Chapter 5: Lord of the Underworld

NEW CHAPTER!

Sorry for this chapter's major delay. However with work and other projects taking up around 90% of my time the only amount of time I get free I wanted to spend on myself for the last few months. However recently I've been able to get away from it all and again i'm sorry for this chapter's delay but enjoy!

"Then how about I sweeten it even more for you. I'll give you two bars for each child that's in the lobby. All you have to do is give them passage as well." Aaron stated which caused Annabeth's eyes to go wide.

Charon too was stunned but for different reasons. "Think about it. While you take us to your boss." Aaron replied with a smirk.

"Follow me." Charon stated as he lead both Annabeth and Aaron to an elevator door. Once they entered Charon smiled as he pushed the button that would lead them to the underworld.

"Going down." Charon smirked at his pun as the elevator doors closed.

"That was a terrible pun." Aaron's muffled vice could be heard from the lobby.

"Oh come on man, it's all I got to entertain myself these days."

Chapter 4: Lord of the Underworld

The first thing that cross Aaron's thoughts when the doors of the Elevator opened was the sudden heat that swept over his body. 'And I thought that I was about to melt into the pavement outside. Helheim is nothing like this.' Aaron thought to himself as he struggled with the heat.

Annabeth who was fairing better looked over and seen the poor look on Aaron's face. "You okay?" Annabeth asked with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine kiddo... Just not used to this heat. I'm more used to climates that are a lot colder." Aaron replied as he tried to slow down his breathing.

"Well I'm getting paid either way, so I'm good to wait if you need to." Charon stated with a bored tone to his voice.

"We'll go now. I can't waste more time." Aaron grunted as he gingerly followed Charon. Soon they found themselves outside of what appeared to a creepy looking castle that could've been pulled straight out of a Bram Stoker novel.

"So... He's Gothic. A bit cliche, but who am I to judge." Aaron mumbled under his breath. Annabeth heard his comments and tried her best not to laugh but failed.

As they entered the castle they found a man waiting for them. The man himself was tall with shoulder length black hair pulled back. His skin was near white as he wore a simple black robe. "I was wondering who this new presence was in my realm."

"I'm sorry to impose upon you and your realm Lord Hades, but I was brought here due to my quest." Aaron lightly bowed to Hades in respect as he spoke to the Lord of the Underworld.

"Ah, Annabeth. It's good to see you again." Hades smirked as he looked down at the daughter of Athena. "What lie did you give Charon this time?" Hades asked with a smirk and raised eyebrow.

"We didn't lie this time. Aaron here payed him." Annabeth slyly replied in hopes of getting Hades' attention.

"Really..." Hades responded as he dryly looked back at Aaron. "Well then. How might I be help you then?"

"Would you be willing to assist me in tracking down someone within the living world?" Aaron asked in hope.

"That would be an easy task, yes." Hades replied with a smirk. "But, what would be in it for me?"

"I'm afraid there isn't much I can offer you Lord Hades." Aaron stated back with a worried tone to his voice.

"That's fine, as I believe there is something you can help me out with." Hades replied. "My daughter has recently been tasked with joining the Quest to rescue Artemis."

This news caused both Arron and Annabeth's eyes to widen. "Artemis was captured?!" Annabeth frantically shouted out.

"I'm afraid so." Hades responded to Annabeth as he turned his attention back to Aaron. "Your quest and this new one both seem to have merged into the one. All that I ask is that you watch out for my daughter Bianca."

"On the Honor of my word, I will." Aaron replied with a serious tone in his voice and on his face.

"I wouldn't expect anything less." Hades smiled back as he pulled a bronze globe from the ground. "You quarry appears to be near Washington DC. The members of the Quest are just about to arrive there as we speak."

"Would it be possible for you to leave me near Mimir's location. If I can arrive there before the other members I might be able to get a bit of information off Mimir." Aaron asked.

"Yes I will be able to do that." Hades then turned to face Annabeth. "And I shall leave you back in Camp Half-Blood as well. Otherwise I'd never hear the end of your mother's complaints." Annabeth lightly blushed as Hades smirked at his nieces' daughter.

"She complain all the time as well?" Aaron jokingly asked with his own smirk. Annabeth's blush became redder and Hades burst out in laughter.

"Oh, you have no idea." Hades responded as he opened two black vortex portals in front of both Aaron and Annabeth. "Good luck Norse child." Hades stated to Aaron who nodded back before entering the portal in front of him.

(Washington DC)

Arriving back in cold wintry weather Aaron breathed out in relief as he allowed his body to cool down. The steam of his sweat covered his body before he was able to fully cool down. "Thank you Hades. I don't know how much longer I would've been able to do in that heat."

Aaron looked around and noticed that he was within the grounds of the Smithsonian. Sniffing the air he noticed that several of the ones he meet in Maine were nearby as Hades said. Along with another familiar scent. "Mimir's near." Turning around to face his quarry's scent Aaron looked directly at the The National Museum of Natural History.

Moving inside with no noise, he slightly appeared behind another scent. However there was no one actually in front of him. Believing his eyes were deceiving him, he sniffed the air once more. 'That brat is here! But where the fuck is he?'

"Hey, DayCare Boyo." Aaron softly spoke out to the area where his nose was telling him where Percy was hiding.

Suddenly he felt a punch being delivered to his nose. Rolling back in pain Aaron knew that his nose was broken. "Motherfucker!" Aaron muffled out in response. "What the fuck was that for Sea Brat!"

Percy then appeared in front of Aaron, he noticed that he appeared once he had removed a blue New York Yankees baseball cap. "Sorry, you scared me." Percy meekly responded.

"Well, you've a hell of a right hook, I'll give you that much." Aaron grumbled as he forced his nose back into place. "So whats the story?"

"What?" Percy asked in confusion.

"What's happening? What are you doing here?" Aaron asked once more.

Percy then began to explain the events of what happened in Camp Half-Blood after Aaron had left with Annabeth. From his dream of Luke's plan and Zoe's over Artemis, to the Oracle giving Zoe the quest. Along with the prophesy of the quest itself.

"Well, saying I'm not a gig fan of that prophesy would be a bit of an understatement. The last 4 lines all appear to be revolving around me." Aaron responded with a scowl on his face.

"What I don't understand is the last line. What Curse are you plagued by and what is the Bridge?" Percy asked.

"I know what both are but now's not the right time to explain these things. Mimir's nearby and he'll be able to explain a bit better than what I can." Aaron responded as the two moved closer toward's Mimir's location.

As they moved further into the Museum Aaron noticed an older stench of death in the air. Peeking his head up he noticed that there were a few woodland Draugr along with other creatures that Aaron did not recognize surrounding several figures.

"What are those Skeleton things?" Aaron softly asked.

"They're called Spartoi." Percy responded before a deep intimidating voice spoke out gaining there attention.

"So, Thorn is dead then." The deep voice asked out.

"Yes, General." Another voice responded back.

"That's Luke." Percy softly stated out to Aaron.

"Tell me head. This Demi-Child that Asgard has sent, who is he?" Aaron looked up and seen that the owner of the deep voice was a man wearing an expensive back business suit. His skin appeared to be grey as if it was made of stone. Aaron noticed that he was holding onto Mimir.

"I have no idea who you're talking about." The Red colour'd head of Mimir responded as he attempted to sound uninterested.

"LIES!" The man bellowed out. As he began to argue with Mimir, Aaron turned to face Percy.

"I'm gonna jump in there and introduce myself to this little shindig that's going over there.." Aaron stated before pointing at a nearby exit. "You go an warn the others. They were in the nearby building."

"What about you?" Percy asked.

"I'll be joining you there once I get Mimir back... Now go." Aaron softly order Percy who at first was reluctant but quickly followed the order given to him.

'Time to make an entrance.' Aaron prepared himself as he tightly gripped his axe before jumping in between the Draugr. "Hello there."

With all attention on him Aaron smirked as he slammed his axe into the Museum's marble floor. The Ice quickly expanded outwards and entrapped all of those around them as thick ice covered up as far as there knees.

"Well that was easy." Aaron smirked as he walked over and took Mimir's head. 'Almost too easy.' He thought to himself.

"Oh, Hello brother. It's good to see you again." Mimir joyishly replied as Aaron attached his head onto his belt.

"So this is the boy then?" The General asked. "Aren't you going to introduce yourself boy?"

"I don't feel like it. But I will leave you with a gift from the Allfather." Aaron replied as he jumped onto the floor above overlooking the General and others.

Pulling out a dark black crystal he threw it onto the Ice below. The colour of the ice changed as it became the same colour as the crystal. Summoning back his axe the ice faded and was replaced by a thick black smog. "Handtaka þá með andanum."

The smog appeared to have tapped them like the ice before as Aaron ran away to meet up with Percy and the others. "Wait brother, you need to go back!" Mimir called out.

"What's wrong?" Aaron asked Mimir as he pulled his head up to meet his own.

"The General he has a Bifrost Key!" Mimir's answer was meet you the sound of crashing in the direction he had just ran from. After a few silent moments Aaron became nervous before the small army of Draugr and spartoi burst through into the hallway he and Mimir were in.

"By the Allfather!" Mirmir exclaimed out in shock.

"Nope." Aaron responded by slamming his axing into the ground. "Veggur byggð af ís!" A large and thick wall of Ice blocked their path as it sealed off the small army from reaching them.

As Aaron heard them scrapping at the Ice he brought Mimir's head up to his own. "Tell me what's happening and who took you?"

"It's was Loki! Brother, he stole me from under Odin's watch. He's also helped in the Greek Goddess of the Hunt. But he's injured himself in doing so." Mimir informed Aaron as they ran through the Museum towards Percy and the others.

"What did he do?" Aaron asked.

"He took Atlas' place beneath the sky and transformed into a bloodied up form of your mother." Mimir's answer caused Aaron's blood to boil in anger. "Artemis took her place and once he was freed he transformed back. She currently trapped under the sky. I seen it happen."

"Then we know where Artemis is now then." Aaron responded with gritting teeth and he reached Percy and the other Quest members.

"What are you doing here!" Zoe shouted out to Aaron.

"No time to explain just fucking run for it!" Aaron responded as he grabbed the arms of Bianca and Zoe.

"Unhand us male!" Zoe tried to fight off Aaron's grip by digging her fingernails into his hand. She nipped his skin so much so that it was drawing blood, but his grip didn't give.

"I'll explain everything once we're out of here! Did you bring any transportation?" Aaron asked as he turned his head to face them.

It was then that Zoe noticed the anger and slight fear on Aaron's face as he questioned her. "We arrived in a truck outside." Zoe explained.

"Wait, where are you going we just got here." Thalia shouted before a deafening roar echo'd out.

The group slowly turned around to find a 10 foot tall Lion slowly walking towards them. The Lion's claws were a shiny silvery colour, while it's fangs appeared to gleam like cold stainless steel. It's fur was thick and appeared to be metallic gold in colour.

"What in the Nine realms is that!?" Aaron asked out loud.

Zoe's eye's widened in horror as she replied. "It's the Nemean Lion."

And Cut!

Translation

Handtaka þá með andanum. - Capture them with your breath.

Veggur byggð af ís - Wall built of Ice

So short chapter I know sorry about that but since I haven't posted in a while hey it's better than nothing lol. So let's get cracking with this chapter's Q&A!

1) Will Skadi actually appear in this? Yes. I can't reveal when though.

2) So, Aaron is stronger than Percy, Thalia and Nico together? Technically yes but also no. Power terms are a little difficult to fully compare if I'd be honest. In terms of physical strength yes he would be stronger than all three combined but with his mother's Godly abilities and blessings he is weaker but better trained in using them.

3) Are there many Norse demigods? Not in this story I'm afraid, sorry.

4) Are they usually as powerful as Aaron or is he a special case? A bit of both. Norse Good aren't as tiered as Greek God like the Big Three.

5) Would the Norse gods be more, with a lack of a better word, stable then the Greeks? Yes as they have no alternate persona to deal with like the Greeks do with their Roman persona.

6) Is Aaron able to kill gods as well or just monsters? All Demi-gods have the ability to Kill gods so I'd say yeah lol

Right so i'm hoping that I'll be able to post monthly onto this story so i'll see you again soon! If I don't answer your question on next chapter's Q&A I will try to reply via PM. No spoiler question though. they won't be given full answers. But anyway thank you for reading this chapter. I hope you've all enjoyed it. Till next time!