Fated To Fall: PJO

Obedience classes work, who knew?

Charon chuckled, "Old Three Face is hungry. Good luck, little godlings."

The second the boat stopped, Grover grabbed onto Theo's sleeve, yanking him to follow.

"You are not leaving my sight until we are back at camp. You hear me?" He stated.

Theo shrugged helplessly, "We'll see."

Theo couldn't stop his flinch as the howling got louder, he really did not have a good history with dogs, he was more of a cat person if he was being honest.

Grover, of course, felt his flinch and could smell the fear coming off of him, slid his hand from a steel grip to a calming presence.

Theo kept taking deep breaths through his nose as Percy and Grover debated on the mechanics of the Underworld and the souls who reside.

It dawned on him that they were so close to him. To Hades. It would only be a matter of time before he had to reveal to his closest friends that his reason for being in the Underworld was not the same as theirs.

He was proving Percy's fears from Medusa to be true.

Despite the knowledge of his betrayal coursing through his veins, he couldn't feel regret about it. He didn't want to die yet because of a curse on a number or because the fates didn't like the amount of people doing a quest.

He wasn't ready to leave everyone he cared about and if the best way to save Percy's mom was to withhold his purpose there than he would.

"Theo," Percy called, holding something in his hand, "Before we reach Hades, you need to have this."

Percy handed Theo a pearl, "My dad gave four of them to me in Santa Monica. Said they would be our ticket out."

Theo held the pearl in his hand, "But what about your mom? If there's only four, how does she get out."

Percy looked uncomfortable and Theo understood, "Are you insane? You can't come all the way down here to save your mom just to stay behind. Do you seriously want to send her back to Gabe alone?"

Percy startled, he hadn't thought of it like that, "We'll figure it out when we get there. I'm good with thinking on my feet."

They continued walking to the dog that would haunt Theo's dreams for the rest of his life and Theo mulled over a new plan in his mind.

Hera wanted his loyalty for reasons undisclosed. She knew who his mother was and she claimed that had it not been for her intervention, he would die on this quest. Poseidon gave Percy four pearls. Grover, Annabeth, Percy were obvious but how much did Poseidon love Sally?

Regardless, Theo has a feeling in his gut that no matter what, it wouldn't be him using that pearl.

Theo felt his heart fall into his stomach as they approached Cerberus, he was huge, and half transparent. Even worse, one of the heads was staring right into Theo's eyes.

Percy's jaw hung from where he stood, "He's a Rottweiler."

"Were you expecting a mastiff?" Theo quipped despite his nerves.

"I mean, kinda."

The dead surrounding them continued walking through the three-headed dog with no fear.

Percy's gulp was audible, "I'm starting to see him better. Why is that?"

"I think," Annabeth moistened her lips, "it means we're closer to death."

The dog’s middle head craned toward them. It sniffed the air and growled.

“It can smell the living,” Theo said.