A/N: Thanks to the many Guests or the same ones for wanting me to continue! Hope you enjoy, oh last Thursday I replaced the whole of chapter 4, because I said I was going to split the chapters…. Decided to not!

Chapter 5: Reading Replacement

Since they had been sitting nonstop for a few hours as they read chapters, since they got the book in the morning, the gods decided to take a lunch break. Olympus was on lock down and no one could enter or leave. Guards were stationed near and had poisoned darts encase the Titans did something that they shouldn't.

The feast was large; the major gods had gotten it ready with the help of Hestia.

The table went one way and to the other, it was filled with lots of food: turkeys, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, veggies, cookies, salad, spaghetti, bread, sandwiches, cake, cherry coke, Nectar, Ambrosia, ribs, and a big bowl of fruit salad in the middle, it was dipped in fruit-punch juice.

The teenagers, adults (17-19 year olds) and the gods along with the titans ate until everyone was full.

Triton flashed in with permission from Zeus and his father, the first thing he saw was his father sitting next to Zeus and Hades chatting and Demigods all over the place; So to say that he was startled when the Titan of the Ocean walked up to him.

"Triton"

Looking up into blue eyes he was deeply reminded of his mother, with her long black hair, and blue eyes. He had inherited all of his father's looks: black slightly unruly curly hair and sea green eyes. He was the Messenger of the Sea; His dad's heir to the throne.

"Yes, Oceanus..?" he asked.

"I just want to say I am proud of you, you are my grandson no matter what happens."

"Brother!" Hyperion snaps and glares over at Triton, but he looks guilty a bit and that confuses the sea god.

"Father, I just want to talk to you," Triton said.

"It's okay Triton, just stay and listen to the book the Fates have given us. "Poseidon said and put his hand on his eldest sons shoulder.

"What is it called?"

"Confused By Time."

With that everyone got ready and all the food disappeared.

"Bob!" Annabeth shouted as she skidded to a stop in the shrine of Hermes.

The Titan was leaning against the wall and obviously waiting for them. He looked up as she ran into the small bowl shaped indent and threw herself at him. "Bob, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"No, I chose to do what I did. Don't think any differently, I wanted to sacrifice myself so you could get out," Bob said as he caught Annabeth.

Smiling at the Titan, Athena silently thanked him, but changed her mind quickly; he isn't the same Titan that sat a few feet away from her.

Annabeth kissed him on the cheek. "I'm still sorry."

"Annabeth!" Jason exclaimed as he jumped into the shrine. "Who's that?"

"Iapetus, or Bob," Annabeth smiled, "Depends on what you want to call him."

"Don't I feel like a child, when they name things that are not what they are named?" The mighty titan of the Underworld pouted and stared at Annabeth.

"He's going to help us?" Frank asked warily.

Annabeth's eyes narrowed, "Without him, Percy and I would have died within hours down here."

"Sorry," Frank apologised, "but he's a Titan. It's natural to think badly of them."

"Ikwym" Leo said and smiled, but frowned when he saw all the confused faces, except for Hermes.

"What?" Triton asked and stared at the son of Hephaestus.

Laughing the god of Messengers and Internet explained.

"It means: "I know what you mean""

Iapetus placed Annabeth on the ground and studied the nine demigods in front of him. His silver eyes flared and he frowned slightly, "You encountered my youngest brother?"

"Kronos?" Thalia asked, "Yeah. We encountered him. He's a right bastard."

A bright flash of gold and a deep familiar voice spoke from the light.

"I am a bastard, yes, everyone knows, BUT only one person is allowed to call me that, and that person isn't here, so no ONE calls me that."

"KRONOS!" everyone shouted and all of them grabbed weapons, the gods and demigods to fight the king of Othrys, and the Titans to defend their king and the person who stepped out of his shadow.

Atlas, Kronos' General, and second, no third in command when there wasn't Hyperion available. (1)

"You cannot hope to beat me. Put your arms down and let's continue with this book, Chronos has told me the rules."

Wearily they all looked at each other and slowly put their various weapons down, though the titans kept theirs up for a little longer.

Iapetus and Hyperion went hurriedly to the Titan king and shot questions at the smug looking king, they relaxed slightly and nodded and sat down.

"Continue," Kronos said, and Jason frowned looking to Zeus, whom nodded.

Taking a deep breath Jason picked up the book and opened it and began to read.
"Unfortunately," Iapetus agreed, "I would assume that all of you are here to free the son of Poseidon? Kronos offered to play a game of chess which he never loses, and you need my help."

"Yes," Annabeth said, "the prophecy we had said we would find help when all seems most dire. That's definitely now. Do you know where Percy is?"

Bob frowned slightly, "Knowledge isn't always good for you-"

"This knowledge is," Nico growled.

"No, it isn't. You want to know why?" Bob challenged, "It's because your demigod friend is in a fortress that we Titans built down here as a replacement for Othrys. He's being held in Kronos' personal cells." He hesitated before sighing, "You have a map, I'd assume?"

Annabeth nodded and opened up her laptop, quickly showing the Titan the screen. "You know exactly where he is?"

Bob touched the laptop, his eyes scanning the map with a critical eye. He snorted, "You're not going to find him," he decided.

"What?" Annabeth asked, "But you said you'd show us."

Bob chuckled, "Without me you have no chance, which is why I'm going to accompany you." He turned the laptop around so Annabeth could see it, and her jaw dropped.

The whole of the map was now filled in, and the once blank space was covered in silver lines. Annabeth immediately realised the strategic placing of the area. Nearly the whole place looked like a fortress. "What is that?"

"Iapetus, you were so stupid that time," Kronos said and looked to his brother, the guard of his Percy, Hyperion laughed. "He is the "Softy" out of the 13 us"

Bob frowned slightly over the laptop at her. "The place that we Titans took for ourselves as a replacement for the original Black Fortress and that is where your boyfriend is."

"So we have to infiltrate it, grab Percy, and run without any of the Titans noticing?" Jason asked with slight fear in his voice, "But Kronos-"

"Will now be expecting you," Bob nodded in agreement, "and since your sister here just tried to kill him, that meeting won't go well."

Nico looked over Annabeth's shoulder to peer at the map. "But you know how to get in, don't you? You've been down here for a long time; you must've been down here whilst it was being made."

Iapetus' eyebrows furrowed as he stared at the ground. "Yes, I was there whilst it was being made. The structure is only cells, we Titans just roam around the Pit most of the time. Kronos has taken up an almost permanent residence there the past two centuries. He will be monitoring Perseus at every single moment."

"So how are we going to get him out?" Piper asked.

Bob tapped the ground for several moments. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." He rose to his feet, and looked around the edge of the indent they were in. He let out a sharp whistle and there was a flash of orange as a small calico kitten bounded into the shrine.

Annabeth laughed, "You kept him?"

"Small Bob is Bob's friend," Bob said with a soft smile, "friends stay together down here." He crouched down and whispered something in the kitten's ear. As Bob straightened up, the calico cat bounded up the steep sides of the shrine and shot off into the darkness.

"Where did you send him?" Hazel asked.

"To get some help," Bob said cryptically.

Iapetus shifted in his seat at all the stares he was getting from everyone in the room.

"What? I made up for all my troubles, you need not judge!" he said and continued to sharpen his spear.

"Okay," Clarisse said, "shouldn't we get moving? We've found our help who happens to be a Titan. Next stop is grabbing Prissy, avoiding Kronos, and getting out of here."

"My inquiry, is that why do you keep calling your, Hero, "Prissy"" Kronos asked, his voice commanding, head cocked to the side and his black hair fell into his golden gaze.

"Because it's a nick name" Clarisse spat, "someone heartless as you wouldn't understand!"

Cruel and mocking laughter filled the very quiet room, "Oh, it's not I that doesn't understand, it's you don't understand at all. I know what happens."

No one spoke.

"That's three steps," Leo pointed out.

Clarisse shot him a glare. "I don't really care how many steps I just said. We need to get moving."

Annabeth nodded slightly, "Everyone up. We can't waste time down here. Who knows how long it's been in the mortal world?"

"Great," Nico muttered, "even more running around this monster infested hellhole."

"Nico," Annabeth sighed, "please can you at least try to be a little more positive?"

"Sorry, Annabeth," Nico apologised as he stood up.

Bob was already waiting for them outside of the shrine, and the demigods quickly clambered up to him. He didn't give them any time to recover from the steep climb before striding off in the same direction that Kronos had disappeared in.

"My Lord," Koios said as he stepped to the side, lowering his head to face the ground.

Kronos strode past him without a glance and kicked away the dracaenae that had slithered by in front of him. The other monsters were seemingly smart enough to scatter away from the Titan King. Two empousai stood guard at every single door in the entire compound and hellhounds patrolled the perimeter. The dracaenae were there for extra assurance that the occupants wouldn't be able to escape.

Behind Kronos several monsters followed him in an attempt to watch what he was going to do, but none ever did manage to see. Kronos took a sharp left turn and swiftly opened a double door, making the guards jump several feet into the air as it slammed shut behind him. Kronos rolled his shoulders as he strolled through the first level of cells like he was on an evening walk. The beings all cowered away from him, pressing themselves against the wall furthest away from the Titan King.

All of the beings there had personally offended one of the Titans and as a result had been shoved into one of the cells and left to rot. Many of the Titans took the time to visit the cells if they needed a way to release their anger. All but one being was available for them to use. Perseus Jackson, the only one off limits to them, and Kronos' personal anger release.

No one saw Kronos close his eyes, but it was over, the time in the pit was done for them, he loved his Hero. Forcing cold indifference onto his face and emotions he listened to this story.

Kronos descended a flight of stairs and the empousai guards immediately opened the doors for him. The second levels of cells were holding beings that had insulted or attacked a Titan, which was why the son of Poseidon was there. Kronos strolled straight to the end of the corridor, several hundred yards away. Every cell was four yards by four yards, but Perseus' was a lot larger than the others due to what had been happening in there.

When Kronos reached the last cell which was right at the end, he leaned against the wall and studied the immortal inside with a satisfied look. His grandson was curled up in the corner, chains tying his arms and legs to the wall, but still giving him enough room to move around. The son of Poseidon had no shirt or pants and scars littered his back. Golden ichor covered his body and cuts were scattered across him, still visible from Kronos' most recent treatment.

Poseidon was shaking in anger at the descriptions he was getting from the book. Someone hurt his son so bad that the Hero of Olympus was a shell of himself- almost. That someone was a few chairs down, where all the Titans sat, they sat in an order that was rank- most likely- Kronos. That Titan, his father hurt Percy.

Slowly, Percy uncurled so that he was glaring at the Titan King. He was apparently still going to keep up the façade of being perfectly fine, and Kronos need to crush it before his demigod friends arrived. "What're you here for?" Percy demanded, "You weren't gone for long."

"Hoping you could have a rest before I start again?" Kronos asked in amusement. "Your luck hasn't gotten any better recently has it?"

Percy shifted so he was sitting up and warily watching the Titan King. "Hoping you would die," he said wistfully, "that would be so nice."

Athena noticed that most of the Titans were looking anywhere but at Jason, who had the book, hands shaking in anger that his cousin went through this.

Kronos chuckled as Percy's face fell and his eyes dulled slightly. He was so close. He snapped his fingers and summoned a key to his hand, unlocking the cell door and slipping inside. "I bet you'd like that, but unfortunately that won't be happening for a long time. I need to have my revenge on Olympus first. Maybe you'll get lucky sometime after that, but by then there will be nowhere for you to go."

Percy clenched his jaw and stared at the ground. "So why're you back so early?"

Kronos smiled crookedly, "I now have a time limit to break you. I have to make sure you're in your best possible condition for your guests."

Percy sucked in a sharp breath and shook slightly. Kronos chuckled and snapped his fingers. The chains tying Percy to the walls moved until he was spread-eagled in the air. Kronos stalked towards him, enjoying the brief look of fear that crossed the son of Poseidon's face. "Where shall I start?" Kronos mused to himself as he circled his grandson, summoning a dagger to himself as he did so.

Percy dry swallowed as he hung suspended in mid-air. "It doesn't really matter, does it? It's still going to hurt."

Kronos chuckled and trailed the dagger across the immortal demigod's back, noting his flinch as the cold metal touched him. "Oh, this is only the opening. I have Oceanus coming to help me soon."

Percy groaned, his head falling down to rest on his chest. Kronos smiled coldly, "I like your attitude, sea spawn," he hummed as he twirled the dagger around his wrist.

Percy fisted his hands as he felt the dagger dig into the skin on his back, but then it suddenly stopped. Kronos tapped the flat of the blade thoughtfully against Percy's back. "You know what I haven't done yet?" He asked Percy, "Marked you as my property."

"NO!" Poseidon whispered his eyes held great anger at the king of Othrys.

Triton looked sick, eyes looking at his father, trembling in rage, the clouds swirling in anger.

"Poseidon" Zeus yelled, his eyes on his older brother.

"I can't….." Poseidon screamed, his anger, hate, grief, and emotions, they were swirling out of control, he couldn't control them!
His deep calm was gone!

"I can't…"

"Father! It's okay! It hasn't happened yet!" during the chaos of what was happening, Triton had stood up and made his way through the storm that was happening in the throne room and outside in the world.

Kronos looked at him through the swirling debris.

"He is okay; no harm has come to him. Rest your anger my son." Kronos spoke through the fragile mental bond he shared with all his family.

Poseidon shook his head, and tried to calm down, he sobbed in effort and then it all stopped. The King of Atlantis sat holding onto a small blanket, eyes closed and he was calm.

"Continue" his voice broke the silence.

He moved around Percy so he was facing him, his golden eyes scanning his body. Percy's eyes widened. "No, you can't-"

"Can't what?" Kronos growled, "And how are you going to stop me?" He grabbed Percy's right wrist and brought the dagger up to the inside of his forearm. Percy attempted to pull his arm away, but the Titan King's grip was like steel. Percy whimpered as Kronos dug the tip of the dagger into his skin and golden ichor seeped out onto the floor. A wave of pain raked through the entire right side of Percy's body and he stopped trying to get out of Kronos' grip. Percy hung limply as Kronos carved letters into his forearm.

After what seemed like hours, Kronos stopped. He let go of Percy's wrist and stepped back to admire his handiwork. Percy's eyes started closing, but he quickly forced them open again and looked at what Kronos had done.

Lord Kronos

The two words were engraved in his skin to the bone and golden ichor welled out like tears. Percy swallowed past the lump in his throat as a horrible weight settled in his stomach and seemed to force down his shoulders like he was holding the sky again.

Kronos felt satisfaction as he looked at Percy. The son of Poseidon was on the edge of the cliff, one shove and he would fall and break. The cell door opened and Percy's eyes flickered to see who it was, but when the smell of sea water wafted over to him he immediately knew.

"Oceanus," Kronos greeted without turning around.

"My Lord," Oceanus bowed.

"The Tank?" Kronos asked his attention still on Percy.

Oceanus waved his hand, summoning a large fish tank into the cell as Kronos placed a hand on Percy's shackled wrists, unlocking the cuffs to make the son of Poseidon fall down. Oceanus' eyes flickered over to the son of his rival before he flicked his wrist, summoning water into the tank.

Percy shivered as he lay in his own recently spilt ichor, his forearm and head throbbing as he bled. Kronos chuckled and grabbed the back of his neck, dragging him over to the fish tank. The Titan King grasped Percy's wrist and forced his right hand into the water, watching intently as the liquid flowed up his fingers to his forearm. Percy attempted to pull away, but when Kronos' grip tightened so he was almost crushing Percy's wrist, the son of Poseidon quickly stopped and went completely limp as the liquid healed his forearm. A glistening white scar was left behind and all ten letters were clearly visible.

Kronos allowed Percy to feel the healing powers of the water for several more second before nodding to Oceanus. Immediately the salt water began to make Percy's injuries sting and throb. Then Kronos wrapped his hand around Percy's neck and easily forced his head under the water. Percy held his breath for as long as possible as the water raced around his skin, getting in his hundreds of cuts and making his whole body sting from the saltiness of the fluid. Percy knew that Kronos had only let him feel the healing effects of the water for several seconds to taunt him, as if he was saying: You could feel this if you wanted, all you have to do is give in. Percy wanted to give in, to end his torture as his lungs filled up with water, and still Kronos kept his head under.

"Don't give in, don't give in, don't give in" was thought throughout the room.

Kronos studied Percy as he panicked and braced his hands against the edge of the fish tank, his legs futilely kicking at the black glass side. Bubbles of air raced up as they escaped Percy's open mouth and Kronos waited until his grandson's movements weakened dramatically before pulling him out. Percy sucked in the stale air as Kronos dropped him onto the floor with a quiet sound of disappointment. The Titan Lord crouched down beside the immortal demigod, grabbing his chin and forcing Percy to look at him. Kronos sighed and let go of him as he saw Percy's hate-filled eyes directed at him.

Oceanus frowned slightly, "He's not going to break before his friends get here, and you've run out of time."

Kronos' head snapped up to glare at his brother, but the damage was done. Percy sucked in a breath, "My friends?" He asked hopefully, "They're coming?"

Kronos slowly turned to face Oceanus who paled at Kronos furious expression. "Leave," the Titan King ordered, "now. I don't want to see your face around here until the demigods arrive."

Oceanus quickly scrambled out of the cell, disappearing into water vapour as he fled from his King with his tail between his legs. Kronos growled under his breath as he turned back to face Percy. His grandson's eyes were watching his every move. "Unfortunately for you, grandson, they're only coming so their throats can be slit in front of you. You will break for me."

Percy's eyes narrowed, "Go to Chaos," he hissed.

Kronos smiled coldly and summoned his dagger to him again, "I have a better idea," he said as he raised the cursed blade.

Percy's complexion paled and he scrambled to his feet, quickly backing away from the Titan Lord as he stalked towards him. Kronos cocked his head to the side, "You're not scared of me, are you?" He asked in mocking amusement. "Come on, Jackson. Show me you're not scared."

Percy clenched his jaw and fisted his hands at his side, but he continued backing away until he felt the cold wall of his cell press against his bare back. Kronos chuckled as he inspected his personal demigod. Percy's momentary burst of confidence had disappeared and his eyes were averted to the ground. Kronos lunged forward, slashing the dagger across the son of Poseidon's chest. Percy whimpered and tried to melt backwards into the wall, hoping he could step through it and get away. Nothing happened; he was stupid for even trying. No one was going to get him out, and he was going to stay there forever, Kronos thought he was far too important to lose.

Then Kronos stepped forward, swinging his fist with the force of a sledgehammer, and Percy felt at least two of his ribs break. He doubled over, coughing up ichor, and Kronos slammed his elbow down onto Percy's back. The immortal collapsed onto the floor of his cell, and Kronos kept him down with an armored boot pressing on his back.

"I can't believe I ever thought you were a strong demigod," Kronos scoffed, "how wrong it was to think so. You're nothing, there's no possibility of Tartarus ever…" He chuckled, "No. No chance."

"What was that about?" Leo asked, eyes down in a thoughtful frown.

Percy dry swallowed as he felt the Titan Lord's hot breath on the back of his neck. "Nothing," Kronos murmured, "you can't even defend yourself any more. No one will want anything to do with you if you ever get back to the surface world. Give in, Percy; I can make your life so much easier."

Percy shook his head as much as he could with it pressed into the ground. "No, never. The sea doesn't like to be restrained."

Kronos chuckled, "So be it, grandson."

Percy felt a shiver run down his body, and that was his only warning before Kronos plunged his dagger into the small of his back. Kronos had quickly found out that since Percy had managed to get rid of the Achilles' Curse, a curse that was never able to be taken away before, the small of his back remained his weak point. Percy screamed and writhed on the floor, desperately reaching for the dagger stabbed into his back up to the hilt, as tears fell from his eyes and Kronos' cold laughter echoed around.

Poseidon looked at Kronos, who was looking cold and indifferent, but he could see emotions swirling, but he couldn't decipher them. They were too confusing to comprehend.