I don't own PJO or HOO

Bianca POV

My vision had to be deceiving me. I looked around, nope, I was actually floating in outer space. So this is either a dream, or Daedalus had tied me to a rocket and sent me into orbit.

I looked down at the Earth again, there was a figure in scorched clothing trying to swim down by the looks of it.

"I told you, you are going nowhere, you are lucky I am only keeping you trapped instead of outright killing you." A cold voice said from above the figure.

Floating on some sort of platform was a 20 foot tall woman in sky blue and yellow robes. She was radiating sunlight like Apollo was at the Olympus council.

"I told you, take that up with my dad, being born wasn't exactly my choice, hell, I'd rather not have been born, there is literally two good friends I know I can count on fully and one of them tried to decapitate me in a giant maze because he couldn't see my face." I recognized the voice instantly.

Growling back at the giant woman was Percy, my Percy. But he definitely wasn't acting like himself. Saying he wishes he was never born, what in my father's name is wrong with him?

"Bah, you are just whining demi-god, life cannot possibly be so bad for you." The goddess scoffed, Percy's face turned an interesting shade of pink.

"NOT POSSIBLY THAT BAD, I'VE BEEN THROUGH HELL." With that he tore his shirt off. I stared, not only at the slowly defining six-pack and muscle he had, but at the scars, hundreds of them. A giant one running from his collar bone to his hip ran along his side.

"Simple battle scars, they show you are a powerful warrior." This sky lady was really starting to piss me off.

Percy just stared at her, and turned around. My breathe caught in my throat. His back had more scars than his chest and arms. And they all framed three large distinct carvings on his back.

Weak, Freak, Bastard.

No wonder when I first met him he was so He had been abused, badly.

"THAT'S NOT ALL, I'VE BEEN FORCED TO WATCH MY MOTHER GO THROUGH THE SAME THING, SHE IS CURRENTLY SITTING IN A COMA WARD IN A HOSPITAL, THE GIRL I LOVE HAS BEEN FORCED TO HOLD THE SKY AND I WAS SO WEEK, I COULDN'T BE THERE TO RESCUE HER. THEN MY LOVING FATHER KEPT ME PRISONER IN A JUNKYARD TO 'LEARN MY POWERS' I COULD HAVE DONE THAT AT THE DEMI-GOD CAMP, WITH MY FRIENDS, BUT NO. SO TELL ME NOW, WHAT ELSE DO I HAVE TO GO THROUGH TO BE HAPPY?"

I could only stare, Percy had been through so much, he had been kept away from us, he didn't choose to stay away. I don't know how I could have thought Percy would ever try and stay away from his friends, I may have only known him for a few months, but I knew he would do anything for those he cared about.

The giant sky lady only stared as Percy yelled at her, his arms beginning to glow with a white light, since when could he do that?

"It seems I have misjudged you, I thought you to be power hungry like the other descendants, apparently I was wrong, and you very well might be the one we have been waiting for."

"What the Tartarus are you going on about now, can I go." He asked tiredly, slipping his shirt on again.

"I think that would be a good idea, especially if you want to make it on time, even now I imagine you will be a tad late, say so long to your spectator as well. Now get ready, it is a long trip down" She said and gestured to me, Percy's jaw just about fell back down to Earth.

"Bianca…" was all he could say before falling back to Earth.

"And you, keep an eye on him, you can see why he would question himself. Build him up again, he needs to be decisive in his actions if we are to be victorious. As for navigating the labyrinth, use this number and say the albino boy sent you." And with that, she flew upwards again, as my vision began to flicker out, I could see her entering an enormous palace floating above the Earth.

When I came to, I was once again tied to a beam. Beck and Selina were tied to ones on either side of me, already debating how to get out of this.

"Bout time you woke up, what gives?" Selina asked from my left.

"Dream message, Percy's crazy stepmother was keeping him trapped in the upper orbit of the atmosphere, she also gave me a way to navigate the labyrinth after she let Percy go."

"That's great." Beck said, "So where's Percy?"

"Currently crashing down from the upper atmosphere." I answered matter-o-factly and both Selina and Beck's jaws dropped.

"And he'll survive that?" Selina asked and Beck shrugged.

"Seeing as he jumped into a volcano and blew it up and survived, the heat won't be a problem for him, I'm more concerned with where he'll land."

"Well first things first, how do we get out of these chains." I got them back on track.

"If I could get some tinfoil, I could twist it into a lock pick, Selina could use that to pick the lock." Beck told me and I looked around the room quickly. I saw some tinfoil wrapped object sitting in the shadow of one of the piles of crap covering the many work benches in the room.

"Great, so how do I get it?" Beck asked.

"Just gimme a sec, I'll try something I've been working on." I told him and closed my eyes, focusing on the shadows around the tinfoil wrapped object. I felt a light tug in my gut I pulled as hard as I could. There was a faint pop sound and I felt something next to my leg.

When I opened my eyes, the tinfoil rectangle was sitting next to me. I quickly kicked it over to Beck, whose face became a pleasantly surprised smile.

"How in Hades…" he started before I glared at him.

"Right, don't use your dad's name like that, sorry, slip of the tongue." He muttered and quickly unwrapped the tinfoil, and out plopped an old moldy disgusting sandwich.

"Oh gods." He muttered as he wiggled his nose under his shirt, I could see his eyes tearing up. Then the smell his me too, it was awful.

"Holy Hera, couldn't this guy remember to throw away his lunch." Selina gagged as she also tucked her nose under her shirt. I quickly made a note to tell my dad to use this scent for punishment in the fields.

"Well, here's the pick." Beck slid a tinfoil object across to me and I kicked it over to Selina

"Do your thing girl." I told her as she started fiddling with the pick with one hand and her teeth.

"Almost…got it." She said triumphantly. She shrugged her chain off and ran over to Beck and got him out much quicker.

"Thanks the gods, I thought the smell was going to kill me." He groaned in relief and Selina got me out too.

"Great, let's get out of here before Daedalus gets back." I said and we sprinted back into the maze.

We quickly found a ladder and took it up. We popped up in the heart of some random city. We wandered for a bit until we found an old heavily graffitied pay phone. Beck gave me some loose change and I called the number on the paper that had appeared in my pocket after my dream.

"Hello, Racheal Elizabeth Dare speaking." Came the curt voice from the other side.

"Hello, my friend told me to call this number to get help, he's the albino guy." I crossed my fingers that whoever this Racheal was they would help.

"Oh you mean Percy, sure, where are you now?" she asked in a much friendlier tone.

"Uh, by some café on Main Street, I think in New York City." I gave my best guess

"Oh, I know where you are, go into the café and I'll be there shortly, what do you look like?"

Beck grabbed the phone and answered for me. "Just look for the three people in a booth, one of whom has a large metallic scar on his face." He said in his best intimidating voice, it didn't even faze the girl.

"Cool, we'll be matching then, see you in like 5 minutes." And with that, she hung up.

"Well that was unexpected." Selina commented as we made our way into the café, we each got a coffee and waited with Beck facing the door, all of us were tense.

I saw who we were looking for before they even walked in. A girl in complete bronze metallic clothing and paint on her hair and skin made her look like a walking robot.

She saw us and quickly came over, staring at Beck's face.

"I take it you're Racheal?" I asked and I held out my hand."

"Yup, and you all are?" she asked and we introduced ourselves.

"So, why were we sent to you?" Selina cut right to the chase, but Racheal just gave her a blank look.

"I only met Percy once, he said I was some sort of mortal who could see through the mist, so basically I wasn't crazy for seeing monsters and people with weapons wandering around.

"Well we were sent here being told you could get us through, you know, the magic one from myth." Beck, and I got an idea.

"Maybe that's it, she can see through the mist, so maybe she can see through the illusions the labyrinth puts up." I said and Selina and Beck's faces lite up.

"That's it, Bianca, you're a genius." Selina beamed at me, but Racheal gave a time-out sign.

"So let me get this straight, Percy told you guys I to go to me, knowing I could lead through a maze from ancient times that should be in Greece and long destroyed, am I right so far?"

"Well, Percy is currently falling from upper orbit after his step-mother abducted him and held him up there for like a week, she then apologized after a few things were cleared up and she freed him, letting him plummet back to Earth and told me to call a number Percy had gotten for help, which turned out to be you." I clarified, but Racheal just looked confused.

"So Percy is probably burning up in the atmosphere and a crazy lady told me to call you when?"

"I was dreaming, and Percy isn't dead, at least not yet, I'd know." I told her, feeling proud of my recent accomplishment.

"And how would you know?" Racheal challenged me.

"I am a daughter of Hades, I told the judges of the underworld if an albino demigod came through to tell me."

"Well, that creepy fact aside, how could he be alive?" she continued questioning. Beck answered this time

"If the two of us could survive being thrown out Mt. Saint Helens when he blew it up, he can survive falling a few thousand feet, not to mention what he did to Talos."

"You know what, I'm just not going to question it, I'll lead you on your quest thing, just let me change real quick." And with that, Racheal got up from her seat, grabbed her bag, and marched to the bathroom.

"Well, she certainly is spirited." Selina commented and I only nodded in agreement, I was busy wondering how Percy met her, I'd have to ask him if I ever got to be around him for an extended period of time. Damn all these strange kidnappings he kept having.

"Ok, let's go find our way through an ancient maze that supposedly houses all kinds of fun evil dudes." Racheal's cheery voice reached us. She had pale skin and bright red hair, kinda a Celtic look.

"First we have to find an entrance to the labyrinth, we know where one is, but it would take forever to get there, plus I'm pretty sure you won't be allowed there." I told her and she made a face.

"Whatever, just tell me what to look for, I'll keep an eye out for it."

"Just a glowing blue triangle mark, it could appear anywhere though, which is the problem." Beck answered her.

"I think I know where one is, just follow me." Racheal said and she made her way out of the coffee shop.

We all followed her as she made her way to a large planetarium. I recognized it as the place Percy told me he once worked at. Racheal showed a guard guy something on her phone and he let us through, no glancing twice at any of our weapons.

"Right down here." Racheal called from next to a pile of boxes with a model of the sun on top of them. She was standing next to a trapdoor that looked like it had only been used a few times in the past few years.

When I placed my hand on it, it glowed blue and swung open. "And down we go again." I said as I plunged into the darkness.

Racheal led us through the maze quickly, at least, faster and with more purpose than we had been going before. She insisted that there was a glowing blue path along the ground, but if there was, only she could see it.

The distinct lack of monsters was worrying me, it meant either they were dead, or they were with the Titans. Hopefully the former.

Racheal stopped at a cross roads. "The path on the left has a brighter blue color, but I can feel a kind of dark evil radiating from there, like a cold endless shadow. The one on the right will also lead us the right way, but it looks fainter, like taking the long way around. Your pick guys." She turned to us and I considered the two paths.

"The safe one, lets avoid a fight if we can." Selina chimed in

"Go to the left, we can take whatever it is, we need to hurry to beat the Titans." Beck said and nodded his head to the path on the left.

The choice was down to me, for an instant, I could almost see a light shining from the safe path, it was warming and comforting, like Percy. A deep purple glow from the other, it was familiar, but the sensation was just out of my grasp. I couldn't think straight, which was the right option.

"Choose…" a soft voice whispered in my ear, I swear I could see a two faced man tossing a silver key from one man to another.

"The safe path, now come on, we gotta hurry." I told them and had Racheal lead us down the path on right. I hope my choice was the right one.

Nico POV

After my meeting with my REAL father, my whole view on life changed. The Olympians had trapped my father, locked him a prison with his arch nemesis, held down by one of the most formidable beings in all of existence.

He came to me in dreams almost every night, he told me the truth of Olympus, how they were dark and hateful. I needed to help bring them down, only then could I be free to hunt for a way to free him. He told me to search for those before me, but I needed help. Good thing I know where to find a guy who knows everything about the past.

The time had come for me to join Kronos.

I would help him rise and tear down Olympus, and in return, he would identify those I was searching for. And I would hunt them, and get what I needed.

My father led me straight to Mount Othrys. I met several monsters who welcomed me with open arms. I would be the one to awake the time lord.

They showed me to the throne room, where 5 thrones stood proud and tall, radiating an ancient uncontrollable power. It was invigorating. In the center of the room, a golden coffin lay in front of the largest throne. The throne of Kronos.

I kneeled before the coffin and felt a tremendous flow of power. A presence entered my head. In my mind, a golden man stood, he had short army cut hair and jagged scars running all over his body, like he had been hacked apart and then quickly sewn back together. He was missing a piece of his chest, right where his heart should be. I looked to my hand, there it was, like the last puzzle piece, waiting to complete the puzzle.

"Lord Kronos." I bowed before him and only stood when he gave a soft chuckle.

"Most join my cause for petty revenge, for their own plights in life, others seek power and control over others. You, Nico Valentino DiAngelo, are different, you have a deep hatred for the gods, so tell me, what do you seek in return for your aid in my rise."

"I seek the downfall of the gods to free my father, he had been imprisoned beneath Typhoon, if I help you, I implore you assist me in locating what is necessary throughout time to free him." I answered as humbly as I could, I knew full well he could smite me where I stood, despite not having risen yet.

If I was looking at him instead of going into another bow, I would have seen the color drain from his face, his eyes filled with fear, and also greed.

"Upon my complete rise, I swear on the river Styx to deliver to you a list of what you seek." He said, color returning to his face.

"Then I swear my allegiance to you Lord Kronos, from now until the fall of Olympus." And with that, I plunged the piece in my hand into the hole in his chest.

My eyes snapped open. The ground was rumbling and the room was flashing in a golden light. A hand punched through the stone top of the coffin, then another followed. The entire top was then thrown off the coffin and out from it rose a tall strong looking Asian boy with an eye patch. When he opened his good eye though, it shown a liquid gold, the whole eye was gold, not just the iris, but everything.

"MY RISE HAS COME AT LAST!" Kronos bellowed through his host. He held his left hand out and a group of telekhines scurried forward holding his scythe in all its hateful glory, I could feel the evil radiating off it.

"THE DOWNFALL OF THE GODS HAS BEGUN AT LAST SEND FORTH MENOETIUS AND THE ARMY TO THE DEMIGOD CAMP, AND CHAIN THIS BOY, USE HIM AS TRIBUTE FOR ANATEUS!" before I could register what he had said, a strong pair of hands grabbed me and lifted me clean off the ground.

"We had a deal Kronos!" I spat at him and he turned to me and gave a dark chuckle.

"We agreed you would serve me until the fall of Olympus and that I would assist you upon my full rise. As you can see, I have not truly risen yet, and I see it best fit for you to serve me as a tribute. Your father made a mistake not telling you who he is, both of your blindness was your downfall. Good bye shade spawn." Kronos growled at me as heavy chains were wrapped tightly around me.

I felt the strong figure carry me to a cart that was being lowered into the labyrinth.

"Lord Menoetius." Several empousi bowed to the one carrying me, another slimy Titan, just perfect.

"Load this one to the lead cart, I shall use the string to lead us to the arena. He shall fight for our pass, and from there, we destroy the half-bloods." Menoetius gave a mighty war cry and the monster reinforcement's bellowed along-side him.

I hung my head in shame as I was towed through the labyrinth by hellhounds pulling the war cart. Perses was across from me in the cart he kept giving me a funny look, like he was both scared and excited at the same time.

"Listen here shade spawn, when we get to the arena, we will turn you over to Anateus and his gladiators. You will do as he says until we come to retrieve you, or until you die. Am I clear." He growled at me, but I just spat at his feet.

"Good enough." He grumbled. The cart came rolling out of a tunnel and I was carried up and out of the labyrinth. I saw Menoetius shaking hands with a large tubby sumo guy. I was led to the back of a long line of monsters, most were fairly weak, such as Cyclopes and empousi, but there were a few bigger ones, like a drakon and a hydra. The only other human was a tall blue skinned woman, she looked confused though, like she had showed up at the wrong party.

We were outside some sort of arena on top of a tall mountain, maybe somewhere in the Rockies. The air was cold and everything further down the mountain was snowcapped.

Menoetius had walked back to the Labyrinth and the sumo guy and two armored dracaena ling us up, making sure I was next to the blue skinned lady.

"Welcome tributes." The sumo guy shouted, I could smell his terrible breath from way at the end of the line. "You have all been given to me as a gift, so here are my rules, only kill when I give the order, do everything I say at all times, if I say fight another match even if your leg is broken, you will do so. If I saw fight with swords, you fight with swords, axes if I say axes, spoons if I say so. But rule number one, there is only one way out, and that's through me." He finished with a malicious chuckle.

He turned back to the colosseum and gave a clap of his hands. The large gate opened to reveal hundreds of monsters cheering in large stands, that wasn't the disturbing part though. The entire arena floor, the walls, floor, and throne in the top box, were all made of skulls, human and monster alike.

"And here lies the remains of every man, monster and deity to try." He finished with a loud laugh that made my bones shudder. Still wrapped in chains, I was forced into my new home, my worst nightmare for years to come.

Bianca POV

Selina was the first to recognize the walls. They were modernizing again, looking like a filthy subway tunnel instead of an ancient maze.

"The light leads to here." Racheal stopped in front of a large chunk of wall Beck stared at it for a second before pressing on some of the tiles. A small box popped out of another chunk part of the wall, closer to Racheal.

"It's an optical sensor." Beck said when he saw it. He tried to get into the wiring, but it was sealed tight. I tried to bash it with my mace, but it held strong.

"Let me try something." Beck put his scarred eye in front of the scanner it scanned the metal and gave a soft ding. A hidden door opened with a hiss from hydraulic pumps.

"Told you the scar could be helpful." Selina told him sweetly before giving him a peck.

"Keep your guard up guys, don't let him get the jump on us a second time." I told them and they drew their weapons, Racheal even pulled a blue hairbrush out of her pocket. Turns out, it was basically useless. Daedalus/Quintus was sitting in a heap on the floor, oil and blood leaking out of various wounds, both his arms had been viciously hacked off and he had a sword driven through his leg pinning him to the ground.

"What the fuck happened in here." Racheal asked loudly. Daedalus looked up slowly, his neck creaking with the movement. His eyes lightened upon seeing us.

"I knew you would find your way back, but you found a way through the labyrinth, why have you returned?"

"First off, still ticked about the whole knock you out chain you to pillars thing, second, seriously, what the fuck happened to you, lastly, we need Ariadne's string, so the Titans can't get it to attack camp." I told him in a bitter tone.

"I do apologize, I had a lapse of judgement, the chaining was so you didn't roll into any of my inventions while you were unconscious, and the keys were within reach for when you woke up."

"Well, we got out, so can you tell us where the string is." Selina cut him off, obviously pissed we had to go through the whole sandwich ordeal for nothing.

"That is why I am in such a sorry state. Menoetius, Titan of ghosts, came here just after you escaped, I fought him as long as I could, but my soul was weak, he tore it right out of me and released it into the labyrinth itself. It would take the combined might of the gods to destroy my maze now. He took the string and left me to die. It was my final stand." Daedalus said, his voice trailing off at the end, his eyes dulling. The machinery that was keeping the ancient inventor alive finally gave way, and Daedalus found peace at last.

"Shouldn't we be running, Chiron said that Daedalus was the only thing keeping the labyrinth standing, shouldn't it start collapsing?" Selina asked worriedly, but I shook my head, processing what Daedalus said with his final breath.

"You heard what he said, his life force was keeping the maze going. This titan, Menoetius, took his life force and released it to the maze itself. He was living on pure will power when we found him."

"He also said it was his final stand, remember the prophecy, a child of Athena's final stand that was Daedalus." Beck piped in

"Right, and he said Menoetius was Titan of ghosts, he might call himself the ghost king. Daedalus was also the one to feel his wrath." Selina added.

"Unless he has more wrath to give." I finished on a dreary tone.

"Let's worry about this prophecy later, for now, let's find a way to get out of here, this place gives me the hibijebes." Racheal said heading for the door out.

"I have a better Idea." I stopped her, "I think I can shadow travel the four of us to camp, Rachel can head back to New York City from there." Beck and Selina nodded, but Racheal looked worried

"Where exactly is this camp, and what do you mean 'think' you can get us there." She asked worriedly.

After assuring her that camp was on Long Island and she could find her way to New York easily, I huddled everyone around me and focused on the shadows in this room, and when I felt them reaching for us, I focused on the shadow that was cast by the Big House Porch. I felt a searingly hot tug in my gut and I felt myself being pulled through space in a cold vacuum. I could tell the other didn't like it, but it felt like a super-fast roller coaster.

We landed with a thud on the porch and I gave a victorious smile, before passing out in a heap.

One chapter left in BOTL, the big battle scene, then onto between book stuff and TLO. Quick explanation of Beck's scar for those with questions, roughly the top left quarter of his face, including his eye itself, was covered in a thin coat of molten celestial bronze. He then landed in the water on the edge of Calypso's island which super cooled it so it wouldn't come off. Finally, Calypso enchanted it, unlocking a hidden potential of the metal so it molded to his face and he could see normally, but it still was solid, like face armor grafted to his face.

Merry Christmas, or happy which ever holiday you partake in, I'll have more chapters up soon.

Happy Reading- Centurion Africanus