The three demigods marched along, single file, while Mrs. Dodds led them towards Hades' palace. Behind them, the other two Furies followed along. Bianca clutched the backpack and was the first of the demigods in their little procession along a dirt path. Clarisse followed behind, and then Percy, who kept his eyes firmly on the back of the Daughter of Ares. He didn't like the underworld. He never had. It reminded him too much of Tartarus. A very, very mild Tartarus, but the fact that they couldn't actually see a sky and were surrounded by a desolate, rocky landscape brought back too many bad memories.

Three hundred years, and Tartarus still haunted him.

It didn't help that he'd picked up something in the Pit, something that ascending had only made stronger. He had a tie to his current surroundings because he had a tie to the Pit. A tie he hated and usually ignored. It was very difficult to ignore when in the Underworld.

"You know," Clarisse said, voice low but as rough as ever, "you never answered my question, Prissy. Why are you here?" She paused, but continued before Percy could bring himself to answer. "How did you get here even?

He sighed and rubbed his face. "I had a dream."

"You have a lot of those."

"Yeah," he muttered. "It showed you entering the Underworld, but something about 'Rachel' was off."

"Off how?"

He bit his lip. Nope, he really couldn't say anything about the future here. Not in front of the Furies. If he was going to trust Hades, he would be telling the god himself, not through his servants. And probably not now, on the brink of war. Besides, a lot more people could be listening in down here than under the sea. Well, a lot more people he knew he would never fully trust.

So, lying it was. Yay.

Note the sarcasm.

"I don't know. Dreams are… weird sometimes, especially prophetic ones."

She snorted but didn't press it further, thankfully. However, to hopefully head off any future questions by the furies, Percy went on. He never had known when to keep his mouth shut. Besides, they deserved at least some explanation.

"Anyway, I was in the middle of the ocean, and I know how to water-travel—a way to move large distances while in water—so I traveled all the way here."

"What about your own quest?"

"I left three people I fully trust with the Fleece."

Clarisse stumbled. "You… found it? Already?"

"Dreams."

She snorted. "Apollo legacy."

That tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Anyway, I knew where this was because of the dream, convinced Charon to let me come after you and help. I… kind of had to do a lot to get here after that, but I ran the whole way. Then I heard you call out and… yeah."

The older girl shook her head, never looking back at him. "Fatal Flaw?"

He nodded, despite knowing she couldn't see him. "Yeah."

Another pause. "Bianca or me?"

Percy frowned. "Huh?"

"Who are you loyal enough to come half-way across the world in under an hour to sa—help?"

Good thing she'd changed that last word. He hadn't come here to take anyone's glory or whatever. He wasn't here to 'save'. He was here to help. Thankfully, she seemed to be able to see that. (He was sure her pride had nothing to do with it….)

"Demigods."

Her stride paused slightly before she continued on. "Any demigods?"

He sighed. "Yeah, basically."

Another snort. "Then that back there must have really hurt."

Percy bit his lip and looked down. The dirt beneath their feet looked old, not quite worn—probably not enough people passing through—and faded. Most of the Underworld looked faded and monotone. It smelled of dirt and rot and petrichor with just the slightest touch of sulfur. Not quite Tartarus, but he still hated it.

"Yeah. Yeah, it did." And the upcoming battles would suck even more.

Thankfully, she didn't seem to want to speak anymore and they fell into silence until Alecto (eh, she would always be Mrs. Dodds to him) led them to a large doorway set into the side of the hill. Made of dark wood, it stood out against the drab stone ominously. The Fury didn't even hesitate to open it and lead them into the darkness. Bianca didn't seem to notice the light even changing, simply walking ahead. For the first time, Clarisse paused and glanced at Percy, who nodded. Swallowing, she seemed to gather herself and stepped into the hallway. The time-traveler followed. The ceiling was high enough that Mrs. Dodds could fly over them and land in front to continue leading them.

The passages below Hades palace felt more like a maze than anything. Percy sighed at the realization. He'd gone from flashbacks of Tartarus to flashbacks of the Labyrinth. Joy. Mrs. Dodds seemed to know where she was going, though, as she walked ahead surely, determined. Percy purposefully didn't glance to either side whenever they passed a door. Whatever Hades kept under his palace was his business, and Percy liked not knowing.

The occasional scream or shout of despair didn't help.

Eventually, Mrs. Dodds led them up a final staircase and into a much larger hallway. Then she took them to the throne room, where Hades sat at the head, next to Persephone's empty throne, of course. At least the rest of the room was empty, except for the ghoul guards they passed.

Mrs. Dodds led them to the center of the room, then knelt and bowed. "Your daughter and her…" she paused, sniffing in what was probably disgust, "her friends, my Lord."

Clarisse looked about ready to attack her, but Percy knew she wasn't stupid to really try (or he hoped), so he just watched warily, ready to intervene if necessary.

Their attention switched to Hades when he stood gracefully and practically floated down the stairs in front of his throne. Percy shot a glance over at Bianca, who looked pale enough to faint, her eyes fixed on her father.

Naturally, Hades ignored Percy and Clarisse completely, gliding past Mrs. Dodds to stand before his daughter. No one spoke as he held out his hand. For a moment, Bianca looked confused, but then she glanced down at the backpack still cradled to her chest. Her eyes widened in realization and she handed it over cautiously, snatching her hand back as soon as Hades took it.

Everyone in the room watched closely as the god unzipped the worn backpack and reached inside. Almost immediately, he pulled out a dark helmet of obvious Greek design, practically radiating darkness. A tightness in the god's shoulders Percy hadn't noticed before relaxed. Huh.

It only took a glance from her master for Mrs. Dodds to come forward and take the helmet respectfully.

"Do not leave this room," was all he said as he handed it over. She nodded firmly and stepped to the side.

Hades returned his focus to the backpack. He didn't reach in it again, though. Instead, he held a cylinder-like shape from the outside of the backpack, and peeled it back, revealing a large, bronze tube practically brimming with power. He didn't want to touch his brother's weapon. Valid. If he did touch it, and Zeus sensed it, it could undo any progress they'd made towards stopping the potential conflict. Zeus wouldn't hesitate to continue to accuse Hades.

"Is that…?" Clarisse asked, shocked.

"Yeah," Percy muttered.

"But… how?"

Percy grimaced, trying and failing to steer his thoughts away from recent events. Then he sighed. "Roxanne was the thief. Her or one of the others who have disappeared from camp."

"Disappeared from camp?" Bianca asked, voice shaky.

The time-traveler nodded. "A large chunk of the Aphrodite cabin and a couple of others have gone missing. We don't know how many were by their own choice, but it's safe to say probably most of them. So, either Roxanne or one of the others who disappeared was the thief, and Roxanne was either chosen or volunteered to deliver the Helm and the Bolt to…" he swallowed. "The Pit."

Hades' eyes narrowed and he glanced at Mrs. Dodds, who nodded slightly.

"So that chanting, and the wind," Clarisse started, face going pale.

Percy took a deep breath. "That was Grandfather."

At that, Hades's gaze focused on him, eyes narrowing. "I specifically remember you were sent on another quest."

"Uh," Percy winced, "yeah. We'd just gotten the fleece when I had a dream about… all of this." He really didn't want to explain it all again. The Furies had heard everything anyway (without interfering for some reason—he wasn't sure if that was a blessing or a curse). If Hades wanted details, he could get it from them.

"So your quest was not complete?"

Another wince. "No, sir."

"You put my daughter's safety over Zeus' child."

Percy blinked. Had he put Bianca's safety over Thalia's? No. He shook his head. "No, sir. They're both my cousins, but… my quest had passed most of the danger." He hoped. "Bianca and Clarisse were being led by someone I—my dream said was off. Into the Underworld. That was definitely dangerous, and her quest would have longer-reaching, devastating consequences if it failed. Besides," he glanced over at her again, "I couldn't stand the thought of Nico dealing with losing his sister."

It was her turn to wince and she looked away.

Hades watched their interaction with a stony face. "Hmm," he said, before zipping the backpack back around the bolt. "So you raced across the country to reach here in time."

Percy nodded, hoping he looked more sure than he felt. Hades had always been intimidating in a way Zeus and even his Father could never imitate. "Yes, sir."

"Hmm," Hades said again, then turned to Clarisse. "And you, daughter of Ares, traveled across the country with my daughter as well."

Clarisse straightened her shoulders. "Yes, sir."

"You protected her."

That, surprisingly, made the older girl falter, even as she preened (how). "I… um, kind of? She saved me as often as I saved her." Percy had always appreciated her honesty. It was funny, she didn't seem to be nearly as much of a bully this time around. Because she got a quest so early on? Hmm….

Hades looked pleased with that answer. "And at the end, you came between her and the traitor."

"Well, yes." She said it like she didn't understand why there would be another choice. Percy's connection to his loyalty domain practically purred again.

The god finally turned to Bianca. "Daughter." She stiffened and looked up warily, obviously not knowing what to expect. Him dropping his stony facade and reaching out a hand to lay on her head wasn't it judging by the shock on her face.

"You have done well. You returned my helm and can now return my brother's weapon of choice. I am proud to call you my daughter." Bianca's face practically lit up.

"Thank you, Father."

Percy appreciated that, he did, but he still didn't like the idea that these children had to earn a right to their parents' love. Still, now was probably not the time to bring that up, so he stayed quiet, albeit reluctantly.

The God of the Underworld turned his attention back to the other two demigods and his smile vanished. "I hate demigods, except for my children of course." He smiled at Bianca again, who had stiffened. She smiled, but it looked a little forced, and she glanced at Percy and Clarisse in concern. "They tend to be pushy, annoying, brash, rude, cruel sometimes, and have a complete disregard for rules—rules that exist for a reason. That being said," he paused and sighed. "You both saved my daughter multiple times. For that, I will allow you to leave the Underworld. This is not a boon I grant often or lightly. So know," he grew large and his dark aura seemed to suck light out of the air, "if you ever come into my realm again without express permission from myself or my wife, you will not leave again. Am I clear?"

Percy nodded, only slightly slower and more calmly than Clarisse.

"Good." He shrunk back to normal human size (which was still at least six feet tall, of course) and handed the backpack back to Bianca. She took it almost reverently and cradled it against her chest again.

"Also, for returning—" he glanced at Clarisse and Percy— "and helping to return my helmet to me, I will grant each of you one other minor boon. It cannot have anything to do with bringing someone back from the dead or killing someone."

Percy cursed in his mind. That would have been perfect for getting Hazel back.

"So, what would you ask of me?" Hades said, sounding tired.

The trio exchanged wary glances, no one willing to go first until, finally, Bianca swallowed and spoke.

"Um, Father… could I have a weapon? One for me and one for Nico."

Hades frowned. "I would have already given that had you asked. You do not need to use your boon for that."

Again, Bianca seemed to light up. "Really?"

Her father nodded.

"Okay then, um… could… well, could Nico and I maybe visit with you? I… would like to know you more and I know he'd love to meet you."

Again, that warm smile that so rarely graced the God of the Underworld's face flitted back for just a moment. "Of course. If you would like, I will work something out with you at the end of summer?"

Bianca beamed. "That would be wonderful! Thank you, Father!"

He nodded graciously and turned to Clarisse. She cleared her throat. "I, um, heard that no one who isn't a child of the underworld can use weapons from the underworld." Hades raised an eyebrow curiously, but nodded for her to go on. "I would like to be able to use them in a fight."

Hades' other eyebrow rose next to the first one. Then he frowned. "I am unsure if you know what, exactly, that entails. To use a weapon from the Underworld, you must have a tie to the Underworld. You are asking for my blessing."

"If it's too big, I can think of something else," she said hurriedly.

Hades shook his head. "It is not 'too big', as you put it. It simply has… repercussions. Many heroes have asked for a blessing from a god for completing a quest." That was actually really good of him. Most gods Percy knew wouldn't bother to warn people beyond some vague 'Are you sure?' question.

Clarisse seemed to think about that. "What kind of repercussions?"

"You will become more sensitive to the Underworld, death, and the Earth in general. I cannot say what domains exactly, that differs with each blessing and each blessed. Is this still what you would ask of me?"

To her credit, she didn't jump to a conclusion right away. Instead, she thought for several seconds. Finally, though, she nodded. "Yes, Lord Hades."

"Very well," he said, sounding tired again. He held his hand out to her. Swallowing, she slowly reached up and took the god's hand. The aura of darkness gathered around her, once again overpowering the light. When it cleared, Clarisse gave off the faintest sense of darkness herself. She looked down at her hand, studying it for several seconds, before bowing.

"Thank you, Lord Hades."

He nodded, then turned to Percy. The time-traveler didn't quite know what to ask for. Anything he really wanted would be too big for a 'minor' boon. Hazel, or maybe to reach out to his old time somehow. He wasn't even sure Hades could do that. He didn't want a blessing to strengthen what links he had to the underworld already. Hades couldn't do much about Kronos on his own, and getting him to try and help spread the word of the Titan's uprising may very well backfire with how the other gods tended to think of him. (Percy kind of hated how that was the case, but he'd have to work within those confines for now.)

So he turned his mind to the immediate future.

"Um… the oracle, at camp. It's kind of cursed—"

"Taken care of," Hades said with an impatient wave of his hand.

"Really?" Percy asked, unable to stop himself from smiling brightly.

"Yes. I don't know how you know that I cursed the Oracle—" Clarisse mouthed 'Apollo' to Percy, who had to fight to keep a snort down— "but it is currently being lifted. My children must be fully accepted into your camp before it is removed completely, so I would recommend holding off trying to transfer the spirit to another mortal currently, but it will most likely be lifted within the year."

Percy beamed. "That's great! Um…" he realized he still didn't have anything he felt he could really ask his uncle.

He forced himself to calm down and think logically, like his wife. What had happened in his past that may change now that Kronos knew so much? Well, Rachel, he supposed, but he was planning on asking his father to check up on her, or Aunt Hestia. Hades likely couldn't do much about getting the rest of his quest back to camp either as that was still within Poseidon's realm, and he got the feeling that asking his uncle to try wouldn't endear him to the god.

Then something crossed his mind. He'd known he may end up having to go back into Tartarus. He didn't like to think about it, but it would be worse if he didn't prepare for the possibility. He wasn't exactly keen on seeing how he'd fare on his own down there—especially as a demigod—and it didn't hurt to ask. Maybe he could warn Hades about the sword, too?

Yes, he had to try.

"Lord Hades," he said about as respectfully as he would ever get, "I… have it on good authority that someone will try and steal your sword in the near future."

The god frowned. "I have no sword."

Percy sighed. "The one that will be forged within the next year or two."

Hades blinked, obviously taken aback. "I… see," he said slowly.

"I just figured you should know," Percy muttered. "As for my boon… a link to the Lethe river."

The god's expression cooled significantly. "I cannot give something so powerful out. Even gods and Titans can forget with enough Lethe water."

Didn't he know it. Percy's mouth tightened. "Then three gallons of Lethe water in something small enough to wear around my neck without notice. I swear on the Styx to not use what you give me on anyone I know to be an ally of Olympus without express permission from the gods." Thunder didn't rumble, but the entire palace shook. That made sense.

Hades studied him, eyes narrowed. "This is about another one of your dreams, then?"

Percy managed a half-smile and a shrug.

The god shook his head and sighed. "Very well." He waved his hand and a small vial hooked to a cord appeared, hanging in the air in front of him. "Three gallons of Lethe water."

Percy smiled as he took the vial and bowed. "Thank you, Uncle." When he straightened, he slipped the cord over his neck alongside the walrus horn still hanging there.

Hades just sighed. "There is your reward and my thanks. Now, let me transport you all back to Olympus."

"Really?" Bianca asked, sounding like she'd melt in relief.

Hades nodded. "The last thing we need is another war between us, which means you need to get back. Maybe this can get my brother to listen to reason." The silent 'I doubt it' tacked onto that echoed through the room.

"Thank you, Father!" Bianca said, bowing. The other two demigods nodded in agreement.

"Although, could I be dropped off at the seaside?" Percy asked. "I still have my own quest to finish."

Hades waved his hand. "Yes, yes. Now, go."

The shadows rose around them, whisking them all away.

When he could see again, the shadows melted away and he found himself on a beach in Miami if the water washing over his feet was anything to go by.

Well, wasn't that convenient? And his gut didn't hurt nearly as much as it had. Huh.

He shook his head and prayed. Thank you, Uncle.

He received a distinct: Yes, yes, don't bother me again.

Still grinning he hurried forward, reaching out to the water and asking it to carry him out to sea.

Moments later, he'd vanished. If any mortal noticed him, they didn't say.

xXx

He searched the coastline from New York to Florida three times before he finally found the boat he was looking for. Actually, it wasn't a boat. It was a raft.

What?!

Cursing to himself, he appeared next to the large survival raft where he could sense his friends.

"What happened to the boat?" he asked as he stepped into the raft.

Luke glared at him from where he sat against the side. "Your sister did."

"We had to go back through the entrance to the Sea," Annabeth said tiredly. "Your hippocampi saved us, but not the boat."

"Baa-ah-ah… so many teeth," Grover muttered in shock. He was wrapped in the fleece, too.

"Thankfully, I still had this," Luke said, gesturing to the raft. "So when the hippocampi couldn't remain because of the pollution…"

Percy sighed. "Right, right. Okay." He took a seat next to Grover, bumping his arm against his friend and the fleece. His gut hurt just a little less. Still not something he was super comfortable with.

"Look, I just got back from the Underworld," he said tiredly. "Can I at least take a nap before I get us back to New York?"

Annabeth frowned, looking distinctly green. "Yeah," she muttered. "That's fine."

Luke just sighed tiredly. "Yeah, whatever."

Percy frowned. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Luke said. "Just hurry up and go to sleep. We'll try to do the same. Though we don't have any rope to drag you along this time."

Percy sighed. Annabeth winced—probably at the prospect of trying to sleep when she was obviously seasick—but nodded.

"Great, thanks," Percy said, feeling a little bad for choosing to sleep instead of getting them back to Camp, but as much as Hades had helped him, controlling a boat for several hours at least did not sound appealing to his gut in the slightest.

So, after a moment, he laid down, head next to Grover's furry legs, and managed to fall asleep quickly enough. It really had been a long day.

xXx

AN: So, this is a couple of days late because hubby started throwing up blood on Sunday night/Monday morning. Thankfully, it seemed to have steadied itself out, but they had to do a bunch of tests and scans and still couldn't find anything. So we're kind of on the lookout for any potential problems. Thankfully, h'es been fine ever since, but it was still terrifying.

Anyway, thank you so much for reading! And, as always, a special thanks to my beta readers, discord helpers, and tier 3 and 4 readers: The Shadow Slayer, Quathis, Snow, Squirps, The Chronomancer, Fiah Blaze, Asterius Daemon, Shrinkika, Starlightluv, Keileh, Aaron E., Roger44477, SplashBear, RaeAnne, Shelby A! Also, all of my discord peeps and my readers here! Thank you! (If I've missed anyone, PLEASE let me know!

Check out previous chapters for a link to my youtube!

Discord: discord. gg/xDDz3gqWfy (no spaces)