I didn't mention this last chapter as I was in a rush to post it. Anyway, last chapter was supposed to be a back-to-school chapter, as it deals with football and I posted it on the last day of summer vacation where we live.

Setting: The Battle of the Labyrinth

24. Holy crap! Ethan is dancing in the snow wearing only their underwear! What got them into this compromising position?

Ethan Nakamura wanted to join the Titans, but had he known how much red tape there was in regards of proving your worth and loyalty, he would've stuck with the gods. Not only did he have to do some stupid duel to the death later and pledge himself to Kronos, but Luke also wanted him to strip into his underwear for some challenge beforehand.

He'd heard stories about Lercy, and how Luke was apparently an Ethuke shipper, and therefore wisely did not trust the son of Hermes. After all, despite renouncing his godly parent, Luke was still the son of… well, Hermes. So, forgive Ethan for questioning Luke's motives.

Luke scanned over Ethan's body with his eyes. He was hot, but not as hot as Percy. Yes, that's right. Forget everything you were ever told. It was indeed Percy, not Thalia, and not Annabeth, that Luke had the crush on.

Not that Percy's any better. He's even younger than Annabeth. At least Annabeth and Luke were only seven years apart. Luke and Percy are seven years and one month. Oh, the horror!

"What did you want me to do?"

"Dance around in the snow in only your tighty whities." Ethan blushed.

"Wait… it's summer. Why would there be snow?"

"I said so?"

Ethan didn't look convinced.

"I created synthetic snow. It's as cold as the real thing. It even feels like the real thing." Suddenly freezing cold snow started to fall from seemingly nowhere.

Ethan stuck out his tongue like a child would. "Yeah, sorry about that. We haven't figured out the taste part. It'll probably taste like rubber."

Ethan started to rub his tongue with his hands like people do in cartoons when they taste someone awful. Whether or not this actually happens in the cartoons, Milky does not know. The closest she's gotten to watching cartoons is pretending to watch anime. (She doesn't actually watch anime, which explains a lot. Really, she's just a poser like every other Mary-Sue in the book universe.)

Luke pulled out a radio and plugged it in. "Okay, Ethan. Dance."

It was the Macarena, causing Ethan to sigh in relief. At least it was a dance he knew so he wouldn't look like a total idiot. Luke pulled out his camcorder.

"Why are you filming this?"

"Insurance."

Insurance? For what."

"Oh, nothing. Just making sure you don't back out of the Titan's offer. After all, you don't want this experience leaked all over Demigodbook, would you?"

"Are you even allowed on Demigodbook?"

"Silence! Now dance, Nakamura, dance!"

Ethan gulped. Why was he doing this again? Oh, right. Same reason he was currently wearing an eye patch.

Luke continued to film Ethan. "Now do the chicken dance." The song changed to the chicken dance song.

"Seriously?"

"Do you want to join the Titans or not?"

"I'm not quite sure anymore."

"Why do they always say that?" Luke muttered. "Okay, fine. If you don't like the chicken dance I'll change it to chicken noodle soup."

Ethan really didn't want to dance, but he forced himself to, thinking about how better the world would be when he joined the titans.

He danced for the duration of the song. It changed to another song. "Now, show me that you're happy and you know it."

Luke was starting to sound less like a bad guy and more like one of those celebrity photographers in the movies.

Ethan clapped his hands and stomped his feet miserably. He really started wondering whether changing the world for the better actually was worth an eye, a death tournament, and dancing in his underwear in front of a pedo-Luke. (He had a crush on a twelve-year-old when he was nineteen. If that's not pedophilia what is?)

Ethan groaned. Couldn't Nemesis have at least warned him of what he was getting himself into? Apparently not.

"Okay, I'm changing the song again. This one is annoying." Luke announced. It changed to Baby by Justin Bieber.

"This one is even more annoying!" Ethan cried out, his ears bleeding.

"Do you need a Band-Aid?" Luke asked.

"No, you imbecile." Ethan screamed, trying to resist the urge to pummel him. As tempting as it sounded, he doubted he would get any points within the Titan army if he beat up Luke. "Please just change the song!"

"Fine." Luke hit the skip button. Single Ladies from Beyoncé came on.

Ethan could only groan again.

"Here." Luke said, holding out some black fabric. "I don't want you to get frostbite."

"Yeah, thanks for that." Ethan responded sarcastically. Ethan took it from his hand. Apparently, since Ethan was dancing to Single Ladies, he needed to dress like Beyoncé. He was holding a leotard that looked just like the one in the video. Ethan glared at Luke, who waited patiently for him to put it on while Luke restarted the song.

After that nightmare was over, Luke announced that there were only two more songs Ethan had to dance to. He started to play the next one.

Ethan recognized it as the Hokey Pokey. "Okay! That's it. I'm done." He started to leave but Luke caught him. "Congratulations, you passed. You are officially part of the Titan army."

"Really." Ethan looked happy.

"Also, I want to make you my second-in-command of some sort. When Kronos reforms you can be the one beside him." For some reason Luke seemed to have an issue with talking about Kronos reforming, but Ethan didn't pay much attention to it. He had been told what Luke was supposed to do and he figured Luke was sad that he wouldn't be around to see the Titan's victory. What Luke had to do seemed like a good price to pay to insure their win. Ethan admired him for that.

"Wait… why?"

"You were the only recruit that made it past the Justin Bieber."

1. I always did wonder why Ethan seemed to be Kronos's second-in-command throughout TLO.