The Missing Demigod [ HOCHB 1 ]

Chapter 10 || Suba

Suba wasn't exactly excited to see the Underworld again on the same day. It hasn't even occurred to the others that it was deep in the night at this point.

But Suba knew what she and the other Half-Bloods had to do. They'd all had no idea what they were doing, and Percy had a lead.

Adrian must've seen right through her, whispering, "Don't worry. Everything'll be fine. We get in, pull a man out of hell, get out."

Suba giggled a bit. Adrian always knew how to cheer her up somehow.

They soon approached the River Styx, which Suba had heard all about in history class. She could start to feel her eyelids drooping. "We'll have to find a way across," Annabeth said. Suba pointed to a dock with a crowd of people and a man looking like the grim reaper next to a boat. "Can't we just go over there?"

"Only the dead can. If Charon, the guy who sails the boat, finds out we're not dead... he'll send Cerberus after us," Annabeth warned. Evan shuddered at the name of Cerberus.

"As in - the dog?" Glo said. "The three-headed one that Hercules fought?"

Christian winced. "Yep," Evan confirmed. Adrian stepped forward, his brown eyes filled with thoughts. "I think I have an idea," he finally said.

He closed his eyes and focussed. Suba stared in anticipation. His eyes briefly turned sea-green, and part of the River Styx parted. "Moses?" Glo exclaimed, hyping up Adrian. "Izzat you?"

"Nope. Just a legendary son of Poseidon," Adrian said, flicking his nose like Bruce Lee. With hesitation, the half-bloods walked across the parted River Styx.

"Can't lie," Christian began. "It would've been cooler if you stabbed your trident into the ground."

"You're still on with this bible crap," Suba snapped. Christian snickered, and the group walked across the rest of the lake in silence. When they made it across, the River reconnected again...with a loud crash of waves.

Everyone flinched. Suba cursed under her breath. Charon looked at them from afar, and Suba got a chill down her spine. He blew the quietest whistle in the world, and stomping was heard.

"It's Cerberus... LET'S GO!" Annabeth said, darting. The rest didn't hesitate to follow. Suba could soon hear barking.

Cerberus was charging at them full speed. He seemed to be going towards Suba. She looked back to see a giant paw right next to her. She looked up just in time to be snatched up by the middle (second) head, with Adrian yelling her name.

Suba's vision was completely black. She found herself thinking, Am I dead? Is this what the afterlife is like? That was, until the three-headed dog's mouth opened, and Evan ended up stuffed in the dog's mouth with Suba.

After gagging a few times, Evan demanded, "You've gotta do something-you're daughter of Hades." Suba thought and thought, then got an idea.

"Cerberus, inside, is just a dog, right?" She asked. Evan put his fist on his chin, "Yeah..."

Suba closed her eyes and breathed slowly.

"IS THIS DOING SOMETHING?!" Evan exclaimed. Suba held a finger to him. Suddenly, Cerberus spat them out. The two were covered in slobber. Cerberus suddenly started bounding, and chasing after something that seemed like it wasn't there.

"Did you drug it or something?" Christian asked Suba, who was dripping in horrible smelling saliva.

Suba looked up. "I tried to focus... I think i made it see a hallucination." She looked at her slobbery hands.

"Damn. Why do you get all the badass powers?" Suba blushed a bit as Adrian teased her, poking her affectionately, then realizing she was covered in saliva, and desperately tried to get it off.

"Alright, now that we dealt with the demon dog, let's go. Get. Percy," Annabeth demanded, storming off. Suba couldn't blame her. Adrian had always gone to Puerto Rico for a few weeks in November. It was always so strange and weird to be without him.

Eventually, the half-bloods reached a giant hole. "Don't tell me," Christian said. "This is undoubtedly it."

"I think I've got an idea to get him out," Glo said, reaching into his empty tool belt, and pulling out a rope. Annabeth nodded, and Glo threw it and held on.

"Get Over Here!" Adrian yelled.

No one laughed.

"What? Do you guys not know what Mortal Kombat - eh, nevermind."

There they sat. For hours. Eventually, it was dark. At least, darker in the Underworld. Everyone was drifting off.

Suba, Christian and Adrian lie awake, wrapping their heads around what the world was now. "Do you really think we're gonna find that 'Percy Jackson?'" Suba asked, turning her head towards her friends briefly.

Christian sighed and hesitated, making sure to read the room correctly before speaking. "We don't really have a choice but to hope. I mean, we're completely lost here and have no idea what we're doing."

Adrian optimistically replied, "We'll figure it out... Together."

The next morning, Suba heard grunting and pebbles tumbling. She got up and shook Adrian and Christian, waking them both up.

The three looked down the pit to Tartarus to see a boy in a dirty Camp Half-Blood T-Shirt, olive-colored skin, black, curly hair, and sea-green eyes.

"Percy," Adrian said. "You're Percy."

Suba offered the boy her hands. "Yeah," he said. "I am." He sounded beyond tired. His face was littered with dirt and cuts.

"So... you're my half brother. The legend we were hearing about," Adrian said. Percy brushed his sleeves off. "Pretty much. Nice to meet'cha," he said, offering Adrian his hand, and they shook.

Soon, the others awoke.

"PERCY!" Annabeth screamed and kissed him on the lips. "I swear to all the gods, if you EVER leave me again, I'll -"

"Consider me warned," Percy said, then chuckled. "I missed you, too, Wise Girl."