Artemis POV: (didn't see that coming?)

I had had enough. Something that may have started as a game of sorts began to play at my heartstrings, and this jealousy that Thalia described was a nasty feeling I'd prefer to have never felt at all. But here I was, stewing in my thoughts as I sharpened my always-sharpened hunting knife, thinking about a certain green-eyed demigod who'd changed so much in my immortal life in a mere year or so.

From the moment I set my sights on him near the cliffs where we encountered the demigods and the manticore, I knew he was different. I couldn't tell whether he was a half-blood, or immortal. He exuded confidence, and a slight cheery aura outlined with a hint of danger. His quips and jokes weren't cruel or malicious, yet they poked fun at our personalities and characteristics all the same. The way he taunted me to shoot him was with the cockiness of Hercules, but with a level of respect the son of Zeus never learned. And his casual control of the elements, one, proving his partial connection to Poseidon, but also showcased his masterful control of his inherited abilities. I knew in that second that this man, whoever he was, was dangerous and powerful, despite joking almost as badly as my brother Apollo.

Upon learning that this stranger was an alternate universe time traveler, I have to admit that I didn't believe him in the moment. Even for us immortals, who had seen the rise and fall of many species including humanity, the idea of traveling between worlds was a feat only Chaos could fathom, or perhaps the Fates, but past the boundaries of our Olympian power. Yet, this man even swore on the River Styx, despite not knowing the truth himself, but proved he was indeed from another world.

His name, as he described, was Perseus Jackson, a son of Poseidon well in his early twenties who'd apparently lived every major event that was currently happening to this one. While this certainly explained his mastery in hydrokinetic control, it didn't explain his sudden arrival, and despite me trying to learn, he was clueless. I trusted his words, despite him being male, and continued to converse with him almost as easily as I did my Hunters.

But the nerve of him! The nerve of him to call me nicknames and make me hug Apollo! I've never wanted to punch a male so badly in my life!

Although, I can't say I dislike it. It's his way of reminding me of his character. He's said many times already how he respects us, for our power and who we are, and does occasionally call me my name, but always resorts to "Arty" or "Moonbeam" when taunting me. He knows I can't say anything back, or do anything, but never crosses the line, which I'm thankful for.

I paused in my thoughts for a moment and looked up. This was usually where I would begin to feel the annoying stabs of jealousy pierce my heart. I didn't like Perseus per say, but enjoyed his company all the same. Be it hunting, sparring, or even our trips into the city (I know I went once, but I liked it!), he was a wonderful companion to all.

When Zoe formally asked to leave the Hunt, I had a sneaking suspicion why. The girl had been spending much of her time staring off into the sky whenever Perseus was absent, or, when both Zoe and Perseus were out, the two would be gone for days, at least 2-3 a time. I was doubtful of the arrangement at first, but Zoe always came back yearning for more, while improving amazingly at her returned abilities. And while I never called her out about it, I noticed the time-to-time gifts Perseus gave my lieutenant. Despite both knowing about Zoe's huntress status, their relationship had begun to grow ever so intimate, which took more time I had with them away.

I didn't know how much Zoe loved Perseus until she recommended Thalia take the lieutenant spot from her. Zoe loved being the lieutenant of the Hunt, helping her sisters become comfortable with everyone else. When I asked her why, she explained that since the return of her natural abilities, Percy was the best teacher available for both swordplay and her hydrokinetic powers. If she had more time to practice with him, she'd be able to protect her sisters in the Hunt better in the future. But in doing so, someone else needed to be the lieutenant, and Zoe saw no better candidate than Thalia.

The first few weeks were alright. I had finally finished recuperating over my trauma in the Titan camp, somewhat at least, fussed over by Apollo for nearly an hour since I began speaking properly, and returned to my Hunt soon after, overjoyed to see them as they were to me. Besides the occasional nightmarish flashbacks, which Apollo helped me with, I quickly got back into the hang of things. But after some time, after Percy's lack of presence in the Hunt, I noticed that I missed his quips, his presence specifically, as he began to focus much of his time on training Atalanta, Zoe, and working on his secret project that somehow he has hidden from me, and prevented Zoe from leaking as well. It got to the point where Zoe's visits to the Hunt would only remind me of my lack of meeting with the son of Poseidon, which would usually put me in a sour mood for the next few hours or so.

When Thalia first noticed my strange behavior, she seemed to take note of it, but said nothing. However, when it became clear that I was acting up in such a non-goddess-like way, Thalia pulled me aside one night and had me spill my thoughts for her. I had refused at first, but the daughter of Zeus wasn't as easily swayed by my weak excuses. Eventually I caved, and explained my feelings as best as I could. She didn't laugh, and merely nodded in understanding, before asking if I'd attempted to talk to Zoe or even Perseus about it.

"Would they take me seriously?" I had remembered asking.

Thalia nodded. "Believe me, despite what you might assume, both will, including Perseus. He knows things, and understands people pretty well. I mean, he managed to sway Zoe to accept that males in the current day aren't born off the same stereotypical blueprints the huntress believed. He beat your Hunt into some sort of order when he temporarily led it in your absence, so I've heard. That man may make fun of you whenever he sees you, but he knows when to sit down and listen."

"I–" I had stopped at that moment and admitted that even though Perseus proved himself again and again, not that he had to, I still had doubts, doubts built from millennia of mistrust in the male gender. The trip into the city had helped slightly, but trusting a male and respecting them as people were still difficult at times.

"Trust me," Thalia stood, noticing a group of Hunters returning from patrol. "You can trust them both."

I nodded. And a few days later, I was set to meet with Zoe first. For once, instead of just the usual joy I felt whenever Zoe and I talked, a small tendril of dread invaded my mind, and as the days drew close, I only became more nervous.

§§§§§

Percy POV:

When Reyna ran up to me this morning, I didn't expect to see her with a rather annoyed expression on her face. I raised an eyebrow, wondering what had gotten onto her nerves, and actively took a step backwards when she growled my name.

"Perseus!"

"Rey, what's wrong?" I asked nervously. I had learned the hard way back then what it was like to irritate Reyna. Though younger, her irritation tolerance was more or less like Hylla's, her older sister and leader of the Amazons. Speaking of which, it'd be a good idea to contact them in an attempt to form an alliance, before Gaea gets any ground recruiting their ranks.

"Where are Aurum and Argentum?" Reyna put her hands on her hips, glaring at me.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused. "Don't they usually answer your call?"

"They aren't!" Reyna growled. "And the only person capable of hiding them from me is you."

I blinked, then blinked again. "Have you ever considered that they might be sleeping or something?"

"They're automatons! Sleep is unnecessary."

I shrugged. "I honestly don't know. But seriously, is that why you're so mad?"

Reyna put her hand up to her forehead, sighed, and pointed backwards. "No. Just, normal Roman praetor stress. Also, I think someone wants to see you."

I tilted my head and saw a faint shimmering corpse-like body standing just a few feet away. A ghost or spirit of some kind, stuck in an eternal scream, with melting features akin to the wax of a candle. He looked like he'd been burned alive and frozen in time before he died.

"Huh." I reasoned quickly. "I was expecting that sooner."

"You know him er...?"

"A messenger from Ha- Pluto." I corrected myself. "I was expecting one for a while, but it seems he wasn't able to get my attention till now."

"Could you please take care of it then?" Reyna said. "It's been stalking me for days, and with you training the legion and disappearing at night with your girlfriend, I can't get ahold of you properly. I would use my dogs but..." She tapered off, then went back to glaring at me.

"I'm serious, Rey, I had nothing to do with your dogs." I chuckled. "But if you want to talk to me so badly, just pull me aside during breaks or something. No need to force yourself to lead on a ghost all day."

"Hmph." Reyna huffed. "Go. I have another meeting with the Senate, about one of Octavian's ideas. Hopefully, it's not as stupid as the previous two he had yesterday."

"Good luck." I said. "We'll talk afterwards, alright?"

I turned towards the ghostly corpse and nodded towards it. Its form flickered for a moment, like a gif replaying a short clip of a man screaming. Then it turned and glided down the street, and I followed closely behind.

The corpse led me to a rundown church building on the edge of New Rome, far away from the main city. I didn't remember seeing the building before, but supposed that I probably missed it given all the chaos that happened back in my original world. The church was made of crumbling limestone archways and whitewashed walls, with a worn cobblestone path leading up to the entrance. The corpse glanced back as if to check that I was following, then phased inside.

"Huh." I approached the church nervously, sensing a familiar aura I could only describe as when meeting Hades himself. Death radiated from the church, but not threateningly.

I ducked through the doorway and sucked in a breath as I observed my immediate surroundings. At the far end of the building stood an altar, where the corpse approached and knelt in prayer. My attention was quickly attracted to the making of the walls around us however. Hundreds, maybe thousands of skulls and bones interlocked with cement to form the surrounding area, crawling up the ceiling that depicted several morbid scenes of death. On one wall, two desiccated skeletal remains of humans hung, one an adult, and the second, most likely a small child.

"What a place," I commented, before feeling a powerful aura materialize behind me. Even though I was sure Hades just wanted to chat, I couldn't help but draw my Tiber daggers a slight centimeter out their sheaths.

"Stand down, son of Neptune," The god chuckled. "I'm not here to harm you."

I smiled, remaining still. "I understand. However, you must not blame me for not letting down my guard in the presence of an immortal."

"You are an immortal, too, are you not?" The god asked.

I turned and faced him, confused. "How did you know that? Not even," I pointed upwards at the ceiling. "That guy knows it."

Hades, or Pluto, I dunno, was dressed in a normal Roman toga, though black with a very familiar set of flames rolling off his shoulders. The toga was tied at the waist with a simple white cord. His cowl was pushed back, revealing dark hair shorn close to the scalp and eyes that glittered like frozen tar. The god's expression was calm and content, with a hint of amusement decorating the small smirk on his face when I asked how he knew.

"I may not be the Fates," The god said. "But I am the God of the Underworld. The death of a mortal ferries much differently than that of an immortal. Perhaps if you're interested, I can arrange a meeting for you with my Asian counterparts."

I shuddered. "No thanks. Just curious, that's all. Ah... should I address you as Hades or Pluto?"

"Either is fine," The god replied. "Though, if you make a habit of switching between the two constantly, my form with consequently do the same. And that, will get very annoying."

We stood in silence for a moment, before I spoke. "So, Uncle, what have I done to be so kindly asked to speak with you?"

"Save the formal bullshit for when you're talking with Zeus." Hades said. "I've been wanting to speak to you for a while now."

I nodded. "Makes sense. A lot of this," I gestured to my Tiber metal suit, weapons, and summoned an orb of hellfire. "Does come from the Underworld or you to some extent."

"Then let's head somewhere... more appropriate, shall we?" Hades chuckled, then snapped.

We vanished in place and reappeared in midair, hovering above the long bottlenecked lines of souls awaiting judgement. I stared down at the vast cavern known as the Underworld, catching sight of Cerberus at the closest range and hearing the screams of the Fields of Punishment far in the distance.

"Did you know, Uncle," I said. "That Cerberus loves red rubber balls?"

"..."

"You should play fetch with him sometime," I suggested, trying not to laugh at the thought. C'mon, a serious grumpy person like Hades playing fetch with a three-headed dog who usually aids in soul control? "I think you and Cerberus could really bond together."

"That's... a thought for later," Hades grunted, turning away after seeing my amused expression. "Nico was right. You do seem to joke a lot."

I shrugged. "Helps to communicate with people... and gods. I mean, it works on Artemis and Athena, as well as Zeus himself, who's kinda a prick in my world, but not here." I paused. "You do know that I'm from an alternate reality, correct?"

"Yes. Nico's told me that much."

It was then that I realized something strange. "You claimed Nico?"

"I did," Hades said seriously. "While on your quest, he was left alone at camp. Young, inexperienced, and confused. Gods can't contact their kids directly, but I wanted to stop the suffering my son felt, at least give him some semblance of comfort that his godly parent was watching him. So, I sent him a sword."

I nodded. "The Stygian iron one?"

"The very same."

"And you claimed him when he began to wield it?"

"Yes."

I paused. "What happened to Maria wasn't your fault, you know?"

Hades stopped abruptly, his hands clenched into fists before he relaxed. He sighed. "If Sally was the queen among mortals for your father, Maria was mine."

"I know," I stared down at the Underworld's sea of souls. "I saw how badly you wanted to bring your family here to protect them. But, you also cursed the Oracle, hmmm?"

"I did," Hades admitted. "I couldn't curse my brother for bringing Maria's death, could I? He's an immortal. So I targeted the mortal soul that started it all." He stared uncomprehendingly at the ceiling. "Last I heard, she's a decaying mummy sitting in your attic?"

I nodded again. "Well yah. Creepy as ever, spouting prophecies that predict our deaths."

"Should I..." Hades paused.

I pinched my forehead. "Well, coming from an alt universe and time reality and all, you do eventually lift the curse cause Nico gets you the recognition you deserve. But that might not happen here, because Nico is clearly doing better mentally than he was back then."

"Regardless whether you choose to release the curse or not, I'll have you know, when the war comes, I'll request your help." I said confidently. "Uncle, people may fear you or hate you, but I know for a fact that you'd raise your entire dead army to defend this planet, even if it were just for Nico and Bianca. Despite what most people believe, including myself at first, you're not a heartless man."

I cleared my throat. "Anyways, if you want to know about my life and whatnot, let's go sit somewhere, yes? Hovering while telling my life story isn't the most comfortable thing right now."

Hades smiled, though it was kinda creepy despite me having seen it thousands of times already. "Of course."

§§§§§

"What was Nico like, and Bianca? Back in your world?" Hades asked.

We'd just finished talking about my life in my reality, and Hades, like the rest of the gods, was excited to hear about how their kids had grown and developed past their current ages right now.

I sighed, the smile sliding off my face as I prepared myself. Hades noticed and frowned, sitting back as he munched on an OREO cookie.

"Fate wasn't kind to your children, to put it simply." I said. "Most things happened the same, Bianca joining the Hunt to replace the family she never had, and Nico feeling slightly abandoned at camp because Bianca ended up questing with us immediately afterwards."

"Back then, I wasn't as powerful." I explained. "To put it simply, I couldn't even summon a droplet of water from the air. I was a weak demigod who had barely dipped his feet into the mythological world. During our time in the desert, we fought a prototype of Talos. We were getting our asses handed to us, and eventually, Bianca and I came up with a crazy idea."

I swallowed. "We thought that if we entered the robot, we'd be able to shut it down from the inside. I wanted to go, but Bianca insisted she do it. Apparently, she'd been feeling guilty for a while now, for leaving Nico behind. Before Talos woke, Bianca found a Mythomagic figurine," I paused, and took a deep breath before continuing. "You know, Nico's game that he's obsessed with? She found the figurine he didn't have, ironically yours, and thought that taking it woke Talos."

"I couldn't stop her. She went ahead and sacrificed herself, and we didn't realize until we'd left that the prophecy foretold her death. We just didn't realize in the midst of trying to survive."

"But you saved her here," Hades shifted in his seat. "You offered yourself in her place."

I shrugged. "In my life, I've fought in two wars. Wars that took friends, family, and allies due to unfortunate circumstances, or because the prophecy said so. I know how it feels to have people you love and care for ripped from you. And if I have the potential to stop such things from happening, if this trip to this world is for that purpose, then I'd do it."

"And for that, I'm grateful," Hades admitted, a solemn look on his usually cold face. "I already have few demigod children as it is."

I sighed and leaned back. "And Nico? Well, that's a longer story."

"Nico, well, being a son of Hades was going to lead to him being kinda a loner." I rubbed my head. "He also placed his full trust in me, cause he'd seen me fight and I was a guy. Nico sorta saw the Hunters as an enemy of sorts, for taking his sister away from him. So he didn't even care that I was going to sneak on the quest in the first place, and offered to lie for me just so that I could make sure Bianca was safe."

"You were his idol?"

"I suppose. When I came back and told him Bianca had died, Nico was practically shattered. I was terrified, because at the same time, two spartoi came at me from nowhere. Nico just screamed and the ground split open and swallowed them up."

"And it was at that moment,"

"When you realized he was my son," Hades finished. "That freaked you out?"

"Of course it did!" I gave a small laugh. "All I knew was that the Big Three had made some sort of pact not to have anymore kids, and suddenly, out of nowhere, Nico is your son. Without knowing the circumstances, it was only reasonable to assume you'd recently had him in the last decade or so, which would've been after your oath."

"Annabeth, Tyson, and I," I continued. "We were the only ones to know at the time. We kept the secret between ourselves, even from Chiron, because we knew it'd only cause an uproar."

"Fast forward to our quest in the Labyrinth," I said. "Nico blamed me for killing Bianca, no matter how hard I tried to tell him. He went down a hard path, following the ghost of King Minos for advice about exchanging a soul in an attempt to revive Bianca. I kept having dreams of him in the maze, summoning ghosts with McDonald's Happy Meals and whatnot. When we eventually ran into him, he looked like he wanted to kill me."

"At the end though, when we witnessed Kronos' awakening," I paused. "Which will happen by the way, so be prepared. Nico saved us. He erected this massive black wall to stop the Titan Lord from getting to us, letting us escape. It was at that moment I think he must've realized his mistakes."

"A good thing too. Nico was instrumental in the second Titan war. He suggested I dip in the River Styx in order to match against Kronos. He somehow, and I don't even know how you didn't vaporize him, convinced your sorry ass off your throne to help Olympus, despite your hatred for heroes and the other Olympians in general."

Hades raised an eyebrow, amused. "My sorry ass you said?"

I rolled my eyes. "Don't pretend to be offended. You know it's true."

"To be fair, he also went digging for his family history, like how Maria died and all that, or why he was placed in the Lotus Casino. That made you explode too, so Nico was really brave to ask you such an irritable favor soon after."

"Maria," Hades nodded. "I'll tell him one day. He… and Bianca, they deserve to know."

"You can wait," I said. "They're still young, and well, Nico hasn't been corrupted to badly by hate and anger, and maybe some time with his dad will help him a little more. We may resent the gods sometimes, but we want the same thing any child does to their parents. We want their approval, and I know for a fact that each of my friends had wanted it at some point in their lives."

Hades tilted his head to the side like he was listening for something. He stared blankly then nodded once, before standing up. "I'll think about what you've said. I would like to hear more, but there is some trouble at the main gates of the Underworld. Should be trivial, but I'll check it out anyways. Last question though." The god's eyes glowed black, and his body became enveloped in midnight colored flame.

"How can a son of Poseidon harness the power of the Black Hellfire?" Hades asked. "This is a unique skill available only to children of myself, and very very rare even then."

"Hestia," I said. "Hestia became my patron in my world. I wanted to develop my flame abilities as much as my hydrokinetic ones, so practiced with every level of fire I knew. Once I'd advanced and mastered Greek fire, Hestia helped me plead with you to teach me Hellfire, in case I'd need to use something more powerful. You relented, but I owed you like, one favor for every hour you needed to teach me."

"How many?" Hades chuckled.

"49" I grumbled. "Even now, it does take a lot of energy to summon and control, so usually I only use it if there's a lot of space and I'm pissed off."

We exchanged a few more words before I bid the god of Death farewell, and teleported out of the Underworld. I inhaled the fresh air that blasted back into my lungs and smiled as the sunlight shone on my face. No offense to Hades, but the Underworld didn't really have that great of an atmosphere to chill in. I always felt on edge there, even after I became better acquaintances with Hades back in my world. Probably because you could hear the screams from the Fields of Punishment from time to time. Or maybe it was because Alecto would always watch me creepily? I dunno, but the Underworld was definitely not for me.

I was just about to head back to training the Romans when Reyna ran up to me, having found her puppies apparently. The praetor looked exhausted, as if she'd been sprinting around the camp.

"Finally, I found you!" She panted. "Where have you been?"

"Chatting with H- Pluto." I said. "Just finished. What's up?"

"I've been looking for you for a while," Reyna said. "Zoe came back, looking for you."

"Oh." I raised an eyebrow. "Surely that isn't it. Why didn't she come after me herself?"

"Something about Lady Diana losing it?" Reyna said, confused. "Apparently, Zoe and the goddess fought–"

I inhaled sharply. "They did what?"

"Anyways, they seem to need your help," Reyna said. "Now please, go take care of business before I smack you. I've been used as your messenger twice today, and that's not my goddamn job." She huffed and stomped off, rather childishly, which made me shake my head as I laughed silently.

"Don't laugh, Perseus!" Reyna whirled around, glaring at me. "I already have Octavian on my ass about the praetorship and everything. I don't want to be running your errands either!"

I raised my hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry! I'll pay attention to my errands better."

As soon as I turned around and dematerialized in thin air however, my smirk slipped off my face. Zoe and Artemis fighting? A catfight maybe I could understand, but something so severe that I needed to intervene? What was going on?

§§§§§

Atalanta POV:

There were a lot of things going through my head at the moment, but all I could manage to say was, "How the fuck are you alive?"

Quintus, or the now newly declared Daedalus, raised his hands in the air, turning his head back and forth, eyeing his forearms, then turning back to me. "You are not surprised by my identity?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Oh I am, but not so much. My brother seemed to know already and told me to be wary of you beforehand." I said, palming Riptide. If this man really was Daedalus, the fact that he was a rather skilled swordsman only made him seem scarier after all the messed up dreamed I'd seen of him. "But, isn't Daedalus an inventor?"

Daedalus ignored my change of tone and tapped the blade of his sword on the ground. "I am. As well as a swordsman, architect, and scholar. I also play basketball pretty well for a guy who didn't start till he was two thousand years old. A real artist, after all, must be good at many things."

"That's true," Rachel agreed. "Like I can paint with my feet as well as my hands."

"You see?" Quintus said. "Another real artist."

I didn't drop my guard, my mind finally calming down as I arrived at a horrible conclusion. All those dreams of the past seemed to finally make sense, and I swallowed uneasily at the thought. "It's impossible for you to still be alive." I said. "Unless you did the impossible..."

"Yes," Quintus said, eyeing me. "You seem to have guessed my secret."

"Hardly yours originally," I scoffed. "But simply put, you built yourself a new body. You took your nephew's impossible plans and turned them into a reality. You're an automaton."

Daedalus' face darkened at the mention of his nephew. "Indeed," his voice became cool. "The name Quintus was chosen because it meant–"

"The fifth, in Latin," I finished. "Your fifth body, I presume, given how you're still alive?"

"Correct." The swordsman/etc. held out his forearm and pressed his elbow and part of his wrist popped open. A rectangular hatch appeared on his skin which turned transparent, showing the whirring bronze gears and glowing wires underneath. It was insanely cool, yet creepy at the same time. To somehow transfer your animus into a robotic body… It was unnatural.

Obviously Rachel had no qualms about how unnatural it was. Her eyes turned into anime stars as she gushed over the ingenuity of Deadalus' bronze body.

"Still in disbelief?" Daedalus asked me. "I assure you, I am indeed and still Daedalus. My mother, Athena, makes sure I never forget that." He tugged back the collar of his shirt. At the base of his neck was a mark I'd never seen before, a dark purple blotch in the shape of a bird grafted to his skin.

"Some sort of brand?" I guessed.

"The murderer's brand," Daedalus explained. "For… Perdix."

I nodded, not needing to say more to understand.

Daedalus sighed, seeing my knowing look. "I regret it, I really do. I was angry and bitter, yet such mistakes cannot be taken back. And Athena, she makes sure to remind me every day of that mistake. No matter what body form I take, this mark will appear on my skin."

I observed the man more closely, and noticed that besides the intelligence that glowed in his eyes, sadness and defeat accompanied it. Despite being the smartest man alive, and making five impossible bodies for himself, it seemed he was finally coming to a close with his crimes.

"So you are Daedalus," I said. "Why did you come to camp then? What purpose did you have being there?"

"To see if your camp was worth saving. Luke had given me one story. I preferred to come to my own conclusions."

"Well that's good and all, because Luke is partially delusional. But then, that means you have talked to him."

"Ah yes, several times. He is quite the speaker. Very persuasive."

"You've seen the camp now, what's your decision?" I asked. "Because I want to know here and now whether you'll be an enemy to us or not."

Daedalus sighed. "That is a difficult one to answer. You see, Luke already has what he wants in his grasp."

"What?" My eyes narrowed.

"The string of Ariadne." Daedalus said wearily. "A magical item that leads one through the maze whilst avoiding the dangers of fatal traps. Not as good as a clear-sighted mortal, like your friend here, but good enough to get to your camp without a problem."

"Really proud of yourself huh?" I asked sarcastically.

"I believed your quest to be in vain," Daedalus admitted. "And the future Kronos promised was more promising. He promised me freedom from my sins, and my past. Once Hades is overthrown, he will set me over the Underworld. I shall reclaim my son Icarus, and mend my relations with Perdix. I shall cast Minos into the depths of Tartarus, never having to see him again. I will no longer have to run from death."

I stared at the insane inventor incredulously. "No longer have to run from death? That's the fattest lie I've ever heard in my life. Siding with Kronos to take over the world is running from death!"

Daedalus' eyes grew cold. "You don't understand, child. The things I've seen and lived through…"

I laughed dryly. "Oh yes, like you're any worse than any other demigod who's ever been born."

"Your cause was doomed from the start." Daedalus said curtly. "I saw that whilst I was in camp. How many of you were frolicking in your pathetically useless camp activities while a war brewed right outside your magical borders? With your power, there's no way you can bring down, let alone stand a chance against the Titan Lord."

I processed his words and bent over, head low. Daedalus must've thought that I thought we were doomed, and said, "Do you see now–"

I laughed, and stood straight again, smirking at the inventor. "The only thing I see is a coward who refuses to rectify his mistakes headon, and instead resorts to cheap murders and inventions to hide the fact that he's afraid of death." I ignored Daedalus' murderous glare and continued. "And for your information, we can most definitely defend and fight off Kronos. Clearly, you don't know our power as well as you think you do."

"Riptide?" Daedalus said coldly. "Some alternate universe traveller from nowhere doesn't make him god. He may be powerful, but–"

I interrupted the inventor again. "Riptide isn't stupid enough to show off his power. And let me tell you, he already guessed your identity. He told me to watch out for you on the day we met."

Daedalus' anger dimmed and he sighed, placing his sword down on the bench. "While your words pain me, they are true. I've been running from death for 2000 years, and still going, afraid of the sentence I'll receive."

"Anyhow," The inventor picked his sword up once more. "You should get going and warn the camp. Luke is heading there, and if he somehow gains Antaeus' approval, there are no more walls between him and his assault on camp. So hurry!"

We stood stock still for a moment, which turned out to be a bad idea as a massive sound slammed against the door of the room. I summoned a sphere of water around all of us as the door exploded, sending shards of wood and metal in all directions. In the rubble, a familiar enemy stood, backed by two Laistrygonians armed with hammers and axes.

"Kelli," I muttered. "Nice to see you again, bitch."

"Ah, don't be like that, Atalanta." Kelli licked her lips. "I prefer men, but you're a pretty sweet specimen as well."

"Sorry," I smirked, sheathing Riptide and summoning twin forearm-length dagger constructs. My best set of weapons, at least, according to Percy and Zoe. "But I'm not into girls."

"Why are you here?" Daedalus asked, sword raised, jaw clenched. "This was not part of the agreement."

"Agreement?" Kelli asked, licking her lips. Her eyes turned to slits and she laughed nastily. "We didn't swear on the Styx, what agreement are you discussing?"

The inventor paled. "Treachery." He hissed.

"Luke is satisfied with everything he has." Kelli chuckled. "We've gotten everything we need from you, so you're no longer important to us." She glanced around the room, and noticed Rachel. Kelli smiled like she'd just found her favorite snack. "Isn't this nice? All our enemies in one room, with an appetizer to start!" With that, the vampire transformed into her true form, her hands turning into claws, her hair setting itself alight, and her legs becoming bronze and donkey on each side respectively.

"Getting serious now?" I asked. I side-glanced Rachel, wondering how she was doing. She was doing a great impression of a marble statue, unblinking as she stared terrified at Kelli.

"Have you used the whistle I gave you yet?" Daedalus asked as Kelli prepared to pounce.

"No," I managed, readying myself.

"Use it!" Daedalus urged. "I don't know if we can handle these three with just us."

I had told myself never to use the whistle, which suddenly felt like it was re-freezing itself in my pocket. Right as Kelli hit the final chord of her snarl, I took out the whistle and blew on it. It made no sound and shattered as soon as I did, making me look pretty stupid.

Everyone besides Daedalus seemed to agree. One of the giants made a "Huh?" noise, whilst Kelli just laughed. "And what was that supposed to do?"

She wasn't smiling for long when out of nowhere, a familiar thump of a tank-sized shape charged through, grabbing the Huh giant with her massive jaws and swinging him across the room like her otherwise usual pink squeaky yak. I don't know how in the world Ms. O'Leary heard me, but I was glad she was here. The oversized hellhound provided a much-needed distraction that led to me surprise attacking Kelli, and Daedalus accompanying his furry companion in taking down the other giant.

I would try to check if Rachel was okay if I could, but all I could focus on was Kelli. The she-demon was fast, nearly as fast as Zoe in our spars, thus I could still hit her from time to time. But her flaming hair and sharp claws caused me to be wary of her as we tussled, since I wasn't wearing an inch of armor and one slice could be fatal.

Kelli slashed crazily, preventing any attempt I made to deal a fatal blow. She was definitely no ordinary rinse-and-repeat monster, and able to keep up with my occasional tricks and feints that I had practiced in spars. The only thing I managed to get control of was her flaming hair, which I doused from time to time with a conjured water balloon to her face.

I caught her claws one inch from my face again, and parried it to the side before jumping forward, slashing across her abdomen. It wouldn't kill, but it'd definitely slow her down. The she-demon merely snarled and scooted back, clutching her side before rushing me again. We danced around work tables and inventions, smashing past jars and machinery as we traded blows, me landing more of my attacks on her however.

As we continued to fight, Daedalus and Ms. O'Leary fought against the two Laistrygonians, the first one having gotten out of his momentary daze to join the fight. Though the giants were larger than the inventor, Daedalus' hits were calculated and on point as he stabbed and slashed the giants' bodies, weakening and distracting them to let Ms. O'Leary handled the heavy damage. One giant had his arm stuck in the hellhound's jaws and wailed in pain, smacking the other giant as he attempted to tear the unrelenting dog off. The second giant stumbled and lashed his hand out to maintain balance, succeeding only in smashing through a workbench with his fist, and dropping a jar of Greek fire that spread instantly around the room, surrounding my duel with Kelli in a scary green light.

"Shit!" Daedalus cursed, realizing what had happened.

Kelli began to fight harder, forcing me slowly towards the biggest collection of Greek fire in the room. I winced as I felt the heat of the magical flame burn on my back, even though the fire was still a good five paces away. That stuff could burn in water, so my usual shield wouldn't even work. I needed a new plan.

Somehow, in all the chaos that was going on, Rachel had managed to don the wings we'd seen on the wall. One, that was actually a good idea to get out of here, but two, I became distracted for two seconds that Kelli definitely didn't miss. The demon swiped at me, nicking the edge of my shirt as I stumbled back to dodge, unable to raise my blade fast enough. Though I wasn't hurt, I was now one step away from the flames.

"You're at the edge of your line, hero." Kelli snarled. "I know Luke would rather kill you himself, but I can't help myself from tasting such a sweet little thing."

I smirked. "I told you already, I'm not into girls." I pretended to fall back, as if I was getting tired from our spar. I focused on the water behind her, despite the growing flames of Greek fire in the room that made the effort I was making substantially harder.

"It doesn't matter," Kelli stalked forward, claws raised. "You'll be delicious!" And she pounced.

I blocked her slash with a single dagger but was still pushed backwards. I could feel the flames licking my skin dangerously as I willed the water behind Kelli together into a jagged dagger, and pulled, launching the half-finished construct at the she-demon's back. I felt the blade solidify as it pierced her body, the demon's surprised shriek of pain as she realized she was impaled. Without thinking too much, I snapped back and body slammed Kelli away, knocking her into a pile of burnt work table scraps.

"You bitch!" Kelli snarled, covered in scratches and wood shavings.

"I know," I said, charging forward without warning. "Go to hell!" The demon didn't even have time to burst into flames and escape this time, slashed apart into dust in mere seconds. "Tch. You were a bitch, but good fight, Kelli."

However, the rest of the room wasn't doing so well. The Greek fire burnt continuously, with nothing available to stop its path. It had devoured and blackened half the room, and Daedalus and Ms. O'Leary could only fight the giants to a stalemate. Rachel stared at me, gesturing to the wings but I stood still, unsure of whether to escape or fight.

Shouting from down the tunnel sounded into the room, and Rachel's face paled even more than it already had. Daedalus was cut everywhere, bleeding golden oil instead of blood onto the ground. But otherwise, he seemed to be doing fine, with an angry fire lit in his eyes.

"Go!" The old inventor yelled, nodding towards Rachel. "Ms. O'Leary and I will hold them off! Go and escape!"

I opened my mouth but he shut me off. "Don't even think about it. You were right, demigod. About everything. And plus, I cannot leave Ms. O'Leary. We'll fight to get you time!"

I didn't hesitate for a second after that. I rushed over to Rachel, who helped me put on the wings as fast as we could. With the rising temperature, and the nearing of sounds of cheering coming from monsters, we were both tense as each second ticked by.

"So I don't know how to fly?" I asked, sort of dumbly.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "I don't know either. But we have to if we want to escape."

We pried the window open and looked back. Daedalus had picked up one of the smashed work tables and was using it as a shield. Ms. O'Leary glanced at us and barked, as if wishing us good luck.

"Alright then," I said grimly. "Let's go!"

And we jumped.

§§§§§

I never imagined that I would willingly jump out a window of a high-story building. But here I was, leaping five hundred feet off the ground like I was about to fly with an elytra. I remembered what Daedalus had said in my previous dreams, and extended my arms, letting the bronze wings catch and reflect the sunlight as I glided in the air and prayed that Zeus wouldn't smite me. Thunder rumbled softly in the air, and I got the gist that the god of thunder was laughing at me.

"Hell yeah!" I whooped as I made an experimental flap. Flying like this was epic, and I was now even more jealous that Percy could fly, even though he used a jetpack of sorts from his suit. Regardless, I wanted to get in the air more too.

I turned in the sky and glanced down at Daedalus' workshop. Smoke was billowing out the window, but I couldn't see much of anything else.

"I think we better land soon!" Rachel cried, glancing at her wings. "These may be pieces of art, but I doubt they can hold us in the air for very long."

"Where?" I replied, hoping the old inventor and Ms. O'Leary were all right.

"Anywhere!"

We ducked and dived around the Garden of the Gods, scaring the crap out of a few visitors before landing in a pretty empty spot, far from the possibility of running into curious mortals. After a few struggling minutes, we removed the wings and just threw them in the nearest trash bin, which seemed sorta wasteful, but the craftsmanship was already falling apart. And without the materials or brains to fix them, there was nothing else we could've done.

I used a tourist binocular camera to observe the hill we came from. However, there was no sign that the workshop had been there in the first place. No smoke, no debris, nothing. It was like how Chiron had described what happened with Clarisse. The opening simply shifted to another location, and where to? We wouldn't have a single clue.

"The workshop moved?" Rachel asked, peering at the hill, eyes squinted. Knowing her, she could probably tell even at this distance.

"Yep." I said. "You think they'll be fine?"

"I can't tell," Rachel frowned. "But I'm willing to bet you aren't just going to leave it at that assuming Daedalus died?"

"No, you're right." I agreed. "Luke could already be attacking camp for all we know. And Tyson and Grover, my two other questmates, are still in the maze. If Daedalus died…" I inhaled sharply. "The chances of surviving are close to none."

"We better find another way in then, right?" Rachel asked.

"Well yes," I said. "Fastest would be to head back to the city, a better chance to find Labyrinth openings. It's the fastest way to camp, since we have to sprint across the country."

"Why not just take a plane?" Rachel suggested.

I shuddered. "Planes are not a good idea. Me flying in the air a few moments ago was terrifying enough."

Rachel frowned. "Would a car work?"

I nodded. "Infinitely better than a plane. Though, how we're gonna get a ride is the problem."

"It's not a problem," Rachel grimaced, her voice suddenly hollow. "I can handle it."

I wanted to ask how, but decided against it, seeing the difficult expression that Rachel made as she headed down towards the parking lot.

"Could you…" Rachel began, still facing the parking lot. "Stay here a second?"

I nodded. "Sure."

Without another word, Rachel headed towards the edge of the parking lot where a chauffeured Lexus sat, along with the driver who stood imposingly beside it. What she was doing, approaching that guy and all was strange, but I just kept watching. Rachel marched straight up to the guy and said a few words. Whatever she said seemed to alarm him, as the man turned pale and instantly dropped his imposing stance. A few more words, he was nodding like crazy, and pulled out his cell phone to make a call. After the call, he opened the back door of the car for Rachel to get it. She pointed in my direction and said a few more, and the guy just kept nodding like those dummy toys do after you smack their heads really hard.

I couldn't understand the scene that much, except perhaps that Rachel had a relationship with someone high in the economic hierarchy or something. It was the only logical sense I could guess based on how the driver dropped everything to help her.

Rachel came back, looking slightly less irritable than she was moments ago. "The driver's ready whenever we are."

I nodded. "Let's go then." I didn't bother asking any questions, which seemed to relieve her.

We walked past the flustered client who'd apparently rented the car originally. Rachel didn't give the guy a second glance, but I nodded in silent apology as I jumped into the car. "Damn," I muttered as I examined the interior. I mean, I'd seen pictures and these types of cars on TV, but it was a whole different experience being inside one. The seats were leather. There was plenty of legroom, which was typical for a car this size. What I wasn't used to was the flat-panel TVs built into the back of the headrests of the front seats, or the mini fridge stocked with food and cold water. After a half-hearted glance from Rachel, I started pigging out. I was starving.

"Where to, Miss Dare?" The driver asked. I raised an eyebrow. The formal tone he used was just as perplexing as his previous behavior in the parking lot. Just who was Rachel?

"Uh, I dunno Robert," Rachel replied, scanning everywhere her eyes could reach. "We just need to drive around town and have a look around."

"Whatever you say, miss."

I took a huge swig of water. "You know this guy?"

"No."

We didn't say much after that, with Rachel clearly avoiding all attempts to discuss what just happened. But I knew for sure now that Rachel had connections somewhere up high. The way the driver had reacted was too strange, and could only be described as a demigod respecting a god. Like there was some sort of obligated respect the driver must have for Rachel, despite the circumstances.

We drove through Colorado Springs for about half an hour. We, and by we, I actually mean Rachel, couldn't see or find anything resembling a Labyrinth entrance. Eventually, we decided to leave Colorado Springs and head to Denver, a larger city that may yield better results. Though we were running out of time, it was our only chance.

Right as we popped out of Colorado Springs however, Rachel suddenly stood up, eyes wide. "Get off the highway!"

"Miss?"

"I saw something, I think. We need to get off the highway, Robert."

The driver swerved through the traffic with expert precision and took the exit, bringing us to an empty looking area filled with hills, scattered farm buildings, and trees. I didn't see anything, but Rachel's face told me otherwise.

Rachel had the driver turn down an unpromising dirt road. Again, the driver didn't even question it. We drove through an area containing a museum of sorts, something about the mining industry. It was pretty unattractive, and I didn't know what was going on until Rachel pointed out a lump of stone that was barred and locked.

"That's it," Rachel said. "That's an entrance."

"You sure?" I asked.

"Yes," Rachel said. "I can see it." She turned to the driver. "Robert, here is fine."

When we got out, the driver didn't ask for money or anything, despite driving us for hours and now into the middle of nowhere. Instead, he turned and looked at Rachel, his tone still formal. "Are you sure you'll be alright, Miss Dare? I'd be happy to call your–"

Rachel interrupted the guy. "No!" She said frantically, waving him off. "No really. Thanks for everything, Robert! We'll be fine." She forced a girly smile, which seemed to convince the driver, and the two of us set off. Rachel's face became weary, as if all the fakeness had exhausted her, but I still remained silent, not wanting to act invasive about it.

The museum seemed to be closed, so no one noticed two teens stepping over the roped boundaries and dashing towards the barred mine entrance. We kicked aside some boards to reveal a rusty lock of sorts accompanied by several links of equally rusty chains. The mark of Daedalus was on the backside of the lock, a tiny, tiny symbol that I didn't even understand how Rachel could've possibly seen. Whatever the case, we were back in the Labyrinth in less than a minute of arriving.

Dirt tunnels turned to stone. They wound up and down, twisted and spiraled randomly but Rachel had no problem navigating them all, not even hesitating as she chose a path instinctively. I wondered what it was like for her, if she was simply feeling, or seeing through walls like she had X-ray vision. Even the fact that we needed to go back to New York, the other side of the country, didn't faze her. Rachel just knew where we needed to go.

We walked in silence for a while, before Rachel halted, staring confusedly down the corridor. I raised an eyebrow and glanced at Rachel, wondering what was wrong. Eventually, I asked it. "What's wrong?"

The path we walked on continued straight, but there was another path to our right, cutting into the wall at a perfect right angle, the tunnel made of black volcanic rock carved in the shape of a circle.

"Is that the way?"

"No." Rachel said quietly, her voice nervous. "Not at all."

"Then why–?"

"Something evil is down this tunnel." Rachel continued. "Something powerful."

I caught a familiar scent that brought back a slew of memories I preferred not to ever think about. "Eucalyptus trees," I muttered. "California."

"Anything of significance?" Rachel asked.

"I'd say, Luke's entrance," I guessed. "He'd been using the Labyrinth to travel for a while now, I wouldn't be surprised if this was his entrance to Mount Tam, the Titan's base."

"Uh…"

"I have to check it out," I said. "I know it's a bad idea, but I need to find out what's going on."

"Okay," Rachel said timidly, looking like she was about to drop the flashlight she held. "Be careful, you know?"

I tiptoed down the tunnel, making sure to avoid tripping and knocking on anything that could alert whoever was here my presence. Near the exit of the tunnel, I heard voices, voices mixed with barks, grunts, and other dog sounds. Telkhines, I thought.

"At least we salvaged the blade," one said. "The master will reward us."

"Yes! Yes!" a second telkhine said. "He shall reward us greatly!"

Another voice, strangely familiar, this one definitely human: "Um, yeah, well that's great and all. But if we're done here, can I le–?"

"No, half-blood," the first telkhine said. "You must help us make the presentation. It is a great honor!"

"Gee, thanks," the half-blood deadpanned, and it was then that I realized the boy was Ethan Nakamura, the sorry demigod I had refused to kill in the arena.

I crept towards the end of the tunnel, making sure my physical body remained out of sight while I stretched my senses outside, using the water molecules in the air to feel what was going on. I winced like something burned me when I tried to see whatever the telkhines were talking about, feeling a cold and malicious aura ooze from the object.

As the telkhines and Ethan moved forward, I followed behind slowly. When I reached the exit, a blast of cool air hit my face. Apparently, I was standing on top of Mount Tam. How? I couldn't explain at all. The Pacific Ocean spread out below, gray under a cloudy sky. About twenty feet downhill, two telkhines were placing something on a rock, something wrapped in black silky cloth. Ethan was helping them open it.

"Careful, fool," one of the telkhines hissed. "One touch, and the blade will sever your soul from your body."

I gasped in horror. Tiber metal?! There was no way. It was impossible. Percy insisted that the recipe for Tiber metal was near impossible to discover, let alone replicate. Yet here it was, a blade that could sever your soul. And the only metal I knew that could do that were Percy's custom armaments.

Pushing that stomach-exiting-my-body thought away, I focused on what was going on. Ethan had clearly understood the gist of what losing a soul meant, and backed away to let the telkhines handle the hidden object. When the first telkhine gingerly took whatever was inside out, my blood ran cold.

It was a bladed weapon, a scythe to be exact. And if my memory serves correctly, only one immortal was famous for wielding the scythe in battle, a deadly weapon of destruction. The weapon of Kronos, the Titan of Time. And that thought didn't make me feel any better.

The scythe was a six foot long blade curved like a crescent moon, with a wooden handle wrapped in leather. The blade glinted two different colors, bronze and silver, not unlike Luke's sword Backbiter. A weapon destroyed after the gods used it to slash the Titan into pieces. A blade reforged for the enemy king.

"We must sanctify it in blood," the telkhine said. "Then you, half-blood, shall present it to the lord when he wakes."

My breath hitched, and I turned away from the blade. The sight alone gave me the creeps, and without being able to confirm whether or not it really was made of Tiber metal, I couldn't be more terrified of the wicked weapon.

Although I was aware that I was now deep inside the enemy home grounds, I was curious as to whether or not I could stop the rise of Kronos here and now, before anything got out of hand. Based on Percy's experience, the awakening of Kronos couldn't be stopped. And I suppose it was because Percy hadn't been strong enough to stop the process. But I'd trained and practiced for hours with my powers. If it was just two telkhines and Ethan, I could take the scythe and get out of there. I had already beat Ethan before, and two more dogs wouldn't be hard to put down. There was no lava here for them to throw at me.

While the trio was distracted by handling the scythe carefully, I darted past them behind the black marble columns that lined the hall. Everything about this place reminded me of Hades' palace – dark, gloomy, yet powerful and malicious. You know that feeling you get when you step into your parent's bedroom when they specifically tell you not to, but you do it anyway cause you're curious? That's me right now, except the parent's bedroom is a pitch black mausoleum filled with regal black statues on each side depicting the faces of each Titan who ruled before the gods. At the end of the hall I ran on, a dais sat between two bronze braziers. And on that dais sat a familiar golden sarcophagus, belonging to none other than Kronos himself.

Something was wrong. This was too easy, way too easy. I could just walk up there, and stab Kronos' body? But wasn't he currently scattered in a million pieces? Did Kronos have Luke remake him a body, like how Vision was created by Ultron? The hall was completely empty, absent of guards, monsters, or even Luke, who I'd expect to see at the reawakening of his master. I was so lost in momentary confusion, that even the soft crackling of the fires nearby startled me for a second.

Regardless, I headed towards the dais, after checking both ways to make sure no one was coming. The sarcophagus looked just as I remembered it, about ten feet long and too large for a normal human. It was carved with elaborate scenes of death and destruction, with pictures of gods getting trampled and trodden on by chariots, and showing temples and famous landmarks getting looted and destroyed. The whole coffin oozed a cold and evil aura, so much so that it felt like I'd just fallen into a freezer. My breath began to steam, despite the two braziers burning brightly beside me.

I took a deep breath and drew Riptide, the shape of the blade settling in my hand and calming my nerves. Whenever I approached Kronos before, his scraping-knife voice would speak into my mind. But now, as I approached the coffin that would reborne his new body, he remained silent. It was unnerving, but I inched forward, sword raised.

I stood over the coffin, gazing at the lid. The top was decorated more intricately than the sides, with scenes of carnage and power. Had I not known this was Kronos', I would've guessed it to be Ares'. This decor was perfect for the god of war. Though it clearly wasn't, as an ancient language in letters older than Greek were carved in the center, spelling out a few words I couldn't understand, but could guess what they said. Kronos, I thought, Lord of Time.

My hand approached the lid, then stilled before I touched the edge. I focused and surrounded my hand in a layer of water, then gripped the side of the lid. Despite my newly created glove, I could feel the freezing sensation envelop my fingertips almost instantly, the cold burning my skin. Frost gathered around me, and Riptide began to ice along the edge of the blade. Without thinking much more, I pushed the lid open and readied myself to strike. What I saw made me hesitate, and I found my hand going slack in confusion.

Whatever I was expecting, it wasn't this. Mortal legs, dressed in gray pants. A white T-shirt, like I'd seen in my dreams, with hands folded over the stomach. One piece of his chest was missing – a clean black hole about the size of a bullet wound, right where his heart should've been. And despite my well-practiced calmness, I just about short-circuited as I attempted to process what my eyes showed me. His eyes were closed, but I knew what they looked like when open. He was pale, paler than I'd seen him at Mount Tam last winter. Blonde hair matted messily on his head, and the long scar that cut along the left side of his face. I knew who this was. This body was Luke's.

I should've stabbed him right then and there. I don't know why I didn't. But the shock of seeing Luke just lying there, in a Titan's coffin was everything out of my expectations. He looked dead. Dead and in a coffin meant to remake Kronos a new body. Was this what Percy meant by Luke taking on the Curse of Achilles to house Kronos' soul?

I didn't get much time to ponder the questions that sprouted in my mind, as I was interrupted by the sound of incoming voices, familiar voices I recognized as the telkhines. I didn't have time to pull the lid back on and dashed off the dais, rolling to the side to hide behind one of the columns in the hall. Just in time too, as the telkhines footsteps quickened as they approached.

"What has happened?!" One of the telkhines asked.

"Perhaps he stirs," the second one warned. "We must present the gifts immediately!"

I peeked around the column and watched the telkhines approach, kneeling as they raised the scythe into the air. I took a deep breath, then raised an eyebrow in confusion when nothing happened.

"You fool!" the second telkhine muttered. "The half-blood must go first." As if he hadn't also lifted up the blade in offering.

"Hold up," Ethan backed up. "Offering?"

"Don't be a coward!" the telkhine hissed. "The lord doesn't require your death. Only your allegiance. Pledge him your service. Renounce the gods. That is all."

I stepped out of my hiding place and summoned twin dagger constructs that I launched at the telkhines. One missed and ricocheted off the handle of the scythe, causing the weapon to slice the missed telkhine into dust. The other stepped back, wounded but unfortunately not dead. I hadn't infused enough godly energy, and now, my position was exposed.

"Ethan," I stared firmly at the traitorous demigod before me. "Don't even think about it."

"Trespasser!" the living telkhine snarled. "The master will deal with her soon enough. Hurry, boy!"

Ethan leveled his sword, his single visible eye brimming with rage. It was nearly as bad as Luke's whenever Hermes' name was mentioned, like the eyeball was about to vibrate out the socket. The side of his face with an eyepatch was shadowed, his expression stony.

"Have you ever heard this saying Atalanta? An eye for an eye?" He chuckled humorlessly. "I learned its meaning, and learned it the hard way when I discovered my godly parent." His mouth morphed into a sneer. "I was a child of Nemesis, the goddess of revenge. This," He gestured at the coffin. "This is what I was born to do!"

I blinked once before bolting forward, summoning a dagger construct that I threw at him, which he parried away to the side. I immediately engaged him in a fast match of slashes and swipes, our blades clanging in the hollow and empty hallway. Though I pressed him hard, attempting to distract and hopefully defeat him, Ethan was much smarter than any monster I'd faced.

"Fight me all you want!" Ethan laughed, locking my blade in place with his so that neither of us could move. I simply let him disarm me so that I could leap backwards, and summoned a molecular version of Riptide instantly to block his next attack.

"Because when he rises, there'll be nothing you can do!" Ethan said. "I renounce the gods! What have they ever done for me, but let me fester away in a camp full of false hope? I will see them destroyed. I will serve Kronos!"

The moment he finished speaking, the building around us rumbled. I backed away in alarm as a wisp of blue light rose from between Ethan's feet and began to shimmer, like a cloud of pure energy. Then, it descended into the sarcophagus.

"Fuck," I muttered as I felt a pulse of overbearing power resonate out the coffin. Ethan looked as pale as I was, but I don't think he was as terrified. Sure, I'd seen Percy absolutely fuck over Atlas using the most brutal fighting techniques I'd ever seen, but me witnessing the reincarnation of a Titan Lord who controlled an element of power that was nearly impossible to fight against... well, my demigod brain wasn't processing that so well.

Luke sat bolt upright as steam flowed out of the coffin. When his eyes finally blinked open, the familiar angry blue was gone, replaced by a brilliant shining 24 karat gold brimming with power. The hole in his chest was gone. It was a completely healthy body. He leaped out of the coffin with ease, and when his feet hit the ground, the marble froze like craters of ice. I had no idea how I was supposed to fight him. This was no longer Luke. He may look like my old rival, but at his core, he was a Titan.

He looked at Ethan and the stabbed telkhine, who gingerly held up the scythe as best he could without getting vaporized on accident. The newborn Titan glanced at them as if he were learning about their existence for the first time, until his head slowly swiveled to me, where his mouth quirked up into a nasty smile.

"This body has been well-prepared," His voice was like a razor blade running across my skin. Unsettling, uncomfortable, and cold. It was Luke's, but remixed by Kronos. It was Luke's voice, but accompanied by an ancient and malicious sound like metal scraping against rock. I shuddered involuntarily, wishing I could run, or move, or do anything. But I was speechless, and motionless. I'd never been so scared in my life.

Kronos threw his head back and laughed, which was even less pleasant to hear than him talking. The scar on Luke's face rippled, before the Titan calmed himself.

"Luke feared you," Kronos said. "His jealousy and hatred have been powerful tools. It has kept him obedient. For that, I thank you."

What I said about Ethan before? All cap. The demigod was so terrified that he collapsed onto his knees, skin clammy and white. He covered his face with his hands as the wounded telkhine dragged the scythe towards Kronos.

I stepped back, redrawing Riptide which had returned to my pocket. I wasn't going to attack the Titan – it was a stupid idea. The other sword dematerialized, and instead, I focused on the water around me in case I needed to summon a shield.

"Ah, much better," Kronos didn't mind my movements, and took his time grasping onto his scythe, giving it a few experimental swings that accidentally took out the telkhine giving it to him. "Backbiter, Luke called it. And I agree. It shall indeed bite back, for all those who fought against me."

I said nothing, and focused on how to get out of here. I was completely unmatched, my opponent being a superpowered ancient being who could control time at will. I had no allies, plus Rachel was still somewhere in the Labyrinth, and armed with Riptide, my powers, and my brain. I couldn't vapor travel yet, and even if I could, I'd probably pass out instantly after doing it, and I don't trust being able to vaporize myself and Rachel across the country back to camp. So what did I do?

I summoned a ring of daggers and launched them at the Titan lord, before throwing all the water in the room into a massive barrier behind me when I turned and sprinted down the hall. Sure, I was exposing my power level to Kronos, but I doubt he cared, and I might as well scare Ethan in the process that I wasn't some meek animal who would bow down to Kronos for mercy. The plan worked alright in my head, but as soon as I leapt into a sprint, my body slowed, and I felt the air thicken.

"Hahahahahaha!" Kronos laughed, his voice echoing down the hall. I couldn't even turn my head around, my body feeling like it was running through glue, my limbs feeling like somebody had strapped lead weights to them. "Run, little hero, run! Run with all your might!"

When my head finally got to turning around, I could see him taking his time as he walked, leisurely stretching out then coming towards me, scythe swinging back and forth, the cruel blade shining in the low light. I refused to close my eyes, but felt dread with every step he took. This was the power of a Titan. So strong, that no amount of power could stop him. No amount of celestial bronze, no weapon in my hands. Even the daggers I'd created merely bounced off his body, like I'd thrown plastic toys at him.

The Titan was about ten feet away when I heard, "Atalanta!" Rachel's voice, I recognized, my brain working at its normal pace despite my body unable to.

Something flew past my face, and a blue hairbrush beamed Kronos in the eye.

"Ow!" he yelled. For a moment, it was only Luke's voice, as if the Titan hadn't fully settled into his new host body yet. I didn't have time to admire Rachel's aiming capabilities, and dashed down the hall quickly, relieved that my limbs could finally move again. Rachel stared at me in dismay, her arm still outstretched slightly.

"Go, go!" I grabbed her arm and pulled her as gently as I could, well, as gently as one could running from certain death. Rachel didn't complain, and turned on her feet, running with me back towards the Labyrinth entrance. We were nearly there when a sudden blast of sound reverberated out the palace, loud and piercing that scared the crap out of us.

"AFTER THEM!" Kronos bellowed.

I knew that Kronos couldn't really send anyone after us, not with Ethan so terrified that his face was whiter than his skull. And both telkhines were definitely dead. Yet, I didn't trust Rachel's hairbrush to keep the Titan at bay. But there was nothing I could do. Instead, we didn't stop running, and ran faster as the Titan's voice shook the world behind us.

Percy: Were you so busy that you couldn't post on my birthday?

Me: Well, yes. At least I'm still posting in your birthday month?

Percy: Bruh, why didn't you tell me. I can't believe how much preparation I made that day.

Me: I was sad as well okay, but life comes first. That being said, all I would've done is deliver you Zoe in a bunny suit.

Percy: ...

Atalanta: Hey, it's my birthday too!

Percy: Oh... yeah, well, see you're not supposed to exist...

Atalanta: I exist here, thank you very much.

Me: Percy, stop alienating your OC sister.

Percy: My bad.

Atalanta: You tell him, Zayden.

Percy: (grumbling) You threw me into an alternate universe, yet you can even get my birthday right?

Me: You want your chapter or not?

Percy: It features Atti more than me...

Zoe: Quit your whining.

Percy: Zoe!

Atalanta: I agree. Stop whining, bro.

Me: (shrug emote) Plus, any scene I write of you is just gonna be you and Zoe making out, there's really no point.

Percy: I swear to god, I'm going to throw hands at you if we meet.

Me: Lol. I'm in an alternate universe. And you can't go anywhere unless I say so. Or parallxyt. Or J915WinterKing. Or LostRonin. Apparently, in that world you get a harem Percy.

Percy: Okay okay I get it! My hands are tied.

Zoe: A HAREM?!

Percy: It's not my fault!

Atalanta: (giggling) damn bro, you get around a lot huh?

Percy: ZAYDEN! GODAMMIT!

Me: And this is where I leave.

Percy: OH NO YOU DON'T!

A/N:

Just an average day of text messaging my story's cast.

First off, Happy Late Birthday Percy and Atalanta. Yup, I get it. I wanted to do D-Day, but it came at the worst possible moment in my schedule. And despite me working my ass off in order to continue writing and editing this chapter, I stalled for so long.

Regardless, this is it. From now on, I'm posting one chapter per month. Unless I somehow feel less stressed or have more time, I'll post more. But college is back with a vengeance, and fanfiction writing takes at least an hour plus worth of time. I'm sure plenty of you will understand.

The story is nearing the end of the fourth book, and I have many plans for the final installment of this part I. Many things are going to be different, and I'm excited to begin writing.

And of course, whenever I haven't been writing, I've been reading. The three authors named above have taken many places in my reading history, probably because they're writing some insanely good reads. If you haven't checked them out, please do so. They are seriously good writers.

Anyhow, I hope this chapter will make your day. Thanks for waiting so patiently everyone!

Peace out, you legends!

Sincerely, Zayden Shade