Chapter 61 – A Punch Full of Rage
Dante soared around the boat in slow, powerful circles, his massive black dragon wings cutting through the dark, sulfur-scented air of the underworld. The river below glowed faintly with ghostly light, souls drifting like shadows beneath the surface.
Dante flew around the boat and said: "Well, look at all this destruction. Look down there at those souls burning. Just as expected from hell. No kindness involved at all."
Annabeth on the boat said: "That's normal. After all, we're in the underworld—the place made to be a hell. It would be strange if it was beautiful."
Dante said: "Well, you're right on that point."
Percy looked at them talking calmly and said: "Guys, remember we're here to save my mom? You talking about how scary this place is just makes me more anxious about her safety."
Dante said: "No need to worry, Percy. Like I said, as long as Hades sees you as a useful person to him, your mom is completely safe."
Grover said: "Dante's right. Hades needs the bolt. He won't do anything to you if he thinks you have it."
Percy said: "Well, I just hope you're right about that."
Annabeth looked at the things flying around them—ghostly wisps, faint screams echoing from the depths—and asked: "What is all this?"
The boatman said smiling faintly: "The garbage dump of human misery. Lost dreams and hopes. Desires that never came true. All lives end in suffering and tragedy."
Percy looked at the giant fire pits below and the agonized souls full of fear, writhing in eternal torment.
Dante flapped his wings flying around them and said: "He just forgot to mention one thing: this suffering and tragedy is only for the weak. Zeus did things that half the souls burning down there don't even come close to what he did. So in the end, it all comes down to who has the bigger fist."
Annabeth said smiling tiredly: "Is there any way you can not strip the mythic weight from the situation and turn everything into a street fight?"
Dante said: "Well, sorry. I wanted to simplify things."
Grover said: "Friend, like that you kill the magic of the place."
Percy laughed and said: "You guys talking about death in the underworld sounds really weird."
The boatman said: "We've arrived." He pointed to the giant castle door and said: "I only come this far."
They then got off the boat and headed toward the door.
Dante tucked away his wings and went with them into the castle.
They suddenly heard a roar.
Dante said excitedly: "Well, is it something as tasty as the hydra...?"
Annabeth said: "Can you stop thinking about eating everything you see? What if you get sick?"
Grover twitched the corner of his mouth hearing her say that and said: "I think if eating a whole hydra didn't hurt him, nothing else will."
Percy said: "Silence. Look."
They then saw two deformed dogs roaring at them.
Dante said: "Right, right? I can kill them quick. Not even dust will be left."
When Annabeth was about to agree, they heard a voice: "Stop! Stop! Bone Viper, stay!"
Percy looked at the woman who appeared and asked: "What are those things?"
Persephone said: "They're hellhounds."
Grover said: "You should give them food."
Persephone said: "They sense the presence of another animal."
Dante felt the corner of his mouth twitch hearing that because he felt like he'd taken a free shot.
Grover said: "They smell goat, then. How wonderful."
Persephone approached Grover and said: "The satyr... I haven't had a satyr visit me before."
Dante, seeing that, could only think: What a bitch, man. What a bitch.
They then heard a voice calling Persephone: "Why are you taking so long? Don't ignore me!"
Persephone said: "Or what? What are you going to do? I'm already in hell."
They then walked toward the throne room.
They then saw Hades seated in front of the gallery.
Persephone said: "We have visitors."
Hades looked at them and said: "These days, nephew. Welcome."
Dante looked at Hades controlling his rage and thought: This son of a bitch is the one who sent the minotaur after my mom. I really want to smash his face in.
Hades looked at Percy and said: "You really look like your father. Always the lucky side of the family."
Grover said: "Wait, you're... Hades?"
Hades said: "I am."
Grover said: "It's just that I didn't expect you to look like this, man. Like, stylish. I like it."
Hades said: "Would you prefer me like this?" And transformed into a giant fire monster.
Grover said: "Keep the rocker vibe. Keep the rocker vibe. It's cuter."
Dante, seeing Grover begging to die, could only sigh and say: "Seriously, Grover? After traveling so long with me, you really think surface appearance is everything?"
Grover, hearing that, felt embarrassed.
Hades looked at Dante and said: "So, kid, what are you? I don't sense any demigod smell or human or satyr like your friends. So what are you?"
Dante smiling said: "I'm Poseidon's grandson and an anomaly in reality that by all probabilities shouldn't exist, but does. Interesting, isn't it?"
Hades became serious hearing that and said: "So can I know what you are, or do I have to make you talk?"
Dante smiling with his golden dragon eyes said: "Why don't you try, dead thing?"
Percy seeing the tension in the room stepped between them and said: "Calm down, everyone. Let's calm our tempers. It's not..."
Hades looked at Percy and said: "You have a lot of courage coming here." He approached. "I can see the disgust in your eyes, but this existence wasn't my choice. I was banished here by Zeus and your father Poseidon. I'm condemned. The only chance to leave this place is to defeat my brothers and take control of Olympus. But of course, I need the bolt."
Percy said: "And I need my mom."
Hades said: "We make a deal. You give me the bolt and I give you your mother."
Dante looking at this situation sighed and thought: After all, I can't do anything. Because if I take the bolt from the shield, it stops being concrete proof that Luke put it there and turns into the question of why I knew where the bolt was and why I left it in the shield. In other words, the blame becomes mine. So sorry, Percy. I can only watch.
Percy looked at Hades and said: "I have to tell you the truth. I'm not the bolt thief. I don't have the bolt. I never did."
Hades said: "Then why did you come all the way here?"
Dante hearing that clenched his teeth in rage and thought: It's because you kidnapped his mother, you idiot animal.
Percy heard Hades' question and said: "I was hoping that when you said I wasn't the thief, you'd let my mom go."
Hades said: "Yes, but do you think I'm an idiot? I am Hades. Now give me the bolt. Well, say goodbye to your mother."
He went to the center of the room, grabbed a vase and threw it hard on the ground, making it shatter and reform into the figure of Percy's mother.
Seeing his mother appear in front of him, Percy dropped the shield and let it fall to the ground and went toward his mother.
Dante, who was watching Percy, saw the fallen shield expose the piece of the bolt.
Dante thought: Almost there. Just a little more.
Sally hugged Percy and said: "My son, so good to see you."
Percy said: "Good to see you too, mom."
At that moment, Hades finally noticed the master bolt inside the shield. He then approached.
At that moment, everyone turned their heads toward Hades and saw him taking the bolt from the shield Percy had been holding.
Hades grabbed the bolt and said: "Yes, this. Zeus' master bolt." He looked at Percy and said: "Liar."
Percy said: "I swear, I don't know how the bolt got there. This shield isn't even mine."
Annabeth said suddenly: "No. Luke set us up. He put the bolt in the shield and used us."
Percy said: "Luke stole the bolt."
Hades said: "I think it ends here. Let souls, souls devour them."
At that moment, Dante who had been quiet started laughing: "Hahahahah."
Annabeth, Percy, and Grover looked worried at him.
Annabeth asked: "Dante, what is it? Why are you acting like that?"
Hades said: "The kid went crazy."
When suddenly Dante vanished and appeared in front of Hades. Before Hades could defend properly, he landed a punch right in his face, throwing him far, breaking a giant hole in the castle as he hurled him out of the castle.
Dante then entered his half-dragon form and grabbed the master bolt. He then went toward Percy, handed it to him and said: "Here. Give it to Zeus' crybaby."
Percy asked: "What was that, man? Why did you do that?"
Dante facing them said: "You know, since I entered this castle I've been holding back for two things: because I don't know where Percy's mom is and I didn't know where the master bolt was. But now those problems are solved. I don't need to endure this bastard who sent a minotaur to kill my mom anymore. I'm going to hit so hard that even dead he'll feel pain. Now I'm going there. You guys need to take the master bolt."
He then approached Annabeth and gave her a kiss and said: "And you, take care, dear. If you need help, just call."
He then felt the castle shaking with the scream: "You damned brat! I'm going to kill you!"
Dante smiled madly and exploded toward Hades. Before that, he looked at Persephone and said: "If you don't mind, please help them get out of here."
Persephone facing Dante shocked said: "No. It's fine. I don't mind helping."
Dante said: "Well, thank you. And sorry for calling you a bitch in my mind. That was very rude of me."
He said that and exploded at high speed toward Hades, kicking up dust and disappearing down the corridor out of the castle.
Percy said: "Well, and now? How do we get out of here?"
Persephone said: "I'll help. I promised the dragon boy there."
Percy asked: "Why do you want to help us?"
Persephone said: "Because he's cruel and abusive. The only thing I hope for in life is the time that belongs to me outside of here. A war of the gods would put an end to this and I'd be alone." She then smiled and said: "Besides, I thought that little dragon very cute. Him apologizing just for thinking something wrong compares to my idiot husband. He's so cute. No way to say no to his request."
Annabeth hearing that got angry and said: "He already has a woman, understood?"
Persephone smiled and said: "Little girl daughter of Athena, haven't they told you that sharing when needed is good?"
Annabeth said smiling: "But I don't think a woman with a husband needs my boyfriend."
Percy looking at them wanting to fight said: "Calm down, everyone. We have to get out of here first."
Persephone said: "The water boy is right. It's not time for that. Now take this bolt and get your mom out of here."
Percy then took the pearls from his pocket.
Persephone said: "But there are only three."
Percy said: "Ah no."
Persephone said: "And you're four. Each pearl only transports one person. One of you will have to stay."
Percy said: "It's okay. I stay. You three go."
Annabeth saw them discussing and said: "Guys, are you stupid? Dante has spatial power. Meaning, when he finishes the fight with Hades, he can leave here with another person who stays. So she just has to wait for Dante to finish fighting. He brings her with him. So no danger of being left behind."
Hearing Annabeth say that, Grover who was going to make his heroic sacrifice felt embarrassed.
Percy hearing that sighed relieved and said: "So who stays to return with Dante?"
Grover said: "If needed, I stay. No problem for me."
Annabeth said: "Percy, I think it's better your mom stays and returns with Dante."
Percy said: "Why?"
Annabeth said: "Because after we leave here we're not coming back just normal. We still have to deliver the bolt to Zeus and Luke will definitely try to stop us. A normal person like your mom on our side could end up very hurt. So it's safer for her to stay here now that we've seen Persephone won't attack us. She can wait here safely and return with Dante."
Percy stayed silent hearing that. After all, he knows how dangerous it is for a common human to be in the middle of fights with these beings involved.
Sally seeing her son's anguish smiled and said: "Son, you don't need to worry about me. From what it seems, you trust this friend of yours Dante a lot. I can wait calmly here and return with him. If I go, I'll just get in the way of you and your friends."
Percy looked at his mother, hugged her tightly and said: "Take care, okay?"
Sally said: "I will."
Persephone said: "Well, looks like you've decided. Then leave it to me. I'll take care of her until the dragon boy arrives."
Percy said: "Thank you."
He then, together with Percy, Annabeth, and Grover, placed the pearl on the ground and crushed it, disappearing in the dust the pearl released.
Sally seeing that said softly: "Take care, Percy."