Part Two! Continuing where we left off, Malachi and Ouranos venture into Tartarus to free some prisoners. You might see some familiar faces this chapter, as Ouranos expands his forces.

With this chapter, we pass eight hundred thousand words! Wow, I still can't believe just how much I've written and put into this story. There's still plenty more to come though, so don't think we're near the end. Not yet at least!

I had a lot of fun with this one, it's now one of my personal favorites. Diving into another, unique perspective was really interesting to write. Hope you all enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters (except the OC's) Percy Jackson & The Olympians, Heroes Of Olympus, or Trials Of Apollo. All of that belongs to Rick Riordan.

On with the tenth chapter.

10. My Side Of The Story - Part Two

Malachi

I suppose we should pick up where we left off.

Where was that?

Ah yes, journeying to the gates of hell with my psychotic father.

After I touched his arm, we warped from reality and reappeared at the Hollywood sign in California. It was that fast. It's a complicated process, and I actually learned the technique myself from him. Basically, if I remember correctly, when I use lightning to teleport myself, I am using it to rearrange my molecular structure. The lightning strike ignites the process, and when it goes back into the sky, it transports me to another area, striking down wherever that may be. When that happens, my body puts itself back together.

Complicated, and seemingly impossible. Like many things in my life, that is.

We materialized in an explosive strike. Father's way of doing it was far more destructive and loud, where as I tried my hardest to keep the process condensed and quiet, that way no lives are lost and our world isn't exposed.

But he didn't care. I heard a loud crack, and the sounds of several people screaming. There was a blue flash, there for a moment and gone the next. When it left my sight, I saw a multitude of people on the ground, groaning in pain and looking around to see what happened.

I turned to him, "Are you out of your mind?! They're mortals!"

He smirked with a wicked desire in his eyes. "Exactly."

These people were not involved in his operation. They were tourists for Olympus sake!

I tugged on his small shoulder, trying to get him to forget about the people. I didn't want them to die as well.

"Father, spare them. They did no harm."

"Oh, I know. And I don't care."

I tugged harder, "Leave it! Let's continue to the Underworld!"

He didn't listen. He had a hunger in his expression, like a predator looking at his prey, salivating at the mouth. He wanted to kill them.

The people looked up at us in slight fear, but mostly confusion. They were wondering if we had caused the explosion.

"They aren't supposed to know about our world." I muttered, "They are still confused. Let the mist do it's duty and let's be on our way!"

He raised his hand, "I don't take chances. We can't have any witnesses."

With his palm aimed at the innocent crowd, he began to control the air around them. I saw every person, man and woman both, young and old, clutch for their throats. They began to gag and cough, desperate for air. Many of them dropped their cameras, phones, and whatever they were holding.

I looked at him in horror. "What are you doing?"

"Getting rid of witnesses."

A few more seconds went by, and some of them began to fall on their knees. They were reaching to the sky, gasping and trying to get oxygen, but Ouranos…was siphoning it out of their lungs. He was taking their life away from them, literally.

Realizing this, I tried to pull him away, roughly. "Stop! You're going to kill them!"

He pushed me away with his other hand, "Back off!"

It was too late. I still could have tried harder; I could have stopped him if I really wanted to. But of course that would ignite a battle between us, and I knew all he had to do was tell Axel through his mind to kill Sera. I…am ashamed to say that my attempt was half hearted. I sat back and watched several mortals die.

Finally, they all ceased moving, and slumped to the ground. Lifeless.

Ouranos lowered his hand, and wiped the dust off his clothes. Sighing as if he'd worked a shift at a job.

He looked down at my position and groaned, "Don't give me that look. They had to die. They were in the way."

I glared at him, "You wanted to kill them. That wasn't about getting rid of witnesses. You just wanted to kill them!"

"Maybe so. But they'll all be dead anyway when I am the ruler of this planet, so why not show mercy to a few lucky mortals right now?" He shrugged nonchalantly, and walked over to a steep hill behind the Hollywood sign. "Come on, this is the way."

I swallowed hard at his actions. I was beyond tired of seeing innocent people die. Beyond tired of it being my fault. I could have stopped him, but I didn't.

"Malachi." He said impatiently, "Come here, now. My patience is wearing thin, and you know with one word, Axel kills the girl. So let's go."

I exhaled a shaky breath, and got up. I did my best to shake the guilt and memory of what I witnessed. I tried to think about staying alive in the Underworld. How we were going to pull this off.

We both stood at the base of the hill. Nothing but grass and patches of brown dirt. It looked very ordinary; you would never know that an entrance to the Underworld was right in front of you.

Ouranos raised his hand level in front of him. With a downward wave of movement, fiery Greek signs displayed in the grass, like someone had lit a fire around the ancient letters. It disappeared too quick for me to decipher them.

"Before we enter, we must lower our auras, as to not draw attention from Corpse Breath." He said Hades's nickname with distaste. "Remember what I told you all those years ago?"

I nodded, already lowering my energy. "Yes. Breath slowly, and quieten my heart rate."

He smirked, "Good. Nice to know you retained at least some of what I taught you."

When both our auras were nearly untraceable, we began to descend.

We walked down a flight of stairs for about five minutes. It was narrow, old, cobwebbed brick walls followed our movement; the outside gave us just enough light before the dirt closed in behind it. For a moment, there was only darkness. But we used our sensing abilities to go forward.

Below us, I felt an aura. Peculiar for the underworld, since the dead have no aura. I figured for a moment it might be Hades, but the energy was far too weak. It was someone else.

"Who is that?"

"The Ferryman." He said simply, "Heard he got relocated here. He used to work at some recording studio."

"The Ferryman? You mean Charon?"

"Yes."

I heard recording studio, and I thought nothing about it. Everything isn't as it seems. Your favorite ice cream shop could be ran by a flesh eating monster, or a god. You never know.

We made a few consecutive turns, when the path straightened, we could see the end below us. There was an opening, like a doorway. Inside it, I could hear muttering, and several voices whispering amongst themselves. Candlelight flickered, revealing the shadows of multiple figures.

We reached the last step, and walked inside the room. What I saw, was something akin to a dungeon.

There was a concrete platform, with metal lanterns hanging one the wall to the right, three of them to be exact, giving off just enough light to see in front of you. On the left side, there was no wall at all, instead an oily looking river, black and disgusting. However, it seeped power and deadliness. A rowing boat sat docked in the middle of it, tied to the concrete so it wouldn't take off.

"The River Styx…" I whispered, in awe. I'd never seen it in person.

Ouranos eyed it, "Ah, yes. A useful river, that one. Taking a swim means two things, you die, or you become nigh invulnerable." He chuckled in delight, "I love the risk it offers!"

Just as we took a step, Ouranos put his arm out in front of me, stopping my movement.

"What?"

"You almost hit somebody."

I looked back up, and jumped a bit at what I saw. Not there before, but here now, stood a single file line of dead people.

They must have appeared the moment I got close enough to see them. That explained the shadows at the doorway. There had to be a hundred of them, at least, waiting patiently for someone at the very end. I guessed that to be Charon. The people themselves looked as normal as anyone, but they had a ghostly white outline to their skins, and they had no aura. They were all souls.

"Move around them." Ouranos said, "No need in bothering with these pathetic creatures."

He shoved past them and walked straight to Charon. As I followed him, I studied the crowd. They all looked…so sad, and bored. Many of them had their shoulders slumped, their eyes half lidded, sighs escaping their throats. Like everyone of them had died prematurely, and all they were thinking about was a second chance.

My eyebrows lowered in pity for them. They were all mortals no doubt. I wondered what they were seeing, and if the mist works even in the Underworld.

I broke my gaze from them, and walked up to my father, who had just addressed Charon.

When I heard of the Ferryman of the Dead, I expected a grim reaper, a skeleton dressed in a torn black robe, perhaps holding a scythe at his side. I didn't expect to see…this.

First of all, he looked just as human as me, or any of these people. He was tall, poised, with chocolate colored skin and clean cut bleached-blonde hair. He wore a silky Italian suit that matched it nicely. Next to his right armpit, I read the name tag. It said CHARON – FERRYMAN

It seemed he hadn't even noticed Ouranos, as he was even shorter than the desk Charon leaned against. The ferryman was reading a book, not paying attention to the waiting line of mortals.

I stood next to Ouranos, and even then, he didn't look up. It wasn't until my father addressed him.

"Oi, Ferryman."

Charon's eyes flickered downward, past the book and he looked at the child, then at me. He raised an eyebrow at my appearance.

"A samurai?" He said, his accent different from an American's. "Haven't had one of those in a while."

"Not a samurai, fool." Ouranos said. "We're here to ride the boat, free of charge."

Charon obviously didn't recognize Ouranos, or maybe wasn't even old enough to know what he looked like. He snorted, "Free of charge? Yeah right. Come back when you're taller and tougher, little man."

Ouranos's eyes flashed dangerously, his angry lip twitch turned into a sinister smile. "I tried to be nice. Malachi?"

The way he said my name suggested action. I responded, and threw Charon's desk into the River Styx, it disintegrated on impact.

"What are you-" Charon started, but he didn't finish. I grabbed the god by the throat and slammed him against the gray wall, holding him a foot above the ground. The people in line didn't even react.

He grabbed my wrist and tried to break free, but it was no use. Ouranos walked over slowly, his hands behind his back.

"O-Okay!" Charon said, frightened. "I'll let you go! Free of charge even! Just don't kill me, I'm already underpaid!"

He tried to shake me off, but I didn't budge. He winced at the tightness of my grip.

Ouranos walked up next to me, reached to Charon's sunglasses, and took them off, revealing the god's eyes.

"I want to ask you something, little god." Ouranos threw the glasses to the ground and outstretched them, presenting himself. "Do you know who I am?"

He shook his head, "I don't know, okay! If you're old enemies of Lord Hades, he's in his palace! Just leave me out of it!"

"Look closer."

Charon narrowed his eyes and studied Ouranos's childlike form. He looked a lot like a younger me, so Charon might have assumed he was my little brother. But upon closer inspection, he noticed the child's wolfish eyes were very unlike mine. His sinister smile, his aura, his ancient presence.

Charon felt all of this, and his eyes widened. "Ouranos…"

He nodded and clapped his hands, "Good. Now, I'll let you live, Ferryman, if you do something for me."

Charon gulped.

"You will say nothing of this to Hades. You will not warn him of my presence, you will not give him even the slightest hint. If that damn dog, or even his whore of a wife know that I am here. Well…you won't have to worry about being underpaid anymore."

Charon didn't hesitate, he was shaking with fear. I'd never seen a god so afraid. Even in his current state, my father's sheer reputation had influence.

"O-Of course! My mouth is shut!"

Ouranos nodded, "Very well. Let him go."

I dropped him to the floor on his rear. He coughed and rubbed his neck.

"Would you like me to guide you?" He asked nervously.

I shook my head, and urged with my eyes that he keep quiet. "No need."

"We know the way." Ouranos said, "I think you should worry more about the souls that have been waiting for decades before yourself, boy."

Charon scrambled, "I-I'll get right on it! Okay, whoever's next in line, step forward!"

Ouranos and I got in the boat. There sat a long paddle in the bow, but we decided to use air to propel us forward. With one blast, we took off downstream.

For the rest of the way, the current of the water gave us enough pressure to move, but not enough to attract any unnecessary attention. Sitting on one of the boards I assumed to be a makeshift seat, I double checked my aura to make sure it was low enough.

"It's fine." Ouranos said. He stood on the bow, his shoulders square and his body straight, looking like some child voyager setting sail. "Hades will most likely confuse us with one of his soul wranglers, and think nothing of it."

"Soul wranglers?"

The back of his head nodded, "Thousands of people die every day. It is the way of nature. Thanatos, the god of death, has quite an order to fill on collecting souls. When he does, those souls are more than likely sent straight to the underworld. Unless your unlucky and get sent to an ant like Charon." He gestured behind us towards the Ferryman's post.

I'd never been to the Underworld, and as much as I hate my father…I cannot lie, he is very knowledgeable about the world, being just as old as it. He knows everything about everything it seemed, and for some moments, just a few, I pretend he's an actual caring father, and is teaching me life lessons. Like for instance, how the Underworld works. I know it is sad, but it's true. I cannot help but wonder what things would be like if he weren't the way he is.

He continued, "Soul wranglers are actually other souls, appointed by Hades, to keep the dead in order. As you already know, there are four parts of the Underworld that the dead inhabit. The Fields of Asphodel, the Fields of Punishment, Elysium, and-"

"Tartarus." I interrupted.

He didn't get angry at my interruption, he simply nodded, like a teacher in a classroom. "Indeed. Souls are lined up and judged upon their life's deeds. They are either sent to one of the three, unless they are immortal, then they are sent to Tartarus."

"So…what are soul wranglers for?"

"Most humans don't want to die, simply. They think they can escape the place they are in, and they actually attempt to. In reality, they aren't wrong, it is possible to escape the underworld as a soul, but that's what the wranglers are for. They keep them from leaving, and place them back in line."

I nodded, interested in what I was hearing. "But what if a powerful being tries to escape? Someone stronger than the wranglers?"

Ouranos cocked his head, and I could practically see the smirk on his face, like he knew he was one of those powerful beings that tried to escape. "Then Hades or Tartarus steps into the picture. For an upstart, Hades is no pushover, so most don't attempt it. And Tartarus…well, even I at my mightiest would have trouble with him."

By the gods…it really made someone like me feel insignificant. Hearing about these beings that existed before the Olympians, and even time itself. They were so ancient, so naturally powerful, it was almost terrifying.

We made another turn, water splashed against the side of the dark rock wall. I felt a few droplets hit my skin, but thought nothing of it. My nervousness steeled me to my surroundings. This was all new territory for me. Ouranos told me when I was younger how he died, how Kronos and his other children drug him from his domain, the sky, and cut him to a million pieces. He told me if I could, to always use the power of the sky to my advantage, or at least the solid ground. Never go underground, because it will weaken me, and him. Well, I could feel our descent taking effect. I was slightly sweating at this point, and my numbs felt weaker and weaker by the minute.

I decided to distract myself. I wanted to know more about who we were freeing.

"Who exactly are we breaking out of this prison?"

Ouranos was silent for a minute, but he finally held up two fingers.

"Only two prisoners. One of them, I need to fight for me, the other…a different task."

"Different task?"

"Let's just say I need him so that I can free someone else, from above ground."

I didn't understand what he meant. We were only freeing two prisoners, and one of them not even going to fight for him? Strange.

"Well, who's the fighter?"

"He's not really a fighter, by our standards. He is a son of Hecate, and uses magic to fight." Ouranos smirked, "But his magic is ancient and powerful. He knows techniques that even Hecate doesn't. Drawing from sources all over the world, he added it into his arsenal."

A magic user, then? "What's his name?"

"Hendricks. That's all he's ever gone by. He hates the gods, and hates the mortals. My type of person."

"Why does he hate the gods?"

Ouranos groaned and turned around, "I really didn't want to explain everything to you. But…I suppose I should, you've earned it."

He sat down in front of me and began to explain.

"Hendricks is the only demigod kept in Tartarus. He has a mortal soul, but years ago he discovered an ancient spell that allowed him to extend his life multiple decades. He even went a step further, and found out how to duplicate the spell, allowing him to live even longer. This man is older than some of the new minor gods. He was a prominent alchemist in the seventeenth century, for reference."

Seventeenth century? I…wasn't sure how to figure that out in my head and think of the date, but I knew that was old, very old for a demigod. What kind of lifespan spell did he use?

Ouranos continued, "When he was a boy, he discovered his abilities, and his affinity for the magical arts. But of course, at that time period, witchcraft was forbidden, and thought devilish by most people. His own parents disowned him; the people of his village tried to burn him at the stake for being a wizard."

"How did he escape?"

"How do you think? With his abilities. He burned the place to the ground and fled! Afterwards, he practiced his magic in secret, and planned to create a new world, one in which all people with abilities like his could live without discrimination, even if it meant killing all of the mortals, and the gods themselves." He grinned, "That's why I like him. His aspirations align with mine."

I was slightly unnerved, but didn't say anything negative. "How did he end up here, then?"

Ouranos's smile faded, and he shrugged. "He overestimated himself. When he finally decided to act on his plan, he massacred twenty thousand people in a matter of minutes. This was the year eighteen twenty-five, Great Britain. At the time, he lived there, and saw how the people treated individuals with special abilities. So he started there, and used his power to wipe out most of the city's population."

I reared my head back in horror. Twenty thousand people? I understood the frustration of not being accepted, but that didn't mean killing everyone in sight. This man was yet another monster.

"How did mortals not know? Why isn't that a part of history?"

"Are you stupid? The mist, you fool! It covered it up as some war crime, or whatever! Mortals know nothing about the truth!" He lowered his tone and glared at me, angry for asking such a question. "As for what happened to him, Hecate killed him herself. She was angry with his actions, and decided to send him to the Pit for his deeds. He's been there ever since."

For nearly two hundred years…he's been in Tartarus. A demigod. The thought was mind-blowing, but part of me felt he deserved it. Killing that many people, Tartarus is the kind of punishment to make up for it. I would have to control myself when we meet him.

Ouranos's head perked, and I felt the river Styx's power straighten, like it lays out just ahead in a straight line. We were close.

"Enough questions." He ordered, "We're about to cross the middle of the Underworld. Stay quiet, or that girl will die. Understand?"

I tightened my lips, "Yes."

"Lay down. We cannot be seen."

We did. There was enough room in the boat for both of us to lay flat on our backs and be hidden from view. I just hoped the sides of the small rower would conceal us.

As we drifted, I slowly saw the roof of the tunnel leave view, replaced with a much higher image. Hundreds of feet above us, sat a vast roof of black rock, mixed with streaks of magma and brimstone. I could hear the sound of souls marching forward and talking nearby.

My curiosity got the better of me. Placing just the edge of my fingers over the side of the boat, I pulled myself up and peered over the side.

The sight was absolutely massive. This place had to be bigger than Olympus itself. In front of me, beyond the wide stretch of water that was the Styx, lay a long, apocalyptic city-like setting. A seemingly endless line was leading towards a gate, with words I couldn't decipher on top. Beyond that, sat what looked like three people on a court's table. On all sides of this, I could see just the smallest traces of the Fields of both Punishment and Asphodel. On the right, I saw hints of hellfire and explosions, the faintest sounds of wailing and screaming traced my ear. I guessed it to be where souls go for punishment. Then on the very left, I saw the edge of a wheat field, with dozens of people standing still in the grass, just staring blankly ahead, some were sitting under a tree, their bodies leaned back, or slumped forward. They were quite literally, doing nothing. Asphodel, the neutral habitat for souls. But if you ask me, doing nothing for eternity is a punishment in itself.

I didn't spot Elysium, to my disappointment. It must be further down the river. I wanted to see it. I always imagined something akin to the Christian legends of Heaven. Streets of gold, a sea of pearl, homes made of diamond, so on and so forth. But beyond even the judgement section, I could see something through the fog, it was at the very back of the landscape, but even so, it was large enough that I could spot it.

Hades's palace. And he was in it. The building itself had it's own aura of death. It looked like a Victorian castle, with spiky roof points and a large frame. It was made of black brick and fancy windows. I felt for an aura inside, and sure enough, I felt Hades. At the moment, he was surpressed, and not showing his true power. But I sensed an undertone of danger, unspeakable abilities. If you dared mess with him, you will regret it.

"Keep your head down, fool!" Ouranos hissed, "We're passing the bridge. The Soul Wranglers will see you if you keep up!"

I ducked my head down, and looked forward. He was right. We were about to flow under a stone bridge, one that keeps the souls from falling in the Styx.

"What happens if they fall in?"

"They die."

"Again?"

"Yes!" He whispered in annoyance. It was clear he was getting tired of my questioning.

I shut my mouth, and hoped none of them fell in, because there were a lot of souls on that bridge. The judging must be fast today, because they were constantly shuffling forward, hundreds upon hundreds in a single file line. Next to them, spread out and outnumbered one hundred to maybe…ten, were what I guessed to be the "Soul Wranglers."

They looked ghoulish and eerie enough. For every thirty souls, Hades strategically placed a wrangler to walk beside them. They had no aura, but I assumed they were decently strong to be in charge of that many souls. Each soul, like I said earlier, looks like a normal person, but they have a ghostly blue color to them, almost like they're transparent. Mist seeps from their bodies, and they look much more depressed than most people.

The Wranglers were a bit different. They looked like what I expected Charon's appearance to be. Grim Reapers. I've heard that even Hades and Thanatos don't look like this, so it's nice to see that at least something in the underworld upholds the stereotypical appearance.

They wore black cloaks with hoods. They were tall, every one of them a few inches taller than me. Underneath the hoods and sleeves, I caught glimpses of sunken, white bone. They were walking skeletons, and each one of them carried spears, holding them in an upward formation. The spear tips were made of a black metal, and I recognized it immediately. Nico Di Angelo from Camp possessed the same metal on his sword. Stygian Iron.

There must have been an army of them. Enough to make me wonder, in their domain, could we take them all? I wasn't sure. It wouldn't matter though, because as we passed and cleared the bridge, not one of them batted a sunken eye. They didn't see us.

For what felt like hours, there was no tension. No more nervousness, only patience. We waited and waited for the current to move us. I had no idea when we would stop, or if there even is a stopping point down here. Does the Styx make a waterfall and go into Tartarus? I suppose we would find out.

Thankfully not. At last, we bumped against solid ground. I heard no waterfall, but I did hear the sound of ambience. The sound of a void.

"We're here." Ouranos said, "Get out."

We both got up and jumped out of the boat. The Styx met a dead end, and stopped just before a volcanic cliff. Ouranos and I stood on it, similar to earlier, when we stood on Mount Othrys, overlooking the city.

This time however, it was the opposite kind of view. Right now, we overlooked miles of red mist, the color of magma below us. I couldn't tell if it was a lake or just the ground. But I could feel Tartarus down there. It was one being, most definitely. The entire location was one being. It blew my mind that something could be so enormous.

I breathed in the humid air, and it stung my nostrils immediately. My throat got tight, and I began to cough.

"By the gods…how did Percy and Annabeth survive?!" I said, already feeling the horrible odor fill my nose, it smelled like sulfur and rotten everything. The dark energy wanted to pull me in, it tugged on me with it's force, but I managed to resist. It was clear this place was designed to kill and cause the worst torture imaginable.

"Let's go." He said, ignoring my comment. "We have no time to waste."

I gestured in disbelief to the Pit, "Wait, you expect me to just…jump in?!"

"I do." He looked at his body in disgust, "And this pathetic form cannot withstand such a fall at the moment. So you will have to hold me as you descend."

As if things couldn't get worse. "I don't-"

"Need to say another word." He finished, an undertone of anger in his threat. "I won't say it again. Do it, now."

I hesitated, but conceded and picked him up with one arm, securing him like a parent would their small child. Ironic.

He saw no embarrassment in the situation, or if he did, he didn't show it. "Jump. You should land on solid ground."

I tightened my lips, and ran towards the cliff. A few steps was all it took, and I jumped as far away from the ledge as I could. We descended faster than I anticipated, the humid, horrible air hit my face constantly. I tried to shield my eyes with my arm, and even closed them for good measure. But it didn't help. The air pressure against my bare arm and torso felt like sharp glass hitting my skin. My eyes throbbed from already being exposed to the air, my lids only making it worse.

"Brace yourself!"

A few seconds passed, and I could see the ground. It was red, and in front of it sat a river. I did not want to land there, but our momentum was taking us to it.

"Push us back!" He barked.

I obeyed, and thrust my hand forward, a gust of wind shot from my palm and pushed us back a few feet. Just enough to keep us from landing in the river.

I hit the ground flat footed, the impact shooting a sting up my nervous system, but it went away almost as quickly. I let Ouranos down and looked at my surroundings.

This was the splitting image of hell. Even more so than the Underworld. Right now we were in a valley of fire and black rock, the air was a mixture of acid green and sulfur yellow. Particles floated around everywhere, waiting to be inhaled and used to choke a person to death. It was dark, not so much that you couldn't see, but dark enough to know that this place hadn't seen day, or even the sun's light, ever.

I rubbed my skin, already feeling it irritated by the toxic air. "Why did you ever dress me in this? Especially coming here?!"

"The Shinto Pantheon is my favorite, aside from our own. I like the culture, the fact that it almost mirrors us too."

It took a moment to decipher "Shinto" as the Japanese pantheon of gods and goddesses. I had witnessed and met Norse beings, so why not Shinto? I suppose they exist just like we do. But the thought that concerned me…were my father's plans for them.

I should have asked, perhaps he would've told me. Then when I return to my old friends and beg for forgiveness, I could tell them the information.

Sadly, I didn't press further. Instead, I said, "Where do we go from here?"

He pointed to the distance, straight ahead. "That way. The Prison is just beyond this valley."

He took off, running straight into the sea of magma spots and steaming rock.

I sighed and followed him.

I could describe our many, many minutes spent running around and avoiding geysers and magma puddles. But I won't do that.

I didn't want to risk flying, because of my health. But Ouranos didn't want to risk flying, because it might give off too much aura. It was comforting to know his priorities.

Our wordless journey ended a few miles from where we started. I knew it had to be such. We spent far too long traveling this place. Surprisingly, the atmosphere was the only thing so far that tried to kill me.

Finally, we closed in on the prison. It appeared as one, definitely. I'd heard about Alcatraz, the mortal prison, and I often pictured it to be something like this.

It was multiple stories high, first of all. Fire blew from several parts of the building, screams echoed from it, roars and cries of anger mixed in. It was made of old withered cobblestone, but it was packed on so much that it held together, and even against brute force attempts to escape. Surrounding the prison, sat a wide, spike pointed gate, with hellhounds all around, guarding.

"From this point on, we must be quick." Ouranos said, as if we already weren't moving fast enough. "GO!"

With that, we charged forward. Both of us running as fast as Tartarus would let us. The hellhounds noticed us as we got closer, they bared their teeth and snarled at us.

"Kill them!"

I didn't hesitate this time. Two of the hounds leapt in the air at me, their jaws as wide as my entire body, ready to swallow me whole. I would not allow it. I raised my hand and blasted an instant bolt of lightning through one's mouth, incinerating it on the spot.

The other one bit at my arm, but I was ready. I grabbed it by the snout and slammed it against the ground. With the other hand, I bashed my fist into it's stomach. The hound disappeared in dust. I wasn't sure where it would go, but I assumed another part of Tartarus.

"We don't have time for this!" Ouranos howled, looking at the prison and back at the hounds in urgency. "Here, I'll suspend them, and you blast them, all at once!"

I knew what he was about to do, and I nodded. I already curled my hand and cupped it, feeling the sky thousands and thousands of feet above. We were far underground, but still, I could faintly feel it's vast power on the surface. It filled my palm with it's energy, as electricity began to charge.

Ouranos caught the numerous hellhounds in his grasp. Air circles formed around them, and they could no longer run. It appeared as if he was controlling the hounds themselves, or the blood inside them. But really, he was controlling the air around them. He lifted them ten feet above it, the hounds snarled and kicked their legs.

I thrust my hand at the one in the middle. Creating a multi-spark, the bolt of lightning spread into dozens of bolts and connected with them all, atomizing every last one.

Ouranos lowered his arms and broke out into another run, motioning for me to follow. "Don't just stand there!"

I followed him. When we entered the gate, I realized just what he was so urgent about. In the distance behind us, I could hear an army, the sound of loud footsteps, banging, roaring, howling, coming toward us. We'd attracted the attention of every monster in this place. Maybe even Hades himself.

I didn't care if they got Ouranos, but they would not get me.

Ouranos slowed his run, allowing me to take the lead long enough to break through the doors. With a swift kick, they fell and clanged on the acidic ground.

The volume of the prisoner's noises changed once we stepped inside. It became much, much louder and more prevalent. There had to be hundreds of people tightly kept together.

"We're looking for cell fourteen!" He shouted, his voice barely reaching my ears. "Find cell fourteen!"

We split up, and darted up the stairs meant for the staff. Whoever that may be, or whoever the warden may be, I did not want to find out.

I stopped and looked, stopped and looked each time, but didn't find the cell number. Each one displayed next to the cell itself on a small metal tag. I passed seventy, thirty-four, sixty-eight, twenty-nine, but no cell fourteen. These weren't even in order! They were scattered all over the place!

"This is pointless." I muttered.

"HEY!" I felt something grab my shoulder and yank me forward. Whoever it was, they were strong enough to pull me and slam me against the cell bars. I looked up, finding my face inches away from a prisoner.

The man…or perhaps thing was seven feet tall, minimum. He almost had no hair, with gray, leathery skin, thick lidded eyes, and a chilling hint of a reptilian smile. He was clearly a monster that looked similar to a human. I felt his aura, and he wasn't very strong, but he was cunning, and more of a trickster beast. I could tell he had lured many prey into his traps over the years. However, whatever cunning appearance, or smug look he may have had in life, it was gone now, replaced by a crazed smile, unevenly wide eyes, and eerie laughter.

"Unhand me, beast."

He ignored my request, and started spouting nonsense. "Would you like to take a nap? I have a special deal! And…" He gave my body a once over, and smiled in delight. "Hey, you look to be about six feet! Maybe an inch taller, but that's okay!"

"What insanity are you even offering me?!" I said incredulously, "Unhand me, or you will regret it!"

But he only grabbed me with his other arm, his face now pleading. "Please! I haven't had a customer since…since those two demigods and the satyr!" His face brightened at the memory. "Ah yes! They were such nice people, but not six feet! You look to be about that size…so why don't we try and fit you to a bed?!"

I had enough of his garble. Whatever creature he may be, he was an insane one. I said no more, and blasted him in the chest with lightning, not enough to kill him, but to send him flying back into the brick wall behind him.

I shook off his touch and shivered at his craziness. I decided to not dwell on the sheer madness going on in each cell, and continued my search.

"Found him!" I heard, distinctly. The only child's voice in here.

I looked around until I spotted Ouranos, on the third story catwalk, looking at someone in a cell with a sneer.

Quickly, I ran up the stairs and next to him. The people on this floor seemed to be near the top, and more dangerous than the ones below. I could already tell. The ones on this floor didn't moan or roar or whine, they just sat there, glaring at the cell doors, seemingly calculating their escape, their next victim. Many were unrecognizable to me, but they were big, some were winged, some had fangs and claws and red eyes, long ears, horns, you name it, it was here.

But the one in particular Ouranos wanted, was the least intimidating of all of them.

First off, he had one hundred hands. I do not mean that like he had so many hands, that I'm just going to say a hundred to exaggerate. No. He had one hundred hands, exactly.

They protruded from his torso like spaghetti noodles, nearly all of them actively doing something. Making hand motions, playing games with each other, building small statues from the soap, or dust on the floor. It was a strange sight, because they had a mind of their own. The owner was leaned up against the wall, crying in two of the hands.

We walked closer to him. I felt immense pity for the monster. He was a Hekatonkhiere, a hundred handed one. Percy Jackson told me once about when he and his group encountered one, and befriended it. He was supposedly the last one alive…could this be him?

What was his name? Was it…Brandon? No. Bobby? No.

Just as I opened my mouth, I remembered. "Briares?"

The hundred handed one looked up, tears in his eyes. He tried to place me, but couldn't.

"H-how do you know my name?"

I was a bit taken aback by his nervousness and sadness. Of course, one would be sad in a place like this, but all of these monsters…didn't look afraid. They looked angry. Briares was the opposite, he was timid, shy, sad, and kind. He reminded me of Sera, in a strange way.

Ouranos looked between us, "Wait, you know him? How?"

"Percy talked about you. He told me about how he met you, how you were in Poseidon's army."

At this, he nearly cracked a smile, "P-Percy Jackson remembers me? H-He talked about me?"

I nodded, smiling. "Yes. He said you aided him at Camp against a monster named Kampe."

"That I did!"

Ouranos ruined the moment. He banged on the cell bar like a child throwing a tantrum. "Enough of this sappy bullshit! We are on a time limit, you fool! Remember?!"

I glared down at him; my fists clenched. What plans did he have for this kind being? I wouldn't let him hurt someone that reminded me of Sera. A friend of Percy's was a friend of mine.

"We will free him. But he will not be used in your sick plan."

Ouranos's eyes flashed a dark blue rage. I sensed his emotions, and right now, he wanted to kill me. But he didn't have enough power to do so. I was in mild control.

Before he could even speak, I interrupted. "I'm guessing it will take a few seconds for your word to get to Axel, since we are in the lowest part of Earth. A few seconds is all it would take me to kill you…"

At that, he backed up a step, "I am the most powerful being in existence, you stupid brat. Don't think for a second that I won't order Axel to kill the bitch! I am OURANOS!"

I smirked. There It was. His misstep. He shouldn't have done that.

At his name, every monster looked in his direction with a sudden interest. The volume of the roars and cries stopped immediately, for a minute, the entire prison was dead silent.

Ouranos looked around, knowing he messed up. He tried to cover it up with mock confidence, "What are you freaks looking at?! I'll destroy you all!"

I raised my fist, and cocked my head. "If you can't destroy me, your own son…then how do you expect to destroy an army of them?"

His eyes went wide, they flicked to my hand. "What are you doing? Don't dare do what I think you are about to! Malachi, I command you-"

Too late. I slammed my fist against the side of the stone wall, cracking it all around us. The force of the blow had the perfect effect I aimed for. It destroyed so much stone, that the cell bars had nothing to hold on to, they clanged against the ground, freeing all the monsters.

It was a big gamble. I risked Sera's life just then, but I knew it had worked. The lip twitch of Ouranos told me he had not planned this. He was in trouble. The monsters slowly stalked toward him, backing him into a corner.

I didn't wait to witness them ripping his body to shreds, satisfying as that may be, I had very little time to act. I needed to get home, and free Sera. Then, I could return to my friends before anything goes awry.

I reached out for one of Briares hands, his cell door was down.

"Come with me, now! He's occupied!"

Briares hesitated, he shrunk to the corner in fear.

"Th-that's Ouranos? A-and you're his…s-son?"

"Yes, unfortunately."

He pointed to himself with ten fingers, "I-I am too."

At that, I forgot my limited time at the moment, "You are a child of his? Who is your mother?"

Before he even answered, I recalled my father telling me about his past, about all of his children.

"Before you, my son, there were others. The giants and the titans."

"Giants? What are those, father?"

"Large, powerful creatures. Ugly, but powerful. They were your mother's though, not mine."

"And Titans?"

"Disappointments. Perfect image, perfect power, but they betrayed me."

A silence.

"Those are the only ones, father? Were there more?"

His lip curled, "Yes, but they are failures. Weak, slow minded, hideous beasts, like the Cyclopes and the Hekatonkhiere. We never speak of them."

"But…you sound angry. Don't you love them?"

"Perhaps I once loved Gaea and the titans, but no more. I love no one but you, Malachi. You are my favorite child, and the only one that will not disappoint me."

At the time, I had smiled and felt warmth in my chest. Before I realized what a monster he was, his true intentions, my mother's dead body.

Remembering this, I looked over to my father, getting attacked viciously by the beasts from the prison. He never cared about me, he never meant that I love you. He forced it. I've known this for a long time. Even talking about his children, he judged them based on their appearance, strength and intelligence. Not their character.

He deserves this. Being left behind.

I heard the faint sound of Briares saying something, but I missed it completely.

"Didn't you hear me?" He asked.

I shook my head, and urged him to take my hand. "We will talk later. Right now, I need you to come with me! Please!"

He hesitated again, and studied me, maybe trying to determine if I was a good-hearted person. I wasn't, and he shouldn't come with me. But I wanted him to be free of this place. I had to take a step back though, and look myself in a metaphorical mirror. A man betrays his father, rugged and unclean, wearing foreign battle clothing, and he offers you his hand. Would you accept?

I sighed, "I understand your hesitance, but please. We must get out of here."

I urged once more, softer this time. He looked around the room, then at my hand. Finally, he grabbed it.

I pulled him up, "We're going to have to run! Can you do so?"

"Yes!"

Both of us began to sprint from the building. Down the stairs and out the exit. All of the monsters were freed in my wall bash, as they tried to swipe and bite at us during our escape. It was pure pandemonium, they were all attacking each other, instead of actually leaving. I don't claim to be a genius, but these creatures are not very bright themselves.

Briares and I entered the wasteland, I looked around to a now foggy area. I couldn't remember if we came straight or from the left…

"Damn! This fog is toying with my mind!"

Briares shuffled back, "I-I think I'll just go back inside."

I grabbed one of his hands, "No! You come with me. I am not leaving you in this hell."

"WHO LET THE PRISONERS OUT?!"

Both Briares and myself jumped at the booming voice. Above us, levitating in the air, was a very angry Hades. I'd been to Olympus, two years ago when the gods judged what to do with Talon and I. But Hades was not present. I'd never seen him before.

To say the least, he looked different from the other gods. His skin was pale, he wore dark clothing, much like the Soul wranglers from earlier. He wasn't muscular or bulky like Zeus and Poseidon, but his appearance held the same level of danger, and his aura held even more. Now, his eyes were bright green, blazing with fury. That was all I could see of his face, was shadowed by his hood.

"We need to go, now!" I said, "Hades is going to trap the spirits!"

Briares just whimpered fright. I couldn't blame him, Hades looked intimidating. The god reared his hand back and summoned a green ball of fire, it glowed as bright as the sun it seemed, and lit up the dark land that was Tartarus. I held Briares tight and pushed against the ground, praying that we were out of his line of fire.

The green sun hurled as he threw it, roaring with fire and power. It collided with the ground, but nothing was destroyed. Instead, all souls and monsters trying to escape were brought back inside, sucked in the door like a tornado. They clawed and howled, but Hades's attack was too potent. They couldn't break free.

I looked around desperately for some kind of clue, some kind of direction. Was there another path? Which way was the way we came? I couldn't tell!

Finally, my eyes found a target. The roof.

Hundreds of feet above, but our only chance.

"Grab on." I told Briares. "I'm going to fly through the roof and back to the surface."

His face contorted oddly, "Are you mad?! You can't make it up there! Do you realize how far underneath the Earth we are?!"

"I know, but it is our only chance. If I use all of my strength, perhaps we can-"

"Who is that over there?" Hades called, his voice threatening. "Show yourself!"

My stomach dropped when I realized he was speaking to me. This just became much more difficult.

"Grab on to me, now! There isn't time!"

Briares didn't question further, he wrapped fifty arms around my body and held on tight. His weight, thankfully, was nothing. A full grown Hekatonkhiere is very large, but right now he was no bigger than me.

With the strength I could muster, I pushed downward and forced myself up in a great leap. We ascended quickly, leaving a shockwave behind us in the ground, loud enough to echo through the area. I hoped Hades didn't hear. He already knew there was an escapee.

"There you are!" I heard, and felt his aura spike slightly. A clanging noise rattled in the distance, and cracked a thunderous noise.

I looked over to see a massive, sharp pointed chain being thrown at me. Hades on the throwing end. It was aimed perfect, and would skewer me if I let it.

I gritted my teeth, this was not good. "I'm going to drop you momentarily!"

"Wh-What?! But-"

He didn't finish. I forced Briares off of me so I could summon power in my hands. I would use it all to block Hades's attack. This was no game, this was the god of the dead, one of the Big Three. My life was on a string here, I needed to keep that string from breaking, and I only had a three second window.

Cupping my hands together, I summoned all of my aura and condensed it into a ball of lightning. It swirled and charged, making whirring and loud crackling sounds with it. My eyes glowed, my aura outlined my skin, electricity danced off my elbows and forearms.

Finally, It reached it's limit. With all I had, I pushed my hands forward. There was a moments delay, then the power released. Electricity spun together and corkscrewed against Hades's chain. Like a bolt, it struck it and deflected it to the ground. The chain fell and hit the rock below, sinking several feet into it.

Just like that, it was over, and I only had three seconds. I deflected the attack, now it was time to go.

"Impossible!" Hades said, "Who's that out there?!"

I was not about to answer. I flew down, and reappeared under Briares. Thank goodness the exchange between Hades and I only lasted a few seconds at most. Calling it an exchange is generous on my part, since I doubt he was using full power in that attack.

I grabbed Briares and hoisted him upward, flying to the roof. I gathered my already reforming aura and shot into the Earth, digging through it like a bionic mole. Thousands of pounds of dirt passed, I tried my best to keep my mouth shut, but I could already feel soil getting into my eyes and ears and other places.

Briares remained in my grasp the whole way, not able to make a sound. I just hoped he was still alive after all of this.

I flew through magma, rock, soil, and everything in between, until at last, I reached the surface.

We exploded from the dirt, and I let my power give. Fifty feet in the air, we freefell and I let my body go limp. I would survive the fall, I just needed a minute for my energy to return.

We hit the ground, hard, leaving a small dent in our wake, but I felt no pain. I lay there on my back, steam coming from my body. I felt my hakama and pants were slightly ripped, but the speed at which we were going kept them from being completely burned off.

Briares winced next to me, "B-By the gods, how did you do that?!"

I breathed, and spat out dirt that had gotten in my mouth. "I told you, I am, unfortunately, a son of Ouranos. Half human, half primordial, I am the only one."

He pushed himself up, "That you are…my, I never thought I'd meet someone like you. Th-thank you for freeing me! I wasn't sure about you at first, but you're a good man! You are like Percy!"

I disagreed with that strenuously. I am not good. But I didn't argue with him. We were running out of time.

"What the hell's going on out here?!"

Yet another voice shouting from the distance. I didn't even have to look up, but when I did, I saw Axel, with his lava vases on his back. His face scrunched in fury.

"Who's that freak? Where's Ouranos?!"

I got up, refusing to stumble. "He's dead. And you're next."

Axel's eyes went wide, "No…that's not true! You're lying!"

"I am a lot of things, but a liar is not one."

Axel roared, and brought his hands behind his head to summon lava. I prepared to dodge the attack, but to my surprise, Briares jumped in front of me.

"You shall not harm him, demigod." Was all he said. Axel heard it, and guffawed mid-throw.

The lava soared in midair, and hit Briares square in the chest. I saw it roll down his body though, no harm left at all. It was like water to him.

"Cyclopes, and my kind are immune to fire and lava. Your attacks are useless."

I was utterly shocked at how fast Briares resolve had changed. He went from scared and unsure of himself, to brave and strong in a matter of milliseconds.

Axel ran towards the hundred handed one, "Whatever! I'll just pummel you, freak!"

He jumped in the air, and punched at Briares. Three hundred pounds of weight behind it, but that mattered not to Briares. He caught Axel's fist with two hands, grabbed his torso with another ten, and slammed him so hard to the ground, blood flew from his mouth.

"AGH!" He shouted. Briares assaulted him in the face, the chest, the gut, every part of his body with a flurry of one hundred fists. Like mortal firearms, they fired and fired on Axel's body, punching him relentlessly.

He stopped, and stood up. Axel was a bloody mess on the ground, his eyes rolled in the back of his head.

I walked over, and smiled at him. "Good work, Briares."

He shrugged, his ears a bit red from the praise. "I got a bit carried away."

"Come on, we have to free Sera."

We both ran inside the cave, as we did, he asked, "Who is Sera?"

"My love. She is trapped in this cave, has been for months at the hand of Ouranos. He forced me to do his bidding, using her as a hostage."

I kept my eyes forward, but I could feel Briares wince in sympathy. "I understand. He is an awful person. He threw me and my brothers in Tartarus just because we didn't look like what he expected."

"I know…and I am sorry, I truly mean that." I know it meant nothing coming from me, but I still wanted to say it. I couldn't imagine the torture he and his kin went through.

We made a hard turn, "If you don't mind me asking, how did you return to Tartarus?"

His face darkened, "I had been serving for Poseidon for a couple of years, fighting alongside his army of cyclopes. Then, an old enemy emerged. We confronted him, but he was too strong. He killed many of us, including me."

My interest peaked. Someone strong enough to kill almost an army of cyclopes? And a full powered Hekatonkhiere? Who was this?

"What did he look like?"

"He was not human. He was even larger than me, and appeared as an octopus. Poseidon said he was 'like him.' Whatever that means."

I had somewhat of an idea. There aren't many beings of the sea that can come close to Poseidon in power, only one comes to my mind. The "like him" comment makes sense, because he is a titan.

I threw the thought out of my mind, and didn't say anything. I did not want to destroy his hopes. If it is who I am thinking of, then everyone is wiped out, except Poseidon.

"We will find out soon." I said, "We are getting close to her, I can feel her aura."

We passed another turn, then ran through the opening to Ouranos's cavern. She was in the same spot as always, on her own rock platform with her hands chained and her mouth gagged.

Her eyes expanded at the sight of us. She looked more worn than the last time I saw her. Tired, sad, beaten.

I didn't even want to ponder where she received her bruises. I thought about the monsters ripping Ouranos to shreds, gore flying all over the prison. That made up for it a bit.

"That's her!"

Together, Briares and I jumped to the platform, landing in front of Sera.

I bent down to her level, and grabbed both chains in my palms. With one simultaneous tug, I ripped them from the rock. Next came the shackles. I grabbed them too and pulled with my fingers, they came off as well, snapping and falling to the ground. Her hands were free.

I reached forward and gently took the gag out of her mouth. She coughed and fell, trying to catch her breath. The gag had probably been in there for days without replacement, judging by the saliva.

I threw it to the ground and looked at her, still coughing.

"Sera, we are here to rescue you."

She looked at me, cautious. "W-what are you doing here? Who is this man? Does Ouranos know?"

"My love, it's okay." I reached out to cup her cheek, but she flinched and pulled away.

I knit my eyebrows, "Sera?"

She backed into the rock behind her, shielding herself from…me.

I looked at Briares in confusion, he just stared at her, not sure what was going on.

"Sera…I understand you are scared. I don't know what they did to you, but I promise you, they have paid for it. Ouranos is dead."

She shivered in fear, "P-Please don't come closer. Please…"

I reared my head back. She hadn't heard me.

"Sera, did you hear me? He is dead. We can escape now." I reached my hand out to her.

She flinched again, "Th-they told me you did it. Y-you killed those campers. The mortal hikers too…"

My mouth parted in realization. She was afraid…of me.

Sera was scared of me. She had heard what I'd done, that I killed those teenagers from Camp Jupiter, all of the incidents and tasks that Ouranos gave me, I completed them. She heard everything.

My eyes began to sting, "I'm sorry, Sera, I'm so sorry! I had to do it! I had to do it to keep you alive!"

"I told you n-not to! Y-you should've let me die, rather than kill innocent people!"

On impulse, I scooted forward and grabbed her hands. I shouldn't have, but I did out of habit. I was so used to holding her hands when she was scared, or hugging her when she wanted comfort.

Now, she didn't want it, from me at least. She yelped and quivered.

"I could never let you die. I couldn't live anymore." I said, pleadingly. "I would have to die with you, I can't live without you! Sera, I had to do it! Don't you understand, if I refused, you would've been killed. I just…I just couldn't let that happen!"

She shook her head, "Let me go! L-let me go, Malachi!"

She screamed, and just as I let go, an ice wall pushed me away, knocking me a few feet back on my rear. Sera had her hand outstretched, icy mist seeping from it. Her face was covered in tears, but her eyes were angry.

I sat there, dumbfounded. I could feel my heart breaking, I could even hear it. "M-Malachi? You called me…"

I wasn't used to her calling me by my full first name. She always called me by the nickname she coined. We created our own for each other. Hers for me was Kai, and mine for her was Sera. I can't even remember her ever calling me Malachi.

"Malachi Stallard."

She smiled at that, and said, "That's unique! I like it. Mine's Seraphina. Seraphina Griffith."

I chuckled, "Yours is more unique I would say. It's pretty, the name of a flower? Or am I wrong?"

She blushed, "I-I don't know about that. I-I never liked it."

I knit my eyebrows, stepping closer to her, "Why? It's a good name."

She met my eyes, surprise filled in hers, "Y-You think so?"

I nodded, "Of course. But it's a bit long, how about Sera? Would it be okay if I called you that?"

Her face went red for some reason, but after a second she grinned from ear to ear, which then made me go red, "I like that! Like a nickname!"

"What's a nickname?" I asked.

"It's like a name that your friends call you. L-Like if someone was blonde, you could call them blondie."

"Oh...I suppose that makes sense." I then registered that she said the word friend. "You said, a name that your friends call you...does that mean that we're friends now?"

Her face stayed red, she wouldn't look at me, and began playing with her hair, "U-Um, well, you s-saved me, and you seem nice, so I-I thought...yes?"

I smiled, a rare sight, and said, "I agree Sera. New friend."

She nodded, a bright smile on her face, she pointed at me, her face etched in thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up, "Kai! That's your new name!"

"Kai?"

"Yeah! Like Mala-chi, Mala-kai. Get it?"

I wiped the tears as soon as they left my eyes. I knew this would happen. What was I going to do, keep my actions secret from her? No, there aren't secrets between us. I knew she would react this way.

I put my hands up, "I won't touch you. I won't do anything, but you have to at least follow me. This is our one chance to escape, Sera. We have to take it!"

Her mouth parted in realization, she was starting to look past her fear and process what I had said. Ouranos was gone, that meant we had to leave as soon as possible.

She pushed herself up, slowly and wobbly. I resisted the urge to help her, since she would likely refuse.

"O-Okay." She said, "Wh-where do we go?"

"Follow me." I said, and turned to Briares. "You too. We're going to get you home."

He nodded, a bit uneasy at the reveal of my past deeds. "Right…thank you."

"Come on!"

The three of us put aside our differences for one moment, and utilized it. Together, with me in the front, Briares and Sera close on my heels, we ran through the tunnel. I knew it like the back of my hand, so I led them out without fail. We didn't make a wrong turn, we didn't get lost or hit a dead end. We were outside in minutes, back where we began.

Axel was conscious, but groggy. He had his hand to his forehead as he laid on his back. He wouldn't be able to stop us, we were home free!

"Axel is down!" I shouted, "There's no one to stop us now! Quick, both of you grab on to me, I'm flying us out of here!"

But just as they were about to reach for me, I felt my legs sink into the ground, a green light brightly flashed in front of my face, and suddenly the solid rock below me turned to quicksand. I was waist deep in the substance.

"What the?"

BOOM!

A crash in front of me. Two figures landed on the cliff's edge, blocking our way.

One was a man. Tall and elegant, with black hair tied in a ponytail. He wore round shaped sunglasses and a suit. His hand was outstretched, meaning he had caused the quicksand attack.

The other figure, to his left, was…Ouranos.

Back and alive. He looked enraged, the most enraged a child's face can look. His eyebrows were tight, his teeth were gritted, his eyes were wide, he had blood all over him, gore on his hands. He'd fought his way out of the prison, and even avoided Hades.

"You left me, Malachi." He said, "For that, you are going to pay."

He made a motion to the other man to grab me. I guessed this man to be Hendricks, the son of Hecate we talked about. He started to walk towards me, but Sera jumped in the way and swiped her hand upward, creating a jagged ice attack that shot up at Hendricks.

Hendricks was nimble on his feet though, he sidestepped the attack and steadied himself to fight.

I tensed my lower half and forced myself out of the quicksand. A simple burst of energy blew it in all directions, freeing me.

Briares glared at Ouranos. "You…you threw me into Tartarus! You threw all of my brothers into that hell!"

Ouranos didn't even taunt him, he was angry. He just wagged his finger in a come get me movement. "What are you going to do about it?"

Briares roared, and jumped at Ouranos, igniting a fight between the two of them. I couldn't focus on it, because I had Hendricks to worry about. I reached out and felt his aura, finding it…strange. It was ancient, no doubt, but it also seemed to be divided in some way, shifting, like it could be anywhere if he wanted it to be.

I used the ground as a launchpad and leapt at him, "Sera, trap him!"

She did so, forming a large ice wall behind where he was going to backstep. Hendricks hit the wall and his eyes widened at my speed. I disappeared from view and reappeared in front of me, my fist connecting with his face.

His head should have been blown off his body, or at least given him a broken jaw. But instead, his body simply dematerialized on impact, and morphed into a flock of white seagulls.

The seagulls flew all around me, cawing loudly and pecking at my face. Annoyed, I summoned a quick tree of lightning to incinerate the lot of them.

It smelled like cooked meat within a matter of seconds. The birds burned in mid air and fell to the ground. He could turn into animals, then? That was something. But he was gone now, I needed to help Briares.

I turned around, and saw Sera pointing behind me, "Kai, look…"

I shifted my shoulders, and saw the most bizarre thing. The ashes from the birds forming on top of each other, each ash threw itself at the other to make a pile. It grew and grew, until finally it took the shape of a human, then the features came, the long hair came, then his skin color. Slowly, Hendricks took form in front of us, no damage taken at all.

He grinned, "Is that all you've got, boy?"

I widened my eyes, how could he have done that? That should be impossible.

"AGH!"

Beside me, Briares screamed in pain. The Hekatonkhiere was in the air, being hurdled to the ground. His face was battered, his arms were bloody, and he looked exhausted. Ouranos was beating him.

"Briares!"

Ouranos stalked toward him. Briares tried to get up, but he raised his hand to the sky and summoned a bolt of his own lightning. A blue arc rained down and connected, ricocheting off his fingertips and hitting Briares in the chest.

"No!" I shouted, and jumped after Ouranos. If the prisoners in Tartarus wouldn't finish him off, then I would.

I willed the wind in front of me to surge at him, sending splitting, cutting strikes in his direction, enough to cut him to shreds.

He was more evolved that I anticipated though. He reacted to my movement, and with a blue glint, he teleported out of reach.

I planted my feet in front of me and skidded to a stop, seeing Ouranos grab Briares in the corner of my eye.

He smiled like a shark, "You're about to see what I needed the Hekatonkhiere for! I'd hoped we'd free our new ally together, Malachi! But it seems I'm going to have to unleash him on you!"

With all the action, I couldn't piece together what he was saying, or what he meant by freeing a new ally. What Briares had to do with it, I had no idea. But I wasn't going to let him do this.

"You won't leave here alive!" I said, running towards him.

I ran maybe two steps, and Hendricks was there, sliding into view with the same shark-like grin on his face.

"Move, or you will be destroyed!"

He didn't, and only grinned wider, so wide the corners of his mouth almost came up to his eyes.

"Are you afraid of monsters, boy?"

I raised an eyebrow. Hendricks' skin began doing something alien, it turned black and leathery, spikes began to burst from his skin and grow, his own size and muscle mass increased ten fold. His human shape and appearance completely morphed into a monster in the matter of seconds. He stretched his neck, and looked down at me.

He now looked completely different, standing at twenty feet tall, with curled horns, a muscled body, and sharp claws. He looked a lot like the Minotaur, only no fur. What had he done? Was he part monster?

"What are you?" I said, bewildered.

His reply was deep, like a demon. "Your doom, child."

Quickly, he threw his now large fist at my body. Sera summoned another ice wall, but the fist went straight through it, shattering the ice like glass. I brought my forearms up in an X shape, prepared to take the force of this blow. Ouranos had Briares. I needed to block this, then close the distance, and kill Hendricks.

But this man kept getting stranger and stranger. His powers were completely unpredictable. Instead of feeling a force against my forearms, I felt a stinging sensation in my stomach.

I looked down, to see a regular sized hand, with a dagger in it's grip, the dagger four inches deep in my stomach.

I upturned my head, to see Hendricks, back in his normal form, smiling. What?

His body tensed, and I knew he was about to dig the dagger deeper. I could already feel some type of poison entering my bloodstream. It wasn't strong enough to kill me, or even hurt me really, but it might slow me down. I could tell it wasn't mortal made, it was something potent to gods.

Dozens of pointed ice spears hit Hendricks in the side, entering his body and creating dents. As they went deeper and deeper, no blood came, and it looked like they had been thrown into something with a spring. This was further proved when Hendricks grunted and shifted his weight. The ice spears bounced off and flew into the air.

I bashed his wrist and pulled the dagger from my stomach, delivering a powerful blow to his chin. Again, his body turned to rubber. His neck extended several feet and flew backwards like a rope from my punch.

I backed away and summoned lightning to heal myself. The electricity surrounded me and I felt better instantly. I didn't feel better about my odds in beating this man, however. He didn't seem physically threatening, but his magical powers were quite odd. What couldn't he do?

Sera stood next to me, "Are you made of rubber?"

Hendricks picked up his head and neck, tightening them like someone would a fishing line. When it fell back into place, he cocked his head to the side and popped it. "I am made of whatever I please. You have no defense against me, and no offense. You stand no chance."

I looked behind him, and saw that Ouranos was gone, with Briares. Panic welled in my chest.

I had to find them. Reaching out with my aura sense, I closed my eyes and concentrated. In…the mountain! But it wasn't the part I'm familiar with, it was something different, something on the far side. You had to travel on the outer ledge to get to it.

"Sera, I have to get to Ouranos. Can you hold him off?"

She still looked frightened, and hesitant to speak to me. But she nodded, "Y-Yes, I can. Go!"

I returned the nod. Sera made a gesture with her hands, forming ice around Hendricks. It spiraled and collected itself, making a dome around the magician. A few moments later, I saw him summon fire, and melt the dome away.

I ran after Ouranos. She could hold him off, for a while at least. Whatever plans he had for Briares, I didn't like. He made it out like it was a sacrifice, he was going to use him to free someone else…

I sprinted on the outer ledge, using all the balance I had to stay on the rock. A couple of times my momentum got the better of me, and I had to use the air to keep me from falling or tripping.

It didn't take very long, but I ran a semicircle around the mountain and found myself on the other side. Seeing a cliff similar to the one on our side, I jumped to it and landed swiftly in the middle.

I looked around. No one. No Ouranos, and no Briares.

Something different about this side, unlike ours, there wasn't a steep, rocky drop. Instead, down the cliff, it sloped, and something inhabited the middle. A forest- no, a garden it looked like. I felt an aura down there, an animal's, but I couldn't make it out.

I didn't have time to sightsee. This was a matter of someone's life. I spun around and ran into the cave, an opening much larger than the one I was used to. This side…was different. Ours seemed natural, like a regular cavern, but this side…seemed meant to hold something, or someone.

I cleared the half of the cliff and cross the veil of darkness leading into the cave. But I didn't make it any further.

At first, I thought I ran into a Heavenly Diamond wall. I hit something solid, face first, and felt pain all over my body. I hit the ground hard on my back, almost where I started.

When my mind gained its senses again, I realized I hadn't run into something, something struck me.

I wiped my nose and looked at my hand. Blood.

The ground rumbled with a slow beat. The footsteps of something enormous, no earthquake.

I didn't even want to reach out with my aura, in fear that I would feel something that I could not dream to contend with. It couldn't be Ouranos, it couldn't be Briares. So who?

Then I remembered.

This was the place where my father and Gaea met. The place where the Earth and the Sky clashed. Someone had to hold the sky to keep it from destroying everything, someone under a burden…

He stepped closer, close enough that the sun's light darkened around me, his shadow encompassed mine. I saw a giant frame, bulging muscles, hulking, clenched fists.

I looked up slowly, first seeing boots, then camouflage fatigues, then a tight, sleeveless black shirt.

When I reached his face, my heart started racing. I wanted to say out of excitement, that would have made me far braver and heroic. But no, I saw his face, and felt fear.

Old, weathered, and terrifying, the face of Atlas stared down at me. His eyes were hungry, for blood.

Out of the cave, Ouranos emerged, smirking. He had won, and I had lost. Everything was in vain.

"Atlas." Ouranos said, "Show him the meaning of pain. But keep him alive. Barely alive."

Just like that, he walked back in the cave, and disappeared. Leaving me alone with the titan of strength.

I rolled on my back and pushed my feet under me, standing at a distance. My fists were clenched, I crouched in a battle position, glaring in the eyes of my enemy. To most, this would shake them to their core.

But not this one.

He only laughed and popped his knuckles. "Alright worm, let's see how good you are."

(A.S - Day One Hundred and Forty Five)

The only peace I experience now, is from a bath.

Even then, the aches of everything get to me. The depression of my situation, of what I've become, they occupy my thoughts often.

I tried to stand in a position that was comfortable, but that seemed impossible for the past week. Every move caused a reaction. A throb, a sting, a burn, a painful sensation of some kind.

I winced as I eased into the cold body of water. I had been moved to a cavern near Atlas. Freed from my chains, he was now my warden. If I tried to leave or escape, he would kill me and Sera. With new territory, came new things. One of those, was a pond inside the cavern. A small waterfall came from one of the rock walls and flowed into a crater, creating a makeshift bath. The water was cold, sure, but I didn't mind. It was something for me to do.

Stepping into the water, I felt my entire body throb at once. It came like waves, here and there, not constantly. Even though a day after the battle, I awoke and managed to heal myself, something about being nearly killed by a titan seemed to stick with you.

I sank into the cool depth, sitting on the rocky floor. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back, not wanting to remember it, but I did anyway. I couldn't help it. It would never leave me.

"Come on, kid! That's all you've got?!"

Blood coming from my mouth, I shakily got up, yet again. I had already tried everything. My strength wasn't enough, my strikes weren't skilled enough, my lightning wasn't powerful enough. Nothing worked on him. He brushed everything off and kept coming, always with a sadistic smile.

He grinned even now at my tenacity. "Good. Keep getting up. That's what I want. I want to see more, I want to feel more!"

He reappeared behind me and clenched my body with his giant arms, squeezing the life out of me.

"AGH! ACK-AGH!" The sounds I made were more like coughs, loud gasps for life. It only fueled Atlas's resolve. He tightened his grip as my ribs broke.

I elbowed him in the side several times, shockwaves burst from the blows, but they had no effect.

I yelled in the air, and summoned a lightning bolt behind me, striking him in the top of his head.

It was enough to get him to let go. I fell to the ground and spat up blood. Unable to move.

He stumbled backward, and wiped the ash off the top of his head. A few specks of hair along with it. "Not bad, kid." He said, "But it's supposed to feel a little more like this!"

He punted me in the chest, sending me flying into the side of the mountain. I crashed into the rock and plummeted back to the ground. The pain was unimaginable. I couldn't even cry, I couldn't even make a sound. I just lay there, waiting for it to end.

This had gone on for an hour at least. Me futilely attacking him, and him dodging or blocking with ease. Occasionally he would attack me with a devastating blow, something that would bring me to the brink of death. A punch, a flick of the finger, a movement of his knee or elbow. He was holding back too, not one of his strikes he had actually tried on yet. Burning off some of his hair is the closest I've gotten to hurting him.

He loomed over me, and raised his fist yet again.

"Thought it was over? Heh, we're only just getting started!"

I flinched at the memory. It had been so awful. Afterwards, I stayed unconscious for hours, waking up the next day in a puddle of my own blood. I should have died, but be it the fates or my own durability, I did not. I summoned a weak bolt of lightning to heal me, and I crawled to my father. He told me the new deal. Obey orders, or the beating will happen again. And next time, to Sera as well.

I only had a few minutes left. I needed to at least wash myself. That's what I came here to do after all.

I stood up, my waist coming just above the water. I noticed my reflection rippling in front of me. The gems on the cavern roof offered some light, so I could see myself pretty clearly. I decided to study a bit. I hadn't seen myself in a long time.

I was completely bare, my clothes left on the rock outside of the pool. My body had become more defined over the course of my time here, slightly bigger, not as lean as before. I had gotten rid of my beard yesterday, along with cutting a lot of my hair off. Instead of touching my shoulders, it now barely touched the tops of my ears. It looked a lot like the hair I had when I was younger.

As clean shaven as I may be, with my fresh haircut, defined muscular system, I was worse off than ever. I looked at a monster when I looked in the water. This wasn't me. I didn't want to be this.

"Kai?"

The soft, questioning voice nearly made me fall in the water. I turned around and saw Sera standing not thirty feet away, her fingers twiddling nervously.

Normally, I'd feel no discomfort in being completely exposed around Sera. We'd seen each other without clothes a few times, and…even gone steps further than that. But in light of the recent tension between us, I felt it necessary to cover myself.

I stepped out and put on my clothes, "Sera, it's…good to see you. Are you okay?"

She didn't look away from me, she simply answered, "Y-yes, somewhat. Thank you."

Dressed, I stepped a bit closer, but kept enough distance to keep her comfortable. "That's good. Did you…er, need something?"

She looked down at the ground, her eyebrows furrowed in sadness. I could tell she was very upset, and was afraid to say what was on her mind.

"I know the situation has been hard. And I've…done a lot of things, things I shouldn't have. But you can still tell me anything. You know that, right?"

She glanced up and nodded. "I-I know. But this is…very hard. I didn't want to do this. This is the last thing that I wanted to do."

I wasn't understanding. "What? What is it?"

Her lip quivered, this time out of sadness. A tear fell down her cheek. "I cannot bear to watch you turn into something you're not, Kai. I don't…want to be the reason you do the things you do. I don't want to be a burden."

"You're not a burden! That's nonsense!"

"Yes, I am!" She shouted, louder and without a stutter. "If we had not been captured, this wouldn't have happened. If I were stronger…I could break free myself, and not be used as a tool."

I stepped towards her and gently touched her shoulders. This time she didn't pull away.

"You are strong. Do not ever think otherwise. Ouranos is cunning, he is resilient. His plan got the better of us, yes, but we will retaliate in time! Matt will be here, or we'll escape one!"

She shook her head, "He's not coming. No one is coming! We are stuck here! Ouranos is turning you into something else! Something bad!"

"I did it for you…" I said, "I didn't want you to die."

She looked at me with sad, blue, doe eyes. They were glassy with tears. I couldn't stand to see her like this. I wanted to know where she was getting at, instill some hope into her, or something.

She grabbed the sides of my face and leaned up to kiss me. It was long, and bittersweet. It felt like it was the last one we would ever share. That made my heart sink even more, if possible. I just had a feeling, a goodbye feeling.

She pulled away, but kept her hands on my cheeks. "I love you, so much. But I cannot be with you like this. I cannot be the reason you become what he wants you to be. If we are not attached to each other…then maybe things will change."

I reached up and grabbed her hands in mine, instinctively begging her to stay.

"Don't do this." I croaked, "Please. This is impossible without you. I need you…"

I knew it might be for the best. I knew she was justifiable in her actions, and that I deserved this and more. But I still wanted to hold on, I still wanted to try.

She pulled her hands away, "Goodbye." She turned, and walked away from me.

"Sera, don't go." I pleaded to myself more than her. My voice was weak, because I knew it was final. As Talon said it once, she had "broken up" with me.

And now, I am alone.

(A.S - Present)

A lot of things have happened.

Sera and I have barely spoken. It has been numbing, agonizing even not to hear her voice on a daily basis.

I've done more for my father. Any time I talk back, or disobey, I answer to Atlas.

Levi Pierce stopped by. He was caught trying to spy on the mountain. His mother was nearly killed in front of us, but he managed to escape.

Seeing him change, seeing him fight against Ouranos for a change, and actually wound Atlas, made me feel worse about myself. It is good for him, and I am sure that he will try to work things out with Harper.

But me. As he ascends, I descend. I'm becoming more of a monster by day, and he becomes a better person at the same rate.

Axel is dead.

He left to attack Percy Jackson at Camp Half Blood not one week ago. He never returned. Ouranos confirmed the death, and he was furious. I was happy. The Son of Hephaestus deserved it.

I discovered that Briares is being used to hold up Atlas's burden for him. The Hekatonkhiere has incredible strength, and is able to bear the burden. With difficulty of course, the task causes him great pain. We often hear his cries and grunts every day.

Hendricks is a vile demigod. He reminds me of Ouranos. The way he talks, the way he plans things, they way he shows no mercy, no compassion. He's like an evil god himself, only without the title.

I sat in my cavern, on a rock, looking down at the ground. Waiting. We were to leave soon.

I would have to face my friend. Matt Beckett.

I didn't want to. I never wanted to fight him. He was a good person, a great hero. Better than me. Strong too, very strong.

I was told to kill him. Either me or Atlas. Ouranos said it was my turn to try.

"Let's go, pretty boy."

I looked up to see Hendricks standing in the opening of my cave, his arm leaned on the rock. Today, he wore nothing other than his usual attire. A suit, with round sunglasses, and a slick black ponytail.

I got up, "What tricks are you going to bring this time, coward?"

I wasn't afraid of him. I knew his trick now, how he does the things he does. I could counter it, and he knew it.

"Whatever you say, Malachi. I'm going to bring plenty of tricks to kill your friends." He raised a finger in mock forgetfulness, "Oh sorry, I meant ex-friends."

I glared at him, and walked onward. "Is it time?"

"Yeah. Ouranos wants us to meet him out front."

Together, we exited the tunnel, greeted to Ouranos standing at the cliff's edge, his hands behind his back.

He had changed over the course of the recent months. He had gotten a few inches taller, and appeared as a twelve-year-old now. His features were more mature, his hair was longer, now medium length. He was starting to show the faintest signs of muscle, and his eyes were much more like his own. Even more sinister than his misty form.

He turned to us, his hands spread out, "Gentlemen, are you ready to kill the thorn in my side?"

We didn't respond.

He groaned, "Fine, be that way. But I just want to make sure that you know what to do. And have no hesitation, no qualms about it."

Hendricks shook his head, "None here, sir. The boy's friends are as good as dead."

Ouranos looked to me, an eyebrow raised.

I forced it off my tongue, my face twitching in anger as I did so. "No qualms. I will kill Matt."

He nodded, and smiled. "Good. This is for the better of the world, Malachi. Friends are overrated."

He stepped aside, and gave us room to take off.

Hendricks and I took a few steps forward, until we overlooked the city and the forest beneath us. This was the moment I'd been dreading. I knew it was coming, and now I had to do it.

I focused, and pictured the location in my head. Ouranos had spotted them in Kansas. Let us see if that's true.

I thought of the farm, the fields, the house, the road, every crop on the ground, every detail. When I locked on, I felt a tingling sensation run down my neck.

"Got it." I said, "Here we go."

I looked to the sky, and summoned a bolt of lightning. It plummeted down and connected with both Hendricks and myself. Like a light switch, we disappeared from the mountain, and I faced the friend I had to kill.

(000)

Hope you all enjoyed this!

Be sure to let me know what you thought down below! I appreciate all the reviews!

Until Next Time.