Chapter 9: Unlikely Escape

Annabeth

"What is this?!"

A pair of concerned voices echoed after me.

"What the hell happened?!"

Meeting up with Thalia and Piper, my best friends weren't the only ones waiting for us. Between them, I saw Jason in a gravely wounded state, but at least he was alive. The horrible cuts on every part of his body, a bullet hole in his gut, and the hurried wrapped bandages Piper helped him in didn't seem to help the pained look on his face.

But that's not all.

Thalia, Piper, and Jason weren't the only ones waiting. There were at least a dozen soft whispers around us, and if my estimation was correct, around twenty more people in tattered clothes were waiting as well.

"Who are these people?" Percy asked.

After venturing across the misty room filled in darkness, we came out the other side to a chamber with only one exit: back the way we came in.

"They are all Half-Bloods who've been in captivity in holding cells just the room before." Piper explained as she cradled Jason in her arms, "We freed them, and they are going to Camp Half-Blood as soon as we get out of here."

I looked behind Piper, the twenty-something Half-Bloods who had been held prisoner were all looking at me. The youngest one among them was no older than twelve years old, and she was crying.

"Shh… It's okay." One of the older girls calmed her down, "She's in a better place, Shelly. It's okay now."

The young girl refused and shook her head desperately amidst her tears. My heart wrenched as I had a feeling what they were talking about.

While Percy hung back with Rachel who was holding Illya up from her twisted ankle, I was approached by a boy my age with a skinny build, he had brown hair and dark olive eyes.

"Nice to meet you, Lady Annabeth." He came up and greeted me, "I am Travis. This is my brother, Connor. We are both sons of Hermes."

Connor looked the exact same as his brother.

Expecting a reply, I could only mumble with a dry throat, "Right…"

They shared a sympathetic look with me, "We had been taking care of the little one ever since we were captured, but we couldn't save one of our own."

"I am sorry." That was all I could say, "But this isn't the place to chat, we should get out of here first."

Thalia came up beside me, "Annabeth is right. We are getting out of here together, so keep everyone close and wait for my mark."

The Half-Bloods who had been in captivity for who knows how long nodded in agreement. The older ones immediately tend to the smaller ones. Of course, my sweet boyfriend and the rest of my friends went to help as well.

Thalia whispered next to me, "So, what happened? Why is Drew here?"

Before Drew could tiptoe away, I pulled her back and kept my hidden knife at her back. She tried to mumble, but luckily, I put a tape over her mouth since she wouldn't stop talking when we came back down to the lab. Now she couldn't speak, and I wouldn't want her to talk now, especially when there were kids here who had been in a terrible situation.

"She was waiting in the mansion to ambush us. Don't worry, we managed to stop her."

Thalia just nodded without surprise, "You will have to tell me everything after we get back. Let me take Drew for now, you can help take care of the others."

I agreed.

"Percy? Let's go."

My boyfriend made eye contact with Rachel and apologized. He quickly skipped over and followed closely behind me, "Annabeth, I…"

I didn't stop him. He didn't falter either as he kept me by his side. It was such a small gesture, but that alone eased the numbing pain eating away at my heart.

I finally sighed and looked at him fully, "We can talk about it later, okay?"

An equally long sigh escaped his heavy chest since he had been holding it in for a while. His relief made me feel a lot better too, "Right. We will talk later. Let's go and help everyone."

Percy went around to help another group. Meanwhile, I went to Travis and Connor who seemed to be their leader as they ushered everyone to partner up.

But even as I tried to help everyone, I got the feeling that most seemed a bit uneasy around me.

"Please don't mind it too much, Annabeth." Travis said as if he read my thoughts, "You are not exactly a regular Half-Blood, and given your royalty status being Athena's only daughter, I am sure everyone is just a bit nervous and doesn't know how to react to you."

I could only nod timidly, "Ah,"

"They'll warm up to you in no time." Connor reassured with a big grin, though I wondered how he managed to smile like that after all they've been through.

"I am sorry you all have to go through this because of me."

They chuckled, "It's not your fault, Annabeth. If anything, we should have been more careful when we mounted a rescue mission."

Huh? Wait, so Travis and Connor weren't captured because of Amk, but because they were trying to save the Half-Bloods being held here? That just left more questions out in the open. If they had that intel, why didn't my mother do anything about it?

"Speaking of which, do you know where my mother is?"

They shared an uncomfortable look.

I waited anxiously until Travis spoke up, "She was here with Jason when they came to investigate, but before they could free us, Amk's soldiers ambushed them. They were trapped in this chamber for a while. When Thalia and Piper rescued us, we only saw Jason lying in a pool of blood. Lady Athena was nowhere in sight. The only thing we found was this…"

Connor took out something behind his back and handed it to me. It was a silver ring with a tiny crystal attached up top. It looked ordinary. There was nothing special about its design or carving, nothing to suggest a hidden power lying dormant when wearing it.

"It was beside Jason when we found him. Thalia told us this wasn't his, so we assumed it belong to Athena." I took the ring from him, "I don't know what it is, but I am sure you'll figure it out."

Mom… Finally knowing what happened to Jason put my heart at ease, but then my mother who was still missing...

I bit my lips and forced the tears back.

"Thanks," I smiled weakly at the brothers who looked more like twins, then without analyzing it, I threw the ring into my bracelet, "Now, let's go out of here before it's too late-ee…"

I stumbled, followed by sudden lightheadedness that put my balance wobbly.

"Annabeth?" The twins asked me when I paused, "Is everything okay?"

All six senses went haywire, a disturbing feeling evoked from the base of my spine all the way to my head. I didn't know what was going on except that some kind of danger was on its way.

"You said my mother and Jason were trapped in this room for a while, didn't you?"

They nodded quietly.

I looked around quickly and caught my eyes with Percy. He was searching for me too, the look on his face suggested he felt the same thing I did. His eyes suddenly widened and snapped to look up.

"Everyone take cover!" Percy screamed.

Just as his warning reached everyone's ears, a thunderous crack in the ceiling above shook this room like a magnitude ten earthquake. I looked up, the cracks weren't random. It was crossed-shaped, a clean separation that wouldn't have been naturally occurring.

"Watch out!" Percy ran to tackle a young boy out of the way just in time.

Raining dirt and sand blocks as big as boulders, the earth above came crashing down on us, sediment exploded on impact and filled the room with scattered pebbles and rocks.

"Get away from the middle!" Percy shouted and helped the younger Half-Blood by shielding their heads and leading them from the center of the room.

My heart sank, then I quickly figured it out.

I knew it! That unusual green lawn… Alpha and Omega symbols… It was the beginning and the end of everything!

"Get out now!" I screamed.

This was their plan all along, they were trying to bury us alive!

Hurried, I helped everyone toward the exit, but of course, the steel door automatically slammed shut on us. Even with Thalia's agility and her close proximity, she wasn't able to reach in time.

We were trapped.

"Damn it!" Thalia struck the door with her obsidian spear and the ensuring loud vibration echoed. It didn't even make a dent, "Percy! Annabeth! Try to break it free with me!"

With Piper taking care of Jason and the captive Half-Bloods in such a frail state, I ordered everyone to stay near us just in case we could get it open, but also because the cracks were located in the center, the resulting impact would be the most sever there. At least over here, we would have a chance to think of a plan until the ceiling collapse.

"Three, two, one!"

We made consecutive strikes at the steel beam locking the door in place. While Percy and I did nothing with our new sword but bounced back, Thalia's spear made an incredible dent, and all because she used her obliterating art abilities.

"If only we can do that…" Percy groaned.

"Yes, you can! Just focus! Your powers might be latent, but just try to channel that energy into your swords." Thalia gave us an impromptu explanation and readied her spear, "Those swords will respond to you only if you let them take over and link your body and mind with it."

Percy and I shared a troubled look.

"Hurry! The ceiling is going to come down!"

I shook my head and grumbled.

As impossible as it was crazy, Thalia couldn't have expected us to learn a skill spontaneously that would have taken us days to practice, not least master, even less so when we were standing on our imminent grave tomb.

"Muuawwh!" I couldn't help it, but I knew as well as Percy did that this wasn't the time to doubt ourselves, we need to do this, or else everyone here was going to be buried underneath a pile of rubble.

"Let's do it, wise girl," Percy spoke, the subtle confidence was enough for me to feel his willpower running through my veins and giving me newfound strength.

I nodded and kept my eyes on his green ones, "I am ready seaweed brain."

Like Thalia said, our demigod powers weren't at the stage where we could manipulate on command, but if we focus on that celestial energy, we might be able to call forth that latent power hidden within us and use our unique obliterating art technique, and that's all we needed for this one time so we can break away the steel beam and escaped to safety.

With that goal in mind, we focused our imagination, or we tried to…

"Hurry up, please? I can't use it any more than the next hit."

"Shut up and let us focus!" We shouted.

Eyes closed, Percy reached out to hold my left hand, our new swords hanging in our right hand. Slowly but surely, he brought us closer, closer, much closer…

I would have blushed under normal circumstances.

But…

Our minds eased, slow breaths escaped from our lips and our foreheads met halfway. I held him just as close, my fingers wiggled through his and connected our palms.

It was mildly peaceful.

A sharp ting echoed beside us.

Momentarily thrown out of my head, deep vibration jolted me toward a dizzy haze, a forceful tingle snapped my sense in half. I was lightheaded for a moment, then…

"Where are we?"

I opened my eyes and gasped.

"This isn't…"

Leaped from reality, our bodies were now in a different realm, limitless white skies accompanied by an endless blue lake as far as the eyes could see. Standing on top of crystal clear water were us, our reflection rippled and bounced away each time we moved.

Looking down, something was shimmering beneath the lake, almost like it was calling out for us to reach for it. I looked at Percy, we both have our swords in hand.

We nodded.

Together, we dipped our swords into the lake. The distorted shimmers glowed brighter in response. Out of nowhere, we were forcefully dragged deep within the vast and infinite sea. We couldn't escape, our only choice was to submerge deeper and deeper into darkness.

At the same time, the shimmering began to take on a new shape as we sank with our swords. It looked like a long shaft, gold in color and three prongs were sticking out from the top.

Vaguely, it looked like a….

I blinked and open my mouth, but immediately bubbles drowned my words.

Like magnets, Percy and I were diving straight down toward the golden spear stuck upright on a raised platform, a throne sat behind it with dozens more stone slabs surrounding the area. This was it, the shimmering that was calling out for us.

A huge amount of energy was pulsing outward from the divine-looking object. Percy shared a look with me as we flowed weightlessly beside it. I knew what he was saying.

Hands reached out, we kept our eyes on each other.

Then I wrapped my fingers around the shaft as Percy put his hand over mine.

Zzzingg!

A riptide shockwave blasted outward from the spear. We held on desperately, and despite not being able to pull it free, I felt a tremendous amount of power running through every part of my body. It felt as if I was rediscovering something familiar, something that's always been a part of me.

When the rip current finally ebbed, I heard a voice underneath this darkness passing through, followed by a dimly lit ray of light where it cast a bright glow around the object and us holding it.

"You'll learn this power soon enough, my children." He spoke, his voice tired and heavy but unfathomably wise, "But now is not the time."

We looked up at the light beam but there was nothing to be found.

"Now go! May you find the strength to keep fighting, to keep hope despite the endless despair you'll face in our unlikely future, that is your destiny."

And with his final warnings, this world hurled us in every direction, twisting us up and down, inside and out. Every thought in my head hurt like hell, a vortex tornado intended on destroying every brain cell in its path. Percy held me tightly to his body as we crashed into an incongruous mess that left me with more questions than answers...

Before my vision swirled to darkness, I kept my eyes on the golden shimmer, the divine authority it emanated, in the form of a long spear with three spikes that withstood the test of time.

There was no doubt. What Percy and I saw and touched with our hands…

It was the legendary Trident of Poseidon.

…..

…..

…..

"Hey!"

I turned my head. I could hear my best friend's voice screaming.

"Hey! Stop spacing out already!"

I blinked! My eyes fluttered open to a chaotic scene from one of those latest action movies. Taken from a peaceful blue skies and white clouds Elysium, I was driven back to reality.

A light squeeze on my hand brought my attention to the boy with sea-green eyes. Percy pointed his gaze at me. I blinked at him. Together, we came to the same conclusion: that was no normal daydream. We found our hidden power!

"Geez! We all know you love each other, so can you two save the hugging for later and help out!?" Her plead grew desperate.

I finally looked away from Percy and took in my surroundings. It was complete darkness around us, only a layer of translucent rainbow-blue hue shaped in a dome gave us what little light possible. Around us, everyone was shaking in fear, especially the younger kids.

"What happened?"

Thalia was bending at her right knee against the floor, a river of sweat dripped from her forehead and clung to her shirt like she took a dip in a swimming pool. Both her arms were held up high, a light beam streamed between her palms, yet they trembled against a massive weight that threatened to crush every bone in her body. Despite being overwhelmed, she struggled valiantly with an animalist roar back.

"What do you think?! The ceiling collapsed! We are trying to hold it back, so hurry up and cut that beam before we get buried!"

Illya and Piper were helping her maintain this shield, and from the looks of it, they won't last much longer than a few minutes.

Percy turned back to me, his smile confident and hopeful.

"Let's do it, wire girl."

Leveling his sword, I placed my own on his until the flat of our blades connect. With Percy leading the way, I felt unexplainably at ease, like utilizing our secret art technique won't be difficult at all.

Just how much stronger will you get, Percy?

"I am ready, seaweed brain."

Channeling the same energy in our shared dream, I focused. Intense wavelength of that immense strength rose from the bottom of my heart, rushing over every vein in my body. I focused more, letting it travel down my right arm toward my sword.

A white blueish tint slowly emanated from our right side.

But I didn't stop focusing. I kept my eyes close and reached for the deepest part of that untapped energy. There was so much more potential hidden within me, and I want to see how far I can take it. Of course, no sooner after I tried, it felt as if pieces of glass were cutting my vein open.

A soft groan left me and my grip faltered.

Despite the sudden lapse, I quickly refocus and held onto what I could handle.

"I can feel the energy flowing through me… Let do it, wise girl."

I opened my eyes. My sword was now glowing bright blue while Percy's sword was glowing green, the dual contrast casting a colorful hue over our faces.

I bit my lips and nodded back, "We'll do it together, seaweed brain."

It was pure instinct beyond this point, my body intrinsically knew what to do, guiding me to the steel beam locking us in our grave. Thalia's effort had really done a number on the thick beam, her overpowered ability was able to break away half of the steel already. But now, our only hope rested on the energy pulsating over our blades.

"Hurried! I can't hold it much longer!" Thalia clenched her eyes shut.

We lowered our stance and leveled our blades horizontally. This was the moment of truth, whether our strikes hit the target or not would determine all of our outcomes; I wasn't about to fail, and I knew Percy felt the same way. We couldn't fail now, not when everyone was counting on us.

An overwhelming level of celestial energy filled our blades to emit even brighter colors than before, an audible vibration droned outward and even began to create whirlwinds around us. We were more than ready to give it everything we've got.

Our eyes narrowed on the half-an-inch thick steel left intact and draw our arms back.

And finally…

"Huuuuaahhh!"

We launched like a speeding bullet at the same time. The tip of our longswords met the chipped-away steel beam dead center. A loud shockwave blasted backward, bright flashes blinded me and I was thrown back a few feet before a loud, definitive clank echoed.

I looked up after landing on my butt, Percy crouched beside me.

As our new high-priority swords faded from blue and green, the attacks worked! The steel lock holding us was finally broken! It was all thanks to our newly acquired obliterating art technique that helped snap the beam in half where a normal attack wouldn't even make a dent.

"We did it!" I almost screamed with joy.

Percy was as thrilled as I was, but without missing a beat, Piper ruined the mood for us, "Celebrate later! Everyone get out now!"

I wanted to pout, but our dire situation took precedence over my feelings of elation right now.

Really, Piper sure was amazing. Despite protecting Jason in her arms, she also helped support the barrier to keep us from being buried. I had nothing but admiration for her resolve.

"Let me help you." I rushed to help her with Jason who was really in a bad state.

With the beam out of the way, forcing open the reinforced door was as easy as moving a feather, the latch systems made it a hundred times simpler, and for three boys, that task was a piece of cake.

"It's open!"

Connor and Travis helped the injured and little ones out first, Percy followed suit and helped Illya who had a twisted ankle. Rachel hurried out while pacing Drew forward. Everyone was out and safe, Thalia was the only one left as she held the barrier still.

"Thalia!"

"Just get ready to close the door again!"

Percy, Connor, and Travis immediately went to either side of the handles.

"We are ready!"

I watched in awe as Thalia screamed with fury, "Huuuuaahhh!"

She was just as amazing as Piper. Despite holding up the literal earth from burying us, she still have the strength and managed to send her barrier shield forward like a bulldozer. It gave her just enough time to run back. Her legs wobbled a bit before she took an impressive dive through the gap and came crashing onto the floor.

"Close it!"

Percy as well as the twin brothers pushed with everything they've got, sealing the doors and flipping the switch to activate the emergency locking.

Not a second later, we heard loud and heavy sounds of rocks, blocks of dirt and sand, every inch of the sediment above slamming against the reinforced door. Percy and the twins backed away slowly, each holding their breaths until the sounds stopped after a minute. It was eerily quiet now.

"Thalia…"

I rushed to my best friend. She was crawling a bit on her hands and managed to sit up, but I knew from just looking that she could barely move her legs.

"I am okay, Annabeth…" Her reassurance came with a few exhausted coughs, "Let's get out of here before Walter can leave any more surprise for us."

I nodded. If trying to bury us didn't work, surely he'll try something else. It's already a miracle we manage to get this far.

"I'll help you. Just lean on me."

"No, you have to help the others and protect everyone." Thalia struggled to her feet despite her trembling that threaten to send her falling, "I won't be able to fight anymore."

Then she smiled, "It's up to you to keep everyone safe now."

It was a smile that made me conflicted. I wanted to protect everyone just like Thalia asked, but can I actually do that? Thalia was… no, she had always been the one to take charge in situations like this. Even in my life, she was always there to guide me through every little trouble I faced.

I couldn't do this without her leading the way, it's just not possible for me…

"Chin up, wise girl…"

Percy bumped my shoulders and smiled, "You don't have to do this alone. I'll always be there with you every step of the way."

He was right. I wasn't alone. I'll always have him at my side, and everyone here was supporting me in their own ways. I couldn't let them down now.

Keeping me in his gaze, I fell hard into his vast emerald waves. He made me feel confident just being next to me, and I just couldn't bear to let him down too.

I nodded back, "Let's go then. I need you to help Piper and Jason, Percy. I'll take care of Illya and Rachel can help with Thalia."

As I made a plan to get us out of this mess with as little fanfare as possible, the twins immediately went to take care of the younger Half-Bloods, though I asked Travis to keep an eye on Drew just in case. He followed my command without missing a beat, forcing Drew forward but keeping her away from the main group.

"Let's head back up, everyone! I'll ask Owlfred to pick us up once our communication is restored." I addressed the whole group and led the way.

Before I could get us going, Rachel whispered, "You really are amazing, Annabeth."

As I supported Illya with her twisted ankle, Rachel's praise and her genuine smile gave me the strength to keep going, "Let's get out of here first, then you can tell me how amazing I am."

Slowly and steadily, we made it back to the lab where Walter conducted his immoral experiments on the Half-Bloods he captured. The sight of this room seemed to unsettle a few of them, mostly the younger ones.

Then I saw the same young girl from before.

She had brown hair and violet eyes. Her small figure looked very weak, a sign that she's been abused thoroughly. She was crying the most after learning about what happened.

I went over to pat her head, "What's your name?"

She looked up at me with big teary eyes, "Shelly…"

I whispered, "It's okay, Shelly… Do you know what happens when the ones we loved are gone?"

She shook her head

"They lived inside here." I placed my hand over her heart, "They are never truly gone. Even if you can't see her anymore, their memories are always a part of you. I know it might be frightening right now, but that pain isn't forever."

Her big doe-eyes stared right into mine.

"One day, those memories will come back when you needed them the most. They are going to give you the strength to push forward. Do you know why?"

She chewed her lips.

"Because you loved her very much, isn't that right?"

Her eyes wet with fresh tears, she threw herself into my body and hugged me without letting go. Her cries were loud and powerful, and I could only pat her small back in a soothing up and down motion.

"I missed her! I- I… I missed Mera so much!"

I felt tears filling my eyes as well, "I know, Shelly… It's okay. You are okay."

As we made a scene, I began to notice everyone watching. I couldn't tell exactly what they were all thinking, but when I looked at my seaweed brain, I felt something warm tugging heavily against my heart. I felt… overwhelmed.

Slowly, Shelly's grip around me loosen and she pulled herself away.

"I'll be here if you need someone to cry on, Shelly." I brushed her hair, "Everyone here will be there for you, so don't worry. You are not alone."

"I am not alone…" She repeated those words and wiped her red eyes, "T-Thank you, big sister Annabeth." She placed her hand across her chest, "I won't ever forget."

"Good girl," I pat her head, "Now stay close with the group. We are going to get you and everyone back home where we are safe, okay?"

"Hm!"

Giving Shelly back to one of the older girls, I noticed a faint smile on her frail but soft features. Her long honey blonde hair and brown doe eyes complement her fair skin to an alluring degree. I wouldn't be surprised if she was yet another daughter of Aphrodite.

"Thank you, Lady Annabeth." She tilted her head and smiled, "I am thankful you saved all of us, and I am really sorry about your mother."

"It's okay. I'll find my stubborn mother eventually." I managed a smile back, "And you don't have to call me Lady Annabeth. It's weird."

"Well, you are Lady Athena's daughter and a part of the royal family." Her smiles grew wry, "But if you insist, then I won't call you by your proper title anymore."

I sighed with relief, "By the way, can you tell me your name?"

She smiled back, "Katie Gardner. I am a daughter of Demeter, the Goddess of harvest."

The Goddess of harvest?

Not wanting to be rude, I extended my right hand, "I wish we could have met in a less life-threatening situation, but in any case, it's nice to meet you."

She shook my hand, "Likewise, Annabeth."

"Can you keep everyone close? When we get up top, things might get chaotic. I don't want to leave anyone behind."

Katie nodded, "I'll do my best, Annabeth. I know you'll keep us safe."

I passed her a long smile, "Thanks."

As I turned back to the front of the group where my friends were waiting, I went back over to Thalia and Percy who were staring at me without pulling their gaze away.

It made me uncomfortable.

However, I wasn't able to pull away from my seaweed brain. His gentle gaze was calm yet intense like a powerful storm knocking me off my feet. I felt my heart skip and my breath hitched.

"What?" I blushed a little by their combined looks as there was something subtle hidden in those expressions. In fact, Percy and Thalia weren't the only ones.

"… w-what?" I squirmed uncomfortably, "Why are you all looking at me like that?"

"No reason." Thalia smiled away from me, "Right, Pipes?"

Piper's smile was a mirror reflection of Thalia's, "Right, it's just—"

Before she could explain, Percy pulled me into his arms and hugged me out of nowhere.

"W-Wha…" Half-shocked by his sudden display of affection, "Geez, what's gotten into all of you?"

"You are the kindest, most amazing person in the whole world, wise girl." Percy whispered and made me shiver against him.

I felt so weak that pushing him away felt like an impossible task, "Muuawwh! Let's go before I find a reason to smack you, seaweed brain."

I went back to Illya and scowled, "Not a word, snow rabbit."

Of course, Illya blinked a few times at my new nickname for her. I ignored her confused look and brought us over. The hefty door on this side stayed open unlike the last one. It put a huge relief in my chest.

"Right," I turned around to face everyone, "Once we climb the stairs, there might already be police officers and firefighters. We'll sneak around them quietly to the garden, then Rachel will help us escape to the courtyard where I'll call Owlfred to pick us up, any questions?"

"The garden? But it's impossible to find a way out!" Connor exclaimed, "How did you not get lost?"

I pointed to Rachel, "It's all thanks to Rachel. She's the oracle reincarnated, and that's why she can see through the mist and our possible futures. She was the one who helped us get through the maze."

Connor calmed, "Wow… a lot happened since we were captured, huh?"

Travis sighed and went over to Katie to comfort her, "In any case, we should get going. There is no telling what would happen if we stay any longer. Our wounds need medical attention soon as well, so the faster we do this, the better."

Percy nodded in agreement.

"Okay, we'll explain everything once we are back at my estate. Let's goo…." I was about to step over the edge toward the long stairwell back to the outside world.

"Annabeth!"

Almost stumbling, my balance tipped and I was on the verge of falling forward. It was all thanks to Illya who pulled me back before I could put my feet down that I was saved.

"Shit…!"

Illya pulled me back into her arms and steady me from a sudden heart attack.

"Oh my God! What the heck!?"

Instead of a staircase out, the whole thing was gone. A distorted purplish void replaced what was once our escape route.

"Space?"

Thalia shook her head, her eyes just as wide as everyone else, "No… It's an exile dimension. Lady Athena had made similar worlds like this to keep monsters and Half-Bloods who betrayed us. They are not somewhere you want to be trapped in."

"So how did it get here?! There was a staircase there before, didn't it?"

"Look!" Illya pointed upward, "The door to the outside is still up there."

I saw it too. It was less than fifty feet away, yet, the empty space known as the exile dimension kept us from reaching the door. There was no other way up there. Again, we were trapped, meaning that…

"Crap… Something is coming out from the ground…"

I turned around slowly and it felt like my heart could have stopped beating there and then without any warning. A blood-red circle crest illuminated the floor around the table where Mera bravely gave her life to save everyone else. Once I caught a glimpse, I knew it was no ordinary coincidence. This was Walter's backup plan!

"Damn it!" Thalia cursed beside me, "I didn't think he would go that far…"

As Thalia explained the situation, I began to realize how ill-equip I was in dealing with Walter's depravity. I didn't understand just how far he was willing to go in order to achieve his goal; it's frustrating because we still didn't know what his motives were.

To make sure he could eliminate us, Walter secretly prepared a magic circle using Shelly's blood as some form of dark ritual to summon the toughest monster from the depths of the underworld, and whatever came up from that pitch-black portal, it would surely be the toughest enemy I'd ever face.

The magic circle continued to grow limitlessly, crackling intensity shook the room with gale-like winds that would have easily blown us off our balance, while red shimmers the color of velvet shined unbelievably bright. I had to block my eyes with my hand just to see what was crawling from the depths of that portal.

Soon, a huge fist even bigger than the size of the mechanical arm reached up, crushing it as it slowly climbed free. Just the sight of his hand was terrifying, so whatever this monster was, nothing about it could be good.

"Shit! More magic crests are appearing…"

Connor was right. Similar but smaller circles were spawning around our main enemy. This wasn't just a simple elimination… Walter wanted to erase our existence altogether.

"Skeleton mobs…"

Travis whispered after his brother, "This isn't good…"

No shit! Thanks for the obvious observation!

Clacking their bare teeth and hitting their shields in a rally, the skeleton mob was the first monster Percy and I faced so I know our ability to defeat it was all but certain. However, at least a dozen of them joined the bulky monster that was quickly escaping from the underworld.

Just twelve of them would already be a challenge….

And now, our main boss finally crawled out of the magic portal.

"T-The Min-Minotaur..."

With two twisted horns sprouting from his forehead, it was the mythical half-man, half-bull creature in the distant past, legend of his stories didn't do my first impression any justice. His huge and muscular back was almost double the size of his lower torso, a display of insane strength that could probably kill you with a single punch.

"Shit… what is that giant sword he's carrying?"

No one knew. A huge weapon that size and weight could only be handled by someone with no limits, the Minotaur was simply a monster with no limits.

Dark fur covered his entire body, the Minotaur also wore armor to battle, though sparse and only for vulnerable locations, defeating him at his most equipped state would prove even more difficult now.

Can we even defeat him in this state? Thalia was basically out of the picture, Piper is handling Jason, and I wouldn't want any of the younger Half-Bloods matching up to a monster like that...

"Stop spacing out, wise girl!" Percy snapped me awake, "Let's think of a plan to get through this. We can't fail now!"

I blinked. Everyone was looking at me now.

"Okay… o-okay, I think I have a plan!"

Luckily, the Minotaur was still in the process of being summoned, the magic crest underneath him hadn't disappeared yet. I hurriedly pushed Thalia toward our exit blocked by the exile dimension, dragging Drew behind me.

"Whoa! What do you think—"

"Fly up there, Thalia. Go and get Owlfred and tell him to land the helicopter at the pier. We'll meet you there."

"Wait! I am not leav—"

"You can't do anything in your state anyway! You are the only one who can get out of here and contact Owlfred right now, so go! I got this. You trust me, don't you?"

Thalia stared long and hard at me, "You better be alive when I come back, princess."

Leaving a parting touch on my arm, Thalia grabbed Drew and flew through the purple void. Once she reached the exit, she looked back one last time and we caught eyes.

"Don't do anything crazy!" She shouted, then disappearing straight up followed by loud crashing sounds of the roof being blasted away.

Please let this crazy plan in my head work…

I turned back to everyone trapped down here with me.

"Please tell me you do have a plan, wise girl." Percy drew my eyes when his voice faltered.

Finally, all the magic crests dissipated along with its luminous glow. Every monster summoned from the underworld was free.

"I need to buy some time…" I gritted my teeth.

Then before I could come up with a solid plan to do that, Travis and Connor came up to me, "Give us a weapon, we can buy you some time."

"Wait… this isn't—"

"No time to argue about it, Annabeth." Travis said hurriedly, "He's going to come at us, and we'll all be dead if that happens. Besides," He pointed to himself and Connor, "We are the best when it comes to being annoying, so trust us."

I looked behind them. The Minotaur's heavy huffs were visible to the naked eye. He was sizing us up too, those narrowed, bloodlust red eyes spelling our death with just a glance. Bringing his sword from his shoulder, his giant one-edge blade slammed the resin floor and a deep crack appeared just from the impact. He looked ready to strike as soon as one of us made a move.

A heavy gulp passed my throat as I turned back to the twins.

"Okay, but be careful. This isn't your typical monster."

I handed them each a spare long sword from the sub-inventory inside my bracelet. They took it without question and turned to face the unsightly monster.

"Just watch, Annabeth…" Connor smirked.

I wondered how they could stand so bravely despite the overwhelming threat before us.

Travis mimicked his brother, "We'll be fine, right Katie?"

Passing sweet looks with the daughter of Demeter, Katie looked back with worry but smiled, "Just be careful, Travis."

"Ha, when have I not?"

Their interaction… I wondered if they were—

In any case, I gathered everyone around and said loud enough for Percy and Illya to hear as well, "Listen, this is what we are going to do."

I told them my plan.

"Mmm… risky, but I like it."

Travis's comment earned him a smack behind his head by Katie.

"By the way, I am good at healing, so if one of you gets wounded, rotate with the other and let me do my job too, okay?"

I blinked, but Katie grinned at me, "Being a daughter of Demeter isn't just for show, you know? We are good at many things too even if we are not as powerful as you guys are."

"Right…" I shook my surprise away, "This is good. We could do this."

I turned around to face the younger Half-Bloods, "Stay in cover by the tables back here. We will make sure the fighting wouldn't reach this area, and you'll hear the signal when this is all over."

Some were able to nod, but a majority were shaking in fear. Rachel shared a confident look with me, one that said I could do this if I believe in myself, then she helped did what I asked for the kids. They took shelter behind the lab tables as a group and waited.

"Okay, let's go!" I nodded at my friends and new allies.

At the same time, the Minotaur roared mightily along with his skeleton army. They charged at us with that abnormally huge blade dragging behind his bulky figure.

Of course, we were ready for them.

While I didn't know how powerful the twins were, I had hoped that being sons of Hermes, they could at least keep their ground until I could scrape together enough material.

"Let's go, bro."

They stood in place as the monster rushed forward, not a hint of fear shown on their expressions. Wide-eyed, I didn't know if it was their arrogance or hubris or whatnot…

"Way ahead of you, bro."

They bumped fists, unworried even when two sideswipes came at them, and as they did so, I was shocked to silent because two skeleton mobs clacked loudly before fading into dust, a pair of quick slashes did that. I almost didn't catch the silver glint of their swinging swords.

"H-Holy…"

Drawing attention to themselves after killing their companions, the Minotaur turned to the brothers just as we hoped. Everything was working according to my plan.

"Ha! Too slow!"

Travis dodged a cutlass with ease. Though it was more like teleportation because he faded from the area of the swing and reappeared behind the skeleton. He even had enough time to show off, tapping his naked collarbone to mock his speed before turning it into dust.

"They are fast…" Percy echoed beside me.

"They are sons of Hermes, and they are the best when it came to being quick on their feet." Katie explained, "It shouldn't be a problem as long as they play it safe."

Even as we spoke, the twin brothers had already down five of the skeleton mobs. It seemed almost like a game competition instead of a fierce battle for survival.

I shook my head and sighed.

"Let's go, seaweed brain."

Percy followed me to the power panel beside the doorway.

"So, what exactly are you trying to do, wise girl?"

I wrangled with some cables and smirked at him, "You'll see."

Then I grabbed as many spare hydrogen fuel cells as I could carry and went to a table. Percy helped bring in a few more.

"Tape those together. We need as many as possible."

Percy didn't question my suicidal plan and did as I asked, then ran back to get more for me. At the same time, I cracked open an electrical panel with my knife and slice off the main power line, purple sparks flew off immediately but the rubber cable prevent me from getting hurt.

I left the dangerous spark in a sink to prevent hurting anyone.

Meanwhile, I looked back at the battle growing intense.

Truth to her words, Katie was healing Jason while Illya provided support for the twins: to keep the Minotaur occupied while I worked on a weapon that would blow this miserable place apart.

And they were doing a fine job even without Illya's help. Only a few mobs were left for Travis and Connor to clean up. As for the Minotaur, the twins were so fast on their feet that it's basically impossible for any of his swings to hit. Every time it came close, their bodies shimmered out of existence and reappear in a totally random spot. The twins even left taunts as they dodge like butterflies, but I doubt the Minotaur understood what a quip was.

Even from a distance, I could tell how pissed off he was getting. His bulky muscles grew twice their size and his ash-grey coat turned steaming red.

Finally, the Minotaur roared.

In a fit of rage, he destroyed everything around his vicinity with his huge sword. The torture chamber cut opened and slammed to ruin, chemicals and liquids spilled from destroyed refrigeration units, lab tables crushed to pieces and sent flying everywhere after enduring his unparalleled force.

There is no time. I need to hurry.

"That's every fuel cell I can find, wise girl. What are we going to do with them?"

I quickly gathered them up and threw some more tape around it until it was bunched together like a weird ball. Now, it was on to step two.

"Make some water, Percy."

"Huh?!"

"I said make some water, seaweed brain!"

"Huh? How can I—"

"You ARE the son of Poseidon, aren't you?" I rolled my eyes, "So hurry up!"

"Wait… just wait a minute, I've never done that before in my life!"

"And we've never been able to use our arts before, so what's your point?" I pushed the fifty-something hydrogen cells in front of his face, "Now create some water and mend it around this like a ball."

"I… I- you can't be serious…?"
I huffed in annoyance as another roar blasted the room with a shockwave that shattered any glass left intact. The kids shrieked. Meanwhile, Travis and Connor were doing their best to keep an increasingly agitated Minotaur on them, but that wouldn't last very long.

"Just do it, seaweed brain!" I screamed, "Do it, or I won't let you kiss me for a month!"

Everyone around me suddenly grew as silent as a ghost.

Uh-oh…

Then I saw his mouth wide agape, he was stunned to disbelief.

Similarly, jaws were dropped around us, I realized too late that what I blurted out was… was… The few dripping gazes from our friends made me squirm.

Oh Gosh… W-Why did I even say that?! The humiliation is unbearable…

"Is this really the time for your cute couple's arguments?"

Somehow, Piper sneaked over to our side of the lab. She whisper shouted, if that's even a thing, "Please save your silly fights later!"

Just then, Piper shrieked and forced us to duck in cover, narrowly avoiding another blast that hurled sharp objects in every direction.

"Damn it!" She cursed and held us close, "Percy, just try and focus on element conversion. Filled your mind with your water affinity, then will it into existence. It's just like how Thalia can summon lightning, just do that!"

"You make it sound so simple!"

"Of course it won't work if you are rejecting it! You dolt! Ease your head and make it simpler in your mind, then funnel that image to the forefront of your imagination, now hurry up and do it!"

"Ugh! Fine! Fine, I'll give it a try!"

Percy snatched the hydrogen fuel cells and placed them on the floor.

"I'll make water, wise girl, so back up." Percy waved me and everyone close to us away, "… And maybe turn around too while you are at it?"

My eyebrows knitted.

He sighed when I didn't turn away like the others. His nose scrunched uncomfortably as he willed his mind to focus. However, his face was glowing all sorts of red until his cheeks were a healthy shade of pink. I didn't understand why he...

Zip!

"Ah-Ahhhh! Wh- Wh- W-What the heck do you think you are doing, seaweed brain?!" I knocked his head sideways and he flew backward.

He was blushing back at me with an angry and annoyed pout.

"I am making water like you wanted! What's the big deal?"

"NOT THAT KIND OF WATER!"

"Okay-Okay!" Percy grumbled and got up, "I am just saying, that would be way faster than trying to create water out of nowhere."

In disbelief, lost for words, I was just flat-out flabbergasted.

Luckily, this time Percy didn't play around and focus on actually creating water. I waited impatiently, my head still trying to wrap around what he tried to do— even though I was looking right at him…

… Or the fact that we are surrounded by others.

… Or the fact we might soon die all because Percy couldn't stop being a moronic idiot.

… And above all else, he really… really tried to–

"Hey, not trying to alarm you guys, but we can't keep this up forever!" I heard Connor shout while Travis took the lead, "We're going to need some help!"

"Just keep distracting him, we are almost done!"

Connor sighed, "That plan of yours better work flawlessly, Annabeth."

He went back to battle. Similarly, Travis was now dealing out some attacks just to keep the Minotaur's attention on him. They looked exhausted, and I didn't want them to overexert themselves. One tiny mistake and it's all over.

"…."

But I couldn't do anything except wait on my feet.

My hope… our only hope was for Percy to mend a water balloon around the hydrogen fuel cells, but I knew it wasn't easy for my seaweed brain. Percy was trying his best, his eyebrows scrunched as he held out his hand.

Nothing responded to him.

"I- I can't do this…"

"Yes, you can! You can do this, Percy. Accept your fate. All you need is to relax, then it will come naturally to you." Piper patted his shoulder, "Stay here with Annabeth. I'll buy you two some more time."

"Piper! Wait…"

She was gone before we could pull her back.

"Damn it! I can't do this! This isn't something I can…"

I quickly wrapped him in my arms before he could finish that sentence, "Percy. I trust you. You are everything to me in this world, remember? I won't let you do this alone."

He softened against me.

"You can do this, Percy." I looked into his eyes and kept his gaze full of despair, "You are the strongest person I have ever known. You save me so many times already, so trust me… trust yourself."

I wiped his tears.

"I know you can do this." I leaned in close, "Because I love you, Percy."

Percy closed his eyes with me and breathe out. As our lips met, he extended his palms out again and focused in the comfort of my arms.

The utter hopelessness of our situation all but disappeared from our heads. I felt only peace as I kissed Percy underneath our little bubble. The countless time he'd given me strength to fight, to move on, this time I won't let him drown alone. We were always stronger together, and I promise I was going to protect him no matter what. We would never let each other go, so that's why….

"I love you too, Annabeth."

Percy pulled away from my lips a smiled gratefully, "You really are amazing."

Then I heard a bubbling sound below me and my mid-section was suddenly soaked wet…

Oh my god! Percy did it! He created water!

I almost exclaimed but Percy kissed my forehead before I could. He backed away and the mysterious crystal-color water balloon followed him, "I'll thank you later, but what exactly do you want me to do with this?"

I was so happy for him that I'd almost forgotten the situation we were in.

"Mend it around the hydrogen cells." I explained as the liquid mass flowed to envelop the fuel cells, "Do you think you can maintain it and keep it flowing?"

Percy nodded, "Yeah. For some reason, I feel like I can control it too."

I smiled, "Good, now please go help out with everyone."

I passed a glance at the Minotaur fighting the twins and Piper. There was only so much they could do to the legendary monster that it was clear which side had the advantage, "They need your help. You can leave the rest to me and Illya."

He kissed me on the cheek, "Got it, wise girl. I'll leave the rest to you."

Rushing to the battle, Percy headed straight for the Minotaur with a sword in hand. The monster didn't miss a beat at a new challenger, a heavy swing came down on my seaweed brain like roaring thunder and threw shockwaves around the room.

My heart jumped.

"Hehe… Is that all you've got?"

Relief to hear his voice, Percy's taunt echoed through a cloud of grey dust and smokes.

A swing of his flashy sword cut the smoke veil in half.

Standing defiantly to a monster three times his size, I couldn't help but stare at how cool Percy was looking right now. I bit my lips. Once the smoke disparate, a round shield made of titanium alloy was revealed on his left arm which was able to block the giant sword with ease.

"Now!"

From all directions, Piper, Connor, and Travis jumped at the opportunity and each landed a strike at the Minotaur's legs. Blood oozed out as the Half-bull creature grunted in pain. He even fell down on one knee and had to recompose himself.

"We got this, Annabeth!" My boyfriend smirked as he lead the way for the other three, "Just do your thing and blast this place apart!"

The battle quickly resumed.

Having four Half-Bloods against one certain better our chances, and they've given me all the time I needed. It's up to me now to save everyone now.

Lifting the hydrogen fuel cells enveloped in a ball of flowing water, I let it flow above the table and carefully reached into the sink for the main power line cable still sending out sparks. With as much precision as I could muster, I jammed the electrifying end into the ball of water, making sure not to electrocute myself or go too far and risk hitting the fuel cells.

Once the critical mass was reached, my plan was now done. All I needed was…

"Illya!"

I called her over from where she was protecting Jason and Katie. She ducked around the covers and quickly made her way here.

"You can still use firebolts, right?"

Illya nodded.

"Good. Get ready to aim!"

I pointed at the ball of now electrified water with at least fifty-something hydrogen fuel cells stuck together, "This could make a small crater, but that's our only hope right now. When I give you the signal, blast this thing with your most powerful firebolts, okay?"

Illya wasn't apprehensive one bit and nodded.

Is she looking forward to the explosion or something? Gosh, that smirk is scary…

"Connor! Travis! Pull back and let Percy and Piper handle it for now!"

Teleporting out of the battle zone, the tired twins reappeared next to me, both Oooh a bit at the improvised bomb I've created on the spot, "Is that what I think it is?"

I nodded, "Just be careful. This thing might be able to level a building, so I want you two to keep everyone in the corner of the room where the blast won't hit."

"What about you?"

I pointed at the fighting going on and smirk back, "It's my turn to join my best friends and end this!"

Travis and Connor passed me a smile, "You've got this Annabeth."

"We'll keep everyone safe and sound." Connor threw me a thumbs up, "Katie, let's bring Jason over here!"

While they worked away, I took Illya's hand and dragged her to the front lines. A fierce battle took place just a few feet away from us. Of course, we were carefully hidden from the Minotaur's sight.

"Stay there and keep your eyes on the bomb. I'll join Percy and Piper, then when I give you the signal—"

"Got it! I'll blast the Minotaur back to Tartarus."

With a bomb like this, I was pretty sure his existence would be erased forever, but anyway…

"This will be a very close call, so I want you to—"

…..

…..

…..

"Hey! Not too bad, Percy!"

The boy with seaweed brain for a head ducked underneath the giant sword and missed it by just a millimeter. If you squint carefully, a few strands of his dark onyx hair was definitely cut off.

"Thanks, Pipes! I feel like I am getting the hang of this."

Percy immediately rushed on the Minotaur's left flank, his right arms pull back and ready for a jab. The Minotaur reacted by sidestepping his attack, but it was a feint. Percy knocked his shield into his left leg and sent him tumbling back. The huge Minotaur the size of a small mountain fell over on his back.

"Haaauuh!"

A quick jab with his sword followed on the Minotaur's left thigh. The monster bellowed in pain. The same technique was followed by Piper, now the Minotaur was bleeding profusely and too hurt to stand.

Defenseless, he countered with a wide arc swing, forcing Percy and Piper to retreat.

"Serious?! When did you get so much better than me?" Piper exclaimed, "You've even got Jason a run for his money now."

"Save the compliment later, Pipes." He smiled smugly.

Readying their weapons, someone suddenly jumped in and join their ranks.

"Annabeth?! When did you—"

Percy was shocked, but the girl with honey blonde just shot him an eager smirk, "I can't let you show off all by yourself, right seaweed brain?"

Piper smirked too, "So, what's the plan, princess?"

The Minotaur was getting up now. Despite the crushed femur in both his legs, he stood back up like it was no big deal and wield his giant sword once more.

"Well, we obviously can't kill him when he's buff by Walter's summoning magic. He's fast with his swings, not to mention that tough-looking skin and the steel armor around him, it won't be easy to penetrate vital spots with our current weapons."

My analysis brought about a defiant roar from the Minotaur as he threw his arms out behind his back and puffed his chest in pure rage.

"But I've got just the thing for him." I smirked, "Percy? You can still control it, can't you?"

"Hm-hmm."

I grinned and took a step with Piper, "Hang back this time and let us take the next hit, Percy. Focus on bringing it down right over his face when he's not looking."

Percy was always a worrywart when it came to me being in danger, but this time, he nodded, "I trust you, wise girl."

As expected, the Minotaur leaped forward and tried to slam his huge blade down on us. Piper and I were ready for him, I put my arms around her and release my toughest long sword. Piper did the same as we held a cross shape guard.

Bam!

A thundering vibration thumped every bone in my body and the ground beneath me, but I didn't fall to my knees, I couldn't…

"Huuuah!" Our screams echoed with our blades as we pushed back.

Just barely, we managed to stop his attack and held him in a dead-lock.

"Huffs— Huffs- Huffs…"

His giant sword creaked harshly against ours, an outcome to be decided by the blade that would crack under pressure first.

However, the Minotaur was so focused on overpowering us that he forgot one important thing. Before his bloodshot red eyes, a mysterious ball of water flowed down right in front of his face.

His attention drifted away.

I smirked. Together, Piper and I roared back as hard as we could and pushed his attack away by swiping our swords in opposite direction. The Minotaur's balance tipped as he staggered backward.

"Now, Illya!"

A blast of extreme temperature shot from behind us- heading straight for…

"Inferno Bolt!"

The next second flashed before my eyes, it was the brightest moment I've ever encountered in my entire life. Suddenly, the whole world went white.

Kaboom!