Camp Half-Blood
3rd POV
The camp was in disarray, the gods had ordered for the demigods of both camps to be joined together in preparation for the war. The gods had decreed that it would be more tactical for them to join forces at Camp Half-Blood, seeing that it was much closer to Olympus. Since the giant war, the gods had removed their old ties in Greece, however painful it was, they knew that they couldn't allow them to be blind sided in an attack again. For a while, they were weak from losing their old seats of power, but they've recovered since and were as strong as ever.
Camp Half-Blood was scrambling to get all of the final preparations ready for their Roman brethren. Leo had come to CHB to try and help with the preparations, making sure that the Romans would be comfortable in the new cabins they'd be set in; they'd have the option of going to their godly parents' cabin or the new cabins made for their respective cohort. The Praetors however had their own cabin; it would mostly be used as an office for them, with the two rooms in the back for bedrooms and the front consisting of a few desks, chairs, and anything else they could need.
Other than the current disorganization that was become the camp, Camp Half-Blood's spirits have been high as of late. They had recently discovered their hero was well alive and kicking - not knowing where he was - and the children of Athena, most of them anyways, were able to go near water again, albeit cautiously; they still haven't tried to go swimming in the lake, their tactical minds thinking it could be a trap.
The Romans were slightly wary of going to the greek camp. Of course, they had spent time with each other over the years, with campers from both sides going back and forth between the two, but never for extended periods of time - or with this many people. They are worried that if a fight breaks out between the two groups, it could split the two camps apart; destroying any relations they've built up over the years. However, the gods' word is law, and going against them - especially in their Roman form - is never a good thing.
Unknown Area, Tartarus
Percy's POV (3rd)
Percy woke up to the sound of voices. In less than two seconds, Percy was up, shield and spear in hand; he hid behind a rock, ready to ambush whoever was near. "The demigod issss near my lord. Hiss sscent is strong," Percy identified the monster as a draceana, no other monster hissed like that. "How can you be sure he's here?"
"Hisss sscent is very prominent my lord," The draceana took a sniff into the air, "He smellss like buttery bread, there'sss not a lot of that down here." The other, unidentified, man grunted his agreement. Percy walked out of his position and was met by a draceana and a large man in a pinstripe suit, "Well I'll be damned, how have you been Prometheus? I didn't see you in the last war, did some demigod kill you, or were you hiding as usual?"
Prometheus looked at Perseus in trepidation, he had heard the stories of the demigod killing his brethren and them dissolving into an unknown black dust, "Well if it isn't Perseus Jackson, down here again I see. I almost didn't recognize you with your new facial hair, while it does suit you well, I must say, your old look struck a lot more fear into your enemies."
Percy pulled one of his knives off his leg, "Is that so?" Promerheus looked at the blade warily, he's heard stories of the demigod's skill with his knives, if even half of them were true, Prometheus knew he'd be reforming before he even knew he was dead. Percy started to shave his face with the knife, not worrying about cutting himself; he wanted to set Promtetheus on edge, it'll make it a lot easier to get information out of him.
"Tell me Prometheus, why are you - an almighty Titan down in Tartarus - looking for a lowly demigod. You obviously aren't trying to kill me, unless you have an army hiding behind that draceana over there," he said, pointing his new shaving razor towards the monster, "unless that is the army. I'm not judging, times are probably hard nowadays."
Prometheus was trying his best to keep a calm composure and a steady tone, but between Perseus holding the only weapon present and the demigod's annoying attitude, it was getting harder with each passing word. "Well I'm glad you decided to follow my advice, but I am coming with a preposition: I want you to join me." Percy stoped his self grooming, "Join you? Give me one reason why I would do that?"
Prometheus looked at Percy like he was crazy, "Need you ask? You are down in Tartarus, the very home of all the monsters you've killed - which is a surprisingly high amount for a mere demigod. You have no idea where you are going, where you are, or how you are getting out. Every monster within a hundred mile radius can smell you, and even more will be arriving soon. As we speak, there are armies amassing in order to kill you; you need me."
Percy had finished shaving and was trying to look at his face in his shield, "Well that's nice and all, but I'm not too worried about them." Percy suddenly dropped his shield, "I'll ask you one more time, and only once: why do you want me to join? Don't take me for a fool Titan, I know you have some plan; a higher motive." Surprisingly Prometheus has kept his composure, albeit a little unnerved by the now familiar face staring him down. Perseus' now clear expression was basically begging Prometheus to make a move, to give Percy a reason to run a blade straight through the immortal's frame.
Prometheus decided to drop the recruitment process and get on with his objective, the demigod was clearly not going to be moved and a spear in the gut is an experience Prometheus would rather not have. "You see Perseus, word gets around quickly in Tartarus, and there are two people who would like to meet you - two important people. I am merely a messenger and a guide."
Perseus studied the Titan's words, "So I'm going to take a wild guess and say that me joining you was an attempt to go against these two unnamed important people." Prometheus just held out his hands in feigned innocence, "You can't blame me for trying. Are you ready to leave?"
"Yeah just give me a second." Percy picked up his spear and watched as an ethereal glow emitted from the spear head. Percy launched the fearsome weapon into the stomach of the draceana, the weapon moving so fast Prometheus didn't even see it flying through the air. The monster went down in loud shrieks of pain and Percy walked towards it.
"Let me make this clear Prometheus: I will not tolerate any tricks and I don't play well with monsters," Percy yanked his spear out with a twist and stabbed the monster in the head, killing it instantly.
"Am I clear, Titan?" Prometheus gave a shaky nod, he knew that weapon, and he knew from experience not to go against its wielder. Percy looked satisfied with his answer and gave a nod of his own, "Good, now take us there, and make sure to stay near the Pleghethon - wherever that is - I don't want to die from the air here." Prometheus gave another shaky nod and set back off in the direction he came, Percy gathered his weapons and stayed a short distance behind the Titan, spear in hand.
Percy and Prometheus walked wordlessly for a long time - or what felt like a long time. Time seems to be slowed to a crawl in Tartarus, making seconds seem like minutes, minutes feeling like hours, hours appearing to be days, days appearing to be months, and so on. It got to the point where Percy stopped trying to keep track of the time and focused more on his surroundings, memorizing the terrain and landmarks to which he could determine his location in The Pit.
The only time they had stopped their trek was when a monster would come running to their death or when Percy decided to drink from the River Phleghethon. Strangely enough, since arriving, the toxic atmosphere of Tartarus hadn't bothered Perseus. Percy had decided to not question it and continued to drink from the river occasionally, its better to be safe than sorry - no matter how much his taste buds would disagree.
Finally, they arrived about two-hundred feet away from a large celestial bronze fortress. "This is The Titanomarchy, the first fortress, what was once the jail of the Hekatonkheires and Elder Cyclops. The people who requested your presence are inside, the fort is heavily guarded, I'll go ahead and make sure they don't try and kill you." Percy strode past the Titan, "That won't be necessary."
The Titan of Forthought watched in shock as Percy slowly strode toward the celestial bronze walls, not a trace of fear in his step. A draceana guarding the wall noticed Percy's presence and immediately panicked; unlike before, the monsters recognized the man before them - the same man that has slaughtered thousands upon thousands of their kind. The monster slithered away and sounded the alarm, alerting every monster in the fortress of his presence. 'Better for me, I don't have to track them down.'
Percy approached the large bronze door and started channeling some of his power into his shield. With a shout, Percy slammed into the door, using his shield as a battering ram. Percy's plan worked and the three foot thick celestial bronze door was shaken down to its core. Percy pounded into the door again and watched as the door was nearly slammed out of place, 'One more hit.' With a blood-curdling war cry, Percy smashed his shield into the door once more and watched in satisfaction as the giant, celestial bronze doors flew into the fortress; killing a lot of unsuspecting monsters.
Percy uncapped Riptide, looked at the monsters and charged with a war cry that chilled every monster to their bones. The only thing keeping the monsters fighting was that there was no other place to go; they were trapped within their own fortress.
Percy cut the first cyclops down and started making a line straight through the monsters ranks; the sea of monsters splitting as if he was Moses. Percy slammed his shield into the leg of a hellhound, destroying the bone completely and stabbed downwards into the whimpering dog's head. Percy moved through the monsters like a robot on autopilot; quickly, efficiently, and without any remorse.
Percy killed the last monster and walked towards Prometheus, who was standing where the doors had once stood. "Well, these important people aren't going to wait all day; lead the way." Prometheus walked numbly to a door, still in shock that a single demigod had broken down twenty feet tall reinforced celestial bronze doors and then wiped out a fortress without a scratch on him. "They're waiting through this door, go straight, take a right, left, diagonal, left again, and then right." Prometheus quickly left the fortress, not wanting to be around if a fight broke out between any of the parties involved.
Percy walked through the strangely shaped corridors on high alert for any monsters that could have slept through the alarm. Percy reached a set of gold and silver fifteen foot tall doors - 'at least these ones have handles. What's with immortals and flashy, gigantic doors?' Percy opened the door and was met by two people sitting in thrones, chatting aimlessly. "Bob?"