A/N: Hope you guys enjoy my take on a much more dysfunctional family of deities. I normally don't enjoy how they're handled, so I hope I've done a good job. As always, I'd love for you to review and let me know what you think!

Chapter 2: Revelations and Nightmares

An Hour Earlier

Five beings of unimaginable power shifted uncomfortably atop their immense thrones. The seats seemed crafted of the universe itself, constellations of stars and nebulae seemingly contained within them. Out of the seven thrones in total, arranged in a U-shape, two stood empty. The larger central seat had no occupant, which wasn't a surprise to the five, but neither did the one immediately to its right. The group waited in silence a while longer before one member grew increasingly agitated.

"Why were we brought here?!"

He had a rupturing voice, and its terrifying weight justly matched his malevolent appearance. Tartarus sunk his clawed hand into the armrest of his starry throne. He'd directed his question at the empty center seat on his right. It was answered by silence, and Tartarus' echoing voice faded into the endless expanse of the room.

"Come on, brother. As if all of the screaming in the universe could force Mother to ever appear and address you," a new voice teased.

It was feminine and breathy, belonging to Nyx, and it came from the throne on Tartarus' other side. From the third and final seat on their wing, Erebus grunted in agreement. Naturally, the Primordials of Night and Darkness both wore black, donned in a dress and suit respectively. Nyx crossed one leg over the other before leaning into a hushed conversation with her husband.

The pair's aesthetic opposites sat across from them on the other wing of shining seats. Hemera, the Primordial of Day, shared a nervous glance with the man next to her as she straightened her glowing white dress. The Primordial of Light, Aether, adjusted the tie of his snowy suit before he cleared his throat. All eyes shifted to him.

"Mother must have called this meeting to discuss handling the Fates' Greater Prophecy. I believe it must begin soon, as it seems Gaea was left out due to her own prophecy still unfolding," Aether determined, gesturing to the other empty throne.

Hemera first nodded in support. But as she opened her mouth to speak, a visceral laugh enveloped the room.

"So… she was always destined to lose," Tartarus mused as the raucous echo died out, "All of her nonsense at our last meeting, only for her to fall soon enough against Olympians and demigods."

This elicited a gruff chuckle from Erebus, and Nyx stifled her own laugh with a hand over her mouth. Aether and Hemera shared another silent look, which Tartarus took note of.

"What is it that you two are planning?" he spat suspiciously.

Aether's kind eyes hardened in the powerful monster's direction, but he maintained his level tone.

"We believe Olympus will soon face an incredibly dangerous champion, one of your choosing, and we plan to defend it with a selection of our own," the Primordial of Light said.

Tartarus' whirlpool face morphed into an almost-human one. His skin stretched unnaturally tight, accentuating the Primordial with horribly sharp features. His sinewy cheeks looked ready to rend when he clenched his jaw. The atmosphere of the massive room grew tense before Tartarus' lips contorted into a sickening smile.

"And if there is no champion? What will you do if I decide to bring about the Eclipse by my own hand?"

Nyx and Erebus shot their hellish sibling a wary glance. Tartarus' testing gaze didn't leave Aether, who gritted his teeth.

"I will do nothing," he grated, "but you will break Lady Chaos' only restriction on us, and we all may have to pay."

The Primordial of the Pit's smile only grew more sinister.

"'Lady Chaos,'" he snickered, spreading his hands, "The Olympian reign has been damned by the Fates themselves. Who is to say if our direct involvement has any restrictions here?"

The universal throne room instantly fell far below freezing, wringing the expanse of any semblance of heat. The absolute zero temperature threatened to silence the hearts of even the primordials themselves. Rightfully, fear flickered across the faces of all five shivering deities before the chill withdrew as quickly as it had arrived. Tartarus massaged the color back into his slack face as the rest of the primordials did the same.

"Idiot," Nyx seethed, rubbing warmth back into her arms, "was that a good enough answer from Mother?"

"Then how does Gaea have the ability to raise herself in her war?" he muttered, a whining child complaining about their elder sibling.

Hemera's hands massaged her temples, quelling her agitation. The youngest of the primordials understood why their Mother, her grandmother, spent her time elsewhere during these assemblies. The Primordial of Day couldn't believe that Tartarus needed an explanation about the content of their entire last meeting.

"Because of her agreed-upon conditions, moron," Nyx explained, equally irritated, "Gaea's contract only allows her to truly rise if all of her Giant children are raised first and the blood of Olympus is spilled over Athens."

"Whose blood?" Tartarus pressed on, uncharacteristically curious.

Nyx shrugged.

"Some children of the Olympians. The last I heard, Gaea was fixated on one demigod couple in particular. Both big-shot heroes that ended Kronos' little squabble. What were their names again, my love?" Nyx asked, turning in her throne.

Erebus lowered his gravelly voice, murmuring to his wife. The remaining three couldn't help but all share a quizzical look. Before any of them could question why the stoic, nearly-always silent Primordial of Darkness seemed to closely follow mortal affairs, Nyx turned back to them.

"Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase."

Aether and Hemera became visibly tense in their thrones, any other pressing questions dying in their throats. Tartarus straightened his back before he slowly looked down at his chest and closed his eyes. A few seconds of silence followed before they snapped back open, first eying the rigid couple. He turned away.

"Erebus. This Jackson boy. Black hair, green eyes?" he asked.

The primordial nodded.

"And the other one. Blonde and grey?"

Erebus slowly nodded again. Tartarus cocked his head back to the anxious pair in white. His gut-churning smile returned for a moment before his face shifted back into a chilling vortex.

"I do not know how, but it seems that they are crawling around in my heart at this very moment. And the boy looks especially powerful for a mortal, currently locked in a battle with a Titan. He was to be your select champion, wasn't he?"

Tartarus laced his question with overbearing arrogance. He wrenched himself from his throne, pacing the length of the U-shape with his hands clasped behind him. Aether and Hemera could do nothing but sit impotently, their anger chalked across their faces. The fair skin of Hemera's knuckles turned sheet white from her grip on her armrests. The primordial's normally serene face seemed unaccustomed to the spiteful expression it held.

"Naturally, I have now chosen him as mine," Tartarus continued before he whispered, "and I already expect your next predictable move."

He turned around to find Aether placing a calming hand on Hemera's knee, whose features softened for a moment. They held each others' eyes and nodded, and Tartarus knew he was right.

"In reply, you have selected his companion. Surely due to your belief in the 'power of love' between them and whatnot," he rasped with a surly expression.

Aether's eyes narrowed.

"You si–" the Primordial of Light cut himself off when Tartarus raised a clawed hand.

"One more word from you, and your newly chosen champion may meet an early death in my domain," the hellish being warned, "I have decided on the condition of our wager."

Hemera stood from her throne in a rage.

"Wager?! These are living beings that are going to suffer because of you! Olympians, demigods, mortals, all of them are sentient creatures!" she shouted, her aura burning brightly.

"I apologize; I should have been more clear," Tartarus started, disregarding her outburst, "one more word from either of you, and I kill her."

Neither of them replied; they had no choice, but silent anger rolled off of them in powerful waves. Satisfied with their silence, the Primordial of the Pit laid out his condition.

"All powerful things have a capacity for brutal violence, but it must be forged through suffering, especially when it lives within a hero," Tartarus spat the last word like poison.

"As this boy's rage will grow from solitude, your champion's hope will dwindle from the same. I claim this prophecy under contract with one condition: we must tell our champions that the other died in their present battle. If we, at any point, reveal to them that the other demigod is alive, the opposing primordial may join the war.

Tartarus looked at the fuming pair expectantly.

"Ah," he added, "I will also only make the unbinding deal with one of you. Risking a two versus one would make our little game unfair. Either of you reveal to her that the boy is alive, I am free to rise. I admit the same to my champion, only one of you becomes unrestricted. I await an answer."

Tartarus didn't have to wait for even a full second.

"I accept," Hemera said harshly.

Her normally melodic voice no longer held any trace of kindness. Aether quickly turned towards her, but he didn't dare question the eyes he met. Tartarus turned his head skyward, only for Nyx to scoff.

"I highly doubt Moth–"

I accept your contract.

The ethereal voice sounded from every direction, reverberating across the room and silencing any lingering doubt. Tartarus shifted his gaze back to Hemera.

"I believe it is time to meet our champions. I wonder if yours will still be alive by the time you reach my domain."

With a final scathing laugh, the Primordial of the Pit melted into a red haze. Hemera's eyes shot wide before she vanished, enveloping the room in a blinding light.

(Line Break)

Percy found himself wandering through the lowest deck of the Argo II. Sirens filled his mind, screaming that the setting made no sense. His breath heaved. Overwhelmed, he braced against the nearest wall. His dull thump against the wood couldn't have sounded or felt more real, but it did nothing to quell the warnings rattling against his skull. There was no way he could actually be here, not after where he just was. His ragged breath only made his mind spin more.

This isn't real, he thought to himself as the storm in his head became unbearable, I was– Annabeth is–

"Seaweed Brain!" a voice hissed from behind him.

Percy froze, and his mind instantly fell silent. His breathing evened, and a lovelorn hope replaced his panicked confusion. The demigod slowly turned to meet a pair of grey eyes glaring at him.

"This is not the time to be running into walls! If Hedge wakes up, we'll never hear the end of it!"

Annabeth's head poked out from the doorway to the stables as she somehow shouted and whispered at the same time. Percy felt a lump form in his throat at the sight of her, leaving him unable to choke out a reply. But his eyes must have said enough because her glare melted away and a soft smile replaced her scowl. She waved him over, extending her hand, and his body moved on its own.

"Come on, I want to show you something."

Silently, he laced his fingers through hers as she led him into the stables. The deja vu of a memory tugged distantly in Percy's mind, but he gave it no thought; he was too fixated on Annabeth right in front of him. She gestured down with her free hand to reveal her favorite part of the ship. The floor beneath them was transparent, granting them the stunning view of a European city painted only by moonlight. Percy felt sorry for all but disregarding it, because even that couldn't tear his quiet gaze from her for more than a second.

Annabeth pulled Percy down next to her, and he helped her wrap the both of them in a thick blanket. He shifted onto his side as Annabeth rested her head on his outstretched arm. Percy's eyes traced every inch of her face, rememorizing every detail while she spoke in a whisper about their plans after the war. He was watching how her lips curled when she talked about going to college together before Annabeth cut herself off mid-sentence, her eyes sharpening.

"Who are you and what have you done with my boyfriend?"

"Wh-what?" he asked, swallowing and finally finding his voice.

"You're being so quiet; that's the first thing you've said in here. What's on your mind?"

Annabeth cupped his cheek, her eyes full of concern. Her thumb traced his cheekbone and he pressed her soft hand closer to his face. The feeling had to be real. Percy answered honestly, his vision blurred by welling tears.

"You. Only you."

Annabeth smirked before she leaned in and kissed him softly. Percy's free arm moved on its own, wrapping around her waist and pulling her as close as he could. He rolled onto his back, Annabeth pressed tightly against him. His lips never left hers, and he realized he couldn't hold enough of her in his arms. She quietly laughed into his mouth, and the sound gave Percy a moment where he could forget everything else.

But no more than a moment.

Annabeth's lips met his again, limp and devoid of warmth. Percy's eyes snapped open, and he found grey irises frozen in horror. A river of red spilled from the corner of her mouth and her body fell onto his like an anchor.

Percy felt a scream building in his throat, his heart racing as he jerked her to sit up. The blanket enveloping them felt a thousand times heavier. He shoved against it, careful to keep her steady as he did. He felt for her pulse and found nothing.

"Annabeth," he whispered hoarsely, the warning storm returning to his mind.

Her head lolled to his shoulder, and the front of Percy's shirt felt uncomfortably drenched in sweat. He needed to focus, so he willed it dry. Nothing happened; it continued to cling tightly to his body.

What the Hades is going on?

Percy kicked the blanket off of them, and what he saw forced the discordant sound out of his throat. He shouted, backpedaling on hands and feet as he realized it wasn't sweat; it was all blood, and none of it was his.

Annabeth lay limp on the transparent floor, a gaping wound through the center of her torso. The entire battle came rushing back, forcing Percy to live it all over again. The demigod staggered forward, cradling her head in his lap. His words failed him again. But there was nothing he could say anyways; she wasn't listening. All he could do was scream before his splitting mind ripped him back to his harsh reality.

Percy woke with a lurch, and fresh pain shot through his shoulders. His bloodshot eyes adjusted to the thick haze suffocating the dark cavern. The demigod's entire body throbbed, nowhere worse than his wrists shackled overhead, suspending him a foot above the ground. He groaned through gritted teeth, the strain on his shoulders bordering on unbearable. The cavern smelled rancid with a stench of rotting bodies. But the horrible odor forced Percy's mind awake, shedding its clouded exhaustion. When the mental fog cleared, a new sense of dread overtook him.

He realized he'd imagined a tainted memory, not a new dream, of their last safe time together on the Argo II. They'd snuck away in the dead of night and fallen asleep in the stables, only to be discovered by their crewmates the next morning. Annabeth had flushed red with embarrassment when Coach Hedge had berated them both.

And now she was dead.

Heavy footsteps wrenched Percy out of his melancholy. His jaw tightened as he lifted his head to face the approaching shape.

Not dead, killed, he corrected, meeting the monster's eyes.

Tartarus could've passed for a human. A ghoulish, purple-skinned, terrifying, seven-foot human. His unnervingly angular features stretched into a menacing smile.

"Enjoyed another nightmare, boy?"

In this form, his sinister tone no longer held an impossible weight, but it wasn't any less chilling. Percy didn't respond, glaring daggers into the primordial monster. He tugged at his chains, planting his hanging feet against the cavern wall behind him. The pain blinded him, and he shouted as he lunged towards Tartarus. Percy's voice sounded feral, and he felt an overwhelming rage that couldn't be described as anything but madness.

"Good. Not long now," Tartarus examined, his narrow eyes emanating almost glee.

Percy stopped moving, thrown off by the monster's excitement.

"What are you talking about?" he spat, the anger in his eyes burning just as brightly.

"You do not feel it, boy? Your slipping grasp on sanity? Maybe three nights have passed in your overworld, but you have woken kicking and shouting a dozen times over. 'Annabeth,' 'Annabeth,' repeating her name."

The guttural rage returned to Percy's stomach when Tartarus said her name, perverting it with his sickening voice. But he realized the monster was right; this inhuman feeling wasn't something he'd ever experienced before. Tartarus grinned, sensing the anger emanating from the demigod.

"Soon, I will release you to destroy your enemies and avenge her. Not long now," he repeated.

Percy's mind fractured from the mix of anger and confusion.

"YOU MEAN YOU?! YOU KILLED HER! YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT I'M GOING TO FIND A WAY TO DESTROY YOU!" he gnashed his teeth.

The cavern shuddered violently as cracks spidered the walls and ceiling. Percy's eyes glowed such a dark green that they looked black. Tartarus' grin only deepened before he closed his fist. A spear jutted from the wall into Percy's side. The shaking abruptly stopped as the demigod's breath hitched. He coughed laboredly, barely hanging onto his own consciousness.

"All I did was throw a spear, and violence is my basest nature. It was your friends, and your gods, that sentenced you both to death," Tartarus began.

Percy could barely lift his head to question him. The primordial continued, pacing.

"Underneath Rome, with the pair of you hanging over my Pit, why did the son of Jupiter not fly down and save you? He had already secured the statue; he just needed a cover to let you two fall.

When you found Hermes' Altar in my Pit and sent up a message, the news reached Olympus immediately. The gods, momentarily snapping out of their incapacitation, banned all offerings at your camp to cut off any chance of aid reaching you. Athena's decree, I believe. I will admit that Poseidon was upset, but he sat idly by.

And on the other side of the Doors you worked so hard to reach, they were waiting. The sons of Jupiter and Mars, I believe, the most loyal soldiers, ordered to kill you in case you escaped. In a way, I am the only reason at least you survived."

Percy's head throbbed. There had to be a rational explanation for all of this: Jason and Frank would never do that, his and Annabeth's godly parents cared about them, his friends would never try to kill them. But there was a pressing question above all of his justifications.

"How do you know all of this? How could you know about all of these things?"

Tartarus snapped his clawed fingers, and two figures entered the cavern. One walked while the other was dragged. The captor was an imposing monster unlike anything Percy had ever encountered. It towered above Tartarus' present form, easily fifteen feet tall, and its entire skeletal frame was covered in dark, mottled armor. Most striking was its long, narrow skull with embedded blue eyes and two curved horns. And when it chittered, its gaping maw displayed razor teeth. The creature thrust its taloned hand forward, throwing its bound prisoner at Tartarus' feet.

The primordial jumped back instantly, dodging physical contact with the hostage.

"Oryx!" Tartarus shouted, shoving his fist through the monster's stomach like it was tissue paper.

Oryx doubled over, releasing a rattling cry.

"I make any direct contact with him now, this entire domain falls apart and you die!" he hissed towards the hunched creature, "Now get him up!"

Percy wasn't watching the primordial berate his accomplice. He was focused on the bloodied and bruised body before him that flickered between two different forms. One thing remained constant: a pinecone-tipped thyrsus in his clutches.

"Mr D," Percy whispered as Oryx hobbled over to the wine god.

The monster lifted him to his knees, and Percy noticed the wound in its stomach rapidly regenerating.

"What does Dionysus have to do with this?" the demigod spat, his eyes reignited.

"Nothing more than the others; he was just the easiest to capture for my, ah, second-in-command. The blundering god could barely move due to his incapacitation," Tartarus said, his calm and malevolent demeanor returned.

"And," the primordial added, "he was more than happy to reveal those details to me, among many other things, from several inconspicuous meetings the gods have been holding on Olympus. Fear is a brilliant motivator."

Percy's eyes shifted back to the wine god, now Bacchus. His heart clenched at the idea that Tartarus may not be lying.

No chance, the demigod affirmed, he's the literal embodiment of evil. The gods aren't saints, but they're not THIS.

Tartarus nodded to Oryx, the lofty monster fully healed. It spat acid at the unconscious god, painfully searing him awake, and immediately pinned him down with a single hulking hand. The primordial dropped to his haunches, looming over the weakly moaning god.

"Look to the wall, Dionysus."

The god did as he was told, and his eyes shot wide. He found Percy horribly battered, but much more alive than Dionysus had been told. Tartarus sneered at the god's expression.

"Yes, he lives. Now tell him everything, starting from the Fates' revelation to you all."

A/N: I actually feel kind of bad for how much I'm going to put all of our heroes through over the course of this story. Anyways, besides obviously Tartarus, who are the real villains of the story going to shake out to be? All of the gods? Some of them? Percy? I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

PokemonAndPJOFanboy: Off to an amazing start! Can't wait to see how this tale unfolds. Hope you're well, keep up the amazing work and stay safe and healthy!

levisorous: oooo? this is a new concept, i like it. i'm looking forward to this story as well. man you're pumping out stories like crazy haha, can't wait to read both of your new books. as always, hope you're doing alright man. can't wait to see where this one goes.

I really love seeing such familiar names in my reviews. Thank you guys so much and for being so consistent on following along with my stories as I write them. They're so much easier to churn out knowing that you'll be reading them. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter :)

Anonymously96: Been a great start. Pretty sure Annabeth is alive considering the white light that came. Also, Olympus literally set Percy and Annabeth against them by trying to have their friends kill them. Wonder how Nico would react once he knows what Jason was planning to do. Looking forward to more

I'm glad you liked it. Spot on with the white light, and now we know exactly who it was but not where she was taken. We'll have to see what happens to Olympus because of their actions. But three different primordials have an interest in keeping the pair's identities secret, so that'll be interesting. Great question, I wonder how soon Nico will find out.

GoldenSlayer218: Wonder if Jason will be a villain in this fic

I'm wondering the same thing. Was he just an unwilling but loyal soldier, or does he have some of his own interests in mind as well? What about the rest of the Seven?

owl-forge-hearth: hi, ik i havent reviewed in a long time, jus wanna drop in so u know im still reading ur stories:)) u did great in this chapter (though its a cliffhanger again, i cant wait to read the next chapter) also i have no idea how the story's gonna go (most stories are really predictable) i honestly always try to rush my whole friday so i can read this:) thanks for giving me smth to look forward to every week

I specifically remember your name from the early reviews on Divergent Path. So glad you were reading along, regardless of whether or not you reviewed. You're so sweet for saying that at the end, I'm so happy I can be a part of your week! And about the unpredictability, I've got some really crazy ideas I haven't even introduced yet that I'm already excited to reveal :)

I wish I could respond to everyone every week, but it wouldn't be fair to balloon the word count of every chapter by that much and mislead people. I read and appreciate every one of them, thank you all so much, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.