The sounds of battle, common throughout the eternal pit of evil, raged in the muggy, humid air. Snarls, screams, and the clanking of metal permeated against the rocky cavern, letting any monster close by know that their next meal might be awaiting them.

"Die demigod!" A cyclops yelled out, attempting to smash the son of Poseidon with a wooden club. Rolling out of the way, the demigod in question grunted in pain as he felt a fragment of rock fly into his leg, causing him to stumble. The twenty-foot monster took advantage of that, back-swiping the club at Percy which sent him flying into glass shards on the ground. The son of Poseidon felt like he was on the verge of death. Wheezing out air painfully and coughing up blood, he got to his feet. Riptide had unfortunately been knocked out of his hands, leaving him with no suitable weapon. Looking down, he noticed long pieces of black glass that stabbed him when he was thrown onto the ground. Ignoring the broken ribs jutting out of his skin, he pulled one shard out of his body, seeing stars and spitting out blood as he did so. Biding his time he waited for the Cyclops to get closer to him. He only had one chance at this and if he were to screw up, it was game over.

Sensing the son of Posedion's vulnerability, the Cyclops ran at him with a sinister smile etched on his face and eye filled with hunger. The prospect of being the one to kill the mighty Percy Jackson just too enticing, he ignored all the warning signs in his head as he raised his club. He should've known better than to think the infamous demigod would be taken down that easily. Watching in horror as the demigod slid underneath him, he soon felt the blinding pain of his heel being sliced open, sending him crashing into the ground below.

Screaming out in fear, he could only watch the green-eyed demigod crawl up his torso like a spider, stabbing him with the black glass shard in the process before making his way up to his eye.

"Wait! Wait! Wait!" The Cyclops cried out in fear as he watched Perseus raise the black shard above his head before driving it directly into his eyeball. The last thing he would ever see was the mortal's bright ethereal green eyes filled with rage. Soon, the only sound in the air was Percy's sharp, erratic breathing as he slid off the Cyclops which was quickly turning into dust. Grunting out in pain, the son of Poseidon began to throw up blood that was beginning to quickly fill his lungs. The feeling was terrifying to him. It felt as if he were drowning. Eyes bulging out, blood trailing out his mouth, and wheezing loudly, he crawled to the Phlegethon River that was mere feet away. To Percy however, it felt like a couple of football fields away. By the time he was at the river's edge, his vision was beginning to blacken due to the lack of air in his brain. Desperately cupping his shaking hands into the water, he lapped up as much of the fiery substance as he could. The pain was unlike anything he had felt before. Coughing with broken ribs and water in your windpipe that felt like molten lava was not for the faint of heart.

The feeling of his ribs moving back into place and his internal organs beginning to heal was too much for him. Falling on his back, he closed his eyes and passed out. He hoped no monsters were attracted to the sounds of the battle against the Cyclops he had just fought but there wasn't much he could do. Hades, he couldn't even move his body right now. If a monster found him then he guessed that was it. At least he was passed out so he didn't have to feel the pain from being eaten alive. Being unconscious, however, wasn't much better than being awake in Tartarus. Just as he was being tortured out in the physical world, the pit made sure your mind suffered just as much. He couldn't see much but he could hear everything. He could hear the bustling city of Olympus, the Gods and demigods conversing with one another over the sound of music and laughter but more specifically his friends.

"I saw him…I saw his eyes look over at me before they glazed over. I could only watch as the ground swallowed him."

"I didn't even get to say goodbye to him."

"I'm so sorry, son."

"I love you, Percy."

The sound of his friends' pained voices talking about his supposed death was torture for him. He could feel their emotions radiate through him. He wanted to scream out that they were wrong, that he was in fact alive but it seemed he couldn't open his mouth to do so. He was basically trapped inside his body, only being able to hear what was going on. Feeling the scene shift, he watched a small, golden light appear amidst the darkness, drawing all of his attention to it. Watching as it got brighter and brighter to the point that he had to shield his eyes, he heard a voice that made his heart skip a beat.

"Percy." Annabeth's voice called out to him. A voice that was like a shining beacon of hope in a dark, dark, evil world. Collapsing to his knees, Percy called out to her desperately. With wide eyes, he witnessed as the pure golden lights transformed into his love. She looked like a God of beauty as she smiled down at him with such joy and love written on her face. The son of Poseidon felt wetness on his face, quickly realizing it was tears sweeping down his eyes. The sight of Annabeth, after all he's been through down in the pit so far, brought solace to his pained heart.

"Annabeth, I-I…" He couldn't form the words, too shaken to properly think at the moment. Instead, he outstretched a hand toward her, hoping that she would take it and bring him home. His love continued to smile, grasping his hand with her own. The warmth of her skin was euphoric to the son of Poseidon, causing him to close his eyes and bask in the warm energy that flowed across his entire body.

"I'm waiting for you, seaweed brain." She said, bringing his hand up to her face, letting him feel her beauty. "Come back to me."

Feeling her energy and warmth slowly begin to slip away, Percy opened his eyes in a panic. No, No, No, not like this. Don't leave him here. Don't leave him here in the darkness by himself.

"Please, Annabeth…I need you." He wept but his tears didn't surmount to anything. Annabeth gave him one last smile but just before she faded away into oblivion, she stopped. The air shifted into a colder feeling as he continued to look at her. It was as if she had turned into one of Medusa's statues, her features unwavering. She continued to smile down at him but it was beginning to feel uncanny. Almost inhuman. "A-Annabeth?" He worriedly called out of her.

That seemed to cause a chain reaction in the daughter of Athena. Dropping her smile, her body quickly contorted in ways that shouldn't be possible for the human body. Her bones could be heard cracking and breaking from the weird angles it was put through, her eyes bled dark, black blood, and the screams she let out were more terrifying than any monster Percy had ever encountered.

His heart raced rapidly in his chest, to the point where he thought he would die of a heart attack. His still outstretched hand was shaking heavily now, not in desperation but in fear. Watching the love of his life's head snap, he cringed as he witnessed her face morph into a black, swirling shadow. The sight brought flashbacks to him during his first time in Tartarus. He recognized this swirling black mass!

"Oh Gods…" The words left his mouth involuntarily. Even in his dream, he could feel the insurmountable power radiating from this being that took over Annabeth's body. He knew who it was. How could he forget? This deity put true fear in his heart. Fear that Zeus, Hades, or even Kronos couldn't inspire in him.

Deathly cold whispers sang throughout the air and the pitch blackness surrounding the deity was being pulled toward him like a black hole. Percy's weightless body felt like he too was being dragged into the swirling mass but his feet were cemented into the ground. Not by strength, just pure and utter terror. He didn't dare move a muscle, knowing that if he were to, this nightmare would end him without any second thought.

The two stared at one another in complete silence, the only sound being the whispers in the air that could make even the strongest-willed men crumble. The son of Poseidon couldn't look away from the faceless deity, despite trying everything in his power to do so. Just looking at the swirling black mass was enough to make his mind begin to break.

"I can smell your fear, little mortal." Tartarus said, his voice sounding like mountains crashing against one another. Percy cringed at the sound, his ears already bleeding from the sheer power radiating from it. "What terrible fate you must have to fall into my domain once again."

"Like I meant to fall into the hell of all hells!" Percy replied, somehow finding the wit for a sarcastic reply despite being face-to-face with the incarnation of evil itself. Tartarus laughed a terrible laugh, sounding like scratches on a chalkboard.

"No you did not but be that as it may, I'll make you suffer for your arrogance." The deity replied, the air around him becoming so cold it made frostbite begin to form on the son of Poseidon's skin. "I will not let a mortal survive my pit once more. I will not let you escape my grasp twice."

The green-eyed demigod, despite the fear he had vibrating throughout his entire body, glared at Tartarus. He knew he probably wasn't going to make it out of here alive but that didn't mean he was just going to roll over and wait for his impending doom. His friends were waiting for him. His Mom, Dad, Sister, and Annabeth, all of them were waiting for his return. He would do anything to see them again and if that meant fighting an ancient primordial born of Khaos itself then so be it.

"Kiss my ass!" The son of Poseidon found the strength to yell. "I might just be a bug compared to you but I have something that you don't. An indomitable spirit! So you throw whatever you got at me you piece of shit because I promise you I'll get right back up!"

Tartarus was silent for but a moment, seemingly shocked that anyone, especially a mortal, would dare talk to him that way. The son of Poseidon didn't know how he had even a speck of bravery to talk this way to a deity as old as time. Maybe it was seeing Annabeth that reminded him of what he was fighting for or the thought of his mother thinking that he was dead. He wasn't sure. All he was sure of was that he wanted to go home and see them again. An evil deity in his way be damned.

"My little time I had with you the first time you were down here has left me drained. As you may know, a being as powerful as I expends a lot of power to maintain a physical form. Thus, I cannot do that again for some time." The evil deity explained, raising Annabeth's hand that he was controlling up to his face. "That doesn't mean, however, that I cannot find other ways to kill you. Be honored, Perseus Jackson, for you will have my undivided attention during your tenure in my domain. You will have no reprieve, no rest, and no sleep. I will send all the minions I have at my disposal to hunt you down like the rat you are."

Percy could sense that the dream was ending. His vision was shifting back into reality, causing his body to feel like it was being pulled away. Tartarus was still looking at him with his faceless black mass, seemingly enjoying the thought of hunting the mighty demigod in the pit. The son of Poseidon almost growled as he faded away from the deity, his darkening eyes taking on a dangerous, maddening glint.

"Send them my way, Tartarus. I'll kill them all." Percy's last words were before his dream ended, the last thing he could hear being Tartarus's menacing laugh that could strike fear into anyone's heart.

Waking up with a gasp, the son of Poseidon had no time to access his dream or surroundings because he could feel a weight on his stomach, causing him to open his eyes with curiosity. What he saw caused his heart rate to spike even further. A giant hellhound, bigger than Mrs. O'leary, was sniffing his face. Drool cascaded down his skin as he felt the hellhound ready its fangs, starving at the prospect of its next meal. Without any hesitation, Percy reached into his pocket and pulled out his pen. Jamming it against the furry underjaw of the monster that soon realized he was awake, he barely had enough time to uncap Riptide, the blade jutting outward and into its head just before it could rip his face off.

Coughing out monster dust and drool that had gotten in his mouth, the son of Poseidon slowly sat up, patting his body to feel for any injuries he might've sustained while he was passed out. Thankfully, it seemed he had drunk enough of the Phlegethon for it to heal his injuries. His body was still sore as hell but at least he didn't have broken ribs sticking out of his skin.

"You've done it now, Jackson. "Send them my way", what the fuck were you thinking?!" He chastised himself, getting up and wiping the dirt and dust off. For Hades's sake, a Cyclops almost killed him not too long ago and if that hellhound had half a brain, he'd be dead already. What made him think he could take on Tartarus's minions?!

Rolling his shoulders to ease the tension and stress he was feeling, he began to formulate a game plan. The cliff he had climbed a couple miles back didn't offer much information. All there was out here was rocky hills, valleys, and plains. He imagined they were probably all filled with monsters, every nook and cranny. Other than that, that was it. There was no sort of door or opening he could use to potentially use to get out of here. He was stuck for the foreseeable future.

"Godsdamnit." He rubbed his face in agitation. Was there even hope of getting out here? No one knew he was alive which meant no rescue party coming after him. Even if the Gods knew he was down here, he didn't believe they would willingly come in to save him. After all, no one willingly enters the pit. "Except your dumbass." A small voice that sounded awfully like Annabeth's said in the back of his mind. Smirking, he supposed that was true.

Listening for any sign of monsters close by, he began his trek through the pit once again. Where he was going, he hadn't the faintest clue. He supposed he would let the wind, which there wasn't any of down here, guide him to his destination. Ignoring his sore legs that screamed for him to stop walking on the rocky, glass shard-filled ground, and his stomach that growled for a warm meal, he focused solely on Annabeth as he stumbled his way down the hills. He would never be able to forget her ethereal face he saw in his dream. It was as if she had turned into a Goddess. Sure, she was always beautiful in his dreams but something about this time was different. The only explanation he could think of as to why she appeared like that was because he was down here in the pit. It plays with your mind and only shows you the darkness, most sinister things your mind can conjure. Maybe seeing the first good thing he's seen since being down here heightened his view of her.

Well, whatever it was, he wasn't complaining. He hoped he could see her more often in his dreams but judging by Tartarus's promise about letting him not get any rest, he had a feeling he wouldn't be seeing dream Annabeth any time soon.

"Gods, I hate this fucking place."

-Scene Change-

Appearing in a nice middle-class apartment, Poseidon sighed heavily as he stood in front of a door that had the name Blofis written on it. Feeling his heart race, the Sea God had half the mind to just leave before he had a full-blown panic attack. He knew though that it wasn't fair to Sally for her not to know of her son's fate. Putting himself in her shoes, he would've hate to not know what happened to his son and just have to wait every day in hopes that the door would open and he would walk in. He knew what he was about to tell her would cause much pain but she needed to know.

Taking one last huff of air, he rasped his knuckles on the door somewhat loudly. Hearing a slight squeak of a chair being pushed back, he heard footsteps begin to approach. With every step, his heart beat louder and louder until eventually it was practically leaping out of his chest when he watched the door slowly begin to be opened. Soon, a mortal man, in his late forties, appeared in the doorway. His eyes were crinkled as if he smiled a little bit too much and his hair colored black and grey. Poseidon towered over the man, being around six foot seven while the mortal was around five foot ten. Despite this, however, he could see why Sally would marry a man such as him. He seemed kind and caring by default, something Poseidon tried to always strive for.

Paul, immediately sensing the aura surrounding the man in front of him and his uncanny similarity to his stepson, dipped his head in both respect and fear. He knew who this was despite only ever hearing stories about him.

"Lord Poseidon." He greeted, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Mr. Blofis." The God replied, his voice conveying no emotion. "May I step inside?" He respectfully asked. Letting the door open wider, Paul stepped to the side as he watched the towering God enter his home. A million questions were racing in his head as to why Poseidon was here but he didn't dare voice them aloud. He had a feeling Poseidon wanted to be in and out of here as soon as possible.

"S-Sally will be out in just a moment. She was in the shower." He answered, having already guessed who Poseidon really wanted to speak to. The God hummed in acknowledgment as he ran his hand over a baby cradle he spotted in the corner of the room. "She's six months in. We think it's a girl."

"Congratulations. I'll be sure to send gifts when it's time for the delivery." Poseidon replied, truly meaning that. Sally might've been his lover once, a person he truly and deeply loved, but he knew she had moved on. So had he but that didn't mean he still didn't care for her. She was still his son's mother after all.

"I'm sure she and I will appreciate that, Lord. Thank you."

Soon the room was filled with an awkward silence as the two men awaited Sally. Paul, understanding that Poseidon probably didn't want to speak any more niceties, sat down back in his chair. It seemed he was grading papers before the God had knocked on his door. After only a few more minutes, the sound of a door opening and soft footsteps approaching could be heard. Poseidon could practically feel his knees shake as he watched Sally enter the living room, seemingly unaware of his presence in the corner.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She questioned once she noticed Paul's demeanor. The mortal man could only gesture with his eyes to look behind her. Doing so, her own eyes were quickly as wide as his once she noticed the God. Immediately recognizing the sea-green eyes that practically glowed in the dark, she breathlessly huffed out his name. "Poseidon?"

"Hello, Sally." The God replied, stepping into the light.

"W-What are you doing here?" She asked curiously. She wasn't angered by his presence but it wasn't every day that your former lover who just so happens to be an ancient God appears in your living room. Noticing Poseidon's sunken demeanor which was so unlike him, she immediately knew that something was wrong. A mother's intuition was a powerful thing. "What's wrong? Is it Percy?"

Poseidon suddenly couldn't speak, finding it hard to do so. His mouth was as dry as a cotton ball and it felt as if a lump had suddenly formed in his throat. The mortal woman stepped forward, her anxiety skyrocketing. There was a reason why Poseidon was here. A reason as to why she hadn't heard from her son in quite some time.

"Tell me right now, Poseidon. Where is my son? Is he okay?" Her voice was rapidly rising yet getting shakier. She could see the God's eyes did not hold any of the mirth he was so known for. Now they seemed bloodshot and filled with anguish. Something was wrong. Terribly, terribly wrong.

"I-I…I'm so sorry, Sally." Poseidon managed to say but that was enough. Feeling as if her heart had sunk to her stomach, she couldn't stop her legs from giving out as she collapsed to the ground. Paul immediately lept from his chair to her side as she began to let out the most heart-wrenching sobs. Clutching her husband's shirt like a life line she could barely hear what else Poseidon had to say. Something about defeating Gaea but not surviving the fight. Feeling a hand that wasn't Paul's grasp her shoulder, she immediately slapped it away.

"Get your hands off me!" She screamed, looking at her former lover with a glare that could turn Medusa herself to stone. "It's your fault! You and those other fucking Gods! It's all your fucking fault he's dead!"

Paul looked absolutely terrified as he watched Sally chastise the Gods of Olympus. He wouldn't be surprised if one came down here and smited them. Luckily, it seemed Poseidon didn't let anger take hold of him and instead let Sally let loose the emotions she was feeling.

"I should've never sent him to that Godsforsaken camp! I should've never told him those stories about you Olympians!" She spat the word as if it were some disease. "He was only twelve when he was brought to you yet you sent him on quest after quest after quest! He was practically your slave to do your every bidding!"

"Sally…" Paul tried to interject but she was having none of it.

"And look what that got him! A death before he could even hit twenty!" She seethed, mirthlessly laughing upward at the God whose eyes were as dead as Hades's. "I hope you and the Gods are happy, Poseidon. You killed my son. My pride and joy. You probably don't care though, why would you? You've had countless children die. What's another one added to that list?"

Poseidon didn't know what to say. Her words had hit home hard. He wanted to reply. He wanted to say that she was wrong. The more he thought about it, however, the more he realized she was right. They were responsible for his death. For all of their deaths. They hadn't changed in the millennia they'd been here on this Earth. Even when Percy used his wish for them to be better parents to their children, they still hadn't done so. They still used them for quests and wars. Now, his son, the person he loved most in this world, was gone forever.

"I'm sorry, Sally…for everything." Poseidon replied before disappearing in a green mist, leaving his past lover to suffer her son's death. He didn't have the heart to tell her about his soul and how it was stuck in Tartarus. She didn't deserve to know that. It would be too much for her. Reappearing in the royal chamber in Atlantis, he groaned out as he pressed his face against a pillow. The confrontation left him exhausted, something he hadn't felt in a long time.

"I wish you were here, Percy." He muttered, his son's face being the last thing he saw before closing his eyes and falling asleep.

-A/N Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Let me know what you think of it and if there's anything you'd like to see in the later chapters. Also thank you to all the favorites and follows. I'll see you guys next time!

-SLEEPWALKER-