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It was the time that Ares had been dreading for the past few months. It was coming upon the Winter Solstice. That meant the council. It would be the first time since he'd had his meltdown at his temple that he would have to face not only Aphrodite and Hephaestus (whom he'd been hiding from for good reason and self preservation) but also Persephone. As he'd resolved to do, he'd stayed away from Olympus and anywhere else the gods thought he would frequent during his down time. No one but his sister Athena would dare approach him when he was doing his job and overseeing the wars and battles on earth. Which meant that he spent a great deal of time during that time with his twin sons Phobos and Deimos. Nike would be there occasionally but never approached them.

When not fulfilling his duty as the god of war, Ares made sure that he was untraceable and spent all his time away from Olympus. When he was needed on Olympus, he would usually send one of his minions in his stead unless it was important and he was directly summoned by either his mother or father. When he was there, he would leave immediately after by opening a portal rather than walk any further and happen upon a chance encounter. Today, he'd not be so lucky. He'd come close to be late to the council uncaring of the disapproving, exasperated, and annoyed expressions of the rest of the council. Ares' own expression was locked on apathy. Throughout the talks it slowly shifted to one of boredom and impatience which was expected from him. He'd even begun to drum his fingers upon the armrest while using his will to not glance over at a certain goddess. Anytime the urge rose, the memory of her flinching because of him surfaced and the urge died.

As soon as the council was over, Ares jumped up as quick as he could without arousing suspicion. "Well, this was a waste of my time, as always," he stated derisively. Nothing had been accomplished as always. The only thing that had been settled upon was that daddy's mistake wasn't the one of the prophecy as she became a Huntress, the sea god's brat got to live another year and they weren't killing the ophiotaurus, which Ares thought was a mistake. And Artemis finally got the rest of them in gear to go against the Titan's by swaying those that had been on the fence.

Which also unfortunately meant that daddy dearest would want to have a war council soon. Ares just knew it was going to give him a migraine and found solace that he'd be giving Athena and Artemis headaches alongside their father. Slipping out of the council chamber, he headed towards the city since there were a few minor deities that he wanted to speak with.

Persephone had once loved winter solstice. It meant that she was halfway done with her time in the underworld and provided a much-appreciated opportunity to socialize and unwind a little after her isolation. Now it was just going to be an exercise in avoidance and worry. She had no desire to see a certain dark-haired deity, but she knew she might not have a choice.

He'd made it abundantly clear that any affection he might have had for her, platonic or otherwise, was well and truly dead. As such, she'd reverted to her dutiful obedience to her husband, because who else was there? Aphrodite was busy with her burgeoning relationship with Hephaestus, and her mother was busily preparing for spring. The only person around even occasionally was Hades.

Normally she wouldn't have accompanied Hades to the council meeting, being a minor goddess, but after her extensive stint managing the underworld, he'd agreed that it was only fair that she come along and be informed. She appreciated it, though she still resented him for his abandonment.

Sitting at her husband's side, she studied the assembled deities. Athena sitting haughty and keen-eyed at Zeus' right hand, Dionysus slumped in his chair snoring softly under the effects of the jar of wine on the table before him. Her gaze skipped over the left-hand side of the table and returned to her mother sitting on her right, who was casting dirty looks at Hades.

"Mother," she chastised gently, patting the elder goddess' hand. The other woman harrumphed and shook her head as Zeus called the meaning to order.

As the hours passed, she managed to mostly avoid looking at him. Occasionally he would move and she'd experience a flash of memory - his hand on her waist, the sound of him roaring his anger as a wall exploded into dust. Corresponding flashes of misery would overlay on top of the anxiety coiling under her ribs, causing her to close her eyes for just the briefest of moments.

The meeting adjourned, and a bigger rush of feeling nearly overwhelmed her as Ares rose and left. The motion caught her eye, and she very nearly panicked.

She needed to see him. Now.

"I'll be back in a while. I want to get something from my quarters," she lied, pressing a dutiful kiss to Hades' cheek and then the top of her mother's head. Neither commented, agreeing to her plan as she waved and began to pick her way through the crowd.

He wasn't hard to find. His dark head was just visible above the crowds as she followed him down the pathway that led from the meeting pavilion to the city proper. As the crowds thinned, she made her move, darting forward to take his wrist and dragging him off the path behind a tall shrub.

"I know you're not happy to see me, but just listen for a moment," she hissed, stretching up on her toes to clap her hand over his mouth and prevent him from alerting passers-by. "Please. I need your help."

At the touch to his wrist Ares had been about to yank it away from whomever had dared to presume to try and do so. That was until his body checked itself automatically before he could even start the action. The scent of vanilla and jasmine that was unique to one person, assaulted him and he had no choice but to follow passively. Curiosity, hope, dread, and the one emotion he'd been trying to suffocate but just wouldn't die, welled and warred within him. His eyes drunk in the sight of her memorizing everything before shuttering when she faced him, his expression one of annoyance. He'd been about to open his mouth to demand what she wanted, when she complied without him having to ask. Of course she also stood on her toes to place her hand over his mouth and oh, didn't he have immature thoughts there before what she was saying registered causing his brief humor to vanish as if it had never been.

Many emotions and thoughts swirled but the prevailing ones were that if she was coming to him, she must not have had anyone else to turn to. Or that whatever it was, was bad enough that she thought it was to his 'standards' and would have no qualms doing whatever it was. Pushing past the sour bitterness was curiosity and something else that had him pause. Uneasiness plagued him. Knowing how he was supposed to act, he arched a brow and glanced down at her hand pointedly.

"Sorry", she muttered, flushing a little as she removed her hand from his mouth.  "I thought you'd raise the alarm if I wasn't careful."

Once she'd removed the hand, he gave her a sardonic smile. "Because we all know that the gods listen when I try to warn them about something." That was how he'd ended up in the jar in the first place. That, and he was young and rash and wanted to prove himself. It hadn't changed the fact that none of the gods had listened when he'd tried to warn them about the giants.

"I thought you'd said you were 'tired of your messes.' I believe you said." He stated with air quotes in the correct spot. "Why not ask your dear husband, for whatever help you need?"

He smelled like leather, pine, and smoke, and she found her heart beat steadily increasing with her proximity to him.  Exhaling through her nose to steady herself, she looked up at him and flushed at his arched eyebrow.  Muttering an apology, she took her hand away from his mouth.

She hadn't expected him to be so calm.  She'd thought there would be shouting, or that he'd strike at her in surprise, and had prepared accordingly.  Finding that she didn't need any of her plans, she was rendered momentarily speechless.

"I..." She began, stuttering slightly.  What was wrong with her?  This was just Ares.  Why was she having so much trouble making her brain work?

Because it's Ares, supplied the little voice in her head as she swallowed and mastered herself.  She couldn't afford to be flustered now, because if she made a mistake and he didn't help her, she didn't know what she was going to do.  

"I thought I was," she answered honestly, her flush deepening as she swallowed her pride and forced herself to continue.  "But I made a massive mistake, Ares, and I can't ask anyone else."

Asking Hades wouldn't help anything.  He'd be furious, and she was willing to bet he wouldn't have Ares' control when it came to dealing with her.  She was trying to make things right, but all Hades would see was her failure.  If she was going to get through this, she needed Ares.  

"Please," she murmured, looking up at him with wide eyes.  "I can't fix it myself, and it's dangerous."

There was a sharp pain that he ignored when she stuttered. It caused him to clench his jaw and look away because he didn't want her to read the truth in his eyes if it decided to surface without his conscious thought. Persephone shouldn't be so submissive, but then hadn't she always seemed that way before they had started their game? And her admittance to what he already knew, that he was the last person she would come to if she had any choice. Something heavy sunk and twisted in him. The uneasiness grew as she confided in him and for a second time asked for help. Any thoughts of abandoning her to flounder on her own or mocking her, flee at the desperation he can feel and see from her. For some reason he couldn't deny her and say no.

Whatever she had done, this mistake it had to be severe. And whatever it was, required him to help her. He wasn't sure exactly how he felt about that and didn't put much thought into. Part of his nature that he couldn't change was that he was more or less ruled by his instincts and they were screaming at him. The problem was, at the moment it was a cacophony that was pulling him in different directions. The question was, which ones did he mute and try to ignore, and which did he listen to?

Not trusting himself to speak, he gave a short nod to acknowledge his acceptance of her request. What else could he do? He could pretend that the dangerous part played to his personality. In truth, he didn't like how frightened she was. That Persephone had come to a monster who had scared and driven her away, to help her with something that had to be even more fearful than what she already harbored because of him.

"Lead the way," he managed to get out without belying how he felt.

She could have kissed him right then and there as something near her heart squeezed and relief flowed through her.  He'd agreed to help her, and between the two of them, she was hopeful that they could sort this all out and put things right before anyone got hurt.  He wasn't happy about it, judging by his tone, but she could live with that.  

Opening a green light-limned doorway, she gently wrapped her hand around his wrist and drew him after her as she stepped through into her chambers in the underworld.  The torches flared to life as they entered, casting pools of light into the gloom.  She knew her husband would likely sense their arrival, but she doubted it mattered.  Perhaps he would think that she was bringing Ares down here for some secret tryst, but she doubted he would care.  Sometimes she wondered if he felt at all, such was his apparent apathy to anything and everything.  

"Come with me," she said, releasing his wrist and crossing to the doorway that led out into a long corridor.  She led him down several hallways, lined with doors and torches that flared to life at their approach until she arrived at a heavily padlocked door.  Producing a key from the ring she wore on her belt, she unlocked the door and beckoned Ares through into the dark room.

The only thing that appeared out of the darkness as the torches were lit was a stone plinth with a set of brackets resting upon it.  Persephone sighed, turning to the dark-haired war god and gesturing to the brackets.  

"I had a sword made for my husband," she explained, her tone heavy with regret.  "I thought it would be a peace offering, but he told me he didn't want it."  

"It was too late by then. The sword was already made so I hid it here.  I locked it up as best I could, but when I came to check on it this morning it was gone."  Her throat felt thick with humiliation.  She'd tried to do something good, and it had backfired so spectacularly that she had to reach out to the man who hated her for help.  She really was the world's most useless goddess.

"I don't have any idea who took it, or why, but it has a key to Hades forged into it." She looked up at him, brows pulled together with worry.  "I don't think I need to explain why I need it brought back and destroyed before it gets into the wrong hands."

That key could send anyone to or from Hades with a mere touch.  It was a bloodless killing machine that, wielded by the wrong person, could bring the world to ruin.  All because she'd wanted to make peace with the husband she didn't love.  

Somehow that wasn't even the worst part, because she could only imagine what Ares thought of her now.  Spoilt, cowardly, and now stupid to boot.  Dropping her gaze, she pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger and waited for his mockery.

He had to be a pansy. A pathetic pushover. He might as well surrender his title as god of war when just having Persephone touching him sparked something in him. It was quickly followed by it dimming and dying though because he knew that she wouldn't have touched him if she could avoid it. A part of him that he ignored pointed out that she hadn't a need to touch him for him to follow her through her doorway. Squashing that thought he told it to shut up and pointed out she dropped his wrist as soon as she could.

Looking around, he arched a brow and wordlessly followed. A perverse smile  and a wicked gleam entered Ares' eyes at knowing his uncle would likely know he was poking about his dominion with permission. It seemed that Hades' was just as much into theatrics with his lighting system. Keeping his hands to himself, the war god followed after Persephone, eyes glancing around having never really explored his uncle's palace before. His gaze kept straying back to Persephone.

Entering the room she opened, his attention was automatically drawn to the empty brackets. He knew what that was. He studied it as the dimensions made themselves known as he measured it mentally. Before Persephone said anything, he knew a swords was supposed to rest there. Standing with his legs apart and arms crossed, Ares tried to pretend he didn't notice the twinge he felt that she would go through the trouble of making something like a sword for Hades.

Ares' head snapped around to look at the distraught goddess with slightly wide eyes. Not only had the sword gone walk about, but it had a key to the Underworld. This was beyond a bad idea. A scowl marred his face as his mind raced with what could happen if not only a mortal, but a god got their hands on the key. This, this was something Persephone would have accused him of doing. Of creating a mess without thinking of the consequences of how it affected all the other gods save himself. The irony was rich and for a moment, he almost burst out laughing. One look at the goddess' posture however halted it in its tracks.

Clenching his jaw, he looked away from her to the empty brackets again, his eyes dark. Why was it so difficult? He'd had no problems with mocking her before. What was that mortal saying? 'It'd be like kicking a puppy.' His brain oh so helpfully supplied which caused him to mentally glare and told it to shut up again. 'I have an image to maintain. Mustn't break her illusion of us, now should we?'

"And what makes you think I won't keep and use it if I find it first?" There was arrogance and a bit of genuine curiosity in his question. What made her think he wouldn't use it at the first opportunity? He turned to face the goddess with a hint of mockery about his mouth.

She could practically feel the gears in his head turning as he processed the empty brackets. The silence did nothing to help her nerves, and to her dismay, her eyes began to burn. She absolutely refused to cry in front of Ares; it would just add insult to injury, though at this point she wished she were already dead. Shades didn't have to worry about magical swords or being hated by handsome war gods.

He made a valid point, one that she hadn't thought of. She'd been so focused on solving the problem that she hadn't focused on the consequences of the solution. She'd once accused him of something similar, she realized, and a wave of shame washed over her.

She really had been cruel to him, hadn't she?

"Better you than someone else, I suppose," she said, looking up and trying to rally a brave response, only to fail miserably. The mocking little smile on his lips made her heart race and break all at once, and she had to look away again.

"I wondered if I should try and make you promise me that you'd bring it back or destroy it," she mused, chuckling humourlessly to herself. "I didn't think you'd appreciate that, and the way I see it, the sword is safer in your hands than it is out in the world at large."

"Your confidence in me is inspiring," he drawled sarcastically. A flicker of anger came to life that she couldn't even look at him. He supposed if he wanted to he could look at it as a backhanded compliment.  At least she knew him well enough to know that no, he would not have appreciated having to make that promise. Although there was a large gaping loophole there that he was sure she was overlooking. Tempting as it was to tell her that if it would make her feel better, he'd promise; that would just raise her suspicions. It was the last bit that had him gaze at her with an indecipherable expression.

Uncrossing his arms, he approached her and stated, "All right. I'll help you retrieve your toy." He paused and gave a wicked smirk. "On one condition. Nonnegotiable."

Resting his hand on the pommel of his sword he gazed at the goddess wondering if she would take him up on it. Hopefully, she wouldn't read too much into it. Likely, she would believe that he thought he didn't trust her. It would be wiser to have them split up and search separately, but the thought of an unknown with the key of Hades in their hands.... 'Its just because trying to explain to the rest of the pantheon would be a hassle if something were to happened to her.'

"You don't leave my side during this little...field trip."

"All right.  I'll help you retrieve your toy.  On one condition.  Nonnegotiable."  

She wasn't sure she liked his tone.  She could practically hear the broad grin on his face, though she did look up to confirm her suspicions with one eyebrow raised.  He carried on undeterred.

"You don't leave my side during this little...field trip."

That was the one request she hadn't seen coming.  She thought maybe he'd want to trade his help for the sword, or for free 'borrowing' of Konan whenever he pleased.  Instead, he wanted her to follow him around while they looked for the blasted thing.

She was half tempted to retaliate by putting on her best, breathy, damsel-in-distress voice and declaring that she didn't know he cared so much.  A very, very bad idea, given that he'd just offered to save her bacon in exchange for a very small request.  She didn't have much choice but to agree.

"I'll stay within sight." She nodded, meeting Ares' gaze with no small amount of curiosity beginning to bubble at the back of her mind.  What was he playing at?  

Don't think too hard about it, she warned herself, folding her arms across her chest.  He only agreed because there's something in it for him.  The ship of him actually caring has sailed, crashed, burned, and sunk.

And yet her treacherous little heart still leaped a little in her chest.

Ares waited with baited breath for her answer. When she'd agreed, he knew that was practically a binding promise for her. Although it wasn't what he'd stated upon as his only term, he would settle for her being within his sight if he couldn't have her exactly at his side. The relief that she had said yes at all took some of the sting out of her rejection and alteration of the agreement. Keeping his hand on his sword so he wouldn't reach out and grab her hand or wrist, he spun on his heel and took another searching look around the room. There weren't any clues of any sort, not that he would have expected any. He was sure she would have already searched the palace. Konan was likely off gallivanting with his new plaything at the children's camp otherwise he was sure the mutt would have been helping Persephone.

Mentally going through the places in the Underworld he desperately hoped whomever it was that took the sword didn't go through Tartarus. Ares would gladly go and search the Fields of Punishment even endure the wrath of Aphrodite and Hephaestus before going there. If the thief was that stupid, they deserved what they found there. Unfortunately, if they were, someone would still have to find the sword because what was down there was nastier then anything dreamed up by Morpheus.

Just to see if she would do as she said, Ares gestured for her to lead the way out of the palace with a smirk and eyes dancing with slight amusement. She would be 'withing his sight' and he said, "Ladies first."

As they walked through the the palace he kept silent as he thought and only voiced some of his questions once they had left his uncle's home behind. "Have you asked the shades if they'd seen anyone alive pass by?" He didn't bring up the harpies because he knew that only his uncle could control them and they would likely not be in a helpful mood. The other pressing question he wanted to know.

"You must have some hidden passages your husband doesn't know about." He couldn't really see anyone trapped here not having their own private retreat. Especially with who she had as her constant company down here or uninvited 'guest' such as her mother.

She did as he bade and led him back out of the room. He could have turned her down, and that fact, combined with her guilt and gratitude meant that she was going to keep her promise to him. As they walked through the palace and out into the fields of the underworld she kept close to him, not quite at his side, but close enough that they could converse. He stayed quiet, save for a few questions, and she copied his silence whenever she wasn't answering him.

"The shades don't pay much attention most of the time. They just drift about in their own little worlds unless something big happens," she sighed, turning to look at him over her shoulder. "I can ask again if you'd like."

His second question she laughed at. "Secret passages? Not as such, no. I built myself a garden where I can go to be alone, but I sincerely doubt the thief is hiding under my rose bushes." She arched an eyebrow.

Did he really think everything was so cloak-and-dagger? Certainly, someone had broken in, but Hades was a very straightforward deity. His architecture mirrored his bluntness, and Persephone sincerely doubted that he'd even considered secret passages when he was building his maze-like palace full of empty rooms and dead ends.

"I assume that you have some kind of secret passage in your quarters?" She smirked. "Only someone with one would know to ask."

Ares had shook his head in a negative when she'd asked about questioning the shades again. One would think a live person aside form a god would excite the shades. Hadn't Persephone intimated that when she'd come seeking him in his room to lay into him for that? A brief scowl of irritation crossed his face when she laughed at him.

"Of course I do," he replied to her question about his own quarters as if that was obvious even as he bristled a bit inside. There were many bolt holes for dear old dad to get out of Olympus without being caught by his wife. Of course, Hera had found most of them. Ares had found and played in them when he was quite young. They came in handy. The strategy worked on the battlefield too, to have ways come up behind an enemy or even to flee if need be.

Glancing at the goddess as they walked, he pondered on why she had tried to make Hades a weapon. Didn't she know that if his uncle had accepted the item, it likely would have started a war among the gods? Forget the demi gods or the titans, the gods would tear themselves apart before their enemies even reached Mount Olympus. Hades would have two items of power and all the gods knew that Zeus would not suffer that. A dark smirk pulled at his lips, his eyes full of vicious delight at the prospect. While he would dearly love to see it, Ares had a very strong survival instinct. If he wanted to enjoy seeing the Pantheon at each others throats, they needed to survive the titans first. Which meant finding the blasted sword.

Stopping at the entrance to the one place Ares dreaded above all others here, he froze. His adam's apple bobbed as he stared into the depths, his fingers tightening about his sword hilt as if it were a lifeline. 'Why did it have to be TARTARUS?! Why couldn't the moron have gone through the fields of asphodel?'

Didn't most come by route of the Styx and think that was the only way to and from this infernal place? But, noooooooo, the damned thief had to go through bloody Tartarus! Ares was beginning to think the Fates cursed him. This had to be some kind of retribution on him. Without realizing it, Ares' breath had sped up a little. Teeth clenched he glared at the clear footprints in the dirt. "I hate you."

She didn't have to turn to know he was scowling. He always behaved as though she should have known the answer to her own question. Perhaps she should have if she were a mind-reader, which she very much was not.

Ares seemed to hesitate as they drew nearer to the stony entrance to the pit that was Tartarus. She couldn't say she blamed him - her own hands shook harder and harder the closer they got - but it still hurt when he snarled "I hate you" through his teeth. Perhaps it was his fear talking, but it sounded like he meant it regardless.

"Yes, I'm aware," she replied, hiding the sting under a thick layer of faux calm. He just had to tolerate her until they found the blade, and then he could be on his way. She did have to wonder about his insistence that she stay close; why bother making that a condition if he was just going to sneer and snarl about how much he couldn't stand her?

She opened her mouth to point out that at least they had a trail and wouldn't have to waste time running here, there, and everywhere in Tartarus trying to find the thief. She then thought better of it and closed it again, taking another step towards the stone cairn. Looking back at him, she arched an eyebrow as if to ask him if he was coming or not.

If he wanted to hurry this along, then who was she to deny him?

Any sane god feared or at least treated Tartarus with great caution and for good reason. It made the Fields of Punishment look like a slap on the wrist. In fact, most misbehaving gods would rather suffer Zeus' wrath then venture into the depths of the Underworld even Hades dared not venture to. While his uncle ruled the Underworld, he didn't create it.

All sorts of swears and curses were going on in Ares' mind as he thought about what he would do to the thief for making him have to come down here. His eyes snapped towards Persephone when she spoke reminding him that he wasn't alone. He'd been troubled from the start of this thing, and had been edgy. Part of him now regretted his condition. Then what she had sunk in and his eyes shuttered. She was aware of how much he hated this part of her kingdom? Is that why she brought him?! To even the score as it were?

When she took the first step towards the opening and gave him that challenging look, Ares had to take her up on it. Let it never be said that the war god feared to tread where others did not. Sneering, he kept his grip on his sword hilt but strode towards then past her but not before taking her hand in his free one. He didn't care if she thought he needed a hand to hold. It was more than that. Ares couldn't let her go. He had to keep her by his side so they didn't get separated down here. Keeping his grip on her hand strong enough to keep her from tugging it loose, yet not tight enough to actually harm her.

Sourness roiled in his stomach as his eyes adjusted easily to the dark as they stepped further into the tunnel away from what light they got from the Underworld. This, was why he hated this blasted place. He scowled down at the smokey fog that thickly covered the pathway and rose up to the top of his leather boots. Indecision warred in him before he released the hold on his sword and with his hand up turned, he called a ball of fire to have some light to see their way. Not that he actually wanted to see what horrors lay here. Again. But he knew that Tartarus could sense them and it was better to err on the side of caution and be able to see what was coming at you.

Keeping his breathing even, he gestured with the hand full of fire pointing first down one path then the other. He paused and frowned as he inhaled. "That's...odd." Yet, possibly promising. He nodded towards one of the pathways. "I smell fresh blood. Down that path...It's mortal."

She watched his gaze go curiously blank as he processed what she had said, and she had to think very hard to prevent herself from sighing.  She'd misspoken again, although she didn't know how - she'd only acknowledged that she was aware of his dislike.  She couldn't win, and yet when he took her hand and drew her into the doorway after him, she wondered if a possibility to change his mind still existed.

As they descended along the path revealed by the sphere of flame that Ares held in his hand.  The flames did little to soften the chill that began to creep through the soles of her sandals and her dress, and she found herself holding on to Ares' hand just that much tighter to share in some of his warmth.  Fog and smoke curled up around them, blanketing everything in sight with a grey haze that smelled heavily of brimstone, blood, and rot.  How he could smell mortal blood over the stink was beyond her, but she trusted his judgement.  

"I suppose that's where we'll be going then," she said softly, looking up at him with wide eyes.  She was glad he was here, regardless of his feelings.
You'll be all right as long as you stay with him, she thought to herself, squeezing her eyes shut and taking a deep breath.  All you have to do is keep hold of his hand.

"The sooner we go, the sooner we're out of here," she murmured, plastering what she hoped was a brave and determined expression on her face.  She probably just looked grim, but at least she'd tried to hide her weakness from him.

"It's our best bet," he concurred. If it was fresh, then it had to be someone new down here. That meant it was their thief. And as it was mortal blood, it had to be a demigod. Which side they were on, well, that had to be rather obvious. They had taken the Titans side which made them dangerous. Humming his agreement his eyes stayed on the tunnel ahead. Glancing back at Persephone he wondered if he should waste his breath to tell her what he suspected. Returning his gaze back towards the passage, he headed down it, making sure that the goddess was close.

Following his nose while keeping a sharp gaze about, he led them down the passage and turned keeping to the blood trail unhesitating when the path split into more than one direction. 'This is not good.' Ares couldn't help but think. A mortal shouldn't have been able to get down here by themselves. Glancing back at Persephone once again he struggled with himself. He was the god of war. He wasn't supposed to be a team player. Yet... Tearing his gaze away from the goddess he knew it would be better if she weren't surprised when they came upon her thief. Still, he hesitated to tell what he knew.

Stopping suddenly, he cocked his head listening. "Do you hear that?" He wanted to know. He could hear some kind scraping as more than one inhabitant was heading their way. Ares' chest tightened as did his hand holding Persephone's. Snuffing out his flame, he ducked into a side passage, and pulled the goddess along and shifted so that he was in front of her, peering out with narrowed eyes. It was now or never, so he whispered, "Your thief likely won't be alone."

What had started out as a simple retrieval mission was becoming increasingly macabre very, very quickly.  They followed the scent of fresh blood to a fork in the path where Ares stopped, hesitating and glancing to her.  Before she got a chance to ask him what was wrong, he was asking if she heard anything.   As far as she could tell, things were surprisingly quiet.  She'd expected a wall of noise to hit them as soon as they'd entered, but now she had to close her eyes and focus hard to locate the faint scraping noise he was talking about.  

"I hear it too," she confirmed, stifling a gasp as he snuffed out the light and dragged her into an alcove before directing her behind him.  Blinking hard against the sudden transition from firelight to pitch black, she peered around his side.  She doubted her night vision was as good as his, but four eyes could still see more than two.  

"I was really hoping I was wrong about that," she whispered back, feeling her heart beginning to race as she considered what might be making its way down the path towards them.  He'd said the blood they were following was mortal, likely meaning a demigod, and the companion must have been a deity or non-mortal being of some kind if the demigod had been able to infiltrate the underworld and Hades' palace so easily.  

The most likely suspects were the Titans, which was very bad news for Ares and herself.  She wasn't exactly useful in a fight, and she worried that she'd be more of a hindrance than a help to Ares. The last thing she needed was for him to get hurt, or worse, because of her lack of foresight.

"What do we do?  Wait for them to pass?" she breathed, lowering her voice as much as she could.  This situation was so far beyond her knowledge, and she felt so stupid for having to ask, but she needed to know what he was thinking so that she wouldn't get in his way.  A plan would come with the added benefit of staving off the threads of panic that were beginning to wrap themselves around her chest, making it feel too small and tight.

Ares didn't spare the goddess a look as confirmed his suspicions. His estimation of her went up even as a flare of annoyance surfaced the tiniest fraction. He'd wished she would have told him whom she thought had taken the sword or that there might have been more than one. As one who played things close to the vest he could hardly blame her though. She might have thought he would turn her down if she'd told him there was more than one and that they were on the sides of their enemies.

"What do we do?  Wait for them to pass?"

Giving a short jerk of his head, Ares nodded not wanting to speak in case whatever was heading their way had good hearing. He strained his ears as he listened to them draw near, his mind and heart racing; both which he tried to control and failed to do. Usually he would relish a confrontation under normal circumstances. These, were anything but. While he'd been following his nose, he still knew that if they continued down this fork, they would end up near the staircase that would take them near some of the worse punishments were dolled out. Just ten more yards and they'd  be able to hear the horrendous noise. Ares was thankful they weren't going in that direction. That didn't mean their thief was taking them towards a picnic. All paths down here led to some form of fright.

Pressing against the rock wall, Ares tensed as the footfalls paused just short of their tunnel before carrying on past them, down another opening. Easing away from the wall, he peered out and his lip curled up in disgust right before he heard the scream. It appeared that a cerastes had tried to take a bite out of a homunculus and was successful. Unfortunately for the horned snake, its meal had been accompanied by a cyclops which decided the snake would make a great toy to smash about. While the monstrosities were busy, Ares pulled Persephone with him towards the staircase. It might be unpleasant for her, but there was another niche that they could squeeze past to get back towards the trail he'd picked up. The blood scent was getting stale which meant that the wound was likely cauterized.

"You might want to plug your ears," he cautioned. "This...isn't going to be pleasant." And with that warning, they stepped onto the staircase and the cacophonous echoes of suffering.

¬The homunculus' scream was ear-splitting, echoing off the low tunnel ceiling until it was overtaken by the sounds of the cerastes being hurled against the stone walls. Ares took the lead, and she had little objection to following him. He knew where he was going better than she, so all she had to do was set her jaw and hold on to his hand.

As they left the alcove behind, even her less-sharp hearing could begin to pick up faint noises radiating up from below them. At first, it was just faint bursts of sound that quickly morphed into very loud, very clear screams of pain. Ares barely paused to warn her to plug her ears before they stepped onto a seemingly never-ending staircase. She'd managed to clap her free hand over one ear before the noise became overwhelming, but it did little to protect her from the sickening screams, pops, and tearing sounds that surrounded them.

Her stomach lurched as a particularly drawn-out wail culminated with a sickening wet thump. She couldn't stop - Ares was still moving, and she couldn't risk being left behind - but she was suddenly glad of Ares' hand wrapped around hers. She focused on the feeling of his palm against hers, the scrape of his calluses against her skin, to drown out the horrible noises.

Down, down, down they went in the pitch black. The sounds of their breathing and footfalls were covered by the blood-curdling cacophony, and if she hadn’t had Ares’ hand in hers, she would have wondered if she’d lost him. She debated asking him to bring back his little fire, but she doubted he’d allow it. They’d almost been discovered once because of it, and she supposed she’d rather be temporarily blind than dead.

No sooner had she had thought, the stairs abruptly ended in flat stone once again. She stumbled with a sharp intake of breath, righting herself before she truly fell. A landing? Or had they truly reached the bottom?

“Ares,” she breathed, turning her head this way and that to try and get even a slight sense of their surroundings. “Where are we?”

Eyes haunted and face grim, Ares didn't dare try and muffle the noises but did try to ignore them the best he could. He focused on the map in his head rather than allow memories and nightmares to surface to dwell on. He almost forgot he wasn't alone until he felt a jerk on his hand and arm. It was with relief that he remembered whom was with him when she used his name followed by, “Where are we?”

Half a dozen sarcastic replies automatically flitted through his mind. This was not the place to fight though. Yet, his nature and personality could still not be denied. So what came out of his mouth was a sardonic, "Your husband's basement."

"Really? I thought we were in Kalamazoo. WHERE exactly in my husband's basement?"

Ares could practically feel irritation and could just imagine the look on her face. Despite where they were and the situation, he began to chuckle and it banished some of the dark thoughts. For him, at least, it alleviated some of the weight that had been pressing down on him. A bit of tension relaxed from his frame as a slight smile stayed on his face.

"Not far from a shortcut to the source of your souvenir from when you tried to raid my room." Lighting his hand again, he nodded toward the crack in the wall. They'd have to turn sideways to fit through.

Really? He was trying to be clever now of all times? She couldn't help but roll her eyes in the darkness as Ares chuckled. Still, even rolling her eyes at his poor timing helped to ease the knot of fear that had built up in her chest during their long descent.

"It was stolen goods. You can hardly just take something and then be upset when someone comes to steal it back," she retorted, a half-smile tugging at her lips as he brought back his light. She was surprised he still remembered, honestly. There had been more...Diverting things that had happened then, and he'd only remembered her stolen prize when she'd tried to make a break for the exit.

"That was water from the Lethe in the vial, wasn't it?" She asked softly, wishing she could smack him without drawing the attention of every monster nearby. "Do I want to know what you did with it? That's very potent stuff."

Her annoyance is all for show, really. She can't undo what's been done, and focusing on her next witty retort means that she can't focus on the noise. The dark cleft in the stone wall, however, is thoroughly forbidding, and there's no ignoring it. It'll be a tight fit for both of them, and she balks at the thought.

"There's no way around?" She asked, swallowing hard to clear the lump of fear suddenly blocking her throat.

While Ares wanted to debate that it was hardly stolen, he didn't want to rehash that argument. It was moot on many levels and while it would be a distraction, it was one they didn't need at the moment. Not here. Not now. Not that he wouldn't mind discussing their difference of opinion on what classifies as stolen another time.

When she asked about the water, he debated on evading the question. While he didn't want to outright lie to her, he didn't particularly want to tell her the truth either. She'd known it was river water from the Underworld. And it wasn't like Ares would have been interested in water from the other four rivers. Ares had thought about sending a minion to collect the water for him, but knowing his luck the idiot would end up splashing themselves and forgetting everything. Ares would have had to come down here all the same. There was another way he could have helped his mortal child with their request, but the water had seemed the best answer.

Yet, it was more than not wanting to lie or trying to decide if he should that stilled his tongue. For a fleeting second his face hardened and took on a look of hatred before he cleared it, reining it in and sighing. It wasn't as if he would be believed. His actions likely wouldn't have been condoned; again. Sniffing, he said in a tone that stated the subject was closed, "No. And that was the point." No, she wouldn't want to know what he had done.

Taking his eyes off the gap in the rocks, Ares glanced at Persephone at the trace of fear he could hear in her voice. Glancing back at where they needed then to the goddess again, he scrutinized her. It appeared that she seemed as fond as he was of the way. It was the last thing he wanted as well. If he could, he would have gone the same way he'd done before to collect the water. "Not if you don't want our grandfather to get the sword."

Looking straight in her eyes tried to relate that he shared her fear but they'd get through it and to trust him. Ares knew that would be a tall order, but she didn't have a choice really if she wanted to keep the rest of the gods from finding out her mistake. Gently, he tugged on her hand to lead her into the gap. Snuffing out the light he commanded, "Don't let go of my hand." Then breathed in and slid into the narrowing opening with his back sliding against the wall with only about four inches of give.

He was right.  If she wanted to keep her mistake a secret and keep it out of Kronos' hands, she was just going to have to bite the bullet.  His gaze met hers and held for a moment as though he was asking her to trust him, or was simply assessing her.  She couldn't tell anymore, but she didn't have a chance to think further about it as Ares snuffed the light and gently drew her into the gap after him.  

She squeezed her eyes shut and held on to his hand as tight as she could.  The cold, wet stone wall hit her back, scraping the fabric of her dress gently as they inched along the narrow pathway.  Extending a hand in front of her, she found a mere few inches between her abdomen and the other wall.  The knot of fear squeezed, forcing her to let a breath out through her teeth.

You're going to die here you know, a snide little voice in her head purred.  He will too, and it'll be all your fault.

Was she losing her mind? Her inner voice sounded nothing like the voice she'd heard.  Perhaps it was Tartarus itself wreaking havoc in her head, inserting himself into her thoughts for amusement.  Either way, it wasn't real.  

No, we're not.  I refuse to die in this pit, and I'm not through with him either. She thought defiantly, squeezing Ares' hand harder.  

As you say, little Queen, the voice sneered and then fell silent.  A shudder ran up her spine, making her already shaking hand tremble harder.  Even her thoughts weren't safe here; if she wasn't careful she really would go mad down here.  

Walk faster Ares, she thought, focusing again on his hand in hers to calm herself.  Get us out of here.

It was a good thing he was a god, or Ares was sure that the death grip Persephone had on his hand would cut off all blood flow making it useless. He heard her let out a breath and he knew that she was fighting the fear. Whether it was the small space, the dark, or both, Ares didn't know nor did he care. It wasn't as if he was a soulless bastard as he'd been called on numerous occasions. If she broke down, it greatly concerned him. While he was limited with what he could do in his uncle's realm, Persephone wasn't. When she again tightened her hold, he stopped just for a few seconds to readjust their hands. He made it so he could entwine their fingers then he was moving again along the passage. Ares didn't care if she cut into his hands with her nails, but he really didn't want her breaking his fingers. That was an experience he'd already had and didn't want a repeat of it.

As soon as he was free and clear of the gap, he wasted no time to move aside so Persephone could exit. He really didn't like enclosed spaces. Breathing a bit easier, he sighed in relief. There wasn't anymore smokey fog on the ground to obscure their footing. That wasn't very reassuring in the slightest when Ares saw what lay ahead. The ground was black and shifted like sand. As far as the eye could see there were varying shades of grey and black outcroppings. Light came from the Lethe river reflecting silvery grey off the rocks. The only other light sources were a few spots here and there were monsters or beings that demigods had 'vanquished' were reforming. The oblong spheres of what looked like softly glowing dandelion fluff.

Just beyond the blackness was orange and Ares didn't need to be told what lay there. The river Phlegethon. It was where the Titans were located. If they hadn't broken loose from there. Looking around he squinted trying to pick up any trail and then spun when he caught movement. A feral smile came to his lips. "Oh, that is not a wise move," he commented watching as the shape tried to climb the black walls.

Things got worse before they got better.  The passage narrowed, and for a few heart-stopping seconds Ares stopped ahead of her.  She'd been prepared for a monster coming in the opposite direction, but he'd merely been adjusting his grip on her hand.  Then, mercifully, the passage ended and she followed him out into the open air with a sigh of relief.

Upon opening her eyes, she had to do a double take to understand what she saw.  Black dunes shifting in the slightest breeze, lit by the silvery light of the Lethe while ethereal floating globes hovered above the sand.  She pointedly ignored the orange glow on the horizon in favour of taking several deep breaths to slow her racing pulse.

Breathing didn't do her any good.  Right as her pulse began to slow Ares spun to look at something on the wall behind them, and it picked right back up again.  

Can goddesses have heart attacks? She wondered, staring up at the craggy black rock in an attempt to see what Ares saw.  She knew that they were common among older mortal men, but she'd never heard of a deity dying because of one.  With any luck, she wouldn't be the first.  

As her eyes adjusted to the light, she spotted it.  A dark spot on the wall that should have been a slightly lighter shade of grey.  It was hard to tell what it was as it climbed, and she frowned.  Another creature, perhaps?

"What is that?" she breathed, squinting at the figure. "Not another homunculus?"

Scoffing, Ares stated, "That, your highness, is your thief."

Bending down, he picked up a rock and with a grin, he threw it with half his force. He was rewarded with a cry of pain and the demigod dropping from the cliff. Even from this distance, Ares heard the air forced from the mortal's lunges as he impacted. Even with the extra durability that they got from their divine parent's blood, the demigod would be in pain and would take a minute before they were able to get to their feet. It was more than enough time for the two gods to walk over to the prone figure.

"That explains the blood," he murmured seeing the eye patch over the kid's eye. It had been ruined recently. The kid scrambled to his feet and drew a bronze blade causing Ares' eyes to light up at the challenge. Letting go of Persephone's hand he drew his own blade and swung it experimentally. "You really want to take me on kid?"

He had to hand it to the kid. He had guts. But it wasn't a great idea to try and take on someone when you hadn't gotten used to a different depth perception than you'd had previously. The kid shimmered and suddenly, Ares saw the sea god's brat. It caused his lips to curl up in a snarl and anger to ignite in him. Oh, he was going to have fun with him. Ares savagely met the attack but continued to toy with the boy. He taunted him about not having the ocean to help him out this time. Caught up in the illusion, Ares didn't see the boy's confusion, only the desperation.

The sound of the demigod hitting the ground was enough to make Persephone grit her teeth. The boy was the thief, as evidenced by the eye patch, but the sound still made her stomach roil.  Bones and muscle were not meant to fall that far, even with godly assistance.  

It didn't take the demigod long to find his feet, brandishing a bronze sword that made Ares visibly perk up and let go of her hand to draw his own blade.  The two men clashed, swords ringing against one another with a sound that would have made her cringe if she wasn't frozen in place watching.  

She couldn't put her finger on when things started to go wrong, but it fully dawned on her when Ares began to taunt the demigod about not having the ocean to back him up.  The boy looked terrified, parrying Ares' brutal blows with utter desperation.  There was no recognition in his eye that suggested he knew what Ares was talking about.  Was Ares hallucinating?  

He must be, she realized, remembering her own encounter with Tartarus.  If he could get into her thoughts and speak to her, who was to say that he couldn't reach Ares to alter what he saw?

He must have been seeing the son of Poseidon.  That was the only explanation for his comments about the ocean.  The boy in front of him was not Percy Jackson, but Ares didn't seem to care.  

"Ares!" She lurched into motion, skirting behind Ares to come around his right side as he reached the lowest point of his blow against the retreating demigod.   Grasping his wrist, she flexed her arm in an attempt to keep him from pulling away.

"Listen to me," she said fiercely.  "That is not Percy Jackson you're fighting - Tartarus is making you see things."

"He was speaking to me in the tunnel, saying terrible things, but I told him he was wrong and he went away.  You need to do the same."  She looked up, meeting his gaze and hoping that he could see that she wasn't deceiving him.  "The boy I see has dark hair, yes, but he has an eye patch and one brown eye.  Not green, brown."

Ares was thoroughly enjoying himself and decided to start using more of his actual power than he had been. Before he could try to see if he could severely injure the brat, someone had to interfere. Glaring over at her, his gaze went through her.  "Let go of me!" there was anger as well as annoyance in his voice as he commanded her. He used his superior strength to shove his arm that she was holding away from himself. That caused the goddess to stumble but she maintained her grip on him. As she tried to get him to see reason, Ares only half heard heard what was being said. In his mind he was again hearing the brat's voice as well. It tried to impose itself atop the goddess'.

Putting his free hand up to his temple shouted, "Shut up! Shut up, shut up!"

The thief's form shimmered for a second and with that came the realization that he wasn't on the beach in New York. As soon as he had that realization it shifted again and he was once again on the beach when the kid tried to use the distraction to try and flee. "Oh, you're not going anywhere," he growled. Taking his sword in his left hand he changed it into a spear and threw it at the demigod.

For a split second, she thought he'd shaken the delusion.  His hand came up to his temple, and he shouted for her to shut up, only for his eyes to glaze right back over. She tightened her grip on his wrist, only for him to pass his sword to his free hand and hurl it - now spear shaped - at the panicked demigod.  

"What part of 'you're hallucinating' didn't you understand?" she snapped, glaring up at him.  "Tartarus is in your head, and you need to fight it or we're going to die down here and the Titans will have the sword!"

She might as well have been invisible.  He just looked right through her, fully intent on the demigod, and started walking. She had no choice but to release his arm and plant herself between him and the demigod, or else be dragged along with him as he set off after his quarry.

"Ares, Ares!" She tried again, looking from him to the surroundings for anything that she could use to make him see sense.  Nothing but rocks and dust, and she didn't fancy taking on the thief alone.

Please let this work, she thought, taking two extra steps back and planting herself again.  He kept coming, but the extra distance gave her time to wind up and put every ounce of force she had behind the slap she delivered across his jaw.  

"Don't make me do that again," she warned, stepping back again and tensing in preparation to take another swing.  If he couldn't clear his own head, she'd just have to do it for him.