CHAPTER THREE: VACANT MIND, VACANT DREAMS

( house of hades )

✲*'。

EZRA HAD WANTED IT TO BE A MONSTER that would kill her. Hell she'd even take Tartarus being the end of the of the road for her. It would be a good way to go out; with the poisonous atmosphere, even the treacherous landscape with its pits, cliffs, and jagged rocks.

Nope. Most likely she would die from an overload of weirdness that would make her brain explode.

Only she, only she and Annabeth had their boyfriend to thank for ensuring they'd have a terrible death.

First, she, Annabeth and Percy had to drink fire to stay alive. Then they were attacked by a gaggle of vampires, led by a cheerleader Annabeth had killed two years ago. Finally, they were rescued by a Titan janitor named Bob who had Einstein hair, silver eyes, and wicked broom skills.

Sure. Why not? It couldn't get any weirder.

They followed Bob through the wasteland, tracing the route of the Phlegethon as they approached the storm front of darkness.

Every so often they stopped to drink firewater, which kept them alive, but Ezra wasn't happy about it. Her throat felt like she was constantly gargling with battery acid. She'd power through, any chance they could to stumble across normal water or food she'd ensure Percy or Annabeth ate it first.

She remained on guard as Annabeth clung to her arm. Every so often Percy would reach to squeeze her hip as an attempt to placate her it was fine to relax. But never once did she settle, her body rigid and tense, even with Annabeth 'guiding her' ( more like hanging off her arm in an attempt of comforting herself; not that Ezra would complain, even if Annabeth stank, Ezra was grateful to have her comforting weight against her body.)

"Bob knows what he's doing," Percy promised.

"How comforting," Ezra hummed under her breath, a quiet giggle escaping her lips as Annabeth lightly tickled her hips to keep her quiet or focus her, Ezra wasn't sure.

"You have interesting friends," Annabeth murmured.

"Bob is interesting! Always here to comfort!"The Titan turned and grinned. "Yes, thank you!"

The big titan had good ears. Ezra cursed under her breath. She would have to remember that.

"So, Bob..." Annabeth spoke in a quiet tone to try sound casual and friendly, which she really didn't. "How did you get to Tartarus?"

"I jumped," he said, like it was obvious ... Ezra could summarise maybe it should have obvious been considering that's how they landed up in this hellhole.

"You jumped into Tartarus," she said, "because Percy said your name?" Well Ezra couldn't claim that was not normal or at all obvious.

"He needed me." Bob declared. "It is okay. I was tired of sweeping the palace. Come along! We are almost at a rest stop."

A rest stop.

Ezra didn't even what to think what those words meant in Tartarus. Wherever Bob was taking them, she hoped it had a decent place to lie down. She'd sacrifice food and her life for her boyfriend and girlfriend but never sleep.

That was where Ezra drew the line.

Ezra hobbled along, trying to ignore the rumble in her stomach. She clutched at Annabeth's hand as they picked their way across wasteland the daughter of Athena had described before.

Ezra had heard conflicting descriptions of Tartarus. It was a bottomless pit. It was a fortress surrounded by brass walls. It was nothing but an endless void.

Penelope had once told her a story about Tartarus. She had described it as the inverse of the sky—a huge, hollow, upside-down dome of rock. Based on her partners narrations, to Ezra that seemed the most accurate.

Finally after continuous wandering ahead Bob spoke. "Here," he declared.

Ezra narrowed her eyebrows as Percy knelt down to her height and began to describe just where they had stopped. They stopped at the top of a ridge. Below them, in a sheltered depression like a moon crater, stood a ring of broken black marble columns surrounding a dark stone altar.

"Hermes's shrine," Bob explained in delighted.

Percy spoke in a confused voice. "A Hermes shrine in Tartarus?"

Bob laughed in delight. "Yes. It fell from somewhere long ago. Maybe mortal world. Maybe Olympus. Anyway, monsters steer clear. Mostly."

"How did you know it was here?" Annabeth asked.

Bob's paused for a long moment before speaking in a blank voice. "Can't remember."

"That's okay," Percy said quickly.

Ezra held her breath, resisting the urge to throttle her girlfriends inquisitive nature. The last thing the three lovers needed was for ole Bob to remember he was actually a fucking Titan.

With the help of Percy, Ezra climbed into the crater and entered the circle of columns. She collapsed beside Annabeth on what felt like a broken slab of marble, too exhausted to take another step. From behind her legs, Ezra could feel Percy standing over them over scanning their surroundings.

Ezra couldn't even bring herself to care that she had collapsed, lowered her guard and forced Percy to take the helm. She needed a moment, just a moment to recuperate and gather her strength.

"You said someone was chasing us, Annabeth prompted. "Who?"

Bob waited a moment before replying. "They are following, yes. They know you are here. Giants and Titans. The defeated ones. They know."

The defeated ones... well that wasn't fucking terrifying was it? Ezra grumbled under her breath, stroking her bracelet close as Annabeth trembled beside her.

Of course all the monsters they had killed over the years were actively hunting them.

"Why are we stopping, then?" Annabeth cried. "We should keep moving."

"Soon," Bob said. "But mortals need rest. Good place here. Best place for...oh, long, long way. I will guard you."

Huffing to herself, Ezra settled against the ground harshly tapping Annabeth when she felt how tense her girlfriend was.

"You both sleep," Percy told her. "I'll keep the first watch with Bob."

Ezra moved to protest but before she could, a curse escaped her lips as Annabeth tapped her harshly in return. Grumbling loudly Ezra settled against the broken marble with Annabeth curled beside her.

Bob rumbled in agreement. "Yes, good. When you wake, food should be here!"

Ezra's stomach growled loudly at the mention of food. Honestly she didn't care how Bob would be able to summon food in the midst of Tartarus. All that mattered was that Percy and Annabeth were fed.

She didn't want to sleep, but her body betrayed her. Her eyelids turned to lead.

"Percy, wake me for second watch. Don't be a hero." Annabeth spoke from beside her.

"Ignore her Percy," Ezra declared turning her gaze in the direction of Percy's breathing. "Let her sleep, make sure you wake me so you can sleep."

Ezra burrowed in closer to the marble, pausing when she heard Percy rustling forward to his girlfriends. "Who, me?"

Ezra grunted in surprise as she felt him leaning over her to kiss Annabeth, his hands resting lightly on her waist. "Sleep."

Ezra quirked her gaze directly ahead to where she could hear Percy hovering above her based on where his breath fell, hitting her temples. She was given her own kiss, his lips parched and feverishly warm.

Ezra would make sure he got some sleep.

"You two spitfire, rest up."

Ezra felt like she was back in the Hypnos cabin at Camp Half-Blood, overcome with drowsiness. Cuddled up in Annabeth's arms, she curled up on the hard ground and closed her eyes.

✲*'。

SLEEP DID NOT GRANT EZRA Min the respite from the horror and suffering she had been hoping for. Annais' screams haunted her dreams; the sound of her falling into Tartarus. The thud of her body never moving again as she floundered and missed the river Ezra had landed in when she fell into the pit of Hell.

Annais had a face so similar to Hea; bone structure similar in construction; a button nose, plump lips ( the rare few times Annais let Ezra trace her facial features. ) The few differences came from the scars and bumps on Annais' skin from when she used to roughhouse play with Ezra herself when they were children. Her palms were full of callouses from where Ezra had hammered her into the ground, overtaking her fighting training during the war, when Hea left, Penelope too busy.

Despair clouded her conscious mind, gut wrenching weeping. Annais' body laid still, her chest unmoving, heralding the fates had taken another Min before her time.

The putrid stench of blood haunted Ezra's senses, Kronos' scythe finding a home in her dead, dead, dead corpse. Grief haunted the air and with the mournful march ending, eery, ever familiar haunting laughter was the only sound Ezra could hear.

Penelope. Tensing, curling herself around Annais' still body, Ezra listened closely as Penelope knelt beside her, Annais' ever familiar scent of vanilla mingled with death clinging to the daughter of Kronos.

And before her laughter could turn mocking; Ezra struck, another Min dead to avenge the other.

✲*'。

WITH A LOUD CRY, EZRA AWOKE, harshly clawing her skin, only settling once Percy's scent of petrichor overtook her senses and she was cradled in his arms. She was still in Tartarus, at the shrine of Hermes.

"It's okay," Percy promised. "Bad dreams?"

Her body tingled with dread shaking her fitfully, desperately trying to get that dream out of her mind. "Is it—is it my turn to watch?"

"No, no. We're good. I let you sleep."

"Percy!"

"Hey, it's fine. Besides, Wise girl is still fast asleep."

Grumbling to herself, Ezra tried to push herself out of Percy's embrace. A low chuckle escaped his lips as he tightened his grip on her slender hips, curling an arm around her waist to pull her back into his chest. Without much of a fight Ezra fell back into his arms, resting her her head against his shoulder.

"Bob's gone to do some scouting ahead while I stayed with you both," Percy murmured, hands beginning to play with the loose braid that still held on for dear life. "What did you dream about."

Huffing, Ezra stared in the general direction of the sky. "Annais."

"Ah," Percy hummed, squeezing her hips in support. "Is this about your fight before we fell?"

"I don't know," Ezra grumbled. "Were you mad at me too ... for keeping secrets —— her secret?"

Sighing, Percy remained silent for a long moment, a moment long enough for dread to pit in her stomach. "I'm not angry at you for not telling your sisters if that's what you mean. I understand why you did ... it's just Ez why not tell us?"

A low whimper escaped her lips at the pain in Percy's voice. Burying her head into his chest so he couldn't see her face as she replied. "She defied the fates Percy, she chose to sacrifice herself for me ... I wasn't thinking. My only goal was to kill Kronos and get out."

Percy remained silent, his hands continuing to massage Ezra's hip in silent support as she continued. "I needed to escape ... the only one who knew how I felt was Nico, he was the only one who knew where I was. He was the one who told me about you, how Annabeth was after you disappeared ... that was what made me come back."

A bitter laugh escaped Percy's lips at her words. "I knew it. Anytime I questioned him to see if he knew he never gave it up."

"He was being a good brother," Ezra murmured, her slipping hand into Percy's. Fiddling with her fingers she continued on. "You know don't you?"

"I worked it out before the fight with the empousai, that confirmed it." Percy murmured quietly as quiet whimpers began to escape Annabeth's lips.

"Me knocking Annabeth down to the ground?" Ezra promoted to which Percy just kissed her forehead.

"We'll get through it together, just like we always do."

Twisting around in his arms, Ezra crept her hands upwards until she reached Percy's face. Gently placing her hands on his cheeks, Ezra turned his gaze to her dead on. "Can we not tell Annabeth just yet?"

"Ez..." Percy huffed in disapproval as a hand wrapped around the back of Ezra's neck to keep her close.

"Percy she's struggling, I don't want to burden her any further," Ezra muttered.

A loud screech escaped her lips, one Percy had to cover as a hand abruptly landed on her shoulder. "Silly spitfire," Annabeth hummed.

Pulling her self into Ezra's lap so Percy's arms could wrap around the both of them, Annabeth began to trace Ezra's face softly, just like the daughter of Hera had done to her so often in the past. "I already knew, you wouldn't have been burdening me."

Ezra burrowed her into Annabeth's neck as Percy pulled them tighter in his arms so he could rest his head on Ezra's temple. "We'll get through this." Annabeth promised, lighting pecking Ezra's temples before turning to Percy with a sharp tone.

"I thought you were supposed to wake me for second watch!" Annabeth declared while Ezra cast her gaze in the general direction of the exit to the shrine. Footsteps, a large clumsy gait she could recognise.

Bob.

Ezra was forced out of her thoughts as Percy harshly nudged her back. "I —–was too excited to sleep. Look."

Ezra blinked in surprise as Annabeth quietly began to describe the scene to her. Back from his adventure, Bob the Titan sat cross-legged by the altar, happily munching a piece of pizza.

"Is that...pepperoni?" Annabeth echoed, voicing Ezra's confusion.

"Burnt offerings," Percy said. "Sacrifices to Hermes from the mortal world, I guess. They appeared in a cloud of smoke. We've got half a hot dog, some grapes, a plate of roast beef, and a package of peanut M&M's."

"M&M's for Bob!" Bob said happily. "Uh, that okay?"

Ezra or Annabeth didn't protest. Percy brought them a plate of roast beef with two separate pieces to share. Ezra wolfed it down shamelessly. She'd never tasted anything so good. The brisket was still hot, with exactly the same spicy sweet glaze as the barbecue at Camp Half-Blood.

"I think it is from Camp Half-Blood." Percy murmured to the two girls making Ezra frown deep in contemplation.

"Peanut M&M's," Annabeth said. "Connor Stoll always burned a pack for his dad at dinner."

Camp Halfblood ... home. The thought made Ezra dizzy. Camp Halfblood had been always been the place the daughter could call home. It has her sisters, it has her boyfriend and girlfriend.

It had Penelope.

Ezra hadn't felt at home in the six months it took Leo and the other campers to build the Argo II. Ezra had fled for a reason, she only returned to find Percy, make sure he, Annabeth and her remaining sisters were safe. It was a poor stroke of luck that she was roped into a quest.

Otherwise, if Ezra had to be bluntly honest she probably would have never came back. Would have remained in hiding, with only Apollo and Nico for company.

That was food for thought.

Ezra was interrupted from her musing when she felt Percy put his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, this is good. Actual food from home, right?"

She nodded. They finished eating in silence.
Bob chomped down the last of his M&M's.

"Should go now. They will be here in a few minutes."

"A few minutes?" Annabeth questioned, hand tightly clenching in Ezra's.

"Yes...well, I think minutes..." Bob scratched his silvery hair. "Time is hard in Tartarus. Not the same."

Ezra remained seated as she heard move towards what seemed to be the entrance to the equator. "I don't see anything, but that doesn't mean much. Bob, which giants are we talking about? Which Titans?"

Bob grunted. "Not sure of names. Six, maybe seven. I can sense them."

"Six or seven?" Annabeth questioned dubiously. "And can they sense you?"

"Don't know." Bob smiled. "Bob is different! But they can smell demigods, yes. You two smell very strong. Good strong. Like...hmm. Like buttery bread!"

"Buttery bread," Annabeth said. "Well, that's great."

Percy climbed back to where she and Annabeth sat. "Is it possible to kill a giant in Tartarus? I mean, since we don't have a god to help us?"

"Percy, I don't know. Traveling in Tartarus, fighting monsters here...it's never been done before. Maybe Bob could help us kill a giant? Maybe a Titan would count as a god? I just don't know." Annabeth sighed.

"Yeah," Percy said. "Okay."

After a tense moment where Ezra could feel how rigid Percy was, she forced what she was hoped was a reassuring smile onto her lips. Percy and Annabeth weren't tainted; sure they had seen horrors like any other demigod, more then the average.

Madness didn't lurk in their subconscious. The urge to lash out didn't cloud their every waking moment, the urge to destroy and rip apart those who threatened her nearest and dearest. Rot had seeped into her lungs the moment Penelope died, and when she struck Kronos, learnt her true parentage the rot festered and spread.

It was only a matter of time before Ezra lost control and attacked. And with six or seven hostile immortals following them what a better time to erupt.

Squeezing Percy's hand to help her up, Ezra remained motionless, knowing what she had to do, could only assume what was to come. She stood, still disoriented from her nightmares.

After Bob cleaned up, Annabeth finally spoke once more. "Where to now?" Annabeth asked.

Percy pointed at the stormy wall of darkness, steering Ezra in the direction they were about to go. "Bob says that way. Apparently the Doors of Death—"

"You told him?" At the harsh tone of her voice, Ezra squeezed her warningly. Not was not the time.

"While you both were asleep," he admitted.
"Annabeth, Bob can help. We need a guide."

"Bob helps!" Bob agreed. "Into the Dark Lands. The Doors of Death...hmm, walking straight to them would be bad. Too many monsters gathered there. Even Bob could not sweep that many. They would kill Percy and Annabeth and Ezra in about two seconds." The Titan frowned. "I think seconds. Time is hard in Tartarus."

"Well isn't that reassuring!" Ezra muttered under her breath.

"Right," Annabeth grumbled. "So is there another way?"

"Hiding," said Bob. "The Death Mist could hide you."

"Oh..." Annabeth trailed off after a moment. "Uh, what is Death Mist?"

"It is dangerous," Bob said. "But if the lady will give you Death Mist, it might hide you. If we can avoid Night. The lady is very close to Night. That is bad."

"The lady," Percy repeated.

"Yes." Bob pointed ahead of them into the inky blackness. "We should go."

Well ... that wasn't ominous at all then.

"Okay, then," Percy said. "I guess we'll see a lady about some Death Mist."

"Wait," Annabeth said.

Ezra quietly hissed under her breath, clinging to Percy as Annabeth's mind bled into hers again; the daughter of Athena's mind was buzzing. Dreams of Luke and Thalia haunted her mind; flashes of their voices, Luke recounting to Annabeth about stories he had told her about his father, Hermes.

"You're a genius," Ezra declared manically, an eery smile on her lips.

"Annabeth?" Percy sounded concerned.

Percy was quick to take over the narration of what Annabeth had been doing fir Ezra; to give her an idea of her surroundings to match the basic outline of a plan in her head.

"Bob," she said, "offerings burned in the mortal world appear on this altar, right?"
Bob frowned uncomfortably, like he wasn't ready for a pop quiz. "Yes?"

"So what happens if I burn something on the altar here?"

"Uh..."

"That's all right," Annabeth said. "You don't know. Nobody knows, because it's never been done."

"It can't hurt to try," Ezra stated, biting her lip to stop the smile threatening to appear on her lips at the way she could feel Percy studing her intently.

"Annabeth?" Percy said after a moment. "You're planning something. You've got that I'm-planning-something look."

"I don't have an I'm-planning-something look."

"Yeah, you totally do. Your eyebrows knit and your lips press together and—"

"Do you have a pen?" she asked him.

"You're kidding, right?" He brought out Riptide.

"Yes, but can you actually write with it?"

"I—I don't know," he admitted. "Never tried."

"What if you touch the cap to the other end of the sword?" Annabeth said. "Like where you'd put the cap if you were actually going to write with the pen."

"Uh..."

"May I?" Annabeth asked.

"What are you doing?" Percy asked.

"Sending a message," Annabeth said. "I just hope Rachel gets it."

"Rachel?" Percy asked. "You mean our Rachel? Oracle of Delphi Rachel?"

"That's the one." Annabeth suppressed a smile.

"Who else would she be about Kelp Head?"

"Now I just need to burn it," Annabeth said. "Anybody got a match?"

Ezra jumped as the sound of a spark, and Percy was quick to narrate again. The point of Bob's spear shot from his broom handle. It sparked against the altar and erupted in silvery fire.

"Uh, thanks."

"We should go now," Bob advised. "Really, really go. Before we are killed."

✲*'。