Nico

"Are we almost there? We've been walking for Gods know how long." I growled as I followed the hulking form of Atlas up a giant slope. The titan of strength and endurance sighed in exasperation and turned to face me. 

"Son of Hades, I'm honestly surprised I haven't knocked you down this slope yet. We're nearly there, I told you it would take a while." Atlas grunted before he continued to climb the slope.

I stuck my tongue out at him before trailing the titan. We reached the top of the slope and I took another step forwards but Atlas held his arm out, stopping me in my tracks. 

I opened my mouth but Atlas hissed "Shut up. We have a problem." I looked at where he was pointing at and my blood ran cold. A dozen people dressed in tattered clothes stood around a large field of holes dug into the ground. 

"What-" "Mortals." Atlas said, answering my unasked question. "Mortals Perseus Jackson turned into slaves. He must've ordered them to go into Tartarus and watch over the place where the Olympian Gods are most likely reforming." 

"So basically Percy sent them to their deaths." I eyed a small girl no older than 12 carrying a small dagger. Her eyes were hollow and her expression was emotionless. 

I felt fury rise up inside of me. These mortals were going to die, yet there was nothing I can do about it. Atlas noticed my furious expression and he scowled. "Don't do anything rash. We have no other choice but to go down there." 

"We're going to have to kill them, aren't we?" I asked plainly, unsheathing my sword and tightening my grip on the hilt. Atlas nodded as he raised the spear that he had taken from the dracaena earlier. "They're under Perseus's orders. They probably won't listen to whatever we have to say." 

I grimaced at the thought of having to kill innocent people. Before I could ask Atlas if there was any other way to spare them, the titan had already jumped down into the field, his spear outstretched. The mortals turned, all of them staring straight at Atlas. 

"You have got to be kidding me." I grumbled before I jumped down as well, landing beside my new comrade with my sword drawn. A female with grey hair and black eyes stepped forwards, carrying an enormous broadsword. Her gaze flitted from me to Atlas before she spoke.

"Lord Perseus gave us orders to guard this area at all costs. You two are trespassing, therefore you will die." Her voice was flat and held no emotion whatsoever. 

"Sorry, but we aren't dying anytime soon." I said. The female's eyes narrowed before she stepped back, raising her broadsword and putting it over her shoulder. With an unspoken command, the dozen mortals surged forwards. 

When I saw them approaching, my throat closed up and my heart beat painfully against my chest. I can't kill them, I can't kill innocent people that were brainwashed by Percy and forced to serve him. 

Atlas glanced at me as he kicked away a mortal and saw that I wasn't attacking. "DI ANGELO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" He yelled as he ducked a swipe from another mortal. 

"I can't kill them! They haven't done anything wrong!" I shouted as the small girl lunged at me with her dagger. I dodged and slammed the flat end of my sword against her chest, sending her reeling back. "If you don't kill them, they'll kill YOU!" Atlas retorted as he drove his spear into a male's chest. 

I watched in horror as the male slumped to the ground. Atlas brutally yanked his spear out before spinning, using his spear to trip another mortal. I turned back and saw two more mortals running towards me. I panicked and just as one of them neared me, I jumped and stabbed my sword straight through their chest. 

My eyes widened in disbelief as the mortal that I had stabbed collapsed, blood instantly pouring from the wound. I pulled my sword away and staggered back, panting as I watched the mortal die right before my eyes.

"No." I whispered just as the other mortal leaped at me. I stared numbly as the mortal's dagger struck towards my throat, but a spear skewered the mortal through his ribs. The mortal dropped to the ground and Atlas tugged his spear from the man's body before turning to face me. 

I realized that Atlas had killed all of the remaining mortals, and their bodies were strewn across the field, blood pooling around their lifeless forms. Atlas looked at me for a few seconds before he strapped his spear to his back and reached out, clamping his hand firmly on my shoulder.

I flinched at the sudden contact and Atlas said "Nico. You're going to have to kill a lot more people when it comes to fighting against Percy and his army. You can't hesitate like that on the battlefield. It's going to cost you your life." 

My hand instinctively moved up to touch the scar on my chest from where Alex had stabbed me. Atlas is right, if I do hesitate, like I did with Alex, I'll die.

"You're right, I'm sorry. It's just-" Atlas made a dismissive gesture with his hand, interrupting me. "It's alright. I forget just how soft you demigods are." I glared at him but the titan turned away from me and started to walk across the field towards the closest hole in the ground. 

I pinched the bridge of my nose in annoyance before following his lead. Atlas stopped and I looked down at the hole to see a giant, transparent bubble in the ground. Inside it was a woman with flowing blonde hair. She was lying on her side, her eyes closed. 

"Athena." Atlas said with distaste. I stared at the unmoving body of the Goddess of Wisdom. I wonder how she'll take to waking up and seeing a titan. 

"Is she.....Is she going to wake up or....?" I trailed off as Atlas moved forwards, dropping down into the hole and landing right beside the body of the Wisdom Goddess. His eyes narrowed as he  fixed his gaze on Annabeth's mother. 

"Just so you know, please don't kill her." I said, dropping down beside Atlas. He snorted as he reached out, touching the bubble around Athena. "I told you I wouldn't, though I am quite tempted to." 

As Atlas's hand made contact with the bubble, it exploded. I recoiled in shock as Athena's eyes snapped open, her frantic gaze landing on me and Atlas. Atlas stepped back, his hand going to the spear strapped across his back but I grabbed his arm, stopping him. Atlas scowled at me and I released my grip on him. 

Athena stood up, looking at Atlas with a surprised and wary expression. When she saw me, her eyes's widened in shock. "Nico Di Angelo, what are you doing down here? And what are you doing here with a titan!?" 

"I'm raising an army to rebel against my cousin, Lady Athena." I said respectfully. "And I recruited Atlas to join me. I came down here to see if Atlas and the other Olympians had reformed. It would be great if you all could join the army as well so that we can take Olympus back and destroy Percy Jackson." 

Athena paused, her gaze flitting to Atlas, before she nodded in agreement. "Even though if it means working beside a titan, I will join you, son of Hades. You will need all the help you can get if you want to have a chance to take Olympus back from Perseus." 

Atlas grumbled something as Athena turned back to face the hole she just came out of. When she faced Atlas and I again, a spear was in her hand and a shield was strapped to her other arm.

"Has any other Olympians reformed yet?" Athena asked as we moved away from the hole she had just reformed from. "We don't know yet, we haven't checked." Atlas muttered. 

We approached another hole in the ground just as a person emerged from it. I watched as a woman with auburn hair and silver eyes stepped out onto the field, carrying a bow in her hands. She was dressed in a silver hunter's outfit. 

"Oh great." I groaned just as the woman spotted us. Her eyes narrowed to silts and she pointed her bow at us, an arrow notched and ready. "Out of all the other Olympians to reform, it had to be the man-hater herself."

"I am starting to regret my decision of working alongside Olympians." Atlas grouched. Athena walked forwards, a small smile on her face as she approached the silver eyed Goddess. Artemis faltered when she saw Athena, surprise flitting across her face. 

"Athena?" "Yes sister, it's me. I see you have reformed as well." Athena glanced back at Atlas and I as Artemis spoke once more.

"Why is there a titan travelling with you, sister? As well as Hades's child." Athena sighed irritably but before she could answer Artemis's question, Atlas interrupted.

"Let's just cut to the chase. Nico Di Angelo ventured into Tartarus willingly to see if the Olympians and I had reformed. This is because he's building an army to oppose Perseus Jackson and he wants us to join him. I joined him, even if it meant working beside you Olympians. Trust me, I hate you as well, the feeling is mutual." 

Artemis glared murderously at Atlas. "Don't think I would forget what you had done to me years ago, titan. You lured me into holding the sky by using a young maiden. You got Zoe, your own daughter, killed! There is no way I'm going to work alongside you!"

Atlas opened his mouth but I grabbed his arm again, yanking him back. The titan turned to me with a furious expression. "Wait, please, don't make it worse than it already is. We need Artemis to join us, even if you two want to rip each other's throats out." I said.

Athena tried to reason with her half-sister. "Artemis, we need you. You're one of our best fighters, you're going to be a key asset to the army and to Perseus's downfall. We need to take Olympus back and destroy Poseidon's son once and for all. I know you hate Atlas, and that's an understatement, but we need you."

Artemis clenched her jaw, her silver eyes boring into Atlas. The titan just glared back, and I let go of him before stepping up to stand beside Athena in case the two of them tried to kill each other.

After a few tense moments of silence, Artemis lowered her gaze, her shoulder's slumping in defeat. "Fine, boy." She spat at me. "I will join your stupid little army, but only because I want revenge against Perseus for killing my hunters and killing me. Don't think I'm happy about working with a titan, or working alongside males." 

"I don't care what you think about Atlas or I." I said. "What matters now is that we should go and get the rest of the Olympians and find a way out of Tartarus before we're all killed. Again.' 

The Goddess of the Moon growled at me before she turned and stalked off, her hair billowing out behind her. Athena followed her immediately, leaving Atlas and I to trail after them. 

"She's awfully friendly." Atlas commented as we followed the two Goddesses across the field. "She's only acting like that because what she said is true. You kidnapped Athena's daughter and held her captive and used her to make Artemis hold the fucking sky in her place. You did kill your daughter." I hissed. 

Atlas glanced at me, his dark eyes emotionless. "That was years ago, son of Hades. Now, I regret the choices and actions that I had made."

I stared at him in shock but the titan strode ahead, leaving me to my own troubled thoughts. 

Word count: 1997

I'm currently in England and jet lag is killing me someone send help please that would be greatly appreciated.