Chapter 3

Percy sighed, "That's my cue," he said, standing up and placing the shackles which once bound him on the floor.

"Percy!" The intruder that had burst into the throne room dropped to her knees, crushing the young demigod in a hug.

"Mom!" He whined. "I just got done pranking; I need to bask in glory, not in hugs!"

Unnoticed by anyone, Hades strode into the room as Persephone smothered their son. "Now, what is the meaning of kidnapping my SON?!" He asked, making Aphrodite shriek.

"He came into our custody on his own accounts, brother, and he is not your son." Poseidon hissed.

"Damn right I am," Percy suddenly interjected, pulling away from Persephone.

"Perseus, I am your father by birth and you shall defer to me!" Poseidon insisted.

"My 'father by birth' had his sex toy, my mother no less, killed! My 'father by birth' had her tortured and raped! My motherfucking 'father by birth' SENTENCED ME TO THE WORST POSSIBLE HELL FOR NINE FUCKING YEARS!" Percy screamed, his eyes alighting with hellfire. "SO DON'T YOU FUCKING PRETEND THAT I SHOULD HAVE A MORSEL OF RESPECT FOR YOU, YOU DIPSHIT OF A GOD!"

The sea god's face darkened and he reached for his trident. "Touch my son. I dare you to, brother." Hades spat. "Then we'll see how many children of yours live past five years old afterwards."

Poseidon turned to the rest of the occupants of the throne room, and much to his dismay, the majority of them were glaring at him.

"Brother," Zeus started, "there are times when you should subtract yourself from the equation because you have the losing argument. This time, you have the losing case."

Poseidon huffed, lowering himself onto his throne. "Now, why has my son been kidnapped?" Hades pressed the matter again, glaring murderously at the god of thunder.

"Your son was interfering with a mission that could very well put the fate of Olympus in jeopardy." Zeus responded.

"My son was following his father's orders, which you seem to advocate immensely, father," Persephone hissed, now standing and glaring with an expression which made Hades proud.

The king of Olympus seemed astounded that his own daughter would speak back to him. Suddenly, a stricken look crossed Hades' face and he shared a glance with Persephone. "As much as I would absolutely love continuing our witty repartee, brother, my domain is in chaos and I must tend to it."

Percy dropped a pellet to the ground, which emitted smoke and blocked the views of every Olympian. When the fog had cleared, the residents of the Underworld had vanished.

…

"Minos!" Hades barked. "What in my name is going on?"

Minos floated into the room, groveling at Hades' feet. "My lord, someone has broken into Punishment and released the souls; they are rioting throughout your domain." Minos concluded, hurriedly floating out of the room.

"I don't trust that suckup." Percy confided, sending a glare the way Minos left. "He always seems to be up to something."

"Perseus, as wily as Minos can be, he has proved a good judge of character and has made good choices." Hades argued.

"Like letting Orion enter Elysium?" He asked, whirling on Hades with narrowed eyes.

"Son, we can discuss Minos' integrity later, now we must return order in Punishment." Hades stopped the argument with those words shouting some orders at his skeletal guards.

Three Spartan corpses walked forth, moving their jaws up and down with a clatter, yet somehow Hades understood.

He nodded before replying, "Amydas, go rally a defense, the souls must not reach the upper realm. Perseus, gather the Elysians and lead them in flanking the souls. Order them back to Punishment." He dropped to his knees, gripping his son's shoulders and looked the boy in the eyes. "You are my son, Perseus. I have faith in you."

Percy grinned. "Don't worry pops. I won't let you down." Drawing his stygian iron sword, he raced off into the shadows, no doubt to follow his adoptive father's orders.

"I do not doubt it Perseus, I do not doubt it." Hades murmured fondly before leaving to ensure his wife's safety.

…

Percy reappeared in Elysium, where Odysseus was conversing with Achilles. He hastily ran to the tallest building in the area if the blessed, scaling it and readying his voice.

He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled at the top of his lungs, "HEROES! The time to stand is now! Evil is rearing its ugly head in your home! Rally with me and we will send it back to its rightful place in hell!" He leapt off the building, rolling to a landing and kicking the gates to Elysium open.

Leading them out of the gates, Percy's ears ached from the war cries and clanging of weapons behind him, but then he smiled, they had a right to be excited after so long without any real battles.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Percy turned to the voice and smiled. It was the former huntress, Diana. Out of all of his teachers, he thought she was his best friend. The others were more mentor-like than she was. He could stay after his archery and hunting lessons and talk with her about anything.

Now, in the beginning, it wasn't like that. She had retained her huntress-instilled hatred of men and only taught him to please Hades. But after three lessons, she began to see who he was and opened up to him and vice versa.

"I just doubted that I could actually get y'all to follow. I mean, screaming at you isn't very convincing." Percy spoke.

"You're too hard on yourself. That aura of pessimism isn't going to persuade anyone to follow you. You're a leader, but if you keep doubting yourself and never put yourself out there, you'll never be anything." Diana spoke, a stern scowl on her face. Percy smiled. She could be very motherly at times. He would trust her with babysitting his children anytime.

"Thanks Di. Y'know, you're smarter than most people give you credit for." Percy remarked sincerely.

"It's my job to be. Take care of yourself Percy. I won't be there to save your ass every time." She teased.

"Will do. Get back in the ranks and make sure that pig Orion doesn't try to take control. Hades knows that we would fail if that happened." Percy spoke, a guttural growl escaping his parched lips as he thought of Orion.

"Yep. That idiot would ruin it for all of us." Diana agreed before retreating back into the crowd.

Percy watched her disappear before turning around, flipping his sword so he held it in an icepick grip. He plunged it into the ground, screaming, "FOR HADES!"

He raced forward, grabbing a dracaenae, snapping its neck and stealing its sword. He ducked under a Cyclops' club, slicing the back of his knee and stabbing him through the back of his head. He stabbed a hellhound in the maw, using its lifeless body as a springboard and vaulting onto the barrel of a Pegasus, not bothering to wonder what one of them was doing in Hades, underground.

Get this idiot offa me!

Percy gripped his head, retorting to the Pegasus, "'This idiot' can hear you."

You must be a son of Poseidon!

"Don't ever call me that again," Percy growled.

Whatever you say, boss.

"Don't call me that." Percy snapped. "Look, how about you just take me to the person who let the residents of Punishment out. You can do whatever you want after that."

Fine by me. By the way, the name's Blackjack.

Blackjack soared through the air, dodging stalactites along the way, before swooping down and nodding to Percy.

The demigod launched off of the Pegasus, landing on the ground and causing an earthquake. On a stand a few meters away, he saw the ghostly form of Minos, searching for the disturbance. When he saw Percy, it was too late.

The son of Hades lifted the apparition by the scruff of his neck, regardless of all the struggling done by the ghost, and screamed at the army Minos had been leading, "REMORA! You ghosts will be given the gift of amnesty if you stop now! Return to your penal!" Thankfully, they retreated backwards, few by few sinking into the earth and going back to Punishment.

The son of Hades flashed back to the throne room, still holding onto to Minos, and told his father, "This little weasel betrayed us. He was leading the rebellion."

"I will have him sentenced to Tartarus. In the meantime, we have bigger problems to deal with. Perseus, your mother has been kidnapped."

This was so fucking short. While I'm sorry, that cliffhanger was too good not to end on.

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