Rachel's P.O.V.
Percy and I had a conversation that friends would have… the we started talking about me and he asked about my family so naturally I closed up. He's trusting me with his life down here and I'm not even trusting him with my family's story. I suck.
He woke up saying that Kronos, the Titan lord, thanked him but he didn't know what for. He also showed him a vision of Tyson and Grover who still happen to be alive -thank the gods- but are running from monsters in this maze. Running from a snake was the latest he got on them. Alas of course that couldn't be the only problem we had to deal with…
"Earthquake!" Annabeth yelled pulling Percy up by his shoulder from where he'd been sitting on the ground deep in thought about Grover and Tyson.
"This way!" I yelled to them over the rumble. I kept running along the light path on the floor as columns buckled and broke in the shaking caverns.
"Up ahead!" I shouted excitedly. The light was brightest here we had to be there or just on the other side of it.
"No, this is wrong! It should be in the oldest part of the maze!" Annabeth yelled but even she realized she was wrong when we saw the glwoing Greek Delta symbol on the door.
"We're here." I breathed with a smile on my face. Annabeth touched the doors in front of me and they hissed open.
"So much for ancient architecture," Percy mumbled and I elbowed his side knowing Annabeth would already be sore about being wrong. We stepped inside and the first thing we all did was step back.
Daylight shone through glass roofing and it nearly blinded us from the dark tunnels we came from. This is not what you would expect the heart of a maze that's more of a tunnel and dungeon to look like but for some reason… I was expecting it to be the unexpected.
All around were inventions some half built, some in a pile to be repairs, some were even whirring to life with tasks they'd been programmed to do.
"Gods, he's a genius! Look at the curves on this building!" Annabeth gasped running to a blue print.
"Where are we?" Percy asked looking out the bright windows.
"Colorado Springs, the garden of the gods." a voice said from behind. We turned to see a middle-aged man standing on the spiral staircase with a sword drawn.
"You," Annabeth said as if she knew him. "What have you done with Daedalus?" her eyes narrowed as she accused him.
"Trust me, my dear, you don't want to meet him." the man said.
"Look, Mr. Traitor, I didn't fight all those little nasties to come here to see you. Where is DAEDALUS?" she snarled venomously. He leisurely walked down the stairs with his weapon at his side. I noticed Percy eying him doubtfully like he knew this man's skill with a sword. I then noticed his shirt was one I've seen Percy and Annabeth wear. What they are wearing. A Camp Half-Blood counselor's shirt.
"You think I'm an agent of Kronos, that I work for Luke." he said even though it was obvious.
"Well, duh." Annabeth sighed impatiently.
"You're an intelligent girl but your wrong. I only work for myself." At the mention of being wrong I could practically see the gears turn in Annabeth's mind.
"Luke mentioned you. Geryon knew you too, you've been to his ranch." Percy said.
"Of course. I've been almost everywhere even here." he answered. He walked casually by Percy like he wasn't even seeing Percy as a threat. He looked out the window.
"Yesterday it was a skyscraper over Manhattan. The view changes from day-to-day but it always comes back here at some point. The labyrinth likes it here, I suppose."
"You've been here before?" Percy questioned.
"Oh, yes."
"It's an illusion?"
"No, it's the real deal. That's really Colorado." I answered for him.
"You have clear vision. You remind me of another girl I knew. A princess who gave me grief." he addressed me.
"Enough games, Quintus, what have you done to Daedalus?" Annabeth asked.
"My dear, you need lessons from your friend on seeing clearly. I am Daedalus."
"But you're not an inventor, you're a swordsman!" Percy shouted out. Annabeth pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head at his stupid outburst.
"I am both. I'm also an architect, a scholar, I'm pretty good at basketball too for a guy who started two thousand years old," he mused. "A real artist must be good at many things." he said with a wink at me.
"That's true," I agreed. "I can paint with my feet as well as my hands.
"You see?" Daedalus said. "A girl of many talents."
"But you don't look like Daedalus, I saw him in a dream…"Percy started then trailed off staring wide-eyed at the inventor.
"Yes, you've finally guessed the truth."
"You're an automaton, you've made yourself a new body."
"Percy that's not possible-" Annabeth started.
"Do you know what Quintus means my dear?" Quintus chuckled.
"The fifth, in Latin but-"
"This is my fifth body." he pressed a spot on his elbow and a hatch popped open and we saw gears whirring inside him.
"You've found a way to transfer your animus into a machine… that's just… not natural." Annabeth said looking concerned at the investor and a little wary.
"Indeed it's not but I assure you, I'm the very Daedalus." he said and showed a mark on his neck, a brand of a bird.
"A murderer's brand from my mom," Annabeth recognized.
"Mother never let's me forget, no matter what body the mark follows and the pain repeats."
"Murderer, from pushing your nephew Perdix?" Percy guessed.
"I didn't push him-" Daedalus started to get worked up.
"No, you just let him fall." Percy pressed.
Daedalus sighed. "I regret what I did, Percy." he gazed out the window with such a sadness only a broken man could have.
"Since you are Daedalus, why did you come to camp?" Annabeth asked.
"I heard one side from Luke how the place was and I decided to see for myself."
"You are working with Luke then. You spied on us." Percy narrowed his eyes.
"No, I work for no one but myself, I made that clear before."
"Either way you've seen our camp! You can't let Luke through the maze, you're going to help us!" Annabeth shouted with hope.
"I cannot control the maze, Annabeth. Yes I did create it but I allowed the maze to grow and develop on its own accord. The price one pays for the privacy of the gods."
"One if your Daedalus," Percy muttered.
"True, no one else hides from the gods and death." he answered.
"You've hidden from death himself?" I asked.
"Yes, my dear. The only one who can seem to get close enough to harass me is my greatest enemy."
"You mean Minos." Percy supplied.
"Indeed. I made cheating death my ultimate goal and well here I have succeeded." he said.
"Mission accomplished." Annabeth muttered and then we heard a rumbling and bark. Then a familiar friendly hellhound bounded into the room and licked Percy before attacking Daedalus.
"There's my girl! My only companion all these lonely year," Daedalus greeted.
"It worked, the whistle you gave me." Percy said.
"Of course, you have a good heart, Percy. I guess I also felt a bit guilty."
"Guilty?" Annabeth inquired.
"That your quest would end in vain."
"How?"
"Luke already has the string." he answered.
"That's why Luke had been in such a good mood at the arena… He'd already gotten the string." Percy said.
"He sent a horde of… friends to possess it."
"You just gave it up?!" Annabeth yelled.
"Your side is a lost cause, my dear. Your camp cannot hold back the might of Kronos."
"Do you have any idea what you've done? The gods are depending on-"
"Why should I care for the gods?" Daedalus snapped.
"You were punished for a crime you did, sure it was harsh but what you did was horrible! Then you cheated death!" Percy snapped.
"You Greeks wont win this."
I then got a tingling feeling and Mrs. O'Leary's ears perked up.
"Someone's coming!" I warned. Then the doors were pushed open and a boy with black hair and eyes was pushed into the room with chains on his hands.
"Nico." Percy said with concern. Then the ghost and a Kelli came in.
"There you are, old friend." he said.
"Minos," Annabeth regarded coldly.
"What is the meaning of this?" the inventor asked the excheerleader.
"Luke sends his compliments and thought you might want to see your old employer again." she grinned evilly.
"This wasn't part of the bargain."
"No but we already have what we needed from you now it's time to pay others and honor those agreements."
"Treachery," Daedalus said.
"Get used to it." she snarled.
"Nico, are you okay?" Percy asked. Nico nodded.
"Sorry, Percy. Minos convinced me to go back in the maze that you were in danger. I-"
"Your fine, buddy." Percy said then glared at Minos. Whoever this kid was Percy was protective of him more than anyone else it seemed. Then Kelli looked to Percy and was ready to attack.
"Percy you don't think the wings would work?" I asked frantically looking at the bronze strap-on wings that I'd been absent-mindedly playing with.
"You've got five seconds, Percy. Luke wants me to give you the chance to see you camp burn to the ground." Kelli said then Percy pulled out his sword and slashed Nico's chains. He tried to strap Nico up in one of the wing sets but his five seconds were soon up and Kelli attacked.
"I can tell more monsters are coming!" I warned everyone. I finished strapping Nico up in his wings and he tried to get them set on me also. A table flipped over then green fire erupted and Annabeth cursed.
"Stay back guys, it's highly explosive and can't be put out like a normal fire."
"So Percy can't handle this?" Nico asked.
"Water wont end this one, I'm guessing." I told him. Minos began chanting and Nico shouted.
"No!"
"Boy, you don't control me. I've controlled you! A soul for a soul and Daedalus will be used to bring me back!"
"No! I am the son of Hades, be gone!"
"You've no power over me, I'm the lord of the spirits. The ghost king!"
"No, I am." Nico then forgot about finishing the last of my straps and pulled out his black sword. He stabbed his sword into the ground like a butter knife through butter. The ground shook and rumbled, the windows busted out, glass shattering down, and the spirits along with a protesting Minos sank into the ground. Nico collapsed to his knees and I looked to see if Percy and Annabeth were okay. Percy was on his back with Kelli hovering over him for the kill.
"You'll taste wonderful-" she started to say and I grinned as her body went rigid. "No… school… spirit." she muttered then was a pile of gold gust. Percy looked up shocked to see Annabeth holding her knife.
"Thanks, Annie." he said.
"Call me that again and the blade will take a gander through your intestines." she said then rushed to help Nico up with me.
"Go!" Daedalus said. "Mrs. O'Leary and I have got this under control, go!" he ordered. Percy and Annabeth strapped on theirs with each others help and my aid. We got Nico to the window and jumped hoping for the best.