Chaos's POV

Percy could really be uncooperative sometimes. Sure, his intentions were justified, but destroying the wall like that was a little overboard. I was in my throne in front of the Universal Globe before Percy walked out of the arena. Having anticipated that he would've played a long for at least a little while, I wasn't prepared for him to come busting down the gates where he met the real competitors of the tournament. They had all been waiting on the other side, watching Percy pass through the free for all in shock. I was slightly worried about how Percy would react to seeing so many people for the first time in quite a while, so before the confrontation could create a conflict, I flashed myself in between Percy and the competitors.

Percy was just glaring at everyone through his mask for no apparent reason, still angered at the fact that he had to go through such a stupid initiation. I'd decided against letting him skip it just to see how he would react which I now partially regret.

I guess he had gotten used to me, because he didn't react when I flashed in front of him while everyone else immediately bowed. Although most primordials and gods would've felt disrespected, I appreciated Percy knowing that there were no formalities between us. Holding back a smile, I told everyone to stand so they could listen to the directions they were about to receive.

Third Person POV

Percy had assumed that the real fighters were hiding somewhere behind the former gates and only became more annoyed to find out he was right. Then he felt uncomfortable for being the center of attention once again, which is something he hadn't felt in a while. He almost breathed a sigh of relief when Chaos appeared in front of him, stealing the spotlight from a now grateful Percy. While everyone was staring in awe at the being in front of him, Percy took the chance to observe his competition. Everyone was equipped with impressive armor and gave off auras that he could just barely detect, which surprised Percy. He had never been able to so accurately sense power before, but everything just seemed much clearer to him as of late. None of them seemed to be stronger than Percy, and although he knew there were some that were concealing their power, the demigod also knew that most of them were just as they seemed. "Now I'm positive that there was no reason for me to compete in the free for all." Percy was about to say something when he realized Chaos had been talking while he was lost in thought.

".....Basically, if there is any fighting besides the fighting that will commence in official arena battles, you will be disqualified. Bunkers have been issued and you will be teleported there as soon as we're done here. I'm not gonna get into the details of the tournament because none of you will understand the scoring. What I will tell you is that if you continue to win, each one of your matches will be against a stronger opponent than your last . If you lose, than your next opponent will be weaker with each loss. The weaker the opponent, the less your match matters as far as scoring. The tournament will start tomorrow, and by then there will be more of you from the initiation. Any questions?"

No one broke the silence, so they were all teleported to their bunkers except for the one person who dared to resist the teleportation. Percy looked at and answered Chaos with a question of his own. "Why did you make me do that? I could've killed them all, I was so angry!" Chaos turned to look at the young man in front of him with a look of amusement in his eyes.

With a shrug he said, "I needed to see what you would do, and we both know you're smart enough to know the consequences of killing all of those people. Although, you did incapacitate almost all of them."

Percy crossed his arms. "If they couldn't take that attack, then they shouldn't be here. Also, I had no idea that everyone would be watching me. Now they all know I have power over water." 

"There's so much more to you, Perseus. No one has any clue of the opponent they face in you........except for a few of them." Chaos had just then remembered what he'd forgotten to tell Percy, who narrowed his eyes at this statement.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that Jason and Nico will be participating in this tournament as well. They also brought Piper and Thalia Grace to compete." Percy froze completely; both his mind and body became inactive. He tried to break out of it so he could process the words he had just received, and after a moment passed, Percy fully realized what it meant for his friends to be alive. All this time he'd been hiding from them for a reason that no longer existed. There was no reason for Percy to be the lifeless person he was anymore. His friends were not dead, and this revelation made Percy genuinely smile behind his mask for the first time since back when he'd proposed to Annabeth.

Then something else clicked in the mind of the demigod. "Did you say Piper and Thalia Grace, meaning they share the same last name?" Chaos was taken aback at the sound of Percy's voice. It was full of liveliness and character that the creator of the universe hadn't heard from him since he'd watched over Percy in his early years back on Earth. Answering with a smile, Chaos informed him of Jason and Piper's marriage. Percy just shook his head, thinking about everything he must've missed. "I should've been there." It was hard for him, but he knew the only way he could go back to them was if Annabeth was by his side. Understanding this, Chaos put a hand on Percy's shoulder in an offer of support.

"One day, you will get your life back along with so much more. I promise." Percy very much wanted that to be true, and with Chaos looking out for him, he could convince himself that it was. With a nod of gratitude, Percy teleported to where he could sense his old friends. He might not have had the intention to face his cousins and Piper, but he still wanted to at least see them even if he was behind a mask. Percy had already met Jason and Nico, but that was during a serious, life-or-death  experience and before Annabeth had been trapped in that prison because of him. There was no way he could just hang out with them now; not without Annabeth, anyway. His guilt just wouldn't let him.

Appearing on the opposite side of a wall, Percy could hear Jason rambling on about whatever it was that they'd been chatting about. Another smile found its way on his face as he heard their laughter. He decided that he needed to compose himself before he knocked on the door. Taking a deep breath, Percy called out to the Omega blade that resided inside of him. "Omega, please allow me to speak with your voice from now on in an effort to hide my identity." He felt a change in his vocal cords as Omega agreed with his request. Percy couldn't help but be super nervous. He was in a dark hallway with doors on either side of him, and in front of him was the door that led to some of the most important people in his life who he hadn't been with in over eleven years. This in no way stopped him from knocking on the door, however.

A dull light gave a bit of life to the hallway when Jason opened the door with a small smile on his face. His smile only grew when he recognized the assassin looking figure in front of him, but Percy quickly shook his head. Nodding in understanding, Jason let his cousin in and got everyone's attention.

"Hey guys, this is a friend of mine. Nico knows him as well, but I thought I'd introduce you girls." To say that Percy was shocked would've been an understatement. Piper and Thalia stood in front of him, but he could barely recognize them. To start off, Piper seemed to have finally embraced her beauty. Percy could tell that she'd realized that it would be her strongest weapon, which made her very powerful. It made him look forward to seeing her in action. She wore a dark green, v-neck shirt that had short sleeves along with skinny jeans. Her clothing was simple as usual, but now she'd been taking better care of her hair, as it was straight, even, and silky. The daughter of Aphrodite wasn't wearing any makeup, but dove shaped earrings hung from her ears. Being a grown woman now, her face was intimidatingly more mature in a way that would distract any weak-minded man long enough to incapacitate them. Percy was proud of what Piper had become. Being up close to her, he could sense the depths of her power, and it was no joke. She was sure to get far in the tournament.

Thalia stood with her arm on Piper's shoulder, and the first thing Percy noticed about her was the amount of raw power that dwelled inside of her. It rivaled Jason and Nico's, but unlike the two of them, Percy sensed that she hadn't completely mastered what lied deep inside her. Wearing the same punk-type outfits, Thalia's only difference besides her power was her matured and more attractive physical features. Many guys must've tried to hit on her by now, and Percy was sure that they all ended up with a broken bone of some sort.

Percy had observed all of this in a matter of three seconds in which Piper and Thalia introduced themselves. Before he could respond to the two of them, Alpha & Omega spoke one word in his head: "Otrega" Immediately, Percy understood and replied to the girls in front of him. "Nice to meet you girls too, I'm Otrega. Your husband and your boyfriend here have told me a lot about you." Eyeing Nico and Jason, Thalia demanded to know what exactly was said about her.

"It better not have been anything bad. Not there's anything bad to say about me anyway." She ended the sentence with a smirk and crossed her arms.

"Oh of course there isn't!" Nico was a little too enthusiastic with that statement, causing Thalia to glare at him. Percy laughed and assured Thalia that Jason and Nico mostly just informed him of the heroic acts that the two of them committed.

Piper had been eyeing Percy and spoke up for the first time since introducing herself. "Hey, Otrega. You were the one who fought Destruction with Jason, Nico, and Ann–" Jason interrupted her.

"Piper, let's not talk about that. Yes, Otrega was there, but that's not a subject he'd rather discuss." Seeming to have just figured something out, Piper nodded and looked at Percy for a second. Percy was sure that Piper could sense his feelings for Annabeth, but he wasn't sure about what she'd make out of it.

Suddenly, Piper stepped over to Percy and whispered in his ear before anyone could react. "I can sense the pain in your heart and the cause of it. Now, I don't know what kind of history you have with Annabeth, but you should know that she's spent the past eleven years in the darkest depths of the underworld searching for a way to find Perseus Jackson. The same person you say is dead. If that's true and he really is dead, then Annabeth would've found him a long time ago. My point is that Percy isn't dead, and lying about it is not going to make Annabeth love you." Piper stepped back from a stunned Percy and spoke aloud. "I just thought you should know that." The other three demigods in the room were frustratingly curious and confused.

The only thing Percy was able to process was that Annabeth spent eleven years in the underworld for him, and now she was in an even worse place because of him. Her life must've been so exhausting and stressful and it was all because of him. Now, Annabeth had finally found Percy, and the price she had to pay was to be sent to an even worse hell than she'd been in for the past eleven years. It was now more than ever that he realized just how much she needed to be saved from the Chaos Void. As he teleported away from them, he was barely able to say bye before he exploded in anger and anguish.

He had no clue where he was, but the only thing that mattered was the pain. Tearing his mask off, Percy dropped to his knees and let out a guttural scream that cracked the ground around him. Desperately, he tried to lock onto Annabeth's power so he could teleport to her. "Annabeth....let me reach you......please." It took everything he had just to be able to faintly sense her. Percy shook with concentration as sea green light surrounded him. "Annabeth!" His voice seemed to rip through dimensions just to reach his beloved. He could feel it; the Chaos Void reluctantly opening up to him.

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In the Chaos Void

Annabeth had completely lost all sense of time, but had gained so much through her endless battle with Destruction. She felt more powerful than anything she had ever imagined.

"Oh, Annabeth. How long do you plan on fighting me like this? Give in. Join me. I could give you more power than your weak mind can even comprehend in your current state. This little squabble is pointless. I have yet to show you my true power. It is limitless, unlike yours. Your growth will eventually stop while I will grow far more powerful than you ever will." Before Destruction could continue, Annabeth flashed behind him and slashed through his back with Riptide while her dagger impaled him in the neck. Both attacks gave  off waves of gray energy that threw Destruction forward.

Annabeth knew that if Destruction was able to wield his full power easily, then she would stand no match against him. The Chaos Void was holding him back, much to the advantage of Annabeth. Due to this, he could only increase his power slowly over time. She used her immortality and Destruction's gradual power increases to become stronger herself. 

So far, the only thing that had been a real problem for her was the Void itself. At times, it seemed to attack Annabeth in a way that left her weak and defenseless. These were the situations when Percy's beast would take over for her while she recuperated. It would suck all the air from Annabeth's lungs and scatter her thoughts as her vision began to violently spin. She felt it trying to make her insane and bring out the darkness inside of her. The attack was terrifying, leaving Annabeth shaking and in tears every time. The gravity in the Chaos Void was also another issue. As soon as her and Destruction would start a clash, the gravity would continuously change, causing her body not to function right. Sometimes, the gravity was so strong that she couldn't even take a light step without creating a crater around her foot. Other times, Annabeth almost thought she could just start flying because of how light her body felt. These things would've killed her almost immediately, but another one of the Void's charming qualities was what kept her alive to endure the torture. However, her body was becoming resistant so that these things effected her less and less as time went by.

Annabeth was thinking about how many times Destruction had rambled on in an attempt to make her join him. She found it quite annoying. "Shut the hell up already. If anything's gonna drive me insane, it's gonna be the constant, torturous sound of your voice." Destruction replied by appearing in Annabeth's face and stabbing her in the gut with his huge sword. Not letting herself fall to the ground, Annabeth jumped back to pull the blade out of her while blasting her opponent with a wave of energy. Taking advantage of the stunned being in front of her, Annabeth began to attack with numerous quick slashes all over his body. She kept on going, pushing him back as blood flew out of many different places from his body. Regaining control, Destruction held out his palm which caused Annabeth to fly back at speeds that tore the ground beneath her. After her body flew back for a couple miles in seconds, Destruction appeared behind the flying body and aggressively threw her into the ground before stabbing his sword into the chest of the bloody girl beneath him, restraining her movement.

There it was: the pain that Annabeth was so used to. When she first entered the Void, Annabeth would've cried out in pure agony after such an attack. Now, however, she hadn't even flinched. It just now occurred to her how horrible her life was at that moment. Sometimes, Annabeth would forget what she was fighting for, but even if she forgot, her will would never let her stop fighting. It was only when she whispered the name of the one person she could remember that a beautiful light shined in the darkness of the Void, reminding her of the one person she fought for. "Annabeth!" It was faint, but both Destruction and Annabeth heard it as they completely froze with Annabeth still on the ground, a sword in her chest.

Several feet away from them, the air seemed to rip open, unleashing a sea green light that billowed out in waves of pure power. Then, a figure appeared in the light, and the sight of him filled Annabeth with something she'd never experienced before. Power suddenly surged through her veins as she exploded with gray energy, blasting Destruction far off into the Void and healing all of her wounds. The two auras, one sea green and one gray, collided which created an even bigger light.

Annabeth Chase was face to face with Percy Jackson. They both sensed immense power from each other and were in shock as they stared into the eyes of their lover. Percy, who was an emotional wreck just moments ago, found himself at peace in the presence of Annabeth who felt alive for the first time in a long time. The two powerful beings could've stood there in the middle of the only light in the Chaos Void forever, but Percy already felt the Void trying to throw him out.

"Annabeth, come with me. I know I have the power to take you this time...." Percy faltered when Annabeth interrupted him and smiled.

"Percy, I don't have time to explain it to you, but I know when I'm to leave this place. It's not time yet, it won't work." By looking in her eyes, Percy knew she spoke the truth. He held Annabeth in his arms and whispered two words.

"I'm sorry." A tear fell to the ground at these words while Annabeth shook her head, refusing to accept the apology.

"Don't be sorry Percy. That is the one thing I want you to know. I'm happy that I spent the past eleven years the way I did. A lot has happened and I've gained so much. But just by looking at you now, I can tell that you've been beating yourself up. Stop it. I'm perfectly fine down here. I get to beat up Destruction 24/7 and become stronger every day because of it. Be happy, because when I get out of here, we'll be the biggest power couple ever. Just be ready to kick Destruction's ass when the time comes." Percy felt something mending inside of him; something that he thought would be permanently broken. He pulled himself out of their embrace right before he pulled Annabeth into a kiss, awakening a fiery passion inside of Percy that had been asleep since Chaos brought him back to life all that time ago. Their lips came together like they were never meant to be apart, causing their light show to shine even brighter. So many things were said through the kiss that they never would've had time to say out loud.

Percy's time was up, but before he disappeared, he sent one more message to Annabeth. "The next time we meet, we'll go back to our friends at camp together and get married. I'll see you soon Wise Girl." His sea green light then died down as he flashed back to where he came from with a smile on his face.

Annabeth couldn't wipe the big smile that was on her face, even though she was in the Chaos Void with only the creator of all evil to keep her company. "Thank you Percy." She could sense that being in the presence of him had triggered her Evolution, just like Order had told her. Annabeth felt the unbelievable amount of untamed power inside of her and was grateful to Percy for giving her yet another weapon.

Destruction finally appeared out of the darkness with a look of pure anger on his face. He knew that now there was no way he was going to change Annabeth. Her evolution had made her too powerful, and now he had no leverage over Percy. Sensing Destruction's frustration, Annabeth gave him a taunting smirk.

"You didn't think I would let you use me against Percy, did you? Savor these days  here with me Destruction, because your end is near." Annabeth grinned at the infuriated expression she received before their clash began, the demigod having the upper hand.

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