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.

31. Chapter 31

Bucky's pov

Hazel looked as well as doing of what Bucky felt like at the moment, for she was weeping and screaming like a two year odd throwing a tantrum. Bucky also felt like that when he learned and realized that Emily fell into Tartarus after getting the statue on the Argo II. Hazel was pounded her fists against the rock and yelled curses at the rocks that separated them form the others. Bucky looked Arabella of who was staring at Hazel wide eyed and speechless, Leo was also wide eyed and speechless. Bucky was unsure of what else to do besides looked back at Hazel and watched Hazel till she finally stopped beating up the rocks or doing

her best at new thing the rocks up. After a few minutes of besting he rocks and yelling curses that Hazel managed to stop of what she was doing and wiped her face of tears,

"Sorry." Leo shrugged.

"Hey, you know … I've attacked a few rocks in my day."

"Frank is … he's –"

"Listen, Frank Zhang has moves. He's probably gonna turn into a kangaroo and do some marsupial jujitsu on their ugly faces." Leo helped Hazel to her feet as Bucky spoke.

"I am sure the others are fine but we need to keep moving."

"Leo, I'm sorry." Bucky watched as Hazel and Leo, Leo raised an eyebrow.

"Okay. For what?" Hazel gestured around herself.

"For … Everything. For thinking you were Sammy, for leading you on. I mean, I didn't mean to, but if I did –" Leo squeezed her hand.

"Hey. Machines are designed to work."

"Uh, what?"

"I figure the universe is basically like a machine. I don't know who made it, if it was the Fates or the gods or capital-G God or whatever. But it chugs along the way it's supposed to most of the time. Sure, little pieces break and stuff goes haywire once in a while, but mostly … things happen for a reason. Like you and me meeting."

"Leo Valdez, you're a philosopher." Bucky smiled a little, Leo did sounded like a philosopher at that moment but he was sure that Leo wouldn't make a living out of it.

"Nah, I'm just a mechanic. But I figure my bisabuelo Sammy knew what was what. He let you go, Hazel. My job is to tell you that it's okay. You and Frank – you're good together. We're all going to get through this. I hope you guys get a chance to be happy. Besides, Zhang couldn't tie his shoes without your help." Bucky was glad that Leo was dealing with this better since they found out about who Sammy was to Leo.

"That's mean."

"Yeah, ha-ha." Leo summoned fire into his hand. "Now, which way, Miss Underground?" Hazel scanned the path in front of them, Bucky held his sword out in front of him to help with the lighting. Arabella was standing next to him, Arabella stepped closer to Bucky of which he didn't mind, other than Hazel, that he was the one that she knows the best.

"That way. It feels the most dangerous."

"I'm sold." The four of them began their descent, as soon as they reached the first archway, that the little weasel found them. The weasel scurried up Hazel's side and curled around.

"Not the farting weasel again. If that thing lets loose in close quarters like this, with my fire and all, we're gonna explode." The weasel barked at Leo when Leo made that comment. Bucky was going to tell Leo off for that comment when Hazel hushed them, than she whispered to them.

"Leo, Bucky, Arabella, be ready, We're getting close." Bucky looked at Arabella, of who just shrugged but it was Leo who spoke.

"Close to what?" A woman's voice echoed down the corridor.

"Close to me." Something hit Bucky, he wasn't sure of what happened, but his knees buckled and the world shifted. Suddenly they were three hundred feet down the corridor or at least he assume it was three hundred feet. "Welcome, I've looked forward to this." Bucky looked around the cavern, he couldn't see anyone. The cavern was like the pantheon in Rome, but it was more like Hades through instead of all of the gods. The obsidian walls were carved with scenes of death, plague victims, corpses on the battlefield, torture champers with skeletons hanging in iron cages. All of the paintings or drawings was embellished with precious gems that made the scene more ghastly. The domed roof has a waffle pattern, but each panel was a stela, a grave marker with ancient Greek inscriptions, there was a circle of pure black stone gleaming of where the sunlight would come from. So that there was only darkness above them.

"Yep, those are doors, all right." Bucky looked away from the ceiling and looked in front of him. Fifty feet away was a set of freestanding elevator doors, the panels of the elevator etched silver and iron. There were two rows of chains ran down on either side bolting the frame to large hooks in the floor. The area around the doors was littered with black rubble, Bucky realized that rubble was an ancient altar to Hades or where the altar stood. He looked at Arabella to confirm, just her face confirmed of what he thought the rumble was, for Arabella looked angry, more angry when she yelled at him that he almost killed Emily.

"Where are you?"

"Don't you see us? I thought Hecate chose you for your skill." Suddenly there were dark spots that were floating in front of his eyes, Bucky tried to blink a bit but his eyes went darker, but Bucky realized something. That the spots were forming into a twenty foot tall shadowy figure looming right next to the doors of death. It was the giant Clytius, as Bucky focus more that the giant was becoming more clearer to Bucky so that he was able to see the details of the giant. Clytius was shrouded in the black smoke, he has dragon like legs with ask colored scales, a massive humanoid upper body encased in Stygian armor. Long braided hair that seem to be made out of smoke, his complexion was as dark as desth's, his eyes glinted cold as diamonds but he carried no weapons.

"You know, Clytius … for such a big dude, you've got a beautiful voice." A woman hissed when Leo said that.

"Idiot." Halfway between Bucky, Arabella, Hazel, Leo and the giant that the air shimmered, a woman appeared. She was wearing an elegant sleeveless dress of woven gold, the woman's dark hair was piled into a cone encircled with diamonds and emeralds. Around her neck hung a pendant like a miniature maze, on a cord set with rubies, he wondered of how old this woman was. The woman was beautiful in a timeless regal way, like a statue for it can't love you back and her eyes sparkled with malice. Bucky hated her at once.

"Pasiphaë." The woman inclined her head.

"My dear Hazel Levesque." Leo coughed.

"You two know each other? Like Underworld chums, or –" Pasiphaë's voice was soft but full of venom.

"Silence, fool. I have no use for demigod boys – always so full of themselves, so brash and destructive."

"Hey, lady. I don't destroy things much. I'm a son of Hephaestus."

"A tinkerer. Even worse. I knew Daedalus. His inventions brought me nothing but trouble." Leo blinked.

"Daedalus … like, the Daedalus? Well, then, you should know all about us tinkerers. We're more into fixing, building, occasionally sticking wads of oilcloth in the mouths of rude ladies –"

"Leo." Hazel put her arms across his chest, Bucky figured that Pasiphaë might do something to also if he went on talking. "Let me take this, okay?"

"Listen to your friend. Be a good boy and let the women talk." Pasiphaë paced in front of them, examining Hazel, her eyes were full of hate. Bucky could feel power radiated from Pasiphaë, after examining Hazel that she looked over at Bucky and Arabella. The look that Pasiphaë gave him unsettled him greatly, though he was more unsettled by the giant than he was with her. For the giant remained silent and motionless expect for the dark smoke that comes rolling off constantly.

"Your – your friend doesn't say much." Pasiphaë looked away from Bucky to the giant when Hazel said that, of which Bucky was glad of, she sniffed with disdain.

"Pray he stays silent, my dear. Gaea has given me the pleasure of dealing with you, but Clytius is my, ah, insurance. Just between you and me, as sister sorceresses, I think he's also here to keep my powers in check, in case I forget my new mistress's orders. Gaea is careful that way."

"Whatever you're planning, it won't work. We've cut through every monster Gaia's put in our path. If you're smart, you'll get out of our way." Bucky wasn't sure if she was suppose to talk to Pasiphaë like that or not, but the weasel gnash end her teeth in approval.

"You don't look like much. But then you demigods never do. My husband, Minos, king of Crete? He was a son of Zeus. You would never have known it by looking at him. He was almost as scrawny as that one." Pasiphaë flicked a hand towards Leo than she flicked a hand towards Bucky. "However he looks more like the part of a demigod." Bucky would have said something but Leo spoke up instead.

"Wow, Minos must've done something really horrible to deserve you." Pasiphaë's nostrils flared.

"Oh … you have no idea. He was too proud to make the proper sacrifices to Poseidon, so the gods punished me for his arrogance."

"The Minotaur." Another story that Bucky forget about, now that Hazel brought that story up that he remembered hearing that story from Emily during the war. Some f the stories he heard since he found Emily and other stories he heard before he fell from the train. Pasiphaë glared daggers at Hazel.

"Yes, My disgrace was unbearable. After my son was born and locked in the Labyrinth, Minos refused to have anything to do with me. He said I had ruined his reputation! And do you know what happened to Minos, Hazel Levesque? For his crimes and his pride? He was rewarded. He was made a judge of the dead in the Underworld, as if he had any right to judge others! Hades gave him that position. Your father."

"Actually he no longer holds that position." Pasiphaë looked up at Bucky when he said that.

"You know this because? For it's clear you are not a child of Hades."

"My wife is a child of Hades and she helped decided his punishment after he tried to rise from the dead." Pasiphaë looked surprised and slightly disappointed when he said the word wife. Thankfully Hazel spoke before anything more could be said.

"My father is Pluto, actually." Pasiphaë looked away from Bucky and sneered at Hazel.

"Irrelevant. So you see, I hate demigods as much as I hate the gods. Any of your brethren who survive the war, Gaia has promised to me, so that I may watch them die slowly in my new domain. I only wish I had more time to torture you two properly. Alas –" In the center of the room, the doors made a pleasant chiming sound, the green up button on the right side of the frame began to glow and the chains shook. Pasiphaë shrugged apologetically. "There, you see? The Doors are in use. Twelve minutes, and they will open."

"More giants?"

"Thankfully, no. They are all accounted for – back in the mortal world and in place for the final assault." Pasiphaë gave her a cold smile. "No, I would imagine the Doors are being used by someone else … someone unauthorized." Leo inched forward, smoke was rising from his fist, Bucky was sure that smoke was rising from his fist or his one fist. In twelve minutes he could see his wife again but that still seem to long to wait to see Emily again.

"Percy and Annabeth." Bucky inched forward as well.

"As well as Steve and Emily." Pasiphaë waved her hand dismissively.

"Oh, not to worry. Clytius will handle them. You see, when the chime sounds again, someone on our side needs to push the UP button or the Doors will fail to open and whoever is inside – poof. Gone. Or perhaps Clytius will let them out and deal with them in person. That depends on you four." Bucky looked at the doors, he hoped that would not happen to Emily or the others.

"How exactly does it depend on us?" Bucky wanted to know that as well.

"Well, obviously, we need only one set of demigods alive. The lucky two will be taken to Athens and sacrificed to Gaia at the Feast of Hope."

"Obviously."

"So will it be two of the four of you or your friends in the elevator?" Pasiphaë spread her hands. "Let's see who is still alive in twelve … actually, eleven minutes, now." The cavern dissolved into darkness. Bucky knew that she was using the mist, he wasn't sure what she did or how she was doing it but he felt like his senses were going wacky. Hazel took a step forward but bumped onto a wall that wasn't there a minute ago, Bucky looked at the stone wall as Leo pressed his hands against the wall.

"What the heck? Where are we?" A corridor stretched out to their left and right, torches were in iron sconces, there was smell of an old tomb in there. The weasel barked angrily from Hazel's shoulders.

"Yes, I know. It's an illusion." Leo pounded on the wall as Bucky touched the wall, the wall felt solid under his hand. Bucky looked over at Arabella of who looked worried, almost like she knew what Pasipaë was doing.

"Pretty solid illusion." Pasiphaë laughed, her voice sounded watery and fury away.

"Is it an illusion, Hazel Levesque, or something more? Don't you see what I have created?" Than it suddenly hit him of what this place was and what she was doing and creating, even though he never been down there before. It seems like Arabella realized the same thing but sooner than the others since she been in the labyrinth before.

"It can't be, it was destroyed a couple of years ago after the battle when Daedalus was killed." Hazel seem to realize what Pasipaë was doing as well.

"The Labyrinth, She's remaking the Labyrinth." Leo was tapping on the wall with a ball peen hammer but he than turned to Hazel and frowned.

"What now? I thought the Labyrinth collapsed during that battle at Camp Half-Blood – like, it was connected to Daedalus's life force or something, and then he died." Arabella spoke up.

"It is or was, I was there when it happened, for I could feel an earthquake as soon as Nico allowed his spirit to be released." Pasiphaë's voice clucked disapprovingly.

"Ah, but I am still alive. You credit Daedalus with all the maze's secrets? I breathed magical life into his Labyrinth. Daedalus was nothing compared to me – the immortal sorceress, daughter of Helios, sister of Circe! Now the Labyrinth will be my domain." Somehow Bucky doubted that, he wasn't sure why that was. Something was telling that is not possible or at least that the labyrinth was not under her control.

"It's an illusion. We just have to break through it." As Hazel said that, that the walls seem to grow more solid, that old tomb smell becoming more intense.

"Too late, too late. The maze is already awake. It will spread under the skin of the earth once more while your mortal world is levelled. You demigods … you heroes … will wander its corridors, dying slowly of thirst and fear and misery. Or perhaps, if I am feeling merciful, you will die quickly, in great pain!" Holes opened in the floor beneath his feet, Bucky grabbed Arabella as Hazel grabbed Leo and pushed them aside as a row of spikes shot upward, impaling the ceiling. Hazel yelled.

"Run!" Pasiphaë's laughter echoed down the corridor, Bucky wanted to punch her in the face.

"Where are you going, young sorceress? Running from an illusion?" They kept running as rows of spikes shot towards the ceiling with a thunk. Than Hazel pulled Leo down a side corridor, Bucky and Arabella followed quickly and leaped over apparently a trip wire. Than he stumbled to a halt in front of a pit that was twenty feet across.

"How deep is that?" Arabella and Leo were gasping for breath. Arabella's, as well as Leo's, trouser leg was ripped where one of the spikes had grazed the two of them. For some reason his trouser leg was not ripped or not at any rate, or anything, he hoped noting more will happen or that Hazel will get them out of here somehow. Bucky wasn't sure what to do, he has to let Hazel do this and figured it out herself, honestly he didn't like that idea very much. He was more used to going right in and shoot follows Emily and Steve or he was along side the howling commandos.

"Eight minutes now. I'd love to see you survive, truly. That would prove you worthy sacrifices to Gaia in Athens. But then, of course, we wouldn't need your friends in the elevator." Bucky's heart pounded when Pasiphaë said that, he looked at Hazel of who seem to be thinking. "Seven minutes now. If only we had more time! So many indignities I'd like you to suffer." Arabella spoke

"Hazel." It seem that Hazel figured out something.

"Leo, we're going to jump." Bucky looked at Hazel as if she was crazy.

"But –"

"It's not as far as it looks. Go!" Hazel grabbed Leo's and Bucky's hand Bucky managed to grasp Arsbella's hand before they launched themselves across the pit. Bucky panicked till his feet hit the ground. Bucky looked back and gapped at what he was seeing, they jumped over a three inch crack of were they could have just stepped over the crack.

"Come on!" As they ran that the voice of Pasiphaë droned on.

"Oh, dear, no. You'll never survive that way. Six minutes." The ceiling above them cracked apart, the weasel squeaked in alarmm suddenly a new tunnel appeared off to the left, they dashed into the tunnel. Bucky could hear Pasiphaë sigh with disappointment. "You really aren't very good at this, my dear." The floor started to collapsed and Bucky managed to jump to one side dragging Arabella with him and she was holding onto him tightly. Another tunnel appeared, than Hazel spoke.

"Leo, Bucky, Arabella, hold your breath." They plunged through some poison, his eyes were burning as they ran though the poisonous fog.

"Five minutes. Alas! If only I could watch you suffer longer." They burst into a corridor with fresh air, Bucky coughed as well as the others, Leo managed to speak up.

"If only she would shut up." Bucky has to agree with Leo on that fact. They ducked under a bronze garrote wire, suddenly the tunnel started to curve a little. Than the walls of the tunnel began to close in on either side of them, Hazel didn't do anything about the walls closing in on them. Instead the walls seem to be moving faster on them than what they were suppose to be doing, also the tunnel kept curving.

"A pity, I wish I could kill you and your friends in the elevator, but Gaea has insisted that two of you must be kept alive until the Feast of Hope, when your blood will be put to good use! Ah, well. I will have to find other victims for my Labyrinth. You four have been second-rate failures." Hazel, Arabella, Leo and Bucky stumbled to a stop, in front of them stretched a chasm so wide that Bucky couldn't see the other side. From somewhere done below in the darkness came the sound of hissing, thousands and thousands of snakes were below them.

"Okay, okay. The walls are moving parts. They gotta be mechanical. Give me a second."

"No, Leo, There's no way back."

"But –"

"Hold my hand." Hazel looked at Bucky and Arabella. Bucky took Arabella's hand before taking Hazel's hand, they made it so far because of Hazel and he was sure she would be able to get them out of here. "On three."

"But –"

"Three!"

"What?" Hazel leaped into the pit and pulled Bucky, Arabella and Leo with her, this felt too familiar to Bucky as they fell. Panicked spread through him as they fell, the last time he fell that he was on his way to becoming the winter soldier. But if Hazel didn't something that he felt that something much worse would happen to them than becoming killing machines. Leo and Arabella were screaming while Bucky was trying not to scream like he did when he fell from the train when Steve was trying to get to him. The first time that he was taken away from Emily and she was taken away from him, it took seventy years of life together from them. As they feel that Pasiphaë was laughing with delight, suddenly Hazel twisted in midair and they fell into a chute before sliding into the cavern that they were in before and landed on top of Pasiphaë, Bucky sighed in relief when he fell on solid ground or on Pasiphaë.

"Ack!" Pasiphaë's head smacked against the floor as Leo fell hard on her chest, for a moment the five of them and the weasel were like sprawling bodies and flailing limbs. Bucky tried to draw his sword as well as Hazel but Pasiphaë managed to get herself out first. Pasiphaë backed away, her hairdo was bent sideways like a collapsed cake, her dress was smeared with grease stains from Leo's tool belt. Bucky smiled at the sight of her ruined dress and hairdo, it was amusing see how unhappy Pasiphaë was at the moment because of what happened. He was sure part of it was because her dress and hairdo was messed up and he other half was because they got out of the labyrinth. Pasiphaë was howling. "You miserable wretches!" The maze was gone, a few feet away Clytius stood with his back to them watching the doors of death. Bucky knew that soon that Steve, Emily, Percy and Annabeth would been arriving from Tartarus, he hoped he would get there in time. Than Hazel spoke and she was trying to mimic Pasiphaë's cruel smile.

"You must really hate demigods. We always get the better of you, don't we, Pasiphaë?"

"Nonsense! I will tear you apart! I will –"

"We're always pulling the rug out from under your feet. Your husband betrayed you. Theseus killed the Minotaur and stole your daughter Ariadne. Now four second-rate failures have turned your own maze against you. But you knew it would come to this, didn't you? You always fall in the end." Pasiphaë wailed and took a step back while fingering her necklace.

"I am immortal! You cannot stand against me!"

"You can't stand at all. Look." Hazel pointed to the feet of Pasiphaë, Bucky looked down at the floor to see a trapdoor under Pasiphaë that wasn't there before. Pasiphaë fell, screaming, into a bottomless pit that wasn't really there. Bucky smiled as he watched Pasiphaë fell into the trapdoor, the floor solidified and Pasiphaë was gone. Buck looked over at Hazel and Leo was staring at Hazel in amazement.

"How did you –" It was than the elevator dinged, instead of pushing the up button that Clytius stepped back from the controls. So that the four were trapped inside.

"Leo!" Bucky panicked, they were too far away and yet too close, there wasn't time for them to reach the doors in time. Leo pulled out a screwdriver and chucked it like a throwing knife, it went straight past Clytius and slammed into the up button. The doors of death opened with a hiss, black smoke billowed out and six bodies spilled fact first. Bucky knew five of the six and one of them he was surprised to see there, for it was Percy, Annabeth, Steve, Emily, Colonel Phillips and another man that he didn't know and they were as limp as corpses. Bucky forced himself not to cry out of what Emily was like at the moment, however Hazel sobbed.

"Oh, gods …" Bucky and the others started forward, but Clytius raised his hand in an unmistakable gesture, stop. He lifted his massive reptilian foot over Percy's head. The giant's smoky shroud poured over the floor, covering Annabeth, Percy, Steve, Emily, Colonel Phillips and the sixth person with them. Bucky looked at Steve and Emily with worried as Hazel snarled at Clytius.

"Clytius, you've lost. Let them go, or you'll end up like Pasiphaë." The giant tilted his head, his diamond eyes were gleaming. At his feet, Annabeth lurched like she hit a power line, she rolled on her back and black smoke cooking from her mouth. Than she spoke in a voice that wasn't hers, for the words were as deep as a bass guitar.

"I am not Pasiphaë. You have won nothing."

"Stop that!" Bucky was worried that whatever Clytius was doing that it was not good. Clytius nudged Percy's head with his foot and Percy's face lolled to one side. Than the giant spoke through Percy instead of Annabeth.

"Not quite dead. A terrible shock to the mortal body, I would imagine, coming back from Tartarus. They'll be out for a while." Than he turned his attention to Emily as she rolled onto her back in a similar manner as Annabeth, Bucky winced when that happened. Black smoke was pouring from Emily's mouth just like it did with Percy and Annabeth.

"I'll tie Percy and Annabeth up and take them to Porphyrion in Athens. Just the sacrifice we need. Unfortunately, that means I have no further use for you four. Or even he other four that are with Percy and Annabeth." Leo growled.

"Oh, yeah? Well, maybe you got the smoke, buddy, but I've got the fire." Bucky was about ready to say no, for he has a feeling that Leo's fire won't work on the giant, he wasn't sure of he has that feeling. But Bucky was too late for Leo's hands blazed and he shot white hot columns of flame at the giant but Clytius's smoky aura absorbed the fire on impact. Tendrils of black haze travelled back up the lines of fire, snuffing out the light before it covered a Leo in darkness. Leo fell to his knees clutching at his throat.

"No!" Hazel started to ran towards Leo, but the weasel started to chattered urgently on her shoulder, it was a warning of some kind. But this time Clytius's voice came from Leo's mouth.

"I would not. You do not understand, Hazel Levesque. I devour magic. I destroy the voice and the soul. You cannot oppose me." Black fog spread further across the room, covering Annabeth, Percy, Steve, Emily, Colonel Phillips and the sixth person of who Bucky was still trying to figure out of who he was. Not only that but the black fog was moving towards Bucky, Arabella and Hazel, Bucky felt Arabella grabbed his arm and went behind him. He wasn't sure of how he could go up against a giant, he was sure if he could do that to Leo that he would be able to do the same thing with Bucky if Bucky tried the same thing. Hazel stammered in a small voice.

"F-fire. You're supposed to be weak against it." The giant chuckled and this time he used Steve's vocal cords.

"You were counting on that, eh? It is true I do not like fire. But Leo Valdez's flames are not strong enough to trouble me." Than somewhere behind Bucky, Arabella and Hazel that there was a soft lyrical voice.

"What about my flames, old friend?" The weasel, that was on Hazel's shoulder, squeaked excitedly before jumping down from Hazel's shoulder and scampered to the entrance of the cavern. At the entrance stood a blond woman in a black dress, the mist was swirling around her, the giant stumbled backwards bumping into the doors of death. Than he spoke from Colonel Phillips mouth.

"You."

"Me." The woman spread her arms and blazing torches appeared in her hands. "It has been millennia since I fought at the side of a demigod, but Hazel Levesque has proven herself worthy. What do you say, Clytius? Shall we play with fire?" Bucky has no idea of who this woman was that came, but it was clear that this woman was a goddess. It seems that the giant recovered his wits and he stomped his foot, shaking the floor, he almost stepped on Annabeth's arm, dark smoke billowed around him until the six from the elevator were totally hidden in the black smoke. So that the only thing Bucky could see was Leo and the Giant's gleaming eyes and he spoke form Leo's mouth.

"Bold words. You forget, goddess. When we last met, you had the help of Hercules and Dionysus – the most powerful heroes in the world, both of them destined to become gods. Now you bring … these?" Leo's unconscious body contorted in pain, Bucky winced, he hoped that was not happening to Emily or the others. Hazel yelled at the giant.

"Stop it!" Bucky has a guess that what happened next was something Hazel didn't plan on doing. But he was glad she did though, for suddenly Leo dissolved and he reappeared at Hazel's feet along with Percy and Annabeth. However, the one man that Bucky didn't know, Colonel Phillips, Steve and Emily reappeared at his feet. The white mist was suddenly whirled around Hazel, spilling over the stones and enveloped Leo, Percy, Annabeth, Steve, Emily and the other two. Where the white mist met the dark smoke that it steam and sizzled like lava rolling into the sea. When Emily appeared at his feet that he noticed something moved inside her jacket and a calico kitten climbed out of the jacket before it started purred ranger loudly. It felt like the earth shake when the kitten purred, Bucky stared at it wondering what it was doing there and where Emily found the kitten. The kitten looked up at him before the kitten purred again and jumped onto his shoulder, Bucky looked at it confused as well as Arabella from what he could tell from her face. It was than that Leo opened his eyes and gasped.

"Wh-what …?" However Annabeth, Percy, Steve, Emily, Colonel Phillips and the one man remained motionless. Arabella came out from behind him and knelt down besides Emily and looked panicked for a moment but she calmed down. Bucky relaxed when Arabella calmed down, realizing that Emily was going to be fine and want going to die anytime soon. On the woman's shoulder that the weasel barked at Hazel as though it was happy that Hazel did that. The goddess stepped forward, her dark eyes glittering in the light of the torches that she was holding.

"You're right, Clytius. Hazel Levesque is not Hercules or Dionysus, but I think you will her find just as formidable." Through the smoky shroud that Bucky saw that the giant opened his mouth, but no words came out so he sneered in frustration instead. Leo tried to sit up.

"What's going on? What can I –" Hazel drew her sword.

"Leo, watch Percy and Annabeth. Bucky, Arabella, watch the other four. Stay behind me. Stay in the Mist." Bucky intended to do that, Bucky managed to pulled Emily and Steve to the side at the same time thankfully. While he did that, that Arabella pulled the one man to the side as Arabella pulled the one man back against the wall that Bucky pulled Colonel Phillips back.

"But –" Bucky looked up at Hazel as she looked at Leo with a severe look making Leo gulped.

"Yeah, got it. White Mist good. Black smoke bad." Hazel advanced towards the giant, the giant spread his arms. The doomed ceiling shook, the giant's voice echoed through the room and it was magnified a hundred times.

'Formidable?' It sounded like he was speaking through a chorus of dead, though he wasn't sure on that since he never heard the dead before. 'Because the girl has learned your magic tricks, Hecate? Because you allow these weaklings to hide in your Mist?' A sword appeared in the giant's hand, a Stygian iron blade much like the one that he saw Emily use from time to time of which was three feet long. But this Stygian iron sword was five times the size of Emily's Stygian iron blade, Bucky was next to Emily and he has wrapped his arms around her limp body. He could feel her steady breathing on his neck and the warmth coming from her so that he knows she wasn't dead. 'I do not understand why Gaea would find any of these demigods worthy of sacrifice. I will crush them like empty nutshells.'

That seem that made Hazel mad, it would have made Bucky mad as well that was if he wasn't worried about Emily at the moment. For Hazel suddenly screamed and the walls of the chamber made a crackling sound like ice in warm water. Dozens of gems streaked towards the giant, punching through his armor like buckshots of which made Clytius stagger backwards. His disembodied voice bellowed with pain, his iron breastplate was peppered with holes, golden ichor was trickling from a wound on his right arm. His shroud of darkness thinned and he could see the murderous expression on the giant's face as he looked at Hazel. Clytius growled at Hazel.

'You, You worthless –'

"Worthless? I'd say Hazel Levesque knows a few tricks even I could not teach her." Hazel stood in front of them doing her best to protect them and honestly she was doing a good job of it. But he wasn't sure of how much longer she could hold out on her own at the moment, he wish that there was a way he could help her or even give her hope like Emily could. Bucky watched as the giant dug his fingers into the wound on his biceps and pulled out a diamond before he flicked it aside and the the wound closed.

'So, daughter of Pluto, do you really believe Hecate has your interests at heart? Circe was a favourite of hers. And Medea. And Pasiphaë. How did they end up, eh?' It was than that Emily started to stir and started to muttered a name, Bob as well as his own name. Bucky looked at Emily as she started to stir and muttered, Bucky was wondering of who this Bob was. Bucky looked around and noticed that Annabeth was stirring and groaning in pain, Percy was also muttered as well but it seem like he was only saying Bob. Apparently, a Bob has been helping the six through Tartarus since Emily and Percy were saying the name. Steve, Colonel Philips and the man that Bucky doesn't know were stirring and groaning in pain. Than the giant stepped forward towards Hazel with his sword at his side as though they were friends not enemies. 'Hecate will not tell you the truth. She sends acolytes like you to do her bidding and take all the risk. If by some miracle you incapacitate me, only then will she be able to set me on fire. Then she will claim the glory of the kill. You heard how the Alodai twins were dealt with in the Colosseum and what Bacchus did to try to prove how worthy you eight are. Hecate is worse. She is a Titan who betrayed the Titans. Then she betrayed the gods. Do you really think she will keep faith with you?'

Suddenly Bucky realized after hearing the name few times that the blond hair woman was Hecate, the goddess of Magic, Witchcraft, crossroads, and mist. In other words she was basically the patron of the wizarding world, Bucky never seen the wizarding world but he only heard about it from Arabella and Emily. Though he was unsure if Hecate was the reason behind of why the wizarding world exist in the first place. Bucky heard of Hecate from Emily, from what Emily told him that Hecate can be confusing to people if they don't know her as well as Persephone does or even Emily. Though Emily would admit that she didn't understand Hecate a fair amount of the time anyway but was on good basis with Hecate due to be in the underworld a fair amount of time as well as being Persephone's sister and Demeter's daughter. That Hecate was on good terms with Demeter, Persephone and Hades, so it was likely that Emily and Hecate would meet at some point in the last seventy years.

"I cannot answer his accusations, Hazel. This is your crossroads. You must choose." Clytius's laughter echoed through the cavern and his wounds seem to have healed completely.

'Yes, crossroads. Hecate offers you obscurity, choices, vague promises of magic. I am the anti-Hecate. I will give you truth. I will eliminate choices and magic. I will strip away the Mist, once and for all, and show you the world in all its true horror.' Bucky's was watching Hazel just as Emily moaned and started to move as if she was waking up like she has been sleeping instead of coming out of Tartarus. Bucky looked at Emily just as she shifted her head and her eyes flew open, as soon as she saw it was him that she managed to put her arms around his neck and held onto him tight, Bucky held onto Emily just as tight. Arabella looked relieved that Emily opened her eyes Bucky shifted his head enough to take a good look at Emily. It was than that he realized some things for the first time, for one she was in her Norma appearance and she was pale. Her eye color were paler than usual and there was some fear in her eyes, of which concerned Bucky. But what truly worried him about her eyes was that her eyes looked like they were close of shattering, like she was close of being broken down in Tartarus. Not only that but it looked like she has been crying like she lost someone down there, someone she knew. Bucky hoped that it wasn't the baby that she lost down there, but he was unsure of what else it could be.

Her blond hair was paler as well, not only that but he noticed that she was wearing a different shirt, pants and shoes than what she was when she fell. The leather was sea green, it seen rough but yet comfortable and she was wearing his old jacket over the leather shirt. Emily's build was still there but she was a bit thinner this what she was but she was no where near as thin as Arabella and Nico were or are. It seems that Colonel Phillips, Steve and the one guy that he doesn't know opened their eyes as well, for Colonel Phillips and the one guy managed to at least use the wall to stand up somewhat. It seems that Arabella was glad to see Steve back as much as she did with Emily for she hugged him before she helped Steve to stand up more against the wall. When Steve was leaning more on the wall that he hugged Arabella, honestly Bucky wasn't sure of how close they were but Bucky knew that they were closer to each other than he was to Arabella. Even with he bonding that has been happening between Bucky mad Arabella in the last couple of weeks since they left Rome. Steve looked somewhat better out of the six, as a matter fact he looked the most healthiest of the six, Bucky figured that part of that was because of that serum in Steve. Bucky helped Emily up to her feet just as Leo was struggling to his feet and was coughing rather badly. Somehow Leo managed to wheeze out as he coughed out.

"I'm loving this guy. Seriously, we should keep him around for inspirational seminars." Than Leo's hands ignited like blowtorches. "Or I could just light him up."

"Leo, no. My father's temple. My call."

"Yeah, okay. But –" It was than that Emily managed to speak up.

"Leo, listen to her." Hazel turned to Emily, it was clear that Hazel was elated to hear Emily's voice again, that she was glad to see that her half sister was all right. Than Annabeth managed to wheez and Hazel turned to look at Annabeth when she spoke.

"Hazel … The chains …" Bucky looked at the chains that were holding the doors, the doors were still wide open, shuddering against the chains that held them in place. The door needed to be unchained so that the doors would be out of Gaea's reach, someone would have to cut the chains to make sure that happens. Bucky looked away form the doors to look over at Steve lean less against the wall than he was before when he used the wall to get onto his feet. Steve was pale but not as much as Emily was, his blue eyes seem to have pale some as well and his blond hair paled just like Emily's. But there was fear and worry in Steve's eyes, it was something he never seen before in Steve's eyes, even in the war. But otherwise Steve looked the same as always, Percy, Annabeth and the other two were in similar states as he looked at the others. Than the giant spoke once more.

'You can't seriously believe you have the strength. What will you do, Hazel Levesque – pelt me with more rubies? Shower me with sapphires?' Hazel gave Clytius her answer, the answer was unexpected to everyone but Hazel, even Clytius didn't expect it. Hazel raised her sword and charged at the giant, Clytius was slow in raising his sword so that by the time he slashed that Hazel ducked between his legs before she jabbed her sword into his glueus maximus. Bucky smiled slightly when Hazel did that, at a moment like this that it seems hard to believe that she was raised in the same time period that he was from. Clytius roared and arched his back, wadding away from her mist was still swirling around Hazel and the mist was hissing as the mist meet the black smoke. Than Hazel sprinted towards the doors of death, her blade shattered the chains on the left side like they were made of ice. Before she could get to the right side that Clytius yelled. 'No.' He watched in horror as the flat of the giant's blade caught Hazel in the chest and sent her flying. Hazel slammed into the wall nearby, as Hazel hit the wall that Leo Arabella and Emily shouted at the same time.

"Hazel!" It was clear that Hazel was losing consciousness but somehow she managed to stand up and staggered towards her sword. Before Hazel picked up her sword that Hazel managed to shout, it was more of a croak than a shout, at Clytius.

"Clytius!" The giant turned away from Bucky and everyone else, Hazel limped forward as Clytius laugh as she walked over to him.

'A good try, Hazel Levesque. You did better than I anticipated. But magic alone cannot defeat me, and you do not have sufficient strength. Hecate has failed you, as she fails all of her followers in the end.' The mist around Hazel was thinning, Emily put her head on his shoulder, she seems to be having trouble lifting her head at the moment. Steve was at least able to lift his head, once again Bucky assumed it was that serum in Steve that helped him make it through Tartarus. Bucky kept his arms around Emily to help keep Emily steady on her feet, for Emily seem so weak that he felt that if he let go that she would fall back on the floor. It was clear that the six of them went through a lot down there in Tartarus, he couldn't began to think of what must have happened. The other five were in a similar state as Emily or close to it, expect Percy of who was still pretty much out of it. At the moment that Leo was trying to force feed Percy some ambrosia while Arabella gave some to Steve and Colonel Phillips while Bucky gave some to Emily. After Arabella managed to give some to Colonel Phillips and Steve that Arabella managed to get over to Annabeth and Percy to help Leo with them, he also noticed that Arabella hugged Annabeth and Percy before she gave some nectar to Annabeth. Bucky hardly paid any heed to Hecate or what was she was doing but he was paying more attention to Emily, of who was eating some ambrosia, and Hazel, of who was facing the giant. Hazel managed to pick her sword up before she threw her sword at the chains on the right side of the doors, the chains shattered. Hazel collapsed onto the floor as the doors shuddered before they disappeared in a flash of purple light. When the doors disappeared that Clytius roared so loudly that a half dozen stelae fell from he ceiling and shattered on the floor.

"That was for my brother, Nico. And for destroying my father's altar." The giant snarled at Hazel.

'You have forfeited your right to a quick death. I will suffocate you in darkness, slowly, painfully. Hecate cannot help you. NO ONE can help you!' It was than at Hecate spoke making Bucky look at her since Hecate entered the room.

"I would not be so certain, Clytius. Hazel's friends simply needed a little time to reach her – time you have given them with your boasting and bragging." Clytius snorted when Hecate said that.

"What friends? These weaklings? They are no challenge." He was looking at the others in room but Bucky was sure that Hecate was not talking about them, out of the ones in the room that Bucky and Arabella were best shape to fight in. That was mainly because hey haven't fought yet, for own thing that this was not their fight for it was Hazel's fight. front of Hazel that the air rippled and the mist around Hazel thickened, creating a doorway and seven people stepped through the door. Bucky sighed in utter relief as Frank, Nico, Piper, Jason, Lauren, Phil and Aubrey came through the door. All their swords were drawn and their swords were out in front of them ready for a fight.

"Sorry we're late. Is this the guy who needs killing?" As soon as Jason said that, that everyone started attacking the giant, while not everyone more like half of the group. The ones that were fighting Jason, Hazel, Leo, Frank, Jennifer, Arabella and Piper. Leo was shooting fire at the giant's legs while Frank and Piper were jabbing at his chest, Jennifer was jabbing and slash everyday in the giant but mostly his legs. Jason was flying around in the air and kicked the giant in the face with his feet or stabbed his head a couple of times, it was either Nico or Arabella were there when the smokey veil started to creep around one of them them. Their swords seem to be drinking the darkness with their Stygian blades, Hazel was also jabbing at the giant's legs along side Jennifer. As they fought that he could tell Emily was standing more on her own as the fighting went on, of which Bucky was glad of. The others were stands more on their own as well, thankfully, but they still looked weak and dazed form Tartarus. Lauren came over as Emily managed to lift her head and took of her arms from around his neck so that Lauren and Emily could hug.

Lauren was close of crying when she hugged Emily, when Lauren let go of Emily that she went over to Steve and hugged before she cried into his chest. Steve put his arms around Lauren and held Lauren close to him and he seem to be trying to comfort her, than Bucky was unsure of what Steve was saying. Phil and Aubrey hugged Emily before they checked on Colonel Phillips and the one guy, Bucky was unsure if Phil and Aubrey knows who those two were. Bucky noticed that Percy and Annabeth managed to get up with heir swords drawn, he also noticed the belt that Annabeth has on with two daggers on it. He noticed that one was Emily's dagger while he other dagger was Annabeth's own dagger, Bucky wondered where Annabeth got that sword. Bucky knows that Annabeth never had a sword before she fell into Tartarus, he was wondering what the sword was made out of. Emily never brought up any weapons that look like they were made out of Ivory before, unless if Emily never seen or heard of any sword like that before Tartarus. Bucky felt Emily shake a little against him as she nestled more into him, it seems that Tartarus affected Emily greatly. Bucky looked down at Emily of who looked like she was about ready to cry, as Bucky looked down at Emily that the kitten climbed off of his shoulder and onto Emily's shoulder. The kitten nestled against Emily as if the kitten was trying to comfort her and telling her that it was all right. As the kitten did that, that Clytius was snarling as well as turning back and forth as if he couldn't figure out who he should kill first

'Wait! Hold still! No! Ouch!' The darkness around him dispelled completely, leaving nothing to protect the giant expect his battered armor. Golden Ichor was oozing from a dozen wounds that were made by the demigods that were fighting Clytius. However the damage that was being done was healing almost as fast as it was inflicting but it was clear that the giant was tiring as the fight went on. Bucky held Emily closer to him as Jason flew one last time at Clytius, kicking the giant in the chest causing Clytius' breastplate to shatter. Clytius stagger backwards when that happened, his sword dropped to the floor before he fell to his knees and the demigods, that have been fighting him, encircled him. It was than that Hecate step forward with her torches raised, mist was curling around the giant, hissing and bubbling as the mist touched his skin. Bucky was a bit unnerved as he looked at Hecate at the moment, he wasn't sure what it was just him that felt like that when he looked at Hecate. Than the giant looked at Hecate as she approached him of where he fell to the floor and spoke to the giant.

"And so it ends." Clytius's voice echoed from above, muffled and slurred.

'It does not end. My brethren have risen. Gaia waits only for the blood of Olympus. It took all of you together to defeat me. What will you do when the Earth Mother opens her eyes?' Hecate didn't bother to answer that question when Clytius asked that question of which Bucky was glad of for he didn't want an answer to that question. Instead of answering that Hecate turned her torches upside down before she thrust the torches like they were daggers at Clytius's head. The giant's hair went up faster than dry tinder, spreading down his head and across his body till Bucky could felt the heat of the bonfire. Bucky felt Emily wince slightly when the heat hit them, it didn't affect Bucky all that much, not much of a surprise there. Bucky knows that it doesn't affect or bother Emily just like Bucky but he wondered if she lost her blessings down there. But he doubted it, if he has a guess, it might because Emily been in the dark for so long that Emily wasn't use to the light like she was before she fell. For he figured that there was no light down there expect for their weapons and anything they could find down there. Clytius fell without a sound, the giant face fist into the rubble of what Bucky was sure was once Hades' altar, than Clytius's body crumbled to ashes. For a moment no one spoke, before Hecate turned around to face Hazel and spoke.

"You should go now, Hazel Levesque. Lead your friends out of this place." Bucky raised an eyebrow when Hecate said that, that seem to made Hazel mad.

"Just like that? No 'thank you'? No 'good work'?" The goddess tilted her head, the weasel chattered before the weasel disappeared into the folds of Hecate's dress.

'You look in the wrong place for gratitude. As for 'good work', that remains to be seen. Speed your way to Athens. Clytius was not wrong. The giants have risen – all of them, stronger than ever. Gaia is on the very edge of waking. The Feast of Hope will be poorly named unless you arrive to stop her." It was than that Emily that spoke up.

"You are in the middle aren't you?" Hecate looked at Emily when she said, Bucky looked at Emily as well, he was rather confused by what Emily meant by that.

"You should know if I am in the middle or not." The chamber rumbled and another stela crashed to the floor. "The House of Hades is unstable. Leave now. We shall meet again." The goddess dissolved and the mist evaporated.

"She's friendly." Emily spoke up once ore.

"She wasn't in her better mood just now, and it doesn't help the fact that she has three sides to her. The mood she was in wasn't her worst mood either, that mood was more in between the other two moods that she has. So I refer to it as her middle mood, even if she was in her best mood, I don't think she would have still said that but differently. Even without her three moods or sides, to would be hard to explain her." The others turned towards Emily, Percy, Annabeth and the others before Jason went over to Percy and gave Percy a bear hug.

"Dude." Leo was whooping.

"Back from Tartarus! That's my peeps!" Piper threw her arms around Annabeth and cried, Frank ran over to Hazel. However Arabella came running over to where Emily and Bucky were, Arabella was crying as she ran over to Emily. Emily took her arms from around his neck just before Arabella hugged Emily, Emily hugged Arabella as Arabella cried into Emily. It took a good minute before Emily managed to get Arabella to stop crying, when Arabella did that she let go of Emily and looked at Colonel Phillips.

"You are suppose to be in the underworld." Colonel Phillips looked at Arabella.

"That's a nice greeting, Arabella. But yes I know that I am suppose to be in the underworld. I, somehow, ended up with Tartarus." Than he pointed at the guy that was standing next to him. "Somehow, Dr. Erskine ended up coming with me to that place." Bucky spoke

"Hang a second, you mean the guy who came up with the super soldier serum and put that into Steve." The man spoke in a German accent.

"Yes, I am. Who are you?" Before Bucky could say anything that Emily spoke up, beating Bucky to the answer.

"This is Bucky Barnes, my husband." Before anything else could be said that the ceiling started shuddered and cracks appeared in the remaining tiles of the ceiling, there were columns of dust spilled down from the ceiling.

"We've got to get out of here. Uh, Frank …?" Frank shook his head.

"I think one favour from the dead is all I can manage today."

"Wait, what?" Bucky was just as confused as the others that was here in the cavern before Frank and the others came to the cavern. Piper raised her eyebrows.

"Your unbelievable boyfriend called in a favour as a child of Mars. He summoned the spirits of some dead warriors, made them lead us here through … um, well, I'm not sure, actually. The passages of the dead? All I know is that it was very, very dark." To their left a section of the wall split, two ruby eyes from a carved stone skeleton popped out before rolling across the floor.

"We'll have to shadow-travel." Nico winced.

"Hazel, I can barely manage that with only myself. With seven more people –"

"I'll help you." Than Arabella spoke up.

"Jennifer and I can help as well." An entire section of tiles peeled loose from the ceiling. Nico yelled.

"Everyone, grab hands!" They made a hasty circle, Bucky wasn't sure if Emily was helping her four siblings or not but he wouldn't be surprised if she was, but as the cavern collapsed that he felt himself dissolved into a shadow. They appeared on the hillside overlooking the river Acheron, the sun was just rising, making the water glitter and the clouds glow orange. The cool morning air smelled of honeysuckle, Bucky was between Steve and Emily. Steve let go of his hand as he put his arms around Lauren, Emily wrapped her arms around him as the small kitten jumped from Bucky's shoulder and onto the ground. Everyone started to stir, Nico quickly let go of Percy's hand when he realized he was holding it. Leo staggered backwards, clearly he didn't do shadow travel very well, Bucky used to be the same way till he got used to Emily doing it with him, now he is used to traveling that way.

"You know … I think I'll sit down." Leo collapsed and the others joined him, the Argo II was still floating over the river a few hundred yards away. Bucky knows that they should signal Gleeson and tell him that they were alive, but they were too tired to do anything expect sit and relax. Bucky was glad to have Emily back, he kept his arms around her and she has her arms around his neck, her head was on his shoulders once more while the kitten was in her lap. Soon they began to exchange stories. Frank was explaining of what happened with the ghostly legion and the army of monsters and how Nico used the sceptre of Diocletian, as well as saying of how bravely Jason and Piper fought.

"Frank is being modest. He controlled the entire legion. You should've seen him. Oh, by the way …" Jason glanced over at Percy. "I resigned my office, gave Frank a field promotion to praetor. Unless you want to contest that ruling." Percy grinned.

"No argument here."

"Praetor?" Hazel was staring at Frank. Frank shrugged uncomfortably.

"Well … yeah. I know it seems weird." Hazel tried to throw her arms around him but it seems that she remembered something so she kissed Frank instead.

"It seems perfect." Leo clapped Frank on the shoulder.

"Way to go, Zhang. Now you can order that one guy to fall on his sword.'

"Tempting." Frank turned apprehensively to Percy. "But you guys … Tartarus has to be the real story. What happened down there? How did you …?" Emily nuzzled her face against Bucky's neck when Frank said that while Steve pulled Lauren closer to him. Percy laced his fingers through Annabeth's fingers. Bucky noticed the slight pain as Nico looked at Percy's and Annabeth's hands.

"We'll tell you the story. But not yet, okay? I'm not ready to remember that place."

"No. Right now …" Annabeth gazed towards the river and faltered. "Uh, I think our ride is coming." Bucky turned around as Emily lifted her head and saw that the Argo II veered to Portman, it's aerial oars in motion and it's sails were catching the wind. Festus's head was glinting in the sunlight, even from a distance that Bucky could hear the creaking and clanking that Festus makes. Leo yelled.

"That's my boy!" As the ship got closer that he saw Gleeson standing at the prow and he yelled down at them with his eyes gleaming or he might have been happy to see them.

"About time! What took you so long, cupcakes? You kept your visitor waiting!" Bucky heard Hazel murmured.

"Visitor?" At the rail next to Gleeson, a dark haired girl appeared wearing a purple cloak, her face was covered with shoot and bloody scratches. It was Reyna, the other Praetor.

Emily's pov

Emily stood nearby as the Athena Parthenos was lowered onto the hillside, Emily was unsure of how she felt at the moment but she need comfort when she managed to open her eyes. She was glad that Bucky was right next to her as well as Arabella being there as well, she hardly let go of Bucky since she started to stir and open her eyes to see him next to her in the house of Hades. The few times she did was when she hugged Arabella or when Arabella wanted to make sure that she was really there, in a way Emily wanted to make sure she was back up above once more and this wasn't some dream. It was clear that it was no dream, for she could feel the air and smell the normal smells that she was use to. The air was not poisoned, there was no monsters at every turn, no powerful gods that were older than the Titans or Giants. But she missed some things about it, like Bob, Damsaen and the swamp, as weird as that sounded, at the moment she was holding hands with Bucky on the hillside as they stared at the statue. The forty foot tall goddess was gazing serenely over the river Acheron, her gold dress was like molten metal in the sun. Looking at the statue that she was unsure of what to do with it now, there was a couple of things that they could do with the statue.

"Incredible." Reyna was still red eyed from crying, soon after Reyna landed on the Argo II that her Pegasus Scipio collapsed. For he was overwhelmed by poisoned claw marks from the gryphon attack from the night before, Emily felt sorry for Reyna when Emily heard of what happened. Reyna was forced to put the horse out of his misery with her golden knife, turning the Pegasus into dust that scattered the sweet smelling Greek air. Emily felt awful for Reyna when she learned of what happened to Reyna's Pegasus, Emily knew that demigods lived tragic lives. For Emily lived about seventy years worth of it with an added another seventy years worth from Tartarus or it feels like another seventy years though Emily knows it was not. Plus it seems Reyna gave up too much in her life already, in many ways Emily was glad when Reyna become the praetor. For Reyna was a good leader and does what was best for her people, of which show too well since she become praetor. There times when Emily wish that there was something she could do for Reyna but she was unsure of what to do. "It looks newly made."

"Yeah. We brushed off the cobwebs, used a little Windex. It wasn't hard." The Argo II was havering just overheard with the Helicarrier nearby, it was decided that Dr. Erskine would go onto the Helicarrier instead of the Argo II. After it was revealed of who he was, Dr. Erskine was unsure about that time Phil told him of who he was and that he was Emily's and Steve's half brother of which made Dr. Erskine relax somewhat. At the moment Festus was keeping watch for threats on the radar, the entire crew decided to eat lunch on the hillside as well as half of the agents on he Helicarrier. Emily has to say it was amusing when the agents came over and saw Phil and saw the look of surprise on their faces. For they only saw Phil in suits, he wasn't wearing one, of where he was wearing a blue shirt, jacket, blue jeans and tennis shoes. The agents of the second shield made their own circle for lunch, but Phil remained with the crew of the Argo II once he got some updates from Melinda. However Melinda joined the demigods circle instead of being with the agents, if it wasn't for the fact that Emily knows that Melinda was good friends with Phil that she would wonder when Melinda was with them. Annabeth called over to Reyna.

"Hey, Reyna. Have some food. Join us." Emily wasn't sure about the rest of the demigods there but she only one that has seen Reyna now wearing her armor once before. The only reason she wasn't wearing it now was because Buford was fixing the armor from the fights Reyna faced during the trip that she just took. She was wearing a pear of jeans and a purple camp Jupiter t-shirt, so that she almost looked like a normal teenage. Expect for the knife at her belt and that guarded expression like she was ready for an attack from anywhere or at any moment. Emily has to admit that she admired Reyna for coming all the way out here with no one but her Pegasus to keep her company.

"All right." They moved over to make room for Reyna in the circle, she sat cross legged next to Annabeth before she picked up a cheese sandwich and nibbled at the edge. "So, Frank Zhang … praetor." Frank shifted wiping crumbs from his chin.

"Well, yeah. Field promotion."

"To lead a different legion. A legion of ghosts." Hazel put her arm protectively through Frank's , after a hour in sick bay that Hazel and Frank look much better. It was during that time that Phil and Emily were caught up of what S.H.I.E.L.D. has been doing or most of it at any rate since Emily wasn't at the headquarters as she was with the old SHIELD of which was not saying much. Looking at Frank and Hazel that Emily could tell that the two of them not sure of what to think about their old boss from camp Jupiter having lunch with them

"Reyna, you should've seen him."

"He was amazing."

"Frank is a leader. He makes a great praetor." Emily saw that stare before and she knew that Reyna was trying to figure out of what she heard if she should believe it or not. After a minute that Reyna spoke.

"I believe you, I approve." Frank blinked I. Somewhat surprise,

"You do?" Reyna smiled dryly.

"A son of Mars, the hero who helped to bring back the eagle of the legion … I can work with a demigod like that. I'm just wondering how to convince the Twelfth Fulminata." Frank scowled.

"Yeah. I've been wondering the same thing." Emily did notice the change Frank went through while she was in Tartarus, it was hard to believe. He was at least three inches taller, less pudgy and more bulky, his face was sturdier and his jawline was more rugged. More or less he seem to grow into himself, of where he no longer looked like a cuddly sumo wrestler, as funny as that sounds.

"The legion will listen to you, Reyna. You made it here alone, across the ancient lands." Reyna chewed her sandwich as if it were cardboard.

"In doing so, I broke the laws of the legion."

"Caesar broke the law when he crossed the Rubicon. Great leaders have to think outside the box sometimes." Reyna shook her head.

"I'm not Caesar. After finding Jason's note in Diocletian's Palace, tracking you down was easy. I only did what I thought was necessary." Percy was smiling.

"Reyna, you're too modest. Flying halfway across the world by yourself to answer Annabeth's plea, because you knew it was our best chance for peace? That's pretty freaking heroic." Reyna shrugged.

"Says the demigod who fell into Tartarus and found his way back."

"He had help."

"Oh, obviously. Without you, I doubt Percy could find his way out of a paper bag."

"True."

"Hey!" Emily looked over at Phil when Reyna made the comment about the paper bag, both of them were close of laughing, it wasn't till when Percy said hey that everyone started laughing. It felt good to be back in the mortal world, to laugh and smile again and not to breath in poisonous air. But than the thought of Bob and Damasen entered her mind and her smile faded. It seems like that she wasn't the only one who thought of their two friends who sacrificed their lives so they could get out, for Percy's own smile melted as well as Annabeth's and Steve's. Than Leo pulled a tiny screwdriver from his tool belt before he stabbed a chocolate covered strawberry and passed it to Gleeson. Than he pulled out another screwdriver and speared a second strawberry for himself.

"So, the twenty-million-peso question. We got this slightly used forty-foot-tall statue of Athena. What do we do with it?" Emily looked over at the statue wondering the same thing,

"As fine as it looks on this hill, I didn't come all this way to admire it. According to Annabeth, it must be returned to Camp Half-Blood by a Roman leader. Do I understand correctly?" Annabeth nodded.

"I had a dream down in … you know, Tartarus. I was on Half-Blood Hill, and Athena's voice said, I must stand here. The Roman must bring me."

"It makes sense." Emily looked over at Nico when he said that, sure it was a wonder of what to do now, but she knows that the statue must go back to Camp Halfblood.

"The statue is a powerful symbol, a Roman returning it to the Greeks … that could heal the historic rift, maybe even heal the gods of their split personalities." Gleeson swallowed his strawberry along with half of the screwdriver.

"Now, hold on. I like peace as much as the next satyr –"

"You hate peace." Emily and Lauren looked at each other, both of them were close of laughing, for what leo said was true.

"The point is, Valdez, we're only – what, a few days from Athens? We've got an army of giants waiting for us there. We went to all the trouble of saving this statue –"

"I went to most of the trouble."

"– because that prophecy called it the giants' bane. So why aren't we taking it to Athens with us? It's obviously our secret weapon." Gleeson was eyeing the Athena Parthenos. "It looks like a ballistic missile to me. Maybe if Valdez strapped some engines to it –" Piper cleared her throat.

"Uh, great idea, Coach, but a lot of us have had dreams and visions of Gaia rising at Camp Half-Blood …" Piper unsheathed her dagger and set it on her plate, the blade showed nothing but sky.

"Since we got back to the ship. I've been seeing some bad stuff in the knife. The Roman group is almost ready to attack but they are still trying to find the camp. They're gathering reinforcements: spirits, eagles, wolves. But they are waiting."

"John, I told him to not go looking for the camp when I went there to stop him." Emily reminded John, John managed followed the Argo II to try to kill the members of the Argo II, thinking it would bring glory to the Romans. Among the members that were outcast now, but with her curse in place and the promise that she made sure that group won't find it till Reyna gets back with the statue. When that happens they would still have a hard time getting to camp halfblood.

"When we take over command, our first order of business should be to load John into the nearest catapult and fire him as far away as possible."

"Agreed. But for now –"

"He's intent on war. He'll have it, unless we stop him." Piper turned the blade of her knife.

"Unfortunately, that's not the worst of it. I saw images of a possible future – the camp in flames, Roman and Greek demigods lying dead. And Gaea …" Piper's voice failed her. Emily remembered what Tartarus was like in a physical form, she couldn't began to think of what Gaea would be like.

"Piper." Piper looked over at Emily. "For the time being, the Romans won't attack for they haven't found the camp. As long as they made that promise that they won't attack, that won't happen." Emily pulled out the camp breads from under her shirt had muttered in ancient Greek before putting it back under her shirt. "Besides, with the fact I am the protecter of New Rome that I could use that to protect Camp Halfblood from the attacking Romans if I must. Unless if they have peaceful intention than they won't get into camp. So Reyna would be able to get in, since she wants peace between the two camps." Reyna smiled and nodded in thanks. "However when you do enter camp, Reyna, that the Romans would find it, for it would be hard for them not to notice the statue. Even when they find the camp that they still won't enter not until they have peaceful intention and they hear you out."

"So Reyna takes the statue. And we continue on to Athens." Leo shrugged.

"Cool with me. But, uh, a few pesky logistical problems. We got what – two weeks until that Roman feast day when Gaia is supposed to rise?"

"The Feast of Spes. That's on the first of August. Today is –"

"July eighteenth. So, yeah, from tomorrow, exactly fourteen days." Hazel winced

"It took us eighteen days to get from Rome to here – a trip that should've only taken two or three days, max."

"So, given our usual luck. Maybe we have enough time to get the Argo II to Athens, find the giants and stop them from waking Gaia. Maybe. But how is Reyna supposed to get this massive statue back to Camp Half-Blood before the Greeks and Romans put each other through the blender? She doesn't even have her pegasus any more. Uh, sorry –" Reyna took a deep breath before she spoke.

"Unfortunately, Leo is correct. I don't see how I can transport something so large. I was assuming – well, I was hoping you all would have an answer."

"The Labyrinth, I – I mean, if Pasiphaë really has reopened it, and I think she has …" Hazel looked at Percy apprehensively. "Well, you said the Labyrinth could take you anywhere. So maybe –" Before Hazel could finish that there was a slight crash as the plate from Colonel Phillips fell from his hand.

"She's still alive?" Everyone, that didn't know who he really was, looked at Colonel Phillips oddly.

"She was, I think. I made her fell through a trapdoor that wasn't there using magic. I am not sure if that killed her or not." Arabella spoke up.

"Hopefully it had Devil's snare in there." Emily pointed her peanut butter at her.

"You said you wouldn't that up again. Our father is still not thrilled about that night, but worse things happen since than though, so he got over it. But that is besides the point." Arabella shrugged, Colonel Phillips looked at Emily.

"What's Devil snare?"

"A plant, it will start winding up around you till you can't breath."

"You know I would like that to happen to her." Than Colonel Phillips looked at Hazel and went on. "But using the labyrinth would not be a good idea to take my mother's statue to Camp halfblood." Reyna nearly dropped her sandwich.

"You are a son of Athena?" Colonel Phillips looked over at Reyna when she said that.

"I am." Emily smiled before she spoke.

"Not only that but he is also Daedalus." Everyone looked over at Colonel Phillips but he was looking at her.

"Thanks, Underworld Girl." Emily raised her eyebrow when he said that.

"That's odd, I thought I was the Flower Nut?" The crew laughed but this Percy spoke after the laughter.

"Anyway, nor to shoot you down, Hazel. It's just …" Percy paused, Emily wasn't sure what to say about the labyrinth either, she looked over at Colonel Philips of who signed and spoke.

"Hazel, for one thing I doubt that the passages in the labyrinth would be big enough to hold the Athena Parthenos. It was original meant to hold the Mintaour. So there is no chance of taking it down I doubt it would fit through an entrance no matter of how big it is. The maze is reopen into I can feel it for it's tied to my life force, I was worried that the labyrinth might be restored once I am here. Since Pasiphaë is that opened it, that it the labyrinth's life force was retied to me so I can control it to a degree. But I lost control of it over due time or most of it at any rate." Annabeth shook her head as Colonel Phillips finished and spoke.

"Hazel, maybe your underground senses could guide Reyna through, but no one else would stand a chance. And we need you here. Besides, if you got lost down there –"

"You're right. Never mind." Everyone looked at Colonel Phillips, and he spoke.

"I am suppose to be dead. Besides, it is still being remade, if this was a couple of years ago, sure no problem. But I am pretty much useless at the moment with the labyrinth being remade as we speak. Besides I have a feeling that I might be needed at Athens." Reyna cast her eyes around the group.

"Other ideas?"

"I could go. If I'm a praetor, I should go. Maybe we could rig some sort of sled, or –"

"No, Frank Zhang. I hope we will work side by side in the future, but for now your place is with the crew of this ship. You are one of the seven of the prophecy." Reyna gave Frank a weary smile.

"I'm not." Everyone stopped eating and looked over at Nico, Emily noticed that Nico was acting a bit different. She wasn't sure what it was but there was something different about him, it was almost like he faced something he didn't want to face in he first place. Hazel set her form down.

"Nico –"

"I'll go with Reyna, I can transport the statue with shadow-travel." Percy raised his hand, Emily rolled her eyes when he did that.

"Uh … I mean, I know you just got all eight of us to the surface, and that was awesome. But a year ago you said transporting just yourself was dangerous and unpredictable. A couple of times you ended up in China. Transporting a forty-foot statue and two people halfway across the world –"

"I've changed since I came back from Tartarus." Nico's eyes was glittered with anger, but there was something else there, something that Emily didn't to see there ever, fear. Not just the fear when a demigod sees a monsters but more of the kind of where one doesn't want to admit to someone. Emily could almost taste the awkwardness coming from Nico, Emily wondered if she was wondering if she was thinking might be possible. But it seems like she was the only that noticed that, mainly because she knows Nico rather well though not as well as Arabella. But Emily decided to dismiss that, if Nico wants to tell her anything that he could, she wasn't going to make him tell her anything. But Emily was worried about Nico making such a journey for shadow travel was dangerous. Yes, Emily uses it often and can do it much better than Nico or Arabella, but she managed to go somewhere of where she didn't mean to go, though more when she was learning to use it. Than Jason intervened.

"Nico, we're not questioning your power. We just want to make sure you don't kill yourself trying."

"I can do it, I'll make short jumps – a few hundred miles each time. It's true, after each jump I won't be in any shape to fend off monsters. I'll need Reyna to defend me and the statue." Reyna had a static face, similar to Phil's static face, but unlike with Phil, she couldn't ready it. She was studied the group, scanning their faces, refusing to let her thoughts betray her.

"Any objections?" No one spoke. "Very well, I see no better option. But there will be many monster attacks. I would feel better taking a third person. That's the optimal number for a quest." Frank blurted out.

"Coach Hedge and Arabella." Emily stared at Frank, she wondered if she heard him and it seem Percy wanted to make sure on that as well.

"Uh, what, Frank?"

"The coach is the best choice. One of two only choice. He's a good fighter. He's a certified protector. He'll get the job done. Arabella is a good fighter as well, I think Nico would need some help with transporting the statue. So he would need someone else to shadow travel as well."

"A faun." Emily rolled her eyes when Reyna said that, she knew what was going to happen and sure enough Gleeson barked.

"Satyr! And, yeah, I'll go. Besides, when you get to Camp Half-Blood, you'll need somebody with connections and diplomatic skills to keep the Greeks from attacking you. Just let me go make a call – er, I mean, get my baseball bat."

"I will go as well, besides I don't want Nico to do this alone." Emily was glad that two of her siblings would be in less danger but she still has two to worry about. But Emily did notice the look that Gleeson shot at Frank make Emily wonder, as Gleeson jogged towards the ship's ladder that Emily reached out with her Hestia powers. Even with how wacky they been and getting more wacky as the child inside of her was growing and it has been about a month since Emily learned she was with a child. As soon as she touched Gleeson that she was close of letting the plate fell from her hand, she understood of why Frank decided Gleeson should go and it wasn't because of the reasons Frank gave. But it was because Gleeson got married and his wife was having a baby, she could sense a faint connection of an unborn child to Gleeson and she knows that satyrs marry nymphs. As Emily pulled back from touching Gleeson's connections that Arabella spoke up.

"Emily, is the reason your nickname from Daedalus is Flower Nut because you are a nut?" Everyone looked at Arabella when she said that, Emily raised an eyebrow.

"What? Why ask that question?" Arabella looked Nico, Jennifer, Hazel and Nico, the four of them smiled slightly while Lauren and Bucky refused to meet Emily's eyes. Than Arabella spoke up.

"Hazel used her flashbacks and we saw different memories to Bucky's and Lauren's past, most of them you were in." Emily grunted when Arabella said that, she wondered what they saw.

"What did you see?"

"The first time you were adopted."

"Oh gods." Emily dropped her sandwich and out her hands over her face, she remembers that day too well, plus she was never one to wear dress, though she got use to them somewhat over the years. Back than girls basically wore dresses expect for Emily, as well as the female demigods, for Emily didn't like the dresses back than for they were uncomfortable. So up till she went to Camp Halfbloods that she wore baggy shirts and pants, as a result that made her look smaller than what she was. It didn't help that she was a bit small for her age either. "Is that the only thing you saw?"

"No, Lauren also showed us the memories of the time you were in camp." Emily looked up when Arabella said that.

"What parts did you see of that? Just quests right." Emily looked at Lauren. "Please say it was just quests." Lauren lowered her head before she spoke.

"No, it was enough to tell of what your love life was like."

"Oh gods." Emily out her hand on her face as some of the crew stared at her while Bucky, Lauren, Steve, Nico, Hazel, Jennifer and Arabella snorted. "At least I am glad that not everyone saw at." Emily lowered her hand as Melinda spoke up.

"I am taking a guess you had a lot boyfriends than." Before Emily could say anything that Arabella spoke up.

"She had no other boyfriend or lover expect for Bucky." Emily glared at Arabella, Arabella glared right back at her.

"Thank you so much, wicked." Lauren, Steve, Aubrey, Phil and, to Emily's surprise, Melinda started to laugh when Emily called Arabella wicked. Since it was Tony's nickname for Arabella and no one else really used before or rarely. "What else did you see?"

"Well we saw when Steve was getting beaten up before he had the serum in that alleyway." Emily looked at Steve of who blushed.

"I am going to guess that was the last time you were beaten up?"

"Yes. Bucky did come halfway through that." Emily looked back at Arabella.

"What else did you see."

"Some other things, like when Steve and yourself went save Bucky but we didn't see the event and saw when you went back to that one camp. We also saw being claimed, the last memories was when you and Lauren were in the communication room when Steve was forcing down the plane." Emily bit her lip, there times when she still has nightmares about that day when Steve crashed.

"What else did you see?"

"The last memory was when we saw what happened to Bucky and how he got his arm." Colonel phillips spoke up.

"What arm?"

"This arm." Bucky lifted his metal arm before he went on. "My one arm was ripped off when I fell off the train." Colonel Phillips seem stunned hat Bucky had a metal arm, than Colonel Phillps's eyebrows furrowed.

"What?" Colonel Phillips looked to Annabeth before he spoke.

"I didn't think of this in Tartarus, I didn't think of it till now. But do you mind if I borrow one of the daggers for a second." Annabeth looked confused but handed Emily's old dagger, when Colonel Phillips had in his hand hat he cut his palm open. Emily spoke up.

"Colonel, are you c-" Emily stopped as blood came out of the wound, not golden oil like it had been during the battle of the labyrinth or even in his workshop. It was real and red blood that was coming it, Emily stood up and managed to walk to him before taking his hand and looked at his blood.

"That's weird!" Dr. Erskine spoke up.

"You are making it seem like he doesn't bleed." Emily looked at Dr. Erskine.

"He does, but when he transfer his soul into a machine that he bleed golden oil. But it seems now he his flesh and bleed and is no longer a machine." Dr. Erskine seem stunned, this he looked at Colonel Phillips.

"You were a machine?"

"Yes, I would tell you more but I think it would take a while to tell you everything." Emily went back to Bucky and sat next to him as Nico and Arabella rose from where he was sitting.

"Anyways, we should go, too, and rest before the first passage. We'll meet at the statue at sunset." When Nico and Arabella walked away from them and was gone that Hazel frowned at them before she spoke.

"He's acting strangely. I'm not sure he's thinking this through." Emily looked at Hazel, Emily was worried about Nico but she knows he would get past this at some point, maybe.

"He'll be okay." Emily nodded when Frank said that.

"He'll be fine. He acted more strangely before you meet him." Hazel passed her hand over the ground and diamonds broke the surface, a glittering Milky Way of stones.

"I hope you're right. We're at another crossroads. The Athena Parthenos goes west. The Argo II goes east. I hope we chose correctly." Emily hoped that they would succeed in what they were doing.

"One thing bothers me. If the Feast of Spes is in two weeks, and Gaea needs the blood of two demigods to wake – what did Clytius call it? The blood of Olympus? – then aren't we doing exactly what Gaea wants, heading to Athens? If we don't go, and she can't sacrifice any of us, doesn't that mean she can't wake up fully?" Annabeth took Percy's hand as Bucky took her hand, Emily looked down at their hands and smiled. Sure she was glad she had Steve down in Tartarus with her but she was glad that she has Bucky back at her side again.

"Percy, prophecies cut both ways. If we don't go, we may lose our best and only chance to stop her. Athens is where our battle lies. We can't avoid it. Besides, trying to thwart prophecies never works. Gaia could capture us somewhere else or spill the blood of some other demigods."

"Yeah, you're right, I don't like it, but you're right." The mood of the group as gloomy as the air in Tartarus, than Piper broke the tension by sheathing her dagger and patted the cornucopia.

"Well! Good picnic. Who wants dessert?" After lunch that Emily went to find Nico and Arabella, of which didn't take Emily all that long since Nico and Arabella was in the sickbay. They were sitting on a couple of beds in one of the dark corners in the sickbay or the darkest one that they could find in there. Emily walked over to Nico and sat down next to him, none of them said anything for a few minutes as they sat there. Than Nico spoke up.

"Are you going to tell me that I can't do this?"

"Do what?" Nico looked up at her.

"Take Reyna, Gleeson, Arabella and the Athena Parthenos to Camp Halfblood."

"No." Nico looked surprised so Emily went on. "I can't think to another way, well I can. Of which is me going instead of you. But I know I am needed with the crew of the Argo II to help face the giants in Athens. But I want you to make sure you are careful with what you are going to do, I had lost a lot myself in the time I been alive and the important things came back to me. The pattern of lost is starting again, I lost a good friend already, I don't what to lose a brother and a sister." Emily looked between Nico and Arabella. "Watch each other while you are doing this and takes turns. I have a feeling that it would be better if you two are doing this together." Emily could tell as she spoke that Nico guessed that Bob was still down in Tartarus but his fate was still unknown to Emily. It seems that Nico and Arabella was unsure about that as well, Emily wished she knows what Bob's fate was after she left. Emily hoped that her two friends in Tartarus are fine down there and that nothing serious happened to them. But she was unsure if she could sense Bob's death when he is down there or if Bob fades or gets shallowed up by Tartarus. Emily hugged Nico and kissed the top of his head though she knows at Nico doesn't like being touched but he wasn't as bothered with Emily doing that than everyone else expect for Arabella, maybe Jennifer and Hazel. Emily did the same thing with Arabella as well. "So keep safe, you two." Emily got up as well as Nico and Arabella.

"I will." With that Nico and Arabella left the sickbay. Emily left the sickbay and went to her cabin, when she entered the cabin that she stopped for a minute, the cabin hadn't been cleaned in a while from the state of how the chain was. It was clear that Bucky hadn't be happy about Emily being Tartarus since the walls were dented and from the looks of the dents that it was made from a metal arm. There was clothes everywhere as well, a good half of it was dirty, there was a Bucky of things as well to show that Bucky wasn't in a good mood for the first days she was down in Tartarus. When Emily stopped looking around that she sat on the edge of the bed, she bent over and put her hands on the back of her neck before she closed her eyes and thought back in the last two weeks. She wasn't going to deny at her life was good in many ways but it was worse in many more ways. True she wanted to be able to see Steve and Bucky again when she thought that the were dead, but than she learned that they were alive and not finding them was awful. It pained her and she lived with that pain every single day till she found them, it was the same with Lauren. Though it wasn't with Daedalus, that was only because she knows he was in the labyrinth and she knew that she would have a hard time finding him until she really had to find him, as well as Arabella, just before the battle of the labyrinth.

She lived for almost seventy years of with the pain of not finding Bucky, Lauren and Steve or learning of what happened to them. Some of her pain eased to a certain degree when she become close with Phil and Arabella, as well as her other half siblings on her adopted father's side. Each of them have a place in her heart and helped heal some of her wounds before they were healed fully when she finally found Bucky, Lauren and Steve or they found her. It really depended on one looks at it, but the four of them still found each other, even after seventy years of not being with each other. But now it seems like a new hole was ripped from her heart when she left Tartarus and left Bob down there as well as Damaesan. Emily wasn't sure of how long she was in there thinking or was in that position, but she hardly paid much attention when someone entered the cabin and sat next to her till she felt a pair of arms around her. Emily knew who it was at once, well if it was in World War II there was two likely people of who it could be that put their arms around her. But considering that she could feel metal hand touched her one arm that she knew it could only be Bucky. Emily lifted her head and looked at Bucky, he was looking at her concern.

"Are you all right?"

"I will be fine, hopefully. There is too much on my mind from Tartarus." Bucky merely nodded when Emily said that but didn't push the subject, Emily got up as well as Bucky and they went up onto the deck. They left the ship and went to the hillside of where Nico barely was putting the ropes up around the Athena Parthenous with Arabella's help. Emily saw that Annabeth just walked over to Percy and she took his hand as Emily and Bucky went towards them.

"Good luck." Nico didn't meet Annabeth's eyes.

"Yeah. You, too." A minute later, Reyna and Gleeson arrived in full armor with packs over their shoulders. Reyna looked grim and ready for combat will Gleeson grinned like he was expecting a surprised party. Reyna hugged Annabeth as well as hugged Emily.

"We will succeed."

"I know you will." Gleeson shouldered his baseball bat.

"Yeah, don't worry. I'm going to get to camp and see my baby! Uh, I mean I'm going to get this baby to camp!" Gleeson patted the leg of the Athena Parthenos. Emily had to cover her mouth to stop herself form laughing or telling Gleeson that it was all right and that he would get back there to see his baby.

"All right. Grab the ropes, please. Here we go." Reyna, Arabella, and Gleeson took hold of the ropes, the air darkened, the Athena Parthenos collapsed into it's own shadow and disappeared along with it's four escorts. Emily took Bucky's hand and put her head on his shoulder as they disappeared into the shadows, Emily couldn't help but wonder what will happen now. Shortly afterwards of when the Athena Parthenos left and after nightfall that the Argo II sailed after nightfall. The ship veered southwest until they reached the coast while the Helicarrier was following just behind them with the other avengers and Dr. Erskine on the Helicarrier along with the second shield. When they reached the Lonian sea that the Argo II splashed down into the water, so that they could follow the same routes that the Greek heroes took in Ancient times. Emily, Steve, Colonel Phillips, Annabeth and Percy were standing at the railing of the ship. Percy closed his eyes, Emily could see his expression and knew what he was thinking but it was Annabeth that spoke.

"I know, I can't get that place out of my head, either."

"Damasen. And Bob …" Annabeth's voice was fragile as she spoke.

"I know. We have to make their sacrifice worth it. We have to beat Gaia." Emily stared into the night sky, she wondered where Nico, Arabella and the others were and she wondered what may happen when they reach Camp Halfblood. But they will only have fourteen days to reach Athens, one way or another that the war would be decided. She wished that she could simply say the same thing to Gaea as she did to the one titan in the Titan war about a year ago. But she couldn't, she wasn't sure if the avengers could take Gaea on, she knew the avengers against the Titans would be hard. But taking on Gaea was a different story all together, for Gaea was so much more powerful, maybe even more than Tartarus. Seeing Tartarus in a human like form was terrifying, if Tartarus was like that, she couldn't began to think what Gaea would be like. Over in the brow that Leo was whistling happily as he was tinkering with Festus's mechanical brain and muttering something about a crystal and an astrolabe. In the middle of the ship that Piper and Hazel practice their sword play, gold and bronze blades were ringing in the night. Jason and Frank were standing at the helm and were talking, Emily was sure that they were telling stories of the legion or something like that. Phil and Aubrey were on the port side to the ship while Bucky and Lauren were down below in their cabins.

"We've got a good crew. If I have to sail to my death –"

"You're not dying on me, Seaweed Brain. Remember? Never separated again. And after we get home …"

"What?" Annabeth kissed him.

"Ask me again, once we defeat Gaia." Emily smiled slightly.

"Whatever you say." As they went further from the coast that Emily looked at the constellations, among them was the hunter. Than she heard Percy whisper to the stars above them.

"Bob says hello."