family member, she didn't want that to happen again. Sure it sounded funny to think of a Titan as a family member or a friend, but it was true, Emily wanted to say she will stay and push the button but she knew everyone would argue that point. More so with the fact that Emily was pregnant with Bucky's child, she could picture of what Bucky would say if she stayed behind as well as what he would do.
"Bob, we can't ask you to do that. You want to go through the Doors, too. You want to see the sky again and the stars and –"
"I would like that. But someone must push the button. And once the chains are cut … my brethren will fight to stop your passage. They will not want the Doors to disappear." Emily looked at the others, than she looked at Percy, she has a feeling that she knows what he was thinking, that he was going to stay behind to help Bob. Annabeth must figured that out as well, for she was staring at Percy and there was a suspicious edge to her voice when she spoke.
"Percy …?" Percy didn't meet her eyes.
"First things first. Let's cut those chains." As they drew closer that Hyperion bellowed at Bob.
"IAPETUS! Well, well. I thought you were hiding under a cleaning bucket somewhere." Bob lumbered forward scowling.
"I was not hiding." Emily, Steve and Dr. Erskine walked towards the left of the doors while Percy, Annabeth and Colonel Phillips sneaked to the right of the doors. Thankfully the titans took no notice to them, Steve and Emily decided that it was better if Dr. Erskine was them instead of with Percy and Annabeth since he knows Emily and Steve better than he does Percy and Annabeth. Plus Colonel Phillips and Annabeth were half siblings and Emily knows that Annabeth prefers to have Colonel Philips and Percy to have her backs than most anyone else. Besides Emily and Steve could defend Dr. Erskine if they had to, since he won't be able to defend himself down here. The lesser monsters kept a respectful distance from the titans so that there was enough empty space to maneuver around the doors. Though Emily was all too aware of the fact that there was a snarling mob at her back at the moment of which didn't comfort her. Emily and Steve decided to take the side of Hyperion, of which was fine by Percy since he was the last one to kill Hyperion. Bob was facing his brethren, he planted his spear in the ground, trying to look as fierce as possible with a kitten on his shoulder.
"Hyperion and Krios. I remember you both." The golden Titan laughed before glancing at Krios as if there was a joke.
"Do you, Iapetus? Well, that's good to know! I heard Percy Jackson turned you into a brainwashed scullery maid. What did he rename you … Betty?" Bob snarled.
"Bob."
"Well, it's about time you showed up, Bob. Krios and I have been stuck here for weeks –"
"Hours."
"Whatever! It's boring work, guarding these doors, shuffling monsters through at Gaia's orders. Krios, what's our next group, anyway?"
"Double Red." Hyperion sighed and the flames glowered hotter across his shoulders.
"Double Red. Why do we go from A-22 to Double Red? What kind of system is that?" Hyperion glared at Bob. "This is no job for me – the Lord of Light! Titan of the East! Master of Dawn! Why am I forced to wait in the darkness while the giants go into battle and get all the glory? Now, Krios I can understand –"
"I get all the worst assignments." Krios's thumb still on the button.
"But me? Ridiculous! This should be your job, Iapetus. Here, take my place for a while." Bob was staring at the doors, his gaze was distant and lost in the past.
"The four of us held down our father, Ouranos. Koios and me and the two of you. Kronos promised us mastery of the four corners of the earth for helping with the murder."
"Indeed, And I was happy to do it! I would've wielded the scythe myself if I'd had the chance! But you, Bob … you were always conflicted about that killing, weren't you? The soft Titan of the West, soft as the sunset! Why our parents named you the Piercer, I will never know. More like the Whimper." Emily, Steve and Dr, Erskine reached the anchor hook, Emily grasp her poppy and it grew to her celestial bronze sword. Hyperion was paying too much attention to Bob to even notice what Emily was doing. When Bob spoke that his voice was low and even,
"I can still pierce. You brag too much, Hyperion. You are bright and fiery, but Percy Jackson defeated you anyway. I hear you became a nice tree in Central Park." Hyperion's eyes smoldered.
"Careful, brother."
"At least a janitor's work is honest. I clean up after others. I leave the palace better than I found it. But you … you do not care what messes you make. You followed Kronos blindly. Now you take orders from Gaea."
"She is our mother!"
"She did not wake for our war on Olympus. She favours her second brood, the giants." Krios grunted.
"That's true enough. The children of the pit." When Hyperion spoke that his voice tinged with fear.
"Both of you hold your tongues! You never know when he is listening." The elevator dinged, all three titans jumped. Krios took his finger off of the button before calling out.
"Double Red! Where is Double Red?" Hordes of monsters stirred, jostled one another but none came forward, Krios heaved a sigh.
"I told them to hang on to their tickets. Double Red! You'll lose your place in the queue!" Percy was in position, his sword was in his hand and he raised it, Percy looked like a dark ghoul or zombie or whatever. Emily held up three fingers, ready to count down. They have to cut the chains before the next group tried to take the elevator, but they also need to make sure that the titans were distracted as much as possible, Hyperion muttered a curse.
"Just wonderful. This will completely mess up our schedule." He sneered at Bob. "Make your choice, brother. Fight us or help us. I don't have time for your lectures." Bob glanced at Emily and the others, Emily wondered what he was thinking, but he raised the point of his spear.
"Very well. I will take guard duty. Which of you wants a break first?"
"Me, of course."
"Me! I've been holding that button so long my thumb is going to fall off."
"I've been standing here longer. You two guard the Doors while I go up to the mortal world. I have some Greek heroes to wreak vengeance upon!"
"Oh, no! That Roman boy is on his way to Epirus – the one who killed me on Mount Othrys. Got lucky, he did. Now it's my turn." Hyperion drew his sword.
"Bah! I'll gut you first, Ram-head!" Krios' raised his own blade.
"You can try, but I won't be stuck in this stinking pit any longer!" Emily caught Percy's eyes, Emily mouthed down, one two - before they could strike at the chains that a high pitched whine pierced her ears like the sound of an incoming rocket. Than an explosion rocked the hillside, a wave of heat knocked Emily backwards, desk shrapnel ripped through Krios and Hyperion shredding them too easily. A hollow voice rolled across the plains shaking the warm fleshy ground.
'STINKING PIT.' Bob staggered to his feet, somehow the explosion hadn't touched him. He swept his Speer in front of him as he tried to locate the source of the voice, Small Bob crawled into his coveralls. While Sarah left Bob's overalls and ran over to Emily before Sarah climbed into her shirt. Annabeth, Percy and Colonel Phillips landed about twenty feet from the door, Emily managed to get to her feet, as she did so that she realized something. The death mist was gone, their disguise were gone, it was than that Emily looked at the other five. The five of them looked like themselves again as they got up to their feet before the death mist surrounded them. Than the voice came again and it spoke with disdain this time.
'TITANS, LESSER BEINGS. IMPERFECT AND WEAK.' In front of the doors of death the air darkened and solidified, the being who appeared was so massive and radiated such pure malevolence that Emily wanted to crawl away and hide. But she knew that she couldn't do that, not down here, for she figured of who and what that figure was. Emily managed to remain were she was standing but she let go of her sword out of the pure terror that was coming from the figure. The figure's boots were black iron, each as large as a coffin, his legs were covered in dark greaves. His flesh was all thick and purple muscle like the ground under her feet. His armored skirt was made from thousands of blackened twisted bones woven together like chain links and clasped in place by a belt of interlocking monstrous arms. On the surface of the warrior's breastplate were murky faces appeared and submerged, giants, Cyclopes, gorgons and drakons.
All of those monsters were pressing against the armor as if they were trying to get out of the armor just like Hades's robes and the souls that were made for those robes. Hades was close to making Emily a dress that has souls in it but she refused to have such a dress, for his robes were unnerving enough. The warrior's arms were bare, muscular, purple and glistening, his hands were as large as crane scoops. The worst part was his head, there was a helmet of twisted rock and metal with no particular shape. Just jagged spikes and pulsing patches of magma, his entire face was a whirlpool, an inward spiral of darkness. Emily watched as the last particles of Titan essence from Hyperion and Krios were vacuumed into the warrior's mouth. Emily was unable to find her voice to say something, for how could see when she saw Tartarus in human form for the first time. First time in centuries at least, she wasn't sure if he even had a form before, or at least a human like form. Somehow Percy managed to find his voice, despite the terror that was coming for Tartarus,
"Tartarus." The warrior made a sound like a mountain cracking in half, Emily wasn't sure if it was meant to be a roar or a laugh.
'This form is only a small manifestation of my power. But it is enough to deal with you. I do not interfere lightly, little demigod. It is beneath me to deal with gnats such as yourself." Emily felt her legs collapse under herself.
"Uh … Don't … you know … go to any trouble."
'You have proven surprisingly resilient. You have come too far. I can no longer stand by and watch your progress.' Tartarus spread his arms, throughout the valley thousands of monsters wailed and roared, clashing their weapons. Each monster was bellowing in triumph, the doors of death shuddered in their chains.
'Be honoured, little demigods. Even the Olympians were never worthy of my personal attention. But you will be destroyed by Tartarus himself!'