A/N: Wow. The last chapter raked in a bunch of reviews. What made you all respond so positively that time?

I know, I know. I'm updating late. What can I say? I got busy. I am also very lazy.

I know some of you are wondering about the pairing, and I'm being upfront with you all when I say, so am I. I'm trying to focus more on the story while intertwining interactions between the characters while things progress, and hopefully, as time goes on, it'll be clearer to all of us who'll end up with Percy. I'm asking you all for a little patience though, because in two months or so, I'll be busy with life and updates will come a lot less frequently. Sorry!

I don't own Percy Jackson.

Also, could I ask someone to suggest a cover picture for the fic? Or send me one? Or is the empty picture mysterious and alluring?

"That's Lord Hades to you."

Percy's jaw remained unhinged as he stared at the towering god before him. His heart had been pounding when he awoke in the palace in the Underworld, but somehow, it had only gotten worse as he had time to process exactly what situation he was in.

"I'm glad you're awake," Hades said, but he didn't receive a response. Percy stared at him blankly, with his mouth still wide open.

He remembered smashing every control panel he saw inside the bronze warrior with his sword and screaming in pain when they hit the power lines and electricity ran throughout his body. The world was spinning as he felt the prototype fall apart, and just as they were about to hit the ground, everything went dark.

Hades cleared his throat, "I don't know how long I've been sitting here, waiting for you to get up. We need to talk."

Still nothing. Percy was still in shock.

He was dead now; there was no way he wasn't. The prophecy said that they would lose one in the land without rain, and he made sure it wasn't anyone he cared about. Still, despite his relief that the other quest members were most likely alive, he felt a twinge of sadness inside him. He wondered if his friends would mourn him, and how long it would take Hermes and Apollo to get over his death. Sure, he had only met Thalia a few days ago, but there was something in her eyes every time she looked at him, and he attributed it to his saving her multiple times over the course of the quest. She had to mourn for him, right?

Hades sighed and rubbed his forehead. To his right, Cerberus let out a loud bark from all three of its heads, jolting Percy out of his thoughts. The beast took that as its cue to leave, walking into a shadow by its side and promptly disappearing.

It was then that Percy remembered where he was. He was in the throne room of Hades, one of the Big Three. He worried that he'd have to endure more punishment than he deserved just because he was Poseidon's son.

Percy scrambled to get on his knees and bow. He gritted his teeth in pain when he knocked his forehead onto the black marble floor in his haste.

"I apologize for my rudeness, Lord Hades! Please forgive me!" Percy blurted. He shut his eyes tight in anticipation.

A few tense moments of silence hung in the air before a soft chuckle made its way to Percy's ears. He slowly lifted his head to see that the unfamiliar sound had come from Hades, who was smirking in amusement.

"If only all demigods were as easily cowed as you," Hades muttered. He reached to his side and pulled a golden goblet out of thin air. He sipped quietly on whatever was inside. "I haven't had a demigod like you down here in ages. The children these days have such egos, I tell you. Bothersome."

Percy didn't know how to respond, so he didn't. He stuck to looking up at the god in pure confusion.

Hades sighed after receiving no response, "oh get up, will you? There's no need to be too formal, Percy Jackson. I am a god, and you are in my domain; the least you could do is address me as a Lord. With that being said, there is no need to be on edge. I mean you no harm."

Percy processed his words for a moment before he slowly stood. He spoke up as he moved, "so, you won't be torturing me?"

"What?" Hades asked. His tone sounded almost offended.

"No! It's not that I'm not thankful or anything! It's just," Percy blurted, trying to explain his words before the god changed his mind and stuck his head on a pike, "I don't understand why I'm here. I don't remember how you judge souls down here, but I'm pretty sure you don't meet all the dead people in the world and then decide where they go in the Underworld. I mean, I kind of expected you to throw me in with all the other kids of Poseidon being whipped and all that..."

Percy's panicked ramble would've continued if not for the amused look Hades was giving him. It unsettled the demigod.

"I don't send all of your half-siblings to the Fields of Punishment, nephew. Only the ones that deserve it," Hades lectured, his amused expression still on his face. "But you are correct. I rarely talk to the dead souls here, and I don't have to sort them into their respective afterlives myself. I have people for that."

The god relished in the look of confusion on the demigod's face. Paired with the awkward bowing position that Percy was in, it made for an amusing sight. He sipped on his goblet before casually tossing it to the side, where the darkness engulfed it.

"The reason you are here and not down elsewhere is because you do not belong here, Percy Jackson, and you still have much to do in the world above," Hades said with a slight smirk.

"What do you mean, Lord Hades?" Percy asked slowly. He had a hunch about what the god was implying, but he had to be sure.

With a sigh, his uncle gave him a deadpan look, "what I mean is that unlike the souls the Underworld holds, your soul remains attached to your body. In short, you are not dead."

The words struck Percy, whose face conveyed his disbelief, then surprise, then utter joy. A grin that threatened to split his face in half made its way onto his features.

"I'm alive?" Percy said, part of him still not willing to believe in such good news. He held back the many questions still in his mind, not wanting to aggravate the powerful god by being irritating.

"Very much so, yes," Hades nodded. "To those in the world above and on Olympus, they lost you, just as the prophecy predicted. Do not fret, however, as I will send you back to your quest promptly. I decided that now was the best time to discuss a few important matters with you. If you cooperate, this will be quick."

"But... how? How am I alive?" Percy asked despite himself. He couldn't help but ask; just a few minutes ago, he thought he was a goner.

"I pulled you from the body of the prototype before it crashed into the ground. The impact would've killed you. And if that didn't end you, the electricity coursing through the metal would've," Hades explained bluntly. The god rubbed the tip of his nose before he leaned back and ran his fingers along the grooves on the arms of his throne.

"In all honesty, if not for the great prophecy, I would've let you die," the god added casually, causing Percy to balk. He unconsciously took a step away from the god in slight fear.

Percy wasn't sure how to respond to the blunt admission, especially one concerning his death. He settled for uttering a single word. "Oh?"

Hades hummed in response, his focus still on his throne. "Fortunately for you, the world as we know it needs you. You are the child of the prophecy." The god ended his sentence with a meaningful glance at Percy.

Percy frowned in confusion, "but, Lord Hades, isn't Thalia the child of the prophecy?"

Hades' eyes snapped onto Percy's, and the demigod froze in place. There was a calm anger in his uncle's eyes that felt more threatening than anything he had ever felt before. "She could be. But between a child of my brother Zeus and you, I would trust you with the fate of the world. He and his children crave power too much. It wouldn't surprise me if that daughter of Zeus ends up deserting us for more power."

Percy ignored the irritation that he felt from the god's words about Thalia. He didn't understand why it bothered him. He responded quietly, "thanks for the vote of confidence, I guess."

"You are welcome," Hades said with a nod. He raised his free hand and pointed at Percy without straightening his arm, his elbow still resting on his lap, "keep in mind that I interfered in a quest for you, and that is against the ancient laws. Do not make me regret it."

"Of course, Lord Hades," Percy said with a bow. Though his uncle's lack of faith in Thalia annoyed him, there was a sense of pride that filled him. The god saved him because he thought it would be best for him to live. Who wouldn't be proud?

Still, Percy had to ask the most pressing question on his mind, "why did you take me here?"

Hades paused, his fingers stopping their movement along his throne. Slowly, he stood and walked towards Percy. He shrunk down to what Percy assumed what his mortal height, but the god was still the taller of the two. "I needed to speak with you."

Hades gave a sigh as he rubbed his forehead and said, "I sent Cerberus to fetch you earlier on, but you and your friends ran from him. I suppose he was too aggressive in his approach?"

Percy gave a sheepish chuckle and nodded. Hades hummed in response.

Hades regarded Percy's questioning gaze for a moment before looking off to the side, and out of one of the tall windows that lined the dark throne room. "I'm not one to kill my brothers' children, but I must admit that your existence angered me when I first learned of it. I held onto that feeling for a long time. For Zeus to have sired a child and for Poseidon to have two children out and about as well while I stuck to the oath frustrated me to no end. I tried to kill Thalia, and I would've done the same with you if you hadn't disappeared all those years ago. Fortunately for all of us, my anger has largely dissipated over the years, and I no longer wished to see you dead when you reappeared in Maine."

The admission quickly set Percy on edge. He wasn't used to hearing such casual mentions of wanting to kill human beings. Especially himself.

Hades' gaze wandered back to his nephew, and he continued, "ever since your impressive showing in Maine, I've been monitoring you. Truth be told, you are head and shoulders above all of your peers. Your swordsmanship and control over your demigod abilities suggests that you have been trained and blessed in the past by powerful patrons. You have obvious experience in battle and your actions show that you are as pure a hero as they come. You are everything your sister should aspire to be."

Hades was silent for a few moments while Percy's pride continued to swell in his chest. He didn't get compliments straight to his face often. He especially didn't get praise from such powerful people. Artemis would always jokingly downplay his achievements, and Hermes and Apollo didn't compliment him too often so he wouldn't get complacent. Percy enjoyed being complimented.

"I brought you here to offer you a deal, Percy Jackson," Hades said. He crossed his arms over his chest and turned, slowly growing to his godly height. He settled himself in his throne before continuing, "you've met my two children, Nico and Bianca, no?"

"I haven't talked to them personally, but yeah, I do," Percy replied. A slight frown of curiosity was on his face.

Hades nodded before glancing to his side, his eyes slightly unfocused. He paused briefly, as if swallowing down whatever hesitation he had within him, then spoke, "I hid them away for years in hopes of the Great Prophecy pertaining to them. I thought if they succeeded and saved Olympus, then I might receive the respect that I deserve from a family that has never done me right. They never hailed one of my children as a hero. However, I've decided that I will not risk the lives of my children for a chance at glory."

Hades shook his head softly and locked eyes with Percy, "it was wrong of me to want to use them for my own selfish means. The only way to get the respect I want is to earn it."

Percy gave the god what he thought was an encouraging smile.

"I intend to make up for my mistakes," Hades continued, shifting in his throne and fixing his posture. "While Bianca is more or less safe within the hunters' ranks, I cannot guarantee the same treatment for Nico. He is my son, and that title alone will give him problems. He will need all the help he can get as he grows without the guidance of his sister."

Percy's eyebrows raised in realization. He chuckled a bit, "so, you want me to befriend Nico?"

"Not quite, nephew," Hades responded with his own amused expression. "I want you to train him."

"Train him?" Percy blinked in surprise. The god's words caught him off guard.

"You're an accomplished fighter, Percy Jackson. All I ask is that you train my son to prepare him for the dangers of a demigod life. I prefer you train him just as your patrons have trained you," Hades explained.

"Why me, though?" Percy asked with a frown on his face. "I mean, you've got so many dead heroes all over the Underworld. They're far more experienced than me."

"That is true," Hades nodded, "but spending time with the dead is my job, not Nico's. He needs to learn how to live his life as a normal demigod, and training here won't teach him anything about the world above. That is where you come in."

Percy contemplated the offer. Seeing his hesitation, Hades spoke up, "keep in mind that I value fairness. Should you train Nico, maybe even check on Bianca occasionally, I will provide you my support just as your patrons do for you. I cannot bless you, as I sense others have already blessed you before and demigods can only take so much power before imploding, but I swear to assist you should you need my help."

Percy's eyes widened. "That's your side of the bargain?"

Hades hummed and nodded, "I don't want to have to pull you out of anymore falling structures, but yes. I will provide you with a means to contact me and if it isn't something you can handle on your own, then I will come to your aid in one form of another."

Percy nodded back dumbly. He had to blink to break himself out of his shocked stupor.

"Do we have a deal?" Hades tilted his head.

"I accept, Lord Hades," Percy replied with an excited smile. In his mind, he was already plotting all the ways he could use Hades' support to get him out of sticky situations. He wondered if the god would help him pull off pranks.

"Swear it on the Styx," Hades said as he tilted his head forward.

Percy's grin had turned into a genuine smile and did as he was told. Thunder rumbled loudly in the distance, signifying their deal being set in stone. Hades gave him a rare smile and nodded. The demigod knew he'd never see that smile again.

"Good. We will talk soon, Percy Jackson. Try your best not to die on this quest, yes?" Hades said. He leaned back into his throne.

Percy nodded in response. He was about to speak, but Hades waved his hand and suddenly, the demigod began to float upward.

"I expect to hear about Nico's progress once you get the chance to talk with him," Hades called out. The god didn't even watch as Percy ascended, focusing on something outside the windows.

Thalia stared at the fire that the four had put together using whatever flammable materials they could find outside of the junkyard. She'd used her spear to shoot sparks of electricity into the heap and lit it on fire. Since then, the group had done their own thing, moving away from each other to grieve in their own way. They barely even spoke as they were working to put the fire together.

Thalia cried for hours. As soon as the prototype had hit the ground, she rushed forward even as Phoebe tried to hold her back. She ran through the dust that clouded her vision and cut herself on all the sharp edges of scrap metal that laid around the junkyard, but ignored the sting of pain. She could barely see through her tears as she tried to look for Percy's body,, and it broke her heart to see that it wasn't there. She found his sword in its phone form, and showed it to the others, but pocketed it for herself. She blamed the entire situation on herself; if only she hadn't gone for the towel, then maybe one of the few people she could call a genuine friend in camp wouldn't be dead.

Phoebe was right there with Thalia, digging through the scrap metal and rubble to look for Percy. She kept muttering to herself, but Thalia wasn't sure what the hunter was saying. The large girl stopped only to glance back at the sound of Zoe and Naomi arriving on the scene, then continued on searching. When their search on the prototype turned up with nothing, she insisted on circling the junkyard, 'just in case'. Thalia had opted out because of exhaustion, but Zoe volunteered to accompany her. The two returned an hour later, with Zoe and Phoebe both shaking their heads mutely.

Naomi cried at the sight of the collapsed prototype and helped them search, but soon had to step back due to her still weakened state. She could barely lift her arms up, and her head still spun. She took the exhausted Thalia away from the junkyard, ignoring the daughter of Zeus' protests, and mustered up whatever energy she could to heal the girl's cuts. She glanced back at the junkyard constantly, her eyes showing just how guilty she was about Percy's 'death'. She admitted to Thalia that she felt it was her fault.

Zoe was the most quiet out of the four. There were tears in her eyes when she and Naomi had seen the wreck that her fellow quest members were searching in, quickly realizing that it was the broken body of the prototype. Thalia could see her muttering 'no' over and over. The lieutenant joined them in the search, not uttering a word until Phoebe had suggested that they circle the area, and the two went off in a random direction silently. Thalia had never seen the hunter so dejected; her entire form spoke volumes of how demotivated and lost she was feeling. For someone so sure of herself so often, it was a strange sight for Thalia to see.

Snapping out of her trance, Thalia looked down. She sat on the hood of a tow truck they found with a full tank of gas. It was old and rusty, but the engine started when they tried earlier, and the group agreed to rest for the night before continuing their journey. She saw Naomi by the fire, cooking whatever animal the three hunters had found somewhere. Phoebe was standing off to the side, her eyes focused on the junkyard. Zoe was resting on her back near the fire, staring up at the night sky.

Thalia shifted her body and slid off the hood of the truck, deciding to skip the meal. She couldn't look any of them in the eye; not after what she did. She blamed herself for Percy's death, and even if none of the others said it verbally, they knew that they did too.

"Thalia?" Naomi called out just as the daughter of Zeus was about to open the car door. "Food's ready."

Thalia hid a grimace and nodded. She shoved her hand into her pocket, just to check if she had Percy's sword with her, and trudged toward the fire quietly. She slowly sat with both of her legs underneath her and accepted a portion of the animal that the nymph gave her. She watched as Zoe sat up and nodded to the nymph in thanks as she took her own share, and Phoebe tore her eyes away from the hill-like scraps of metal to eat.

It was a quiet affair. Or at least, it was until Zoe spoke up a few minutes later.

"What was it you saw in the junkyard?" The lieutenant asked. Her tone was casual, but there was a dangerous edge to it.

Her words cut Thalia like a knife, and the silence that hung in the air was deafening.

"You don't have to tell us," Zoe said again after a few moments, but her tone wasn't kind. "I would just like to know what item was worth the life of our friend."

"Zoe," Naomi warned quietly. The nymph frowned, while Phoebe looked over with narrowed eyes.

"I didn't mean to–" Thalia tried, but the lieutenant cut her off quickly.

"Mean to kill him?" Zoe almost growled.

"Zoe," Naomi tried again, her tone almost pleading the hunter to stop. Phoebe remained quiet.

"Watch your tone with me," Thalia replied, scowling as tears gathered in her eyes. Her grip on Percy's phone tightened, "we're on the same side here."

Zoe stood, her hand suddenly on her bow, "are we really? Last I recall, allies do not get their allies killed."

Thalia stood, fishing her can of mace out of her jacket and gripping it tightly. "Stop it! I didn't mean to do it!"

"Percy is dead because of you!" Zoe yelled, quickly unsheathing her bow and notching an arrow back. She aimed right at Thalia's forehead.

Thalia responded by getting her spear ready, her eyes glowing in anger. "I've had enough of you!"

"That's enough!" Phoebe shouted suddenly, catching all three off guard. She stood and walked over to Zoe, snatching the arrow out of her hands and throwing it down into the ground where it stuck. She glared at the lieutenant before making her way toward Thalia, standing in front of the daughter of Zeus and crossing her arms.

"Stand down, Thalia. This is not what we need," Phoebe muttered. Thalia hesitantly obeyed. Behind the large hunter, Zoe slowly placed her bow on her back.

Phoebe turned and looked at Zoe in the eye, "this is not what Percy would've wanted from us."

Zoe continued to glare at Thalia, so Phoebe moved closer and spoke again, "do not take away from his sacrifice. He did it for us. He did it willingly. Stand. Down."

The hunter's words caused Zoe to lower her head slightly. "I... you are right," she muttered, shame laced in her words. She glanced up and made eye contact with Thalia for a moment before looking away.

"What we need right now is to eat, get some rest, then save Lady Artemis so we can take the time to grieve for Percy. We need to do him right like he did for us. You don't have to like each other, I couldn't care less about that. But we need to finish this quest," Phoebe spoke sternly. Her eyes had a fierce determination in them that wasn't there earlier.

Slowly, both Thalia and Zoe nodded quietly. Zoe sat down and looked back at the junkyard. Thalia did the same. Phoebe made her way back to her spot closest to the junkyard, but her eyes were on the fire that blazed in the night.

It was quiet between the four for a few minutes until Thalia spoke up.

"The towel was my brother's. I recognized it because I took it with me when I ran away, but I lost it while running from some monsters," Thalia whispered. Her voice wasn't loud, but the wind carried it over to the other three. Zoe frowned in confusion, Naomi tilted her head, and Phoebe looked her way.

"I didn't know you had a brother, Grace," Phoebe said. Naomi nodded in agreement.

Thalia chuckled bitterly and shook her head, "technically, I don't. He's dead."

Percy groaned as he woke up, only to find that he couldn't move his arms or legs. Sunlight peeked through what looked like sheets of metal. Shifting around, he freed enough space for his right hand to move whatever metal holding his wrist down away. He grunted and struggled, but there wasn't much he could do other than that.

He realized he was still in the prototype's body, or at least, its remains. He could see some loose wires and control panels beyond repair. He even saw some slashes he had made with his sword.

Percy gasped. His sword!

He reached his hand into his pocket and rummaged around. Much to his despair, he couldn't find his sword.

"Thalia! Zoe! Phoebe! Naomi! Anyone out there?" Percy yelled out. He received no response.

Percy groaned. He refused to allow rubble and scraps of metal to keep him away from helping his friends and saving Artemis. There was no way he would cheat death and let heavy objects hold him down, literally.

Only he couldn't lift them off of him. They were too heavy to push with no leverage, and they pinned his arms and hands. He couldn't move anything but his head. He couldn't use his powers to help him, either; there was no water for miles.

Percy closed his eyes and racked his brain. If only there was someone he could call on to get him out of there.

Suddenly, as if a lightbulb went off in his head, his eyes opened wide and he yelled, "Blackjack!"

A few seconds passed, and then he heard it: the sound of large wings flapping. He could sense the pegasus coming closer, and dust flew off the ground as it descended from the sky. A moment later, he saw the head of a horse peak through one hole in the metal sheets covering him. Percy couldn't help but laugh loudly in relief.

"Blackjack! Thank the Gods you're here!" Percy shouted, grinning widely at the pegasus.

"Boss-man? What the hell are you doing under there? Where have you been? Where are the women?" Blackjack fired off question after question, hovering just above the pile of junk Percy was under.

"I'll explain everything later! I need you to get me out of here!" Percy replied. His chest no longer felt tight at the sight of the mythical creature.

"How am I gonna do that? I don't have hands," Blackjack responded.

Percy had never wanted to hit the pegasus as badly as he did in that moment.

"Use your mouth or something to get some junk off of me. It doesn't feel too heavy, I just don't have space in here," Percy growled back. "And hurry! We're late!"

Blackjack snorted back and did as he was told, landing slowly on the ground before reaching down and nudging the lighter junk he found off of the pile. "Use my mouth, he says. Why don't you try sticking rusty pipes down your throat, eh?"

Percy ignored the pegasus as it continued to insult him. Getting out of the junkyard and back on the road to follow his friends was his foremost concern at the moment.

"Jeez, you are in there deep, boss-man. Whoever did this to you did a great job," Blackjack commented.

Percy groaned.

A quarter of an hour later, Percy slowly pushed the last of the junk off of his chest and heaved a heavy sigh of relief. He took in deep gulps of air, a luxury that he couldn't afford earlier, and slowly pushed himself off the ground. He dusted his clothes off and shook his head quickly, grimacing at the dust and dirt that fell when he did.

"You need a shower," Blackjack said.

"You need to shut up," Percy responded with a glare. The pegasus snorted.

Percy felt around his body again, checking for his sword. He needed a weapon, and he couldn't go in with his fists. He felt exhausted still, so using his powers wasn't an option for him in a battle. To his surprise, he placed his right hand on his back pocket and felt the outline of an object inside. Frowning in curiosity, he reached in and pulled out the object.

He stared at the golden comb in his hand in wonder. It didn't glow, but there was a shine to it that made it look like it was genuine gold. The only thing that convinced him it wasn't was the fact that it was light.

Percy turned it around in his hands and a nagging at the back of his mind told him to flick his wrist with it, just as he did with his phone. Deciding to follow the feeling, he did as it told him to and a simple-looking black sword appeared in his hand. It wasn't long, but it was definitely sharp, and it glinted in the sunlight when he held it up. Upon closer inspection, Percy realized it was a Stygian Iron weapon.

"It sucks the essence of monsters into the blade," Percy muttered to himself. "Thanks, Lord Hades."

As if responding to his words, the sword vibrated slightly in his hand. Percy smiled.

"Boss-man, if you're done talking to yourself, I think we should head to where the ladies are at," Blackjack spoke up abruptly. He flapped his wings once in boredom.

Percy blinked and realized he'd been staring at the blade for some time. He turned and nodded, "for once, I agree with you. Let me head out of the junkyard and see if they left any tracks that I could follow. Meet me there."

The pegasus nodded and took off quickly, and Percy flicked his wrist to transform the sword back into a comb. He stuffed it into his right pocket and ran towards the exit, jumping over piles of junk slowly to get his legs ready for action. Once outside, he found there were tire tracks that led from the dirt towards the road, and judging by the curve of the tracks, the vehicle that his friends took headed west. Knowing that they lacked his tracking powers, however, led him to assume that they followed the roads more than they would've liked to.

"Blackjack! Follow the roads that go west!" Percy yelled. The pegasus swooped down low enough for Percy to jump up and grab on, and he shifted himself onto its back as they flew upward.

"So why'd the ladies leave you, boss-man? You try to kiss one of 'em?" Blackjack asked as they flew.

"What? No! I didn't do that! I saved them from a crazy prototype and they probably think I'm dead," Percy replied. He was beginning to wonder how Elaine spent so much time with the pegasus. He then wondered if the pegasus was being mean to him and only him.

"They think you're dead? What'll they do when they find out you aren't?" Blackjack posed the question to a suddenly pale Percy.

Percy gulped, "you know what, Blackjack? I really don't know."

Thalia ducked a swing of a fist and slammed her spear into a spartoi's chest, knocking it back and onto the ground. Its limbs fell off of its torso, but she could already see the bones rattling and preparing to reassemble themselves. She looked over to her left and saw Phoebe jump up and slam her foot into a spartoi head, sending it flying towards Naomi. The nymph ducked and grabbed onto the spartoi in front of her and dragged it right into the projectile, destroying her enemy momentarily. To Thalia's right, Zoe was fending off two spartoi at once with her hunting knives. The lieutenant was sweating heavily, so Thalia charged in and swept her spear at their legs, knocking them down. Zoe took the chance to separate their heads from their bodies and threw them as far away as she could. It would buy them time before those two came back to life.

They had made a quick stop earlier at the Hoover Dam, though none of them could appreciate how magnificent the place was because they all had Percy on their minds. It was there that they first caught sight of the spartoi, who had switched targets and focused on Zoe. The lieutenant guessed that whoever had sent the spartoi had regrouped them and sent them on another chase after her.

Zoe and Thalia had met a clear-sighted mortal who had saved their lives after the spartoi had seen them. The red-headed girl named Rachel Elizabeth Dare had sent the skeletons after them in the wrong direction while they hid in a bathroom, just long enough for them to regroup with Naomi and Phoebe, who were getting food.

They had evaded battling the spartoi in the presence of mortals by Phoebe's brilliant idea of using her heavy burrito to start a cafe food fight. Children were all over the place, and they were all eager to join in on the fun. It held back the skeletons long enough for them to make their escape and head to San Francisco.

They had just parked at an oddly empty pier when they were immediately set upon by spartoi, who had apparently been lying in wait. They held them off easily for the first few minutes, but they were cornered; it had been almost half an hour of non-stop battling. The group realized that it had all been planned out; there were no mortals around to question them, and they were manoeuvred right into a spot where they couldn't run from the spartoi.

Thalia rolled her right shoulder and gripped her spear tighter despite the soreness in all of her muscles. She was wheezing, and sweat dripped down the sides of her face. "I don't think I can keep this up for much longer, guys."

Phoebe grit her teeth, spinning her hunting knives in her hands as she glared at the slowly reforming spartoi. She had a bruise on her head where a spartoi had landed a solid punch. "We have to."

Zoe nodded beside the large hunter, but she looked exhausted. She was easily the most tired of the group, as the spartoi had taken to focusing on her whenever the other three gave them room to attack someone else.

Naomi glanced at Zoe worriedly. The nymph looked the least tired, but even she looked like she couldn't hold on for much longer. "This needs to end now."

Soon, all nine of the spartoi were reformed, and all advanced on the group slowly. The quest members tightened their formation, unsure of how to continue.

Suddenly, just as the first of the spartoi was about to leap forward, a black blur slammed into its shoulder and embedded itself into the ground. Not even a second later, someone dropped from the sky with a grunt, wrenched the sword out of the ground, and slashed at the same spartoi. It cleaved the skeleton clean in half, and to the surprise of the four quest members, the bones rattled and shook on the ground before fading into black smoke that wafted towards the black blade. The weapon sucked up the smoke as if it was a vacuum.

Percy Jackson stood holding the Stygian Iron sword in his hand, locking eyes with Thalia.

The daughter of Zeus' mouth was wide open. Beside her, Phoebe stared in shock, her eyes watering as she almost dropped her knives. An enormous grin quickly replaced Naomi's surprised expression. Zoe slowly knelt on one knee, smiling in relief.

"Well, don't just stand there! Kill someone!" Percy told them, a grin on his features. He spun his sword, just as he did before his battles, and ran forward, landing a kick on one of the spartoi's knees. It buckled, and he used the opportunity to destroy it once and for all.

Naomi jumped into action, notching an arrow into her bow and firing off quickly. An arrow embedded itself in a skull, causing the spartoi to bow down. Percy quickly severed its top half from its bottom and hacked at the remains for good measure.

"Knock them down for me! I'll finish them!" Percy yelled. Naomi nodded, and his words jolted the other quest members out of their trances.

Thalia roared and slammed her shield into the back of a spartoi, sending it flying forward and straight into the blade of one Percy Jackson. He spun and lashed out, seeing the flying spartoi courtesy of Phoebe's throw before it smashed into him. He held his blade at an angle and brought it upward with a grunt. The slice was so quick it made a whistling sound.

Naomi took the chance to head over to the exhausted Zoe, who was sitting against the rusty tow truck. The nymph reached into her parka and fed the lieutenant ambrosia.

"Five left, guys!" Percy yelled out, ducking and shoving a spartoi back into the waiting arms of Phoebe, who held its arms behind it. He slashed at its knees, then its neck, ending its cycle. He turned and watched as Thalia stabbed into one with her spear and dragged it around to where he was. He laughed and severed its head easily, then turned and threw his sword at another spartoi that had been knocked back into a wall by Phoebe. He ran and retrieved the sword as Thalia shoved her shield into one's mouth. She pushed it down onto the ground and held her shield there, only letting up when Percy ran his sword through its stomach. The black smoke made its way into the blade that pulsed as if it was happy it was being used effectively.

"That was four. Where's the–" Percy was cut off by Naomi's scream. The three turned to see a spartoi holding the nymph up by the hair. It had caught her unaware while she tended to the now unconscious Zoe, who wasn't awake to warn her.

"Naomi!" Phoebe yelled. She hesitated in her charge, seeing the spartoi holding Naomi's own knife to her throat. All three stood frozen, unsure of how to save their friend.

Out of nowhere, a large black blur came from above and smashed into the spartoi, sending it into the ground. Blackjack stood above it and reared up, slamming down with his front hooves and into the monster's back. The pegasus slowly stepped back and allowed Percy to make his way over and kill it.

Percy gave the pegasus a relieved grin as Thalia and Phoebe went to check on Naomi, "that was pretty impressive, Blackjack. Maybe I should start bringing you into battle more often?"

"Oh, please don't be joking. Boss doesn't let me fight with her. Said I'll get in the way," Blackjack replied. His tone was whiny.

"I'll think about it. If I do, promise you won't tell Elaine?" Percy smiled and placed his sword in his pocket, now in its comb form.

"Let's hope she lets you borrow me more often," Blackjack responded. The two finally seemed to find something that they agreed on.

Someone cleared their throat behind them, interrupting their moment. Percy turned to see a sight he knew he should've expected.

Thalia was glaring at him with glowing eyes, her spear crackling with electricity. Phoebe had her arms crossed over her chest, and she stared at him menacingly. Naomi was staring at him with no emotion, and oddly, that scared him the most. The now conscious Zoe was giving him similar stares.

"Uh," Percy gulped, "surprise?"