Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The storm by the beach had finally subsidised when a giant man emerged from the water that overlooked the small beach bar.

The place was small and insignificant especially in the darkness of the night as the giant man approached it while gradually shrinking in size to match the size of a normal human.

The place was empty except for one man dressed in black sitting in front of the bar table with a bucket of ice and inside the bucket there was a bottle of what looked to be fine expensive red wine resting on the table in front of him.

"Human made wine never matches with nectar but I suppose this will be decent enough to drink" The man at the bar said.

The other man approached him silently before taking a seat next to him.

"I'm sure that human made wine will impress you more then you can imagine" Poseiden replied.

Hades smiled in return before shaking his head.

"Yeah well, humans do have a lot of wondrous creations" Hades remarked.

Then he grabbed the bottle and uncorked it before pouring two glasses.

He slid one of them to Poseiden's side and the other man accepted it but didn't drink it.

"You didn't call me here to enjoy a drink now did you?" Poseiden asked.

"You're aware of the final judgment aren't you?" Hades asked.

"I am well aware of it and I think that Zeus is just being emotional" Poseiden said.

Hades let out a laugh at that.

"Very nice of you to say that, does that mean you're taking his side?" Hades inquired.

"I didn't say that" Poseiden replied.

"Zeus never gets emotional, it's rare for any of us to get emotional but I assure you that Zeus will never get emotional with anyone or anything not now or ever. So I can say that he made his decision after thinking about it clearly" Hades said.

He gulped down his drink and poured an another one.

"He feels threatened by our presence and you know it. He always had because he was never satisfied with ruling over the lands alone, he wants the waters and he wants to control the dead world but this is it. This is where I must put my foot down because I won't be banished from my own home" Hades stated.

"What are you suggesting? A war?" Poseiden questioned before sipping the last of his drink.

"I do suggest a war and I mean to fight this war until the end and I ask you right here and now for an answer. Are you going to join me? Or be against me?" Hades demanded.

Poseiden who was sitting on the bar stool next to him sighed before grabbing the bottle of wine then poured himself an another glass and took a sip.

"You really think you had to ask?" Poseiden asked.

Hades took a sip of his own drink as he waited for Poseiden to answer in a clearer way but the other man only sipped his drink calmly until the last drop savouring the last of it.

"That still doesn't give me a clear answer" Hades stated.

"I owe you a favour anyway so you do have my vote but..." Poseiden started.

"But we'll need an army" Hades finished his sentence.

Poseiden nodded in response and Hades smirked in return.

"No need to worry, I have my own" Hades stated.

Chapter Text

It was a quiet evening at Camp HalfBlood, the moon casting a faint glow over the cabins.

Annabeth Chase was sitting on the porch of the Athena cabin, lost in thought.

She had been feeling a sense of unease lately, as if something was about to happen. As she pondered over the recent events, she noticed Nico di Angelo approaching, his expression serious.

Judging from the grim expression on his face Annabeth easily sensed that something bad must have happened and as he walked over to her, she knew that she had to brace herself for whatever bad news he had.

"Annabeth, we need to talk. Somewhere more private, there's something important you need to know" He said.

His voice came out as a low sullen murmur which made Annabeth even more concerned. Nevertheless her curiosity was piqued. So she nodded and walked him into the cabin then sat down and gestured for Nico to sit beside her.

"What is it, Nico? Is everything alright with you and Will?" She inquired.

"We're alright Annabeth, and this isn't about me or Will. It's about you and Percy" He said.

Annabeth gulped down the lump in her throat at the mention of her ex boyfriend's name.

Nico took a deep breath, his gaze intense as he met Annabeth's eyes.

"First thing first I must apologise to you and Percy because I heard something I was never meant to hear" Nico said.

Annabeth frowned in confusion and Nico sighed and ran a hand through his hair nervously.

"I heard that prophecy from Rachel, Chiron said that it concerned Percy so he asked him to attend. I guess Percy was hoping that it'd help him in his quest but now I know how wrong he was. He should have never heard that prophecy Annabeth and I'm really sorry and..." Nico rambled.

"Nico. Just calm down and tell me what you heard" Annabeth demanded.

She was probably wrong to ask him to tell her what he heard. She knew that most of the times prophecies brought on dread more then actual help but a part of her knew that she had to listen as well.

At the very least it would explain why Percy decided to break up with her and leave the camp without explaining himself.

Nico closed his eyes for a moment, trying his best to gather his thoughts, before speaking.

His mind drifted back to that day he heard Rachel's voice from his hiding place behind Percy.

That day he had come to resent his ability to conceal himself in the shadows more then anything else but he still hoped that it won't be too late to help his friends figure this out.

"Nico just tell me" Annabeth insisted.

He took an another deep breath and nodded.

"In a twist of fate, a hero's hand, Will cause a loss across the land. The son of the sea, a love will part, A blade through the heart, breaking his heart" He murmured.

A thousand thoughts were running through Annabeth's mind as she took a moment to register Nico's words.

"Percy must have thought that staying close to you will put you in danger so he decided to end things but I assure you that he was really heartbroken over it and..." Nico started.

He trailed off and let out a deep sigh.

"I'm really sorry Annabeth" He continued.

Annabeth felt a knot slowly forming in her stomach.

So Percy still loves her and he broke up with her to protect her?

She didn't know how to feel. She was torn between feeling angry at how little he trusted her and being glad that he still loved her.

She decided to stick to being the mature person she always was.

That prophecy had more meaning behind it. She was sure of it and she needed to be prepared, not just her but her friends as well...Including Percy.

"What else happened after that?" She inquired.

"I wish I know but I really don't" Nico replied.

Annabeth sighed and nodded before standing up so Nico looked at her out of instinct.

"We have to know then and we also have to drag Percy's sorry ass over here as well. Such prophecies usually have bigger meaning then what it shows and we need to be in one place to be prepared" She said.

Then she turned her attention back to Nico and her gaze softened.

"Thank you for telling me. I'll...I'll try to figure out what to do" Annabeth said.

She hated how her voice trembled with that sentence but she hoped that Nico would understand.

Nico diverted his gaze to look away from her feeling sorry for her but he also didn't know what to say to comfort her.

They stayed silent for what felt like minutes as both of them gathered their thoughts.

Nico opened his mouth ready to say something but closed it and let out a deep sigh.

He fell silent for an another minute before deciding to just say what he wanted to tell her. So he stood up.

"We're in this together, Annabeth. Whatever you decide, I'll find a way to help you no matter what" Nico said eyes filled with obvious determination.

Then he placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Will you look at me?" He inquired.

Annabeth reluctantly looked into his eyes.

"You and I are friends do you understand? There's no way I'll let you do this alone" He said.

Annabeth smiled sullenly and nodded then pulled him into a hug and Nico returned it.

As the evening turned into night the sounds of laughter outside the Athena cabin gradually started fading signalling the curfew and the ending of the festivities that usually followed the success of yet another quest.

Chiron's voice could be heard as he calmly led the campers back to their dorm cabins assisted by the counsellors.

The Athena cabin members walked in on them.

Some of them felt wary of Nico's presence but they also knew better then to voice their concerns considering his capabilities and his close friendship with Annabeth who happened to be one of the best fighters at the camp.

"I think we should get out of here" Nico suggested.

Annabeth nodded and led him out of the cabin.

They sat alone in front of the lake, their mind heavy with the weight of the prophecy and the possible danger that was sure to come in the near future.

Annabeth chewed on her bottom lip in thought as she tried her best to come up with the perfect plan.

Reaching out to Percy was a definite must but she still didn't know if she could do it herself.

She patted her knees and stood up.

"It has been a month since Percy left the camp, it's no use to dwell on this matter" She said.

Then she turned to Nico again.

"Let's just go to bed for now, tomorrow we can tell the others" She suggested.

Nico nodded and smiled before slinging an arm around her shoulder causing Annabeth to smile.

They turned to look behind them when they heard footsteps rushing over to the lake.

Chiron was looking at them eyes filled with worry.

"There's a prophecy that concerns the whole camp. Help me wake up the rest of your friends and let's go to the oracle's cabin" Chiron ordered.

Chiron rushed back to where the rest of the cabins were with Nico and Annabeth following right behind him.

Soon enough the group of campers was gathered in the forest.

"Hey, what's this all about?" Clarisse asked as soon as she stood close enough to Annabeth.

"Chiron said that there was a prophecy that concerned all of us" Annabeth replied.

The campers were anticipating the prophecy in silence each of them dreading what the oracle would say.

Rachel stood at the centre of the alter her eyes glazed over.

"In Olympus' shadow, a storm will rise, Zeus and Hades, in deadly ties. A war of gods, the world at stake, Unity or chaos, a choice to make" Rachel's haunting voice recited the words.

The prophecy's ominous words sent a chill through the camp. Nico and Annabeth exchanged worried glances, worried about what would become of the camp and their life as they knew it.

Rachel fell over and Chiron supported her before she could fall off the alter then he picked her up and walked back into her cabin.

Annabeth, Clarisse, Nico and Thalia approached Grover who was running their way with Leo, Will and Connor tailing behind him.

"Grover, did you know about this from the start?" Will asked.

Grover shook his head in response.

Dionysius and Hermes walked over to the alter and Dionysius called for everyone's attention causing the campers to turn their gazes to them.

Will stood next to his boyfriend and placed his hand on his shoulder as he, Nico and the rest of the campers waited in dread.

Hermes and Dionysius exchanged a look that described the gravity of the situation before Hermes stepped forward a grim expression on his face.

"A state of war has been declared between Zeus and Hades. Demigods of camp halfblood are expected to side with the Olympus and by accordance anyone who communicates with the underworld and anyone who belongs to it will be severly punished" Hermes recited out loud.

Will and Nico exchanged a look of horror and Will desperately clung to Nico's shoulder in his best attempt to offer reassurance to both of them.

"It's with a heavy heart that I declare the seriousness of the current situation but until we reach an ending for this war whoever belongs to the underworld should leave or else they will bring the wrath of Zeus on us all" Hermes continued.

"You can all retire to your cabins now we're done here" Dionysius announced.

Then he and Hermes got off the podium and went on their way.

The group was still in distress even after what felt like minutes of everyone else leaving.

"Well, I think that means bad news" Leo stated.

None of them said anything as they silently agreed with what he said.

"Which side are you on Thalia?" Leo inquired as he turned his attention to the girl.

Everyone's attention was focused on her as they anticipated her answer.

Thalia rolled her eyes and shook her head in disbelief.

"Did you really think I'd side with that old geezer after he so easily left my little brother to die?" Thalia inquired.

"What about you Nico?" Annabeth inquired.

Nico looked at the ground for what felt like a minute and Will tightened his arm around him.

"What do you guys think? I'm from the underworld I can't just leave my home" Nico murmured.

Annabeth pursed her lips and nodded in understanding.

"But that's your home too, come on Nico you can't do that at least give it some thought" Will begged.

"And risk getting you guys in trouble because of my origin? I can't do that" Nico continued in a shaking voice.

"We need to stay together, we've faced worse and..." Will started.

But he never got to finish his sentence because Nico untangled his arm which was wrapped around his shoulders and disappeared just the way he came before anyone could say anything.

Will looked at the spot where Nico was a second ago before taking a step back.

"I...I'm sorry but I can't be here right now I...I really hope you guys understand" Will murmured.

Leo walked over to Will's side and led him back to the Apollo cabin.

Grover eyed the rest of the group before taking a deep breath.

"I'm going to find Percy he needs to know what's going on" Grover said.

Thalia nodded in agreement before turning her attention to Annabeth and Connor.

"Come on you two, I'll escort you to your cabins" Thalia offered.

"You two go ahead...I'll stay a bit longer" Annabeth murmured.

Then she walked on her way back to the lake.

Thalia sighed and shook her head in disapproval before turning her attention to Connor who eyed Annabeth in equal concern.

"You're old enough to go to your cabin by yourself right?" Thalia inquired.

Connor let out a deep sigh and raised his hands up defensively.

"Girl talk and I need to back off. It's totally understandable" He said.

Thalia smiled sullenly in a show of gratitude before patting his shoulder then Conner walked over to his cabin and she followed Annabeth over to the lake.

She frowned in confusion when she realised that there was no one sitting there at the shore and she could see absolutely no one standing in the water.

"Oh shit" Thalia cursed under her breath then she started a frantic search for the girl.

She couldn't see the younger girl anywhere even though she looked everywhere so she jumped into the water and swam around for a bit but was dragged out of the water by a pair of hands that clearly belonged to a boy judging from how strong they were.

"Are you crazy? What were you thinking jumping into the water like that? You could have froze yourself to death you damn idiot" Leo reprimanded.

They were both soaking wet and shivering because of the cold water but Thalia couldn't care less as she gazed at the water in worry.

"It's Annabeth...She's gone" She murmured as soon as she could find her voice once again.

"What?" Leo asked.

Chapter Text

Percy woke up with a start and started gasping for air.

He hugged his knees and put his face to them as he willed himself to stop thinking about that nightmare again.

That same recurring nightmare where he stabs Annabeth to death.

But even the thought of it brought a set of fresh tears to his eyes.

He was unable to control the sobs that escaped his mouth but he at least managed to make them quiet so he doesn't alert anyone.

But apparently he wasn't doing a very good job because despite his best efforts he heard the sound of footsteps coming closer to his room before someone knocked on the door.

He quickly wiped away his tears and pretended to be still asleep with the blanket over himself.

The door opened and his mother walked into the room before closing the door behind her.

"I know you're awake kiddo" She said.

Percy opened his eyes but he didn't say anything nor did he look at her.

Sally sighed and took a seat next to him.

"I heard you crying. Another nightmare?" She inquired.

Percy nodded once to confirm her theory before closing his eyes once again.

His mother threaded her fingers through his hair a fond yet sullen smile on her face as she looked at him.

"Whenever you had nightmares as a child you'd always come to my room and cry yourself out to sleep but when you got older you came to my room asking for a story to help you sleep" She said.

Percy's eyes remained closed a ghost of a smile on his face as he recalled these memories.

"I can't do that anymore I'm too old" Percy stated.

"That's right, I wonder when did you get old enough to think that you can't tell me anything anymore" She continued.

Percy fell silent again not knowing what to say or where to even start.

"Something is clearly bothering you kiddo and I want to know what it is" Sally said.

"I'll be fine it's not like it's the first time this happened" Percy murmured.

He couldn't tell her even if he wanted to anyway so he preferred to stay silent.

Nevertheless Sally stayed in his room without saying anything either but she continued patting his shoulder lightly hoping that it'd help him if even in the slightest.

"You know? It's been a while since I last saw Annabeth, I wonder how she's doing" Sally said.

She felt her son's body going still for a second as soon as she mentioned Annabeth.

"We broke up mom, she's never coming over again" Percy replied.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry kiddo" His mother said her voice full of evident sympathy.

Then she pulled him into a hug.

Percy accepted the hug knowing just how much he needed it right now and Sally knew that as well that's why she kept her arms wrapped around him for what felt like minutes.

The gentle pats on his back made Percy feel as if he was back to being a child once again.

But he was no child, at least not anymore. So he pulled away from his mother's embrace before resting his head back to the bed.

There was a knock on the door which made them both turn to look at it.

"Dear, I'm taking Estelle to school today do you need anything before I go to work?" Paul asked as soon as he opened the door.

"Thank you but I don't need anything" Sally replied with a smile.

Paul nodded and turned his attention to Percy.

"Do you need anything son?" Paul inquired.

"Not really thanks" Percy replied.

Paul walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.

Sally turned back to him and smiled in encouragement.

"How about I make us some breakfast before we go out for some grocery shopping? It's been ages since you got out of your room" She suggested.

Percy didn't feel like going out but he didn't have the heart to tell her that so he nodded in response without saying anything.

In a matter of minutes he found himself walking down the aisles of the grocery store pushing the cart as his mother added a few things from their shopping list.

He was aware of the fact that she had tried to keep a conversation going but he didn't really pay much attention to her efforts and only gave nods and curt answers.

He was in the middle of checking the deodorant section when he heard a child's voice crying as he begged his mother for biscuits.

For some reason the sound felt way too loud and irritating that he couldn't even keep his eyes open.

There was a strong ringing in his ears as he started hearing more voices from the distance and then he could hear a few loud screams accompanied by the distinctive sound of metallic objects clattering against each other.

"Percy" He heard Annabeth's voice in his ears.

He felt a sudden inability to breath so he clutched his chest where his heart was and started gasping for air.

"Percy? Percy can you hear me?" Sally's voice interrupted.

The hand on his shoulder offered enough steadiness that made him remember his surroundings so he tentatively opened his eyes.

The first thing he noticed was his mother's face as she looked at him in a mixture between worry and sympathy.

As for the second thing it was the fact that he was currently sitting on the floor of the mall with three more people other then his mother surrounding him in case he needed any help.

One of these people offered him a hand to stand and Percy gratefully took it then forced himself to stand up even though his legs felt strangely like jelly.

"Do you need some water?" Another one inquired.

"That won't be necessary thank you" Percy murmured.

Sally accepted the bottle of water and thanked the man before paying him then the three strangers finally went on their way.

Percy could tell that there were other people who noticed how he fainted out of the blue like that but they didn't come to his aid and he didn't expect them to help him either so he didn't really care.

He only cared about the fact that he had fell to the floor like that in a public place.

He clung to the cart and his mother led him over to the cashier.

"Listen kiddo, you look really tired so how about I just call a taxi to help me with the bags and I can call a taxi for you to go ahead and go back home by yourself?" Sally suggested.

Percy smiled tiredly in a show of gratitude.

"Thanks mom but there's no need to do that I'll be fine I can stick around for a bit more" Percy insisted.

"If you say so" Sally said in resignation.

At his age Sally knew for a fact that it'd be really ridiculous and pointless to force Percy into doing anything so she decided to just make this as short as possible.

After a few more minutes of walking around the store Sally and Percy finally finished their shopping trip and Percy took the bags to the car as Sally took the driver's seat.

Percy got on the seat next to hers and closed the door before leaning his head back to the headrest and closed his eyes.

"So kiddo, have you considered what me and Paul suggested?" Sally inquired.

"Yeah? And what am I supposed to say in those meetings? That I'm having nightmares about being chased by a giant?" Percy inquired without opening his eyes.

Sally clicked her tongue then sighed in disapproval.

"That's not what I'm saying Percy, I meant that you might want to talk about Annabeth" Sally insisted.

"Annabeth is fine" Percy said hurriedly.

Sally frowned in confusion because of his sudden outburst then her confusion quickly gave way to concern.

She opened her mouth to ask more questions but closed it again when her son let out a loud sigh then opened his eyes.

"Annabeth is fine, she'll be fine as long as she doesn't leave the camp and..." Percy started.

He trailed off as he tried to decide whether he should tell his mother the truth or not.

Then he took a deep breath and turned to look at his mother.

"I heard a prophecy, I'm destined to kill Annabeth mom. I don't know why but I just don't want that to happen so I broke up with her alright? If I don't see her anymore then she'll be safe" Percy reasoned.

Sally was at loss for words for a few seconds or so as she slowly registered what her son just blurted out.

"Let's just go back home mom" Percy murmured.

He turned his attention to look outside the window and Sally nodded without saying anything as she drove back to their house.

Percy got off the car as soon as they arrived and started taking the bags out of the trunk.

"Does Annabeth know?" Sally asked.

"No she doesn't and I hope it stays that way it's for the best anyway" Percy replied before taking the bags inside.

Sally followed him inside the house and closed the door behind them.

Percy put the bags on the kitchen counter and walked over to his room.

"I think you should tell her, if you want my advice that is. You two have been through so much worse and I think she can handle this too, you're an adult now though so the choice is up to you" Sally said.

Percy walked over to her once again.

"So you're saying that I should just kill her?" He demanded.

"Do you really have to kill her though? I thought you knew how to defy the odds" Sally said.

Percy chuckled in disbelief because there was a time when he thought he could do just that but now he knew just how wrong that was.

"I can't mom, not this time" Percy replied.

He felt tears coming to his eyes so he quickly wiped them away and took a deep breath.

"If there's anything I learned from my experiences at the camp it's the fact that these prophecies are never wrong" Percy continued.

Then he took a step back.

"And I'm just not strong enough to look at her anymore" He said.

Then he turned his back on his mother and walked over to his room.

Sally didn't know what to do to actually help him except give him his much needed space.

Maybe it really was time for him to try and live his life normally.

She just wasn't sure if that would be possible simply because she knew that he can't keep running away forever.

"I'm going to take a shower then I'm going to sleep" Percy said.

"Don't you want to eat anything?" Sally inquired.

"Not hungry" He replied before going over to the bathroom.

He took off his clothes and sat down on the filled up tub before moving his hand through the water slowly in his best attempt to distract himself.

The water always made him calm. He didn't know why exactly but he decided to relate it to the fact that it somehow connected him to his father.

It was yet an another thing that he decided to keep a secret to himself long ago but for now he needed that peace so he stayed in the tub as much as he could.

His mother didn't mind that which was an another thing he was thankful for.

He frowned when he noticed that the water was slowly turning clear and smelly.

His confusion was quickly decapitated when he recognised the distinctive yet refreshing smell of lotus flowers and fresh sea water.

Bubbles started forming on the surface of the water before the tangible shape of raven hair started surfacing shortly followed by a head rising from the water.

"As much as I appreciate the unusual presence of a naiad in my house uninvited I still want to make it this quick simply because of the fact that this is really a rude and awkward time to show up" Percy complained.

"There's no time son of Poseiden you..." The naiad started.

But she was interrupted when Sally knocked on the door.

"Is everything alright kiddo?" Sally inquired from behind the door without opening it.

"Yeah sorry, I'll be out in five minutes" Percy called back.

The naiad disappeared without telling him why she came but Percy dread knowing the answer to that question simply because whatever her reason for coming it'll naturally mean that he had to return back to the camp.

He decided to just get out of the water so he washed up then finished drying up and dressing before walking out of the room.

"Hey kiddo, I forgot to buy the bread and coffee so I wanted to tell you that I was going out for a bit" Sally said as she put on her coat.

"Sure see you later" He said.

"If you need anything call me alright and don't you dare set fire to the house while I'm gone we still need it" Sally said as she pointed a finger at his face.

Percy smiled and shook his head then rolled his eyes.

Sally smiled and ruffled his hair affectionately before walking over to the front door.

Percy craved the noise especially at times like these when he was alone at home so he sat down on the sofa and turned on the TV without really paying attention to whatever was on.

Minutes passed and the calm was interrupted when the doorbell rang so he stood up and went to open it thinking that his mother forgot something.

"Percy" Grover greeted awkwardly as he raised a hand.

"Grover? What the hell are you doing here?" Percy inquired.

Grover pursed his lips not knowing where to start but the silence was enough of an answer to Percy.

He was his friend though so he couldn't turn him away.

"Come in" Percy said.

Grover didn't step into the house though he instead closed his eyes and took a deep breath before deciding to just tell him.

"Percy, something terrible has happened. A war broke out between Zeus and Hades and Annabeth is missing" Grover said.

Chapter Text

Percy frowned as soon as he heard what Grover said.

"What do you mean Annabeth is missing? Where did she go?" Percy demanded.

"We looked everywhere she's been missing for a few days now and we couldn't find her anywhere. Percy you have to come with me, who knows what could happen to her if we fail to find her?" Grover asked.

Percy ran a hand through his hair awkwardly then let out a sigh.

"Grover, I don't think I should. Do you remember why I left the camp? I can't just go back as if nothing happened" Percy replied.

"But Percy. This is Annabeth, are you really going to abandon her?" Grover demanded.

"She doesn't need me Grover she never did" Percy replied.

It was the first time Grover felt that angry in his entire life. He came here to ask for Percy's help but he didn't expect his friend to be so unbothered.

"Percy, This is Annabeth we're talking about here. Who knows what could happen to her? She hasn't returned yet and there's a war on the brew" Grover tried again.

Percy opened his mouth to say something but closed it again and looked away in shame but his eyes widened and he took a step back in surprise when Grover marched over to him and yanked him closer by his collar.

"I really can't believe it. Are you saying that you're going to give up?" Grover demanded.

"I don't know how to help her Grover why can't you understand? I'm..." Percy started.

"It has always been the three of us but what the hell happened to you?" Grover interrupted.

Percy refused to look at Grover's face which made Grover feel even more disappointed at him. Nevertheless he let go of his collar and took a step back.

"Percy I'm going back to the camp with or without you and I'll do my best to find Annabeth myself but I'm disappointed in you. I thought we meant something to you" Grover reprimanded.

Percy looked up at Grover then followed him immediately before he could leave the house yard and grabbed his hand to stop him from walking any further.

"You're right. I'm coming along" He said.

Grover stopped and turned to him with a small smile on his face.

"I knew you won't leave it at that" Grover said.

Percy smiled sullenly still feeling glad about the fact that Grover still trusted him that much but his smile dropped when he and Grover noticed the thick mist which suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

The two of them looked around them for a minute or two as the foggy mist continued getting thicker.

Percy didn't know when did they separate but he suddenly couldn't see Grover at all. He looked around him hoping to find other people in the distance or at least the person who was creating this thick fog but he couldn't find anything at all.

"Percy" Grover screamed all of a sudden causing Percy to turn and look around him frantically.

Grover was nowhere to be seen which made Percy even more anxious. He hoped that it was just a trick of the fog though so he continued looking around for a few more seconds.

"Grover" He yelled but he received no reply.

A faint scream that seemed to come from far away got his attention and made his blood run cold so he took off sprinting in the direction of the voice.

"Grover, what happened? Where are you?" He continued screaming.

Then he felt a presence behind him but before he could turn and face the person a hand was suddenly on his shoulder and he suddenly dove down onto the ground.

The next time he opened his eyes he noticed immediately that he was no longer in the same street where his home was.

"Percy? Are you alright?" Grover asked timidly.

It felt like there was something hammering on his head so Percy blinked a few times in his best attempt to get back to normal.

Then he sat up slowly and looked around before his eyes fell on Grover who was sitting a meter or so across from him.

"Yeah, I guess so. Where are we?" Percy inquired as he looked around the place.

"I have no idea but I don't think we're in the camp" Grover replied.

Percy could guess as much because the place was unusually dark and cold unlike the camp.

A strange sound caught Percy's attention and he forced himself to stand as soon as he heard it.

"Did you hear that?" Percy asked.

"Yeah, I did" Grover replied a second or so later.

Percy touched around for a bit hoping to find a wall but his hands only came into contact with thin air.

"I don't think we're getting out of here any time soon" Grover said.

Percy didn't want to despair just yet but it seemed that Grover was right in this one because neither of them could find a door. Then a faint light suddenly lit the room and Percy finally managed to see Grover.

The light was coming from somewhere above them which was strange because the place sounded like a prison of some sort.

There was no door though which made Percy and Grover even more anxious.

"There's no door" Percy said.

"I think we're in some sort of a prison but I don't know for sure" Grover said.

"Screw that we have to find our way out" Percy continued.

He started testing the strength of the rocky structure to find a way out of the place cursing his luck because the place didn't have any water around which made it even more difficult for him to get them out of here.

He had to find Annabeth though so he continued testing his luck with rocks.

"Percy look" Grover suddenly said in a rather panicked voice.

Percy turned to the direction Grover was pointing at and he froze in his spot eyes wide in shock.

"Is that..." Grover murmured.

"The hecatoncheires? Yes..." Percy murmured in return.

And it was looking right at them and Percy didn't have riptide with him.

Grover rushed over to Percy's side as soon as the giant monster roared loudly and started marching over to them.

The place was big enough to contain the beast so Percy pushed Grover out of the way and ran in the opposite direction before the monster slammed its hand on the ground causing it to shake from the impact.

Then three figures dipped down from the top of the ravine and two of them grabbed Percy and Grover before flying out of the place leaving the angry monster alone with the third one.

Percy heard the sound of singing coming from under him and he realised that the place where the monster was trapped wasn't a room as he thought but it was actually an unusually wide rift which was made specifically to trap the monster.

The singing voice was clearly a boy's voice but it was so elegant and ethereal that Percy didn't even think it could belong to a human.

He didn't even know that a guy was capable of singing so beautifully but it didn't seem like he was the only one entranced by the song because Grover was also gaping at the beautiful voice.

The song wasn't in English and Percy didn't hear that language before but he didn't care about the fact that he couldn't understand a single word.

"We're really sorry. It seems that we miscalculated the proportions of your landing spots" A voice said from behind him.

Percy turned to look at the owner of the voice but he couldn't see the person's face clearly.

The voice definitely belonged to a guy but Percy couldn't tell which one of them spoke. The two figures were wearing long black cloaks that reached down to their ankles covering them completely and they both had black huge avian wings protruding from their backs.

"Who are you? And where are we?" Percy demanded.

"You're in the domain of Hades particularly the veteran academy of Omelas" The previous voice continued.

Percy sighed and opened his mouth to say something but Grover stepped forward.

"You two are children of Thanatos aren't you?" Grover inquired.

"We take orders from Thanatos but we serve Hades and we were told to bring you here son of Poseiden. You and your satyr friend" The other person said.

The sound of the loud thud which was followed by the ground shaking along with the sound of fluttering wings interrupted whatever Percy or Grover were going to say next as the third person made it back from the ravine.

The guy who returned from the ravine didn't say anything but Percy knew that he must be some sort of a ring leader or something because unlike the two other cloaked figures the tips of the singer's cloak were lined with silver embroideries that made it look elegant rather then scary.

"We should go now or we'll be late" The person who spoke first reprimanded.

"What are your names?" Grover asked.

Then he stepped forward with a smile on his face and put his hand out for a shake.

"I'm Grover, this is Percy" Grover introduced excitedly.

One of the three guys shook Grover's hand.

"I'm Dean and those are Neil and Cole" The guy who shook Grover's hand said.

Neil cleared his throat causing Dean to let out an awkward laugh before turning to Cole who was examining the rift.

Percy could easily guess that Dean was the goof ball of the group and Neil was somewhat responsible and level headed while Cole had the detached attitude because he didn't say a word eversince he finished putting the monster to sleep with his song.

"We should go, Hades and Persephone are expecting you" Neil said.

The three of them had unusually soothing voices but it wasn't that surprising because it had to be a common ability in all the children of Thanatos.

"Why did you bring us here though?" Percy asked.

"You must have heard about the war between Zeus and Hades. You're here simply because Hades wanted you here" Neil replied.

"Yeah and what does that have to do with us?" Percy asked.

"You're here as a bargaining tool. Hades agreed to keep you here because he doesn't trust Poseiden's word" Neil clarified.

"And because Nico was worried about his friends so he asked Hades for help" Dean said.

"Just us?" Grover asked frowning.

"Yeah well, let's not sugarcoat the truth shall we? We all know that the big three never really trust each other they're in need of leverage to insure each other's loyalty and to be honest it won't be surprising if Poseiden took hold of Nico to insure Hades's loyalty" Neil replied.

"If that's the case then what happened to the other members of the camp?" Percy asked.

"We're late we must go" Neil said.

"What happened to the rest of the campers" Percy demanded impatiently.

But his question went unanswered again as the three sons of Thanatos phased through the ground taking Percy and Grover with them and appeared somewhere else.

This time the scenery was the familiar sight of Hades's upturned castle.

Percy was going to say something when Persephone and Hades walked over to the group.

"We'll take it from here. Neil and Dean you can go ahead and leave. Cole you stay back" Hades said.

Two of the three guys walked away leaving the quiet one behind. Percy was curious about why he hasn't said a single word this entire time so he came to the conclusion that he was cursed to become a singer instead of a talker.

He might be wrong in his assumption but he couldn't deny the fact that it was quite amusing to try and guess what that son of Thanatos did wrong to receive such a curse.

"I apologise for the landing mistake but you seem to be doing much better then I expected so I don't need to bring in some medical help now right?" Hades asked.

"No need for that but thank you" Grover said before offering him a polite smile.

"We can't be here we have to return to the camp and check on the others too" Percy said.

"You can't do that now Zeus has taken control of the camp" Hades remarked.

Percy bit his lip and ruffled his hair in frustration before turning to Grover.

"Let's just go. There's obviously no reasoning with these people" Percy said.

Grover nodded and followed Percy as they walked on their way out of Hades's court.

Percy couldn't deny it anymore. He still cared about Annabeth and he desperately wanted to know where she was so he groaned in annoyance when he saw that Cole and an another winged figure landed in front of him and Grover.

"I can't let you back into the camp kid it's dangerous" Hades warned.

"Well, what happened? The least you can do is tell me" Percy snapped.

"Zeus is trying to take control of the camp so if he finds you he'll immediately send something after you and I can't have you dead. Your father entrusted you to me which means that I need you to ensure his help against thunder man" Hades explained.

Percy pushed the winged person out of the way and made a run for it but was quickly caught by Cole who landed right in front of him.

Hades walked over to him so the winged person who grabbed Grover followed right behind him.

"You'll like it here kid. I made sure to include a lot of fun activities for you and your friend to enjoy" Hades continued.

Then he turned to the guy who was holding Percy and nodded.

"Take them to their rooms and make sure they're safe" Hades ordered.

And that was all it took for the two guys who captured Percy and Grover to fly off the ground heading over to god knows where.

Percy noticed the dagger hidden under the cloak Cole was wearing and in an impulsive decision he quickly grabbed it and stabbed him in his side.

The guy let out a pained scream before dropping Percy.

Percy's eyes widened and he immediately regretted his rushed decision when he realised that he was falling.

Then Cole dipped down at a lightning speed reaching out to him before he could fall to the ground his hood flying away revealing his head in the process.

The last thing Percy saw before closing his eyes was the guy's raven colored hair and concerned eyes as he tried to catch up to him.

Percy thought that Cole would never make it in time but he was proven wrong when a pair of hands grabbed his and he felt the solid ground against his back.

Chapter Text

Percy didn't know why he made such an unplanned and stupid move but he didn't think he'll live to question that so he was really thankful for the fact that he was currently laying on solid ground.

When he opened his eyes he was met with a strong light then he saw a strangely serene looking face which could only belong to a son of Aphrodite.

If he didn't know better he'd have openly said so but he stopped himself from doing that because the wings that guy had clearly pointed him out as a son of Thanatos.

The guy had a pair of dark blue eyes, fair skin and black wavy chin length hair. The worried look on his face contorted into one of pain and Percy immediately sat up eyes going wide with guilt and worry as soon as he realised that it was the same guy he stabbed earlier.

The guy clutched his side as blood came out of his injury but before Percy could do anything to inspect the damage he created the two other winged guys landed next to Cole.

Neil helped Cole to his feet and slung his arm over his shoulder to support his weight and Percy quickly jumped back on his feet.

"What the hell did you do? Are you insane?" Neil demanded angrily.

Percy opened his mouth to say something but closed it again and frowned in confusion at himself because he also had no answer for that question.

"I'm sorry" He murmured.

Grover rushed over to his side as Neil walked over to them.

"You're sorry? You expect that to be enough? You..." Neil started.

"That's enough Neil I'm alright, I'll be fine we need to take them to the institute" Cole said interrupting whatever Neil was going to say.

Dean stepped forward and put a hand on Percy's shoulder.

"I'll take him then I'll come back to get the satyr" Dean said.

Cole shook his head in disapproval at the idea.

"We can't do that, just leave me behind and take them both or something might attack them" Cole said.

Percy sighed and closed his eyes then nodded to himself as soon as he came to a decision.

"Take Grover and Cole to the school first, I'll wait here" He said.

"You're not allowed to be anywhere outside the school by yourself it's the rule" Neil said.

"Yeah well, I'm capable of fighting and your friend is injured so I think you shouldn't waste anymore time if his life actually matters" Percy said.

"Maybe he's right we should just go, Cole's wound should be checked" Dean said.

Neil glared at Percy for an another minute then sighed and took out his sword before tossing it at Percy's feet.

"Not like it'll help you in any way but maybe it'll be just enough to fight against small monsters" Neil said.

Percy looked at the sword and knelt down to grab it realising immediately that it was made of stygian iron.

"We'll be back shortly so just hold on until then" Dean said.

Percy nodded in response then watched the three guys leave with Grover.

He sat down on the sand covered ground with Neil's sword next to him and hugged his knees as he thought about what he had just done.

Why did he even stab that guy in the first place?

He sighed and put his head to his knees enjoying the silence that meant that there was nothing waiting to attack him in the distance.

"Percy, Percy come here" A familiar and yet far away voice called out to him.

Percy's head shot up and he looked around him frantically as soon as he recognised the voice.

"Annabeth? Annabeth where are you?" He demanded.

He stood up and looked around him but it was to no avail. The voice continued calling him asking for help but he couldn't find her.

He turned to look behind him and immediately took a step back in surprise when he saw Annabeth standing in front of him.

There was something strange about her though. Her smile looked unusual and her eyes were darker then how he remembered them to be.

"Percy, it's really you. You're finally here I'm glad you're finally back" The thing in front of him said but Percy knew better then to fall for this trap.

He grabbed the sword which was left on the ground by his feet.

"Who are you? What have you done to Annabeth?" Percy demanded.

The figure blinked twice in surprise then smiled and let out a laugh.

"Cute and smart at the same time? That's great. I'm actually starting to like you son of Poseiden" She said in a voice that was different from Annabeth's voice.

Then she slowly started changing into a taller and curvier figure.

She was tall, Even taller then Percy and she had a slim voluptuous figure with fair porcelain white skin and long waist length copper red curls for hair.

She wore a black chiffon greek style dress that showed most of her body leaving little to none for the imagination and she had pearls adorning the crown of her head with a black gemstone in the middle.

"What did you do to Annabeth?" Percy demanded impatiently.

"Me? I did nothing to her. You're the one who hurt her not me and you know what will happen to her if you don't leave her alone" The figure taunted.

Percy took an another step back his grip on the sword tightening as the strange woman took a step closer to him.

"Stay back" Percy said then raised the sword in front of him.

The woman took an another step forward still smiling like a maniac.

"Go ahead and find her if you can. Kill her, you know it's bound to happen anyway" The woman in front of him continued.

Then she gripped the blade with her hand causing it to cut her.

Percy watched the blood on the blade for a few minutes entranced by it.

It looked darker then the usual red colour of blood and if Percy could actually describe it he'd say that it was more on the black side then the crimson one.

He knew that the thing in front of him wasn't a normal person but it was still nothing like what he was used to seeing.

He could hear a voice calling his name from a distance but he couldn't recognise it as he kept his attention focused on the blood on Neil's sword.

The woman laughed and put her hand on Percy's shoulder.

"We'll meet again son of Poseiden" She murmured in his ear her voice changing into a low seductive whisper before she blew in his ear.

Then she was gone in a second before Percy could even blink himself out of this strange trance. When he looked at the blade he realised that it had no trace of the blood it had a second or so ago.

He looked around him still trying to recover from whatever spell that was and his eyes immediately fell on Nico who looked out of breath as if he had just ran all the way over to him.

"What are you doing here all alone? You know how dangerous the underworld can get" Nico reprimanded.

"Alone? You mean you didn't see that woman who was here just now?" Percy asked his eyes narrowing in confusion.

Nico frowned in confusion and suspicion then he looked around him before turning his attention to Percy once again.

"What woman?" He asked.

Percy shook his head to dismiss the thoughts. It didn't matter that much anyway, he had to focus on finding Annabeth.

"It's nothing, let's just go" Percy said.

"Fine" Nico said then grabbed Percy’s hand and used the shadow travel to go to the institute.

"So how long exactly has this institute been here?" Percy asked as soon as he and Nico stood in front of the huge luxurious building.

The place looked more like a castle then a school with a huge clock in the center that had the ancient Latin numbers and it was surrounded by a garden that had a lot of strange looking plants and flowers.

"A millennium I think, Hades apparently had a reason to keep it hidden because not even Zeus knows of this place" Nico replied as he led Percy inside the building.

The place looked like a mixture between a subdued garden, a fresh beach house and Mediterranean greek at the same time but it still managed to look sophisticated and cosy anyway.

"Persephone made it, she has a fascination with gardens but Hades despises colours, he still wanted to make it a modern thing though so they consulted some nerides and nymphs and..." Nico trailed off.

Then he sighed and waved his hand dismissively.

"You get the picture so there's no need for me to waste time explaining right?" Nico asked.

Percy nodded in response as he looked at the interior of the place.

"So what are you doing here? I thought you left all this behind" Nico said.

"I'm here to look for Annabeth, Grover said that she went missing a few days ago" Percy replied.

"What? When did this happen?" Nico questioned looking completely surprised by the news.

"Wait, you mean you didn't know?" Percy inquired in return.

"I didn't leave the underworld since I found out that the campers will be up against the underworld in the war" Nico replied.

He ran a hand through his hair and groaned in frustration.

"That must have happened sometime in the two weeks I was absent from the camp shit we have to find her and fast, Zeus is already out there with his army and if he finds Annabeth he'll surely kill her" Nico explained.

"Do you have a plan?" Percy inquired.

He hoped that Nico had an answer to that question because he really didn't have the time and energy to think clearly anymore.

"I think we should head to the camp first thing in the morning tomorrow, someone has to know something right?" Nico asked.

Percy had no choice but to agree for now so he nodded.

••☆★☆••

When Annabeth opened her eyes she realised that she was in some sort of a cave she heard the sound of wings flapping and sat up then noticed an eagle flying towards her.

Her eyes widened and she stood up immediately to avoid it but to her surprise the eagle flew past her.

She turned to look behind her and saw that the eagle flew towards a man who was chained to a rock.

She realised where she was immediately when the eagle started attacking the man with its beak.

The man had long hair and slightly wrinkled face along with a muscular body which was covered with nothing but a torn up loin cloth.

He was chained to a rock his wrists and ankles pinned to the rock and there was a long cut on his abdomen which the eagle relentlessly picked at tearing up the flesh until it finally started feasting on his liver.

She felt the pile rising to her throat as she turned to look away but the man's pained groans and moans made her heart ache.

The eagle was finally gone and Annabeth ran over to the man immediately.

"No need to worry child, I've endured this for far longer then your age" The man said in a shaking pained voice.

Annabeth took off her camp shirt and tore it up to make makeshift bandage which she used to heal the man's injury.

She knew that it'd be futile by tomorrow morning but she hoped that it will at least relieve the man's pain a bit.

The man let out a laugh at her poor attempt to heal him.

"It really is useless child but thank you anyway you're the first person to show me kindness in a really long while" Prometheus said.

Annabeth sat down next to him and zipped up her jacket to cover up her undershirt.

"What brings a little girl like you here?" Prometheus asked.

"I have no idea I woke up and found myself here" Annabeth answered.

"That's a rather unusual thing to say. Are you saying you're here for an another reason other then being punished by those brutes?" Prometheus asked with a frown.

"Brutes?" Annabeth inquired with a frown on her face.

"I think that I'm allowed to say anything about them after enduring centuries of having my flesh torn up every morning simply because I tried to help your kind" Prometheus replied.

Annabeth could understand as much and she didn't really blame him because the greek gods didn't care about what happens to the human race in the slightest and this thought was proven to her after years of going on quests and trying to survive on her own.

She remembered herself when she was still twelve and how excited she was to receive her first quest of finding Sally Jackson in the underworld and she wished to go back in time to tell her younger self that her excitement was highly misplaced.

"I think you're being tested" Prometheus said.

Annabeth turned to him and frowned in confusion.

"A test of loyalty I mean, they have a way of messing with anyone's head. I'm guessing that you'll fail if you help me" Prometheus explained.

"I already helped you" Annabeth said.

Prometheus laughed at her answer.

"Putting a piece of cloth on my wound isn't help child, freeing me is the taboo they're waiting for you to break" Prometheus continued.

Annabeth knew that waiting would prove that theory but she also knew that she would eventually try to free the man.

"If you want my advice I'll tell you to just leave me be, I've endured it long enough it doesn't even hurt as much as it did before" The man said.

Annabeth knew that it was a lie so she decided not to waste a second more thinking about what she had to do and grabbed the first big rock she found then started hitting one of the chains.

Chapter Text

Annabeth continued hitting the iron chain with the rock repeatedly until her hands started getting bloody but she didn't care about that right now even though her hands were hurt so much.

"Give up child, this isn't worth the trouble anyway and it will definitely put you down if you keep this up" Prometheus said.

Annabeth ignored him and continued hitting the chains again until one of them finally broke.

Prometheus stood there stunned and Annabeth's eyes widened in surprise but she decided not to waste anymore time and started attacking the other chain until it also broke under her persistent attacks.

Annabeth continued her work on the chains binding his ankles to the rock. But halfway through the task she turned her head to look behind her instinctively when she heard the eagle approaching again. Its voice which couldn't be described as anything but angry sent a shiver down Annabeth's spine knowing what that meant.

She forced herself into a calmer state of mind and grabbed the rock again to use it as a weapon if need be and as the eagle charged at her Annabeth could swear that she faintly heard the sound of a chain breaking.

Prometheus grabbed her wrist causing her to look at him in surprise then she looked at the eagle again briefly before Prometheus yanked the rock from her injured hand and stood in front of her.

It all happened so fast, Annabeth couldn't even tell whether Prometheus threw the rock at the eagle or not but she was sure that he did because the eagle fell to the ground with one final cry escaping its beak then the rock which was in her hands minutes ago fell next to the eagle's dead body.

"How? When did you even throw the rock?" Annabeth inquired as soon as she managed to find her voice again.

Prometheus raised a finger and a small flame emerged from the ground and engulfed the dead eagle reducing it to ashes.

"Have I missed something my child? It appears that Zeus's attention is scattered for some reason" Prometheus said.

"There's a war, a war between Zeus and Hades I don't know the reason but it has been on the brew for almost two weeks now" Annabeth answered.

Prometheus laughed in triumph as soon as he heard that causing Annabeth to frown.

"That's just perfect" He said.

"Excuse me?" Annabeth inquired her eyes narrowing to show her confusion and anger.

"Serves him right" Prometheus replied.

Annabeth laughed incredulously and brushed her hair back.

"My friends are the ones fighting this war not you or the likes of you so..." Annabeth started.

Then she sighed and shook her head.

"Why am I even talking to you in the first place? It's obvious that you don't care none of you ever cared about the human race anyway" Annabeth said.

"Hey watch it child, I was punished because..." Prometheus started.

"I know why you were punished" Annabeth said.

Prometheus sighed and closed his eyes briefly then nodded.

"You have my gratitude for freeing me child, and for that reason I shall grant you a favour but only one so I advise you to think about what you want carefully" He said.

Annabeth could wish to go home, she could wish to get back together with Percy or she could even ask for immortality but she knew that none of these wishes were as important as the one that took over her mind in that particular instant.

"Help us with the war. Take our side, camp halfblood must win this war" Annabeth said.

She wasn't going to let anyone hurt her friends no matter what so she was prepared to strike a deal with the devil itself if need be.

Prometheus raised an eyebrow in amusement then he smiled and nodded.

His size started shrinking to match a human's size as his hair and beard started getting shorter to give him a much more normal appearance.

"We should find you some clothes and a place to hide" Annabeth said.

Prometheus looked at himself remembering for the first time that he was wearing something highly inappropriate especially in the presence of a woman despite her age.

"Tastes have changed greatly child and I'll be really glad if you give me some advice in this matter" He said.

Annabeth nodded in response then she glanced at the ashes of the eagle's body briefly before turning her attention back to Prometheus once again.

"Let's get out of here before we get caught" She said.

Prometheus nodded in agreement then grabbed Annabeth's hand and they disappeared.

••☆★☆••

Percy's eyes shot open and he started gasping for air as soon as he woke up after experiencing yet another nightmare.

He sat up in bed and reached out for the glass of water which was supposed to be resting on the bedside cabinet, his panic immediately rising when he realised it wasn't there anymore.

But after taking a minute or two of blinking away his sleep he remembered that he wasn't even in his room anymore.

He stood up and walked around the room slowly before sitting down on the floor and rested his head on the bedpost.

His eyes were about to drop sending him back to sleep when he heard the sound of a knock on the door.

"Come in" He said.

An another knock on the door sounded but the person behind it didn't come in.

"Come in" Percy called out a little louder.

He received no answer in return and no one came into the room but the knocking started getting louder and more frantic then before.

Then the knocking suddenly stopped so Percy stood up and walked over to the door before pulling it open.

But he immediately realised that it was a terrible idea to do that and his eyes widened as he took in the sight in front of him.

Annabeth stood in front of him with blood oozing out of a stab wound in her abdomen and eyes void black. Her hair was down and matted to her forehead and the knife that killed her was still in her body.

"Percy...Why?" She murmured.

Percy immediately closed the door and ran over to the bed then covered himself with the blanket and closed his eyes tightly.

He could still hear her voice in his ears as she blamed him for killing her and he couldn't get it out of his head no matter how hard he tried.

But suddenly Annabeth's voice disappeared and Percy managed to calm himself down a bit before opening his eyes.

The door opened and Percy watched as Grover walked into the room.

"Hey, are you alright?" Grover inquired as soon as he took a seat next to Percy.

"Yeah, I'll be fine" Percy murmured tiredly.

He was sure that he looked terrible though because Grover looked at him in obvious worry.

So he just gulped and cleared his throat before turning to his friend.

"I'm fine I just need some water that's all" Percy murmured before Grover could say anything.

"Fine, I'm going to get you some. Also the morning meal is ready and served downstairs, they all eat together so I figured that it'll be your only chance to grab a bite before starting the day" Grover said.

Percy nodded in response without saying anything. He didn't really feel like eating but he knew he had to or he won't stand a chance in finding Annabeth so he dragged his feet and followed Grover down the hall where the said breakfast table was set.

But no matter what his expectations were he wasn't prepared for the sight in front of him.

The said breakfast mealtime was set in a massive hall that had ten huge rectangular shaped tables and hordes of students surrounding it.

They all wore uniforms similar to the one the children of Thanatos had on and each one of them had one or two plates full of delicious looking food set in front of them.

The hall was decorated in a simple greenery which made it clear that Persephone had a hand in the design and the king and Queen of the underworld sat on two chairs at the front of the room overlooking the food tables with another two much smaller tables in front of them.

Those two tables probably were the sitting spot of the teachers because Percy noticed that they looked too old to be students.

It made him feel annoyed for some reason to see such a sight though. He didn't know why but it irritated him so much to see such massive groups of people cooped together in one place.

He decided to just blend in for now though because it was a better idea then getting them angry and because he couldn't risk putting Grover in harm's way.

So he immediately pulled a chair and sat down as soon as he saw that Grover had already taken a seat and started eating silently.

He didn't feel like talking right now so he was thankful that Grover had decided to remain silent as well.

Halfway through eating he noticed that someone has walked over to his side of the table so he looked up and saw a tall girl with long fiery red curls and blue eyes looking at him with a smile on her face.

Percy could now have a look at the student's uniform or at least the girl version of it because the girl was wearing what looked to be a deep indigo collared poet shirt with a black bow tie and a black vest along with a deep grey pleated skirt that stopped at her knees and long black stockings along with black low heel Mary Jane shoes.

"So you're Percy Jackson? Wow, I must say that I never thought I'd meet you in person I've heard so much about you son of Poseiden" She said.

"It's Percy" Percy corrected her.

He noticed the difference in her accent so he guessed that she had to be a foreigner.

The girl remained silent for a minute then nodded before pulling a chair to sit next to him and Grover.

"It's really a pleasure to meet you I'm Elise, Elise Maguire" The girl said.

Then she turned her attention to Grover who in return gave her an awkward shy smile.

"Nice to meet you too Grover Underwood" She said.

"So do you mind telling us what you want now? Or are you going to let us guess for ourselves?" Percy demanded sharply.

He was already losing too much of his time and patience with this place the more he stayed so he wasn't really interested in meeting any new people right now.

Although he did feel a bit guilty for stabbing Cole and he hoped that the other guy will be alright. But he didn't spare him much thought because he knew that the guy had brothers to take care of him so he pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind.

"Woah, what's with the feisty attitude? I'm only trying to be friendly that's all" The girl said.

"Yeah right" Percy muttered under his breath.

"What the hell is your problem? I said I was only trying to be nice" The girl said in a loud voice.

It did the expected trick of getting the attention of the other students who were eating at the hall.

Percy didn't really trust that girl for some reason but now he knew why.

"Oh I get it now, you think that you're better then us because you're a child of the current sea god? Is that it?" The girl continued in the same loud attention seeking voice.

"That's not true he's just..." Grover started.

"You don't have to explain anything to her Grover just leave her be" Percy interrupted.

"What's going on here?" A voice asked before Percy could say anything else.

He looked up and saw a tall guy approaching the table but he already recognised the voice to be Neil's.

He was wearing the hood of his cloak like usual so Percy still couldn't get a clear glimpse of his face.

"He started it I was just..." The girl started.

"Elise, go back to your seat and stop causing trouble" Neil said.

His voice showed clear authority so the girl begrudgingly walked away and Neil turned his attention to Percy and Grover then folded his arms over his chest as he stared them down in obvious disappointment and tiredness.

"You've only been here for a day and half and you're already picking it with a child of Eris? I mean how do you do it?" Neil asked.

Percy rolled his eyes and slammed the spoon on the table before standing up.

"Well, I don't really have a sensor for the parents of whoever approaches me alright? So I'm sorry that I made this mistake your royal highness. Besides, she was the one who started it not me so don't go blaming me for something I didn't do" Percy snapped.

Grover immediately stood up and put his hands on Percy's shoulders to get him to calm down and sit down again but Percy was having none of it so he shoved Grover away and walked out of the food hall.

After what felt like ten minutes if not fifteen Percy finally managed to find his dorm room so he sat down on the bed and hugged his knees.

He didn't really know what was wrong with him anymore but he hoped that by staying alone he'll be alright.

"Do you really think that's the answer?" Annabeth's voice inquired.

Percy closed his eyes tightly knowing that it wasn't Annabeth who was actually talking to him right now.

He didn't want to look at whatever that thing in front of him was even as it touched the nape of his neck.

Even when he could practically feel it's weight pressed gently to his back and its breath fanning his cheek and neck.

"Stop taunting me, you're not real" Percy murmured as if saying that would actually save him from whatever that thing was.

Or even the shiver that ran down his spine as that thing continued touching him as it pleased.

"Oh, but I am real and you know full well that I am real or else I won't be doing this to you right now son of Poseiden" She murmured in his ear.

Percy let out a deep and airy breath when he felt a hand pressing down on his crotch.

"You love it Percy Jackson, you love it when I do this. You need my presence just like you need air" She continued murmuring in an alluring voice.

Her voice was like a spell that tried to take over Percy's mind and her hands which were still shamelessly touching him were enough to make him feel strangely entranced.

The chuckle that he heard next managed to break him from his trance though.

"Get away from me you crazy bitch" He murmured in a low shaking voice as he tried to fight through this spell.

Then he opened his eyes and turned to look behind him but he couldn't see anyone at all even when his eyes darted around the room frantically.

His breath quickened sharply and his chest constricted with unexplainable pain then he gasped and clutched the spot where his heart was feeling it beat abnormally.

"Grover, Grover help...Somebody help me" He murmured in a weak, stuttering voice before everything in front of him went black.

Chapter Text

Percy woke up to the sound of frantic voices, he could faintly hear people around him saying things but their words were muffled to his ears as if he was drowning.

He knew he had to force his eyes to open even though his eyelids felt heavy, but after a bit of insistence from his part he finally managed to crack them open and he was immediately assaulted by the light in the room and the silhouette of Grover leaning over him.

"Percy, you're awake" Grover exclaimed excitedly even though concern was evident on his face.

He immediately took a seat next to his friend and pulled the blanket over him to get him to warm up even more.

Percy appreciated the kind gesture because he was freezing.

"What happened? You were calling for help, and then you just...collapsed."

Percy tried to sit up, but his body felt weak and unresponsive, as though something had drained him of all energy. The memory of that woman touching him resurfaced, her hand as it stroked his bare skin and her chilling voice still lingering in his mind. He shivered even though the blanket draped all over him was still there.

"I don’t know," Percy admitted weakly.

He really didn't know where to begin this talk. Should he even start talking about this in the first place? In all his years fighting off monsters he never faced one that wanted to rape him.

What bothered him more about this was the fact that he was powerless in front of her as if her presence was the only thing that could get him rooted to the spot.

There was a knock on the door before Grover went to open it and he returned with Cole, Neil and Dean following right behind him.

"He seems fine to me" Neil said as soon as his eyes fell on Percy.

Percy rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"You know you don't have to be here, it's not like I wanted to see you either" Percy retorted.

"Oh yeah? You're the one who stabbed my brother remember?" Neil replied.

"Settle down you two" Dean said.

Cole remained silent as he looked at Percy though.

"How come you guys aren't wearing your signature hoods?" Grover inquired in an attempt to change the subject.

And true to Grover's word Percy noticed that both Dean and Cole didn't have their hoods on.

Unlike Cole, Dean had blonde hair and green eyes but he also had curls like Cole even though his hair was shorter.

He had light freckles all over his cheeks and a slight tan that made him look like a beach model.

Percy sighed and looked away feeling inferior to their looks.

But even though Cole was still eyeing Percy Dean was the one who turned his attention to Grover.

"We don't wear them all the time, we just wear them whenever we're outside the academy or whenever we feel like it" Dean explained.

"It is customary for the reapers and soul garden keepers to keep their hoods on at all times though. You two are breaking the rules" Neil reprimanded.

"Enough with the rules already will you? We all know that you don't really give a damn about them anyway" Dean said.

Percy looked at them before finally turning his attention to Cole feeling fed up with his unexplainable staring.

"Why are you looking at me may I ask?" Percy demanded.

"Nothing" Cole replied before letting out a sigh then he turned to look elsewhere.

Percy noticed the slightly soaked bandage visible from under his clothes and bit his lip feeling an another bang of guilt.

He didn't know why the guy was looking at him though but it felt strange to be stared at like that all the time and even though Percy tried his hardest to ignore it he eventually gave in to his curiosity and annoyance.

"It's either you tell me what's going on or you quit staring at me like that do you understand? I have a lot on my plate right now so your behaviour doesn't have to add to the mess of my life" Percy said.

He didn't care if he sounded rude because maybe the only way to survive in that academy would be to make himself frightening enough.

"Why the hell are you looking at me?" Percy demanded angrily.

"That's because you look like you have been through hell just now and I'm not talking about the academy's location I'm talking about Inferno's hell if you know what I mean" Cole answered.

Percy frowned at the answer and looked at the other two siblings before turning his attention to Grover who was still looking at him in obvious concern.

"I...I'm fine" Percy murmured reluctantly.

He wasn't going to tell anyone that he almost got raped by a spirit it was embarrassing even for a shameless person like him.

The door suddenly opened and Nico rushed into the room.

"Percy there's something you have to see" Nico said.

Percy immediately turned his attention to Nico with curiosity evident on his face.

Then Nico and Grover helped Percy to his feet and they rushed out of the room with the sons of Thanatos following behind them.

"Holy shit what the fuck is that?" Dean asked.

Percy's eyes widened in shock and horror as he eyed the message written on the wall of the academy's food hall.

"You're not the first but you certainly won't be the last. It's either you give up or you lose the person you care about the most son of Poseiden"

Percy looked around him and noticed the gazes of the students as they eyed the message in clear concern and fear.

"Percy what the hell happened this time?" Nico asked.

Percy shook his head while still keeping his gaze focused on the message written on the wall.

"I have no idea, I really have no idea" He murmured.

Then he took a step back and took off running to where his dorm room was.

He rushed into the room and slammed the door shut behind him.

Overcome by emotion he started crying helplessly because it was the first time in a while he felt so lost and alone.

••☆★☆••

Zeus was sitting on his throne like usual when Poseiden and Hades appeared in his line of sight.

"Brothers, to what do I owe this visit?" Zeus drawled.

The lack of empathy was shared by the three deities as the two visitors eyed Zeus in contempt.

"You know why we came here, or at least you know why I'm here" Hades said.

Zeus leaned back in his seat and looked at his brothers silently.

"I've come here to negotiate, I can't bring my son into this war. He'll be devastated if he finds himself in the position to fight his friends" Hades said.

Zeus laughed as soon as he heard what his brother said.

"Negotiations? That's admirable. But you should have known better then to waste your time trying to negotiate your way out of this brother. Not after what you did to Hera" Zeus said.

"I did nothing to her and you never loved Hera in the first place so don't go pretending that you care about her now it doesn't suit you at all" Hades stated.

He didn't bother with keeping the anger out of his voice even though he tried his best to remain calm.

"You never cared about Persephone either, never forget the fact that we're not meant to care or..." Zeus started.

But he trailed off and sighed in boredom when he noticed the change in the air. Everything around the three brothers started growing darker and the wind started howling as the ground beneath their feet started shaking threatening to break at any second.

"You don't mention my wife you worthless scum do you understand?" Hades demanded angrily.

"Hades you must remain calm remember that he's only trying to provoke you" Poseiden said.

Hades turned his glare from Zeus to Poseidon, his eyes still showing evident anger.

"Calm? You're telling me to remain calm when this arrogant senseless fool speaks of my wife like that? How would you feel if it was Amphitrite? Or Sally Jackson?" Hades demanded.

Poseiden sighed and nodded in understanding.

"Nevertheless it's not like you to snap like that especially when..." Poseiden started.

"Don't try to play the good brother role Poseiden we all know why you're actually supporting him against me" Zeus continued.

Poseidon ignored Zeus and put a hand on Hades's shoulder trying to get his attention even though the other man was still looking at Zeus as if he wanted to rip him to pieces.

The three deities knew that it would literally take a single flick from Hades's finger and the dead will swarm the place creating chaos along with the ghosts which Hades will surely let loose as well.

But Zeus still wasn't intimidated in the slightest and Poseiden could easily pick on that judging from the smug smile on Zeus's face.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down so he doesn't snap at Zeus himself then he turned his attention to Hades once again.

"He wants you to lose control, Hades. Don't give him the satisfaction. You know how Zeus is" Poseiden advised.

Zeus smirked, leaning casually in his seat as he eyed his two brothers.

"Oh, stop being so dramatic, Hades. We all know Persephone has more loyalty to the surface than to the underworld. If you weren't so...How should I put it? Clingy? Desperate perhaps?" Zeus taunted.

Deafening screams split the air as the ground beneath Zeus's feet split open. Black smoke curled from the jagged crack in the earth and the hisses of the dead started growing clearer.

"I'll show you what truly means to regret something you bastard" Hades stated.

Zeus straightened, his casual demeanor faltering as the ominous energy around Hades pulsed dangerously. He glanced at Poseidon, who remained silent, his trident lowered but his gaze sharp, as if weighing every possible outcome.

No matter how much Poseiden tried to think it over he couldn't deny the fact that Zeus brought this on himself because he went too far with his taunts.

"You always did have a thing for theatrics, brother" Zeus finally said.

Then he let out a mocking chuckle and casually clapped his hands.

"I stand by my point we're gods, not mortals. Caring is a weakness none of us can afford" He said.

"You know nothing of strength, Zeus and I'll let you know what it truly means" Hades replied his tone quieter now but still intense enough to deliver the threat.

For a moment, silence fell between the three brothers, the tension thick. The darkness that had spread around them before began to subside, the wind easing as Hades drew back his power. Poseidon looked between them, his expression unreadable, before stepping forward to address them both.

"If we are to fight amongst ourselves, the mortals will be the ones to pay the price. We've been through this before so I still insist on trying to negotiate first, we do have more important matters to attend to after all" Poseiden insisted.

Hades turned away and disappeared in the shadows without saying an another word. Zeus snorted in annoyance but made no attempt to leave. And instead turned his gaze to Poseidon.

"More important matters, you say? Don't make me laugh. Because we all know that mortals will eventually be their very own doom. Starting with those kids at the camp or are you going to pretend you don't know?" Zeus asked.

"Know what?" Poseiden asked.

"That Athena's daughter has freed Prometheus" Zeus replied.

Then he disappeared leaving Poseiden alone.

••☆★☆••

Annabeth and Prometheus walked through the crowded streets of Manhatten and even though Prometheus was impressed by the lively city Annabeth wasn't sharing the excitement as she had to find a place to hide the titan from Zeus for the time being.

If she could ever do that in the first place.

The city was as alive as ever with bright lights flashing from giant billboards literally everywhere, taxis honking as they weaved through the busy streets, and streams of people going on their separate ways heading over to god knows where in a sense of urgency fitting for the typical busy morning.

Annabeth noticed that Prometheus was particularly impressed by the skyscrapers which was understandable because the titan spent a really long time chained to a rock in a cave.

"Humans have truly embraced fire. When I gave them its spark, I never imagined… this" He murmured in a voice that carried an obvious sense of sadness.

Annabeth glanced at him, feeling a sense of sympathy and pity for the titan knowing the unfair circumstances that led to his long term imprisonment.

"Yeah we’ve come a long way" She said.

She remained silent for a few seconds as she tried to summarise the current situation in one sentence.

"But for all our progress, your kind still treat us like pawns and the biggest proof is this meaningless war that will surely destroy our world along with yours" Annabeth continued.

And just like that the feeling of pity she felt for the titan was gone and she remembered what her task at hand was.

She was on a self assigned mission now, she needed to secure the titan's help and possibly rally more titans to the cause if she could.

Prometheus sighed and nodded to himself before turning his attention to her.

"That’s always been Olympus’s way. Control through power, they’ll never understand humanity the way I do" He said.

"You won't be that much different from them if the circumstances were different. I've been around way too many of you to understand that by now so you won't fool me with words" Annabeth stated.

Prometheus smirked and raised an eyebrow in amusement at the girl's attitude. She was certainly a brave one.

"And yet, here you are...A child of Athena, defying my kind as you put it" He said.

"Well, as I told you before I care about my friends and if the deities don't spare us then I'll just have to find a way to make them do so" Annabeth said.

Prometheus nodded again feeling a sense of respect for the girl's determination.

"In all honesty if your friends were as interesting as you then by all means you children will have my support especially because...How do I put it? How does your kind describe that state when you feel like beating up someone just to prove a point?" He inquired.

Annabeth snorted at that then shook her head as she laughed.

"You mean you want to kick Zeus's ass right? Don't worry we all share the sympathy so welcome to the family" She said.

Prometheus only laughed in response but he was taken by surprise when Annabeth suddenly took his hand.

"Well, if we're going to blend in with the crowd then you'll need to change a few things about your appearance so you need to come with me and no questions asked" She said.

Then they continued their walk through the streets until Annabeth finally managed to get to the bus station then they got onto a bus.

About thirty minutes or so later Annabeth and Prometheus got off in front of the street where Sally Jackson lived.

But she could easily tell that Prometheus was disappointed with the sudden end of the bus trip, she noticed how much he liked looking at the blurring streets through the window and had to remind herself that it was normal because it was his first time visiting the mortal realm in over a millennia.

She cleared her throat to get the titan's attention and it did the trick because he turned to her.

"We should get going I have a place where we can hide for the time being" She said.

He nodded and followed her through the street silently until they finally reached the right house.

Annabeth rang the doorbell and waited for someone to open then a minute or so later Sally finally opened the door.

Sally was surprised to see Annabeth but she pulled the girl into a hug before letting her in.

"I'm sorry to drop by unannounced but..." Annabeth started.

Then she glanced at the titan briefly before turning her attention back to Sally.

"I was hoping you could let us stay here for a few days" Annabeth continued.

Sally looked at the man in confusion but she couldn't afford to be confused right now so she turned her attention to Annabeth instead.

"Annabeth, please tell me you know where Percy went" Sally said.

Chapter Text

Sally ran a hand through her hair, it was obvious to Annabeth and Paul that she was so worried about Percy but Annabeth was equally worried now because she thought that Percy was here all along.

"I thought he was here" Annabeth said.

Sally sighed and shook her head in clear disappointment.

"He was here until a few days ago but now he's gone without a trace and it's the first time in a while that happened. He usually calls me whenever he decides to go somewhere for a long time" Sally explained.

"I really don't know anything, I'm sorry" Annabeth replied.

"Well then, did he tell you anything at all? He barely said anything to me, I mean that I know that you kids broke up and all but you're still friends at least aren't you?" Sally asked.

Annabeth pursed her lips not knowing how to answer that because it was untrue. She hadn't heard from Percy eversince he decided to end things and disappear from the camp as if he never came.

She couldn't help but feel angry at him for disappearing at a time like this but she also tried her best to convince herself that he had a reason to abandon her and his friends.

It was the irrational part of her that she resented and hoped for it to disappear along with her memories of him.

She rubbed at her eyes when she felt tears starting to form then took a deep breath.

"He didn’t tell me anything, We haven't really spoken since he decided to leave" she admitted in a cold, serious voice.

Then she turned her attention to the titan once again.

"Can you hide us here for a while? We need to lay low for a bit" Annabeth said.

"I can hide you two here for as long as you like but in return I want you to bring my son back. Can you promise me that?" Sally asked.

Annabeth had to admit that a confrontation was necessary, She needed to know why Percy was behaving like this no matter what which meant that she had to find him.

So she nodded and kept her gaze focused on Sally her eyes showing clear determination.

"I promise I'll bring him back" She said.

••☆★☆••

After what felt like minutes of just sitting there alone in the corner of the dimly lit room Percy was finally calm enough to stop crying, he took a deep breath and nodded to himself then wiped away his tears and stood up.

The feeling of helplessness was suffocating. He had faced countless challenges before monsters, titans, gods but this was different. This was personal, targeted, and the thought of losing someone he cared about was enough to break him.

The knock at the door startled him, he knew that the redness of his eyes will make him look miserable and pathetic but he had no other choice.

The knock came again, and Percy walked over to the door before opening it.

"I know I'm not really the warmest person in the list but right now I think you could use a friend" Nico said, his tone steady but softer than usual.

"Or two" Grover said before leaning over Nico’s shoulder.

Percy had no intention of smiling but he couldn't help the small smile that appeared on his face. He didn’t look Nico in the eye as he stepped back to let him in, but Nico didn’t comment on it. Instead, he closed the door quietly and the three of them walked into the room.

"You ran out before we could talk, I get it though that message...It's messed up so you have to get all the help you can get this time the last thing you should be doing is to hide" Nico said as he took a seat on the edge of Percy’s bed.

"I’m not hiding" Percy muttered, though his voice lacked conviction and energy to face anything.

Nico raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue.

"Okay, sure. You’re not hiding" Nico said.

Percy groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Nico, I'm not in the mood for your taunts alright?" Percy said.

"He didn't mean it Percy he's just worried about you. We all are, tell us what’s going on? Why would someone leave a message like that? And why are they threatening you?" Grover asked.

Percy sank onto the bed beside him, his shoulders slumping.

"I don’t know, Grover. I don’t know what this is about or why it’s happening. I just... I feel like I’m losing control. Like everything’s slipping away even my sanity. I honestly think I'm slowly going crazy" Percy said.

Nico sighed, his expression softening as he leaned closer.

"You’re not alone, whatever this is, you don’t have to figure it out on your own" Nico said.

"That’s the problem, they’re threatening someone I care about and the worst part is that I know who it is" Percy said in a small voice.

"You mean Annabeth right?" Nico asked.

Percy looked at him, then sighed and nodded.

Nico fell silent for a minute or so then he let out an incredulous laugh.

"You're kidding me right? That's why you broke up with her? What the hell were you thinking?" Nico demanded.

"I was thinking of her alright? I didn't want her to die because of me what's wrong with that?" Percy demanded.

Nico nodded to himself and brushed his hair back then grit his teeth and nodded again before standing up.

He grabbed Percy’s collar and pulled him to his feet before punching him in the face.

"Do you think she's fine now?" Nico demanded.

Percy stood up from the floor and wiped the blood off of his lip with his thumb before grabbing Nico as well.

"You two stop it now" Grover said as he stood between them but it was futile because Percy already punched Nico causing him to stumble back a few steps.

Nico steadied himself, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he walked over to Percy who stood rigid, his fists clenched and his breathing uneven. Grover, caught between them, looked desperate to defuse the situation.

"Enough" Grover shouted again.

He stepped forward and stood between his two friends.

"This isn’t helping anyone. You’re both acting like children, and we don’t have time for this" Grover said in a calmer voice.

Percy’s gaze flickered to Grover, his anger disappearing.

Nico too seemed to hesitate, his shoulders dropping slightly he let out a sharp exhale then ran a hand through his dark hair.

The tension in the room still hung heavy, but Grover’s words had managed to cut through it, somehow bringing the other two guys back to reality.

Nico sighed and nodded to himself.

"You think I don’t care? You think I don’t understand what it’s like to lose someone? To feel like you’re the reason they’re gone? But running away from her, breaking up with her it doesn’t protect her, Percy. It just hurts her" Nico said.

Percy’s jaw tightened, his fists loosening as he looked away.

"I didn’t know what else to do" He admitted his voice was so low it could have been passed as a whisper.

He gulped the lump in his throat as he tried to calm himself enough to stop himself from snapping again.

"I thought...I thought if I pushed her away, she’d be safe" Percy murmured tiredly.

Nico laughed incredulously and bit his lip.

"And now she’s out there, probably wondering why you abandoned her" Nico said.

"Percy, I'm sorry but I agree with Nico on this one. If you think that she'll be safer that way then you're wrong" Grover said.

Percy didn’t answer. He sank back onto the bed, his head in his hands. Grover placed a hand on his shoulder, his touch gentle but grounding.

"We’ll figure this out" Nico said.

"We'll do this together as a team. But you need to stop shutting people out, Percy. We’re here for you for both of you and Annabeth" Grover said picking up from where Nico left off.

His hand was still placed on Percy's shoulder in his best attempt to offer some reassurance to the other guy.

"You need to talk to her. Explain why you did what you did. She deserves that much" Nico continued.

Percy looked up at Nico, his eyes red and tired.

"And what if it doesn’t change anything? What if she hates me?" Percy inquired.

He was scared of what he'd do to Annabeth but he also loved her so much and didn't want to be separated from her.

Nico went still for a second or two as he eyed Percy in sympathy then he cleared his throat and turned his attention elsewhere.

"Then that’s on you. But at least you’ll know you tried" Nico murmured.

It was better then sugarcoating it when things didn't seem good in the first place and Percy had to appreciate Nico's straightforward answers because he wasn't in the mood to hear any useless words of reassurance.

Grover nodded in agreement, and squeezed Percy’s shoulder lightly.

"You owe it to her, Percy and to yourself" Grover said.

Percy let out a deep breath, he knew they were right he couldn’t keep running from this.

The message on the wall, the prophecy, the nightmares they were all connected, and he couldn’t face them alone. He needed Annabeth. And maybe, just maybe, she needed him too.

"I’ll talk to her, I'll find her and try to make things right" Percy said finally, his voice quiet but determined.

Nico gave a small nod then smiled in encouragement.

"It's about time you did Percy, and we’ll definitely help you whatever it takes" Grover said.

The three of them sat in silence for a moment, the weight of the situation still heavy but less suffocating.

They desperately needed a change of subject though and Percy couldn't think of anything better then to discuss the bigger issue.

"So what exactly happened this time? Why did they decide to go to war again?" Percy inquired.

Nico's expression hardened with seriousness as he thought about how to explain the situation in a simple way.

"Do you know what the nosoi are?" Nico inquired.

Percy blinked twice as he racked his brain to remember what his mother told him about that legend.

But after a few seconds Nico decided to spare him from thinking any longer then took a seat across from the bed where Percy was sitting.

Grover took a seat on the bed next to Percy.

"The nosoi are the demons of plague and disease they escaped from Pandora's box along with the other misfortunes of the world, but centuries ago they were captured again somehow" Nico said.

"Oh, I remember them now they were captured centuries ago shortly after the black death plague back in the fourteenth century right?" Percy asked.

"They were captured but they still had a faint effect on the world creating mild diseases and epidemics every now and then" Nico explained.

He paused for a minute as he tried to think of words to make this sound easier on both of his friends.

They were going to be in this war one way or another after all so he felt that Percy and Grover needed to know what they were up for.

The dramatic silence only did the trick of getting on Percy's nerves though.

"Yeah, I get that. But what does that have to do with the current situation?" Percy asked.

"Along with Epiales they were trapped in Tartarus where Hades ruled but recently they escaped...Them and Epiales I mean. And they infected Hera" Nico replied.

Percy's eyes narrowed as he finally connected the dots.

"She has been asleep and bedridden with sickness eversince hasn't she?" Percy asked.

"Yeah" Nico answered.

"And Zeus blames Hades for letting them escape right?" Percy asked again.

"Yes" Nico replied in a tired voice.

Percy laughed incredulously because he really couldn't believe how ridiculous the entire situation was.

"But this is Zeus we're talking about, everybody knows that he doesn't give a damn about anything yet alone Hera" Percy said.

"It doesn't matter, he probably sees it as a scheme meant to ridicule him among the gods" Grover said.

"That's not the case, it's part of the reason why because he certainly feels humiliated but everybody knows that he wants to rule over the underworld as well. Hades knows it...Everybody here knows it, we all know that Zeus has always feared the horrors that resided in Tartarus and preferred to keep it under his personal control" Nico explained.

Percy rubbed his temples in an attempt to ease his headache. But Nico’s words managed to give him something else to worry about.

"So, what does that mean for us?" Grover asked.

"It means Zeus won't stop the war until he takes over the underworld and drive Hades out" Percy concluded.

Nico nodded in agreement.

"But Tartarus isn’t just full of monsters. It’s alive, It’s chaos and malice in its purest form. If Zeus tries to take control of it without understanding what it truly is, it could awaken something none of us can stop" Nico said.

Percy felt a chill run down his spine, his mind racing with visions of what Nico was describing. He wasn’t a stranger to the horrors of Tartarus.

He and Annabeth had barely escaped with their lives. But the idea of it waking up, of it becoming something even worse… it made his stomach turn.

"But why would Zeus even want to mess with Tartarus?” Percy asked his voice rising with frustration. “He has Mount Olympus. He’s the freaking king of the gods. Why isn’t that enough?" Grover demanded.

"Because it’s Zeus" Nico said simply.

That made Grover fall into a state of silence as he finally understood what was happening.

They knew that for Zeus it wasn't about what he had it’s about what he didn't have. He saw Tartarus as a loose end, a threat he couldn't fully control. And if there’s one thing Zeus hated, it’s not being in control.

Grover shifted uneasily as his mind wrapped around the facts.

"So what do we do?" He inquired in a voice that implied clear nervousness.

Nico’s expression darkened, his hands curling into fists.

"We don’t stop it. We can’t. If Tartarus wakes up, all we can do is survive and that’s not even a guarantee" Percy said sullenly.

"I won't be part of this war if I can but if I ever get called into it I'll have to side with Hades" Nico said in a small voice.

Percy glanced at Nico for a few seconds. He really pitied his friend for being put in such a position.

After all, Tartarus was and will always be Nico's home even though it wasn't the best of places. But the fact still remained that it was the only place that welcomed him with open arms after Bianca's death.

And to turn his back on that place would mean losing the place he had come to think of as a home.

"Hades is raising an army of his own, it's a race against time but he's doing the best he could to defend his domain and he's trying to rally a few gods to his side...Poseidon and Amphitrite are among those who will lend him a hand" Nico confessed.

"What?" Percy asked.

He felt shocked by the news but then again it was probably his fault for not asking his father about it in the first place.

There was something more to it though, they were at a crossroads now it wasn't a choice for them anymore and Percy expected some of the campers to side with Zeus just as he expected others to side with Hades.

Nico seemed to be aware of that fact as well because he looked clearly worried and anxious even if he was trying his best to put up a brave front.

"You guys need to join us, please...If Apollo decides to help Zeus at least try to get Will to come here" Nico said in a voice that carried a plea as his eyes welled up with tears.

Percy pursed his lips and fell completely silent as he eyed Nico in growing sympathy.

"I can't fight you guys, I don't want to fight you...I don't want to fight any of you" He continued as tears streamed down his cheeks.

Percy didn't know what to do except pull Nico into a hug.

For some reason he felt that they both needed it.

Chapter Text

By the time Nico was gone, night had fully settled in the school and the entire place was engulfed in a complete deafening silence.

Grover had left too, deciding to go back to his room after making sure Percy was fine to be on his own. Percy appreciated the concern, but it didn’t do much to ease the stress he was feeling.

He layed in bed, staring at the ceiling, as if it held the answer to all of his problems. His friends were out there at the camp, or somewhere else and he had no idea if they were okay. He had no way of knowing if they were alright and it made him feel extremely exhausted and helpless.

And the more he thought about it, the bigger his frustration grew.

Finally, after what felt like hours of useless brooding, Percy exhaled sharply and sat up. Sitting here wasn’t going to change anything. He needed to move, needed to do something.

He pulled on his jacket and stepped out into the hallway, shutting the door quietly behind him.

The school was different at night that much he knew now.

Percy had already noticed its gothic grandeur, the looming arches, endless corridors lined with polished floors and heavy curtains. But in the darkness, it felt as if it was watching its residents. The silence wasn’t peaceful, it was charged. Like the building itself was waiting.

Still, he walked on, hands shoved deep into his pockets, trying his best to enjoy the quiet as he wandered through the halls.

Then he stopped when he realised that he was almost outside the building because he could see the huge garden right through the stained glass of the door.

He had seen it before during the day and it was too pristine, too untouched amidst the harshness of the school. It was a nice place that looked like a meadow which wasn't a surprise to him because he knew that it was designed by Persephone herself.

But what unsettled him most was the cloaked figures. They were always there, never really leaving the place at all.

But at least at this hour, though, it had to be empty. Right?

He really hoped that it would be empty because he wanted to be completely alone in this place.

Percy pushed open the door and stepped outside.

The cool night air hit him instantly, it wasn’t too cold but it was still cool in a nice way. The moonlight lit the garden in silver, making the thick hedges cast unnatural shadows. The trees stood still, their branches barely moving despite the breeze.

Percy walked further, eyes trailing over the flowers lining the path in absolute awe. The place was lined by strange flowers...Beautiful flowers, but it was certainly nothing like he had ever seen.

Then something made him stop.

He could hear a sound. It was so monotone it was almost impossible to catch but when he focused his hearing just enough he finally realised what it was...It was laughter.

Not the kind he was used to hearing though. Not mocking, not cruel. It was pure and nice to hear.

It was childlike laughter which reminded him of Estelle and naturally brought a smile to his face.

Percy blinked in surprise when he realised that the sound seemed to come from the flowers themselves.

Which was impossible because how come the flowers could laugh?

He knelt down close enough to one of the flower beds inhaling the delicate scent which was something light and comforting, something sweet and serene like the distant memory of Estelle's birth.

He reached out, fingers brushing the petals, preparing to pluck one when a hand suddenly gripped his shoulder firmly.

Percy jolted upright immediately and turned his attention to look behind him.

Cole was standing behind him with his face covered by the hood of his cloak but it still did very little to hide the angry glaring gaze he had on Percy.

"What do you think you’re doing?" Cole’s voice was sharp, carrying an authority that made Percy tense and stand up immediately.

"I...I was just...I couldn’t sleep, so I came here for some air, and..." He stammered.

"You’re not allowed to touch anything here without permission. Do you understand?" Cole deadpanned.

The anger in Cole’s voice made Percy’s irritation grow.

He didn't even ask to be here he was literally kidnapped and the people treated him like trash. Not just that, he was also tired and worried about his friends and the worst part was that he couldn't even leave this place to go and look for them.

"What's so special about them anyway? Were they planted by Persephone herself or something?" Percy snapped, his temper finally taking over.

Cole exhaled slowly clearly disappointed before eyeing Percy in a way that made him uneasy.

"They’re soul flowers. Each one of them holds the soul of an unborn child, waiting for reincarnation. If you pluck one, you erase a soul from existence" Cole explained.

Percy froze in complete shock and horror as he stared at the flowers. And the thought that he had almost plucked one made a chill run down his spine.

His throat tightened. His frustration, his anger it all felt idiotic now.

What was wrong with him lately? He knew that he was always anger prone but he had never been this easily angered before.

Something was off and it bothered him that he didn't know what it was.

Cole let out a sigh, then he knelt beside the flowers and pulled back his hood, revealing his sharp yet calm features.

He took out a small flask from his cloak.

Percy watched as Cole scattered water drops over the petals, and, almost instantly, the flowers turned transparent like glass.

"What happened to them?" Percy asked.

"That's the way they eat" Cole answered curtly.

Then he glanced at Percy and held out the flask.

"Want to feed them?" Cole asked.

Percy blinked, taken by surprise with Cole's request.

"I can?" He asked.

"I don’t see why you shouldn't" Cole replied.

He hesitated for a moment but took the flask anyway, kneeling down beside Cole.

The first few drops fell onto the petals, and the effect was immediate but Percy still watched in awe as the flowers turned transparent.

The flowers shimmered, glowing faintly, something unbelievably delicate and alive and the fact that he could still hear the joyful laugh emanating from them made Percy feel more at peace and it brought a smile to his face.

"You can’t touch them though" Cole warned.

Percy nodded absently, completely caught in the strange beauty of these flowers.

A minute or so passed in complete silence before Percy gave in to his curiosity and turned his attention to the guy next to him.

"So how long have you been doing this?" Percy inquired.

Cole didn’t answer right away. He continued scattering water.

"Since I came here" He finally said after a minute or so of silence.

"How long ago was that? One year? Two? Three?" Percy inquired with a frown on his face.

Cole only smiled in response.

"Bold of you to assume I’m actually your age, son of Poseidon" Cole said.

Percy narrowed his eyes and he tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"Wait...You’re immortal?" Percy inquired.

"I am. And I’m not" Cole replied.

Percy groaned, shaking his head.

"Do you ever just say things normally?" He asked.

Cole didn’t offer any clarification and Percy realised that this was the only answer he was going to get.

"These flowers, they’re the purest things in this realm. Not all people here can see them or hear their voices. You should consider yourself lucky" Cole said.

Percy chuckled in disbelief as soon as he heard what the other guy said.

"Yeah, right" Percy said sarcastically.

He had seen plenty of gardeners working around the place he had seen ten of them at least.

"It means your soul is pure by nature, I’m telling you this because not even my brothers can see them" Cole said as he glanced at him his tone slightly quieter.

Percy wasn’t sure why, but he believed him.

There was something different about Cole.

Not just his serene looks, but his entire presence the way he carried himself, the way he spoke.

Unlike his brothers, this guy was calm, collected and unbothered.

But Percy knew that Cole's attitude had something to do with his job here so he didn't say anything about it.

Percy sighed, placing the flask down. He felt that Cole's words were believable but for all he knew there was something wrong with him anyway. His soul can't be that pure.

"If my soul is pure, then why do I run into so much trouble? Shouldn’t my life be easy?" Percy reasoned in a small voice.

Cole didn’t pause, continuing his work.

"Misfortunes shape a person...The challenge is coming out of it unchanged" He said simply.

Percy raised an eyebrow and an amused smile spread over his face.

"You really do talk like a grandpa" Percy remarked.

Cole smirked but didn’t argue.

Percy watched him for a long moment, then asked.

"So...What’s your misfortune?" Percy inquired.

Cole went still, just briefly. The silence stretched for a few seconds making Percy realise that he had asked something that he shouldn't have.

"It’s late. You should go back to your room" Cole said.

Percy frowned. He had definitely hit something...Some kind of sore spot.

But he knew when to back off so he didn't press the guy any further. Instead he nodded then stood up and left without another word.

He decided to just go back instead of staying here so he started making his way back to the school building.

After several minutes of aimless wandering, Percy still didn't feel like going back to his room. So he decided to walk around for a bit more since the garden was obviously not an option anymore.

The halls all looked the same in the dim lighting, the expected but eerie silence stretching on with every turn he took.

Then, a soft glow flickered in the distance. But before he could debate whether he should run or not the soft light showed the shadow of a Satyr's legs.

He squinted, spotting Grover walking toward him, carrying something no doubt the source of light judging from how faintly it illuminated Grover's shape.

And Percy managed to see it clearly the closer his friend walked his way and it was a gas lamp.

"Seriously?" Percy inquired with a bit of laughter in his voice as soon as he saw the gas lamp.

"Yeah, apparently they have a problem with modern technology. I couldn't find a single flashlight anywhere" Grover replied.

Percy only nodded in return as he eyed the gas lamp in amusement. He never really considered how outdated this place was until now, but it must be the only explanation as to why the place was so clean, so pristine no wires, no blinking screens, just eerie candlelight and centuries old architecture.

"I'm glad I found you though. I've been looking all over for you, where have you been by the way? Are you alright?" Grover inquired.

"You came to look for me?" Percy asked.

"Yeah, I figured that you might still be sick so I thought I should check on you and all. You're feeling better now though, right?" Grover asked.

"Yeah, much better" Percy replied in a hesitant voice.

He could tell that Grover didn't buy it though judging from how he sighed and how he looked at him in clear worry.

"You can tell me anything at this point alright? We've been friends for years" Grover remarked.

"I know Grover, and I promise I'll tell you alright? I just need to figure it out on my own first" Percy said.

"Good, then let's go back we have classes tomorrow" Grover said.

Percy nodded and followed Grover back to his room but it felt that the further he was from the garden the more restless he became.

It seemed that his worries were returning ten fold and the fact that he still didn't know what to do was nagging at him in a way nothing else did.

Grover was probably saying something because he could hear a voice in the distance but he couldn't focus on the words completely.

He stopped walking abruptly as he finally came to a decision.

"I'm going to ask for a meeting with Hades tomorrow" Percy said.

He had to get out of here, he had to find his friends.

Grover stopped walking and turned to him.

"You don't know if he'll agree to see you or not" Grover said.

"Well, he'll have to deal with it because I won't give up until I'm out of here" Percy said.

Grover looked at him skeptically then let out a sigh and nodded before plastering a smile on his face.

"Fine, I'm coming with you. Because Annabeth isn't here and someone has to do the talking" Grover said.

Percy let out a groan then he caught up to his friend.

"I can talk alright?" Percy said.

"Yeah, sure you can" Grover replied with a chuckle.

Percy couldn't help but smile and shake his head in response then he slung an arm over Grover's shoulder as they walked together down the hall.

They were completely unaware of the fact that someone has been watching them.

Chapter Text

Hades paced the main hall of his residence back and forth as he tried to think about what he should do.

Persephone looked at her husband in clear concern not knowing how to help him.

She had thought about giving him advice multiple times but she didn't really know what kind of advice she should contribute to his cause.

As far as she knew Zeus was still convinced that her husband released nightmare and disease from the underworld but she also knew that Hades did no such a thing.

But the question here was who? Who could have done such a thing? And why?

"The human realm isn't going to last long at this rate" Hades said.

Persephone looked at him with a frown.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"It's only a matter of time before the war hits the mortals and destroys them beyond repair" Hades continued.

Persephone stood up.

"You mean that Zeus is fighting on human grounds?" She asked.

"Not yet, but soon he will. So far I've been doing my best to keep the war contained within the abandoned lands but I can't guarantee that I'll be able to keep that up for long" Hades answered.

Persephone bit her lip in thought.

"What about my mother? What about Poseiden? Who exactly do we have on our side?" Persephone inquired.

Hades let out a sigh and rubbed his face tiredly.

"We have Demeter as long as you're here and we have Poseiden as long as that kid is here" Hades answered.

"What about Athena? Ares? Artemis? Apollo?" Persephone inquired.

Hades shook his head in response.

"Athena isn't concerned about her daughter as much as I hoped she would be, and I can't locate the rest of the camp kids. They probably joined Zeus's side" Hades answered.

Persephone opened her mouth to say something but closed it again not knowing what exactly to say.

"My only chance to win this once and for all is to release the army of the underworld" Hades said.

Persephone's eyes widened in horror.

"You don't mean what I have in mind don't you?" Persephone inquired in a shaking voice that showed just how worried she was.

"I have no choice left in front of me Persephone, I must lead this army to victory or else much bigger chaos will ascend" Hades said.

"That would be destruction in it's purest form" Persephone said sharply.

Hades fell silent and turned his gaze to the floor.

Persephone laughed in disbelief.

"You clearly made your decision right?" She asked.

"I'm sorry" Hades murmured.

Persephone nodded without saying anything and left the place in clear anger.

She stopped walking and turned back to the place where Hades was then shook her head and continued walking once again.

She was disappointed in him but she also knew he had no other choice.

She walked into the garden and immediately noticed her workers who were busy doing their job.

Persephone didn't know what would become of the sanctuary she created for the pure souls among the underworld when her husband awakens the army nor did she know what will become of the mortal realm when the war breaks into their domain but she knew one thing.

She at least had to contribute in some way.

So she decided to strengthen the barrier around the flowers encasing it in a protective dome to prevent the army from crossing them.

The barrier shimmered creating a strong light that engulfed the darkness of the underworld before it slowly faded.

Persephone continued her work on the gardens encasing everything in similar barriers.

She stepped back, breathing deeply because even though she worked hard on these barriers she was still not sure if they'd be strong enough to protect the souls.

A soft rustle drew her attention.

"My lady?" A voice said from behind her.

Persephone turned to look behind her and saw that it was Eurydice, eyes wide with worry, soil clinging to her fingers.

"Is it true?...Has my lord really chosen to awaken the army?" Eurydice asked in a small shaking voice that showed clear disappointment and worry.

Persephone nodded once, and Eurydice swallowed hard.

"Then…We have little time" Eurydice concluded.

"No" Persephone said, her voice steadier than she felt.

"We have just enough to do what must be done" She said in a firm voice.

She turned away from Eurydice and saw that all the gardeners have gathered in front of her already clearly awaiting her orders.

"Gather the oldest spirits...The wise ones. I need counsel. And someone find Hypnos. If sleep is to fall over the battlefield, I want to know where it will land" Persephone said.

As her gardeners scattered, she moved back toward the heart of the sanctuary.

Vines curled beneath her feet, shifting to clear her path. This was her realm too. And if Hades would raise the dead to fight, she would raise the living to protect.

She noticed that a single gardener had lingered behind which filled her with a bit of rage because that person dared to defy her in this difficult time.

"Remove your cloak and show me your face" Persephone inquired.

Cole removed his cloak and courtesied politely.

"Lady Persephone, I need to remind you of the fact that there're a few naming ceremonies in possession...Should we postpone them?" He asked.

Persephone blinked twice then sighed and ran a hand through her hair in frustration.

"I don't think we should go through with it today...Just make sure that everyone is safe" She murmured in a small voice.

She knew just how important the naming ceremonies were but she had no choice.

"Off you go" She said.

Cole nodded and bowed to her politely once again before disappearing.

••☆★☆••

Grover was walking through the hallway that led to Percy's dorm room when he noticed that there was a gathering in the training ground.

"What's that all about?" Grover asked a student who was walking on his way to the gathering group of students.

"It's a naming ceremony, a student from the surface came in a few days ago and agreed to get a new name" The student replied.

"What's that?" Grover inquired.

But the other guy didn't answer that and went on his way.

"Rude" Grover muttered under his breath then went on his way to Percy's room.

The ground suddenly started shaking hard causing Grover to loose his balance.

He sat up slowly and looked around him frantically.

The sound of the clock started ringing through the place causing a deafning noise to engulf the place.

Percy woke up to the sound of the ticking clock in the distance and even though he has been here for more then two weeks now it was still really difficult to adjust to this place.

He had something to do today though and that wasn't attending classes. He was going to meet with Hades no matter what.

So he stood up and put on his school uniform and walked out of the room.

But much to his surprise a girl in a cloak was standing right outside the door.

"Follow me son of Poseiden" The girl in the cloak said.

She was a gardener or at least Percy guessed as much because of Cole's explanation but he was still not sure what she wanted from him.

But then again she didn't have the wings Cole and his brothers had so he wasn't sure if she was a daughter of Thanatos or not.

"Where are we going?" Percy asked.

The girl didn't answer him which caused Percy to roll his eyes.

The two of them walked down the halls for a few minutes silently and the girl didn't turn to face him not even once.

So Percy ditched her and walked down a different hallway without her noticing.

He was walking down a different hallway when he suddenly ran into the girl once again.

She sighed and shook her head in clear annoyance but Percy was having none of it.

"I'm not going anywhere with you until you tell me where exactly are you taking me" Percy retorted.

"Don't worry Celine I've got him" Dean said from somewhere behind Percy.

Percy didn't turn to face the other guy even when he put a hand on his shoulder.

"I was told to bring him myself" Celine replied.

"It's fine, I can take care of that myself" Dean insisted.

Celine looked between the two of them then nodded and left.

Percy turned to look at Dean who was still standing right behind him.

"What's this all about?" Percy inquired.

"Well, you're supposed to have your naming ceremony now but I don't suppose you'd want that right? Don't worry. Me and my brothers have it under control" Dean replied.

"My naming what?" Percy asked with his eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Oh it's just a procedure that most of us go through when we come here...You see when a demigod from the surface joins our campus for one reason or another they get the chance to get an underworld being for a parent then they'll have to change their names and receive the blessing of their new parent" Dean explained.

Percy blinked in surprise as soon as Dean finished talking.

"What? You mean as in being adopted?" Percy asked.

"Yes, I suppose that's one way to put it...It's actually not bad though, especially in your case...I mean you're so famous you'll actually be surprised by how many of the underworld deities are willing to adopt you" Dean continued with a hint of laughter in his voice.

"And what happens after that adoption thing is completed?" Percy asked cautiously.

"Well, you'll still maintain your original powers and all but you'll also have some of your adoptive parent's powers" Dean said.

"I don't need that" Percy said.

"Are you sure about that though?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, I'm completely fine without the adoption thanks" Percy replied.

"Well, I expected as much but suit yourself" Dean replied with a shrug.

The ground started shaking once again causing Dean to turn his attention to the training ground.

"The naming ceremonies have been postponed until further notice, I repeat...The naming ceremonies have been postponed until further notice" A thunderous voice broke the silence of the school.

Percy didn't have to think twice to guess who that was because he could easily recognise Hermes's voice anywhere.

"Why have they..." Percy started.

"Hurry up we don't have much time we need to get out of here as soon as possible" Dean interrupted.

Dean started walking down the hallway in a rather quick pace so Percy followed him silently. But after a few minutes his curiosity got the best of him once again.

Dean turned and grabbed his hand then they shadow travelled into a different place and the two of them started their frantic jog towards the gates of the school while passing through the gathering of the panicked students who crossed their path.

They finally arrived at the garden which was located right outside the school bit much to Percy's surprise there wasn't a single gardener in sight.

"Come on" Dean said.

Then they started walking once again as they went through the empty garden.

"Did the three of you undergo the adoption?" Percy asked.

Dean stopped walking and turned to him and even though the other guy had his hood on Percy was still sure that he was looking at his eyes directly.

"The three of us...We always knew that we were the children of Thanatos but believe me when I say I really wished that we weren't" Dean replied in a tone voice that showed clear contempt and barely concealed anger.

Percy didn't know what to make of that answer but he supposed that it was his cue not to ask anymore questions because apparently the other guy hated talking about that.

Dean led him out of the school garden where Grover was waiting with the two other siblings.

"I want to have an audience with Hades, it's important and..." Percy started.

But was interrupted when the ground suddenly started shaking hard once again.

"What's going on?" He asked the brothers.

"It has started" Cole murmured as he and his brothers kept their attention focused at a certain point in the dull colored distance.

The shaking of the ground started getting even stronger and the air started growing stronger as if the wind was trying to blow them away.

The wind was strong enough to remove the hoods the three siblings were wearing but Percy wished it hadn't because the panicked look that the brothers had on their faces sent a sense of alarm and panic in both Percy and Grover.

Cole turned to him and Grover and stepped closer to them quickly then put his hands out for them to take.

"Grab my hands" Cole instructed.

But before they could grab his hands Dean turned to Cole frantically.

"Cole be careful" He screamed in clear panic.

Percy's eyes widened when the ground under Cole's feet started breaking at a strange speed and hands started coming out of these cracks.

"We must hurry. Grab my hands" Cole instructed as he stretched his hands out for Percy and Grover to take.

The two of them grabbed Cole's hands and they immediately disappeared in the shadows and appeared somewhere else.

Percy looked around him and noticed that they were now outside the underworld not just the school's domain.

The sunlight was an immediate giveaway but he was still not sure about where exactly they were.

It was a forest of some sort because the place was coated with tall green trees.

The three brothers started taking off their cloaks and put them away then they started changing into some common clothes.

"Hurry up and get dressed" Dean said as he passed the bag of clothes towards Percy and Grover.

"What's that all about?" Grover asked as soon as he recovered from the shadow travel.

Cole's brothers appeared shortly after and they immediately approached Cole before Neil put his hands on his shoulders.

"Are you alright? You're not hurt right?" Dean inquired in clear concern as he and Neil waited for Cole's answer.

Cole nodded in response.

"Yeah, I'm fine" Cole replied.

Grover cleared his throat in an attempt to get their attention once again.

"Can you tell us what that was all about now please?" Grover inquired politely.

"That's the procession of the army...Or maybe the better naming for it would be the stampede of the dead" Neil replied.

"Most of Hades's army includes the dead. They don't have any feelings or sense of knowledge of their surroundings...They just rise from the ground and march so naturally they step on anything that comes their way without a care" Dean said.

"The army also has the corpses of previously conquered giants and beasts...As you know, once they all die they go to the underworld" Cole said.

"What about Zeus's army? What does he have?" Percy inquired.

Neil shook his head.

"No one knows. Lord Hades has strictly prohibited any of the students to participate in the war unless needed" Neil said.

"Well then, what about us?" Percy demanded.

"You're a student here son of Poseiden. You and your friend are under the protection of the institution" Neil said.

Percy laughed in disbelief and shook his head.

"Don't give me that crap alright? My friends are out there so unless you don't want me to create a mess I suggest you tell me how to get to them or allow me to meet Hades" Percy snapped.

His angry flare was back once again and even though he always found it strange that he was easily angered nowadays he didn't feel so right now because for once in a really long time his anger was justified.

"Bring the rest of the campers here or find me a way to meet with your lord. Simple as that" Percy continued.

The three brothers looked at each other.

"We can't help I..." Neil started.

But was interrupted when Dean stepped forward.

"I'll help you guys get an audience with Hades" Dean interrupted.

Percy and Grover looked at each other before turning their attention back to Dean.

"And why would you help us?" Grover inquired.

Dean sighed and took a glance at his siblings.

"Because it's the right thing to do" Dean replied in a serious voice.

Chapter Text

"Alright then" Dean said.

Then he turned to Percy and Grover his mind already forming a plan.

"If you guys want an audience with Hades, then the only way to do that is to summon him...And lucky for you we have the materials to do that" Dean said.

"Are we seriously doing this?" Neil asked in a panicking voice.

"Yes, I hought I made that clear" Dean replied.

"Summoning a god is a serious offence and you want to help them summon one of the Big Three? It's not something you just do alright? We could get into serious trouble if we do that" Neil snapped.

"For god's sake, stop ruining the fun" Dean cut him off as he made his way over to Percy.

He placed his hands on Percy's shoulders, his eyes and smile implying clear mischief.

"The son of Poseidon wants answers. And honestly? Mortals deserve a better chance at avoiding this war" Dean reasoned.

Neil scoffed as soon as he heard Dean’s explanation.

"And we're supposed to stop it? We're the sons of a demon, Dean not actual deities or have you forgotten that?" Neil demanded.

He turned to Cole for backup.

Cole ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"You know him. Once his mind is set on something there's no turning back" Cole said.

Neil groaned and facepalmed.

"How are we even going to pull this off? What if we summon something else?" Neil asked.

Grover who had been silent all this time cleared his throat to alert the others of his presence.

"Yeah, what's the plan?" Grover asked in a small unsure voice.

He was reluctant about the entire plan but it seemed that it was the only way for him and Percy to find the answers to their questions.

"Well, as I was saying before my big brother here interrupted me we need the right tools and we also need a place to do it" Dean replied.

A drop of rain fell on Percy's face. He blinked and turned his gaze to the sky, confused for a moment, then remembered that they were standing in the heart of a dense rainforest in the middle of nowhere.

Cole looked up at the misty sky with his palm outstretched.

"We should find cover" He murmured then his wings disappeared.

Neil and Dean also hid their wings and pulled their hoods over their heads.

Percy and Grover followed suit as the downpour quickened.

Percy narrowed his eyes, trying to spot a road. But there was nothing. Just the forest and the cloudy skies up ahead and the sound of water soaked, shaking leaves.

"Where exactly is that shelter?" Percy asked.

The three brothers exchanged a look then Dean let out a deep sigh.

Percy could feel the sudden stillness that emanated from the three brothers as he looked at them.

Cole offered his hand. Dean did the same to Grover and without a word, the five of them vanished into the shadows.

When they reappeared, Grover let out a sharp gasp which made Percy turn to look at his surroundings.

They stood on a jagged ridge in the middle of barren hills. Homes were carved into stone that clung to the slope like ancient scars but they were still beautiful in a tragic way.

"Is this..." Percy started but the hesitation was clear in his voice.

"This is Les Baux" Cole answered.

Grover spun to face him.

"Wait, are you guys French?" Grover asked.

"You can say so" Neil replied.

Dean adjusted his hood and looked around to make sure no one was here.

"We climb from here. I hope you don’t mind flying" He said.

"Won't that be a bit...Too obvious?" Grover asked.

"Then I guess we'll just have to be careful" Dean replied.

With that, Dean took Percy's arm, Neil grabbed Grover, and together they were lifted into the sky, the clouds parting briefly to show the stone carved houses underneath.

They landed atop the ridge. And Percy froze at the sight in front of him.

The view was breathtaking with houses that stretched in the midst of greenery.

They stepped closer to one of the small houses and Dean pushed the door open.

"Are we allowed to go in?" Percy inquired.

"Of course we are this is our childhood home" Neil said.

The group walked further into the place but the more they walked the more Percy and Grover could sense the eerie atmosphere that sent a chill down their bones.

Bones where everywhere, dirty and decaying in a way that implied that they've been here for way longer then they were supposed to.

Percy looked around the place but the more he looked the more he saw more signs of clear death.

"What happened here?" Grover inquired.

Cole brushed a beam with his fingers. Neil looked away and Dean's gaze never left the hearth.

"They burned the sick here, to stop the spread. It didn't work" Neil muttered.

Percy and Grover stood frozen in the silence. No more questions were needed.

The inside reeked of mold, the walls were cracked, furniture forgotten and broken. With every step, the floor creaked as the accumulated dust left visible footprints.

No words passed between the three brothers...No happiness at being back here.

There were smaller bones that clearly belonged to decomposed animals. But they were so tiny and on closer inspection Percy realised what they were.

But it was still just a thought that occurred to him. There was no way it was true because the three brothers looked no older then teenagers.

Then he remembered what Cole told him about being older then what he looked like.

He had to focus on the matter at hand though.

Cole knelt down in front of a corner in the room and placed an incense stick in a knot in the floorboards then lit it, the smoke immediately curled toward the ceiling but it did very little to cover the molding smell of the place.

Heavy footsteps interrupted the silence and an old woman appeared at the doorway of the room causing Percy and Grover's eyes to widen in surprise and shock.

"Who's there?" The woman asked.

"Calm down Adeline...It's just us" Neil said.

"Masters?" The old woman asked as she stepped further into the room.

Cole stood up and walked over to the woman and Dean also followed behind him.

Percy realised that the woman was blind when she started touching the brothers faces one by one.

"What brought you back here masters?" The woman asked.

"We're here to stay for a while" Cole replied.

"Then I must clean up a bit...I'm really sorry I wasn't aware of your presence" She said.

Then she walked out of the room slowly using her cane to help her.

"We have visitors Adeline so you should clean the guestrooms as well" Dean said.

"So who is she?" Grover asked as soon as the woman left.

"She's a legacy...Her family served our family for so many years" Dean answered.

Cole knelt down in front of the incense and took out a flask from his bag and uncapped it then poured its contents into a circle around the incense stick. Dean knelt down next to his younger brother and added rare coins and five gemstones which he carefully spaced all over the circle.

Neil closed his eyes and murmured a short prayer then crushed some of the bones he had found in the corner into dust and scattered them over the ritual space.

Percy tried not to wince as he saw the three brothers working.

"This feels more like a demon summoning" He remarked.

Grover walked closer to the brothers.

"Are you sure this will work?" Grover inquired.

"Honestly? No" Dean replied without looking up from his work.

Percy groaned as soon as he heard the disappointing answer.

"Then why were you so sure it'll work?" Percy demanded.

"I said I knew a way for summoning but I didn't say that it'll necessarily summon whatever we wanted" Dean said.

Cole sighed and shook his head at his brothers antics.

"This is how our people traditionally did it though" Cole said in an attempt to ease the tension.

"So now what?" Percy asked, folding his arms over his chest.

He was really worried about the entire plan now but he still hoped it would work.

"And now we wait" Cole replied as he stood up and walked out of the circle with his brothers.

The Silence was really unbearable. And the air had a mixture between the smell of incense and mold which was highly uncomfortable and hard to get used to.

Grover wrinkled his nose.

"You guys should really clean this place" Grover remarked.

Cole cracked a small smile at this remark and shook his head the way a grownup would do when a child did something funny.

More time passed and Percy was already losing more of his already thinning patience.

"This isn't working we should..." Percy started.

But he was interrupted when the three brothers stood up in alarm and it was then that Percy noticed that incense flame has vanished.

Smoke coiled violently inward, then burst outward with a thunderous gust. In the center of the summoning circle stood a towering figure cloaked in black, shadows flickering at his feet.

Then the shadows disappeared and Hades’s form started shrinking in size to match the human size.

His eyes scanned the dirty room and he let out a sigh as soon as he noticed the five boys.

"This better be important" He said.

A flicker of silence fell over the group. The scent of scorched incense lingered in the air as Hades stood, regal and stone faced, within the circle.

Neil was the first to incline his head in respect then his brothers followed his example.

"Lord Hades. Thank you for coming" Neil said.

"Flattery won't earn you any favors, boy...Now speak" Hades ordered.

"We need your help" Percy said.

"I imagined as much. No one summons the god of the underworld for idle tea and pleasantries" Hades replied.

"It's about the war. I know that it had already started but I want to find my friends...I want to make sure that they're safe" Percy said.

"You speak as if you have a choice, son of Poseidon...I only offered you my protection because your father wanted me to make sure you're safe" Hades said.

"I know that I have no say in the matter but that's why I have a proposal for you" Percy said.

Cole stepped forward and stood right next to Percy.

"We're not asking you to fix Olympus. We're asking you to let us help end the war...You know that if the humans suffer these casualties the underworld will never rest. The souls will be as angry as fire" Cole said.

Hades remained silent for a few minutes as he thought about his proposal.

"You summoned me with dust from my own shrines, with coins meant to pay my ferryman, and with gemstones found only in the deepest crevices of the earth...Either you're brave...Or foolish" Hades said.

"Can't we be both?" Grover offered with a nervous laugh.

Hades looked at him and his expression softened a bit.

"Fine...What's your proposal?" Hades asked.

Percy exchanged glances with Dean, Cole, and Neil. Before taking a deep breath.

They had come this far...There was no backing down now.

"You need someone to help you find who released the Nosoi and the Epiales so we'll help you find that person" Percy said.

"I'll consider your request and I'll reunite you with your friends" Hades said after an another minute of silence.

His size grew bigger and the summoning circle started dimming beneath his feet until he finally disappeared from their sight.

"Well then...We better get to work" Neil said.

"What work?" Percy asked with a frown on his face.

"You didn't expect old Adeline to clean this place all by herself right?" Neil asked.

"Right" Percy replied then let out a heavy sigh and rolled up his sleeves.

After what felt like hours they were done making the place presentable.

Adeline made them some food and they went to sleep.

They didn't have beds around here anymore but Percy didn't mind at all he was used to sleeping on the floor from his time at the camp.

He blew the candle then layed down on the makeshift mattress and closed his eyes.

••☆★☆••

Percy woke up in the middle of the night when he felt something touching the bare skin of his chest.

His eyes shot open and he sat up immediately when he saw that it was the same woman with red hair.

She withdraw her hand which was under his shirt and let out a giggle.

"Have you missed me?" She inquired.

Percy crawled backwards until his back hit the solid bedpost.

"Just who the fuck are you?" Percy demanded.

The woman didn't answer him though she just stood between his legs and put her hands on his cheeks.

Percy felt that familiar chill creeping up his spine as the woman stared at his eyes.

Her thumbs brushed lightly over his cheekbones, and Percy felt the temperature in the room dip a few degrees. His instincts screamed at him to move...To summon water but he was frozen beneath her touch.

"You're not really strong enough to hurt me...To resist me. I order you to stay still son of Poseidon...I order you to submit to me" She murmured in his ear.

Percy hated the fact that his body didn't obey him whenever that woman touched him.

It wasn't like any other spell he encountered.

She leaned closer to his neck and Percy closed his eyes in fear as he tried to move away from her but it was futile.

Percy felt her teeth on the skin of his neck but strangely enough he felt that he could move again.

He used this chance to his advantage and pushed her away from him immediately then took out riptide and slashed her face.

The woman let out a loud scream.

"You'll regret this...You'll really regret it Perseus" She screamed.

Then she disappeared from his sight.

Chapter Text

Thalia pushed her sword deeper into the creature's gut, and twisted it until it let out an agonised scream.

The creature writhed on the ground and black blood started oozing out of it, before it disintegrated into dust.

Beside her, Leo hurled a fireball which did the desired trick of engulfing an another one of these creatures in flames.

And as expected the creature shrieked before collapsing onto the ground.

Leo heaved a few deep breaths his chest rising and falling from the tremendous effort then he glanced at Thalia.

"There're too many...What's the plan?" He inquired.

"We keep fighting until we find a way out" Thalia replied.

Thalia stood in the middle of the wreckage of the camp. The sky ahead darkened with the smoke which curled.

All around her, the chaos was visible. The monstrous creatures tore through tents and defenses, their inhuman resilience defying every blow. The small army of campers slashed and impaled but the creatures kept coming as if they were fueled by some unnatural force that refused to surrender.

Chiron fought at the heart of the fray, his movements a blur of precision as he guided the campers who could still stand through this battle.

The blades were flashing and the arrows were flying everywhere...But it still wasn't enough.

To her right, Leo unleashed another torrent of flames, engulfing a group of creatures in blazing fire. Thalia raised her hand and a blast of thunder split the air then stroke a cluster of these strange beasts.

Frank's eyes were locked on the retreat path as he shot flame tipped arrows with precise aim, carving a way to the boat inch by inch.

Even Dionysius who was usually aloof and detached from the matters of the camp, had joined the fray using vines which coiled around the creatures to trap them just long enough for Thalia to blast them into ash.

Still, the creatures kept coming.

The ground trembled under their feet, the loose dirt visibly rattled and the campers stood completely still.

Thalia pushed her sword through another creature's chest and let out a grunt, then snapped her fingers and a bolt of lightning cracked from the sky and scorched the monster into ash as she rushed over to the next one.

"Don’t panic" Clarisse screamed.

She rushed over to one of the beasts and tackled him away from one of the campers before standing up hurriedly and turned her attention to the frightened and despairing campers behind her.

"If we panic we die" She announced before she used her spear to pierce the heart of an oncoming beast who rushed over to her.

The beast howled in pain and the strange black blood sprayed all over Clarisse's face.

The ground shook again harder then the first time before the earth split open. From the cracks skeletal hands that were fleshless and cracked started crawling out of the ground their claws digging into the dirt to assist them on their way out.

A cloud of thick black smoke suddenly appeared and Persephone emerged. Behind her, the army of the dead that has just emerged from the ground stood as more of them started appearing.

Nico appeared from behind her and pulled out his sword then rushed over to the beasts that the campers were fighting with the army of the dead behind him.

Nico fought through the increasing horde until he final made his way to Thalia's side, breath ragged but his eyes still scanning his surroundings.

"We need more stygian iron" Thalia said as soon as she noticed how effective Nico's sword was against the creatures.

"No...We need to get out. The camp's gone" Nico replied.

His gaze darted over the chaos the familiar faces of the camp members were focused on the battle and smoke was rising from the shattered camp.

But the more Nico scanned his surroundings the more his panic rose...He longed to see a certain face even if it was in the middle of the chaos but the head of familiar blond hair, was missing.

He scanned his surroundings a bit more carefully but he still couldn't find him and his heart started beating out of rhythm with worry.

"Where's Will?" He demanded with clear panic evident in his voice.

"He's at the river...Helping the injured ones...Leading the surviving camp members to the boats with Frank and the Stoll brothers" Thalia explained hurriedly.

Nico let out a breath he was holding his tension immediatly easing just enough to steady his grip on his sword.

"Good" He murmured but Thalia could recognize the relief in his voice.

He took a deep breath before stabbing a creature who came his way.

"Gather at the river. The army of the dead will hold the line...We're not going to die here" Nico announced in the loudest voice he could manage.

Thalia's eyes flicked to the campers behind them who were still fighting then she gave Nico a curt nod.

Back to back Nico and Thalia began to fight through the swarms of creatures until the river appeared in front of their eyes and the flicker of torches lit up the bank where their escape route waited.

Much to Nico's expectations the shoreline was also part of the chaos. His eyes fell on Will who was kneeling down by the river's edge putting all his efforts into healing the injured campers as sweat formed on his forehead and temples.

The Stoll brothers were at his sides fending off any of the creatures who came at him and any of the badly injured campers.

Further ahead of them, Reyna was leading a group of the jupiter campers through the hord of strange creatures in her best attempt to secure a path for the rest of the campers who were still fighting for their lives away from the river.

Piper shot an arrow after an arrow as she stood on one of the boats and Hazel who stood near the riverbank conjured spirals of mist and rock to help her friends.

The group could see the bursts of fire bloomed guessing it to be Leo's doing.

The flames did their desired job of scorching the monsters as Leo held the line.

Nico spun around just in time and stabbed a lunging beast clean through the gut with Clarisse and Thalia at his side each of them pushing the tired and despairing campers to the boats through the chaos.

By the water, Frank's form changed into the hulking grizzly bear. He roared as he bowled over a trio of beasts, successfully clearing a bigger part of the dock.

"Just what the hell are these things?" Connor demanded as he wiped the sweat on his face with his sleeve before stabbing another figure in the throat causing its inky black blood to spray his already stained shirt.

"Don't lose focus" Travis said before kicking a creature away from his brother's exposed back then stabbed it with his sword.

Connor turned to Travis and put the sword back in his belt then grabbed the daggers instead.

"I'll cover you just go untie the boats" Connor said to his brother.

Travis nodded in response before sprinting over to the shore.

Will dragged another groaning camper aboard as firelight flickered against the bloodstained riverbank.

Frank in his grizzly bear form, let out loud roars that echoed across the riverbanks as he barrelled through the groups of snarling beasts. Connor tossed his daggers, covering Travis's back while he untied the boats.

"We've got maybe five minutes, tops, before we're neck deep in these things again" Connor yelled.

Thalia helped another camper onto one of the boats and turned to look around her.

The burning carnage broke her heart in the same way her brother’s death did, this place was her home.

She closed her eyes to stop her tears from falling then opened it again and glared at the carnage once again taking it in and keeping it engraved in her memory.

Nico put a hand on her shoulder so she turned to him.

"You were right. The camp's lost...But these people aren't" She said in the calmest voice she could manage.

Nico looked at her sullenly then gulped the lump in his throat and nodded.

"We save who we can. The rest..." He trailed off as he glanced back to the battlefield where skeletal warriors clashed with the invading beasts. The smoke of Leo's flames and Thalia's thunder rose higher into the sky forming a disturbing image of black that contrasted with the burning greenery of the trees of the forest.

Clarisse skidded to a halt beside Thalia, bleeding from a gash on her arm.

"We can't win this...These things never stay down for too long we must escape" She said.

Thalia nodded in response and raised her sword again.

"You can lead the others to the boats and I'll cover for you" Thalia said.

Her voice was cold and had clear anger visible in it as she kept her eyes focused on the carnage.

"What do you mean?...You're not thinking of staying because..." Hazel asked.

"I'm staying behind with her...Just long enough to slow it down" Nico said.

Leo appeared from the flames, face smeared with soot.

"You'll need more than two" Leo said.

Nico opened his mouth to protest, but one look at Leo's stubborn expression told him it was a lost cause.

"Me too" Hazel said her chin raised.

Connor wiped his blade clean and raised a hand.

"Count me in too" Connor announced.

"Same here" Reyna added before resting her sword on her shoulder.

"Not a chance I leave you behind" Frank growled, shifting back to human form before glancing at Hazel briefly.

"No" Thalia said then turned her attention to the five of them her gaze angry and fierce and her voice commanding.

She could tell that they wanted to protest but she decided not to give them the chance because there were more important things to deal with right now.

"The five of you must go. These campers will need you if the creatures regroup. We don't throw all our strength into dying" She said.

Then she looked at the boats behind them and smiled sullenly.

She didn't know if she'd ever see them again any time soon but she knew she was doing the right thing.

"I'm a hunter of Artemis...Nothing will happen to me...That's why the five of you must go on the boats" Thalia continued.

Nico nodded and stepped forward.

"Me and Thalia will be more then enough" He said.

Reyna opened her mouth to argue, but Nico shook his head.

"We've made our choice. And we're enough" Nico said.

Will stepped forward and looked at Nico for a few seconds guilt was evident on his face. Only meeting Nico's gaze briefly before looking at the ground in shame.

Nico stepped forward and smiled at him gently.

"I know. You're not a fighter...But you're saving lives...That matters" Nico murmured.

Will kept his gaze focused on the ground under his feet refusing to look up.

He wasn't a fighter and everyone knew but in times like these he really wished he was.

Nico pulled him into a brief hug before letting go of him.

"Now go" Nico said.

Will lingered for a few more seconds then he nodded and turned away before walking over to the boat.

"Everyone on the boats...Hurry up" Nico shouted.

"If you look back...I swear I'll drag you to the underworld myself" Thalia called out from the spot next to Nico.

The rest of the campers got on the boats after the split up group said their goodbyes to each other.

The survivors hurriedly climbed aboard, and as the boats pulled away, Nico and Thalia now left behind turned to face the creatures with the arm0y of the dead rallying near them.

"So... what do we do now?" Nico asked as he kept his attention focused on the chaos ahead.

"We fight" Thalia replied simply.

She snapped her fingers and a bolt of lightning dropped into a cluster of the creatures, scattering them.

Nico nodded in response then disappeared into the shadows. Moments later, he reappeared in the middle of the horde and started slicing the creatures relentlessly.

But no matter how many of them they cut down, more kept coming...Twice as many, maybe more. The camp grounds were completely swarmed.

Their army still held the line, but the enemy numbers were growing at an unnatural pace.

Suddenly, a wave surged across the field, wiping out a horde of the creatures. Percy stood on top of it with water coiling around him as if it belonged there.

Thalia shot Percy a quick grin as soon as she saw him.

"Nice timing" Nico said before pushing his blade into a monster's eye without looking.

Dean and Neil pushed their way through, heading toward Persephone. Who stood calm and focused, directing vines to coil around the creatures and drag them to the ground.

"We need to move...They just keep coming, and we can't afford to die here. We still don't know who started this war" Percy said.

"Do you have any leads?" Thalia questioned.

Percy opened his mouth to answer her, but closed it again and frowned in confusion when the water at his feet suddenly went still then dropped at his feet.

"What happened?" Nico asked as he glanced at Percy in clear concern and surprise.

Percy raised his hand, attempting to call another wave but much to his shock and horror nothing came. The ocean was completely silent.

"I have no idea" Percy murmured but Thalia and Nico could easily tell he was scared.

Then came a voice that was soft and melodic it was really impossible to miss and suddenly the roars of the creatures stopped.

Thalia's eyes widened as she saw the creatures halt to a stop then they collapsed where they stood one by one. She turned quickly to Percy.

Percy scanned his surroundings trying to locate the source of the voice even though he already had an idea about who it was.

The sound wrapped around the battlefield like a lullaby, lulling the remaining beasts into stillness. They stopped, frozen in place before they also fell to the ground lifelessly.

Persephone and Dionysius didn't waste any more time. They used their magic to end the remaining creatures before turning to the children.

Cole's voice faded.

He glanced at the group once, then swayed then his eyes rolled to the back of his head before he collapsed to the ground.

Chapter Text

The battle was over.

At least, that’s what it looked like.

Smoke drifted lazily in the air, the camp was in complete ruins and every breath the survivors took seemed to be too loud and sharp.

Everyone present was silent and still as they took in the fallen creatures which layed among the ruins and the place they called home was now gone.

Thalia stood where she was, staring at the spot where the last creature had fallen. The ground was scarred with burns and cracks, the air thick with the smell of ozone. Her hand was still gripping her sword, though her arm trembled slightly from exhaustion.

Beside her, Nico knelt next to Cole's unmoving form.

"He's alive...Just unconscious that's all" Nico said quietly then brushed a strand of hair away from his forehead.

Thalia exhaled, a long, shaky breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"But how can that be? His voice…It stopped these creatures as if it was a calling" Thalia said.

Percy was sitting a few feet away near the edge of the river.

He didn't want to tell Thalia that he had witnessed this before. He knew for a fact that all children of Thanatos had extraordinary beautiful voices but he wasn't completely aware of the extent of Cole's abilities.

And yet somehow he didn't feel scared one bit.

He looked at the water under his hands which still refused to obey his command.

Dionysius, leaning against what remained of a burnt tree, sighed and adjusted his disheveled shirt.

"Remind me why I don't retire to Fiji again?" Dionysius asked sarcastically.

No one answered him.

A faint breeze passed through the field. It carried the scent of ash and wet earth, but beneath it, there was something oddly clean as though the storm had taken most of the darkness with it.

Leo broke the silence next.

"So…What now?" He asked as he rubbed the back of his neck.

His tone was unusually quiet, stripped of its usual energy.

Thalia finally sheathed her sword before turning her attention to him.

"We should regroup obviously, I bet the others are waiting for us" She said.

Percy stood up and put his hands in his pockets before walking over to them.

"The boats are gone so let's just make a raft or something. Then…We go find the others" Thalia continued.

Percy glanced around, taking in the burned trees, the torn banners, the still smoldering remains.

He felt a lump in his throat and a consuming rage at how unfair this whole thing was and for a second or so he thought that he saw the water rippling slightly from the corner of his eyes.

Frank approached, now back in human form, his shirt torn and streaked with dirt.

"Will's with the others. Travis and Connor are keeping guard but I don't know if these things won't get to them so we should hurry up I guess" He said.

Nico nodded in agreement and put a hand on Percy's shoulder to get his attention.

"We'll move further downstream and hopefully we'll run into them somehow" Thalia said.

Persephone looked up toward the horizon where the boats had vanished.

"They'll need guidance. I'll make sure the path stays clear" She said and with that she disappeared in a faint shimmer of green light.

The others stood in silence for a while. The air felt heavier now that the adrenaline was gone, the exhaustion seeping into every muscle and thought.

Leo kicked at a bit of blackened dirt.

"I still can't believe we lost the camp. All those years, all those defenses…Gone in one night" He murmured.

Percy tightened his hands into fists as his body trembled with fury.

Nico patted his shoulder as if senseing his turmoil then glanced down at Cole again, who stirred faintly but didn't wake.

"We should move him soon...Whatever that was, it took everything out of him" Nico remarked.

Thalia nodded.

"Let's get him to the river" She said.

Neil picked his unconscious brother and hoisted him up on his back with Dean's help.

As they began to walk, the sunlight finally broke through the clouds, scattering across the river's surface in soft gold ripples. The air still smelled faintly of smoke, but the worst of the battle's weight was lifting.

Thalia glanced back once at the ruined camp. Her chest ached, but she allowed herself a small, quiet promise.

They'd come back...Someday.

••☆★☆••

Their walk down the river was slow even though they knew they had to be quicker.

The survivors moved carefully, half carrying the injured and half dragging what supplies they could salvage.

The once familiar forest felt hollow now the birds were silent, the trees bent and scorched as if bowing under invisible weight.

And there wasn't a single centaur or forest nymph in sight.

Percy guessed that most of them must have sided with Zeus or else they'd have defended the forest to death.

But he didn't really blame them, he didn't even have it in him to care anymore.

He thought of Annabeth and whether she was safe or not but he hoped that nothing had happened to her.

He glanced at Cole as if his thoughts were pulled to him by an invisible force.

The boy looked even paler in daylight. His lips were colorless and when Percy brushed his wrist without thinking he noticed that his heartbeat were almost nonexistent.

When they reached the bank they saw a few makeshift tents made out of wooden branches and leaves across from their sights.

Connor who was fishing in the river turned when he noticed people approaching, eyes tired but alert.

"Are you guys all here? Did someone get badly hurt?" Connor asked in clear concern.

"The camp is completely gone, we need to build more tents" Thalia said.

Nico nudged Percy’s shoulder causing the other guy to look at him in confusion.

"Are you alright? You're spacing out again" Nico asked.

Percy only managed to nod then walked ahead to look for the others.

Will walked out of one of the tents and his eyes widened as soon as they landed on Nico.

He walked over to him and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Easy there lovebirds, we still need to find out what happened to this guy here" Thalia said.

Will nodded and wiped the sweat off his forehead.

Everyone could tell he was tired so they guessed that the injured aren't doing as well as they had hoped.

"Follow me, my tent is over there" Will said.

Dean cleared a patch of grass beside the others and Neil carefully layed Cole down on the ground.

Nico took a look at the wounded who were laying in a line, each of them wrapped in spare blankets.

Will placed his hands on Cole's chest, and light started blooming faintly around his palms. It flickered once, then disappeared.

He frowned and tried again. The glow returned, steadier this time, but it met resistance like two magnets repelling each other.

"This isn't normal exhaustion...It's like he's anchored somewhere else" Will said.

Nico crossed his arms.

"You mean…The nderworld?" He asked.

Will didn't answer immediately.

"There's one thing I can do but I don't know if it'll work or not because I haven't tried it before" Will said.

"Just do whatever it takes" Dean said in a voice that was almost like a begging.

The sunlight reflected off Will's hair as he leaned closer, murmuring an incantation that Percy didn't recognize. The air grew colder.

Cole's breathing hitched.

For a heartbeat, his eyes opened not fully, but just enough for Percy to see that the irises weren't their usual gray. They'd turned near black, shot through with faint white threads, like cracks in obsidian.

Then the jolt in his body was gone and he went still again.

Will drew his hand back and let out a sigh.

"I can't help him...I'm sorry" Will said in regret.

Dean knelt beside his little brother his hand immediately went to Cole's forehead.

"The power he used, it burned his life force too close to the boundary. He's caught between this world and our fathers's domain" Neil murmured watching Dean as he stroked Cole's hair gently.

"I can try to pull him back, but it'll cost him more strength" Nico suggested.

"You'll only trade one death for another" Neil said.

"So what do we do?" Will asked.

"We wait" Neil said.

It alarmed him how silent Dean was as he brushed his hand across Cole's hair.

"You're just going to let him lay there?" Thalia asked frowning.

"He's our brother, daughter of Zeus. But even the sons of Thanatos can't change the will of death" Neil said.

Something in his voice silenced any argument.

The camp moved around them in murmurs and quiet tasks. Leo helped Will set up a makeshift shelter, while Hazel and Frank reinforced the perimeter with stone and vines.

Percy's gaze drifted between them, then to the river itself. The current was slow. He crouched down and looked at the water for what felt like a minute before trailing his fingers through it.

The water still refused to obey his command and it felt so cold against his palm.

Hours passed. The sunset came again. The survivors built fires, shared what little food remained. Laughter was rare and quiet, but it was still real.

Neil walked into the tent and put a hand on Dean's shoulder.

"It's my turn to keep watch" Neil said.

"No, I'll stay until he wakes up" Dean murmured without turning his gaze away from his younger brother.

Percy walked into the tent carrying a tray that had food and water.

"I brought food, you two should eat" He said.

The three of them sat silently none of them had the appetite to eat but the silence was strangely comforting.

When Percy's eyes grew heavy, he looked once more at Cole. The boy's chest rose and fell in quiet rhythm. His face, though still pale, seemed softer now and less strained.

"Hang in there, I still have so many questions" Percy whispered, mostly to himself.

••☆★☆••

The night stretched endlessly.

Outside, the wind blew through the trees, soft and restless, carrying faint embers of the day’s fire. The camp had quieted down; only the steady crackle of the flames and the occasional rustle of movement broke the silence.

Percy hadn't slept.

He sat by the tent entrance, eyes half lidded but still alert somehow. The stars were faint tonight, hiding behind the lingering smoke, yet the moonlight was enough to cast a silvery sheet of light on the river nearby.

Nico walked over to Percy, his steps soundless as always.

"Why are you're still awake?" He asked quietly.

"Couldn't sleep" Percy said then shrugged.

Nico followed his gaze to Cole, who still lay motionless under the thin blanket. His breathing was shallow, but it was still steady.

"He's stronger than he looks...Most people wouldn't have survived that kind of power" Nico said.

"Yeah" Percy murmured.

Then he let out a deep sigh and turned to look at Nico.

"What is this power anyway? Have you heard of something like this before?" Percy inquired.

Noco shook his head.

"Even as a son of Hades I'm not included that much when it comes to the Thanatos affairs...They have their own work and I have mine" Nico answered.

"But it doesn't feel like surviving when he's barely here...How are we supposed to tell if he's alive or dead?" Percy asked.

The two fell into silence again. A faint flicker of green shimmered at the edge of the trees...It was Persephone’s magic, Percy guessed. Keeping the forest calm, keeping the shadows at bay.

"Do you think Zeus will stop now?" Percy asked suddenly.

"I really wish I could say yes, but you know better don't you?" Nico said.

"Of course" Percy said then let out a humourless laugh.

He wished he didn't know the answer to his own question though, he wished the Nico would say yes.

Dean stirred then, lifting his head from where he'd dozed against the tent pole. His eyes were red rimmed and tired.

"You two can talk quieter, you know," He muttered, though there was no real bite in his voice.

"Sorry" Percy said as Nico gave a faint smirk.

Dean sighed and looked down at Cole again.

"I'll go see Will, maybe he has found something useful in an old book I'll come back later" Nico said.

Then he stood up and walked out of the tent leaving Percy alone with Dean and the unconscious Cole.

It was clearly an excuse to spend more time with his boyfriend but no one could blame him for his craving so both Dean and Percy stayed completely silent.

Percy glanced at Dean briefly then cleared his throat.

He didn't know why it felt so awkward but he also knew he had to break the silence somehow.

"You three seem as close as blood brothers could get" Percy remarked.

It wasn't a bait, he was just testing the water to see if Dean felt like talking.

Percy's curiosity was killing him but he also knew he had to be careful because Omelas was nothing like camp halfblood and neither were its children.

Dean let out a short and soft laugh.

"That's because the three of us really are blood related brothers, Neil then me and Cole is our youngest" Dean answered.

He stroked Cole's hair gently once again as if he was a fragile porcelain piece.

"He's always been reckless. Even when we were kids. If he thought he could protect someone, he'd do it no matter the cost...But he's still my brother, my baby brother" Dean murmured.

"What was this power he used? How could his singing stop these creatures?" Percy asked.

"Cole was born with abilities bigger then mine and Neil's he has always been capable of doing many things" Dean replied.

"I think you're overrating him, you guys are just like us" Percy said.

"We were never like you son of Poseidon, we've seen things that you can't fathom...We survived things that you can't even comprehend, we're not even sure if we could still be called human anymore" Dean said sharply.

"I'm sorry" Percy said quickly.

Dean pursed his lips guiltily then turned his attention away from Cole and let out a sigh as he threaded a hand through his hair.

"Father calls it the call of silence. It doesn’t just command death it stills it. Even creatures that aren't supposed to listen, do. But it takes from him. Every time" Dean explained.

"So the more he uses it..." Percy started but trailed off not knowing if it was alright to say it or not.

"The closer he gets to the border" Dean finished quietly.

The words hung in the air like smoke.

Neil entered then, brushing past the tent flap.

"Lady Persephone said that the forest is stable again. There's no movement for now" Neil said and knelt beside Cole, placing a hand just above his chest, his eyes closed as if listening to something distant.

After a few seconds, he opened them again.

"He's still tethered but faintly. I can sense the pull from below" Neil said.

Percy crouched beside him.

"You think Thanatos will take him?" He inquired.

"Father doesn't take. He waits" Neil said in a calm voice.

Silence fell once more. Even the fire outside seemed to dim.

Then a sound that was so low it could barely be called a whisper suddenly invaded their hearing.

Cole's lips moved. His voice was hoarse, fragile, like wind over dry leaves.

"Where…?" He moaned in a low voice.

Dean was at his side in an instant.

"Cole. Hey...Listen to me okay? You're safe. You're right here with us" Dean said frantically.

Cole’s eyelids fluttered open just a sliver and the faintest glint of gray returned to his irises. His gaze drifted around the tent before settling weakly on Dean.

"The…Creatures…Gone?" He inquired tiredly.

"Yeah...You stopped them" Percy said softly.

Cole blinked slowly, his expression unreadable but still tired.

"Good" He replied.

He coughed a dry, shallow sound and then, almost imperceptibly, smiled.

Dean exhaled shakily, a sound that was half laugh, half sob.

Neil let out a sigh and glared at Cole.

"Next time don't be so careless, You nearly killed yourself" Neil scolded.

Cole’s breathing steadied a little, and his eyes slid closed again not unconscious, just resting.

Neil glanced toward the tent flap before turning his attention back to the people in the tent.

"Let him rest. We all should leave for the time being" Neil said.

Percy nodded and stood up to leave with the brothers.

"Not you...Son of Poseidon...Stay here" Cole said suddenly.