House of Hades

As I look around the temple, I can't help but feel annoyed at the monsters' stubbornness. Even after I killed those fools Koios and Perses, they still decided to attack.

Rolling my shoulders, I turn to face the Doors of Death, only for a voice to speak out from behind me.

"Hehehe, I finally found you, son of Neptune." says the voice.

Turning to face the speaker, I'm met with what could only be a Gigante. Judging by his looks I'd have to say Polybotes, the bane of Poseidon.

"What do you want Polybotes? I don't have the patience to waste on you right now." I say.

"What did you say?" he asks. "You think that you can deal with me?"

With a sigh I turn my ring into a trident and fully turn to face him.

"Foolish mortal." he says. "I am Polybotes,son of Gaea and Tartarus, one of the Gigantes, and the bane of Poseidon. I was specifically made to slaughter your father. The only thing that stopped me was that upstart Herakles."

"You think that you can compare me to that fraud of a demigod, Herakles?" I answer. "Please, don't make me laugh. That wastrel cannot even compare to my weaker, little brother, Perseus."

"It doesn't matter. Without a god and demigod working together I can't be defeated. Once I beat you, I'm going to turn you into my personal slave and make you watch as I have fun with your lady friend. What was her name again? Azula?" he says.

Hearing him say that, I can't help but find amusement in his stupidity. Honestly, he thinks that I can't tell, but it's written all over his face. He met Azula when he attacked New Rome, and that meeting didn't end well for him. From the slight twitch in his eyes, the tightening of his throat, and the quivering of his voice when he says her name; it's easy for me to tell that his meeting with Azula left him traumatized.

However, even if I know that Azula can and most likely will make him suffer should they meet again, I can't let a statement like that slide. However without a god to help I can't kill him. That's unfortunate, for him. Since he can't die, he'll just have to suffer.

Without saying a word, I take a deep breath, roll my shoulders, and turn my trident back into a ring before rushing him. I'm going to make this so brutal, that just hearing my name will make him whimper in fear.

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Tartarus, how long have they been here? Percy doesn't know, and neither does Annabeth. They had landed in the pit hours, minutes, or even weeks ago. The air is suffocating and acidic, and it causes blisters to form on their skin. If they hadn't landed in the River Phlegethon and drank from it, they would be dead right now.

Also, according to the Roman, this is the place where Ambrosius was sent to when he was kidnapped. In all honesty Percy doesn't think that the guy survived. He doesn't hate the guy. Yes, being constantly compared to him and falling short was annoying. Heck it got to the point where Percy thought that the Romans were making stuff up to get under his skin. He had believed that at first, until Polybotes and his army had attacked.

He wasn't there for the initial strike since he was out on his quest, but he did arrive to see Azula demolish the enemy army as if they cannon fodder. Hylla had told him that he was worrying for nothing, heck even Frank and Hazel had been calm when they heard about the camp being attacked. He had thought that they were being arrogant, but as it turns out he had been the one wrong. So imagine his surprise when he arrived in camp expecting to see an army attacking it, only for said army to be reduced to ashes by lightning and a tornado of fire made by Azula. As if that wasn't enough, she goes on to completely defeat Polybotes in one on one combat with no difficulty. However things didn't end there, he doesn't know what Polybotes said to her to piss her off. He did however manage to get close enough to hear her say "Kill you? Perhaps that was my plan once upon a time. To call Lupa and join forces with her to kill you. However, your words have earned a fate far worse than death." From there she went on to torture him until he was begging to be sent to Tartarus. For as long as he lives, Percy will never forget the smell as Azula burned Polybotes alive with blue flames, or his screams when she forced him to drink gallons of poison. Luckily for Polybotes, the gods took pity on him and sent Lupa to kill him.

What scared Percy the most however, is when she admitted that not only is Ambrosius more powerful than her, but that he could have done worse.

So, no, Percy doesn't hate him. However, he still doesn't think that it's possible for anything to survive this environment except for titans and monsters. Hell he knows for a fact that if he and Annabeth don't get out of here soon they will die. Which is why he can't help but feel anxious as he follows his guide, Kelli the empousa.

They had stumbled upon her a few moments after landing in the pit. He'd managed to defeat her friends and commanded her to take him to the Doors of Death, where they had apparently been going. Strangely enough, she had been compliant with his order without even threatening him.

"Something is wrong." whispers Annabeth, as she brings Percy out of his thoughts.

"What do you mean?" he answers.

"The monsters. Why are they avoiding us. I've seen a few come near us, but as soon as they see you they run." replies Annabeth.

"Maybe they're scared?" he says with uncertainty.

"Ha." mockingly laughs Kelli. "Scared of you? Please, you don't have that kind of reputation here."

"Then why haven't they attacked?" questions Annabeth with a scowl.

"It's obvious isn't it. They're scared of his brother." answers Kelli.

"Ambrosius?" questions Percy, his face set in an annoyed expression. "What does he have to do with this."

"Well, when he got here the first thing he did was destroy the army that Gaea had waiting here to kill him. After that he went on a rampage looking for the Doors of Death. Once he found them, he killed every monster that was waiting to pass through to the mortal world, including Perses and Koios. Ever since then, monsters have been avoiding anything that has to do with him." answers Kelli.

Annabeth and Percy look at each other, and can't help but feel grateful for Ambrosius' rampage. Without it, they may have gotten overrun by monsters by now.

"If monsters want nothing to do with him, why were you going to the Doors of Death, where he is right now." asks Annabeth.

Kelli incredulously looks at Annabeth for a few seconds before answering.

"Honey. Word on the streets is that he's the hottest hunk you will ever see, on par with Adonis. Certainly better looking than the little brother that you're dating. Although, Percy is definitely a hottie."

With a scowl on her face Annabeth ignores Kellie and turns to face Percy, only to see him blush. With a sigh she just stays quiet and follows Kelli. The rest of the trip is spent in silence. Eventually they make it to their destination, The House of Hades.

The House of Hades, also known as the Necromanteion, was an underground temple in Epirus, Greece, dedicated to the god Hades and his wife Persephone. Sometime in the past part of it fell into Tartarus. Both the mortal and Tartarus side of the Doors of Death are located here under Gaea's control, or at least it was until Ambrosius arrived and took over the Tartarus side of the temple.

As they get closer to The House of Hades however, they can make out what sound like tortured screams of pain. Alarmed, the trio sprint their way inside, only to be met with an unnerving sight.

The first thing they notice is the one screaming. There on the floor lies a bloody and disfigured Polybotes. Normally Polybotes is a giant of at least thirty feet tall, with blue skin, reptilian legs similar to a Komodo dragon. From the waist upwards, he has a green-blue breastplate shaped with faces of monsters. He has a human face with wild green hair that has basilisks hanging down from it. His presence is so strong that it could almost attract every bit of iron in the blood.

However, not only is his presence almost nonexistent, but his body is completely disfigured. Lying in a puddle of his own poisonous blood. His feet are broken and bent the wrong way, his left arm is missing while his right arm is completely mangled, his neck is twisted in a hundred and eighty degrees angle, and his trident is stabbing his testicles. What makes the sight more horrifying however, is his blood that's boiling before being forced down his throat and exiting his body through his pores.

"Oh." says a voice, breaking the trio from their trance. "Look Polybotes. We have visitors."

Turning towards the voice, the trio is met with the sight of a handsome man of around twenty years old. Standing at around five feet ten inches, with brown skin, curly midnight black hair cut into a fade at the sides, slightly glowing sea green eyes, and high cheekbones that give him aristocratic features. On his body he wears blue armor.

The first piece is a sleeveless blue cuirass made of an unknown material with horizontal lines going down it and a single vertical line that travels through them, five black sea shells going across the chest. Attached to the cuirass are blue tassets to protect the upper thigh, and a cloth that hangs between the legs. On the left tasset are five purple sea shells, while the right has one.

The legs seem to be one piece separated into two colors, with the division occurring just above the knee. The top is made out of the same scales as my previous armor, colored black, and ending at just above the knee. The bottom covers from the knee down to the ankles and made from the same materials as the cuirass.

The boots he wears are colored blue, reaching just under the knee, with the part of the feet covered in a grey armor that makes it indistinguishable from the greaves that go over the part of the boot that covers the shins.

The pieces that go over the arm are two blue vambraces, with a single fin each, that go over two black sleeves that start from the biceps and end at the wrist.

The final pieces of the armor are two pieces of purple cloth that can be used for a cape, a black belt, and a circlet that makes it obvious that he's royalty.

Looking at their awestruck faces, the man lazily smirks and walks towards them.

"What's wrong little brother? Can't you see the family resemblance?" says the man as he stops a few feet away from them.

It takes a few seconds, but Percy eventually does recognize him.

"You're Ambrosius. The praetor that was kidnapped." responds Annabeth.

"I hope that's not all you've heard about me." says Ambrosius.

Percy simply shakes his head no as he looks over his older brother. Now that he's meeting him in person, Percy can see why everyone is underwhelmed when they compare him to Ambrosius. It's the way Ambrosius carries himself. Unlike Percy who carries himself in a casual, yet confident way, Ambrosius carries himself in a way that only a person that is both royalty and a warrior can.

"W-w-what is going on? What are you doing to him." asks a horrified Kelli as she looks at the now whimpering Polybotes.

"Hmmm?" hums Ambrosius as he turns to face Kelli. "Oh. You're talking about Polybotes. It doesn't matter. What matters is that Percy and Annabeth go through the Doors of Death so that I may return its ownership back to Letus."

"What about you?" asks Percy.

"Someone must remain here to break the chains holding the door once they close." replies Ambrosius.

Before Percy can object, Ambrosius grabs him and Annabeth and throws them in as the doors close. Before the door fully closes, they hear Ambrosius speak.

"If you guys lose this war while I find a way back to the mortal world, I will personally make sure that you regret it."