There can be no covenants between men and lions, wolves and lambs can never be of one mind, but hate each other out and out an through. / Homer, The Iliad
They are in a sunroom, surrounded by reflective glass windows that seem designed to trap light. Yet, there is a distinct lack of sunlight in the Underworld, so the room only shows off how dark the surrounding areas are. There's a faint scent of roses in the air, leading Lila to believe that they aren't too far away from the garden.
At this revelation, she immediately tries to search for an exit, but there are large skeletal warriors guarding each of the many doors, armed with rifles and baring their teeth. She backs off.
Persephone waves her hand. "Leave us." They obey. It's disquieting, to see her mother commands legions of the dead with such ease. Even Demeter seems disgusted. This is Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, not Persephone, goddess of spring. Maybe the two are the same. Lila's researched her mother. There's a cyclical quality to her life; when she married Hades, she became the goddess of rebirth, often associated with spring. She was always destined to be Queen of the Underworld, from the moment she was born.
"Sit with us, child," Demeter commands gently. No matter how nice she may appear, Lila knows that it is a command. She sits, and a bowl of cereal is placed in front of her. "Eat," Demeter says. Lila obeys, because she's hungry, having been awake the whole night.
Persephone groans. "Really, mother? Cereal, again?"
Demeter raises an eyebrow. "Better than wine."
Lila's mother has completely ignored the heaped bowl Demeter has placed in front of her, and instead is pouring white wine into a glass. Lila's not well-versed in wine, but she's pretty sure the average glass isn't actually a full glass. Well, Persephone fills it right to the rim, before taking a long gulp.
"It's seven in the morning," Demeter hisses. "Have some self-respect."
Lila's not sure how time works in the Underworld, but she doesn't dare ask, as the two goddesses are glaring at each other, looking ready to start blasting unsuspecting witnesses. She carries on eating her cereal, which seems bottomless.
"It's happy hour somewhere," Persephone rolls her eyes. "Besides, we're in my land now. I can do what I like."
Honestly, if Hades wasn't ... well, such a jerk, Lila might support this relationship. Persephone seems happier when separated from her mother's controlling strings, and Demeter seems a little overprotective.
"Pfft," Demeter huffs. "To think that I'd see the age when my daughter calls this dark, disgusting dump her land - of course, you had to marry the King of the Underworld. Couldn't have married someone respectable, someone who could provide you a future somewhere with life- no, my darling daughter had to go find an outcast to court. No thoughts for her poor, loving mother who did all she could to ensure she was happy. Her mother who only tried to make sure she had the best life. Do you even know how much I gave up for you? I could have married Poseidon. I could have married anyone! Do you know how many lovers I could have had - "
"That's disgusting." Persephone complains, refilling her wine glass.
"Not as disgusting as thinking of you and that foul, cruel, half-dead -"
"Mother! Don't speak of my husband like that."
"Funny, you knew exactly who I was speaking of."
"Who else? I know how much you hate him." Persephone sighs, but she doesn't seem too angry - well, not angry enough to kill something, anyway. She winks at Lila over the bottle of wine. "Want some?"
"Uh, I'm underage," Lila stammers. She doesn't really want to be tipsy when she somehow finds a way to break Percy out. "Lady Demeter, if ... well, if you really don't want to stay here, why not fight with the other Olympians? Your presence could shift the battle in our favour."
Persephone giggles, like the idea is laughable. That seems to spur Demeter further to Lila's side. "I could fight. But Hades is insistent that we must stay here. If I returned to Olympus, I would certainly take my daughter with me. As if I could leave her here, with only him for company!"
"Mother, you will show my husband the respect - "
"He kidnapped my daughter!"
"That was two millenia ago! Get over it - "
Lila coughs gently. "Forgive me for interrupting, but - "
"You're not interrupting," Persephone insists gently.
"I have a way for you to show your dissatisfaction with Hades, Lady Demeter," Lila suggests. "You could help me rescue Percy."
She dares to glance at Persephone in case the goddess is raging at the implied deception of her husband, but her mother only shrugs, uncaring. Demeter, on the other hand, is beginning to slowly nod. "You don't want Hades to be celebrated for saving the world, right? So instead, we get Percy to do it."
The goddess of farming narrows her eyes, wheat-coloured eyelashes fluttering over her cheeks. "And how, exactly, would I be helping you?"
Lila sneaks a glance at her mother, just to check that this topic of conversation is allowed. Persephone catches her eye - her expression doesn't change, but Lila senses she's distantly interested, like she's watching an interesting movie and is letting things play out, just for fun. Maybe she's bored.
"Well, I don't need much. Just a way into wherever Percy's being kept," Lila pleads, trying to widen her eyes and appear as sweet as possible. Demeter's always liked her, anyway. "Hades won't even know."
Demeter is easily convinced. "Hmm, very well. I don't see why I shouldn't. He's not the boss of me."
Persephone winks at Lila. "Good luck, daughter. I hope you and your friend Percy are successful."
Ah yes. Her friend, Percy. Percy, the guy she called a friend in front of everyone. That Percy.
Is it too late to stay here, eating cereal?
She grabs a cereal bar for Percy to eat as Demeter waves her hands, and suddenly Lila is tumbling down into a perfectly square room that's bare of absolutely anything - no door, window, bed, only four walls, a ceiling and a floor. And Percy, lying in the centre.
The dark walls cast the room in perpetual shadow, and she can't see any gaps in the corners for air to get in; give it a few minutes, they could be suffocating. Percy might be passed out from lack of oxygen right now.
She taps him on the shoulder, and thankfully he wakes up immediately, reaching for Riptide.
"Woah, it's just me," she holds her hands up, as if to surrender. He relaxes quickly, his eyes scanning her for any injuries, before searching the room in case of any other dangers.
"How did you get in here?"
She shrugs. "I asked Demeter, like, really nicely."
"And she agreed?"
"Why wouldn't she? She might be the only person who dislikes Hades more than you."
He grins. "Are you okay? How do we get out?"
Lila opens her mouth. Looks around at the walls of their cell. What was it she said? 'Just a way into where Percy's being kept'. And it never occurred to her to ask for a way out. Stupid gods and their stupid games and their stupid tricks.
Sometimes she hates herself.
"So, I didn't think that far ahead," Lila admits. "But at least we're together, right?"
So, turns out that square rooms are more torturous than round ones. Lila has no proof to back this up except that from the two times she's been held captive, this one is worse. Maybe because she's paranoid that the oxygen in the room is slowly running down, and she's fully aware that she just halved the time Percy would have survived by joining him here.
At first, they only sit beside each other in silence. There's a shared acceptance between them, a kind of peace in the fact that they're utterly helpless, here. There's no way out.
"I stole you a cereal bar," Lila offers him, after some time. He takes it gratefully, eating it while they sit. It reminds her of how they used to sit and talk in the comforting darkness of the labyrinth, where she felt brave enough to say anything, but when she was only a shadow of the person she is now. After a few minutes, she gathers enough courage to ask, "Do you think we're going to die here?"
Percy shrugs. "I don't know."
Well, if they're going to die, Lila might as well say everything that's been on her mind, everything she's been too afraid to say. "Are we friends, Percy?"
He knows exactly what she's talking about - that moment when she called him her friend in front of the Rulers of the Underworld. It seems a little strange to talk about it now, but if they are going to die, Lila wants to know, and if they are not, then there is nothing else to talk about.
"I think so," he says, draping an arm around her shoulders. "I think we're friends, and not friends at the same time."
For some reason, she knows - understands exactly what he is saying.
"When this is all over, go on a date with me," she proposes.
He scowls playfully. "Hey, I was going to ask."
"You could ask for the second one."
His mouth drops open slightly. "What happened to the shy, awkward Lila who could barely talk to me without blushing a year ago?" She doesn't know what to say to that. She's blushing now, anyway, so she hasn't changed so much. "Where are we going?"
"I don't know," she considers. "Somewhere quiet. Oh - we should have a picnic!" She grins at him; he smiles instantly back, her excitement infectious.
"That sounds perfect."
"I know, right? I have my moments."
There's a moment of silence, where they only look at each other, absorbing the sight. She examines his bright green eyes, the unruly black hair and half smile, the tanned skin, the faint scars all over his body.
"So, will my - my girlfriend allow me to kiss her now?" The question he says is not the question he's asking.
She laughs. "Your girlfriend thinks we should be conserving oxygen."
"My girlfriend is torturing me."
She is about to cave and kiss him when the shadows clump together, moulding into the shape of a small teenage boy, before spitting out said boy, who stumbles to his feet. Well- Nico attempts to get to his feet, but Percy has him pinned to the floor of the cell with Riptide at his throat within seconds.
"Want...to...rescue," he chokes out, looking to Lila for help - she gives him none.
"Oh, yeah? And why should we trust you?" Percy questions.
"No...choice?"
Unfortunately, he has a point. Percy releases him with a glare.
He curls into a ball until his throat recovers. Lila is almost convinced to help him to his feet, but she's still annoyed at him. Still, he is her brother. Her anger at his betrayal is fading slightly; he was clearly manipulated by Hades, at least somewhat. What hurts most is that he lied straight to her face. She doesn't blame him for what he had to do - but he could have just asked for their help. They would have agreed.
"We have to get out of here," Nico says.
"Why?" Percy says. "Does your dad want to talk to me again?"
"Has he found a nicer room for us?" Lila adds. "One with windows?"
Nico winces. "Percy, Li, I swear on the River Styx, I didn't know what he was planning."
"You know what your dad is like!"
"He tricked me. He promised— Look . . . right now, we need to leave. I put the guards to sleep, but it won't last."
Percy grabs Lila's hand - they both know that they don't have any chance of escaping this place without Nico. The teen points at the wall - half of it vanishes, leading into a corridor.
"Come on."
Every time they reach a skeleton guard, Nico points at it, and it basically fell asleep. Unfortunately, his power seems to drain him more than any other demigod Lila's ever known - he becomes a little more sleepy every single time.
Then, they hear the sound of bronze gongs, high above.
"Alarms," Nico says, leaning on Lila's shoulder.
"What do we do?"
He yawns slowly. "How about ... run?"
It's clear they won't actually be able to run. Percy grabs one of Nico's arms, Lila the other, and together they attempt to run, his body swinging between them. They run for what seems like hours, but that's probably just because Lila's out of shape. Then, there's a familiar "Woof!"
Lila's never been so relieved to see Mrs. O'Leary before, which is saying a lot, considering some of the situations the hellhound has saved them from. The dog runs in circles around them, a little too excited. She must be pretty young for a hellhound.
"Good girl," Percy says. "Can you give us a ride to the Styx?"
At the word "Styx" the hellhound jumps a few times, and then chases her tail. Maybe she thought he meant "sticks". Still, Lila pats her a couple of times and she calms down. They climb on, and she races toward the gates, jumping over literally everything in her path, from the queues of the dead, the guards, even dodging Cereberus, who barks, though it doesn't sound excited.
Mrs O'Leary must have realised which Styx they meant, because she takes them right up to the edge of the river, far away from the legions of the dead.
Nico crumples into a heap on the sand. Percy grabs a square of ambrosia that's completely squashed, but Nico eats it anyway. "Uh, better."
"Your powers drain you too much," Percy notices.
He nods blearily. "With great power . . . comes great need to take a nap. Wake me up later."
"No, no," Lila hits him on the shoulder, hard enough to keep him awake. "No falling asleep."
"We're at the river. You need to tell me what to do." Percy agrees. Nico nearly falls over again, but he catches him. "Woah, zombie dude."
After a little more ambrosia, Nico seems to wake up, at least enough to force himself to his feet. "My father will be coming soon," he says. "We should hurry."
"So...I just jump in?" Percy asks, looking down at the river. It's a murky black colour, filled with objects - toys, diplomas - failed dreams, lost to death.
"Maybe we should rethink this," Lila suggests. Percy looks a little green, and she feels nauseous.
"You have to prepare yourself first," Nico instructs, sounding like an ancient, wise mentor, "or the river will destroy you. It will burn away your body and soul."
"Sounds fun," I mutters.
"This is no joke," Nico warns, but to be fair, Percy would take absolutely anything as a joke. "There is only one way to stay anchored to your mortal life. You have to . . ."
His voice trails off, eyes catching on a figure behind the pair. Lila turns; her eyes are left with a muscular chest. The guy is a head taller than Percy, towering over both Nico and Lila, and if his eyes weren't pale, dull green, Lila might have confused him for a god. Still, his face is chiselled, the same face as is on many Greek statues, the same portrait all heroes are forced to study.
Notably, at his left calf, above the ankle, an arrow has pierced his skin, dripping red spots onto the black sand.
"Achilles," Percy says.
The ghost - that's what he must be - nods. "I warned the other one not to follow my path. Now I will warn you."
"Luke? You spoke with Luke?"
"Do not do this," he insists. "It will make you powerful. But it will also make you weak. Your prowess in combat will be beyond any mortal's, but your weaknesses, your failings will increase as well."
It makes sense. Nosily, Lila wonders what weaknesses were enhanced in him. Perhaps his pride - his fatal flaw? But how could Percy's fatal flaw be enhanced? How could he be any more loyal to his friends than he already is.
"You mean I'll have a bad heel?" Percy is not thinking along the same train of thought. "Couldn't I just, like, wear something besides sandals? No offense."
The hero looks down at his foot, still bleeding. It must have been bleeding for two thousand years. "The heel is only my physical weakness, demigod. My mother, Thetis, held me there when she dipped me in the Styx. What really killed me was my own arrogance. Beware! Turn back!"
He seems to mean it, which is more concerning. His face is a picture of regret and heartbreak, and something tells her that if he had the choice, he would take it all back, all his heroism, all his great feats that have left him in their memories forever.
"I have to," Percy says, "Otherwise I don't stand a chance."
Lila is unsurprised. Percy won't back down now, and neither will she. This is the course of action they have decided to take, and now they must see it through to the end, no matter the cost. They don't have any other chance.
Achilles lowers his head. "Let the gods witness I tried. Hero, if you must do this, concentrate on your mortal point. Imagine one spot of your body that will remain vulnerable. This is the point where your soul will anchor your body to the world. It will be your greatest weakness, but also your only hope. No man may be completely invulnerable. Lose sight of what keeps you mortal, and the River Styx will burn you to ashes. You will cease to exist."
"I don't suppose you could tell me Luke's mortal point?"
He scowls, cruel face contorting. "Prepare yourself, foolish boy. Whether you survive this or not, you have sealed your doom!"
And then he vanishes.
"Percy," Nico says, "maybe he's right."
"This was your idea."
"I know, but now that we're here—"
"Just wait on the shore. If anything happens to me . . . Well, maybe Hades will get his wish, and you'll be the child of the prophecy after all."
Lila hits him on the arm. "You're joking, right?" She can't bear to take his words seriously, she can't bear it.
Percy prepares to step into the river, before some thought seems to enter his mind, and he turns back to them. Nico steps away, sighing, following Mrs O'Leary to throw a stick, or a bone, for her. "Li,"
"Yeah?" She squeezes his hand. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to."
"I have to," he says. "I'm going to."
She sighs. "I know."
He visibly gulps, before looking at the black, filthy water. "Can I kiss you?"
She considers it. "When you come back, yes."
He grins, preparing to turn away, when the thought hits her; what if he doesn't come back? Just the thought is enough to leave her grasping his hand tighter, pulling him back towards her so she can press her lips to his. It's only quick, barely a second, but for that second everything seems to slow down, and she can feel everything; the softness of his lips, his arms wrapping around hers, the pounding of his heart. When she pulls away, he is still smiling, but his eyes are also shining with something close to fear.
He steps into the river - well, he takes one step, and then keels over as if the pain was too much for him to bear. Nico joins her in the wait, which seems to go on forever. They sit in silent, studying the water for any trace of him.
After too long, he bursts out onto the sand, as if the river has swallowed him and spat him back out. Nico flinches back but Lila leans forward, pulling Percy further away from the Styx.
"Are you okay?" Nico stammers. "Your skin. Oh, gods. You're hurt!"
Every inch of his skin is bright red, as if burnt. He stares at Lila, looking confused for a moment, as if she isn't quite real, before he blinks and clarity returns to his gaze.
"You good?" she asks.
"I'm fine . . . I think." His skin quickly returns to it's usual colour, and Mrs O'Leary sniffs him concernedly, the sight almost enough to bring a smile to Lila's face.
"Do you feel stronger?" Nico asks.
Before Percy can reply, a familar voice booms "THERE!"
What had she promised Demeter? "Hades won't even know," Lila had said.
Apparently, Hades knows.
An army of the dead marches toward them. Hades sure must be furious if he's dispatched this many of his soldiers to fight a couple measly demigods. Well, not really. He is fighting against his son, and his stepdaughter. In the centre of the army is Hades, riding a black and gilded chariot, pulled by horses of black smoke, with manes of flame.
"You will not escape me this time, Percy Jackson!" Hades bellows. "Destroy him!"
Lila grabs her spear, but she's not really sure what to do.
"Father, no!" Nico shouts.
Mrs O'Leary growls, snarling at Hades, who should have been her master. Lila feels a surge of love for her dog, before she realises she's about to be blasted into nothing.
Then there's a yell from behind her, a voice she recognises, but is also unrecognisable. The river explodes - Lila ducks, pulling Nico down too, but she needn't have worried, as the water arcs above them, smashing into the legionnaires, dissolving them. The things the river does to the undead, and Percy just swam in it. Lila doesn't have much time to register this, though, because Percy charges at the other zombies - they all fire at him, and she hears a strangled scream rip itself out of her, but the bullets hit him uselessly, doing nothing to his skin.
He crashes into the line and starts stabbing and slashing the hacking with Riptide. Lila can hardly make out the glowing bronze sword among the mess of skeletons and bayonets, but slowly the ranks begin to fall, one by one, slashed into dust.
She watches Percy leap at Hades' chariot - she's too stunned to even register the stupidity of his actions. Hades raises his staff, but Percy deflects it, throwing the god to the ground. Then his knee is on Hades' chest, sword over his face. Nico and Lila both watch, in stunned silence. The army is reduced to nothing, only piles of smoking uniforms and weapons.
"Now, Jackson, listen here. . . ."
"Just because I'm a nice person," Percy snarls, "I'll let you go. But first, tell me about that trap!"
The god disappears, leaving only his empty robes in Percy's hands.
Lila stares at him. His clothes are torn and full of bullet holes, slashed to pieces like he's been put through a blender. Yet, there's not even a scratch, not even a bruise on him. Lila's not sure if every weapon missed, or if every blade just was unable to pierce his skin, but somehow he's entirely unharmed.
"What ... what the - "
"You just . . . with a sword . . . you just—"
"I think the river thing worked," he says.
"Oh gee," Nico scowls. "You think?"
Mrs. O'Leary barks happily and wags her tail.
"Go back to your father," Percy tells Nico. "Tell him he owes me for letting him go. Find out what's going to happen to Mount Olympus and convince him to help."
Nico stares at him, and then looks beseechingly at Lila, as if pleading for her to help his case. "I . . . I can't. He'll hate me now. I mean . . . even more."
"You have to," Percy says. "You owe me too."
"Percy, Li, I told you I was sorry. Please . . . let me come with you. I want to fight."
"You'll be more help down here."
Lila shifts uncomfortably.
"You mean you don't trust me anymore," he admits miserably.
"Just go back to your father," Percy repeats. "Work on him. You're the only person who might be able to get him to listen."
"That's a depressing thought." Nico sighs.
Lila pulls him into a hug. "I forgive you, idiot. Stay safe."
He's stiff against her, but she knows that's just Nico's way, and that he's as grateful for her as he's ever been.
"All right. I'll do my best. Besides, he's still hiding something from me about my mom. Maybe I can find out what."
"Good luck. Now we have to go." Percy links their hands again.
"Where?" Nico questions.
Percy looks up at the cave entrance, to where a tiny amount of sunlight is leaking through, unless that's just Lila's imagination. "To get this war started. It's time I found Luke."
this needs a lot of editing but i can't really be bothered rn sorry
next two chapters are kind of a lot of talking but then the war starts, but next chapter is a lot of percy and lila so i hope you guys will like it <3
was a little tipsy when i wrote this so if there are mistakes just point them out and i shall edit them away. (if you're underaged, as imagine quite a few of you are, don't drink / don't drink irresponsibly)
have a good one! hoping to update sometime next week! but no promises
ly