The House of Hades

Chapter 24: Percy

Thanks for all the votes an comments from last chapter! You guys are awesome!

Disclaimer:

Percy: You know, you're being really cruel to Annabeth and me.

Me: Hey, it's Tartarus. And anyway, I'm the one calling the shots here.

Percy: (pouting) Rick Riordan owns me. He would never have done all the horrible things to me.

Me: *evil laugh* Well for now, I own you, and I'm not Ricky, so DEAL WITH IT.

Percy: *sticks out tongue* Fine. Good bye *disappears*

Me: *looks around, then quickly whispers:* Just for the record, it's not true, I don't own Percy, or Jason, or Annabeth, or any other of those awesome characters, as much as I'd like to. I - I LIED to Percy Jackson!! *starts crying loudly*

Percy: *appears again* I HEARD THAT

ME: GO BACK TO TARTARUS WHERE YOU BELONG!

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Chapter 24: Percy

Tartarus was nothing like Percy had expected. He had imagined a place of pure torture, infested with monsters, and with lakes of lava, stuff like that. But he had been wrong.

It was worse.

Percy didn't even want to think what could reduce Annabeth to the broken, sobbing, empty shell of what she normally was. But wait! There was more! Just as Annabeth started blabbing about how he had to promise not to go crazy if she died, Percy starting hearing and seeing his half-brother cyclops (long story) walking towards them, calling out to them.

Percy squeezed his eyes shut. He wanted to believe it was really Tyson so badly it hurt, but he knew there was no way it was really him. It had to be an illusion, or something like that. Most likely, after saying just the right words to break Percy's heart, he would grow fangs, or something like that, and attack them. Just like all the other Annabeth illusions, visions of his mom, and what he would think would be Grover, until 'Grover' would try to slit his throat.

"Tyson?" Annabeth whispered, her brow creasing. She looked cute when she was surprised or bewildered, (partly because that didn't happen much), even though her eyes were red and puffy and her face tear-stained.

"Annabeth - I'm pretty sure it's just an illusion. Think about it. How would Tyson have gotten into Tartarus?"

"But we can both see him," Annabeth countered, "and normally the illusions are targeted at only one person," She had a point.

"Annabeth - "

"Seriously Percy!" she wheeled around to face him. Their faces were inches apart. "I just...I have this feeling. Trust me, okay?"

She gave him a quick kiss, then turned back to the lumbering figure of Tyson, running towards them.

"Annabeth! Percy! Brother!" Tyson cheered, "you are here too! But - " his face fell, "how did you get to Tartarus?" He tried to hug Percy, but Percy, who still didn't believe that it was really Tyson, stepped back, and uncapped Riptide. Annabeth likewise drew her knife.

'Tyson' was looking bewildered, "Why - why are you pointing those at me? Is there a monster behind me?" he turned around, looking behind him, and Percy had to restrain the crazy urge to laugh.