★ 。＼｜／。★

𝗕𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖎𝖙𝖗𝖊 𝖛𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖙-𝖘𝖎𝖝:
BELLE STILL DOESN'T FULLY
UNDERSTAND THE LINEAGE
OF THE GODS

★ 。／｜＼。★

BELLE WAS TIRED of this whole Death Mist thing. Like, she got it. It was their only chance of survival. But it made her feel like her body didn't belong to her anymore. Her arms looked like leather had been pulled over sticks and her skeletal legs seemed to dissolve at every step. She had gotten used to it fairly quickly, but it was almost as if she had been wrapped in a layer of helium. Sunflower had also been reduced to nothing but mist and the bronze blade and green hilt she had grown accustomed to were now only shades of gray. She could barely see the ηλιοτρόπιο — which meant sunflower in Greek — engraving on it.

She worried that the Death Mist would cling to them forever if they managed to survive Tartarus. Belle really didn't want to spend her life as a walking corpse with a sword that was made of mist. It certainly didn't help that Percy looked dead too. That broke her heart the most.

However, what was ahead of them was the most depressing view of all. A horde of monsters spread all the way to the horizon. There were flocks of Arai, tribes of Cyclopes, clusters of evil floating spirits — tens of thousands of monsters who milled restlessly, pressing against one another as they growled and fought each other for space. Bob was leading them towards the edge of the army. He made no effort to hide, but it wouldn't have done any good anyways because he was ten feet tall and glowed silver.

"Stay quiet and stay behind me," Bob advised. "They will not notice you."

"We hope," Percy muttered, making Belle elbow his side.

Small Bob woke up from a nap on Bob's shoulder. He purred loudly and arched his back, flashing from a skeletal kitten to a calico kitten. Small Bob was probably the only one out of them who didn't seem nervous.

Belle raised one of her own skeletal hands "Bob, how are you able to see us if we're invisible? You're technically . . . well, you know . . ."

"Yes," Bob replied. "But we are friends."

"Then how come Nyx and her children were able to see us?"

Bob shrugged. "That was in Nyx's realm. That is different."

"Um, okay."

That didn't exactly reassure her, but there was no point in turning back now. They had made it so far. There was no other choice but to try.

Percy stared outwards at the swarm of monsters. "Well, at least we won't have to worry about bumping into any other friends in this crowd."

Bob grinned brightly. "Yes, that is good news! Now, let's go. Death is close."

"You mean the Doors of Death are close," Belle corrected. "Let's be mindful of our phrasing, all right?"

She took a deep breath and grabbed Percy's hand. And, together, the three of them plunged into the ground.

Belle was scared out of her mind. She trembled out of fear and kept a tight grip on Sunflower's hilt at all times. Large groups of monsters were normal — after all, she had fought them in the Battle of Labyrinth and Battle of Manhattan. However, it was so much different down in Tartarus than it was in the mortal world. Back in the mortal world, Belle fought monsters to defend her home and everything she loved. It was what she had to do. But here, it was the opposite. Belle was invading the monsters' home. She didn't belong here any more than a Minotaur being in Penn Station at rush hour.

A few feet away from them, a group of Empousai were tearing into a carcass of a Gryphon while other Gryphons flew around them, squawking in outrage. A six-armed Earthborn and a Laistrygonian Giant were pummeling each other with rocks. Once, a dark wisp of smoke — which Belle guessed was an Eidolon — seeped into a Cyclops, made said Cyclops hit himself in the face, and then drifted off to possess another victim. Belle scanned the rest of the army until her gaze landed on someone she unfortunately recognized.

Belle tugged on her boyfriend's hand. "Hey, look."

Percy followed her gaze. Close to them was a guy in a cowboy outfit cracking a whip at some fire-breathing horses. He wore a Stetson hat on top of his greasy hair, a pair of extra-large jeans, and some black leather boots. From the side he could've passed off as a human, but he turned, revealing his upper body was split into three different chests that each adorned a western shirt.

It was definitely Geryon, who had tried to kill Percy two years ago in Texas when they went on their quest in the Labyrinth. Apparently Geryon was anxious to break into a new herd. The thought of Geryon coming back to life from riding out of the Doors of Death made Belle's wrists and ankles began to itch, just like they had done when Geryon had tied her up on that porch of his ranch. If she recognized Geryon . . . how many other old enemies Belle or her friends had defeated in this crowd?

Belle was hit with the sudden realization that every battle she had won was only a temporary victory. No amount of strength or luck or how many monsters she destroyed would bypass the ultimate inevitably — one day, Belle would fail. Belle hated to think like that. She was usually an optimist and tried to believe that things would always be in the end, but this wasn't a fairytale. This was reality. She was only a sixteen-year-old Demigod, but she would continue to get older, weaker, and slower, unlike these monsters, who lasted forever. They kept coming back, no matter how long. All of them would be reborn at some point. Evil was always there, bubbling underneath the surface. Some day, Belle's children might face the same monsters she had.

Children.

That word brought her back. Tartarus had been giving her dark thoughts again, but it disappeared as soon as the word echoed in her head. Belle snuck a glance at Percy. He still looked like a misty corpse, but Belle could see his true appearance in her mind. His sea-green eyes sparkling with mischief, twirling Riptide in his fingers absentmindedly that Belle always found ridiculously attractive, his black hair messy, and a smirk placed on his lips that made Belle weak to her knees in such an infuriating way.

So what if monsters kept coming back? Demigods did, too. Camp Half-Blood had endured for generations, and so had Camp Jupiter. Both Camps had survived, even separately. They would become even stronger if the Greeks and Romans could come together. Hope was still there. Belle and Percy had survived in Tartarus, freaking Tartarus, and were close to the Doors of Death.

Children. Percy.

They were soulmates, Belle thought in her mind, just as she had done back up on Mount Olympus Belle was sure of it now. They couldn't be separated, not even if they tried.

It was a ridiculous yet amazing thought. Belle smiled to herself and looked down at her feet, right there in the middle of actual hell.

"Hey," Percy whispered. "You okay?"

"Hmm?" Belle hummed, looking up at him. "Yeah, I'm all right. Just thinking about—"

"IAPETUS!" a deep voice suddenly bellowed in front of them.

Belle blinked in shock. She turned to see that a Titan was strolling towards them while casually kicking lesser monsters out of his way. He was about the same height as Bob and wore elaborate Stygian Iron armor with a single diamond blazing in the center of his breastplate. His eyes and hair were the color of a glacier. A battle helmet shaped like a bear's head was tucked underneath his arm. A sword the size of a surfboard hung from his belt. Belle tilted her head at him. Despite the battle scars, the Titan's face was handsome yet strangely familiar. She knew she had never met him before, but his cold eyes and brilliant smile reminded Belle of someone.

The Titan stopped in front of Bob and clapped him on the shoulder. "Iapetus! Don't tell me you don't recognize your own brother!"

"No!" Bob nervously agreed. "I won't tell you that."

The other Titan threw his head back and laughed at that. "I heard you were thrown into the Lethe. Must've been terrible! We all knew you would heal eventually. It's Koios! Koios!"

"Of course. Kooios, Titan of . . ."

"The north!"

"I know!"

Bob and Koios laughed together and took turns hitting each other's arm. Small Bob, apparently annoyed by the jostling, crawled onto Bob's head and began to make a nest in his silver hair.

"Poor old Iapetus," Koios continued. "They must have laid you low indeed. Look at you! A broom? A servant's uniform? A cat in your hair? Truly, Hades must pay for these insults. Who was that Demigod who took your memory? Bah! We must rip him to pieces, you and I, eh?"

"Ha-ha," Bob responded. "Yes, indeed. Rip him to pieces."

"Ah, it's good to see you . . ." Koios drummed his fingers on top his bear's-head helmet. "You remember what fun we had in the old days?"

"Of course!" Bob exclaimed. "When we, uh . . ."

"Holding down our father Ouranos," Koios finished.

"Yes! We loved wrestling with dad . . ."

"We restrained him."

"That's what I meant!"

"While Kronos cut him to pieces with his scythe."

"Yes, ha-ha." Bob looked a little sick. "What fun."

"You grabbed father's right foot, as I recall," Koios stated. "And Ouranos kicked you in the face as
he struggled. How we used to tease you about that!"

"Silly me," Bob added.

"Sadly, our brother Kronos was dissolved by those impudent Demigods." Koios sighed. "Bits and pieces of his essence remain, but nothing you could put together again. I suppose some injuries even Tartarus cannot heal."

"Alas!"

"But the rest of us have another chance to shine, eh?" Koios leaned closer to Bob. "These Giants may think they will rule. Let them be our shock troops and destroy the Olympians — all well and good. But once the Earth Mother is awake she will remember that we are her eldest children. Mark my words. The Titans will yet rule the cosmos."

"Hmm," Bob responded. "The Giants may not like that."

"Spit on what they like. They've already passed through the Doors of Death, anyway, back to the mortal world. Polybotes was the last one, not half an hour ago, still grumbling about missing his prey. Apparently some Demigods he was after got swallowed by Nyx. Never see them again, I wager!"

Belle squeezed Percy's hand tighter and looked to him, her blue eyes bright with alarm. At least the Giants wouldn't be hunting after them if they had already passed through the Doors, but that meant their friends back on the Argo II in the mortal world were in even greater danger. All of the earlier fights with the Giants had been in vain. Their enemies would be reborn stronger than ever before.

"Well!" Koios drew his massive sword, the blade radiating a cold feeling. "I must be off. Leto should have regenerated by now. I will convince her to fight."

"Of course," Bob murmured. "Leto."

Koios laughed. "You've forgotten my daughter, as well? I suppose it's been too long since you've seen her. The peaceful ones like her always take the longest to re-form. This time, though, I'm sure Leto will fight for vengeance. The way Zeus treated her, after she bore him those fine twins? Outrageous!"

Twins. Leto was a female Titan and mother of Artemis and Apollo. Koios looked so familiar because his eyes were as cold as Artemis' and his smile was as bright as Apollo's. He was their grandfather, Leto's father. Belle decided to not delve deeper into that. The Gods' lineage was always filled with twists and turns.

"Well! I'll see you in the mortal world!" Kois chest-bumped Bob and almost knocked Small Bob off of his head. "Oh, and our two other brothers are guarding this side of the Doors, so you'll see them soon enough!"

"I will?" Bob asked.

"Count on it!"

Koios lumbered off. Belle pulled Percy along with her to move out of the way so he wouldn't knock them over. Percy then motioned for Bob to lean into them.

"You okay, big guy?" Percy questioned.

Bob frowned. "I do not know. In all this" — he gestured all around them — "what is the meaning of okay?"

That was a fair point, but Belle kept peering in the direction of the Doors even though a crowd of monsters was blocking her view. "He said that two more Titans are guarding the Doors. That isn't good."

"Do you remember Koios?" Percy inquired to Bob gently. "All that stuff he was talking about?'

Bob gripped his broom. "When he told it, I remembered. He handed me my past like . . . like a spear. But I do not know if I should take it. Is it still mine, if I do not want it?"

"No," Belle voiced, looking back up at him. "Bob, you get to choose your own destiny now. You're different from Iapetus. In fact, you're better."

Small Bob jumped off of Bob's head and circled around his feet, bumping his head against Bob's trouser cuffs. Bob didn't really seem to notice. He seemed too lost in thought.

"I think you can choose, Bob," Percy told him "Take the parts of Iapetus' past that you want to keep. Leave the rest. Your future is what matters."

"Future . . ." Bob repeated. "That is a mortal concept. I am not meant to change, Percy Friend." He gazed around him at the horde of monsters, making Belle frown. "We are the same . . . forever."

"If you were the same, Belle and I would be dead already. Maybe we weren't meant to be friends, but we are. You've been the best friend we could ask for."

Bob's silver eyes looked darker than usual, but he held out his hand for Small Bob to jump in it and rose to his full height. "Let us go, then, friends. Not much further."

Walking on top of Tartarus' heart wasn't fun. Like, at all. The purplish ground was slippery and constantly pulsing in a heartbeat. From a distance it had looked flat, but up close it was made of folds and ridges that became harder to navigate the further they walked. Lumps of red arteries and blue veins supplied some footholds when they needed to climb, but they walked across it very slowly. Not to mention monsters were everywhere. Packs of Hellhounds were prowling the plains, baying, snarling, and attacking any monster that dropped its guard. Arai flew above with their leathery wings and made dark silhouettes in the poison clouds.

Suddenly, Percy stumbled. His hand touched the ground, and Belle tugged at his other one that she was holding to pull him back up again, but he didn't budge.

"What is it?" Belle asked.

"There's water in here," Percy announced. "Actual water."

"One of the five rivers," Bob explained. "His blood."

"Tartarus' blood?" Belle asked. She took a step away from the nearest clump of veins. "I knew that all five rivers of the Underworld emptied into Tartarus, but—"

"Yes," Bob agreed. "They all flow through his heart."

Belle swallowed nervously as Percy stood up. "We have to keep going. If we don't hurry . . ."

Her voice trailed off. Jagged streaks of darkness tore through the air ahead of them like lightning except it was pure black.

"The Doors," Bob voiced. "Must be a large group going through."

Belle's mouth went dry. Even if everyone on the Argo II managed to find the other side of the Doors of Death in the House of Hades, how could they possibly fight all of the monsters coming through, especially if all of the Giants were already waiting for them?"

"Do all the monsters go through the House of Hades?" Percy questioned. "How big is that place?"

Bob shrugged. "Perhaps they are sent elsewhere when they step through. The House of Hades is in the Earth, yes? That is Gaea's realm. She could send her minions wherever she wishes."

That didn't reassure Belle whatsoever. Monsters coming through the Doors of Death to threaten her friends at Epirus was bad enough. But if Gaea could send monsters wherever she went, did that mean she could send them to Camp Half-Blood, Camp Jupiter, or in the path of the Argo II?

"Wait," Belle cut in. "Um, I really don't want to ask this, but couldn't Gaea control where we end up if she has that much power?"

Bob scratched his chin. "You are not monsters. It may be different for you."

Belle wasn't exactly keen on the idea of Gaea waiting for them on the other side ready to teleport them literally anywhere, but the Doors were a chance to get out of this hellish place. They didn't have a better option. With a sigh, Belle continued on. Bob helped them climb over another ridge. The Doors of Death were now in plain view — a freestanding rectangle of darkness resting at the top of the next heart-muscle hill about a quarter mile away. It was surrounded by a horde of monsters. Belle couldn't make out too many details of the Doors since they were still too far away, but the Titans that flanked either side were familiar enough. The one on the left was wearing shining golden armor that shimmered with heat.

"Hyperion," Percy muttered. "That guy just won't stay dead."

"Couldn't he have stayed a maple tree?" Belle complained. "I liked him better that way."

The one on the right was wearing dark blue armor with ram horns curling from either side of his helmet. Belle guessed it was Krios, the Titan Jason had killed in the battle for Mount Tam back when Belle and Percy were fighting in the Battle of Manhattan.

Belle sighed. "Those are the other Titans. Bob, can you fight your brothers if it comes down to that?"

Bob hefted his broom. "We must hurry." Belle noticed that really wasn't an answer to her question. "Follow me."

— [ ♡ ] —

just a quick psa that jason grace will NOT be dying in this series bc I already did that with natalia and I can't go through that again so lightning boy will live to see another day <3333

it fr hurt so much writing about jason's death with natalia bc she was DATING him ugh I hated it

fuck you rick I'll literally never forgive you for killing him off it was so unnecessary

gifs by 1-800-SIMPINGFORSEB !