Life and Death Don't Mix

Chapter 9

           Rigel taught me to move shadows, bending them under my will. Soon I was able to manipulate the shadows into shapes and even bring them to life. I could also cover myself in shadows to hide myself turning me invisible to the eyes of most.
As we grew closer to the doors of death, I used the shadows to hide from the monsters' view and creatures around me. I soon sent out creatures of shadows to search for Percy, Annabeth, and Bob, but most came back with nothing.
The monsters around me began to thicken as I knew I was growing even closer. The sound of leathery wings caused me to look up as I saw are flying above towards the doors. I stopped and just looked around for a moment at all the monsters. I could see arae, cyclopes, hellhounds, and more all fighting to get in the doors. As I looked at them, all I realized that the chances that we all got out were growing slimmer and slimmer.
My heart pounded in my hears as I slowly started moving again, hoping Percy and Annabeth had not done anything stupid.
I knelt down as I concentrated on the shadows forming a small fox, I told it to search for Bob and the others hoping it would find something. Once it took off running, I stood up again and began walking, looking around myself for the silver giant I knew so well.
Before long I felt something rubbing against my leg, looking down I saw the fox I sent out only a few minutes ago. I smiled as I asked it to show me the way. It began running through the monsters until I could see the outline of Bob and two figures behind him.
"IAPETUS!" a loud voice shouted, causing me to jump.
I slowly walked behind Bob and towards the two figures, which I assumed were Percy and Annabeth. I could hear the loud footsteps of the monster belonging to the loud voice.
I froze as I noticed the large Titan staring at Bob. "Iapetus! Don't tell me you don't recognize your own brother?"
I felt my eyes widen, wondering if Bob did remember. The titan had white-blue eyes, that reminded me of a glacier, his hair the same. His face was covered in scars. I could see a large helmet shaped like a bear's head under his arm as he walked. A huge sword huge from his belt catching my attention.
"No!" Bob replied, his voice trembling, "I won't tell you that."
"I heard that you were thrown into the lethe. It must've been terrible! W all knew you would heal eventually." He spoke, "It's Koios! Koios!"
"Of course," Bob said, "Koios, Titan of..."
"The North!"It must've finished for Bob.
"I know!" Bob shouted.
For a few moments, they both laughed together and took turned to punch on another. Poor small Bob crawled up to Bob's head to escape the hitting before making a bed in his hair.
"Poor old Iapetus," Koios began, "They must have laid you low indeed. Look at you! A broom?A servant's uniform? A cat in your hair? Truly. Hades must pay for these insults. Who was that demigod who took your memory? Bah! We must rip him into pieces, you and I, eh?"
That last comment caused me to snap out of my haze and slowly move closer, my hand resting on my ring in cause I needed it.
"Ha-ha," Bob spit out, "Yes, indeed. Rip him to pieces."
Soon I was right behind them all but stopped again as Koios began to move. He turned to leave Bob frozen in his spot, leaving Percy and Annabeth to comfort him before almost getting knocked over by Koios. I let out a sign as I began moving again.
"No," Annabeth told Bob, "Bob, you're different now. You're better."
I commanded the shadow to be little up, catching the attention of small Bob. the kitten jumped off of Bob',s head approaching me before running up again my leg. I bent down, picking the kitten up before petting in between its ears as it laid in my arms.
When I looked back up, I noticed the others looking at me, their eyes wide. Percy's eyes held guilt behind them, and Annabeth looked like she might start crying any second. I looked up at Bob, who had a smile on his face.
"Angle!" Percy said, rushing over to me, "How did you get here?"
"I'll explain that later it is a long story, right now let's get out of here," I spoke, not knowing how I was going to explain all that I had gone through and learned. I would have to tell them that I learned my mother was Nyx, and that I only had a few more days to live. Not only that, but I was still hurt and upset that they had left me behind and not even apologized for doing so. I wanted to be angry at them, but I just couldn't. I knew he was doing it to end everything and keep everyone safe. I probably would've done the same.
"We should hurry," Annabeth said, offering me a smile, "If we can't..."
Her voice behind to trail off as a long jagged streak of darkness shot through the sky. It looked almost like lighting, but rather than a bright flash, it seemed like it sucked the light around it.
"The door," Bob said, looking up, "Must've been a large ground going through."
My mouth tasted dry, and my heard began to pound. How could we possibly win this? If we found the others and were okay, I still did not know how we would win.
"Do all the monster go through the House of Hades?" Percy asked Bob, "How big is that place?"
Bob shrugged, "Perhaps they are sent elsewhere when they step through. The House of Hades is on the earth, yes? That is Gaea's realm. She could send her minions wherever she wishes."
For a moment, I didn't know what to say. If Gaea could do that to the monsters, what would happen to us? Would we be sent where she wanted?
"If Gaea had that much power," Annabeth started, like she could read my mind, "couldn't she control where we end up?"
"You are not a monster. It may be different for you." Bob responded.
We started walking to the doors again, but this time in silence as we all thought. Bob helped us all up another ridge that was nothing but a step for him but taller for us. For the first time, I was able to make out the large shape of the Doors. I couldn't make many details out about them, but I could see them. They stood out against the massive horde of monsters surrounding them.
"We must hurry," Bob said, grabbing his broom as if he was ready to clean up a mess or make one.

Fifty feet from the Doors of Death, we froze.
I looked up at then as the portals looked like elevator doors. I didn't know what I had expected, but they looked like two elevator doors. The doors blacked etched with designs. The only difference between the two doors was the fact that their colors were inverted.
As I looked at them, a pit formed in my stomach. I noticed frost forming at the bottom of the Doors, a purplish glow in the air, and the worst chains holding them to the ground.
They were long cords of black iron running off either side of the frames, tethered to the ground. Two of the Titians, Krios, and Hyperion, stood guard of them to make sure no-one tried anything.
Percy tried to move forward, but Bob stopped him as a crowd of Cyclopes moved forward, shouting excitedly. They entered the Doors, their bodies shrinking as they were pulled in. Krios pushed the button on the elevator's right side. His thumb never leaving the button as the elevator rose off the ground flying out of sight.
"You must understand how it works," Bob began. The kitten moved to his palm as Bob talked to the kitten, to make the other monster not question anything. "Each time the Doors open, they try to teleport to a new location. Thanatos made them this way, so only he could find them, but now they are chained. The Doors cannot relocate."
"Then we cut the chains," Annabeth whispered.
"We can't the Titians are blocking the way over there. We would never be able to cut them and get away." I whispered to her. Bob only nodded.
"Our camouflage," Percy said as we all looked at him, "Will it disappear if we do something aggressive, like cutting the chains?"
"I do not know," Bob told his kitten
"Mrow,' Small Bob responded
"Bob, you'll have to distract them," Annabeth said. "Percy, Angle, and I will sneak around the two Titians and cut the chains from behind."
"Yes, fine," Bob said, "but that is only one thing. Once you are inside the Doors, someone must stay outside to push the button and defend it."
I frowned, realizing that was the reason the Titian kept his figure on the button. He had to do it. If we wanted to get home, the only way we could do that was for us to stay. If it came down to it, I would have to be the one. Percy and Annabeth would do it for each other and wouldn't accept it, so the only thing I could do was do it for them.
"Uh...defend the button?" Percy chocked out, obviously in shock as well.
"Someone has to push the button so that we can come up, don't they? The Titian has been holding it this whole time, so someone has to stay behind, don't we?" I asked, looking at Bob. His face a mix of amazement and sadness.
Bob nodded as he scratched the kitten, "Someone must keep pressing the button for twelve minutes, or the journey will not finish."
"Why twelve minutes?" Percy asked
"I do not know," Bob said. "Why twelve Olympians, or twelve Titians?"
"Fair enough," Percy said.
"What do you mean the journey won't finish?" Annabeth asked, "What happens to the passengers?"
Bob didn't answer her. From the pained expression on his face, I would say they don't make it. If it were to stop, would we be stuck in-between Tartarus and the mortal world was nothing that would be good.
"if we do push the button for twelve minutes, and the chains are cut-"
"The Doors should reset," Bob said. "That is what they are supposed to do. They will disappear from Tartarus. They will appear somewhere else, where Gaea cannot use them."
"Thanatos can reclaim them," Annabeth said. "Death goes back to normal, and the monsters lose their shortcut to the mortal world."
Percy let out a long exhale as he started, "easy-peasy. Except for for...well everything."
I let out a chuckle, "I will hold the button you guys run. I can hide, and when you guys are in, I will hold the button down."
Percy's eyes widen, "No! I will not let you do that. You and Annabeth..."
I looked at him, anger written on my face causing him to stop, "You will not stay here while you send Annabeth away. You guys must stay together, I will not allow you to stay here while Annabeth is meant to live without you. You will both go, and Bob will go with you to see the world outside and the stars."
"I would like that," Bob said, "But someone must push the button, and you must all go. Once the chains are cut...my brethren will fight to stop your passage. They will not want the doors to disappear."
"Bob, even if you stay, all the monsters would come and how would you take care of them while trying to hold the button," I said, looking out at all the monsters. I could not imagine Bob holding down the button while trying to take care of all the monsters.
"Bob, I will stay with you to help. Percy, Annabeth, you must go."
"But-" Annabeth began, "No, Annabeth, you and Percy need to leave, go and help the others, I will find a way out."
"First thing first," Percy said. "Let's cut those chains, then we discuss who goes and who stays."