Chapter Three, here we go. Let's not waste any time.

Again, thanks for the reviews everyone! They mean a ton!

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.

Another Disclaimer: There are a couple of scenes in this chapter that are rather graphic and disturbing. Yes, even for this story. You'll most likely know when you read it, but I just wanted to warn you.

Alright, with that said, let's get this under way.

3. I Get Claimed By A Titaness

Matt

When I woke up, the pain was gone.

My eyes fluttered open, greeted with dim light. I was laying on something…rather soft, almost like a pillow or a squishy ball, nearly in a sitting position. As my body became more aware, and my grogginess cleared up, I could feel a distinguishably warm pair of arms wrapped around my midsection, and saw legs bordering my own.

For a second, I had no memory. Only confusion. What the hell? Where was I? Who had me in a bear hug?

Slowly, I tilted my head back to look behind me. Upside down, was the face of a woman, her eyes closed. My head was right on her chest.

That's when the memories came flooding back. I remembered everything in a split second, and it was almost overwhelming to the point that I nearly passed out again. Tartarus, the giant, the woman in the egg, rescuing the woman, her saving me…

My face got hot with embarrassment. I had passed out when she was carrying me towards the tunnels, and that led to where we were now. Man, I must've fell asleep or something, but how long was I out? And…why was she holding me like this? I don't know this lady.

I didn't want to be rude. I mean, she did save my life, but I was a bit weirded out by the intimacy. And it didn't help that I was still shirtless. I began to softly squirm out of her grip, and she woke up immediately, taking in a soft breath. She let go, and I scooted away to the other side of the small tunnel.

Small is putting it lightly. Our heads were nearly touching the top of it, and it was no wider. It was made of dirt and rock, yet carved in a perfect circle shape. Like a bunch of super big, super intelligent bugs went to work here.

"Relax," She said, "You're safe."

I squinted my eyes, not able to see her clearly. The tunnel was too dark, the only light being the magma outside. I lifted my hand and ignited my aura, finding it easy to do so now, unlike before. The red glow came forth, giving me a clear view of her.

"W-Who are you?"

She was indeed beautiful, and now that my aura sense was working a little better…yeah, she had to be a goddess, or something inhuman. She was powerful, very powerful. I could just tell by scanning her face, her posture. It was strong, confident, patient.

When she smiled, it was comforting for some reason. I wasn't sure why, since I barely knew her, but something about it made me feel a lot safer than I was. Like I had a real companion in front of me.

"I am Eurybia."

Eurybia? Eurybia…no, that doesn't check out. I've never heard that name before in myth. But her aura told me that she was ancient, probably hundreds of thousands of years old, if not millions, or even more.

"Are you feeling better?" She asked, "I tried to use the club, but I'm not sure it worked."

She gestured to the spot next to me. Viribus sat upright against the dirt wall, fully unsheathed in it's club form, right next to my armor, still fully intact, but covered in dried blood.

"You…used it? How did you- I mean, how did you-"

"I sensed an abundance of energy in it," she explained. "I was desperate, so I tried anything I could. It was a necklace though to begin with, and I don't know how to change it back."

I was a bit stunned. She was desperate? But why? I mean, I get that I saved her, but I was a stranger. And if she was an immortal, and believe me, I know immortals, any other would've just tucked tail and ran. Hell, most would've used me for bait.

I grabbed Viribus and pressed my thumb against the bottom of the handle. It shrunk back down to it's necklace form. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. It's the least I could do."

An awkward silence fell. I noticed she still had her sword, strange engravings and all.

"So…Eurybia. What happened? If you don't mind me asking."

Her smile fell then, and she pursed her lips. "Well, after I stabbed Antaeus, I picked you up and carried you to this tunnel." She frowned and glanced at her surroundings, "It is home to a collection of vile insects, but it's still the safer alternative. You were asleep for a few hours."

It was so much to process. I found myself shaking my head and leaning closer with every word. "Antaeus? Vile insects? A few hours?"

She nodded apologetically, "I didn't mean to overwhelm you. You've been through a lot."

"How do you know?"

She cocked her head at me, like my antics were cute. She scooted closer and pressed her finger to my forehead for a split second. "I can read memories. I didn't know how long you would be out, so I wanted to know more about you."

I was surprised. "You saw…everything?"

She nodded, "Nearly. You are the mightiest demigod I have ever seen, Matthias. Your exploits are impressive." Her mouth parted, "Wait, do you prefer Matthias, or Matt?"

Her aloofness was off-putting, but I didn't find myself annoyed by it. She managed to change the subject so quickly that I couldn't even be mad that she read my memories without my permission.

"You can call me Matt."

Her eyes brightened, "And you can call me Eurybia. I always hated it when the mortals called me 'lord' or 'my lady.' It just bothered me for some reason."

I could only nod and say "Right." This was so strange. Every instinct I had was telling me not to trust her, but then again, they told me before to rescue her. So which is it? Why are they telling me different things? I shouldn't be overthinking it; I should just be thankful she saved and healed me. She seemed really nice, especially for an immortal. But what was her goal here? Eye for an eye? Repaying a debt to make us even?

She kept smiling sweetly at me, waiting for another conversation starter. I was getting a bit red in the face and uncomfortable at her gaze. It was like trying to get away from a dog you'd rescued. You want to find it a better home and not deal with the responsibility, but you just can't because it keeps looking up at you with big, brown, hopeful eyes.

And for me, it was a pair of big blue ones right now.

But I knew my goal. I had to get out of here, and I had to do it alone. I wouldn't drag her down with me, she didn't deserve it.

I looked down the tunnel's path, opposite the way we came. "Well, I appreciate the help, Eurybia, I really do. But I gotta get going, so…farewell."

I started to crawl away, but she grabbed my wrist with surprising strength, stopping me in my tracks. I turned to look at her, and saw that she wasn't smiling anymore. Her eyes were sharp and serious.

"Where are you going?"

"Um…onward."

"Not alone you aren't."

I cringed a little and looked at the ground. So this was happening. I wasn't just going to walk away without a word.

"I have to, Eurybia. I have to get out of here and get back to my friends."

"I know. I'm going to help you."

I reared my head back, "What?"

She tightened her grip on my wrist, not painfully so, but enough to feel that she could probably break it if she really wanted to. Again, her strength was rather surprising, but the look in her eyes showed an unbreakable determination.

"You saved my life and freed me from that prison. You are mine now, Matt."

My eyes widened; I felt a blush creep up my neck. "I-I'm yours?"

She nodded, "Mine to aid and protect. I will gladly give my life for you."

I was thunderstruck. There had to be something wrong in the head with this woman. She must've taken a dip in Lethe or something, lost her memories, because there's no way an immortal, or even a demigod for that matter would say such a thing after one good deed.

Speechless, I stammered a bit in embarrassment before finally gaining coherent words. "Look, I appreciate that, I really do, but…I can't have you getting involved in my problems. You don't deserve it. Let me do this alone, okay?"

There was a small pause where she did nothing. I thought about saying something else, but decided against it. Let her think, Matt, then she might realize this whole thing is ridiculous and be on her way.

But she didn't. She shook her head a single time, "I cannot. We are bonded by fate now, you and I. You didn't ignore me when you saw my prison, so I will not ignore you now. I will help you get back to your friends. I've already vowed it on the river Styx."

My mouth fell open in horror. "What?! Why would you do that?! No, when did you do that?!"

"To myself when you were asleep." She answered nonchalantly.

I sighed. Crap, this wasn't good.

"Well…you already helped me by healing me and carrying me to this cave, so the promise is fulfilled. You kept it, alright? So now we can say goodbye."

"The promise is not over yet until you are back with your friends and safe. I won't stop until I see it for myself."

I wanted to groan. Why was she being so persistent? I mean, she saw my memories, but that doesn't mean she knows me. If anything, seeing some of the stuff I've done should repel her away.

She cut me off before I could say anything, "The longer we argue, the chance we have of getting you out of here decreases. Accept my help."

On paper, it would be stupid to deny this. Having a companion, especially in Tartarus, helps a ton. It would make sure I kept some of my sanity, and I wouldn't have to fight alone. She's definitely capable, but that's not the part I'm worried about. I don't want to get attached to someone and then lose them. That's already happened before, and I can't go through that again.

But…

I sighed, "Okay. You can come with me, but promise me you'll be careful, and you won't blindly throw yourself at the first enemy we see."

She smirked, "I have fought for millennia, Matt. I am always careful."

"Good. Then we can't waste any time. You said these tunnels were infested with vile insects, right?"

"Correct."

In the walls of the dirt, I could hear the faint sound of buzzing, along with numerous scuttling legs, coming right for us.

"Then we'd better get out of here before we make them angry."

Harper

I hate to say it, but everything in here is too normal.

As a hospital should be. But after the entire district got cleaved in half? No, something wasn't right here.

The nurses and doctors walked around casually, and the patients sat in their rooms. I knew better. That window was broken on the top floor. Someone either jumped out, or threw something through it. I knew whatever happened on that roof was involved.

"Alright. We ask a few questions, and we get out, got it?"

I started to walk, but Talon grabbed my shoulder.

I was ready to scold him, "What?"

"Easy, Dr. Dolittle. You might wanna tuck that eagle under your shirt or something. Pretty sure they don't allow pets in hospitals."

I smirked, "I got a plan for that. Just follow my lead, partner." I said partner with a bad southern accent. Even though I grew up in Georgia, I still can't pull it off.

He scoffed.

The lady at the front desk was a bit surprised to see Kyros. So the mist wasn't going to be in our favor this time.

I decided to just go with it, forcing a grin on my face. "Hi, we're here to visit Tracy Beckett."

The lady didn't initially respond, her eyes kept darting back and forth from me to Talon, completely bewildered.

"Do you know what room she's in? What floor?" I supplied, hoping to speed things along. Other nurses and patients were starting to give us weird looks, which was saying something.

After she still said nothing, Talon hissed under his breath and snapped his fingers in front of her face. The poor woman flinched and nearly fell out of her chair.

"Tracy Beckett, you know where she's at? We need to see her."

"U-Um yes, she's in Room Two Fourteen. Are you two…family? Or…"

I waved a dismissive hand, trying my best to put on a friendly, stereotypical response, despite my brain going haywire at the thought of Matt being in trouble. "Oh, I'm just an old friend from college. Her and I used to be so tight, I hated to hear she wasn't well, so I came to visit her." I shook my head and sighed with mock fondness, "She was always a good friend. She never even batted an eye at my…mental condition." Cue the sad, downtrodden face. "That's why I have this eagle here, of course. He's my service animal."

If she couldn't look more surprised, she did then. Yeah, not the smartest thing to say, but I've been told I look older than I really am. And Matt's mom is still pretty young. I'm not even sure if she's in her forties yet. She certainly doesn't look it. And the eagle thing? Well, that was even crazier, but I had to make do with what my mind could conjure.

Surprisingly, she didn't question that part, "You're a friend of Tracy's? From…college? You look like you could be in high school."

I decided to be aloof, "You're sweet. If it helps, I was only a freshman at the time, she was a senior."

The lady still looked skeptical. The other desk workers were even shooting us strange looks. It might've been my anxiety, but I could've sworn one of them was itching to grab the phone next to him and call the cops, or admit us both into psychiatric care.

But she had no way to disprove it, and Matt told me one time that anyone can visit anyone, and they can't keep you from that. You just had to give them your name, and not cause any trouble. I'd been a couple of times, but nobody seemed to recognize me. Besides, this was a big place, and the people here were probably an entirely different shift.

I could see her eyes shifting towards Talon, maybe about to question him too. I panicked. Looking behind me, I could see several cops standing near the doorway, talking. They paid us no attention, but the fact that they were a stone's throw away…

So I did the first thing that came to mind. And also the dumbest. I put my arm around Talon's shoulder and smiled at the desk lady.

"Oh, and this is my brother…Jack. Jack Colter. He's just the tag-along." I could feel his entire body tense up under my touch, and I knew he was trying his best to resist looking at me and asking me what the hell I was doing.

I really wasn't sure. That was the first name that popped up.

He gulped, but managed to slightly nod his head, "Ma'am."

I nearly sighed with relief when she just shrugged and grabbed another sticker for him, writing his name down in the little visitor's book they had to fill out. That seemed to ease her nerves a little, because Talon basically looked like he'd just wandered in from the roughest biker joint you can imagine, begging for trouble.

"Ms. Beckett's on the fourth floor," she said. "Enjoy your visit."

I grinned and offered a flamboyant thank you, before tugging Talon off, my arm still on his shoulder. When we cleared the hall and her eyesight, he pulled away and scoffed at me.

"You're real creative, you know that?"

"What's the matter?"

"An eagle for a service animal? They're gonna put you in here next to Matt's mom if you don't ease up with the craziness!"

"Are you really starting shit right now, idiot? It was the first thing that came to mind! She didn't call security, or even question it, did she? No, she didn't. So drop the subject and focus on the task at hand."

I glared at him challengingly, afraid for a moment that he would bring up the Jack Colter ploy too. If he said something, asking why I did that, I…wasn't ready to combat it. I didn't have an answer, it was just a spring of the moment kind of thing. It didn't mean anything, but I wasn't sure how to explain that without becoming a stuttering mess.

But to my relief, he just shook his head and aggressively tapped the elevator button. Thank the gods.

After only a few seconds, the digital bell rang a single time, and the doors slid open, letting off a few passengers into the lobby.

Talon and I stepped in, closing it immediately and pressing the small four button on the list of options.

After a moment of silence, he spoke.

"You've noticed it too, right?"

"Noticed what?"

He looked around at the elevator box, almost like he was scanning a crime scene. Even though I couldn't see his eyes, I knew he didn't like what we were getting into. "This whole place is running awfully normal after a massive attack. On the street next to it, no less."

As quickly as the doors closed, they opened again. We'd travelled the four floors far too quick to have a discussion.

I lowered my voice as we exited, "Yeah, I noticed. You think they're under a trance or something?"

"Maybe. Could also be a memory wipe."

I hadn't thought of that. If it was Tartarus, he was powerful enough to manipulate these people in any way he pleased. Memory erasure was no problem in the slightest.

"Let's just find Matt's mom and see what she has to say. Maybe we can find some answers."

He nodded. It took us a few minutes to find her room. This place was a lot bigger than I thought, with multiple hallways and several staff rooms on top of the patient's rooms, with several inhabitants all going through the motions. Not one person seemed off or unusual. Well, any more unusual than a mental patient can be.

We turned another corner, and Talon pointed.

"Two fourteen."

The number next to the door in front of us matched his words. It was in the middle of an intersecting hallway shaped like the letter T, with us in the stem of it, meeting the two opposing directions.

I couldn't make out if she was inside or not. The blinds weren't even closed, but with only one good eye, it was just stupidly hard to really see anything at a long distance, much less discern it. So I started jogging over to her room, looking from side to side when I entered the two-way.

No one was coming. We were good.

I quickly opened the door and poked my head in. Matt's mom was laying in her bed, awake and watching the tv stood up on the wall in front of her.

She noticed us, and narrowed her eyes. "Harper, is that you?"

"Hi, Mrs. Beckett, can we…come in?" I always said misses, instead of miss, because I always associate her being married with Hercules. Even if they never legally did so. The thought nearly made my heart sink and my expression turn sour. I quickly threw that thought down the cliff of my brain and covered it up. I couldn't think about that horrible reality right now.

She craned her neck, "Who's that with you?"

I stepped in the room fully to let Talon in himself. I didn't have to pull that brother trick again, or call him Jack Colter. And frankly, I was very glad I didn't.

"It's Talon, ma'am. How are you this evening?"

His politeness made me do a double take, and it almost broke a smirk out too. Talon was really something else. The guy could be so disgustingly blunt, rude, and off-putting, but other times he could be really sweet and polite. When he did, it reminded me of that cowboyish charm I remembered from those old westerns Levi used to show me.

"You must be Talon," she deduced, smiling widely. "Matt has talked about you quite a bit. Come here, you two! This is such a great surprise!"

When I reached her bedside, she stretched her arms out for a hug, to which I obliged. I felt a smile grow across my lips, and it was genuine this time. Matt's mom was awesome. I haven't visited her enough, but the times that I did, all were with Matt, and when she was able, she would always embarrass her son by telling him to "hold onto me" and that he had himself a "keeper."

It makes me sick to think of what happened to her. That the reason she's in here is because of our world. It makes me think about mortals. How fragile and special they are. They should never be involved with us, because it only ends horribly.

"How are you, dear?" She asked.

I nodded, averting her gaze. I would lie to her, because if I told her the truth, we'd be here for hours, and her mood would drop ten thousand shades. I'm most certainly not okay, but she didn't need to know that.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking."

Her face fell a bit, almost like she just realized where she was at. Her eyes drifted around the room, and when they circled back to me, she looked confused.

"Where's Matt?"

"He's um…" I started, unsure of what to say. "He's…"

"Busy right now." Talon finished for me, shooting me a reassuring glance. "But he told us to tell you he said hello, and that he loves you."

Her smile returned, "Oh, well tell him I love him too, and I miss him."

Talon nodded, keeping a straight face the entire time. Was something bugging him? Besides Matt being missing, I mean.

"So, is there anything I can help you two with?"

I'd have to think about that later. I nodded at her, "Yeah, actually. Do you know…anything about what happened out on the street earlier? The giant crack in the road?"

She furrowed her eyebrows, "Giant crack in the road? What are you talking about?"

I pursed my lips. She either didn't remember, or she was in a trance. Maybe she didn't see it happen, but there was no way she didn't hear the impact.

Talon stepped closer, "Did you happen to hear anything, miss? Like an…explosion? Or the sound of someone fighting?"

She started to get worried. "No, I didn't hear anything. Why? What's going on?"

I could tell she was beginning to worry about Matt. Her breathing was becoming quicker, and her heartbeat was rising. Any more of this, and it wouldn't be good for her. I didn't want to stress her out any further than she's already been. She doesn't deserve it in the slightest.

So I reached out and put a comforting hand on hers. "It's nothing, Mrs. Beckett. We were just wondering. There was a…low level monster in the area, and we're looking for it. Nothing major."

There. That should work. It wasn't Mr. Rogers level of soothing, but I figured it was at least believable. That would go in line with Talon's question, but still keep Mrs. Beckett calm.

However, my expectations were blown away when a very disturbing smile appeared on her face. I leaned back immediately and tried to take my hand away, but she switched our positions and clamped mine down to the bed, trapping me with inhuman strength.

"Lying to Matthias's mother?" She said, in a voice completely different from her own. "What kind of girlfriend are you, Harper?"

My eyes widened, and my entire body tensed up. The situation went from zero to one thousand with the blink of an eye.

"What are you?"

It chuckled, "I think you know by now."

The entire hospital faded into nothingness, and I was left in an open void of black, with only myself and Matt's mom in the space. She, or rather it was still holding onto my hand. Despite my best efforts to yank free, it wasn't budging.

"Let go!"

"Not until you understand what you're getting into, girl." Matt's mom rose from the bed, and it too sunk beneath the void.

I had no doubt this was Tartarus, taking her body over, invading my mind, or whichever. He had latched onto me, and there was nothing I could do to escape. I could only endure.

He never shifted forms. He stayed in Mrs. Beckett's, talking through her in that reverberating, shadowy voice, and smiling with such eeriness that it sent shivers down my spine.

"I'll cut to the chase, so we don't waste time here," he said. "Matthias has joined me, in both mind and body. Soon, he will become a part of me, and never escape. He will wander the hell that I created for all eternity, with nothing but suffering in his horizon."

He tightened his grip on my hand, so hard that I felt like it was going to snap off. Tears of pain built in the corners of my eyes, and I nearly let out a scream.

But he slammed his other hand over my mouth and leaned closer. The smile faded, replaced with a murderous, psychotic look.

"Don't scream. Shake or vomit in fear, but do not scream."

I obeyed, not letting out a peep. I could only do what he asked, because maybe with a single thought, I was toast. I had no idea, and that was the scariest part.

"Good," he said. "Now listen, because I will only say this once. I'm not going to delay your attempt to rescue Matthias, and I'm not going to hide either. I challenge you to come after him. But know, you will not survive. You may resist, but in the end, you will all become a part of me, and your souls will become toys. Dolls that I can suspend and play with, reenacting your deaths even after your bodies become husks."

His words were terrifying, and the way he said them, it was filled with nothing but seriousness and conviction. He truly meant every word and would gladly back it up.

Finally, he let go of my hand and backed away, letting me fall to the floor on my knees, gripping the throbbing limb tightly.

"Here is a little taste of what's to come."

Mrs. Beckett's body dematerialized, and the black void switched to a simulation of what I guessed to be Tartarus.

I felt like I was in one of those VR games, as I was literally standing in the middle of it, on solid ground. I could feel the thick, burning air on my skin, I could smell the horrible stench of sulfur, the heat of the magma, like it was all right next to me.

It was like every other depiction of hell I'd ever seen. This area looked even worse than the Underworld. At least there were souls, buildings, and Hades' palace, so it was a bit more pleasing to look at. But this here was nothing but magma, caverns of dark granite, colorless rivers, and even lakes of fire. I don't mean that figuratively, they didn't have water, they had fire running through them. I'm not sure how that's possible.

Then, from above, I heard a blood curdling scream. A familiar body came into view, flailing and trying to break free from something that had it gripped tight.

As it got closer, I realized it was Matt. He was beating uselessly at the air, like an invisible fist that had him in its grasp. I was sure it was going to slam him into the river below, but at the last second, it must've set him free, because once Matt felt that he could move, he clapped his hands next to him and shot sideways into a small island.

He hit it hard, and his body tumbled for several feet. At one point, he hit one of the jagged rocks, and he cried out in pain. It was odd, because the armor should've stopped that from happening, and even if it did hit him, he was durable enough to break the rock, not get hurt by it at all.

But this was Tartarus. Everything here was under his control, so likely he could level up the fatalness of it's surroundings.

Matt winced and hissed, desperately yanking on his armor to get it off. He finally did, and revealed the massive gash in his side, oozing dark, red blood.

I put my hands over my mouth, "Matt…"

He was in so much pain, and it broke my heart. When he was hurting, I was hurting. Despite my argument with him earlier, I loved him, and seeing him get tossed around by that psycho made my blood boil with rage.

Before I could charge forward and help him, the image disappeared, and I was thrown to the floor of the hospital room.

"Whoa!" Talon said, reaching out for me, but missing. I fell on my ass.

My entire body was nearly numb, and feeling very weak. I ate something this morning, so I knew it wasn't that. It was the effect Tartarus had on me.

"I'm okay, I'm okay." I said, waving my hand at him to back off. I pushed myself up, a bit shakily at first, but slowly regained ground when I saw that Matt's mom was okay, and she was actually looking at me in concern.

"Are you okay, Harper?"

Both her and Talon were waiting for an answer. I knew Talon had some idea of what happened, but I couldn't mention it in front of Mrs. Beckett.

"It's nothing, Mrs. Beckett. I just felt a little dizzy, that's all. We should um…" I looked to Talon, signaling it was time to go. "…Get going. We won't bother you any further."

She looked a bit disappointed, and I felt guilty for leaving so soon. "Oh, Okay. Well…good luck with finding that monster. And don't forget to tell Matt to come visit me soon."

Talon pushed me gently out the door, "We won't ma'am. You have a nice evening."

When we were out, he shut it behind him and turned to me with a quick snap. "What the hell was that? What did you see?"

"Tartarus. It was him, no doubt about it."

His lips parted ever so slightly, and his eyebrows rose up to his dirty blonde hairline. "Holy shit. How did you know?"

I tapped his arm, "I'll tell you later, when we've got Malachi and Sera."

He nodded, and we both began to jog back to the elevators, the way we came. This time, there were several employees milling about, and they gave us many warning shouts, telling us not to run.

We ignored them and threw ourselves in the elevator, rapidly tapping the button to close it. Thank the gods it did before anyone could get on.

My hands started to sweat. I was a ticking time bomb of nerves. My face twitched, my fingers wouldn't stop tapping my thigh, every red alarm was blaring in my head. His face kept flashing in my mind, and I couldn't force it out.

We're coming. We're coming.

DING!

Talon and I were through the elevator doors before they could even open up all the way. We wasted no time, and full on sprinted through the lobby to get back to the front desk and out the entrance.

But when we cleared the last corner, I slid to a stop and felt Talon bump into me.

At the desk, the lady we talked to still sat there, but this time, she had two police officers with her. She noticed us, and began pointing.

"Shit," I groaned.

"That damn snitch." Talon growled, "I told you to tuck that bird in your shirt!"

Kyros cawed in annoyance, likely wanting to change back into his normal form now, since we were busted.

"Not yet, buddy. Talon, get us out of here."

"On it."

He clenched his hand. Golden light flickered in his palm and spawned a small, grenade looking weapon.

Everybody noticed. The nurses started screaming and scattering down the hallways, while the officers reached for their guns.

"Put down the weapon, now!"

Talon just smirked. "Sorry, guys. I respect the law and everything, but I gotta do this."

He pitched the bomb at them, and I silently hoped it wasn't an explosive. I was against killing mortals, especially innocent ones. I just wanted to get out of the situation.

The bomb released a thick cloud of fog, immediately covering the entire floor and blinding the cops. It was a smoke bomb.

I smirked at him, "Nice."

Together, we slipped past them and quickly ran to the entrance door, throwing it open when we got to it.

It was still massively crowded in the street. A sea of people surrounded the big crack, not one person had left their spot trying to get a scoop on their cell phones.

"Malachi! Sera!" I shouted, cupping one of my hands on the side of my mouth.

No response. I looked for white hair among the horde, but it was no use. You might as well be searching for a needle in a haystack.

"Come on, we've got to find them."

Talon and I raced down the stairs and the road, pushing through people to find the other half of our group. We specifically targeted the middle, where the officers were. That's where they were supposed to be anyway.

Finally, we spotted them. They were near the front of the crowd, turned towards us. They had disappointed looks on their faces.

We nearly had to slide to avoid running into them. Both flinched at our sudden appearance, but sighed when they realized who it was.

"What took you two so long?" Malachi huffed.

"Got a bit sidetracked," I grumbled, noticing that the two officers hadn't come out of the hospital yet, but the trails of Talon's smoke bomb were.

"Doesn't matter," he said next to me, "You find out anything?"

Sera shook her head, "No. They would not tell us. B-But the video…"

Malachi finished for her. "We asked several of the civilians to show us the video that you talked about, you know, the one on the news." He tightened his lips grimly, "It checks out. It's all the same video."

Talon looked like he wanted to punch someone, and I just stared at nothing. Every sign kept pointing to the worst. It had already been confirmed, but knowing now that it really was Tartarus and Matt in that video, and that he had to face him alone…I can't deal with that. He created this giant crack in the road, and he drug Matt down to hell with him. I wasn't here to help him.

Malachi continued, "How was your investigation? Did you find out anything useful?"

Talon gestured to me, "Ask her."

All eyes fell to me, and I wasn't aware of the fact until a few seconds later. I was off in space, thinking about that vision that I saw, of Matt. That was real. Not just some trick Tartarus was playing on me. It actually happened.

"U-Um, yeah, we found out something."

"What was it?" Sera asked.

A few of the people next to me started freaking out, and a fight began to break out among them. Something about blocking their camera view or something, and a shoving match was under way.

"Not here. We need to get back to Camp and talk."

"Good idea." Malachi nodded, "Let's go back to the alley, then we can take Kyros and-"

"Uh, guys." Talon interrupted; his eyebrows furrowed at something in the distance. "What the hell is that cop doing?"

Malachi and Sera turned around, while I followed his gaze. Through the gaps in the sea of people, I saw one cop in particular, staring at us…and smiling.

Nearly to his ears. His head was lowered, and his eyes were directly on me. So intense that you'd think they were piercing through my skin.

The sight made me take a step back, goosebumps formed on my arms, and I felt the sudden urge to run. Get as far away as possible from this slaughterhouse. Because that's what it was going to become.

Sera had to look away, "That's scary…"

"Dude's smiling like a freaking demon." Talon said, glaring at the man, "Think we should go up to him?"

"Why is he looking at you, Harper?" Malachi said, lastly.

I could only stare back in shock and dread. In that moment, I gained the ability of precognition. I knew something horrible was about to happen, and that a lot of people were going to die.

"Harper?"

"Harper, are you okay?"

My breathing became rampant, but I didn't move.

"We need to get everyone out of here." I said, "We need to get them out, now! Everyone, get down!"

But nobody heard me. Not even the people directly next to me. Malachi, Sera, and Talon were just looking between me and the officer in shock. That was no officer though, or even mortal.

Everything went silent for a moment. The man cocked his head to the side, creepy smile still plastered to his face. It seemed his words were only meant for me, because every other noise was drowned out, and I could only hear him speak, in the same voice as before, when he was talking through Matt's mom.

"This one is on you."

The officer pulled out his pistol, and the other twenty or so all did the same. They simultaneously turned the safety off, and aimed at the crowd.

I reached forward, but caught nothing. "NO! DON'T!"

It was too late. Before anyone, even Malachi, could notice, they were firing into the swarm of mortals.

Cracks and booms of gunshots rang everywhere, one after the other in rapid succession. But the screams men, women, and even children overtook it. They began running for their lives, trampling one another just to stay alive. I felt myself get taken off my feet and I landed on my back. My ears were ringing, and my vision was blurry. It was hard to make out what was going on.

I heard Talon shout something, and saw a bright flash of light erupt from Malachi's fingers. Whatever it was, it didn't work, because the gunshots kept coming, more blood flew in the air, caking the road with a dark red.

Bodies were falling limp left and right. I saw them land next to me, piling up like someone was throwing them on top of each other. All riddled with bullet holes. My vision was returning, and I reached out to them. For what? I couldn't save them now.

I propped myself up on my elbows, and saw a woman coming directly at me, but she couldn't see me. She was running in my direction, and that was it. She was only looking for the escape.

Her head popped open right in front of me. It split in the front and spread apart like some kind of Venus flytrap. Blood and gore splattered all over my body, giving me a new horrifying warmth. It was everywhere. I could feel it on my arms, my legs, my face, my neck.

And everything became silent once again. The ringing in my ears reached it's peak, and that's all I could process. I slowly got up, breathing slowly, with my eyes wide.

All around us, lay hundreds of dead mortals. It looked like a landfill. Multiple piles of bodies, all draped over one another, dripping red and oozing dismembered body parts. I could feel the aura of death radiating from the area now, like a toxic gas.

Beyond them, at the front of it all, stood the twenty officers, all standing in a straight line, giving me the exact same smile as before. All of them had it.

Everyone was shaken to their core. Malachi, Sera, and Talon still stood next to me, just as shocked as I was.

"See you all in hell."

At the same time, they turned the guns on themselves, placing them directly underneath their chins, and firing.

Twenty shots went off, and twenty bodies fell, joining the rest.

Matt

This tunnel is disgusting.

The deeper Eurybia and I went, the worse it got. On the walls, there was this…goop. What even is goop? I don't know, but I discovered the word looking at the mucus that stained the dirt. It was a sickly yellow, and it was as slimy as that egg I freed Eurybia from. I really didn't want to know what end of the creature it came out of.

"What is that stuff?" I said, choking back a gag.

Eurybia didn't look as sickened as I did. In fact, she examined the walls with a rather neutral expression.

"Waste, most likely," she explained. "Or a way to capture food." She pointed to the ground, right next to my boot.

I looked down and nearly jumped at what I saw. Wrapped up in the mucus, was a giant mole/rat looking thing. It was as big as my leg, and it lay face up, completely lifeless. It had chunks of it's body bitten off, fresh chunks, like it had just been feasted on.

I'd never felt this sick before. I clutched my stomach, "That's...I don't even know what to say about that shit." I looked to her, "Seriously, what are these things?"

She kept moving, not at all phased by the disgusting sight. I had to commend her; she was tough. "I don't know what they're called. Just that they look like the insects I remember from the surface world. You know, the ones that eat crops."

I raised an eyebrow, "Locusts?"

She nodded, "Yes, those."

Locusts obviously weren't extinct. But the fact that she couldn't remember what they were called begged the question; how long has she been down here? I'm positive it's a touchy subject, and it's better to not mention it. But she saw my memories, so she virtually knows everything about me. I'd sort of like the favor to be returned a little, if we're going to be travelling together.

I found myself glancing sideways at her several times, wondering what to say. She was certainly unusual, and I wasn't sure what to make of her. For starters, she was taller than me. Before, I couldn't really tell, since we were both crawling, and it was rather dark. But when we came into a wider, more lengthy area, we were able to stand straight up, and I saw that she had a good two to three inches on me. That didn't make her a beanpole either. This woman was physically intimidating too. Not in an over-the-top way, like those bodybuilders that don't even look human, but in a way that you could almost admire. Her skin was tan, and her muscles were lean, the slightest bit of definition in the crevices that told you she'd been training most of her life. Her mean face would come on whenever she thought we were in trouble, and it would probably make most people run for their lives. Hawk-like eyes, a tight frown, and jaw twitches were noticeable, even in the dark. That's why when she smiled, it was really comforting. And for some reason, she smiled a lot at me.

The silence became too much, and I had to break it. "So…why were you hugging me like that back there?"

Great, Matt, start with the most embarrassing thing imaginable.

I figured she'd punch me for bringing it up, but she didn't even hardly react.

"I didn't know if you were real."

My cringe turned into a look of confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I thought I was still dreaming, in that prison the demon put me in."

"Demon?"

She stopped walking for a moment, and I stopped with her. Her face was dark, so much so that even with my red aura lighting the way, I couldn't see a thing but her eyes.

"He goes by many names. Demon of the Pit, The Dark One, Hell, Void. But you know him as Tartarus, which is his original name."

It sent shivers down my spine. I almost looked around frantically to see if he would appear at the mention of his name. To my relief, he didn't. But I knew he was aware of everything, and definitely watching us.

"Have you met him?" I asked. A stupid question. He's the one that trapped her here, so of course she has.

She nodded grimly, and started walking again, a bit louder and angrier this time. "Yes, and I'd rather not talk about it."

That was all I said about that. I shut up on the subject very quick, instead bringing her attention to something else.

"That move with the fire back there was amazing. How did you turn it into water like that?"

This made her demeanor straighten a little, "It is simple for me. I've been able to control the water since birth, at the smallest of levels. Converting fire into water is no challenge at all."

"So…what are you? Are you a goddess?"

She turned her head a little and smirked at me, "Do I look like a goddess?"

I shrugged, chuckling. "Well…yeah, you do. You were able to take down Antaeus or whatever his name is, you controlled that water, and you're in Tartarus. You have to be some kind of immortal."

"You're close. I'm a bit too old to be a goddess like the one's you're probably familiar with. I'm a titaness. Of the sea, to be specific."

A titaness? That's…interesting. I've met and even fought Titans before, plenty of them, but never a female. It's basic myth knowledge that there are twelve titans, kind of like how there are twelve Olympians. Six of them are male, and the other six are female.

Then again, I guess I can't be talking about what's basic and what's not in myth when I don't even know who Antaeus is to my dad. I'm guessing he killed him or something.

I smiled at the new information, "I've never met a female titan before. At least…not that I remember. That's really cool, Eurybia."

She didn't smile back, like I expected her to do. Instead she wore what I could only read as somber. "I don't blame you. Most of us are down here, and we never were as famous as our male counterparts. Well, not famous. Infamous is the more correct term."

"Not as famous?" I said, a little surprised. "But you're strong! As strong as any other titan I've met, well, besides Atlas and Hyperion. But those guys are freaks of nature. What you did back there, I'm serious, it was incredible."

She didn't say anything, but her eyes held a thousand emotions, and a thousand secrets. What was holding her back? What even happened to her to get her down here? Did it have something to do with the other titans?

Maybe it had to do with my memories. Maybe she saw how much hatred I held towards Atlas, or how the titans have caused so much damage in recent years, that she felt guilty about travelling with me.

"Hey, it's okay," I assured. "I'm not going to lie to you, I don't like most immortals, especially the titans. But I can already tell that you're different. You saved me, even though you could've run and left me for giant bait. That takes real courage and selflessness. No other titan would've done that. Hell, some demigods I know wouldn't have done that."

She didn't respond. Instead she put her finger over her mouth, and pointed ahead of us.

"It's them."

"What?"

"Shh."

I heard scurrying in the distance. In my ears, it sounded like an army marching it's way towards us. No, not marching, but running.

Then I reached out with my aura sense, and felt it. Dozens of large creatures were coming at us, and fast.

"Crap."

"We've angered them by being here," Eurybia said. "Be ready to fight."

I listened to her, and clenched my fists. She drew her sword, it reverberated and rang a long, metal-on-metal tune.

We waited for a few seconds; the footsteps only got louder. I began to hear a strange snapping sound, like a jaw biting, or sharp teeth grinding. Not good signs.

Eurybia reached behind her and twisted her fingers, furling them into a fist. To my surprise, and disgust, the mucus on the wall bent to her will, gathering in a big glob inches from her skin.

She threw her hand, and the disgusting ball of bodily fluid went flying in front of us. I wasn't sure what she was doing, that is, until I saw it hit the insects.

She must've seen something that I didn't, because just as she threw it, the army of insect emerged from around the corner, intent of biting us in half. They were huge, nearly as big as an average person. They looked like a mix between a locust and a cockroach, with a scaly, horrifying face, covered in multiple eyes, and a giant shell on their backs.

The mucus covered them and stuck to the walls, keeping them all in place. They struggled, bit at it, swiped at it with their sharp legs, and threw themselves at one another to break through. Finally, it did. One of them backed up and stabbed it's mandibles through the wall of mucus and erupted through, coming straight for me.

It was quick. It used it's six legs to scuttle up to me and jump in the air. I caught the first two of it's arms in my hands, easily overpowering it's strength. It screeched and opened it's mouth wide enough to hide it's voided eyes.

"Matt, be careful!" Eurybia shouted, cleaving one of the insects in half with her sword. She reached out to me, but not to grab me. Instead, I felt a shift in the air, and an unfamiliar coldness. I looked back at the bug, green liquid frozen right in front of it. Poison?

I got my answer. The poison, at Eurybia's will, shot itself back at the bug's face. When it landed, it's face started to steam, then melt. It couldn't even let out a screech as its head burned right off its body, morphing into a puddle on the ground.

I winced, and pushed the thing off of me. Okay, they spit poison, and they're fast. Now I know what I'm dealing with.

Another one did the same thing. It crawled up to me and jumped in the air. I was ready.

I sidestepped it's poison spit and slammed my arm into it's thorax, going through on impact, coming out the other side.

I pulled it out just as quickly, and the bug fell limp on the ground. I was covered in slick juice, but I didn't care. I was now on a battle high. I felt in control again. After being tossed around like a doll by Tartarus, nearly crushed to death by Antaeus, I finally had some control over myself. I wasn't going to give up the opportunity.

I launched off the ground and darted around the room, slamming my arms into the bugs' bodies. One by one, they exploded in a pile of stiff body parts and juice, all piling up in a neat fashion.

Eurybia was a bit surprised at the ferocity and movement, but only batted an eye for a second, then accepted it, and went back to work.

She pointed her sword at the rest of the bug army, and for the first time, I saw what the engravings could do. They lit up a crystal sea blue, unveiling all kinds of foreign letters and markings that I was unfamiliar with. Water began to form from thin air, coiling around the sword until it reached the tip. There, it expanded, and launched itself at the insects.

The powerful wave came to life, and I found myself hopping away from it, not wanting to be taken for a water park ride, along with the giant roach things. They scrambled to regain their footing, but it was no use. Some of it entered their mouths, and filled them up so much, they actually exploded from the pressure. The rest were simply pushed back by the force of the blast, far down the tunnel, and hopefully back to where they came from.

The water roared for several seconds, fading slowly in the background. Eurybia didn't retract her hand until it was completely gone, bugs and all. Silence fell, and I looked at her in slight amazement. She wasn't going to hold me back at all. Her skill was pretty impressive, and she wasn't kidding about being able to control water at the smallest level.

She stood straight, and retracted her hand.

"Let's keep moving. I sense an open area to the right, how about you?"

It took me a second to register she was speaking to me. I reached out with my aura sense, "Uh, yeah, the right sounds good to me."

She nodded, "Alright, lead the way, and I will follow."

The tunnel to the right was wide open. I went in first, with her close behind. For the first time, we had worked together against an enemy. I knew it was the first of many, and we were starting slow. Those insects were just the beginning, and I knew that far bigger fish were coming.

But I had to get to know the others. Harper, Malachi, all of them. Usually, with them by my side I feel like I can take on anything. Eurybia can be the same, it just takes time.

So for now, it's progress.

Harper

The girl made sure her hood was up as she crept into the alleyway. There they were, the demigod junkies that she had been spying on for the last couple of days. Levi had talked about them a few times, how they were always bothering him about trying some of their 'product.'

She knew they were trouble, and that stuff they were snorting…wasn't good. Levi warned her once never to go near them, because even though they were drugged up, they were still demigods. Sons of whoever, she didn't care. She just knew that they had interacted with her brother at one point in time. They might know where he went.

They were leaning on the brick wall of the tight space, surrounded by wet puddles, cardboard houses, and dumpsters. It was very off putting, and most people would just turn away and keep walking.

But she knelt by one of the dumpsters and watched them. They had powder all over their noses, and they were laughing about something she couldn't make out. Probably something stupid, she didn't care.

Right as they reached to get another dose, she jumped out and attacked.

The man on her left never saw it coming. She was barely eleven, but she still had years of training on her side, while these guys had probably never even picked up a sword in their lives. She planted her foot in his rib cage, sending him sliding across the wall and hitting the side of his head on the asphalt.

The next guy reacted, jumping at the sudden encounter. "Wh-What the fuck?!"

He quickly got over his shock, and pulled out a knife he'd hid in the spot between his jeans and underwear. He slipped it out and made a stab at her, but she moved to the side, dodging it easily.

She grabbed his forearm, and with her other hand, brought it up as hard as she could, about a foot away, right on the elbow.

SNAP!

The arm broke and the man cried out in pain, dropping his knife. She wasted no time in pushing him against the wall. Now he paid on attention to her, it was all on his arm.

She didn't care in the slightest. She held him by his shirt, which was rather odd, since she only came up to his chest in height.

"Where is he?!"

"M-My fucking arm! You broke it!"

"I don't give a shit!" She yelled, clenching his shirt harder, "Tell me, where is Levi?!"

"Levi who?! What the hell are you talking about?!"

She reared her fist back and slammed it into his jaw, causing him to recoil and almost bounce on the wall. "You know what I'm talking about! Levi Pierce! Ignore that drug crap for one second and think! My brother, where is he?!"

He whimpered, "Fuck, my arm!"

"WHERE IS HE?!"

"I don't know, dammit! I don't know! I've never heard of a Levi Pierce! I'm sorry!"

"That's bullshit! You tried to deal with him a few months ago!"

"W-We deal to a lot of people! I'm sorry, but I swear I don't know where he is!"

She held him for a moment, and nearly let him go. But her anger was a very big, very dark cloud, and it boiled over. Yet another dead end. She was getting farther and farther away from him.

Quickly, she took out both knives from her leather strap and stabbed him in the neck. The blades sunk in easily like it was butter, blood gushed out and coated both the knives and her hands. She fought back the urge to yank them away.

It took only a few seconds for him to fall to the ground, lifeless.

She stared at him for a moment, a hint, just a hint of guilt and regret on her mind. But she shoved it away. Then, she looked at the other guy, who was starting to stir from her kick.

No witnesses, she thought.

She walked over and placed one of her knives to his neck. With a single pull, she cut it open. A long, red gash line came forth, and blood poured out on the ground. The man choked and gargled, desperately trying to seal the hole she'd created. But it was too much. Soon, he was dead too.

She stood there, and waited for nothing. Maybe she wanted their ghosts to come back and haunt her, or kill her, one. She was a murderer, plain and simple. Not much else.

But she accepted this now. At eleven years old, she'd entered the path of vengeance. Part of the reason it's become so easy, is that whenever she kills, she pictures his body. The man in the cloak. The one that killed her father, and more than likely, orchestrated Levi's capture too.

So the regret is gone almost instantly. Because she's prepared to stoop down to a lower level, she's prepared to get down in the mud with him, if that's what it takes to get revenge, and to find Levi.

A group of people can be heard in the distance. Most likely some college kids, out in Atlanta, partying their asses off after a night of drinking. She didn't stay to find out. She sheathed her knives, and ran off in the alley, trying to air dry her hands from the blood she'd gathered.

I don't know why I thought of that memory when I saw the bodies. Maybe because it was a reminder of what I used to be.

I'd like to think that was a different me, a different time. The circumstances made me that way, it's not who I am.

It can't be, because I feel something now. I feel an ache, a tremendous hurt.

I waded through the sea of bodies shakily, my boots covered in blood from the now lake that had formed from all of those brutal deaths.

I breathed the best I could. It was hard right now, and it was with my mouth, audible and rapid. I could hardly catch it, the aura of death was interfering with it, it had to be.

Heads had popped open like a balloon, people's chests were torn with holes, their bones split by the condensed metal of the bullets. I remembered each one I saw.

There were so many. So, so many. At least three hundred people, all dead, piled up on top of each other. They all had families; they were all just trying to see what was going on. They never planned on dying today, they just woke up, probably got some coffee, and on the way to work, they saw a bunch of commotion in the street. They were just curious.

A mop of blonde hair in the sea caught my eye. It was small, too small.

"No…" I said, whispering. I ran over and slid on my knees to grab the small child and pull him in my arms. It was a boy, no older than six or seven, he couldn't be. He was lying underneath who I assumed to be his mother. She was trying to protect him in her last moments.

I cradled his limp head in my shoulder and fought the tears building in my eyes. Just a child, a completely innocent child. There were probably more of them here, and I just couldn't see them.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so, so sorry."

How could anyone, or anything do this? Mortals…they never, ever should get involved in our world. The goal is for them to remain oblivious. If they remain oblivious, that means we did our job, and protected them so thoroughly that the enemy didn't even have time to get ahold of them.

Mortals aren't perfect, much like us. But they don't have an equalizer. They don't stand a chance, and that's why we have to be there for them.

I placed the boy back on his mother gently, and turned to the giant scar in the road. My jaw tightened, and I stormed over to it, clearing the distance easily.

Once I stood over it, I felt adrenaline course through my veins.

"I know you're still here, you son of a bitch. Come out and face me, instead of hiding behind innocent people."

No response.

Growling, I got down to one knee and punched the area of the crack.

"COME ON!"

I began relentlessly assaulting it. Punch after punch, my fists connected with it in a thousand useless blows. My knuckles started bleeding, splattering more blood on my face, adding to what was already there.

"I'm going to come down there and kick your ass! I don't care what you are, or who you are! I'm going to kill you!"

I felt someone grab my shoulder from behind, I turned around sharply and glared at the person.

It was Sera, closely followed by Talon and Malachi, who stood behind her. She had tears running down her cheeks.

"Harper, p-please stop."

My expression drooped. My eyebrows lowered and my mouth fell open. I let out a shaky breath and fell on my face, my hands falling to my side. It was from exhaustion, but not physical.

I wanted to cry so bad, but I fought it. I honestly couldn't, because I genuinely don't think I can shed another tear. But it keeps getting worse. All of it.

"Matt, I'm sorry." I said to the ground, knowing good and well he was somewhere on the other side.

I'm coming to get you. I don't care how long it takes, or what I have to do, but I'm coming to get you, and when I do…we'll kill him together. He doesn't get away with any of this.

Whatever it takes…

Sera kept tugging at my shoulders while I lay there. Finally, I shrugged her off and got up, glaring at the tall Empire State Building in the distance. I couldn't see it, but I knew it was there, at the very top. It overlooked everything, including the attack.

The others followed my gaze, and Malachi was the first to comment on it.

"What are you thinking?"

We will get some answers. This is the last straw.

"We're going to Olympus, right now," I said. "And when we get there, we're going to demand some help."

"Olympus?" Sera sniffed.

"And if they say no?" Talon asked hesitantly.

I deepened the glare towards the building, my fists tight. "Then we rid the world of a few rotten gods."

(000)

There it is. This book is slowly becoming the darkest of the story so far, and Tartarus is a real threat. You probably understand why I put a warning at the start of the chapter, because him possessing those mortals, killing them, and even forcing them to...you know, is rough. I know it's rough. But that's the kind of villain that we're dealing with. A being that has no remorse, and doesn't care for human life, or any life at all. Tartarus will get rid of anything, even children, if he wants to. He's solely focused on bringing pain to Matt and his friends, and that's what he's going to do.

So yes, that happened. It won't go forgotten, believe me. Next chapter we'll see what the Olympians are thinking, and Harper will confront them. I'm excited to write that. Also, let me know what you think of Eurybia! Is she cool so far? Do you think her and Matt will continue to get along? I'd love to know how you all feel!

Until Next Time.