Hey guys, hope you enjoy this chapter- in which Alabaster is, as usual, a dick, Annabeth is very much in love, Percy is smart and Leo does not like people hurting his big sister. Please please do review, I'm not getting nearly as many reviews as I used to.

There was a moment of shocked silence all around before Alabaster spoke again, "Your deal was with Antaeus. Not with me."

"I know." Percy tried not to shake as she stared up at Alabaster.

"You won't get away this time Perce. Love-"

"I'm not your love Alabaster." Percy gripped her dagger tightly.

She knew how serious the situation was- of course she did. How could she not? They were trapped and helplessly outnumbered by monsters. She wasn't sure how they were going to get out of this.

"How did you escape?"

"Luck." Percy lied, "Not that I didn't nearly die." she held up her wrist to show the bandages wrapped around it, "Gonna be scarred for life from that little magic band of yours."

"Shame it didn't do it's job better-"

"If it had I'd be dead."

"If it had you wouldn't have gotten away." Alabaster's voice was sharp. "Come back of your own free will, you won't be mistreated-"

"So this time I won't be locked up and have you come in and hurt me at least once a day?" Percy raised an eyebrow, "Good to know."

"Well if you wouldn't be so stubborn-"

"It's not happening Alabaster."

"Oh it is." Alabaster smirked, "In case you haven't notice you're outnumbered." he was moving then, leaping down from the seat of honor and landing in the arena- and Percy's eyes narrowed because no way should be be totally fine after a jump like that.

"Hey! Hey stay away from her!" that yell came from Leo- and Percy glanced towards him- wincing when she saw that the giant who was holding Annabeth was also holding Leo now, who was kicking and struggling frantically, and Annabeth was snarling and trying to break free from the giants grip too- even Rachel was trying to put up a fight, kicking back helplessly as Kelli held her tightly.

"Ignore them." Alabaster's voice was smooth and Percy's gaze snapped back towards him and she gripped her dagger tighter, glaring fiercely at him, holding it out threateningly as he approached.

"One more step and I'll stab you-"

"Oh come on Princess, we both already know that you can't hurt me." Alabaster smirked, and he moved lightning fast, and Percy only just managed to drop and roll in time to avoid him snatching her wrist- and she was rising up behind him, swinging around with her dagger to try and catch him from behind even if she knew it wouldn't actually do any good- and Alabaster managed to turn in time to catch the blade with his bare hand, fingers curling around it and he yanked it towards himself, and Percy stumbled forward, crying
out when his other hand was suddenly wrapped around her waist and he was leaning in close.

"You did well to get away from me for as long as you did princess. But you should have known it wouldn't last. You and I belong together- And soon enough you won't ever be able to escape me again."

And Percy could hear Rachel and Leo screaming cursing Alabaster as they tried to get free and Alabaster tore the dagger from her grip, tossing it to the ground. "Let me go." Percy snarled the words, "Let me go Alabaster-"

"Or what Perce? What are you gonna do? You can't hurt me." he gripped her chin tightly, tilting her head up very slightly to force her to look him in the eye as she hammered frantically on his chest, fist pounding as hard as she could.

"I'll use my powers-"

"Will you?" Alabaster snorted, "You looked like you were going to throw up when you used them on the son of Nemesis, you don't like that side of your powers- silly really, it's stunning- you're lethal and you don't even know how powerful you could be yet- you could be so so much more Percy-" he paused, head snapping to the side when there was suddenly yelling and- Percy's eyes widened when her head snapped to the side to look too and she saw that Leo was on fire- he'd burned the giant- and the Giant had dropped Annabeth too- and Leo was rushing at Kelli as Annabeth came sprinting towards her and Alabaster.

"Get your fucking hands off my girlfriend you creep!"

"Well well well, if it isn't my least favorite daughter of Athena." Alabaster's voice was mocking and suddenly Percy's back was to Alabaster's chest and his hand was wrapped around her throat, cutting off her air as he called out. "Kill them all! But leave the daughter of Poseidon to me!" and all of the monsters in the audience drew their weapons or extended their claws, and Percy felt her terror rising as she tried to kick backwards, trying to hit his knee, not that it did any good.

And she was starting to feel light headed and Annabeth could see that because even as she rushed towards them her expression turned frantic, "Stop it! Stop it you'll kill her!"

"Stay back then." Alabaster called out, "Stay back and let the monsters kill you and I will loosen my grip."

"Fine!" Annabeth looked like she was going to cry, "Please just let her breathe." she skidded to a halt, holding up her hands, and Alabaster's grip on Percy's throat loosened very slightly, enough to let her suck in a desperately needed breath.

"That's right." Alabaster's voice was almost mocking, "Never forget who has the power here. Percy's mine just as she should be-"

"You don't love her." and even as Annabeth and Alabaster spoke Percy's mind was spinning- Leo had managed to free Rachel at least, dragging her towards Annabeth- but Kelli was only wounded and she was advancing slowly- clearly aware that her pray was trapped- and monsters were approaching all around.

They needed some way out, something unexpected.

"You know, these days I really don't care anymore." Alabaster remarked, flexing his fingers around Percy's throat. "I keep being told that I'm just obsessed- but I'd call it love, and really I'm the only one who matters over this aren't I? And she's mine. You'll all die here today and that- that'll make her mine. That'll break her-"

"You're sick." Rachel spat the words, her eyes glinting with fury, "You're a sick creep preying on my friend and I swear-"

"You'll do what?" Alabaster sneered, "In case you haven't noticed you're just some stupid little mortal girl who got lucky enough to meet Percy. That doesn't make you special."

And then Percy felt it. She felt something in the pocket of her leather jacket- something so cold it almost burned- and her eyes widened when she remembered the whistle and she moved very carefully, sliding her hand into her pocket. She remembered Clarisse's words- how she'd said about how she'd like to see Alabaster get near her if Mrs O'Leary was around. Well she hoped the other girl was right. "P-please." she stammered the word, her heart pounding, "Please Alabaster let me go. Please don't do this to me again." the more scared she seemed the more of a chance she had of pulling this off.

She hadn't wanted to use the whistle- but... well if there was ever a time that counted as a last resort this was it.

She managed to pull the whistle out and lift it to her lips before Alabaster could realize what she was doing and she blew into it hard.

It didn't make any sound and it shattered into shards of ice, melting in her hand.

Then Alabaster was gripping her throat tightly again.

"What was that supposed to do?" he demanded, "What did you-" he was cut off by a crash from behind them and a loud snarl.

Less than a second later Alabaster was suddenly being picked up like a chew toy and tossed through the air into a wall by the giant hellhound, who growled slowly when several monsters tried to get closer, and they faltered in the face of the giant hellhound.

"Run!" Percy yelled the word, and none of them hesitated.

"The far exit!" Rachel yelped the words, "That's the right way!"

And together they took off across the Arena, Mrs. O'Leary right behind them, snarling and smashing away anyone that even tried to get to the group of teens as they fled.

Alabaster did manage to haul himself to his feet- but it didn't do him much good because when he tried to move to intercept them and cut them off Leo sped up, an uncharacteristic snarl on his face, and when he reached Alabaster he smashed a flaming fist into Alabaster's face- and Alabaster jerked back, probably more from surprise than anything else as Leo snarled and drew back his fist
again and punched Alabaster in the stomach, setting his clothes on fire.

"Stay the fuck away from my big sister you creep." and then Annabeth and Rachel were gripping Percy's arms as they sprinted past Alabaster and Leo kicked him away before he turned and followed behind them close, Mrs. O'Leary and Ethan just behind them.

They burst through the far exit and Rachel didn't even hesitate, "This way!" and she was dragging Percy with her down the corridor.

"This better not lead us into another death trap." Annabeth snapped- and it was unfair, but Annabeth was panicked and shaken from what had happened, "You practically handed us over to Alabaster Rachel! What were you thinking?"

"I didn't know! That was the right path-"

"Not the time!" Leo almost screamed the words, "Run! Before the King Creep Supreme pulls himself together and comes after us!"

"Ugh! Fine." Annabeth groaned, but she let Rachel drag them along- and Rachel did, she whipped around corners and didn't even hesitate at crossroads.

At one point she yelled, "Duck!" and they all did, a huge axe swinging over their heads- if they hadn't then they'd have all been made a great deal shorter than they were, but Rachel didn't even falter.

Percy lost track of how many turns they made- though when she realized that she could no longer hear the ground shaking noise of Mrs O'Leary running she tried to turn back, but Annabeth and Rachel both tightened their grips on her arms and kept running.

"But Mrs O'Leary!"

"Percy she's a hellhound she can handle herself." Annabeth gasped out, "Come on-"

"But she saved-"

"Percy if you don't move then we're all dead!"

And Percy forced herself to look ahead, trying to ignore the leaden feeling in the pit of her stomach at the thought of abandoning the sweet gigantic dog who had taken such a shine to her.

They didn't come to a stop until they reached a room the size of a gymnasium with old marble columns holding up the roof.

Ethan and Leo swung the doors shut behind them and Leo pressed himself against it, pressing his ear to it, panting, his eyes wide, "I
can't hear anything- I think we actually got away."

"You-" Ethan's voice was a gasp as he dropped to the floor, "You people are crazy." he pulled off his helmet, his face gleamed with sweat and he let his head drop forward as he tried to catch his breath.

"This coming from the boy who was gonna join the Titans." Leo shot back, "You can call us crazy all you want but at least we don't wanna join up with creeps like Alabaster-"

"Judge me all you want." Ethan glared, "You don't know what it's like-"

"I tried-"

"You did the best you could." Ethan's expression softened slightly when he looked over at Percy, "And I'm real sorry for- whatever the fuck is going on between you and Alabaster. But I'm not joining because of him-"

"Ethan please they made us fight just for entertainment-"

"Yeah and you tried to drown me by- whatever the hell it is you did." his voice was sharper, his expression shifting to anger at her words as he dragged himself to his feet, "Sure you try to be good but you can be just as cruel as them don't act as if you're perfect-" And Percy flinched back as if she'd been struck- and Leo surged forward, grabbing Ethan by the straps of his armor.

"Don't talk to my sister like that! She's nothing like that creep-"

"Yeah? Why don't you get her to do it to you and see how it feels-"

"I didn't- I didn't mean too-"

"Yeah. That's what's terrifying." Ethan shoved Leo hard, breaking free from his grip as Annabeth and Rachel moved to Percy's side, Annabeth grabbing her hand and Rachel laying a hand on her shoulder.

Ethan shook his head, stepping away from them, "Are you going to let me out?" because clearly he realized that he was out numbered. If they wanted to keep him there then they could.

"Please Ethan." Annabeth's voice was soft, "You said it yourself you know Percy did the best she could and she- whatever happened in the arena was an accident. We're going to find Daedalus. Help us, you'll be welcome back at camp, no one needs to know that you nearly joined them."

"You really are crazy if you think Daedalus will help you."

"He has to," Annabeth said. "We'll make him listen."

Ethan snorted. "Yeah, well. Good luck with that."

"You know, you're kind of an asshole." Rachel snapped, "We're trying to help you here, what are you going to do? I can see through the mist, I can find my way through the Labyrinth, you'll get lost on your own."

Ethan shook his head, turning his gaze to Percy. "Well. What are you going to do?"

And Percy stared at him for a long moment before she swung her gaze to Leo. "Let him go." her voice was tight. "If he wants to go into the maze that's fine. We can't force him not to."

"Fine." Leo grimaced and opened the doors, letting out a breath as he did, and Ethan nodded and moved towards them, glancing back as he did.

"You shouldn't have spared me Jackson. You're too soft. I'd have just killed me here and now. Mercy has no place in war. You're too weak."

And then he was gone, running into the darkness, his words filling the air around them.