-Tartarus-

Annabeth had never felt so horrible in her life and that included literally falling into Tartarus. It felt as if there was a sharp stake in the top of her head, her limbs were staticky and heavy, her stomach a second away from vomiting. She was mentally struggling as well. She remembered everything that had happened the night before, but it was like a haze. It was her but not her. It was like it had been her without her wisdom, so it wasn't really her. She couldn't put it into words really, but it felt as though her own mind had betrayed her.

The moment she remembered promising to help the Unclaimed she lurched to her feet, barely making it to the bathroom before throwing up. She emptied her stomach and dry heaved for several minutes before crawling back to the bed. Instead of getting on it again she just leaned against it with her knees pulled up to her chest and her head in her hands. Fingers pressing harshly against her eyelids made an explosion of color appear.

Gods, she was a mess. Slightly fucking unpleasant this was not. Why would anyone put themselves through this morning after crap just for a few hours of stupid careless dancing? And gods, she was so embarrassed. She didn't mind the dancing but the conversation in bed after the party was what kept replaying over and over and over.

She had been too vulnerable, too pliable, and impulsive and stupid and thinking with her heart instead of her mind. Annabeth didn't do that. She wasn't comfortable making decisions like that. She liked thinking it through, weighing pros and cons, making informative choices that she could trust with both her mind and heart.

And what about the ridiculous gift to see opportunities Percy had so casually revealed to her, what was that about? How could he be so blasé? Exactly what kind of opportunities can he see because right now it feels like he's playing her like a fiddle. Like he's playing everyone.

"He is a King and you are nothing but a pawn- an expendable means to an end," is what Keres had warned her. The goddess had called Percy a liar, a killer, and a monster. Annabeth hadn't realized the extent of change Percy had gone through in Tartarus before now. It was like every frightening part of his personality had been magnified tenfold. Every manipulative, rage-fueled, killing instinct within him was at the forefront of his actions.

It made sense. Thira could never have been built without Percy embracing his darker side. This was Tartarus after all.

She remembered him ruthlessly cutting down the surrendered demigods without hesitation or regret. Before that, she remembered him wading through the monster infested streets of New York, laughing as he slaughtered hundreds of monsters. Even farther back, when Percy killed a minotaur without any training. There was a reason Percy was able to thrive in Tartarus. And when it came right down to it…

Percy scared Annabeth.

He scared her more now than he had ever done in all the years she knew him. Because now Percy wasn't an untrained demigod running from a prophesized death. He wasn't a kid just trying to survive, or a son doing whatever it took to keep his mom safe. Percy was a man who spent a decade in the darkest pits of hell. He was torn down mentally and physically until there was nothing of his personality left except the essentials, finely honed into weapons themselves. Percy should've gone crazy. He should've given up. Instead he built a city, an army, a new life and now he wants to change everything in the mortal world as well.

Even though Annabeth was told repeatedly that Percy didn't want to be king she couldn't help but imagine him as king. She could imagine it a little too easily. Percy would create an empire built on the blood and corpses of his enemies and rule as The Destroyer, The King of Monsters.

But would he still be a better ruler than Zeus? Or Gaea? Or Aphrodite? Because there was no doubt that even if Percy wasn't officially the king at the end of all this, he would still be the man behind the curtain. Could she support him?

Annabeth felt so small and alone, curled into herself on the floor, hungover and full of regrets. Her pulse was beating fast with a mix of fear, stress, and embarrassment. She wanted to talk to Chiron.

"Annabeth," the demigoddess jumped and flinched form Percy who was crouched in front of her. His face was full of concern as he frowned at her, "I didn't mean to startle you."

"You are an asshole Percy Jackson," Annabeth told him. Her voice was scratchy, and her throat burned thanks to her morning vomiting.

Percy closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "I am sorry. I am so sorry for last night. I should've explained better about the singing. And I should've stayed away from heavy topics while we were under its influence. I should've realized how much it would affect you and I'm sorry."

"That's not good enough!" Annabeth wanted to shake him until he understood, "I couldn't control my mind! I can't- I'm not- that wasn't- how could you do that to me? I asked you if it was safe and you didn't think to mention the morning after? Or how it would still be affecting me last night after the party? You didn't think to mention that at any time? You manipulated me Perseus Jackson and that. Is. Not. Okay." She stabbed his chest with her finger to emphasize each word.

His face twisted in a grimace, but Annabeth didn't miss the spark of anger in his eyes, "I didn't manipulate you."

"Fine! You had someone else manipulate my thoughts and emotions."

A growl of frustration escaped him as he rubbed at his face, "Not you specifically. It's- gods Annabeth I would never do that on purpose. Please let me explain?" He paused and waited the minute it took for her to give a slight nod for him to continue. "We aren't like you Annabeth. You fell by accident and had me to guide you here. This is just another quest for you. But for the rest of us? It's our prison. We are trapped here and can only leave through either the Doors of Death or if an Olympian lets us out. Every single one of us has been hunted, killed, tortured, hated, and forgotten by the world above."

"You weren't forgotten," Annabeth interrupted.

"Yeah, I was," Percy's smirk was bitter as he finally sat down on the floor in front of her. "Everyone remembers who they think I became, but they don't remember who I was. It doesn't matter anymore but… yeah. Down here though, we are survivors. The idea of being free from our memories for a couple of hours, to not have to worry or hate ourselves or hate this whole godsdamn world? There are very few people strong enough to turn down that offer, and I'm not one of them. So, I'm sorry. I forgot that you aren't one of us and I forgot that you are a million times better at dealing with problems than I am. I should've warned you and I should've known that it wasn't something you would enjoy. I'm sorry. I am so sorry."

Annabeth was silent for a while, thinking over what he had said. She was still angry and scared and, "You broke my trust."

Percy nodded, "I know," he whispered. "Tell me what I can do to get it back. Please."

It was a loaded question. Could he get her trust back? She didn't know. She honestly didn't know who the man in front of her was, not really. "I don't know." They sat in silence for a few minutes before she sighed, "Tell me about Caerus' gift."

"I see opportunities. When it's time take the opportunity, it glows blue." Percy shrugged.

The daughter of Athena glared at him, "Explain it better or I swear to the gods I will never trust you again."

That did the trick. "Caerus said that I was the only person to have the opportunity to bring peace to the council of the gods. He said it will all come down to me, so he had me promise to end this war and all future wars between the Olympians. Whether I had to kill them or not to get peace didn't matter," Percy shrugged.

"Why you?"

"Who else is there?"

Annabeth opened and closed her mouth a few times before realizing that Percy was right. "Okay. So, Caerus gave you a gift of seeing opportunities to help. What kind of opportunities?"

"All opportunities. I only see when the best time is to take them is, they glow blue."

"How often have you used your gift against us? The crew," she clarified at his confused look at her inclusive 'us'.

Percy seemed to think over for a minute how much to tell her before sighing and rubbing the back of his head. "I knew the best time to gain Leo's trust was after he fired on Rome. I used it when fighting you guys in Kansas. It was the best opportunities to keep you guys alive and to gain trust. I saw when was best to tell you the truth or not. I knew when the best times to kill most of the crew was and obviously didn't take it. Falling with you was the opportunity to make our plans work better in the long run. And right now, you are glowing blue. Right now, is the best opportunity to gain your trust back. If I gain your trust back, then you won't stand against us and if you help us then we have the best opportunity to win the war."

"You think that if you answer a few questions I'll just join you?" Annabeth snorted, his gift was defective if he thought that. It was also more helpful than she originally thought it would be. He really could and was manipulating them all. Making sure they trusted him and befriended him so that he can use them all later.

"No. If I answer your questions you won't stand against us and might even help us," Percy corrected her. "Some of the opportunities are specific like that. Maybe helping us plan is a lot different than joining us in battle."

Annabeth didn't recognize the man sitting in front of her. "What are you going to do with the crew? Kill them if they fight for the gods?"

"Well," Percy shifted and looked away from her, "Rachel, Providentia, and I have been taking opportunities to change their views on certain matters. If we do it correctly they will fight with us to defeat Gaea at the very least. We need them according to the Prophecy of Seven. Depending on how much we control their journey to Athens though will determine what we do with them after defeating Gaea. We probably won't be forced to kill them. We'll just leave them behind in Greece or something."

"Are we just pawns to you?"

Percy's whole body jerked back as if he'd been slapped. His eyes got a wild look in them as they darted around the room, "No," he whispered so quietly Annabeth could barely hear him. "This is real," he whispered again.

Annabeth didn't know what to say or what she had said that was so triggering for him. She tried to get his attention a few times, but it was like he couldn't hear her. Suddenly, he stood up. "Percy?" She asked as he looked at everything except her.

"I'm sorry for what I did last night. Whatever you need, just let me or Securitas know, and we'll get it for you. I need to go. To do something." And then he left.

The goddess of security and stability came into the room shortly after. Both spoke the bare minimum as Annabeth took another shower before dressing in pants and a shirt this time. The two of them explored more of Thira. Annabeth was certain that she will always be amazed at the beauty of the city. She'll never get over how well everyone got along either. A few hours into exploring and meeting people, everyone was much friendlier and wanting to talk to her since the party the night before, the daughter of Athena met Kulla.

Kulla was a tall man with muscles better suited for lifting and carrying weight than for fighting. His skin was a reddish brown with a texture that reminded Annabeth of wet clay. He was the Divine Builder in Mesopotamia and was the one who had designed and rebuilt Thira. The two architects spent the whole day comparing notes and ideas. It was the most fun Annabeth could remember having in a long while.

That night she asked for her own room.

"What's your real job?" Annabeth asked Securitas as she got ready the next morning.

"I am head of Thira's security."

Annabeth tied up her shoes and turned to see the goddess standing at attention in front of the door. "Being a tour guide seems like a demotion compared to head of security."

"You are a security risk," the goddess replied succinctly. "You have no alliances and you're a daughter of wisdom."

Annabeth didn't really have a reply, but it did feel good to not be underestimated. A small part of her brain knew she had Percy to thank for that. He had obviously told them about her and to the extent that a Roman goddess took her seriously despite being a daughter of Minerva.

"Is there any plan for today, or am I allowed to roam again?" What both women knew Annabeth was asking was: is she a prisoner?

"Perseus ordered that you are free to roam the city and the fields, but you are to remain on this level for your own safety," Securitas made sure the demigoddess knew that her freedom was thanks to Percy and Percy alone. Annabeth wasn't sure how much that should anger her or not. This was his city, he was king here. And if Annabeth had been in his place… well, she would've locked herself up. Better to keep some secrets than risk Annabeth reporting back to the gods.

The city was large enough that it would take several days to explore it, so Annabeth set out to see more of Thira. The day before she had the delightful distraction of talking with Kulla but today she was going to avoid him. It was easy to get lost in the maze the Divine Builder had restored the city to and she found herself running into dead ends occasionally while at other times going in circles. Securitas offered no help and Annabeth refused to ask for any.

Annabeth was in a part of the city that felt older, the streets heavy with age and memories. Securitas didn't look as comfortable in this section of the city, but she didn't say anything so Annabeth kept going. She found herself in a small courtyard that appeared empty at first.

"Demigoddess," A woman's voice called from her left. Annabeth turned, her eyes widened at the sight of the giant fresco that covered a two-story wall. It was beautiful and ancient. It had been restored so the colors were bright once more and certainly parts had been patched. However, there was still a giant crack that ran from bottom to top in a jagged line that divided the painting. The painting was of Thira on an island at the top with boats of many colors surrounding it. Most of the fresco was dedicated to the ocean and the sea creatures that called it home. There was everything from starfish to hydras in the water.

"Demigoddess," the woman called once more. She was sitting against the wall, her back on the crack that literally split the ocean and Thira in half. Dark cinnamon hair streaked with grey fell in waves, framing her circular face and kind blue eyes. Her eyes reminded Annabeth of Sally Jackson's more than they did of Thalia's or Jason's. Her skin was a dark tan and covered in wrinkles and sun spots, as if she had spent her life working on a boat. "Leave us Roman," She waved her hand dismissively at Securitas and to Annabeth's shock, Securitas turned and left. "Come sit with me daughter of Athena".

Annabeth hesitated for a second before going and sitting in front of the woman. Before she could ask anything though, the goddess spoke again. "You are lost, young one. Is my city not good enough for you?"

"Your city? I thought it was Percy's."

"My city," the goddess confirmed. "Perseus is the newest king of my city, but it is still mine. Now, tell me why you are lost."

"Can you tell me about your city? About yourself?" Annabeth asked instead, not sure how she could explain everything to this stranger.

The goddess started at the demigoddess in front of her for a long time before she nodded finally. "I am Maera, my father was the first king of Thira," her eyes glassed over slightly as she remembered a time long lost. "Thira was the best of the mortal world. It was the city of dreams and we were a people of peace. From our beginning to our end, there was never a civil war. Our people were happy. There were many kings, one for each city under Thira's control but my father was the king of kings and Thira was our home. Our people were happy."

Maera trailed off, lost in memories. "What went wrong?" Annabeth asked after a few more minutes of waiting for the goddess to continue.

"My father died, as did the other kings," The goddess focused upon Annabeth once more, "Years passed, and I watched as Thira's influence spread as it conquered the known world. They turned my city into one of greed and thieves. But they were strong. A military might that could not be defeated. At least not until they set their sights on your mother's city."

"Athens?" Annabeth was wracking her mind trying to figure out what country Thira had been a part of. Surely, she would've learned this story at some point.

"Athens," Maera confirmed. "Athens' was young at the time. Athena had just won the city over Poseidon when Thira set eyes upon it. Your mother knew Athens could not win the war against Thira, so she went to her father for help. Days later Thira was destroyed, and I was imprisoned within my city, all my people dead." Maera paused as she closed her eyes and held back tears. "Thira was lost until Perseus found us again. He found me, listened to my story just as you are now, and he asked for my permission to call it his home. I gave him my blessing, he is the king of Thira and he is our only chance at escaping."

"It doesn't seem that bad here," Annabeth still didn't know why she had never been taught about Thira and it confused her. If Maera was telling the truth, then she should've learned about Thira back at camp.

The goddess snorted, "This is a glorified prison, little demigoddess. No matter how repaired my city is, it will never be anything more than a reminder of the Olympians' power over us. We are nothing here while we were all born to be free to help the mortal world."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow incredulously, "Even the monsters?"

"Especially the monsters," Maera laughed, "Humans need monsters more than they need gods. You pray to gods and hope they are paying attention. You laugh at their folly and run from their love. Monsters though. Oh, they are what defines a civilization. Monsters make humans confront their fears, their weaknesses, their darkest desires. What human ever became great without battling a monster?"

Maera leaned forward, her eyes piercing Annabeth's very soul, "Young demigoddess, you are at a crossroad. Your fear of Perseus is not misplaced. What that child is capable of is terrifying. But you have muted your fear of Zeus over the years. Which is more dangerous? A king of monsters who seeks power only to give it back to his people or a king of gods who will only ever care for his throne? Is Zeus' complacency not more terrifying than Percy's army?"

Annabeth's mind was both going crazy and at a complete standstill. She needed time to think, to process, and to decide whose opinions should be taken into consideration. "But you and Percy just want revenge on Zeus. He destroyed your city and killed your people."

"Child, it was not Zeus who struck my people down. It was Poseidon. The god of the sea, the great Earthshaker and Stormbringer himself destroyed my city and drowned my people. And now it will be his son that raises my city from the depths of Tartarus to wage war against Olympus, not for greed but for the hope of mortal and immortal alike."

The goddess's face was practically shining with pride as she spoke. Her words hung heavy in the air like a prophecy would, settling in Annabeth's bones and making a shiver tiptoe across her skin. Everyone she spoke to was so full of passion and the absolute belief in Percy. It was so different than how Olympians spoke of their jobs and Zeus that it was like a jolt to Annabeth's gut. Comparing the Olympians and the Unclaimed made her feel sick.

"Thank you," Annabeth stumbled to her feet, needing to get away.

"Your mother never forgave herself for needing Poseidon's help after winning Athens from him," Maera called after Annabeth. "Do not follow in her footsteps. There is no shame in asking for help."

Annabeth didn't even throw a thank you over her shoulder as she practically ran from the goddess. She didn't know where Securitas went, and she didn't care. She just needed to be alone. To think and possibly reevaluate everything Annabeth knew about herself and the world around her.

She found herself in the fields faster than she thought possible, the maze-like streets really messed with her sense of direction. As soon as she was surrounded by green plants instead of walls she slowed down. Her hands brushed against leaves and stalks as she slowly made her way to nowhere in particular.

Between a field of corn and a grove of apple trees were two gods arguing. One was the god with bee wings that had offered her cheese at the party. The other was a small goddess with short honey blonde hair. She wore short cutoff jean shorts and a white shirt that had "save the bees!" across the front and back. She waved her hands around angrily while standing near ten big boxes of hives. Neither were dressed as beekeepers, but they didn't appear to be getting stung either.

Annabeth gave them a wide berth as she walked around them to the trees on the other side. She sat down, leaning against the trunk of a tree, and watched the two gods without actively listening to them. It was relaxing in a way. She could tell that their argument was a practiced one and not something filled with real ire. It reminded her of camp a little.

She didn't know how long she sat there before someone sat down next to her, not touching but close enough to know the inch of distance was on purpose. Percy didn't say anything, instead just offered his silent support.

The daughter of Athena's mind was focused on what she knew and what she thought she had known. Arachne and Maera's stories were twirling around her thoughts. Abstractedly, Annabeth had known that history was written by the victors, she just hadn't quite understood what that meant before. It meant that innocent people were transformed into villains, that their right to revenge and justice turned them into monsters. That anyone who didn't surrender to the stronger gods were imprisoned and forgotten. Swept under the rug not even to be used as a cautionary tale. She thought of Luke and his hatred of the gods. Of Percy who has become so similar to the older son of Hermes. They both looked around and saw that the world was lacking. That demigods deserved to be treated better. Luke had sold his body to Kronos in attempt to right the wrong. Percy built his own army, refusing to bow to another king and instead becoming one himself.

Annabeth sighed, "Hi." She finally acknowledged the man next to her.

"I heard you met Maera," Percy replied. "I apologize on her behalf, she doesn't like people much anymore."

The demigoddess shook her head, "She didn't say anything bad. Just asked me some questions that I didn't know the answers to. And told me about Thira's history. How could she still be alive if her father was the first king?"

"Atlas was her father like how Athena is your mother. Sort of. He loved Thira so much that between his and his people's love for the city the city grew a consciousness of sorts. Maera is the spirit of Thira," Percy shrugged.

"Not the titan Atlas, right?" Annabeth asked.

Percy gave a small chuckle at something the arguing goddess had said, "No, not the titan." He nodded to where the two gods stood, "Have you been listening to there fight?" Annabeth shook her head. "Aristaeus and Mellona are always fighting but if you pay attention you'll see they are agreeing and fighting about the same thing. They're ridiculous."

"Why are they down here?"

"Forgotten," Percy's face became more serious. "Gods wind up here when both humans and the Olympians forget a god. How wrong is that? The Olympians are so busy with having affairs and parties that they completely forget gods and goddesses to the point where they wind up in Tartarus. It's horrible and dangerous for mortals too. Mellona is the Roman protector of bees, she's needed now more than ever and yet she's stuck here."

Annabeth wished she could be shocked that the Olympians would allow fellow gods and goddesses to be sent to Tartarus just by forgetting them, but it wasn't surprising. The Olympians couldn't even remember to claim their children. "So that's how you've built a secret army."

"It should've been more difficult," Percy conceded with a small smile.

They fell quiet to listen to Aristaeus and Mellona yell important facts about bees at each other. Annabeth turned to face Percy, "This is real."

The demigod flinched away from her, his face looked slightly pained before he sighed deeply and rubbed a hand over his face. "You're not a pawn, not to me at least. And the others, I don't want to think of them as pawns. I really don't. It's just this war. We can't lose it, not to Gaea or the gods. This is our only chance. If we fail…"

If they fail the gods would never let them live. Annabeth swallowed hard, she had known the risks that the Unclaimed were risking but thinking of Zeus killing Percy, that was almost too much. "I'm sorry for triggering you this morning. I didn't know."

Percy shrugged, "Kronos fucked with my mind. I'm still healing. Probably always will be."

They didn't speak again for a long time. Eventually, they stood and left the fields behind. Percy explained to Annabeth that there are several dining halls around the city that the Unclaimed ate their meals in. She had eaten dinner in her room the night before and didn't want to do that again. She followed him into a crowded room full of tables packed with food and people. They headed to a table off to the side that had a few empty seats, everyone who noticed Percy raised their drink and greeted him. He laughed and greeted them all back by name.

Drinks and plates were brought to them as soon as they sat down, and they piled them high with food from the center of the table. Annabeth found herself laughing and enjoying herself as she talked with the people near her. They were from all different religions and each had funny stories and jokes to tell her. A few people would come up to Percy to talk in hushed tones before moving away and leaving him to enjoy his meal again. Annabeth cheered and laughed with the other when Percy joined a drinking contest of who could chug a mug of beer the fastest. He lost but only by half a second. At one point someone started singing rowdy bar songs and everyone joined in, including Annabeth as she learned the words.

She was starting to feel tired when Percy nudged her shoulder and gestured to the door. Leaving was more difficult than arriving as everyone had something to say to Percy before he called it a night. Annabeth was surprised to find how many were also wanted to talk to her. Ask her for help on a project they were working on, or for her opinion on a problem. Some just wished her a good night.

They walked side by side through the streets, Percy not hesitating once in the maze as he took some shortcuts back to their rooms. Annabeth expected him to apologize or try to explain himself more or something, but instead he kissed her cheek and went to his room. She wasn't sure if she was happy that he was giving her time or disappointed that he wasn't doing something more.

The next few days went much as that one did. Annabeth explored the city, met more people, and would be joined by Percy for dinner before he walked her back to her room and said goodnight with a kiss on the cheek. Securitas no longer joined her, but Annabeth had a feeling that they were still keeping an eye on her somehow.

She was learning more about the son of Poseidon though with every conversation she had with the Unclaimed. Slowly she was putting together a timeline of Percy's stay in Tartarus. She was hoping the more she knew of his time here, the more she could understand him. Annabeth knew the first two years were with Kronos, fighting in the arena. Then he escaped on Phil. From the bits and pieces, she gathered over many conversations she knew that he befriended Typhon, Damasen, Bob, and his wife Clymene. From there he started to rebuild Thira while building his army. She couldn't figure out how he went from Thira to Hera rescuing him though until she spoke with Bob and Virtus.

Virtus explained that he was the Roman god of courage and therefore knew exactly how rare a king like Percy was. "He's a true king," Virtus told her when she asked what he meant. "Perditrix is willing to face his worst fears, to be turned into a prisoner and tortured, just to help us."

"He didn't have to go back to Kronos," Bob explained, "Percy saw that the Unclaimed would have a better chance of winning this war if he was captured again."

"A better opportunity," Annabeth guessed. Bob nodded in understanding, but Virtus didn't seem to get the implication. It made it clear that Caerus' gift was information shared only with people Percy trusted the most.

They chatted together a little longer before the god of courage was called off. Bob turned to Annabeth, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Whatever Kronos did, it was bad. Percy was in rough shape when I first met him, but not like this. A few us can see that he's struggling even though he tries to hide it from us. He had nightmares before, but he didn't come out of them trying to kill whoever woke him up. He wasn't quite so paranoid either." The titan sighed deeply, he was looking at the fire cloud high above as he spoke, "He won't confide in us. He is our king and he refuses to show this weakness. You are his equal though. He will confide in you. I hope you can continue being his friend. If not for our sake, then for his."

"You have all your memories back, don't you?" She waited for his nod, "Why are you still following Percy then?"

Bob turned his silver gaze upon the demigoddess and gave her a small smile, "Because Percy does not try to control me. He encourages me to choose who I want to be, and I want to be more than Kronos' general. This is my second chance at a better life. Percy has given that to me and now I want to return the favor."

He left before giving her a chance to reply. That evening at dinner Percy noticed her quiet mood but didn't question her until they were alone and walking back to their rooms.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he slowed down to prolong their walk.

Annabeth hesitated, biting her lip. "I'm okay. I was thinking about you."

"About how handsome I am, right?" He asked with a smirk, making her laugh despite her thoughts.

"I wish," She sighed, "No. I was thinking about why you would go back to Kronos instead of staying here."

Percy hummed, "I saw an opportunity. Two actually. If I went with him the Unclaimed had a better chance of winning the war. I couldn't turn that down. We need all the help we can get."

"And the other opportunity?"

Percy's cheeks turned slightly red as he ducked his head, "The other opportunity was for me and you. If I went with him I would have the opportunity to be with you again." He stopped walking and turned to face her. "Just because I can see opportunities doesn't make me all-knowing. It also doesn't mean that just because I took the opportunity that it is guaranteed to happen. It just raises my odds. I can't control how you or anyone else will act. Leo didn't have to become my friend. Jason and the others didn't have to learn how to trust me. You don't have to help the Unclaimed. I'm just setting up the opportunities for you guys to take if you want. It's a two-way street."

Annabeth filed that to think about when she was alone. "What did Kronos do to you? Was it worth it?"

Percy turned around and started walking again. She didn't think he would respond at first, and he didn't, not until they reached their doors. "I've killed you before," Percy finally said as his eyes looked over her shoulder. "Lots of times. A sword to the heart, slitting your throat, letting you drown."

"Percy," she wasn't sure she wanted to hear this, but he needed to talk, and she needed to understand.

"I've also felt you kill me. I trust you and then you stab your knife through my back. That wasn't bad. Killing you was the worse. You and everyone else back in camp. Kronos played with my mind. He would make me think I had never been sent to Tartarus, that I was back at camp and everything was fine. Then you or Grover or Chiron or any of the campers would kill me. It took months after Hera got me out of Tartarus to realize that it was real. I kept waiting for someone to show up and kill me and I would wake up in my cell again. I think a part of me is still waiting."

Annabeth swallowed hard, blinking back tears. She put a hand on his chest before giving him a small kiss on his right cheek, then his left, and finally a soft kiss on his lips. She didn't offer any apologies, nor did she offer any promises that she couldn't keep, not out loud at least. "Thank you for trusting me."

Percy leaned down and kissed her cheek, lingering just a second longer than normal, "Goodnight Annabeth."

She got up late the next morning after a long sleepless night. Because she wasn't asleep she had heard Percy wake up twice with bitten off screams. Both times she had gotten up to check on him only to see a woman slip into his room. Annabeth bit back the jealousy she had no right to feel.

Overall, Annabeth was exhausted and not in the mood to get lost in Thira, but she didn't know what else to do. It's not like she had a job, or anyone trusted her to do anything. She was yawning when someone came up and linked arms with her. "Walk with me darling," a woman said. She looked slightly familiar with long wavy chocolate hair and olive skin. A gold Greek style dress hung from one shoulder.

The goddess kept her arm linked with Annabeth's as they walked through the more crowded streets that Annabeth typically avoided. She greeted every person she saw with a smile, making everyone around them smile as well. It took a few minutes before Annabeth recognized the voice.

Annabeth kept watching her out the corner of her eye. "Are you Spes or Angerona?"

"Clever girl," the goddess praised, "Perseus wasn't exaggerating. I'm Spes, I thought I would explain to you why Angerona and I sing at the parties."

"I think I understand well enough," Annabeth tried to pull away, but the goddess wouldn't allow it.

"I don't think you do," she waved at the werewolf looking guy Percy had danced with at the party.

Annabeth tried again to end the conversation before it could start. She didn't feel comfortable talking about it, let alone with the woman who caused her discomfort. "Percy explained it to me."

"Perseus doesn't quite understand it either," Spes waved her concerns away. "Perseus sees it as an escape. While we sing he doesn't have to put the effort into his façade. He can be happy and full of hope without faking it. It is an escape much like alcohol and drugs are for humans. Obviously, it's safer," Spes hurried to clarify when she saw Annabeth's face, "It's not addicting, and it doesn't cause any long-term changes to the mind or body. It's just a small freedom that he needs in order to lead us confidently."

"That's more or less how he explained it," Annabeth hesitated, wondering how much she should be worried about Percy.

Spes nodded, "That is a small part of why we sing. Despite everything, Perseus is a demigod. And mortals were never created to go through the torture that boy has gone through. We do not fault him his vices, he works with several healer deities as well to heal his mind and body. The rest of the Unclaimed go to the parties to feel hope, for many cannot feel it without my help. Including you."

Annabeth jerked away from the goddess, "I can feel hope."

"There is no point in lying to the goddess of hope," Spes shook her head, "There is no shame in struggling. Every mortal and immortal struggles with hope at least once in their life. Especially anyone who finds themselves in Tartarus. This prison literally sucks the hope out of people. Angerona and I sing at parties to help. It's not manipulating your emotions. It's enhancing what you already wanted with the hope that it will all work out in the end." Spes' pale gold eyes met Annabeth's, "You wanting to join the Unclaimed and to be with Percy was what you would do if you dared to hope for more. It wasn't us manipulating your mind or you completely losing control of your inhibitions and reasoning. Our song just made you think past your doubts and worries."

"And I'm supposed to trust you? How do I know you wouldn't lie just to manipulate me?" Annabeth felt angry that the goddess, like Maera, could read her so easily. They made her question herself and that wasn't a good feeling.

The goddess shrugged, "You can believe and trust at your own discretion. I am not lying, I'm merely trying to help. Annabeth Chase, you are your mother's daughter. Brave, strong and wise, a warrior at heart. You are so much more than your mother though. Your fatal flaw is Pride yet you do not allow it to control your life as your mother does with hers. Percy loves you and you love him. Both of you have hope that despite everything you will still find each other in the end. You seek the other out because his strengths are your weaknesses, and his weakness are your strengths. I want you to understand and believe me now because you can help us- if only you had hope."

They continued to walk down the busier streets, Annabeth quiet as she thought. "I-"

"Spes!" A woman dressed in Roman armor came running up, she stopped and nodded to Annabeth, "Daughter of Athena."

"Nerio," Spes smiled, "What has gotten you so excited?"

The goddess' bloodthirsty grin stretched ear to ear and sent a shiver down Annabeth's spine, "Anat is here."

Spes looped her arm into Annabeth's once more, "Come along dear, you can't miss this."

They hurried through the streets along with everyone else in the city it felt like. News traveled fast, and everyone look excited about this Anat coming to Thira. When Annabeth asked why, Nerio told her: "Anat comes and goes as she pleases but whenever she's here she and Perditrix fight. They're evenly matched so we can never guess who's going to win. It's always good entertainment."

Annabeth sped up with the goddesses, worried about what qualified as 'good entertainment' to people in Tartarus. They were back in the largest forum once more. The middle part was cleared out to form a large circle. The three of them were intercepted quite quickly by Securitas.

"Come, daughter of Athena," The goddess grabbed her elbow to steer her away from the fight.

Annabeth glanced over her shoulder to see Spes and Nerio already pushing their way into the crowd. "Wait! Why can't I stay?" She tried to pull her arm from Securitas' grip only to stumble when the goddess continued her fast pace away from the forum.

"Perseus doesn't want you to watch."

Annabeth was really disliking being ordered around, "But I want to see the fight."

Securitas stopped abruptly, the hand on Annabeth's arm the only thing keeping the demigoddess from falling. The goddess turned to face Annabeth, her face dead serious, "The first time Anat and Perseus fought, Anat's sword ended up stabbed through his heart, killing him instantly."

Loud cheers rose from the forum at the same time a roar of silence engulfed Annabeth's mind. "What?" The word fell heavily from her lips.

"Perseus is young, you cannot expect him to win every fight. Do you want to watch him die? Do you want to see Anat kill Perseus? He will burst into blood red dust right before your eyes. Perseus doesn't want you to see that and I don't think you want to see it either." Securitas' words were like bullets to the chest and Annabeth could only shake her head. The goddess began walking again, Annabeth followed while she was lost in thought.

Percy burst into dust? Why? How? How many times has he died? How painful was it? She knows he had told her that he died from torture down here, but hearing the details really drove the fact home.

"He dies?" Annabeth couldn't get over it.

Securitas glances over at Annabeth before sighing, her eyes softening slightly. "Perseus was sentenced to Tartarus for all of eternity. Until his banishment is lifted he is forced to live by the same rules as all the other banished beings down here. Perseus is as much monster as he is demigod."

Annabeth remembered Maera's words. Monsters are what defines a civilization, they are what make humans great. And here Percy was, more monster than demigod, trying to remake the world. Which is worse, a god or a monster? Tartarus was opening Annabeth's eyes. It was one thing to hear the tales of the gods in ancient Greece. It was another to understand that gods could be more monstrous than any monster. That monsters, in all their darkness, can see the world more clearly than any god can from atop Mount Olympus.

Her mind was whirlwind, jumping from one thought to another. She was slowly able to link everything she knew to finally peek at the whole picture that Percy has been hinting to her. He had wanted her to come to her own conclusions, and she appreciated that, but holy shit was she not prepared for this.

Securitas led her out into the fields without Annabeth really paying attention to where they were going. Her focus was on everything she had learned the last week. At least it was until she saw the Father of Monsters himself using wind to help pick apples from the trees.

Typhon was a contained storm cloud that stood a few feet taller than the apple trees in front of him. Annabeth froze as he turned around to face them. Her eyes met his bright yellow ones. She remembered the gods struggling to defeat him during the second titan war. The power pouring off him made her mouth go dry and her joints lock in fear.

"Daughter of Athena," His voice was like hail on a tin roof.

She swallowed hard, "Typhon." Instead of running away she stood her ground, this was the one person she absolutely could not understand. "Why are you helping Percy?"

The storm that made up the giant's body swirled faster as the giant shrunk to around ten feet tall instead of twenty-five. He sat down on the ground and gestured for Annabeth to do the same. She remained standing. Securitas nodded at her before slinking off again, leaving her alone with Typhon. "I owed him. Perseus weakened the seal on my prison and I was able to escape because of him."

"But you ended up in Tartarus anyways," Annabeth's whole body was tense, muscles twitching with the need to run away.

"That is not Perseus' fault," Typhon stated calmly. Annabeth wondered if he knew that Percy was the only reason Poseidon joined the battle and eventually helped to defeat the giant. Typhon leaned back against a tree, "I like Perseus. He has a unique view of the world. He has been everything from a human to a monster, a savior to a traitor, and a prisoner to a king. There is no one else like him in all of history, and there never will be one like him in the future. So, I adopted him."

Annabeth sat down hard, "You adopted him?" Her voice was slightly shrill due to shock.

"Perseus is made of rage and dreams. I want to see what he will do when power isn't a worry," Annabeth couldn't see through the clouds, but she swore the Strom Giant shrugged.

"Then why adopt him instead of giving him a gift like Caerus did?"

Typhon hummed as he tilted his head to the side, his lightning filled eyes crackling in mirth. "Do you know why it is so important for the gods to claim their children?"

"It's safer for the demigods," Annabeth hadn't thought all that much about the importance of gods claiming their kids. It was just the right thing to do.

"And when you know who their godly parent is," Typhon trailed off for Annabeth to finish.

"You know how powerful they are." She still didn't see where this was going.

Typhon nodded, "Family ties make a demigod stronger. You traveled with the son of Mars on your quest, he was powerful, correct?" Annabeth nodded, "He was powerful because of Mars and his distant relation with Neptune."

"But those are blood ties, not adoptions," The demigoddess pointed out.

"When a god claims a demigod, and the demigod accepts the claim, it is the same as them being connected by blood. The son of Jupiter you also traveled with was claimed by Hera and thus had a power boost from her as well as Jupiter."

Annabeth shook her head, "But she didn't officially claim him."

Typhon shrugged, "It does not matter. She claimed him, and he accepted whether it was official or not. It's the thought and belief that counts. When Perseus was banished his blood ties to Olympus were essentially severed. It weakened Perseus and allowed Kronos to keep him prisoner so easily. The only reason Perseus did so well in the arena was because Poseidon refused to rescind claim on his son. When he escaped I officially laid my own claim on him, as shown by the tattoo on his back. He my son as well as the son of Poseidon for all intents and purposes."

It made sense, Annabeth realized. Percy was powerful, more powerful than any other demigod and powerful enough to make people question if he was actually a god. He is now the son of both the Stormbringer and the Storm Giant, the Earthshaker and the Father of All Monsters. An idea struck her like lightning, "Gaea made sure the gods' personalities were split in order to weaken the camps, not just by making them fight but to literally weaken the demigods."

The Strom Giant laughed booming claps of thunder, "I like you much more than I ever did your mother. You remind me of Metis rather than of Athena. But yes. When the gods can't remember their children, it strains the bonds. Children of Athena are weakened the most, your mother's Roman aspect will drive her insane. Children of Aphrodite are stronger though."

"Why?"

"Aphrodite is the weakest the goddess of Love has ever been. The longer she remembers the past versions of herself, the stronger she becomes. She was the queen of the heavens at one time. Her children will only grow stronger as she does, soon they will be as powerful as any child of the big three."

Annabeth wondered what that meant for Piper. What that meant for the camps as well. The gods were going crazy, their children weakened. There would never be a better chance to defeat the gods. Whether that be Gaea or the Unclaimed. This was undoubtedly the best opportunity and she could understand Percy better now. He didn't want to see any of them as pawns, but he couldn't leave anything to chance. Annabeth felt her fingers twitching wanting to help him. Her mind was filled with the reasons why the Unclaimed chose Percy as their king. She remembered why she followed Percy so wholeheartedly back in New York. She trusted Spes explaining that Annabeth didn't have hope. She didn't, not for a long time. Probably not since Percy was banished. But right this second, gods, she ached for the future Percy dreamed of.

Her storm gray eyes met the giant's lightning eyes and he knew why his adopted son was so in love with this demigoddess. She had the soul of a queen, one that would stand at his side as they remade the world together. Typhon wanted to laugh as he thought of these two demigods taking on Olympus. The gods will have no choice but to bow before this new king and queen. Crowned with passion and sitting upon thrones of hopes and dreams, Perseus and Annabeth will bring forth the new age.

They both lost track of time as Annabeth mercilessly hashed out exactly what they were fighting for. Percy didn't want to be king, he made that clear. When this is all done he will not be a new Zeus. Annabeth agrees with him, but what were they going to do instead. What form of government were they creating?

Typhon was helpful, as old as he was he knew what was good and bad about the Kronos' and Zeus' rule, even if he had been imprisoned for most of it. They discussed who needed power, if that power should be shared, and how to keep anyone from having too much power.

Annabeth relaxed slightly when she realized that Typhon didn't want to be king. He also didn't want to have a king, but neither did Annabeth so she understood. The more they talked the more she trusted him and could see why Percy had accepted the giant's claim.

Eventually, not long after Annabeth begun to yawn every few minutes, Securitas reappeared to escort Annabeth back into the city. She hadn't realized how tired and hungry she was. Or how much she was enjoying talking and arguing with Typhon.

While they were making their way through the city that Annabeth realized that Percy was right. He answered her questions and now she was helping them. Annabeth ate in her room instead of joining Percy or anyone else. She needed time to think.

The next morning, she found Percy in his room. He was sitting at the table in his room, reading a sheet of paper. On the table was a plate of half eaten fruit and two stacks of paper. He was barefoot, wearing only pants. Annabeth's eyes trailed over his shirtless torso. There were so many scars and she had to force herself to look at the tattoo taking up the majority of his back. The trident and drakon. She thought of all the people who wore the mark upon their arms and wondered if that meant anything. Were they claiming Percy or Percy claiming them? Or both? Did it make them stronger?

"Hey," She finally spoke up as she stood in the doorway.

Percy jumped slightly, "Hey!" He smiled his crooked grin at her and moved some papers so that she could sit at the table with him. "Typhon was telling me about what you guys came up with last night, it sounds perfect. Thank you, Annabeth." His whole face was earnest and full of gratitude, it was making her blush.

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about," She told him. Percy set down the paper he was reading and turned his full attention on her, but she couldn't meet his eyes. "I've been thinking, a lot. And talking to lots of people. There's just so much. This whole city, the people in it, you. Gods Percy I love you, and I will always love you but I'm not going to lie: you scare me sometimes. This city and this war scares me. What you're trying to do is terrifying." She finally looked at him, saw how her words hurt him and gave him a tentative smile. "I finally understand that just because it's scary, doesn't mean it's wrong or bad. What you've done is amazing. And what you want to do, Percy, I realized I want to be a part of it."

Percy swallowed hard and rubbed the back of his head. He nodded as his eyes searched her whole face as if looking for any doubts or lies. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Annabeth whispered before speaking more confidently, "I'm sure. I trust you."

"Okay," His whole body relaxed, and his smile was the most unguarded smile she'd seen since he returned to her life. And for the first time since she found out she was a demigod, Annabeth finally felt certain she was fighting for something worth dying for.

A/N:

Hey guys! Sorry this took so long, I started the next part of recovery and it kicked my butt. Hopefully I will be back to posting more regularly but health is weird so who knows. I hope you liked this chapter, it was a bit more serious than I enjoy writing but Annabeth needed to figure shit out, ya know? But please please please let me know what you think! I absolutely love reading reviews and hearing your opinions! so thank you so much if you did review and I hope you guys are ready for the beginning of the end of this story. There's less than ten chapters left (I think) so we're almost there!

TheThoreauReview: dude! You're awesome and And could probably write this story for me lol but way to go calling out Annabeth's quick decision making! She's one of the hardest characters for me to write and yet she plays such a big role in my story which causes so much pain for me. She's like the main contact that the reader has with the unclaimed since she's learning everything for the first time. So I'm trying my hardest for everyone to understand her but she's too awesome for me to confidently write. Hopefully this chapter helps with getting a look at her thoughts and opinions on everything, and to understand Thira and the unclaimed better? Also isn't Cassandra amazing? I wish she could play a bigger part in the story, I know she was supposed to go to elysium but in my opinion she would totally escape to be with her sons. The good news is there will be more people from myths and history in later chapters!

Hephaestusbuilds: I also haven't read BOO so this should get interesting. Sadly this chapter didn't have tons of percabeth moments but i do agree with you that they need to talk stuff out. In a happier manner though because this was all serious talks and unhappiness. Forgive me? I promise there will be a lot more happiness later but they needed to understand each other better because a lot has happened to them, especially Percy, and I don't want their love to be the same as when they were fifteen/sixteen. They're adults who have been through literal hell and I feel like their love needed to grow with that? even if it included some low points like in this chapter. Hopefully you still like it though!

Void-maker's loss: I'm happy you like this story and think so highly of it! Thank you! I'm also pretty excited to write when Percy steals the thrones because that scene is pretty much the reason I came back to this story after the couple year hiatus. Hopefully it lives up to my, and yours, expectations!

Thank you thank you thank you everyone who reviewed! I'll try to answer any questions you guys have if you want and I'm so happy you like the Caleo chapter because that was another scene that I had been looking forward to writing. Thank you again for the reviews and for reading my story!