Chapter 4: The Terrible Trio to Taunt the Titans

PJatO || Nicercy || PJatO || Percy Jackson, Ambassador of Hades || PJatO || Nicercy || PJatO

Title: Percy Jackson, Ambassador of Hades – The Rule of the Underworld

Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus; twisted version of PJatO

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan for he created the awesomeness that is Nico di Angelo. And everything else related to Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus. Aside from the Gods, they belong to the old Greeks. This fanfiction and its OCs on the other hand are entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Warnings: shounen-ai, fluff, explicit intercourse, anal, oral, mpreg, arranged marriage, canon divergent, brief mentioning of child-abuse, shoujo-ai, hetero, threesome

Main Pairing: Nico/Percy

Side Pairings: Frank/Hazel/Leo, Reyna/Annabeth, Luke/Octavian, Ethan/Alabaster, Jake/Will, Damian/Liam, Sirius/Aurora, Grover/Juniper, Chris/Clarisse, Charles/Silena, Shane/Lacy, Malcolm/Katie, Jason/Calypso, Nathan/Gwen, Dakota/Leila, Bryce/Drew, Hades/Persephone, Thanatos/Triton, Ares/Aphrodite, Zeus/Hera, Paul/Sally

Percy Jackson Characters:

Camp Half-Blood: Perseus Jackson, Nico di Angelo, Tyson, Ethan Nakamura, Alabaster C. Torrington, Lou Ellen, Butch Walker, Clovis Daver, Luke Castellan, Chris Rodriguez, Travis Stoll, Connor Stoll, Cecil Rogers, Lacy Hunnigan, Mitchell Logan, Drew Tanaka, Silena Beauregard, Charles Beckendorf, Jake Mason, Nyssa Black, Shane McNabb, Leo Valdez, Frank Zhang, Clarisse la Rue, Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano, Annabeth Chase, Malcolm Cage, Katie Gardner, Will Solace, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Grover Underwood, Juniper, Mrs. O'Leary, Blackjack

Hunters of Artemis: Zoe Nightshade, Bianca di Angelo, Phoebe Burge, Celyn Richards, Naomi Walters, Thalia Grace, Hylla Ramírez-Arellano, Piper McLean

Camp Jupiter: Bryce Lawrence, Octavian Simmons, Hazel Levesque, Jason Grace, Gwen Ryder, Nathan McIntosh, Dakota Elle, Leila Fisher, Mike Kahale, Tempest, Arion

Mortal Characters: Sally Jackson, Paul Blofis, Laura Blofis (OFC)

Own (Greek) Demigods: Liam O'Riley (Hecate), Aurora Desrosiers (Hypnos), Sirius O'Rinn (Morpheus), Lilian Martin (Morpheus), Damian Sturm (Eris), Robyn Pryde (Hermes)

Godly Characters: Hades, Persephone, Poseidon, Triton, Hestia, Demeter, Thanatos, Olethros, Makaria, Melionoe, Hecate, Nemesis, Styx, Hypnos, Morpheus, Horkos, Charon, Atropos, Klotho, Lakhesis, Alecto, Megaera, Tisiphone, Chiron, Hera, Zeus, Dionysus, Artemis, Apollo, Aphrodite, Ares, Athena, Hephaestus, Hermes, Calypso, Ascalaphus, Zerberus

Summary: Poseidon knew about Gabe's abuse and he did not leave his son in the hands of this man. But he couldn't take Percy to the sea either, knowing his own wife would rather see the child dead than raise him herself. So he strikes a bargain with Hades – Hades would protect the child and in return, Percy would one day become the consort of one of Hades' hidden children, the di Angelos. Hades agrees and takes the boy in, raising him in the underworld.

When Percy turns thirteen, Hades sends him to Camp Half-Blood to aid Nico and Bianca on the quest in the Sea of Monsters. Percy Jackson, ambassador of Hades, changes the history, mixing things up that were not supposed to be mixed up at this point in time. Like Romans, for example.

Percy Jackson, Ambassador of Hades

The Rule of the Underworld

Chapter 3: The Terrible Trio to Taunt the Titans

"This. Is. Not. A. Race. Stop it! This instance!"

"Woeee!", yelped Leo in a high-pitched voice as his red chariot passed Percy's.

"Don't spoil the fun, uncle Charon!", called Percy, on hot pursuit.

Charon's scowl deepened. He was probably the least happy about the newest addition to the underworld. That Valdez-kid was nothing but trouble. Makaria and Melinoe hadn't minded playing with Percy before, but this kid was full of mischief to the same extend as Percy. And at the same time, he was more resourceful than Percy. With a little scrap metal, he could build dangerous devices. Like the two flying chariots that he had made for himself and Percy. It had been about nine months now that the Latino was living in the underworld and he had taken to it nearly as naturally as Percy. The adventures that laid in the depth of the underworld were calling to the children and they explored it every chance they got. They pulled pranks on souls and the underworld judges and gods. Though while Percy viewed the gods as his family, Leo was a little more reluctant toward that. To him, there was Percy and only Percy. The gods scared him too much, so he hid behind his new big brother every chance he got. Which was all in Percy's interests too, because being the big brother instead of the baby everyone watched out for was actually pretty awesome.

"He's... happy", observed Hades from the window of the throne room as the kids flew past it.

"You're slow, dear", pointed Persephone out as she joined her husband. "Keeping Leo had been the right decision. We made him not-sad, but having Leo made him happy. We did everything we could, but there are things only friendship can give a child. Percy made a friend. It's vital for the development of a child to have friends. And if you want him to become the consort to one of your little... demigods, then he needs to know how to interact with demigods his own age."

"I like it when he's happy", continued Hades, not minding his wife, but rather startling her. "He looks even more like his father when he smiles. Poseidon used to smile a lot when we were kids. Is it ironic to say that our time in our father's stomach was the happiest we had? We played and laughed so much, but then Zeus cut us out and we were suddenly thrown into a war against the titans, followed by all the responsibilities of being gods and leaders. You're right, keeping the little pet was a good decision if it can make Perseus carefree. The underworld is his belly, the safe bubble that will burst all too soon and then he will be thrown into the middle of a war. He should enjoy it for as long as he can. Regardless of how much trouble that pet is."

"If you'd only stop calling Leo a pet", muttered Persephone affectionately.

"I can't afford to get attached to another demigod", stated Hades firmly and glared at his wife.

Persephone's smile turned a little sad at that. What Hades said was true, probably. Getting attached to those who can die was dangerous. The only reason why Hades had allowed himself to get attached to Percy to this extend was the ultimate goal: Giving Hades' children immortality and making Percy an immortal and eternal consort. Persephone heaved a sad sigh.

/break\

Percy and Leo were laughing loudly as they crash-landed in the forges. It was strange, before Leo had arrived, Percy had barely wasted another thought on the forges. But Leo was a son of Hephaestus, a tinkerer. An inventor. Within the first week of Leo's stay, Percy naturally had to show the younger boy the forges so they could realize the things inside Leo's head. Okay, Leo had been mighty intimidated by all the tall cyclopes there, but the urge to invent had been greater.

And even for Leo's fear, they had found a solution. Or rather, Hades had. Not that he would ever admit it out loud. Percy was aware of the fact that Hades kept Poseidon updated. Sometimes, Percy gave Hades a letter of his own, using his very effective kitten-eyes to convince the Death God of also giving that to Poseidon. When Poseidon had heard of Percy's new-found happiness of being a big brother and of Leo's craving to build things, there had been a surprise waiting for the boys.

Poseidon's forges under the sea were very famous, but all three realms had forges. Hephaestus' forges on Olympus and the forges of Hades. To show good will and that they were allies, Poseidon send his cyclopes to either of the other two forges. Now, when three months ago the latest cyclopes had arrived, one of them had been different from the others. His name was Tyson and he was really just a child, like Leo and Percy. But unlike many other cyclopes who had a nasty and borderline cruel nature, this one was happy, friendly and curious. Leo and Percy had instantly befriended him.

"You broke them", stated Tyson with an upset frown.

"We didn't mean to, big guy", sighed Leo, looking equally upset.

"What are you two moping about?", huffed Percy and slung one arm around either of them. "This only means we have to rebuild them. And improve them – make them even more awesome!"

"Yes!", cheered both others enthusiastically at that.

/break\

For the first time in his life did Percy truly feel complete. Regardless of how much he loved his godly family and the pranks Melinoe and Makaria liked to play with him, they were still gods. Busy gods. It happened on a regular base that his classes were canceled or that Sorry, sweetheart, I really don't have the time right now because of some godly business. They loved him, but they were gods and they had other priorities than spending all day with a child. But now he had two awesome little brothers who played with him as often as he wanted and who were just great.

"Percy! Where are we going?!", called Leo loudly against the wind.

The trio was riding on Zerberus, each of them clinging to a different head as the guard-dog of the underworld transported them farther and farther away from the palace. Leo grew uneasy. He had never been that far away from home. Home. It was strange that this gloomy, dark and dangerous place had somehow become his home. And even though Lord Hades still called him a pet, somehow Leo felt like that was a bit affectionate, because even when Leo and Percy had gotten badly hurt four months ago when they had teased some poor soul who had been punished to constantly push some bolder up a hill just so it could roll down again, Hades hadn't fed Leo to Zerberus. He had even visited Leo's room to see how badly he had been injured and to scold him. Not in an angry-lord-of-death-fear-my-wrath way, but more in the way Leo's mother used to when he had gotten hurt and she had been scared because of that. And of course there was Percy, who Leo loved with all of his heart. He had always wanted a brother and Percy was so much more than just that – Percy was his guardian angel. Just like he had said when they had first met.

"I have to check something", called Percy back.

Leo was not the only one growing uneasy. Even Zerberus slowed down the farther they went. When the three-headed dog downright refused to continue, the three children climbed off of him and continued by foot. Tyson glanced around nervously. The underworld wasn't the element of a child of Poseidon, but as long as he was at the forges, Tyson felt home. It were those parts of the underworld that were unsettling for him. He briefly wondered why Percy didn't feel it.

"It's creepy. Don't you think it's creepy, big brother?", asked Tyson, sounding untypically small.

"Of course I think it's creepy", huffed Percy and rolled his eyes, before pausing. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset the two of you. If you think it's too creepy, you can return back home and I'll go alone, but... there is something... calling to me these days. I gotta check."

Tyson and Leo exchanged an uneasy look before huffing and straightening. They hooked their arms with Percy's and continued on, making Percy smile. There was no way Tyson and Leo would let their big brother go somewhere dangerous alone, regardless of how scared they were themselves. They regretted their bravery a little while later though. Because they reached a cliff. No, it was more than a cliff. It was the entrance to a seemingly bottomless pit of depression and darkness.

"This is a whole new level of creepy, Perce", whispered Leo and tugged on Percy's hand. "Please don't make me feel like Nala by being in the shadow-realm even though the king told you not to."

Percy blinked a couple of times in slow-motion before cracking a smile. "I highly doubt that there will be hyenas jumping out and chasing us any time soon, little lion cub."

"Still, Perce!", hissed Leo with a pout, staring at the darkness. "These are bad shadows, even I can tell and I don't even wanna know what kinda heebie-jeebies they give you."

"That's why I came here", whispered Percy lowly, looking dead serious. "And besides, if something happens, I control water, you control fire and Ty is super-strong. We'll be fine."

Out of habit, Leo flicked his wrist. A small flame started to dance around his fingers, circling each one of them before continuing to the next. A year ago and he would have accidentally set himself on fire, but thanks to Percy, Leo knew how to control his emotional link to his powers and thus, how to control his powers. Percy had spend about a week wrecking his brain when Leo had first arrived in the underworld. It had upset Leo greatly to be the cause of worry, but Percy had told him to shut up, because Percy wanted him to stay. So Percy needed to find a solution. Leo had inquired how Percy had learned to control his powers – and that was how Percy had come up with a solution. Percy was being taught by an underworld okeanid. Styx had many siblings, yet she only had four nymph-sisters, the five rivers of the underworld – Acheron, the goddess of pain, Cocytus, the goddess of wailing, Lethe, the goddess of oblivion, and Phlegethon, the goddess of fire. Phlegethon, a river made of fire. A water-controller couldn't learn much from her, but a fire-controller on the other hand would find the perfect teacher in her. For the last eight months, Phlegethon had taught Leo how to properly control the fire within him as well as the fire surrounding him. He was still far from Percy's level of control and power, but then again he was also two years younger than Percy and three years behind on training. Percy always praised him for learning so fast, so Leo was content.

"I know I'm gonna regret that question, but why did you think you have to come here?", asked Leo.

"Something... has been calling to me...", whispered Percy with a frown. "A voice, telling me to come here. I just... I needed to see what was here. And I... don't like it. Not one bit."

"Does that mean we can leave again?", asked Tyson hopefully.

Percy took a moment before he answered. "Yes. Let's head back home, brothers."

/break\

Demeter was smiling amused as she was in her daughter's garden, knee-deep in dirt. Whenever Persephone returned from Olympus, her garden needed some redoing. After thousands of years, it was nice to have a little backup helping with the garden work.

"Look, I made a flower-crown for big brothers", stated Tyson happily.

Percy and Leo giggled as Tyson placed white flower-crowns on their heads. Demeter's smile softened tenderly at that. They were such happy children, so beautiful. Percy looked like an Elvish prince, with his glowing, white skin and sparkling, green eyes. The boy was nearly ten years old now and he already possessed so much beauty. Demeter was sure that once the boy would hit his teenage years, he would break quite some hearts. Hopefully not those of Hades' children. Demeter saw one flaw in Hades' and Poseidon's deal. What if Percy didn't fall in love with either child of Hades? And they had yet to tell Percy about his already sealed engagement.

"Look, granny Demy!", called Leo eagerly, patting the earth around a hibiscus bush.

"Oh, you did well, little one", praised Demeter, patting Leo's head (mindful of the crown).

While Leo was still very afraid of the gods of the underworld, he adored Demeter, Persephone and Hestia a lot. Especially so Hestia, since the goddess of the hearth controlled fire to a certain extend too. Sadly, 'granny Hestia' didn't often come to visit. Not that it had been planned for her to know, but unlike Hera and Zeus, Hestia sometimes visited her other siblings, because she had always cared deeply about her family. So when one day, Hestia had visited the underworld, she had discovered the green-eyed, little secret that Hades tried to hide. Of course, Hestia promised to keep the secret. She loved children, after all. So did Demeter, especially when she looked at the three cheerful boys, digging in the dirt and planting bushes and trees.

/break\

Percy was sitting at the shore of the river Styx, staring thoughtfully at the reflexion on the rippling surface. He noted dully how a beautiful woman materialized behind him.

"Teach me how to hate", stated Percy softly.

"W—What...?", asked the minor goddess stunned and sat down next to the boy.

Percy turned toward her with his large, innocent eyes. "Papà always says that knowing the weaknesses and strengths of your opponent gives you an advantage. Hatred... motivates people, doesn't it? How am I supposed to fight something that I don't understand?"

"Where... does that come from?", asked Styx cautiously.

"There is... this... voice in my head", admitted Percy softly, frowning. "It... it feels dangerous and... a bit like you. Is that... what hatred feels like...? I... need to understand it to overcome it, right?"

Styx gulped slightly. She wasn't sure what to do. Percy was the purest being she had ever encountered and she had thought that hatred may hinder the boy's strength, be the flaw to keep him from becoming too powerful. The way Percy spoke though... overcoming hatred would make him close to invincible. What they did, it was more than training a future hero. They were training a god.

"I can't teach you how to hate", stated Styx and shook her head. "If you don't feel it, I can't make you feel it. I can only intensify the natural feeling inside of you."

"Then tell me how to hate, what to hate. What... triggers hatred?", asked Percy interested.

"Something... bad", sighed Styx, trying to find a way to explain this to the boy. "What your stepfather did to you. It should make you hate him. He hurt you, physically and psychologically. Because of him, you had to leave your home and your mother."

"But if he wouldn't have hurt me, I would have never met my dad, or my papà and mamma and you all", countered Percy confused. "I mean, yes, what he did to me was horrible, but without him, I would have never gotten what I have now. And I would have never been there to save Leo."

"It's hopeless", stated Styx and shook her head. "If I can't make you hate him, I doubt there is anything that would provoke hatred in your heart. Why don't I teach you something you're capable of instead? I think we still have some unfinished lessons ahead of us."

Percy frowned, displeased. What the voice had evoked in him, it felt similar to the discomfort he had felt when in Styx' presence at first. Hatred, or at least that was what Percy assumed that hatred must feel like when coming from someone else. The voice worried him, because it kept calling him to the dark pit, with lulling words. Percy thought if he'd learn how to hate, he may be able to overcome this voice, because hatred seemed the strongest asset of this voice.

/break\

"Perseus?", asked Hades concerned, knocking at the door.

"Lasciami in pace", was the reply.

"I'm not going to leave you alone", countered Hades and opened the door.

"Cosa posso fare per te, papà?", sighed Percy in defeat. [trans: What can I do for you, papà?]

Hades had been teaching Percy Italian for over three years now. After all, Bianca and Nico had spend little time in the US before Hades had put them into the Lotus Hotel. Most of their life, they had spend in their home – Venice. If Percy spoke their mother tongue, they'd have something to connect them right from the start, to make forming a bond easier. That aside, learning a language was good for a child. But Hades had noticed that Percy only used it when he was being emotional.

"Leo, Tyson and even Styx inform me that you have been... acting different in the past few weeks", stated Hades and strode over to Percy's bed to sit next to the boy. "What's wrong, bambino?"

"It's nothing", lied Percy and turned to look out the window.

"I do not appreciate being lied at", warned Hades with a glare.

"But when I say that I don't want to talk about it, you'll keep asking", huffed Percy.

"Then at least tell me why you're feeling Italian at the moment", prompted Hades instead.

"Because it's mine", stated Percy simply. "Leo and Tyson don't understand it and the other gods normally speak English too. It just... makes me feel special and... comforted..."

"Why won't you tell me what's bothering you, Perseus?", asked Hades once more.

"Because... I... I think I'm going crazy", admitted Percy, sounding rather tiny as he folded himself as small as possible. "I... can hear a voice. It keeps calling to me, calling me to the pit."

"You're not going crazy, Perseus", stated Hades firmly and pulled Percy into a tight hug, ruffling the boy's hair. "That pit, it's the entrance to Tartarus. All evil monsters are caged down there. Sometimes, the souls down there try and call out to others to free them. The other gods and I have grown so accustomed to it, we barely even notice it anymore. You're not going crazy, but... please don't go near that pit ever again. Don't listen to the voice."

"So it's not me...?", asked Percy, turning hopeful eyes on his papà.

"No, bambino, no", assured Hades, kissing the top of Percy's head. "Now promise me. Promise me to never approach Tartarus. It's a dangerous and dark place. I don't want you near it."

Percy laughed softly. "Yes, Mufasa. I promise not to go to the shadow-realm."

"Sometimes I regret that Hecate introduced you to Disney", muttered Hades beneath his breath. "As long as you don't pull a Simba and disobey me here, because I'm very serious about this. There lays real danger in this place and I don't want you to get hurt, Perseus."

"I promise, papà", nodded Percy obediently, snuggling up to Hades.

Hades frowned concerned as he kept caressing Percy's hair, lulling the boy to sleep. He had a feeling that whatever the Great Prophecy had promised was approaching. Most likely, Hera's plans for Leo had something to do with it. Now one of the prisoners in Tartarus tried to call to Percy. The way it looked, the time had approached. The time to get Nico and Bianca out of the Lotus Hotel. Well, Nico had been ten when Hades had brought his children to the safety of the Lotus Hotel, so he and Percy would be the same age then. It could be a bit of a problem for Bianca, since she was two years older than the boys. But if Hades was being honest with himself, he had plans for Nico to become Percy's partner. At first he may have claimed that the choice laid with his children, whichever one of them would want Percy would get him, like some kind of trophy, but by now Percy had grown to him like another one of his children. Percy's happiness was important. And Hades could already see the signs. He knew the son of Poseidon had a minor crush on Eric from The Little Mermaid, the handsome, dark-haired prince. Percy was gay, as far as Hades was willing to label anyone. He had never paid the pretty princesses any mind, if anything he wanted to be like them. Like Ariel, who broke free from the realm she knew to discover the human world and find true love. Like Belle, who lived in her worlds of books, seeking own adventures.

It was time to level-up this game. Time to bring Nico and Bianca into this.

He could only hope that Nico would be interested in Percy too. Then again, looking at the beautiful and kind boy in his arms, he knew that it was impossible not to love Percy Jackson. If Percy would set his mind to it, he surely could bend even the straightest boy to fall in love with him.

Author's note: In case it's not entirely clear why Italian comforts Percy - Percy learned all his lessons from the other gods, but Italian was the one thing Hades taught him. It's their thing, so it reminds Percy of the times he got to have his papà all to himself. One more thing, duh, the voice is Kronos.

And yes, Hades will keep his promise. Next chapter, Nico and Bianca will be freed. Percy will learn about the engagement and Nico will start his epic bromance with Frank. Also, Persephone gets a mommy-moment with Perce.