The House of Hades

Nico leads the crew to the House of Hades where they eat the barley cakes from Triptolemus to protect them from the poison, and then they go inside to the chalice of poison. Hazel leads the way underground because she can sense the correct path in underground tunnels. Frank hears a voice that waits for him in Pylos, and it tells him that to survive the House of Hades he must lead and take charge at the break. When they arrive at a cavern with three passages, Nico and Hazel hesitate, and Frank points to a doorway with a Roman ghost that Nico and Hazel can’t see. The floor starts vibrating, and Hazel insists on going first to scout a path. Leo follows behind to provide light, but Frank’s gut tells him it’s too late. The ghost vaporizes, and hundreds of monsters enter the cavern. Some monsters throw stones that shatter the floor. Frank tackles Hazel and Leo into the tunnel free of monsters. The cavern shudders, and a chasm opens between them and Jason, Piper, and Nico, who are trapped by monsters. Frank remembers the ghostly voice that told him to take charge. He yells at Nico to use the scepter, and a ghostly Roman legion emerges. Jason tries to direct the ghosts, but they don’t listen. Frank tells Hazel and Leo to keep going and save Percy and Annabeth. Frank ducks to avoid more rocks, and when he gets up the entrance to the tunnel has caved in, and Leo and Hazel are gone. Frank hopes they are still alive as he charges the monster army.

The ghosts Nico summoned wander confused while the monsters attack. Frank shoots all his arrows as he makes his way to Jason, Piper, and Nico. An arrow pierces his bicep, and the pain makes it hard to focus, but he picks up a sword and starts slashing through monsters. He watches his friends fight, and Jason tries to rally the ghosts who won’t listen. Frank realizes this is his test of leadership and fights his way to his friends through pain. Frank tells the ghosts to lock shields, and a few listen. Jason resigns his post as praetor of the Twelfth Legion and promotes Frank. Frank feels the power of Mars and Ares come on him and orders the legion to form ranks. They form a defensive line in front of Frank, Jason, Piper, and Nico then advance on the monsters. Frank tells Jason to fly legionnaires over and flank the enemy, Nico to raise more ghosts, and Piper to counter the empousai demons who are trying to charmspeak the monsters. Frank grabs his sword and charges at the head of his legion.

Later, Jason tells Frank the blessing of Mars shrouded him in a red protective shield, but Frank doesn’t realize it as he cuts down the enemy. Soon all the monsters are dead. Piper feeds Frank ambrosia and bandages his arm. The ghosts wander aimlessly until Frank dismisses them. The blessing of Mars has faded, so Frank feels fatigued but knows they need to find Hazel and Leo. Nico senses something bad happening with Percy and Annabeth. Frank says there’s another way.

Annabeth doesn’t want Tartarus to kill her, but she is too terrified to speak as she waits for him to move. Percy drops his sword, and Tartarus reaches to grab him, but Bob stops him. Tartarus swats Bob aside and wonders why he doesn’t disintegrate. Bob gets strength from choosing to be Bob. Small Bob grows to a full-sized saber-toothed tiger and attacks Tartarus. Bob tells Percy and Annabeth to cut the Door chains while he fights Tartarus. Tartarus orders his monster army forward.

Annabeth hacks through the door chains while Percy fights monsters and Bob distracts Tartarus. Annabeth sticks her foot in before the Doors close. She calls Percy over, and he tells her to get in. Annabeth tells him he promised they would never be separated again. They fight back-to-back while Percy argues there isn’t another way. Bob gets knocked over by Tartarus but refuses to yield. The monsters turn to watch the death of a Titan, and Percy tells Annabeth to stay at the elevator while he helps Bob. Annabeth knows Percy won’t leave Bob to die, so she decides to go with him and die fighting side by side. Before they leave the doors, they hear a roar and see Damasen riding on the back of a Maeonian dragon.

With his eyes, Damasen tells Annabeth to go as he faces Tartarus. Bob stumbles with Small Bob toward Percy, who opens the blood vessels of the Underworld Rivers to give him a path through the monsters. Percy doesn’t want to go, but Bob says it’s their destiny to stop Gaea. Percy pleads that Tartarus will disintegrate them and they will never regenerate, but Bob says nobody knows the future. They can’t defeat Tartarus, but they can stall him for 12 minutes. Annabeth hugs Bob and promises to tell their children about him. He wants them to say hello to the sun and stars for him. Annabeth pulls Percy into the elevator as Tartarus yells at the monsters to stop them. Bob tells them to hold the doors shut as they close.

Annabeth and Percy each hold a shaking door shut. Percy is upset about leaving Bob and Damasen, and Annabeth feels guilty knowing it’s her burden to bear the knowledge of a tactical retreat. She tells Percy to keep his door shut. Percy’s eyes blaze with anger, and he vows to kill Gaea. Annabeth prays for Bob and Damasen to hold out for 12 minutes and for their friends to be waiting at the top.