The Lord of the Underworld

Imagine the largest concert crowd you've ever seen, a football field packed with a million fans.

Now imagine a field a million times that big, packed with people, and imagine the electricity has gone out, and there is no noise, no light, no beach ball bouncing around over the crowd. Like something tragic has happened backstage and an oppressive tension befell that same crowd. Whispering masses of people are just milling around in the shadows, waiting for a concert that will never start or that started but ended abruptly.

If you can picture that, you have a pretty good idea of what the Fields of Asphodel looked like, well, kinda. It was hard to describe a place like that. The black grass-like thing had been trampled by eons of dead feet of ghosts. A warm, moist wind blew like the breath of a swamp. Black trees—Grover told them they were poplars—grew in clumps here and there.

Albert was disturbed by the magic of Asphodel, it was cold, suffocating, and merciless.

The cavern ceiling was so high above us it might've been a bank of storm clouds, except for the stalactites, which glowed faint gray and looked wickedly pointed. They tried not to imagine they'd fall on them at any moment but dotted around the fields were several that had fallen and impaled themselves in the black grass, a terrible reminder that they could fall on them. 

Annabeth, Grover, Percy, and Albert tried to blend into the crowd, keeping an eye out for security personnel patrols. They couldn't help looking for familiar faces among the spirits of Asphodel, but the dead were hard to look at. Their faces shimmer and fade like a gust of wind would blow them into nothingness. They all looked slightly angry or confused or had this hollow vacant look that was the most terrifying out of them. They will come up to you and speak, but their voices sound like chatter, like bats twittering or glass breaking. Once they realize you can't understand them, they frown and move away. Hopeless. Resignated.

It went unspoken to the kids, but they all had the same realization. The dead aren't scary. They're just really sad.

They crept along, following the line of new arrivals that snaked from the main gates toward a black-tented pavilion with a banner that read: JUDGMENTS FOR ELYSIUM AND ETERNAL DAMNATION: Welcome, Newly Deceased!

Out the back of the tent came two much smaller lines. To the left, spirits flanked by security ghouls were marched down a rocky path toward the Fields of Punishment, which glowed and smoked in the distance, a vast, cracked wasteland with rivers of lava and minefields and miles of barbed wire separating the different torture areas. Even from far away, they could see people being chased by hellhounds just like the one sent to kill Percy back at Camp, burned at the stake, forced to run naked through cactus patches or listen to opera music for eternity. They could just make out a tiny hill, with the ant-size figure of Sisyphus struggling to move his boulder to the top.

And... they saw worse tortures, much worse—things none of them want to describe or remember to be honest. The stuff they knew would haunt their dreams even after this was over.

The line coming from the right side of the judgment pavilion was much better. This one led down toward a small valley surrounded by walls, which seemed to be the only happy part of the Underworld. Beyond the security gate were neighborhoods of beautiful houses from every period in history, Roman villas, medieval castles, and Victorian mansions. Silver and gold flowers bloomed on the lawns. The grass rippled in rainbow colors. I could hear laughter and smell barbecue cooking.

Elysium. The place Albert's family named their company after. Pretentious? He thought so too. It was before he was even born, so there was nothing he could have done to avoid that.

In the middle of that valley was a glittering blue lake, with three small islands like a vacation resort in the Bahamas. The Isles of the Blest, for people who had chosen to be reborn three times, and three times achieved Elysium. Immediately they knew that's where they wanted to go when they died- well, not Grover, he wasn't impressed.

"That's what it's all about," Annabeth said like she was reading Percy's thoughts. "That's the place for heroes."

"That is a lot." He replied.

"Heroes?" Albert echoed with clear skepticism. "Why does that world keep being thrown around like that?"

"I thought about that too," Annabeth said humming in understanding, "Luke liked to ask me what I thought about it when we were younger. He doesn't get why they are called Heroes when most of them were pricks... like Heracles or Jason."

"What about Heracles and Jason guys?" Percy inquired.

"Long story, maybe another day," Albert cut him off, but not unkindly. "Let's keep going."

Percy thought of how few people there were in Elysium, how tiny it was compared to the Fields of Asphodel or even the Fields of Punishment. So few people did 'good' in their lives? It was depressing. He thought about what Annabeth and Albert were talking about, maybe being 'good' in the eyes of the gods was not the same in the eyes of people. They both seemed to dislike those guys a lot.

They left the judgment pavilion and moved deeper into the Asphodel Fields. It got darker really fast. The colors faded from their clothes. The crowds of chattering spirits began to thin. After a few miles of walking, they began to hear a familiar screech in the distance.

Looming on the horizon was an enormous palace of glittering black obsidian, like it was caved out of a mountain of black crystals and decorated with gold and precious gems. Above the parapets swirled three dark batlike creatures standing on guard like watchmen: the Furies. They all got the feeling they were waiting for us.

"I suppose it's too late to turn back," Grover said wistfully.

"We'll be okay," Percy said trying to sound confident.

"Maybe we should search some of the other places first?" Grover suggested. "Like Elysium, for instance..."

"Not happening Grooves, time is a scarce resource," Albert interjected sympathetically. "None of us want to go there either, but... we cannot afford no go. Now, do me a favor will you? Take off the shoes, Grover."

"Why? I like them!" The satyr asked in surprise.

"I wouldn't do anything that would hurt you," Albert argued. "Trust me, okay? There is something you all gotta see."

"What's wrong now?" Percy asked alarmed.

"You know something again," Annabeth said her tone baring on accusatory. "What is it?"

"You won't believe me until you see it for yourselves."

"Come on, Grover do as he says," Annabeth asked. "I want to see where this is going."

Grover grunted unhappily but carefully took off his sneakers, almost immediately they sprouted wings out and they flew out of his hands, landing flat on his back in the grass.

"Grover, I know this is annoying but," Annabeth chided. "Stop messing around."

 "But I didn't—"

The shoes were flapping like crazy now. They levitated off the ground and started flying him away from them. Almost violently

"Maia!" he yelled trying to turn off the magic, but the word seemed to have no effect. "Maia, already! Nine-one-one! Help!"

"It's useless," Albert interjected, earning three looks of surprise and confusion.

"What happened to the shoes?" Percy said. "What are you hiding from us How did you know that would happen?"

Annabeth almost yelling asked, "Where are the shoes flying off to?!"

"First things first," Albert said, much to his surprise he wasn't mad about her demanding tone this time. He earned that. He explained, "I don't know how to explain this, I had a dream and I found out something was wrong with the shoes. Believe me when I say I cannot tell you the whole truth yet. All you need to know is that Grover is safe without them." 

"Where are they flying off to?" She insisted. "Just say it and I will believe you, but you gotta answer."

"I want to know too!" Grover suddenly spoke. 

"Wr trust you, Al. But... you gotta share with us what is going on, okay?" Percy said, much calmer, but visibly alarmed.

Albert was quiet, glancing over them while contemplating his choices. "You want to know? The shoes are flying off to the Abyss."

There was a gasp of horror, mostly Grover, Annabeth's was pale and her face looked like she had heard the most terrible thing she ever heard. They were looking at him with shock, reluctance, and fear.

"Well, what is the Abyss?!" Percy exclaimed impatiently. "I promise to study more later, but explain to me what is that."

"Tartarus, Percy," Annabeth answered. "The most terrible place. Worse than the Fields of Punishment."

"How do you know that?" Grover asked again. "A dream what sort of dream? Why? I mean, I almost got dragged to Tartarus?!"

"If you don't believe me, you can go that way," Albert pointed to the direction the shoes flew off to. "You will find a tunnel, darker and colder. Enough to make the hairs on your body bristle. Like staring at the face of evil. It will make you think of things you shouldn't even know about—terrible, horrible cruel things. The tunnel leads to a huge dark cavern, and in the middle is a chasm. Enormous."

"That's the-!" Percy said in disbelief.

The girl interrupted him, "The place you described in your dream.

Grover's eyes had gone slit-pupils, goat style, the way they did whenever he was genuinely terrified. "You guys aren't joking, are you? I almost got dragged there." He turned to Albert and hugged him, "I don't care how and why you knew that was gonna happen, but thank you, for saving me."

"We have to get out of here," Annabeth said. "Albert, talk while you walk. This conversation is not over."

Suddenly, Albert's eyes widened in surprise. He stopped. The others were looking at him with 'what now?' looks.

"Percy... it's in Ares' backpack, the answer to all your questions, is there." He stammered. "I can feel it... so powerful, so violent."

Percy looked confused as he felt the backpack weigh him down. "No way... It can't be."

"Not here!" Annabeth exclaimed. "It's too dangerous."

"What is happening?" Grover yelped.

"You'll go west and meet the god who turned," Percy recited the prophecy made by the Oracle, "It wasn't talking about Hades, was it? It was that jerk!"

Not a moment too soon. They kept struggling forward and finally reached the top of the tunnel, where the cavern widened out into the Fields of Asphodel. The wind died, and no one knew what to say after the realization of their predicament dawned on them. A loud wail of outrage echoed from somewhere. Something was not happy we'd gotten away.

 "What the heck was that?" Grover panted when we'd collapsed in the relative safety of a black poplar grove. "Maybe another one of Lord Hades's pets? I can't believe I'm hoping for that..."

The others exchanged knowing looks with each other. They knew that was very unlikely. Annabeth looked like she was nursing an idea, probably the same one she'd gotten during the taxi ride to L.A., but she was too scared to share it. That was enough to terrify Percy. The girl and Albert had some sort of secret understanding that was driving him a bit mad, he felt lacking and annoyed by that too.

Percy tried to sound brave about it, but he was trembling as badly as Annabeth and Grover were, honestly, Albert was terrified too. He hated dealing with the Gods in person, they were overwhelming overbearing, and hard to understand, all things he had a hard time with.

Whatever was in that pit was nobody's pet that much was clear. It was unspeakably old and powerful. Even Echidna hadn't given them that feeling. They still had to pay a visit to the palace of Hades.

The Furies circled very high in the gloom. The outer walls of the fortress glittered black, and the three-story-tall bronze gates stood wide open. Up close, they saw that the engravings on the gates were scenes of death. Some were from modern times— a mushroom cloud of an atomic bomb exploding over a city- was that Hiroshima or maybe Nagasaki? There was one depicting a trench filled with gas masks–wearing soldiers, and a line of African famine victims waiting with empty bowls—but all of them looked as if they'd been etched into the bronze thousands of thousands of years ago.

They wondered if what they were looking at were prophecies that had come true, but they couldn't be sure. Magic was capable of many things, especially divine magic. This could have been made to look old. Albert felt power in those walls, very old and grim, but surprisingly calm. He wondered if this was what Hades' magic felt like or if these walls were made before Hades was even born, back when the Titans ruled or maybe even primordials.

Inside the courtyard was the strangest garden they'd ever seen. Countless multicolored mushrooms- some bioluminescent, poisonous shrubs, and other weird luminous plants grew without sunlight with flowers with shapes they didn't even know flowers could take, but there were very few flowers overall. Precious jewels made up for the lack of flowers, piles of rubies as big as their heads, and clumps of raw sparkling diamonds. Standing here and there like like the petrified people of Medusa's collection.

In the center of the garden was an orchard of huge pomegranate trees, their orange blooms neon bright in the dark. "The garden of Persephone," Annabeth stated with a complicated expression. "It's best if we keep walking fast."

The boys understood why she wanted to move on so much. The tart smell of those pomegranates was overwhelming. They had a sudden desire to eat them, but they all remembered the story of the Kidnapping of Persephone. One bite of Underworld food, and we would never be able to fully escape this realm. Not even a Goddess managed that. They pulled Grover away to keep him from picking a big juicy one and Albert almost used charmspeak to make him ignore the smell.

As they walked up the steps of the palace, between black columns, through a black marble portico, and into the House of Hades. The entry hall had a polished bronze floor, which seemed to boil in the reflected torchlight. There was no ceiling, just the cavern roof, far above. Every side doorway was guarded by an undying skeleton in military gear - like they came out of an RPG game. Some wore Greek armor, some British redcoat uniforms, and some camouflage with tattered U.S.A flags on the shoulders. They carried spears, swords, muskets, or M-16s.

None of them bothered with the kids, but their hollow eye sockets followed us as we walked down the hall, toward the big set of doors at the opposite end. Two U.S. Marine skeletons guarded the doors. They grinned down at us, rocket-propelled grenade launchers held across their chests.

"You know," Grover mumbled and nervously laughed, "I bet Hades doesn't have trouble with door-to-door salesmen..."

Finally, they reached another big set of doors.

"Well, guys," Percy said. "I suppose we should . . . knock?"

A hot wind blew down the corridor, and the doors swung open. The guards stepped aside.

"I guess that means entrez-vous," Annabeth said.

The room inside looked just like in Percy's dream, except this time the throne of Hades was occupied. He was the third god he'd met, but the first who actually struck him as god-like. 

Albert was having a similar experience, he barely managed to keep his face from frowning, Hades' presence was...loud. Ares with all his annoying self, was very contained while he walked the mortal world. Dyonisus was even more contained, but he was also being grounded so... he was a special case.

Hades was different fundamentally different.

The King of the Underworld took the form of an at least ten feet tall man dressed in fine shiny black silk robes and a crown of braided gold with black diamonds. His skin was albino white, his hair was silky shoulder-length and jet black. He wasn't bulked up like Ares, but he radiated even more power with a slim build. He lounged on his throne of fused human-like bones, looking lithe, utterly graceful, and dangerous as a panther.

Hades was beautiful, Albert finally thought. He finally, found the word he was looking for. The Ruler of the Dead was grim and morbid, but regal and beautiful.

They immediately felt like he should be giving the orders. He knew more than they did. He should be their master. Albert quickly dispersed this odd thought and whispered for the rest of his companions to snap out of it, breaking them out of the stupor.

Hades's aura was affecting them, just as Ares's had before. The Lord of the Dead had deep black intense eyes with some kind of mesmerizing, dark, and cold charisma.

He was a King among Gods in the end.

"You are brave to come here, Son of Poseidon," He said in an oily smooth voice. "After what you have done to me, the disrespect and humiliation, very brave indeed... or perhaps you are simply very foolish."

Numbness crept into Percy's joints, tempting him to lie down and just take a little nap at Hades's feet. Curl up here and sleep forever. He fought the feeling and stepped forward.

He knew what I had to say. "Lord and Uncle, I come with two requests."

Hades raised an eyebrow in curiosity. When he sat forward on his throne, shadowy faces appeared in the folds of his black robes, faces of torment, as if the garment were stitched of trapped souls from the Fields of Punishment, trying desperately to get out. What horrible things would you have to do in your life to get woven into Hades's clothes?

 "Only two requests?" Hades repeated. "You are one arrogant child. As if you have not already taken enough from me. Speak, then. It amuses me not to strike you dead yet."

Percy swallowed. This was going about as well as he'd feared. He glanced at the empty, smaller throne next to Hades's. It was shaped like a black flower, gilded with gold. For some reason, he wished Queen Persephone were here too. He recalled something in the myths about how she could calm her husband's moods, but it was summer. Of course, Persephone would be above in the world of light with her mother, the goddess of agriculture, Demeter.

Annabeth cleared her throat and with her finger, she poked Albert in the back. Shotting him a 'do something!' look. The boy felt his lips twitch in annoyance, what the fuck did she hope for, he could charmspeak a god? Not happening.

"We respectfully greet Lord Hades, King of the Underworld" Albert started. " I am Albert Alexander Gomes, Son of Aphrodite. This is Annabeth Chase, Daughter of Athena. This is Grover Underwood, a proud satyr from Camp Half-Blood charged with the protection of demigods." He bowed in respect, he didn't feel humiliated or disrespected by doing so, even mortals bowed to mortal monarchs, and the situation was unbearably more unbalanced than that. "Look, Your Highness, there cannot be a war among the gods."

"It would be really really bad," Grover added helpfully.

"Return my mother to me," Percy tried. "Please, sir. Let me take her back."

Hades's eyes grew dangerously bright. "You dare keep up this pretense, after what you have done?"

Percy glanced back at my friends. They looked as confused as he was- all but Albert.

"Percy Jackson did not steal the Helm of Darkness from you, Your Majesty" Albert stated firmly. "That's what you want, right? This is what Lady Alecto was sent to retrieve and why the Furies were watching over him. He didn't steal from you, or the King of Olympus," He paused then added carefully. "If anything, I never suspected you, sir. I am not lying. I can guarantee, Percy doesn't have your Helm."

"Albert Alexader, is it?" Hades asked looking at the boy with an apprasing, his expression turned reluctantly much calmer. "Interesting... you aren't lying. What is the situation then? If not him, who did it?" 

"Um... Uncle," Percy said. "I didn't steal anything from anybody, but f... if I find and return your Helm, will you give me my mom back, sir? Please, there is no need for a war."

The throne room shook with a tremor so strong, they probably felt it upstairs in Los Angeles. Debris fell from the cavern ceiling. Doors burst open all along the walls, and skeletal warriors marched in, hundreds of them, from every period and nation in the Western civilization. They lined the perimeter of the room, blocking the exits.

Hades bellowed, "Do you think I want war, godling? What makes you presume I want that?"

Percy wanted to say, 'Well, these guys don't look like peace activists'. But I thought that might be a dangerous answer.

"You are the Lord of the Dead," He said carefully. "A war would expand your kingdom, right?"

"Hah, A typical thing for my brothers to say!" Hades scoffed in annoyance. "Do you think I need more subjects? Did you not see the sprawl of the Asphodel Fields? My kingdom is overcrowded as it is and I am not really interested in expansions of any kind. A war would not benefit me and mine in any way!"

"Well... I didn't mean like-!" Percy stuttered feeling the power of the god's outburst.

 "Have you any idea how much my kingdom has swollen in this past century alone because of those hateful petty creatures killing each other over nothing?!" Hades said, his voice wasn't loud, and he wasn't violent, but there was just so much intensity that made the four mortal kids flinch. "How many subdivisions I've had to open? You know nothing!"

Percy tried to open his mouth to respond, but Hades was on a rant now.

 "More security ghouls," he groaned. "Traffic problems at the judgment pavilion, complaints every day. Double overtime for the staff. I used to be a rich god, Percy Jackson. I control all the precious metals under the earth. But even I can't seem to fix these aggravating problems!"

"Charon wants a pay raise," Percy suddenly blurted, just remembering the fact. As soon as I said it, he wished he could sew up my mouth. "Sorry, I made a deal I would tell you on his behalf, sir."

"Don't get me started on Charon!" Hades said. "He's been impossible ever since he discovered Italian suits! Problems are everywhere, and I've got to handle all of them personally these days. The commute time alone from the palace to the gates is enough to drive me insane! And the dead just keep arriving at bigger and bigger numbers. No, godling. I need no help getting subjects! I did not ask for this war!"

"The other gods think you took Zeus's master bolt..." Annabeth stated. "Just saying, sir."

"Lies!" Hades rose from his throne, towering to the height of a football goalpost, glancing at Percy. "All of them are fools! You!" He pointed at Albert. "What is your theory? You seem to be smarter than the rest. Can't you see what this situation looks like? The alleged thief, the other demigods and satyr who have been helping this hero—coming all the way here to threaten me in Poseidon's name, no doubt—to bring me an ultimatum. Does Poseidon think I can be blackmailed into supporting him? Don't you think this is a coincidence?"

"What?!" I said. "Poseidon didn't—I didn't—"

"It doesn't look like a coincidence because it isn't a coincidence, Your Majesty," Albert explained.

"What do you mean?" Percy asked in confusion. "I didn't blackmailed anyone. I know now he didn't steal the master bolt and he was tricked too, I just want my mom back!"

"Lord Hades knows about that too, Percy," Albert said in a much softer tone. "He is mad because someone-something dared to use him on schemes of war. He understands now that something else, something much bigger is taking place and he knows you didn't steal his Helm either. He wants to know what is going on."

"He wants to know who is the real enemy..." Annabeth added. 

"Well, any guesses, boy?" Hades asked with his black eyes narrowed in interest. 

"I have, sir," Albert admitted somberly, almost mornifully. "The mastermind behind this conspiracy is your father, The King of the Titans, Kronos. He is stirring... he wants to pine brother against brother and divide the gods, he knows that your union is- and I mean no offense- a fragile thing. Zeus and Poseidon are already preparing for a war with each other and are willing to overlook the obvious missing points in this conspiracy."

There was a pregnant pause, Hades was stunned for a solid minute, but the silence was interrupted by a loud gasp.

"The shoes!" Grover exclaimed. "They were going to Tartarus because of Kronos?"

"Who is Kronos?" Percy asked looking a bit lost.

"He is my father, and the father of your father too," Hades snarled, "This is a bold theory, Son of Aphrodite, do you understand the weight of your words? If you are right and that bastard is stirring again and he has outside help, then this gets more complicated than you can imagine. I need my Helm even more!"

"We can get it back for you, sir!" Albert said, firmly, not breaking eye contact, "Like Percy suggested, it would be a simple deal. His mother for your Helm. We are already doing this for Zeus anyway. We can do it for you too, right guys?"

"Yes!" Percy firmly stated. "I will get it back for you, just give me my mom back in return, ok?"

Hades was furious still, but the revelation of the threat of the return of his hateful father was like a cold bucket of water. The Lord of the Dead regarded each of the mortal teenagers with a complicated look, Albert and Percy especially. One was the one who seemed to respect him, just like Alect had informed him, he dared to speak about his father's return too. The other was a Forbidden Child of his second most hated sibling, one who was dangerous for all the gods according to the prophecy... this was an opportunity for him too.

After much consideration, Hades was feeling generous, so he decided to make a wild bet. Give them a chance.

"Very, well, I will give you a chance," Hades stated. "But don't be fooled. I have no illusions that anyone on Olympus would offer me the slightest justice, the slightest help... I cannot afford for the word to get out that my most powerful weapon of fear is missing, do you understand?"

"You didn't try to stop us because you thought we were going to deliver it to you?"

"Yes... If you fail to return my Helm, I won't just make sure the mortal woman doesn't return but will stop death," Hades threatened. "That is my counterproposal. I will open the earth and have the dead pour back into the world. I will make your lands a living nightmare. If my father is in fact returning I need helpers. And you, Percy Jackson—your skeleton will lead my army out of Hades."

The skeletal soldiers all took one step forward, making their weapons ready.

At that point, the boy in question should probably should have been terrified. The strange thing was, he felt offended. Nothing gets him angrier than being accused of something he didn't do. He's had a lot of experience with that.

"You're like Zeus," Percy said. 

 "I wouldn't say that..." Hades said. "Unlike my brother I don't seek out war. I, on the other hand, must be prepared if war threatens to come to my doors. I have a realm to take care of, child. I have my subjects. Allies. Enemies even. I am the first line of defense if the threat is in Tartarus. Hate me if you must, but don't compare me to that guy."

"Were the other monsters also sent by you like the Furies?"

Hades waved his hand in dismissal but did not hide his comfort at the idea. "I had nothing to do with them. I wanted no quick death for you, sure—I wanted you brought before me alive so you might face every torture in the Fields of Punishment for daring to steal my object of power. Not now that I know you're not guilty of that, of course. Why do you think I let you enter my kingdom so easily?"

"Easily?" Percy's eye twitched.

"Return my property and begone."

"Percy, where are the Pearls?" Albert asked in a hurry. "He is being generous, let's not waste this opportunity. Quick, quick. Take them out!"

"You heroes are always so arrogant," Hades said. "Your pride makes you foolish, thinking you could bring such a weapon before me. I did not ask for Zeus's master bolt which I know you already found, but since it is here, I could have you yield it to me. I am sure it will make an excellent bargaining tool. What do you think I didn't know? I could feel it the moment you stepped into my palace."

"Why then?" Percy asked in genuine curiosity.

"You have your friend to be grateful for," Hades replied pointing at Albert, who looked equally confused. "Imagine my surprise when one of my subordinates, Alecto, tells me she met an interesting demigod, who managed to tricked her and her sisters. Sure, she was furious of course, defeated by children, again... I was ready to give him to her after dealing with you, but things changed. He is sensitive to my magic. There is no way he didn't feel the master bolt and told you about it, which means... he expected me to ignore it or to trust you. A dangerous gamble, but I can't help but feel touched."

Percy was speechless. Albert equally so... Hades had seen through him from the very start. Annabeth and Grover weren't much better.

 "Lord Hades," Albert said clearing his throat. "Thank you, for trusting me, us. I won't fail."

 Hades looked weirded out by that, and humphed. "This must really be the end of the world... I am being thanked by a mortal. Oh.. how the tables have turned." He chuckled to himself, "Anyway, don't make me regret it. I would hate to wage war. You'll have until the solstice."

The skeletons aimed their weapons. From high above, there was a fluttering of leathery wings, and the three Furies swooped down to perch on the back of their master's throne. Alecto's face grinned at them eagerly and flicked her whip.

Percy felt like his heart was being ripped in two, he managed to strike a deal, but he would have to leave without his mom. His friends had helped him all the way here. They had been with me through so much together. He had spent thousands of miles worried that he'd be betrayed by a friend, but he knew these friends would never do that. They had done nothing but save me, over and over, and now they managed to give him a chance to get his mom and avoid the war. 

"Take these." Percy handed them each a pearl.

Annabeth said, "But, Percy... are you sure? These are precious."

Honestly, Percy desperately wanted to sacrifice himself right there and use the last pearl on his mom if possible, but that wasn't an option and knew what she would say. She would never allow it, she would blame herself. He had to get the bolt back to Olympus and tell Zeus the truth about the conspiracy and Kronos. He had to stop the war. He thought about the prophecy made at Half-Blood Hill, what seemed like a million years ago. 'You will fail to save what matters most in the end.'

"I'll be back. I'll find a way, Mom."

Hades looked at him with a serious expression, "So, godling... are you ready?"

"I'll find your helm, Uncle," I told him. "I'll return it. Also... remember about Charon's pay raise."

"Until, the next time, my lord," Albert said and bowed again, raising his head with a broad and determined smile. "Thank you again, sir."

"Hah! You're doing that again sto—!"

"And it wouldn't hurt to play with Cerberus once in a while," Annabeth interjected, almost pleading, "He likes red rubber balls a lot."

"What?!"

Percy shouted, "Now, guys!"

They all simultaneously smashed the pearls at their feet. For a scary moment, nothing happened.

Hades laughed, he actually laughed, "Do not disappoint me!"

The army of skeletons took their swords out, guns clicking to full automatic, and cheered for them. The Furies slapped their flaming whips on the ground, smirking at them. Alecto especially, the reason? They chose not to think about it.

The pearl fragments at their feets exploded with a burst of green light and a gust of fresh sea wind. They were encased in a milky white sphere, which was starting to float off the ground. Annabeth, Grover and Albert were right behind Percy.

Now, they had a war to stop and a Helm to retrive, and Albert knew exactly how they would make that happen.