- Our heroes journey across the Underworld, and bargain for their safety with the god of the dead.
- Percy walks into the seemingly deserted Crusty's Waterbed Palace, and finds the proprietor, Crusty, A.K.A Procrustes, a son of Poseidon and infamous murderer of travelers. According to Hermes' map, the secret entrance to the Underworld is in the store, and Crusty is it's guardian. Percy asks him to let him pass, but Crusty instead tries to convince Percy to sit on one of the deadly beds, his ancient method of killing his guests. Percy is well aware of the danger, and an invisible Annabeth shoves Crusty onto the bed, trapping him. They let him live, but he warns them they will never succeed in bringing someone back from Hades. Nevertheless, they find the entrance to the Underworld as Grover joins them. The satyr is nervous about going into the depths, so Annabeth hands him a stress ball to relax. Percy gives each of them one of the pearls he got from the Sea Spirit to help them escape when the time comes, keeping the other two for himself and his mom, before they all descend into the Underworld.
In the past, Sally Jackson takes a young Percy to a boarding school in the countryside. Percy refuses to go, but Sally tries to convince him it's for his own good. They argue, and he locks himself in the car. Sally orders him to open the door, and he angerly relents. In the Underworld, the trio arrive just across the River Styx, outside the walls to Hades' realm. Grover's squeaky stress ball threatens to give them away, so Annabeth decides to hang on to it. They spot Charon, the ferryman to the Underworld, leading a new group of souls to the long line waiting for entry. They sneak along the line to the front, but are confronted by the undead boatman, who immediately notices they are not dead. Despite their attempted bribe to let them pass, he calls for Cerberus, the giant, three-headed dog and guardian of the Underworld, and the massive dog chases them along the river and eats Grover. Annabeth and Percy split up, and Percy is cornered by the monster. However, Cerberus is placated by Annabeth climbing up and scratching him, putting him to sleep. Grover is able to pull himself out of Cerberus' mouth, but Annabeth's arm is getting tired. Grover uses the flying shoes to fly him and Percy to the top of the wall, but Cerberus wakes up before he can go back for Annabeth. She throws the squeaky ball up to the top, and the giant dog leaps up to get it, Annabeth jumping off near the top. She takes the ball and throws it into the Styx, and Cerberus happily runs after it. Grover and Percy are amazed, and she sadly says her dad had a dog like him when she was little. They find themselves at the edge of Hades' kingdom, and see his palace in the distance. As they prepare to continue, Grover realizes his lost his pearl when Cerberus ate him.
In the past, Percy sits outside an office while Sally talks to the principle of the boarding school, who informs her they have decided to revoke Percy's admittance due to a recent call from his old school that he has psychological problems. Sally tells him she has already taken her son out of his previous school and he has nowhere else to go. The principle suggests she homeschool him, but Sally says she can't, to Percy's disappointment. In the Underworld, Grover insists they leave him behind after they find the bolt, as they now do not have enough pearls for all three of them and Sally. Percy refuses, and gives Grover his pearl instead. He tells him and Annabeth to leave with his mom after they find her and the bolt, and says he will find another way out. Before they can discuss it further, they realize the forest they are in is full of the souls of dead humans, rooted to the ground and unaware of the childrens' presence. Annabeth tells them they are in one of the Fields of Asphodel. The souls here are people who have intense regret for choices they made or didn't make in life, forever trapped by the roots. They hear Cerberus coming after them and make a run for it, but Annabeth falls behind. The boys go back and find her stuck in place, her leg caught by the roots. Grover realizes she must have regret for something, but they can't get her free. She tells him and Percy to go on, while she uses her pearl to escape. Percy hesitates, but she orders them to leave her. They get to the border of the forest as Annabeth uses her pearl and disappears, and they boys keep running as Cerberus continues his pursuit. They make it out of Asphodel and wonder through a vast, desert-like region. The three-headed dog has stopped chasing them, but before they can figure out why, the flying shoes Grover is wearing activate and start pulling him over a ridge. Percy runs after him as the shoes drag Grover towards a gargantuan chasm. Percy grabs onto the satyr and jams his sword into the ground to hold on, as the shoes finally pull themselves off of Grover's hooves and plummet themselves into the pit. As the two recover, Percy feels something heavy appear in his backpack. they they open it up, and are astonished to find the Master Bolt. Percy remembers it was Ares who gave him the backpack, and must have had the Master Bolt the whole time, tricking them into taking it to the Underworld. Grover points out that Zeus would be expecting them to return immediately with the bolt. However, they need to find Sally first.
Sally takes Young Percy to a cafe, having secured him a place at boarding school. Percy mopes as his mom tells him to give it a chance, saying it's for the best. He asks her why she is trying so hard to get rid of him. Sally goes to the counter to pay, and tries to keep her emotions together as Percy waits silently back at the table. In the present, Percy and Grover approach Hades' palace, and are granted entry. They arrive in Hades' throne room and are greeted by the god of the dead, who casually invites them to join him when Percy demands to see his mom. He shows them to a makeshift drawing room, with Sally suspended as a golden statue on display. Hades tells Percy he saved Sally from the Minotaur, and kept her in the Underworld so that Percy would come to see him and hand over what he stole. He offers a simple trade, but after considering, Percy refuses his offer. He says he understands how Hades and Ares manages to get the Master Bolt and tricked him into delivering it to Hades, but he can't hand over the bolt, and pleads with Hades to let Sally go. Hades is confused, as he has not been conspiring with Ares, and in fact has no interest in the Master Bolt. He was offering to trade Sally for his Helm of Darkness, his symbol of authority and a powerful magic item, which he presumes Percy stole and used its power to turn invisible and steal the Master Bolt from Zeus. Percy and Grover don't understand Hades' disinterest in the bolt, also assuming Hades wants a war out of a grudge against his brothers, but the Lord of the Dead is perfectly comfortable in the Underworld and doesn't want to get involved in his siblings' squabbles. Whoever stole the bolt, it wasn't him. Percy finally puts the pieces together, and realizes that the defeated Titan lord Kronos is behind the theft. He is shattered but still alive in the depths of Tartarus, the entrance of which the flying shoes tried to pull him and Grover into just before the bolt appeared in their bag. The voice he's been hearing in his dreams was not Hades, but was in fact Kronos himself, wanting his help to destroy Olympus. Hades takes the revelation somberly, and after a moment offers Percy a new deal. He will provide sanctuary for Percy, Grover, and Sally if Percy gives him the bolt. If Kronos is coming back, Percy will need someone to protect him, and Hades will need to bolt as a weapon or bargaining chip. This time the offer is non-negotiable, as Hades won't let them leave with the Master Bolt. Percy rejects this offer but promises to honor his first one. He will find Hades' helm, and will return for his mother. He gives the signal, and he and Grover use the pearls to escape the Underworld before Hades can stop them.
Sally stands at the counter of the cafe, trying to stay calm. She lights a match from the counter and drops it into the remnants of a discarded sundae, making it a burnt offering. Instantly, a rainstorm begins outside, and a man walks in completely dry to stand beside her. Poseidon, Percy's father. Sally expresses her distress at seemingly failing to protect her son, but Poseidon tries to reassure her. She says she is going to take him to Camp Half-Blood, and tells the god of the sea about the Pegasus that followed him to school. If he stays with her in the middle of the city, eventually the more dangerous things will find him. However, she doesn't want to send him to camp. Poseidon asks her why, and she says that she wants him to have a chance to find his own way before the Olympians try to change him, and use him for their own gain. Poseidon listens intently, and encourages Sally to follow her instincts and send Percy to school instead of to camp. It will be difficult for them both, but he will become a stronger and better person for it. Sally asks him if he wants to speak to his son, to finally got to know him, but Poseidon says one day, when Percy has found out who he is and what he must do, when he needs him, Poseidon will be there. In the present, Percy and Grover wake up on the seashore and find Annabeth. As they rise, Ares approaches them, sword drawn. Percy uncaps his own sword, and prepares for battle.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content