Chapter 5

Damasen's hut was empty.

Percy had been expecting that, but it still made his shoulders slump as he stumbled inside and saw it empty. The drakon hide walls of the Maeonian drakon that Damasen had made his hut from remained firm and untouched. There was a stark emptiness to the hut that made Percy hesitate in the doorway. Bob faltered too, his eyes growing teary as he registered the lack of Damasen.

"I'm sorry, Bob," Percy said quietly. He knew that Bob had grown quite close with Damasen in the time that they had spent together in this hut. Percy glanced towards Bob with a worried frown. He had no idea how much Bob recalled of his past, or what he had discussed with Damasen while Percy and Annabeth had been asleep. It left lingering doubt in the back of Percy's mind.

Purring caught Percy's attention and he turned to see Small Bob kneading his claws into the Giant's bed. The kitten at least seemed not to care about the absence of Damasen, for he curled up into a fluffy ball and was promptly asleep.

Bob frowned. "One doesn't walk away from a fight with Tartarus, friend Percy," he said. Bob blinked eyes of quicksilver at the cold fire and the empty pot Damasen had used to make the broth. Bits of drakon jerky were still hanging from the drakon bone supports of the hut and Percy hesitated briefly before his stomach rumbled loudly in the silence.

Percy stepped forward into the hut. "Bob, do you think you could…" Percy gestured to the jerky, which was hanging out of his reach. "Please?"

The Titan stepped forwards and took down the jerky, keeping some for himself while he handed a few to Percy. They looked a decent size in Bob's hands, but in Percy's they seemed far larger. "Thank you," Percy murmured. He retreated to the bed and sat on the edge, careful not to disturb Small Bob. It was a shame that there was no broth left – the fire water wasn't very good at dealing with Percy's thirst and there was only so long that Percy could go without water.

It would be a laughable death, the son of Poseidon dying in Tartarus from thirst. The monsters, Giants and Titans would get a good laugh out of that. Probably some gods would too.

Bob sat by the cold fire, staring at it briefly before he slowly raised a hand and tapped the wood. Percy jumped as it burst into flames, cursing sharply and his heart racing at the sudden shock. Bob seemed pleased with himself as he stared into the fire, turning to look at Percy with a brilliant smile. "We have fire, friend Percy."

"That's great, thanks," Percy said as he struggled to calm himself back down from the sudden shock. Bob beamed and shoved more wood into the fire. His limbs felt heavy and worn and Percy quickly returned to eating the jerky before he passed out. Just sitting down was suddenly making him feel tired.

All the stress of walking through Tartarus had worn him down, constantly looking over his shoulder and searching for monsters. They'd been attacked a dozen times in their trek to Damasen's hut after the river of fire, but that drakon had never shown itself. Percy allowed the relief to sink into his bones now that he was in a place of safety.

"Friend Percy should sleep," Bob stated.

Percy wasn't sure he could. His limbs felt like lead, sure, but his mind was still racing and alert. "Bob, are you okay?" He quietly asked. The Titan hadn't moved from his seat by the fire, staring into the flames. Percy chewed at the drakon jerky as Bob frowned.

"He was a Good Giant," Bob said finally. "He was like me." The Titan shifted slightly, his eyes turning to inspect his spear. "I remember my brothers," he said finally as he stared at the faint silver glow that the spear gave off.

The demigod stilled mid-chew. "Oh?" He asked, tensing. It was like a shock straight into him and Percy's eyes flicked to the door of the hut. Bob wasn't directly blocking it, Percy might be able to slip out past him if he was quick. "What… what do you remember?"

"Exploring." Percy's eyes furrowed, not having expected that from Bob. "Nights under the stars and laughing and sharing jokes. And then mother and father." Bob's expression tightened slightly, fingers clenching around the shaft of his spear. "Father forced us to fight each other because we were less of a threat fighting each other." A small smile twitched across Iapetus' face, silver eyes growing bright as they reflected the fire before him. "Hyperion would watch the sunrise every morning when he woke and Kronos would try to sneak off to find a nature spirit or several to spend the night with. Koios and Krios would follow him and the nature spirits would often lie with them instead. Our sisters said we were all too uncivilised," Iapetus continued, gathering steam. Percy stared at the Titan's back with wide eyes. "Kronos liked his words, he was small and warm," Iapetus said. He turned to blink at Percy, a wide smile on his face. "Hyperion was bright and fiery. Krios and Koios were cold."

Percy sat where he was, frozen on the bunk. He forced himself to swallow the jerky and offered Bob a thin smile. "Oh," Percy said, his voice small. Percy didn't know where these memories had come from or how long Bob had had them, but it made his skin crawl. "That's nice," he said, for lack of anything else to say when he just wanted to run screaming from the hut. Bob clearly didn't remember Oceanus yet, or he'd have probably mentioned him too. That was a good sign at least.

Bob's wide smile at Percy was bright and cheerful. "You would have liked Kronos."

Percy's smile froze on his face. "No," he snapped at the Titan. "I wouldn't." Percy clenched his jaw. Bob looked taken aback at Percy's sudden vehemence, his eyes widening innocently. He looked like he were about to cry. But Kronos had killed Percy's friends and other campers and started a war to try to tear down Olympus; Percy would definitely not have ever liked him. He couldn't exactly tell Bob that, especially not after he'd already had to tell Bob that Kronos was a Good Titan. Percy shut his eyes. He had to make sure he could remember all his lies. Took a deep breath to calm himself. "I'm sorry, Bob," he said to Bob. "I didn't mean to snap at you."

Bob sniffled. "It's okay, friend Percy."

Percy's heart twisted. "No, it's not," he said tiredly. He just hoped that Bob didn't remember the later years with his brothers – the ones about the First Titan War, in Tartarus and more recent ones. He especially hoped that Bob didn't recall that Percy had been responsible for Kronos' defeat and subsequent scattering and also Hyperion's death. Percy sighed. "I just need to get some sleep, sorry, Bob."

The amnesiac Titan gravely nodded his head. "Of course, friend Percy," he readily agreed. "I will keep watch."

The demigod didn't even have the energy now to think that was a bad idea. Percy somehow had to get some sleep and this was likely the only way that was going to happen. Percy curled up next to Small Bob on the large, Giant-sized bed and closed his eyes.

The waking nightmare that was Tartarus was not the only nightmare that Percy had to contend with. Even when Annabeth was still there with him he had had horrible dreams, but now they seemed even worse.

He saw Camp Half-Blood swallowed by a wave of the earth, burying everything beneath Gaea's surface where they were smothered and killed. The screams and shouts rang in his ears, a Voice laughing – Gaea's voice – as Annabeth screamed and agony and Hestia and her hearth were turned to stone. He saw his mother and Paul killed by a hoard of monsters, alongside a faceless babe they were trying to protect with their last breaths. Percy screamed in defiance and raised Riptide, but what could he do against the personification of the Earth itself? Still, against all reason, Percy charged at Gaea with a furious cry upon his lips.

A woman with skin the colour of freshly tilled land and the same dark hair that seemed to be a common trend throughout the mythological Greek world, her eyes were a bright alien green – reminding Percy of the pictures he'd seen of the Amazon rainforest – and her smile cold and calculating. Percy charged her head-on as she laughed with a voice that rang and echoed around him. "Is this what you wanted, Perseus Jackson?" Gaea asked him, tone mocking and yet light all at once. "How you wanted them all to end – to fail?"

Percy yelled and tried to behead her. The blade of Riptide cut straight through her neck and Percy's blood ran cold when he realised it was immediately mending itself, earth rising and filling in the gash. Gaea's cold smile grew. "No?" The Primordial imploded into sand that blasted Percy back, sending him flying.

The demigod gasped as he slid across the ground, forcing his hands beneath him on the white marbled flooring. He took a quick look around him and immediately his eyes widened in alarm as he noted Luke, eyes of gold and a sick smile, coming at him without hesitation. Percy spring up, Riptide leaping to life in his hand, and swung the blade to deflect Kronos' scythe to the side. The double-metal blade slammed into Riptide with immense strength, knocking Percy back a few paces. The hole in the floor which had sent Ethan falling down to Manhattan was still there. Percy's breath was coming in sharp, pained pants. Behind Luke, the thrones of the Olympians were aflame, Olympus itself crumbling down around him.

"Luke!" Annabeth sprang in from the side from nowhere, her dagger in hand.

"No!" Percy screamed and surged forward as Annabeth's dagger bounced off Luke's neck. A hand closed around her throat, dangling her above the hole which would send her down to Manhattan.

Kronos turned to smile at Percy. "Too slow, Percy Jackson," the Titan Lord said. "Perhaps that's why you will never see those you care for again," Kronos mused.

"Let her go!" Percy yelled, Riptide held between him and Kronos. "Please," Percy begged, "let her go."

The Titan's smile grew. "As you wish." He let Annabeth go.

Percy yelled and dove after her as Annabeth vanished, screaming as she fell through the hole in the floor. He realised only too late that it was a mistake to turn his back on Kronos as he felt the scythe cut diagonally across his back; straight through Percy's mortal point at the small of his back. Percy cried out in agony. He fell, his body on fire as he fell like a comet down to the skyscrapers beneath him. He looked up at Olympus in time to watch the floating city explode in a blast of golden light when his back hit the ground.

Percy found himself down in Tartarus, his back in agony and blood pooling on the ground at Percy's feet. Percy gasped, staggering forwards. "Bob?" He called out as he spotted the Titan standing across from him.

Bob took several steps forwards, raising his spear.

Percy's eyes widened. "Wait-!"

He choked on his blood as Iapetus drove his spear into Percy's heart, silver eyes burning with anger. "You killed my brothers," the Titan growled with fury. He pulled free his spear and Percy's body jerked as it fell forwards…

Percy awoke with a scream on his lips, feeling as if he were falling.

There was a loud yowl and a sharp hiss. Percy jerked, trying to figure out where he was, what was going on – why he could hear a cat. The small of his back and his chest burned still as if he really had been slashed and stabbed. There was blood on his lips and in his mouth and his lungs hurt.

Percy threw up, feeling the now familiar slicing-stabbing pain in his lungs that came from the air of Tartarus. He groaned, a sob tearing out of his mouth at the agony. His entire body ached and hurt. Percy could still feel the phantom pains of the wounds Kronos and Iapetus had dealt him in the nightmare.

Percy glanced up, his gaze cutting over to the fire and felt his breath freeze in his lungs. Small Bob was hissing at him, the kitten clearly having been disturbed as Percy lurched awake from the nightmare that had struck him.

The demigod however noticed the rather more important issue in that moment. The fire was out and cold, the empty pot of broth was gone and only him and Small Bob remained in the hut.

Bob was gone.

Instantly, Percy's mind recalled the dream he'd just had, where Iapetus had accused him of killing the other Titan brothers before stabbing Percy in the heart. Percy scrabbled for Riptide, scrambling to his feet. He stumbled and nearly fell, but caught himself as he lurched to the entrance of the hut.

Percy stared out across the swamp with trepidation.

He glanced back to Small Bob, whom was no longer hissing at him, but now sniffing and nosing at the cold fire. Percy's stomach rolled. He had to leave, had to go before Iapetus returned to kill him. Percy staggered forwards drunkenly, his lungs burning. He coughed blood speckled with flesh into his hand, shuddering as he wiped it off on his torn shirt.

Riptide was heavy in his hand, but he made sure to keep the sword in front of him in case he ran into Iapetus as he stepped out over the swamp. Small Bob meowed and ran around his feet, looking confused.

"We're getting away-" Percy paused to cough. "Away from him."

Small Bob clawed at Percy's shoes to stop him from staggering off the path and straight into the swamp. A dozen feet away from Percy and off the solid path, some green-scaled sea monster twisted through the dark water. Percy uneasily shifted back from the water that lapped up over the edge of the path.

"Friend Percy!" A voice called from in front of him.

Percy's head jerked up in horror as he spotted Iapetus striding towards him, spear in hand and pot of broth in the other. He brought up Riptide. Small Bob, the traitor, immediately ran to Iapetus' feet and purred as he rubbed against the Titan's janitorial trousers. Iapetus beamed at Percy and the cat.

"Stay back," Percy snapped at Iapetus, wavering on his feet as he held out Riptide. "Don't come any closer."

Confusion gleamed in Iapetus' eyes. "Friend Percy?" He questioned.

"I'm not your friend," Percy spat out angrily, his heart racing and chest heaving as he choked on his blood. His thoughts felt like mush. "Stay back."

That confusion in those silver eyes turned to hurt. "I went to get you some fire water, Friend Percy," Iapetus said as he lifted the pot of broth. "Look!" He exclaimed, smile brilliant as he stepped closer.

Percy tightened his grip on Riptide, blinking back stars. "I said stay back," Percy snapped, one hand covering his mouth and coming away with streaks of blood.

Iapetus' smiled fell. "Friend Percy needs help," he said as he started forwards again, raising his spear.

Percy panicked and scrambled back, his eyes widening as he lost his footing on the solid path and slipped. Riptide went flying from his hands as Percy fell backwards into the swamp, sinking into the depths of the water.

Percy Jackson realised then that no one was coming to save him, no one would ever want to. Why would they? He was just the failed Hero of Olympus – the one stupid enough to get left behind in Tartarus. He watched the loops of a sea serpent twist through the water of the Cocytus, giant mouth open as if to swallow Percy whole as it came at him from the side.

Percy shut his eyes.

The sea serpent screeched in agony as a streak of silver light hit from above.

Reminder: This serves a companion fic alongside Confused by Time.

I also have a discord server with the invite code: stJvYshE9t

Guest: Thanks! Yeah, the shrine is pretty important to Percy's survival down there with Iapetus. As for who destroys it... that will be revealed at some point XD.