I am so so so so so so sorry that this took forever. I wanted to do this chapter right. So here it is my lovely readers, I sincerely hope you enjoy it.

Chapter Thirty Two: Where To Go...

Point of view: Perseus Jackson

"Nico, we have to move now." I tell the dark haired boy forcefully.

He nods hurriedly and helps me stand.

But it's too late. I realize this as weapons fly at us and Nico's senses aren't as sharp as mine are yet. I switch places with him and the knives thud into me. 

From my shoulders to my wrists on my arms, knives imbed into my body. From my thighs to my ankles. "Percy!" Nico exclaims and rips them out so I can heal.

"Get moving, now." I growl and he takes off.

I do for him what Artemis did for me and let all of his senses sharpen after touching him with moonlight, but I use starlight as well.

'You cannot escape me down here. I see you evaded my clever trap however. I did not expect you to be so intelligent. The stories of my minions proved wrong. You hid most of yourself away from them. Didin't you?' The voice cackles. 'Run. Run and hide from them, but you can't hide from me. Know that someday, I will have you kneeling at my feet, new god.'

"He's wrong. I can hide you from him. He is weakened in my presence. Even though I was fored into my nightmare as we fell, I know that some aspects are real. He is messing with my head. Do not go near those deities, especially Annabeth. Their strength in that horror was real, that collar was real. Don't let your guard down. We need to hurr yup and shut off all exits. We can use the Styx to get back to the underworld. I can use it without either one of us getting hurt. Styx is under my domain and she will let us pass. I remember talking with her once when Annabeth was alseep my very first time here." I tell Nico as we zoom through Tartarus.

We pick up the pace as Nico's lungs get used to the air and he gets used to his newfound attributes, his body finally settling into them.

"How is he weakened in your presence?" Nico asks.

"Apparently I am too pure. There is something Apollo taught me to listen for to know when a person is truly lying. Most of the time, that voice was lying. The only thing he was honest about was the fact he wants to turn me into one of his pawns and later his...chewtoy. His father marking me however, it is hard to discern what parts of that were the truth and what were the lies. Don't listen to anything he says." I tell him.

"I knew you were pure. It's what was a little weird when I saw what the world was like after you got me out of that military school. Probably the real reason why I...yeah..." Nico trails off.

I chuckle and place spells over us, cloaking us from everything. Including Corruption. "Right. You can say it you know. When all this crap blows over, I plan on relaxing just a tiny bit. In my own way. i am making sure no one dies for real. Annabeth can kiss my immortal ass."

Nico laughs whole heartedly. "Awesome. Welcome to the club."

"I am president of that club genius." I snarl playfully and he sticks his tongue out at me.

"Is that one of the entrances we are looking for?" Nico points to a dark opening of a chasm.

"No." I answer darkly. "That's the Mansion of Night. We will not tread there until this war is over." I tell him and we sprint past it without being detected in the slightest.

"Got it. Great to know where it is." Nico mutters almost incoherently.

After we run for a little while, I spot a small fiery red opening past the bend in the Plegethon in one of the rocky sides of the wall of an upward level. We stop and chant together to close it permanently until we both give the spell permission to break.

We do this for what seems like hours, but I know it has been only a few days down here. It would seem like mere minutes to those we love up in the surface world. 

"how man more can there be?" Nico asks nobody in particular.

"As many as have formed since Tartarus came into being. We are lucky we don't have to cover the ones up in the Underworld where your father rules." I reply anway.

"That was kind of rhetorical Perce." Nico chuckles.

"Then think of it as a rhetorical answer smart alec." I tell him and he rolls his eyes.

I scan Tartarus as we run by branching out my senses. This one in our sight should be the last one, there is nothing we can do about the Mansion of Night. We will just have to be more watchful at dark. The time when the Guardians and Hunters are most powerful.

"The last one." I say to Nico and he nods as we come to a halt in front of the purple opening. "I think it best if we secure this one like we did the tenth one. It is more evil and emits an ominous aura." 

We place several wards over it and I enchant it to be obscured from sight.

"That does it for our mission. From what they told me in our dream, I have all we need. I can feel the size of their army. Let us hope our strength alone is enough." I turn to my Guardian.

Nico nods thoughtfully. "Should we strike a blow while here. One that will hinder the army a little while longer?" 

"We have dealt several blows by closing off the exits and protecting the Underworld. The only other thing we could do is take out a few of the more powerful monsters that would take a very long time to reform, even with the help of Tartarus." I answer.

"You mean snipe them from far away?" Nico asks uncertainly.

"Exactly. You should be fine with a bow with my blessing. If not, you'll hit something. Try to be inconspicuous when you do it. Aim for different places at the very least." I clap him on the back and we take off for the enemy army.

I perch on top of a boulder that has an overhang while Nico crouches at the base of it beneath me, his back against the boulder I am on. We both draw our bows and take aim at the more powerful baddies. "Fire at will, Guardian." I command and we both let loose the arrows, effectively killing two big monsters. The Lydian Drakon and the Clazmonian Sow. 

We do this until I order, "Stop, Nico. Hold."

He lowers his bow. "I feel it too. What now?"

"We have annihilated more than enough of the most troublesome monsters and the overgrown ones of the different varieties. Corruption draws near." I answer lowly and Nico joins me under the hanging as we watch the monsters look around for their attacker.

'Come out you fools! Let me have you! How dare you attack now!' Corruption shrieks all around us.

"Kronos and the others walk amongst the monsters looking for us. They have realized the magic I truly possess. They know I can make us invisible. They won't hesitate to strike at the slightest noise and they kill where they think they sense us. The arrow hold our presences on the ground. It will distract them long enough for us to make it to the Styx." I tell him and we wait for a passing monster to go by before running. Nico pulls to a stop wen we reach the Styx. I come back to him. 

"Well?" He asks and gestures at the river.

I shake my head. "Not here. Further along. Closer to the Underworld. We do not need them to know the full extent of my power. We are clear in the very beginning of the depths of the Pit. Traveling to the world above from here would show them I would be too much trouble to deal with until weakened."

He nods in understanding as we follow the winds of te river and get closer to the Underworld. 

'I see you.' Corruption's voice growls.

"LOTR much?" Nico grumbles under his breath and I chuckle.

'Do not attempt to escape from the Pit. It is not so easily done.' 

"Who said it was hard?!" I yell in response and Nico and I kick it into high gear as we feel Kronos coming near.

"Percy, I don't think we can fight off Kronos's power. Especially here." Nico huffs out as we dodge the high and dangerous rock spires we have to climb to get up to another level.

"I know. But I can match his skill when he slows time. But if her freezes it completely, I don't want you taken as well. Not to mention Corruption will make things worse for you." I reply.

'Continue as long as you want. You will eventuall ytire out. Shall I keep you company as you run and run and run. You won't lose Kronos. He is already closer than you think.'

I jump onto Nico and we roll over each other, springing up to keep running. "That was too close." Nico tells me and we pour on th espeed.

"You have no idea. That collar was destroying me from the inside. It might hurt you worse." I say and he pales a little.

"Maybe it's a god thing I don't have an idea." Nico says.

"I'm just surprised it didn't actualy affect my real body. It was so alarming. The thing draws so much of your attention, it demands it. It's almost as if it is a living thing. But I know it's not. That much is easy to tell about it. Tartarus has dangerous metals. Pit metal. I hope none of the monsters have any weapons made of that stuff. I doubt it." I muse.

"Yeah. They wouldn't let that stuff fall into our hands. The bosses would have it if anything." Nico says as we rockclimb three levels. "I think after the war is over we should collect all of it and stow it away where only a select and trustable few know of its whereabouts."

"Tartarus can make it, but I can tell it's taxing on him. Most likely because it is almost evil itself and causes so much agony." I reply.

"Stop runnning you coward grandsons!" We hear Kronos's voice bellow from five levels below us.

"How much farther?" Nico asks desparately.

"We have to go, now. Any longer and Corruption will attempt to stop us himself. I want to kill him, but his form isn't exactly solid to where I can behead him or run him through. I have a bad feeling he is a lot more pwoerful than he is letting on." I tell him. 

I grab Nico's arm and pull us into the Styx. We wade into the middle and Styx appears smiling. "Hello Perseus. It is nice to see you again. Need help?" She asks sweetly.

"Yes, please." I smile back at her warmly.

"I notice you only really want my permission to use my waters, but may I ask one thing in return?" She answers kindly.

"Anything." I answer surprised.

"Protect my waters before you leave. And the waters of my sisters." Styx pleads with me.

I kiss her cheek and place a magic warding over her waters and focus on doing the same to the other four rivers. "It will never be removed." I tell her and she hugs me.

"Then you have my word that I will convince my sisters to help you in the war. We have been soiled by the monsters and Corruption for far too long. Stirring in our joined waters at the heart of this evil place. We will send unto you the purified monsters as reinforcements when you need them the most and grant you and your Order of Guardians one gift each. The day will come when this will happen. But with your efforts, it will not come for a very long time now. Years will pass before this happens, but mark my words, it will happen and only you can stop it again. Save this world, Perseus Jackson, By the will of all those who need you and by the will of the first being in creation." She tells me and sinks into her waters.

"What does that mean?" Nico asks me nervously.

"No time. We're all out of it." I tell him and flash us out through the water of the River Styx.

Rick Riordan owns PJO/HOO. Tell me what you think my lovely readers!