A Son From Lands Unknown (PJO x Male Reader)

A Bargain With Hades

"So why do you need me if you got that cane?" Crowley asked. "I mean, you could just use it as a crutch, couldn't ya?"

"That's an easy way to throw out my shoulder," (Y/N) said. "That would involve me rolling my shoulder every time I take a step, and that doesn't sound like a great idea."

"Fine, fine," Crowley muttered. "How you even get that all the way down here, anyway? Hell, how did you even get past the Styx with that leg of yours?"

"Left it at Dad's place while I hunted Satan and Leviathan," (Y/N) explained, "and found a friendly centaur at the shore who was willing to help, in exchange for a few stories about Chiron. Apparently, the old horse is a real folk hero with that tribe."

"Well, that's awful convenient," Crowley stated. "Y'know, it's almost like-"

"Shut it, Crowley," Mazikeen chided. "We're here."

The sound of water flowing became audible as they approached. The water of the Cocytus rushed out from beneath the ice, flowing into a cavern. Said cavern was wide enough to fit a decently sized ice raft, but it was also dark enough that (Y/N) couldn't really tell what waters lay ahead of them.

"Either of you have the ability to summon flame?" (Y/N) asked.

"Yeah, a bit," Crowley informed. "Why, you trying to melt the ice?"

"If you can focus the flame like that, then yes," (Y/N) said. "If not, then it'll just be a light to float by, make sure we're not running into any obstacles."

"Focus it?" Crowley asked. "Psssh, of course! I mean, I've been around for thousands of years, of course I know how to focus it."

"He doesn't," Mazikeen said. "Last time he had to use it was all the way back when he harassed Job."

"Well now you didn't have to tell him that," Crowley complained.

"Just trying to be helpful," Mazikeen argued, though the smirk on her face portrayed her true intentions.

"Ugh, fine," (Y/N) sighed. He pulled the sword from his cane and put the can part on his back before pointing the sword at the ice. "Crowley, can you please hold a flame to the ice where I point? It should melt it a little and let me cut a chunk off, eventually."

"You sure? I mean who knows how far down it's frozen," Crowley asked.

"This is the water's edge," (Y/N) pointed out. "Sure, it might be frozen to the shore, but it won't be frozen as far down. The fact that the river is flowing downward at all tells me that there's enough melted somewhere to make it flow, while the fact that the water is as high as it is tells me that the ice is on the thinner side, though enough for us to stand and raft on. Now, Crowley, start here."

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It took a little bit, but (Y/N) was eventually able to cut through the ice. They moved forward with a lurch, sending them floating down the Cocytus. The tunnel they passed through leaving Hell was dark, but thankfully Crowley was there to provide a flame to light it up. Despite the choppiness of the water, it was actually fairly smooth sailing. As such, it didn't take long until they were floating in the section of the river that crosses through Hades's domain.

"Huh, shorter trip than I was expecting," Crowley said, surprised.

"Yeah, I thought these places were supposed to shift to keep you where you belong, not invite you where you want to go..." (Y/N) muttered to himself, confused. "Something feels off..."

"Well, you're the one who wanted to do this," Mazikeen pointed out, "so let's go. Time's a-wasting."

"No, no, something feels... wrong," (Y/N) argued. "Crowley, you get off first."