Perseus Jackson: quarter Greek, quarter Roman, half Wizard

Chapter 22: Intruders

Previously 

Percy appeared in an alleyway in Los Angeles. He had Shadow Travelled to just outside where he was going: DOA Recording Studios, the Mortal entrance to the Underworld. He didn't Shadow Travel there immediately because he had appeared right next to Charon several times. Something Charon didn't exactly like.

Just as Percy opened the door he heard a snip of a pair of scissors behind him. He turned around and saw three old ladies looking straight at him. Two knitting what looked like two very large socks and the one in the middle who had just cut the yarn. In the rush Percy didn't realise they were the Fates. And they had just sealed someone's fate.

Percy went inside and was greeted by a familiar presence. Dead people. Percy walked up to Charon's desk, but was surprised to see he wasn't there. Charon hardly left his desk unless he got a raise, which was very unlikely. Just then he saw Charon return. 

"Hello Charon. Had a nice ride?" Percy asked. Charon jumped. 

"Lord Perseus. I didn't expect to see you here", Charon said. "Did Lord Hades send you?" 

"No. Persephone did", Percy said as he slowly walked around Charon's desk. "You must've gotten a raise", he said as he picked up two columns of Golden Drachmas from the desk. "Or there was someone with Drachmas here. I don't know which one of the two is more unlikely.... How did you get these?" 

"There was nobody here", Charon said. 

"That's not what I asked, Charon", Percy said. "There was someone here, wasn't there?" 

Charon stayed quiet, but looked between Percy and the drachmas. Percy understood what he wanted: more money. He sighed and took out the same amount of drachmas from his pouch and put it on Charon's desk. Charon just raised an eyebrow. 

"Fine", Percy said as he took out another column of coins. "But I expect a full answer." Charon walked over to the desk and counted the coins before nodding. 

"There were three kids here. One satyr and two demigods: one of Athena, the other I don't know", he said. Percy smiled. 

"Well, that wasn't that hard was it?", Percy said before he slipped into the shadows and disappeared. 

As Percy reappeared in front of the gates to the Underworld he saw pure pandemonium. The guards were in complete disarray, the Furies were flying around desperately trying to restore order and the intruder alarm was going off, all the while Cerberus was running around like...a dog. Percy walked closer to the gates. Alecto, one of the Furies, was the first to notice him. 

"What happened here?" Percy asked.

"Lord Perseus, I assure you we have everything fully under control", Alecto said. 

"It doesn't look like you do. What happened?" Percy said. Alecto hesitated. 

"A few mortals got through the gates", she said. "But we'll have them in no time!" 

"Which way did they go?" 

"They went...uuuh...that way?" Alecto said unsurely while pointing towards the Fields of Punishment. 

"You don't know where they went, do you?" Percy asked. Alecto just stayed silent. 

"Fine, clear up this mess here and then come to me. I'll take Cerberus and find the intruders myself", Percy said. Alecto nodded and flew off. Percy whistled and immediately Cerberus stopped in his track, turned around and ran towards Percy. 

"Hello Cerberus", Percy said. "Want to catch some intruders?" Cerberus licked Percy's face. 

"I'll take that as a yes", Percy said. He walked through the gates and saw footprints on the black ground. Percy crouched next to them and Cerberus sniffed for a scent other than dead people.