We started to follow the spirits down the well-worn path. We finally go to the entrance to the Underworld. There were three separate entrances under one huge black archway that said: YOU ARE NOW ENTERING EREBUS.

Each entrance had a pass-through metal detector with security cameras on top of them. After passing the metal detector there were tollbooths manned by ghouls that had on black robes like Charon. The howling of "Old Three-Face" got even louder, but there was no way to see where it was coming from.

Cerberus, the hound of Hades, was somewhere around here, and at any time he could strike. The dead lined up in three separate lines, two were marked ATTENDANT ON DUTY and the other marked EZ DEATH. The EZ DEATH line was the quickest.

"What do you figure?" Percy asked me.

"Go in the EZ DEATH line," I said. "It should go straight to the Asphodel Fields. They don't want to risk judgment from the court, because it might go against them."

"There's a court for dead people?" Percy asked.

"Yeah, three judges. They usually switch around. Thurgood Marshall, George Washington, Shakespeare. People like that are chosen. Sometimes they look at a life and decide that somebody needs a reward-the Fields of Elysium. Sometimes they decide on punishment. But most people, well, they just lived. They didn't do anything special, didn't do good or bad. And it's because of that, they are sent to the Fields of Asphodel."

"And do what?"

"Imagine standing in a wheat field in Kansas, Forever," Grover said.

"Harsh," Percy said.

Not as harsh as that," Grover muttered. "Look."

Percy looked at a couple of black-robed ghouls, he looked like he recognised one of them.

"He's that preacher who made the news, remember?" Grover asked,

"Oh yeah," Percy said. "What're they doing to him?"

"Special punishment from Hades," Grover said. "The really bad people get his personal attention as soon as they arrive. The Fur-the Kindly Ones will set up an eternal torture for him."

"But if he's a preacher," Percy said. "And he believes in a different hell…"

Grover shrugged. "Who says he's seeing this place the way we're seeing it? Humans see what they want to see. You're very stubborn-er, persistent, that way."

The four of us got closer to the gates. The howling was as loud as it could be, it was downright shaking the ground. As we got closer, the green mist shimmered and standing just where the path split into three separate lanes was the silhouette of a massive three-headed dog with glowing red eyes. Cerberus became more and more visible to us as we went along.

"He's a rottweiler," Percy said.

"Duh," I said. "How else would you imagine him?"

"A mastiff maybe?" Percy said.

The dead walked right up to him with no fear. The ATTENDANT ON DUTY lines parted on either side of him. The EZ DEATH spirits walked right between his front paws and under his stomach, which they could do without crouching.

"I'm starting to see him better," Percy muttered. "Why is that?"

"I think…" Annabeth moistened her lips. "I'm afraid it's because we're closer to being dead."

Cerberus turned toward us and sniffed the air.

"It can smell the living," Percy said.

"But that's okay," Grover said while trembling. "Because we have a plan."

"Right…" Annabeth said, her voice sounded small. "A plan."

Percy took out a big stick out of his backpack. He held it up, and gave a nervous smile. "Hey, Big Fella. I bet they don't play with you much."

Cerberus growled.

"Good boy," Percy said weakly. He waved the stick and the middle head followed the movement while the other two heads fixed their eyes on us, ignoring the spirits. "Fetch!"

Percy threw the stick into the gloom.

Ker-ploosh!

It fell into the River Styx…

Cerberus glared. Well, so much for the plan.

"Um," Grover said. "Percy?"

"Yeah?"

"I just thought you'd want to know."

"Yeah?"

"Cerberus? He's saying we've got ten seconds to pray to the god of our choice. After that…well…he's hungry."

"Wait!" Annabeth said. She rifled through her backpack.

"Five seconds," Grover said. "Do we run now?"

I took out my black earring and Hero appeared in my hand. I wasn't gonna run. If I'm going to die in the domain of Hades then I'm going down fighting.

Just then, Annabeth took out a red rubber ball. It was labeled WATERLAND, DENVER, CO.

Annabeth raised the ball and marched up to Cerberus.

"See the ball?" She shouted. "You want the ball, Cerberus? Sit!"

Cerberus looked stunned. All three of his heads turned sideways. Every nostril dilated.

"Sit!" She shouted again. He sat, crushing the spirits who had been passing underneath him in the EZ DEATH line. "Good boy!"

She threw the ball, the one in the middle caught it. It was barely big enough for him to chew and the spirits made muffled noises as the other heads started snapping at the middle in order to get the ball. "Drop it!"

Annabeth ordered the dog. Cerberus' heads stopped fighting and looked at her. The ball was wedged between two of his teeth. He made a loud, scared whimper and dropped the ball which was now slimy and bitten in half.

"Good boy," Annabeth said, she picked up the slimy ball and turned toward us. "Go now. EZ DEATH line-it's faster."

"But-" Percy said.

"Now!" She ordered. Percy, Grover, and I inched forward cautiously. Cerberus began to growl. "Stay! If you want the ball, stay!"

Cerberus whimpered, and stayed where he was.

"What about you?" Percy asked as we passed Annabeth.

"I know what I'm doing, Percy," she muttered. "At least, I'm pretty sure…"

Percy, Grover, and I walked between his legs. And we made it through without Annabeth telling Cerberus to sit down again, thankfully…

"Good dog!" Annabeth said. Then she threw the ball, the monster's left mouth snatched it up and the middle head attacked it while the right head moaned in sadness. Annabeth walked through under his underbelly and joined us at the metal detector.

"How did you do that?" Percy asked.

"Obedience school," Annabeth said, tears in her eyes. "When I was little, at my dad's house, we had a Doberman…"

"Nevermind that," Grover said. "Come on!"

The four of us bolted through the EZ DEATH line while Cerberus moaned from all three mouths. Annabeth stopped and turned to the dog which was now turned to look at us.

"Annabeth, come on," I said, Hero turned back into a black earring. I put it back into my ear.

She looked between us and Cerberus, who was panting, the tiny red ball was now in pieces in a puddle of drool at its feet.

"Good boy," Annabeth said. "I'll bring you another ball soon. Would you like that?"

The massive dog whimpered.

"Good dog," She said. "I'll come visit you soon. I-I promise. Let's go."

We pushed through the metal detector which immediately went off with a loud alarm and flashing red lights. "Unauthorized possessions! Magic detected!"

Cerberus barked in the distance.

We burst through the EZ DEATH gate, the alarms of the gate started blaring as well. We had finally officially entered the Underworld. Minutes later we were hiding in the rotten trunk of a large and wide black tree as security ghouls passed us, yelling for backup from the Furies.

"Well, Percy, what have we learned today?" I muttered to him.

"That three-headed dogs prefer red rubber balls over sticks?"

"No," Grover said. "We've learned that your plans really, really bite!"

We waited for the ghouls to pass. Annabeth wiped a tear from her cheek as she listened to mournful moans of Cerberus in the distance.

We were in the Asphodel Fields. Black grass, black trees, gray sky, black storm clouds, black stalactites sticking up from the ground, and so many people around that could go on forever. Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and I tried our best to blend into the crowd, keeping an eye out for security ghouls.

I looked around, what are the off chances that I could see Jason in here? But if he was near me at that time, I wouldn't know because the further we went, the darker everything got. We crept toward the main gates toward a black-tented pavilion with a banner that read:

JUDGEMENTS FOR ELYSIUM AND ETERNAL DAMNATION

Welcome, Newly Deceased!

Out of the back of the tent came two much smaller lines. To the left, spirits led by security ghouls were marched down a rocky path toward the Fields of Punishment, which glowed and smoked in the distance, a vast, cracked wasteland with rivers and oceans of lava and miles of barbed wire separating the different torture areas.

In the distance people can be seen being chased by hellhounds, being burned at the stakes, being forced to run naked through cactus patches or even listening to opera music. There were worse tortures, ones that I wish I hadn't seen.

Beyond the security gate were neighborhoods of beautiful houses from every time period in history. Roman villas, medieval castles, Victorian mansions, you name it this place had it. Silver and gold flowers bloomed in the lawns, grass rippled in rainbow colors. From this place you could hear laughter and joy.

Elysium.

"This must be Elysium," I said. "The place where heroes like us go to."

We left the judgment pavilion and moved deeper into the Asphodel Fields. It got even darker, colors faded from our clothes (not too much my clothes, I wear mostly black anyways). After a few miles of walking, we heard familiar screeches in the distance. Looming in the distance were three bat-like creatures flying in the sky.

"Kindly Ones," I said.

"I suppose it's too late to turn back," Grover said.

"We'll be okay," Percy said.

"Maybe we should search some of the other places first," Grover suggested. "Like, Elysium, for instance…"

"Come on, goat boy," Annabeth grabbed his arm.

Grover yelped. Suddenly his sneakers sprouted wings and his legs shot forward, pulling him away from Annabeth. He landed flat on his back in the grass.

"Grover," Annabeth chided him. "Stop playing around."

"But I didn't-"

Grove yelped again. His shoes flapped like crazy. They levitated him off the ground and started dragging him away from us. "Maia! Maia, already! Nine-one-one! Help!"

"Maia!" I said. My shoes sprouted wings and flew after Grover. Whenever I was about to grab him the sneakers would jerk him in another direction to keep me from stopping. I kept flying after him with Percy and Annabeth following behind.

He was heading toward Hades' palace, but suddenly his shoes jerked him to the right, and dragged him to the opposite direction. I tried my best to get to him, as he picked up speed so did I. Suddenly we had entered a cavern, the walls narrowed on either side. We had entered a tunnel.

"Grover!" I yelled after him. "Hold onto something!"

"What?" Grover yelled back, grabbing at gravel, but nothing was big enough to slow him down or stop him. The tunnel got darker and colder. It reminded me of…no. No. There's no way.

Hairs on my arms stood up, it smelled like evil, it made me think of things I wouldn't even want to think of. Running your sharp weapon through the body of a loved one, stuff like that. Grover was heading toward a massive pitch black cavern. It's like I feared.

I flew as fast as the shoes could take me, and finally I grabbed onto Grover's wrist. Then I used my other hand to grab onto his other wrist. Then I pulled him back, it was tough, despite my strength Grover's shoes were surprisingly persistent on wanting to go in that cavern. It didn't help that I didn't feel that strong, I was in the Underworld, in Hades' domain, I'm not as strong here as I am in the air or above ground in general.

But that's when I got the idea. "Grover the shoes! Shake off the shoes!"

The shoes were never a perfect fit for him, so I thought he could shake them off.

"What-"

"JUST DO IT!!" My voice echoed, sparks flew from my body. Grover started shaking and one winged shoe fell off.The next one was harder to shake off, but I had to help him. I kicked the remaining shoe as he shook it off. Only a few seconds later the other shoe fell off. Both shoes fell into the cavern. I hauled Grover to where Percy and Annabeth were. "Maia."

I landed safely with Grover, who was still panting when we landed.

"I don't know how…I didn't…"

"Wait," Percy said. "Listen."

I heard something, a whisper in the darkness. It was coming from the cavern. But this wasn't just any cavern. This was Tartarus.

Percy and I stepped forward a step.

The sound was getting louder, an evil voice was calling to us.

"Wh-what's that noise?" Grover sat up as he asked.

I took Hero out of my ear and Percy uncapped his sword. The swords gleamed together in the darkness. The voice faltered for a moment, but then it resumed its chant.

"Magic," Percy said.

"We have to get out of here," Annabeth said. Percy put the cap back on his sword and walked away. "Alaster, come on."

I put Hero back in my ear and before walking away I spat into the cavern. I heard an angry growl as I walked away. With the three of us together we dragged Grover to his hooves and started back up the tunnel. The voice got louder and angrier behind us, the four of us broke into a run.

A cold blast of wind pulled at our backs, our feet slipped on the gravel. I turned around and blew an even stronger blast of wind which blew the four of us all the way to the top of the tunnel.

"What was that?" Grover panted as we collapsed on a black poplar grove. "One of Hades' pets?"

"No," I said. "Definitely not."

I took a look at Annabeth, she actually looked scared. Reasonable, after all we just had an encounter with Kronos himself.

"Let's keep going," Percy looked at Grover. "Can you walk?"

Grover swallowed and tried his best to sound brave. "Yeah, sure. I never liked those shoes, anyway."

The Furies circled the parapets, high in the gloom. We were standing right at him, at Hades' doorstep. The outer walls of the fortress glittered black, and the two-story-tall bronze gates stood wide open. There were engravings on the gates, scenes of death. Some were of modern times, others in the past.

Inside the courtyard was a garden with things people would see as unusual: Multi-Colored mushrooms, poisonous shrubs, and weird luminous plants that grew without sunlight. There were precious jewels that glittered that made up for the lack of flowers in the area. Rubies and clumps of raw diamonds decorated the place. Standing here and there were stone statues, petrified children, satyrs, and centaurs that were all smiling grotesquely. I wouldn't be surprised if these statues were from Medusa.

In the center of the garden was an orchard of pomegranate trees, their orange blooms neon bright in the dark.

"This is the garden of Persephone," Annabeth said. "Keep walking."

Percy pulled Grover away, smart move, if one of us ate from the tree then we wouldn't be able to leave.

We walked up the steps of the palace. I tried my best to steady my breathing, I was about to be face to face with a god that wanted me dead years ago. Who knows how he'll react when he sees me. We walked between black columns and through a black marble portico, and into the House of Hades.

The entry hall had a polished bronze floor, which boiled in the reflected torchlight. There was no ceiling, just the cavern roof, far above.

Every side doorway was guarded by a skeleton in military gear. Some wore Greek armor, with some British redcoat uniforms, some camouflage with tattered American flags in the shoulders. They carried spears or muskets or M-16s. None of them bothered us, but their hollow eye sockets followed us as we walked.Two U.S. Marine skeletons guarded the doors. They grinned down at us.

"You know," Grover mumbled, "I bet Hades doesn't have trouble with door-to-door salesmen."

"Well, guys," Percy said. "I suppose we should...knock?"

A hot wind blew down the corridor, and the doors swung open. The guards stepped aside.

"I guess that means entre~vous,"Annabeth said.

"Well, let's go," I said weakly.

And then...I saw Hades for the very first time. He was the most terrifying god I've ever come across in my life, and I've come across quite a few gods.

He was ten feet tall, he was dressed in black silk robes and a crown of braided gold. His skin was albino white, his hair shoulder-length and jet black. He wasn't bulked up, but he radiated power of course, being one of the Three strongest gods. He was on his throne of fused human bones. I felt like I should turn around and run. But I knew I wouldn't get far, he would turn me into some sort of bug and step on me before that happens.

"The Sons of Poseidon and Zeus, you are very brave to come here," Hades said in an oily voice before gazing at me. " After what you have done to me, very brave indeed. Or perhaps you both are simply very foolish."

Percy stepped forward, he looked at me and motioned to follow him. I exhaled out my nose and walked forward with Percy.

"Lord and Uncle," Percy said. "We come with two requests."

Hades raised an eyebrow and sat back in his throne, shadowy faces appeared in the folds of his robes as if the souls of people were trapped inside. "Only two requests? Arrogant children. As if you have not already taken enough. Speak, then. It amuses me not to strike you dead yet."

I wish Persephone was here. She would've been able to calm Hades' moods. But since it was the summer she would be with her mother, Demeter.

"Lord Hades," I said. "There can't be a war among the gods. Don't you realize how that would devastate the entire world? It would destroy so many innocent people. You will all destroy yourselves. So if you can just return my father's master bolt to us, we can carry it to Olympus."

Hades glared at Percy and I. I tried my best not to shrink back.

"You dare keep up this pretense, after what you have done?"

"Um…Uncle," Percy said. "You keep saying 'after what you've done'. What exactly have we done?"

The throne room shook with a tremor. Debris fell from the cavern ceiling. Doors burst open all along the walls, and skeletal warriors marched in, hundreds of them. They lined the perimeter of the room, blocking all exits. "Do you think I want war, godlings?"

"You are the Lord of the Dead," Percy said carefully. "A war would expand your kingdom, right?"

"A typical thing for my brothers to say! Do you think I need more subjects? DId you not see the sprawl of the Asphodel Fields?" He said, his voice gaining an edge.

"Well…"

"Have you any idea how much my kingdom has swollen in this past centuries alone, how many subdivisions I've had to open?" Hades said. "More security ghouls, traffic problems at the judgment pavilion. Double overtime for the staff. I used to be a rich god. I control all the precious metals under the earth. But my expenses!"

"Charon wants a pay raise," Percy blurted out.

I face-palmed. Did he really think this was the most appropriate time to bring that up?

"Don't get me started on Charon!" Hades yelled. "He's been impossible ever since he discovered Italian suits! Problems everywhere, and I've got to handle all of them personally. The commute time alone from the palace to the gates is enough to drive me insane! And the dead just keep arriving. No, godlings. I need no help getting subjects! I did not ask for this war."

"But you took my father's master bolt," I said.

"LIES!" More rumbling. Hades rose from his throne, his height almost went to the ceiling. "Poseidon may fool Zeus, boys, but I am not stupid. I see his plan."

"His plan?" Percy asked.

"You both were the thieves on the winter solstice. Percy Jackson, your father thought to keep you his little secret. Alaster Grace, Poseidon tempted you with power, and in revenge for your father neglecting you, you turned against him in order to gain power for yourself. He directed his son to Olympus while Alaster was there with those demigods from camp. Then when you both were together you stole both the master bolt and my helm. Had I not sent my Fury to discover you at Yancy Academy, Percy Jackson, Poseidon might have succeeded in hiding his scheme to start a war. But now you have been forced into the open. You both will be exposed as Poseidon's thieves, and I will have my helm back!"

"But…" Annabeth spoke. "Lord Hades, your helm of darkness is missing too?"

"Do not play innocent with me, girl," Hades said. "You and the satyr have been helping these heroes-coming here to threaten me in Poseidon's name, no doubt-to bring me an ultimatum. Does Poseidon think I can be blackmailed into supporting him?"

"No!" Percy said. "Poseidon didn't-we didn't-"

"I have said nothing of the helm's disappearance," Hades snarled. "Because I have no illusions that anyone on Olympus would offer me the slightest justice, the slightest help. I can ill afford for word to get out that my most powerful weapon of fear is missing. So I searched for you myself, and when it was clear you were coming to me to deliver your threat, I did not try to stop you."

"You didn't try to stop us? But-"

"Return my helm now, or I will stop death," Hades threatened. "That is my counter proposal. I will open the earth and have the dead pour back into the world. I will make your lands a nightmare. And you, Percy Jackson and Alaster Grace-your skeletons will lead my army out of Hades."

The skeletal soldiers took a step further, making their weapons ready. I was prepared for a fight. I was terrified. But I was ready.

"You're just as bad as Zeus," Percy said. "You think I stole something from you? That's why you sent the Furies after me?"

"Of course,"

"And the other monsters?"

"I had nothing to do with them. I wanted no quick death for you both-I wanted you brought before me alive so you might face every torture in the Fields of Punishment. Why do you think I let you enter my kingdom so easily?"

"Easily?"

"Return my property!"

"But we don't have your helm," I said. "We came for the master bolt."

"Which you already possess!" Hades shouted. "You came here with it, little fools, thinking you could threaten me!"

"But we didn't!" I told him.

"Open that backpack then."

We all looked to Percy, who was holding the backpack. He slung it off my shoulder and unzipped it. Inside was a two-foot-long metal cylinder, spiked on both ends, humming with energy.

"Percy, Alaster," Annabeth said. "How-"

"It was there the whole time?" I said. But Ares gave us the backpack, so that means…Ares stole the bolt? But that didn't make any sense either, he still must've gotten somebody else to steal it. But who?

"I-I don't know. I don't understand," Percy said.

"You heroes are always the same," Hades said. "Your pride makes you foolish, thinking you could bring such a weapon before me. I did not ask for Zeus' master bolt, but since it is here, you will yield it to me. I am sure it will make an excellent bargaining tool. And now…my helm. Where is it?"

I was confused. We had the bolt since Ares gave it to us. He set us up, he tricked us. But did we have the helm as well, I grabbed the backpack and searched through it. No helm.

"Lord Hades, wait," I said. "This is a mistake. We've been set up!"

"A MISTAKE!?" Hades roared, the skeletons aimed their weapons and from above, the three Furies swooped down to perch on the back of their master's throne. One of them flicked her whip at me, that was probably the one I killed. "There is no mistake. I know why you have come-I know the real reason you brought the bolt. You came to bargain for her."

Hades generated a ball of gold fire from his palm, and it exploded on the steps in front of him. There was a woman that was frozen in a shower of gold. She was attractive, she had long brown hair and blue eyes as well. Percy reached out to her. Was this his mother? Oh…that's a bit awkward now.

"Yes," Hades said with satisfaction. "I took her. I knew, Percy Jackson, that you would come to bargain with me eventually. Return my helm, and perhaps I will let her go. She is not dead, you know. Not yet. But if you displease me, that will not change."

Percy looked at his pocket.

"Ah, the pearls," Hades said. "Yes, my brother and his little tricks. Bring them forth, Percy Jackson."

Percy stuck his hand into his pocket and brought out the four pearls.

"Only four," Hades said. "What a shame. You do realize each only protects a single person. Try to take your mother, then, little godling. And which of your friends will you leave behind to spend eternity with me? Go on. Choose."

Hades looked at me, as if he was hoping that I would choose to stay behind.

Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and I grouped up together.

"We were tricked," Percy told us. "But I intend to ask."

"Decide, boy!" Hades yelled.

"Percy," Grover put his hand on Percy's shoulder. "You can't give him the bolt."

"I know that."

"Leave me here," he said. "Use the fourth pearl on your mom."

"No!"

"I'm a satyr," Grover said. "We don't have souls like humans do. He can torture me until I die, but he won't get me forever. I'll just be reincarnated as a flower or something. It's the best way."

"No way!" I said. "Grover, you need to get your searcher's license. So you can find Pan. I'll stay behind. He killed my sister. It's only natural that he wants to end his unfinished business. My sister's gone and my brother's gone. I think it's time I join them, I'll stay."

"No," Annabeth drew her bronze knife. "Alaster, you need to see your dead. You need to prove to him that you deserve to be seen. To be acknowledged as a hero. Percy, get your mom out of here, I'll cover you. I plan to go down fighting."

"No, way," Grover said. "I'm staying behind."

"Think again, goat boy," Annabeth said.

"You think again, Wise Girl," I said.

"Stop it, all three of you!" Percy said. "I know what to do. Take these."

Percy handed us each a pearl.

"But, Percy…" Annabeth said.

Percy turned and faced his mother. "I'm sorry. I'll be back. I'll find a way."

The grin on Hades' face disappeared. "Godling…?"

I stepped next to Percy and looked up at Hades. "We'll find your helm, Uncle. And we'll return it."

"Don't forget about Charon's pay raise," Percy said.

"Do not defy me-"

"And it wouldn't hurt to play with Cerberus once in a while. He likes red rubber balls," Percy said.

"Godlings, you will not-"

"Not guys!" Percy said.

We smashed the pearls at our feet, nothing happened for a moment.

"DESTROY THEM!" Hades yelled.

The army of skeletons rushed forward, swords out, guns clicking to full automatic. The Furies lunged, their whips bursting into flames. As the skeletons opened fire, the pearl fragments at my feet exploded with a green light and a gust of fresh sea wind. I was encased in a milky white sphere, which was starting to float off the ground. I looked and saw that Percy, Annabeth, and Grover were surrounded in the same sphere.

Spears and bullets sparked harmlessly off the pearl bubbles as we floated up. Hades yelled with such rage, the entire fortress shook.

"Look up!" Grover yelled. "We're going to crash!"

I looked and saw that we were racing upwards towards the stalactites.

"How do you control these things?" Annabeth shouted

"I don't think you do!" Percy shouted back.

We screamed as the bubbles slammed into the ceiling.

For a few moments I couldn't see anything out of the milky sphere but then Percy, Annabeth, and Grover came into sight. Then my Pearl broke through on the ocean floor. The three other milky spheres that held Percy, Annabeth, and Grover all kept up with one another as we scored through the water. And then—ker-blam!

We exploded on the surface, in the middle of the Santa Monica Bay, knocking a surfer off his board with an indig-nant, "Dude!"

Just then I felt myself being pulled back down underwater, but it wasn't for long, Percy grabbed me and hauled me over to a life buoy along with Annabeth and Grover.

A shark was circling us, a great white about eleven feet long.

Percy said, "Beat it."

The shark turned and raced away. The surfer screamed something about bad mushrooms and paddled away from us.

In the distance, Los Angeles was on fire, plumes of smoke rising from neighborhoods all over the city. There had been an earthquake, it must've been caused by Hades.

A coast guard boat picked us up, but they were too busy to keep us for long, or to wonder how four kids in street clothes had gotten out into the middle of the bay. Their radios were jammed with distress calls.

They dropped us off at the Santa Monica Pier with towels around our shoulders and water bottles that said "I'M A JUNIOR COAST GUARD!" and sped off to save more people.

Our clothes were sopping wet, even Percy's.

After reaching dry land, we stumbled down the beach, watching the city burst against a sunrise. I felt as though I came back from the dead...which I technically had.

"I don't believe it," Annabeth said. "We went all that way—"

It was a trick," Percy said. "A strategy worthy of Athena."

"Hey," Annabeth warned

"You get it, don't you?"

Annabeth dropped her eyes, her anger fading. "Yeah. I get it."

"Well I don't!" Grover complained. "Would somebody—"

"Percy...I'm sorry about your mother. I'm so sorry..." Annabeth said.

"The prophecy was right," Percy said. "You shall go west and face the god who has turned.' But it wasn't Hades. Hades didn't want war among the Big Three. Someone else pulled off the theft. Someone stole Zeus's master bolt, and Hades's helm, and framed me because I'm Poseidon's kid. Poseidon will get blamed by both sides. By sundown today, there will be a three-way war. And I'll have caused it."

Grover shook his head, mystified. "But who would be that sneaky? Who would want war that bad?"

"I have a good feeling," I said, I pointed. "Look."

bat propped on his shoulder. His motorcycle rumbled beside him, its headlight turning the sand reds

"Hey, kids." Ares said, genuinely sound pleased to see us. "You were supposed to die."

"You tricked us," Percy said. "You stole the helm and the master bolt."

Ares grinned. "Well, now, I didn't steal them personally. Gods taking each other's symbols of power-that's a big no-no. But you're not the only hero in the world who can run errands."

"Who did you use? Clarisse? She was there at the winter solstice," I said to him.

It looked like he was amused. "Doesn't matter. The point is, kid, you're impeding the war effort. See, you've got to die in the Underworld. Then Old Seaweed would be mad at Hades for killing you both. Corpse Breath will have Zeus' master bolt, so Zeus'll be mad at him. And Hades is still looking for this…"

From his pocket he took out a ski cap-the kind bank robbers wear-and placed it between the handlebars of his bike. Immediately, the cap transformed into an elaborate bronze war helmet.

"The Helm of Darkness," I said.

"Exactly," Ares said. "Now where was I? Oh yeah, Hades will be mad at both Zeus and Poseidon, because he doesn't know who took this. Pretty soon, we got a nice lit-tle three-way slugfest going on."

"But they're your family!" Annabeth protested.

Ares shrugged. "Best kind of war. Always the blood-iest. Nothing like watching your relatives fight, I always say."

"You gave me the backpack in Denver," Percy said. "The master bolt was in there the whole time."

"Yes and no," Ares said. "It's probably too complicated for your little mortal brain to follow, but the backpack is the master bolt's sheath, just morphed a bit. The bolt is connected to it, sort of like that sword you got, kid. It always returns to your pocket, right? Anyway, I tinkered with the magic a bit, so the bolt would only return to the sheath once you reached the Underworld. You get close to Hades... Bingo, you got mail. If you died along the way—no loss. I still had the weapon."

"But why not just keep the master bolt for yourself?" I said. "Why send it to Hades?"

Ares got a twitch in his jaw. For a moment, it was almost as if he were listening to another voice, deep inside his head. "Why didn't I... yeah...with that kind of fire-power..."

Ares's face cleared. "I didn't want the trouble. Better to have you caught red handed, holding the thing."

"You're lying," Percy said. "Sending the bolt to the Underworld wasn't your idea, was it?"

"Of course it was!" Smoke drifted up from his sun-glasses, as if they were about to catch fire.

"You didn't order the theft,"Percy guessed. "Someone else sent a hero to steal the two items. Then, when Zeus sent you to hunt them down, you caught the thief. But you didn't turn them over to Zeus. Something convinced you to let them go. You kept the items until another hero could come along and complete the delivery. That thing in the pit is ordering you around."

"I am the god of war! I take orders from no one! I don't have dreams!"

I smirked. "Who said anything about dreams?"

Ares looked agitated, but he tried to cover it with a smirk.

"Let's get back to the problem at hand, kids. You're alive. I can't have you taking that bolt to Olympus. You just might get those hard headed idiots to listen to you. So I've got to kill you both. Nothing personal."

He snapped his fingers. The sand exploded at his feet and out-charged a wild boar, even larger and uglier than the one whose head hung above the door of cabin seven at Camp Half-Blood. The beast pawed the sand, glaring at Percy with beady eyes as it lowered its razor-sharp tusks and waited for the command to kill.

Percy stepped into the surf. "Fight us yourself, Ares."

He laughed, but there was a little edge to his laughter, an uneasiness. "You've got talent, kid, running away. You ran from the Chimera. You ran from the Underworld. You don't have what it takes. Golden Boy doesn't stand a chance either. You're up against a god."

"Scared?" Percy said

"In your adolescent dreams."But his sunglasses began to melt from the heat of his eyes. "No direct involvement. Sorry, kid. You're not at my level."

"Are you sure about that?" I asked, and I turned to Percy. He still had the master bolt in his hands. "Percy."

Percy looked and held out his palm. I opened my hand and the master bolt sparked and flew into my hand. Lightning surrounded me, I threw my head back as I felt the surge of power going through me. The most powerful weapon of the gods was in my hand.

The lightning cleared. I pulled my black earring out of my ear and Hero appeared. "Let's rumble, Ares."

The giant boar charged at us. Percy's sword appeared in his hands and he slashed upward, severing the right tusk of the boar.

Percy and I stood side by side, here we go. We were about to fight a god…