Alright boys, chapter twenty eight! I feel like I say this every time, but honestly never thought I would ever get this far. Honestly blows my mind lmao. I really liked last chapter, had an epic fight and set up a shit load of things, so I hope I can deliver on all of them. Anyway, let's get into some reviews.
Echoxenvy: "Awesome chapter, dude. Here comes the review.
I guess I should start off by saying, yet again, insanely good fight. I loved it, from the unique ways Prometheus fought to the little gadgets on his sword. Zane and Percy fighting together was great, but I felt they weren't working together as well as they used to, but that's probably because of the Labyrinth's tight space, so it makes sense.
Prometheus...bro. This guy is definitely going to be the best villain yet, besides Luke. Honestly with the way he's headed, he might be better than Hyperion, in terms of being a general antagonist. His motivations are good, his actions are clear, and he's badass. His sword is awesome, the little abilities that it has are seriously a breath of fresh air for this fic. Not saying that I don't like the big power ups and epic DBZ style clashes, but throwing in someone that uses intelligence and weaponry is a great add on. My favorite thing about it had to be the irregular lightning, I was not expecting that and it was interesting seeing Zane react to being shocked like that for the first time. I honestly feel bad for the guy, going through millions of years of excrutiating torture, I don't think Zane or Percy can really fathom that right now, and that's why they seemed a bit dismissive about it. But Prometheus is still a baddie, joining up with Kronos is a no-no, so we got to get rid of him.
As for the arm scene. Damn, ZW never shies away from the gory stuff, and I love it. Completely realistic for things like that to happen here, it's a war, and if canon wasn't mainly for kids and teens, then there would be much more brutal events. Not saying that's a bad thing, Imo the original five are very, very, very good books, but it's nice to see a story with more blood and gore.
The romantic moments. What's not to like, as usual? Good fluff for Zaylor, it was nice how he stayed and watched Zane all night, and laid in the bed with him when he woke up. Honestly bro, I know Nico is in the picture too, but the Zaylor train has never left for me lol. And of course, Percabeth. I live for those two lol, they had some cute moments here, like him hugging her and giving her confidence. Ugh, so great. You write them very well, I really need to step up my Percabeth game in SOH.
Oh and lastly, Arthur. Fuck. Yes. He is going on the quest, I never thought this day would come, the Son of Helios is finally getting some screen time and development with the gang. Can't wait for the talk and more interactions with him. Seems to me like Annabeth intentionally brought him along so that the air would clear and he could be a part of the friend group, since he's sort of been a loner for a year in ZW. That's really nice and smart of her if that's the case.
All in all, worth the insane wait. Thought I can't talk, I'm a month late on my own too...so yikes. But can't wait for the next!"
Response: Thanks for the review, man. So about the fight, it was just a taste of what's to come, but you already know that lol. The reason Percy and Zane didn't fight as well together is mainly because I didn't focus on that, as I was focusing on Prometheus and his introduction. But don't worry, I'll make sure I fix that in upcoming fights. And yes, Prometheus is definitely going to be the best villain, at least until Last Olympian, as you know what's happens there. He's definitely going to be a lot more unique and developed than most of the villains in this fic, as he's not particularly a bad person. The irregular lightning was something I was hyped to use for a long fricking time, and I'm glad you thought it was cool. And yes, gory scene with Zane's arm getting sliced off. If you like the blood and gore, don't worry, you've seen nothing yet. The romance is also going to get more developed, and I can't wait for you to read what I've got planned for the arc, even though you already know lol. And yes, Arthur is getting his time in the sun, finally. This arc will really focus on him quite a bit, as I haven't done justice for his character. Anyway, bro, hope you enjoy this chapter.
Shadowhunter2077: "Man it seems to me that Prometheus is gonna be the smartest foe Zane ever fought, this guy appears to be a fusion of Iron man with the Batman, this book gonna be good.
Also will Zeus and Jupiter be different beings like different gods or will they be just alternate personalitys of the same god?
And I curious to see how you will handle Typhon because if a fight between Zane, Percy and Prometheus is that destructive, a fight between Zeus and Typhon would be literally the apocalypse."
Response: So in raw intelligence, Koios is actually the smartest opponent Zane has fought. Prometheus can just use his a lot better and more creatively, but he's definitely a close second to Koios. Batman vibes from Prometheus are on purpose, as he's the Batman of the Titans lol. About Zeus and Jupiter, they're just going to be alternate versions of the same god, even though there's not a massive difference between the two in this fic. And you'll definitely see about Typhon in the future, as I have plans for that overpowered son of a bitch lol. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter.
SaUvE ViPeR: "THIS IS NOT A DRILL, ARTHUR WAYNE IS GOING ON THE QUEST, I REPEAT THIS IS NOT A DRILL!
Lol sorry about that cringiness, I'm just excited that Arthur is going to be more involved. His backstory is virtually nonexistent, and it would be really cool to find out what he did before Camp. You honestly have a clean slate with him. He could have something tragic, like his whole family was killed by a monster or something. Or something else tragic, because all demigods lives are pretty trash lol. Hope to see a friendship form between him and Zane, maybe even best buds haha.
As for the fight, it was epic to say the least. Love Prometheus as a villain. He's only been in two chapters so far, and he's already the best villain behind Luke, and not much far behind him. I say this because the motivation is there, and it's understandable. Also, his sword is awesome. The way he uses little things on it is definitely batman-esque, and how it affected Zane was insane. Honestly he's very dangerous, and with the armor and sword, he might be more so than Hyperion. I'm not sure, but it would be interesting. Correct me if I'm wrong on the powerscaling of this fic.
Of course the relationships are great in this chapter. I love Percy and Annabeth being together, one of the cutest moments was at the very end when he supported her. I literally awed out loud, something I never do. As far as Zane, Taylor being there was nice, and really brought back the old Zaylor vibes I used to get reading this. Honestly forgot he was also with Nico for a minute. Not sure if that's a good thing...
Now in canon, each book, in my opinion, is character centered. Of course Percy was the Mc, but I think each one focuses on someone else really, even thought it's in Percy's perspective. TLT being Percy, SOM being Tyson, TTC being Zoe, BOTL being Annabeth, and TLO being Luke. So that makes this book Annabeth's in my eyes. I hope you give her some development like in canon and more scenes showing off her intelligence. Since everyone around her and even her boyfriend is very strong and way past her. So it is a good time to show how smart she is and that she is important to the team. Taylor was in the same boat, but now that he's strong, it's just Annabeth, and that's not good. If Prometheus is the Batman of the Titans, then Annabeth is the Batman of the gang. I want to read more of it.
Sorry I know this is long, but last thing I promise. My only problem with this was Zane and Percy not working together nearly as well as they did against the Grey Men. But like Echoxenvy said, it could'v been because of the tightness of the labyrinth. It makes sense, but I'm still a bit bummed we didn't see the best duo in prime action. I expect in the final fight we will. That's all I have, I can't wait for the next chapter! Just please try and get it out sooner, I need more of this story!"
Response: Lol, yes, Arthur is going on the quest. He's getting a lot more developed in this arc, and this chapter is just the introduction into that development. For one, he's getting a backstory and while I won't do any flashbacks, you will learn about it through story telling. And yes, I love Prometheus lol. His sword is fucking epic, a homage to Guts from Berserk. And yes, with the armor Prometheus is around 1.5 times Hyperion's power, so about 50% stronger than current Zane. And I'm glad you like Percabeth, which honestly surprise me how everyone likes my depiction of it so much lol. And don't worry about forgetting about Nico, I'll make sure you won't in the future lol. And about Annabeth getting stronger or having something to catch up with the rest of the cast, we'll definitely see, I'll have to read the book and try to fit something in there lol. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter.
Xaqzi: "Awesome fight, Prometheus is going to be a very cool villain. I love that he is like the Batman of the titans, using intelligence and weapons instead of raw power. It's a nice change in villains for this story and I like how Zane isn't used to dealing with it and actually gets hurt a bit. Of course the arm came off, and I expected it to mend, but what if it was decapitation? Can Zane come back from that without outside help? Is there a period of time that passes where he would be dead for sure? Either way, dope chapter and good moments between Zane and Taylor and Percy and Annabeth.
Oh and Arthur going on the quest is awesome. Cannot wait for him to interact with the group."
Response: Thanks for the review, bro. Yes, Prometheus is definitely probably going to be the coolest villain in the fic, since I love that fucking sword of his. He is basically Batman and Iron Man combined into one, mixed in with immortality and a giant sword. So about whether Zane can survive decapitation. Yes and no. Zane has two types of healing. Natural healing, and rage healing. His natural healing is self explanatory, he unlocked it during the Atlas fight and has a potent, yet somewhat limited healing factor. As long as he's in relatively one piece, he can pretty much survive almost anything. But dismemberment and decapitation is a no. He got lucky his limb could be reattached this time, since it was such a perfect cut and he had the limb still intact, but he can't regrow limbs like Wolverine or Deadpool. Rage healing is a different story. Rage healing is where he's super fucking pissed while incredibly injured, so he heals much faster and it's a lot more efficient. He gets a power boost from rage healing, kind of like Zenkais for Saiyans. He can survive practically anything via rage healing, including decapitation. His only weakness is that his brain regulates the healing, so if somehow his brain takes to much damage, say more than 40% of it is destroyed, his rage healing won't work and he'll die. Sorry about the long explanation, hope you enjoy the chapter.
Merrik69: "Great chapter. Really love the fight, it was very well written and Prometheus is looking to be the best villain yet. What an introduction. A big change from raw power to using intelligence and crafted weapons. The thing is they actually had affect on Zane and Percy, which is unreal and proves Prometheus is a real threat. Hopefully when Zane and Zeus have their usual talk Zeus will open up about his mistakes, because we all know he was different back then and probably regrets doing that to Prometheus, both because it was immoral and because it created a vengeful monster.
A question I have is what kind of charms and magic did Prometheus put on the sword, because the use of that is interesting. Was it greek magic like Hecate uses? Or from artifacts? You don't have to elaborate on it in the story, I'm just curious. Also Percabeth was great this chapter, along with Zane and Taylor. The true ship in my opinion. Even though I like Nico with both of them too, I feel like maybe Zane and Taylor should've been the focus, and then put Nico in it later, so you could've gone with the emo Nico arc and had he and Zane be enemies for a little while. But the way you've done things is great. Very interested in what you'll keep and cut, because we all know you do things differently from canon, aka the Gray Men, Atlas and Hyperion being villains early. I hope you do include Kampe, all the sections of the Labyrinth, Pan, and of course the volcano scene. Not sure how you'd include Rachel or Calypso, but I'm sure you have something planned. Can't wait for the next!"
Response: Yo, bro. Thanks for the review. And yes, I'm glad you like Prometheus. He's my favorite villain and I think he has the potential to maybe even be the best. His weapons are very Batman esque, like they have a lot of prep time and research into them. And Zeus will have plenty to say about Prometheus, and maybe someone else as well. You'll see. So about the type of magic in Prometheus' sword, it's just magical energy. Kind of like from Fairy Tail or something like that. Nothing like Hecate magic at all. And I'm glad you liked the relationships, although you did mention Nico should possibly have been brought in later. Honestly, while I like Zico better than Zaylor, I probably should have done what you suggested. Too late to change it now, so we're just going to role with it. And about Rachel and Calypso, you'll see what I have planned for them. Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter.
FablousOutlaw58: "Bro, he got his arm cut off...
This fic is awesome lol
But for real, Arthur going on the quest is so dope. I too felt he was very underused and needs much more development. Like okay, we kind of know what Taylor did before Camp, I think something about his mom, love for fixing hair, and If I remember right, he was bullied? Not sure. And the canon characters, well we know their past, and of course we know Zane's since he's the MC. But Arthur, we know next to nothing about. And honestly Taylor needs some work too in the backstory department. Even though he's already great, I just love Taylor and want more. He's one of the only characters who's mom is alive and actually has a good relationship with. It would be so awesome if Zane met her, like the boyfriend meeting the parents or something. And there HAS to be a scene where Ares realizes his son is dating a demigod he hates, there just has to be a scene like that. I'll keep asking until it happens lol. Anyway, the fight was awesome, Prometheus is a huge threat and already my favorite villain behind Luke. Can't wait to see more of him. Really hyped to see what the Labyrinth holds in this fic, and what will be altered. Please update soon this took too long!"
Response: Thanks for the review, man. Yes, Arthur is definitely going to get more development, as you will see very soon. And more backstory for Taylor is coming, just through storytelling rather than flashbacks, although it will be kind of hard to incorporate it lol. And I'm not sure about Zane meeting Taylor's mom, but we'll definitely see. And yes, Ares will find out about the two, and it will be a legendary scene. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter, sorry the last one was so late.
ReaperKurosaki: " I also agree with everyone that we need more Taylor and Arthur development. It would be very interesting to know more about them and since both are going on the quest, now is the perfect time. As for the chapter, it was awesome. The fight was great and intense, Zane and Percy actually getting beat was insane, and Prometheus is a great villain. His sword and design are dope, so I can't wait to see more of him. Also I don't know if I am the only one to think this, but I love how you've done Percy and Annabeth in this fic. It's the opposite of canon really. In the books it's a slow burn relationship and the two didn't get along at first, and actually argued quite a lot, like other people for a while, before getting together. But here, there's only the things that I mentioned in the first arc, then they like each other. It's great really, how you did them differently. Kind of like in HOO when they started dating, they argued almost none at all, like in this fic. Nice to see it this early though. Also Zaylor was great, love that ship. Chapter three has to come out sooner than this, can't wait!"
Response: Taylor and Arthur development are coming, you will see soon. I'm glad you liked the fight, it was really fun to write since it was Prometheus' introduction, and he's going to show up even more. And again, I'm surprised everyone likes the way I did Percabeth, since I didn't focus on it too much directly. I'm glad you enjoyed last chapter, though, and I hope you enjoy this one.
Zutama: "Great chapter. Sets up the quest well and of course the fight was epic. Prometheus is definitely different than past villains, but still strong in his own way by using his brain. Zane will definitely need to come up with a strategy if he wants to beat him. The thing is, Luke is still out there, so it will be very difficult to deal with him along with Prometheus, since Luke is probably much stronger now. Honestly things are looking bleak for the group now, but they'll figure something out. Also, Arthur going on the quest is really cool, as it was about time he get some development and become an actual character instead of a plot device to make Zane and Taylor happen. It will be cool to see them interact and him fight. Arthur has unique powers, and you said he's the strongest son of helios, so I hope he is used in this book well. Honestly with as much content as there is, this might be a nine chapter arc. That's only good news to me though."
Response: Yo, bro. Thanks for the revie. Prometheus is definitely going to be far different from any other villain, past or future in this fic. Zane will definitely come up with something to overwhelm him, you will see. And yes, Luke is still out there. He is stronger and hungry for vengeance against Zane, so expect him to appear. Arthur is going on the quest, is going to get a lot of development and he wasn't initially a plot device for Zaylor, that happened spontaneously lol. He will get his time to shine, and yes, he is the strongest son of Helios. I don't know about nine chapters, but we will definitely see down the road. Anyway, man, enjoy this chapter.
Enough with reviews, let's blow this pop-stand
(Disclaimer: Idon't own anything portrayed here (Except the OCs). If the fact that this is on a FanFiction site didn't tip you off, you're fucking retarded.)
(000)
As I walked out of the Big House while Annabeth was getting her Prophecy from the Oracle, I made my way towards Arthur Wayne, the son of Helios, who was leaning over the railing of the large porch outside.
Despite his earlier bluster towards Annabeth when asked to join the quest, he absolutely did not look like he was in a good mood. A dark shadow was cast of his face as he looked at the sunny sky ahead of us, and he was clicking his nails on the railing top.
I took a deep breath as I approached him, knowing this was going to be very awkward and also suck. I walked up beside the son of Helios, who didn't even notice my presence as he was lost in thought. "Hey, Arthur."
Arthur jumped slightly at my words, turning his head to me as he did so. As soon as he laid his eyes on me, his gaze darkened even more, if that was even possible. I guess Apollo had the chariot today or something.
"Zane." Arthur said the word as if he was saying the word 'dogshit.' His glare that formed on his face was fiery and I could feel the hostility with my telepathy. "What in the name of Olympus do you want from me?" Arthur asked, his hand gripping the railing top.
Looking at the son of Helios, I noted how he had changed since the last time I was this close to him. His hair was now back to its original length it had been when I first met him, during the quest of the Sea of Monsters.
He was taller, standing at about five foot nine. He looked about seventeen, although I wasn't sure how old he was as I had never asked him or even been told. He was significantly more muscled than the last time I saw him, as if he had been hitting the gym.
He was very good looking, and honestly looked kind of like Hyperion if I looked at him long enough. Just without the glowing eyes. Makes sense, since Hyperion was Helios' father.
I sighed, expecting that kind of response or at least something akin to it. "Look, I know you probably don't like me whatsoever," Arthur scoffed as the words left my mouth, looking away from me out of contempt.
My eye twitched and I ignored the annoyance that filled me. "But since we're going to be going on another quest with each other, this one being even more dangerous than the last one, I need to make sure everyone has each other's backs and can trust each other."
Arthur turned around with a quick whip and resumed his glare at me. He got closer to me, almost getting in my face. My brows furrowed as I got even more annoyed. "Get out of my face, dude."
Arthur's glare got more intense, but he obeyed my words without any rise or words. "It's funny that you of all people are doing this. You, the one who murdered and killed innocent people and felt no regret back in the Sea of Monsters. You, the one who put all of us in danger and didn't learn a damn thing from each experience. You, the one who left us to die when your awful behavior got called out."
Arthur looked me dead in the eye, his intense gaze burning into me. "I should be the one worried about how I can't trust you, not the other way around."
I looked at the ground, irritation and anger starting to fell my being. I let out a deep breath, doing my best to release those emotions. "Look, I'm not the same guy I was back then, alright."
I gestured towards the camp with my hands. "I've nearly died for this camp and the people in it more times than I can count. And I'll gladly keep putting my life on the line for it."
I looked back to the son of Helios, a glare now clear on my face. "So of course I'm going to make sure I can trust you before we go into the Labyrinth, as I know you hate me. I just need to know whether you will stab us in the back over something stupid."
Legitimate rage flashed on Arthur's face from my words, and if he didn't know I was so powerful he probably would of hit me or something.
"Something stupid!?" He yelled out, offense clear all over his face. "You think the reason I don't like you is stupid? Zane, you fucking stole the one I loved! You stole him!" A flash of mental anguish appeared over Arthur's face and his glare faded.
His expression shifted to downcast and he looked back at the sky above the camp. "I loved Taylor. He was the first person I met here in camp, the first friend I made and the first person I truly was attracted to. I was the weird kid in school back where I came from, and I had never had a friend before. Taylor was the one who gave me my tour when I came to camp a little over a year ago, and he was the first person who really ever tried to reach out to me."
Arthur smiled, as if remembering a fond memory. "He was so kind, nice and sweet. When I was with him, I felt like I could do anything. He pushed me to become even better, to use everything I could to the fullest. I became the camp counselor for the Helios cabin because of what he could push me to do."
His smiled fell and his face twisted in anger as he looked back at me. "I thought he loved me back, but that was a lie. He used me, played with my feelings just to make you jealous! He used me so he could get you!"
Arthur's grip snapped the railing top in half. "Because of you, the only person in the entire world who made my life any brighter left me in the dirt! So don't fucking call my reason for hating you stupid! You don't understand anything!"
I was quiet after Arthur's outburst thinking about what to say. I mean, what could you even say to that? His reasons for hating me are very clear, and weren't as childish as I initially made it out to be.
"Arthur...I won't pretend I know what you're going through. You obviously loved Taylor, that much is very much clear. But don't blame me for any of this. I didn't plot or plan to steal Taylor away from you like some like of mustache twirling villain, it just happened, alright?" Arthur's glare didn't lighten and I sighed.
"Look, if you want, I can get Taylor to come here and you two can talk or somethi-" Arthur chuckled at my words, which then started to devolve into laughter. I scowled, not appreciating that kind of response. I was trying to help this guy. "What's so funny?"
Arthur immediately stopped laughing at my words and glared at me again. "The fact that you think I actually want to talk to Taylor. You might of been the reason he did it, but it doesn't change the fact that he chose of his own free will to leave me behind and go after some overpowered psychopathic murderer."
A sardonic smirk came over his face. "You'd have to be retarded to think I would want to talk to him."
I scowled even deeper at the son of Helios' words. "Look I'm trying to help you here, maybe get you some closure on the entire thing. You don't have to insult me or anything."
I sighed and rubbed my face with one hand. "I will admit what Taylor did was pretty shitty, but it was an impulsive decision that he made during the heat of the moment. But if you just let me get Taylor here, he can apologize about what he did, explain why he did it and we can leave all this behind us and start anew. Does that sound good?"
Arthur was silent for a few seconds, his face twitching in thought. Eventually, he answered my offer. "No. No, it does not sound good." He gripped his hand into a fist and stared me down.
"I don't want to talk to Taylor about it at all, or in fact, I don't want to talk to Taylor ever again. He never cared about me at all, which he proved when he threw me away like a piece of trash when he was scared of losing you to the son of Hades. He's nothing but a manipulative asshole who will play with others and their feelings if it means getting what he wants. Tell him I said he could go fuck himself." I felt my desire to turn the son of Helios to ash sky rocket, but I held the impulse in.
Arthur turned away and started to walk down the stairs leading away from the Big House. "And for the record," Arthur turned around and said, getting my attention. "You won't have to worry about me stabbing any of you in the back down in the Labyrinth. I'm not a two faced piece of shit like Taylor or a psycho maniac like you." Arthur flipped me off and walked out of sight, no doubt going to get ready for the quest.
I took a deep breath, trying not to let out the intense anger and frustration I was feeling. "Well...that went about as well as I thought it would." I could completely understand where the son of Helios was coming from.
In his point of view, the first person he'd ever made friends with and fallen in love with had dropped him like a sack of potatoes for someone else and didn't even feel bad about it.
If Taylor did something like that to me, I wasn't even sure what I would do. I walked back into the Big House and slumped down in a nearby chair, putting my hands on my face and sighing. I suddenly felt a weight on my lap and I opened my eyes to see what it was. "Hm?"
It was Nico, the son of Hades and one of my boyfriends. He was currently sitting on my lap and straddling me, something he probably shouldn't be doing in clear view inside the Big House.
He had a small grin on his face. "So we get to go on another quest, huh? I wonder what crazy shit we'll be doing and which powerful beings we'll fight on this one."
He noticed the stressed expression on my face and his smile faded, being replaced by a cute look of concern. "Zane, are you alright? You look like someone shitted in your chocolate sundae or something. What's wrong?"
I chuckled slightly at his comparison, then I let out another sigh. "It's Arthur. I tried to talk to him just now and it didn't really go very well whatsoever, even though that's what I expected to happen."
I sighed again for the millionth time as I put my left hand to my head. "He's super bitter about how Taylor dumped him six months ago and he hates me with his entire being. He blew up on me when I tried to apologize to him about the whole situation." I shook my head "I don't really know what to do."
Nico softly grabbed my left hand with his on, entangling his fingers with mine. Despite being with him for six months, my face heated up every single time we even did something as chaste as hold hands, much less anything even more...er, touchy.
Nico had a soft smile on his face as he held my hand and straddled me while we sat in this chair. "Well, I guess he can go fuck himself, am I right?"
I laughed at Nico's casual response. Nico continued to speak. "What was the reason you tried to talk to him again, you know, besides the whole 'him going on the quest' thing?"
I shrugged and shook my head. "That was more or less the entire reason. Since we're going on the same quest, and I know he hates me, I just wanted to talk to him to either rectify that or at least know I could trust him during the trip."
I sighed once more, sitting up slightly as to be closer to Nico. Nico's face got slightly red as I did so, showing he still got a little hot and bothered by me despite our six months together as well. "I just don't know what I can do to change his mind about me. I mean, he was pretty justified to be angry with me."
Nico pecked me on the nose, getting a small chuckle out of me as I pressed our foreheads together. "Well, if you really want to try and mend things with him, maybe bring Taylor next time. I mean, those two dated for a good while, so Taylor would know Arthur better than either of us."
I reached up to the side of Nico's head and started playing with one of his long, beautiful locks, getting a giggle out of the son of Hades as he nuzzled up against my hand.
He smiled brightly, the expression on his face absolutely stunning. "Ah, stop that." His face heated up as I continued to play with his hair.
I smiled at his reaction, ignoring his plea as I knew he'd just complain if I stopped. "Not sure that's really a good idea to be honest, since I think he might hate Taylor more than he hates me."
I pressed my lips up against his, holding the side of his head as I did so. Nico did a cute little moan as I kissed him and he grinded up against me slightly as he straddled me. Woah, that felt good.
We made out for a few seconds, both of our faces beet red and Nico's breath was slightly shaky. "But enough about that emo son of Helios. We have...other matters to attend to." Nico grinned at my allusion to our spit swapping and pressed his lips against mine, him being the one to initiate the kiss this time.
Nico threw his other arm that wasn't holding my hand over my back, feeling up my defined and rippled muscle. I moved my free hand to his waist, gripping it tightly but not tight to cause harm to him.
After nearly a minute, our kiss finally softly broke as we both came up for air, or Nico did at least. I didn't actually need air anymore on account of breaking my limits against Luke. We didn't stay separated for very long, as our lips connected once more after a few moments of breath.
However, the two of us were interrupted my a coughing noise to our right. The two of us separated, but not comically quick like they did in the movies or on TV or anything. Nico didn't even get off my lap as the two of us looked in the direction of the coughing, as he was definitely not embarrassed at all about what was transpiring.
The two of us saw Annabeth standing at the base of the stairs, smirking at the two of us as she leaned up against the railing with her arms crossed. "Looks like someone is having fun?"
I smirked right back at her, as did Nico. "You're damn right." I leaned back into the chair and Nico leaned up against my chest, the both of us doing our best to look extra as fuck.
Annabeth rolled her eyes as a smile made its way onto her face. "Speaking of having fun, how did the whole Oracle thing go? Did she give you a prophecy?" At my words, Annabeth paled and she looked shaken up, like she had just remembered she left the stove on.
I raised and eyebrow, concern no doubt etched on my face. "Annabeth? Are you okay?"
Annabeth didn't immediately respond to me and made her way to the door of the Big House. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine. The prophecy wasn't really all that important." She tried to brush off the fact that it very much obviously was, but she wasn't doing a good job whatsoever.
Me and Nico looked at each other in confusion. "I need to go and get ready for the quest though, and you two should as well." She opened the door and looked like she was about to walk out of it, before she suddenly turned back towards us.
"And do you know where Percy wandered off to? I really need to talk to him." About the not important prophecy, right? I didn't bother voicing that thought and just told her I sensed him at his cabin right now, which she thanked me and left the building right after.
I turned back to Nico. "She's so obvious." The two of us chuckled at my words, and I felt Nico nuzzle into me a bit more. I felt the familiar warm feeling in my stomach as I draped an arm over him.
"But she is right about how we need to get ready. As much as I really love this, we do need to get a move on." Nico groaned very cutely as he laid against me, which prompted me to chuckle.
"Come on, let's get up." Nico didn't move and a grin broke out on my face. "Well, you asked for it." Using my super speed, I picked up Nico before he could even react and dropped him on the floor unceremoniously.
Nico groaned on the floor although the fall was nowhere near enough to hurt him in the slightest. In fact, Nico would probably be able to fall from orbit and not even flinch. He quickly stood up and began cutely beating on my chest.
"Argh! You dick! You do this every time!" I could see the grin he was obviously trying to hide start to rise on his false pouty expression as he beat my chest. I was laughing out loud the entire time he was hitting my chest, which was quickly breaking Nico's false angry expression down.
Eventually, Nico joined me in my laughter and leaned up against my chest. Our laughter finally quieted down after nearly thirty seconds, and Nico nuzzled his face up against my chest. "I love you." Nico said, his words muffled by my bulging muscular pecs, but I heard him clearly.
I grinned at the son of Hades' words. "I love you, too, you adorable little idiot." Nico giggled at my words as he continued to nuzzle up against my chest. I suddenly picked Nico up off the ground, holding him bridal style.
He didn't try and resist whatsoever and simply melted in my arms. Nico, for some reason, really liked being carried around like a little kid. I really liked carrying him around like a little kid, so we went together perfectly.
"Now, we gotta go get ready, alright?" Nico didn't verbally respond and just nuzzled into my neck. I loved it whenever he did that. I walked out the door carrying the son of Hades, moving at normal speed simply so I could enjoy this moment.
After walking through the camp with the son of Hades in my arms, not caring about any stares I received doing so, both me and Nico reached my cabin. We started to pack, making sure we brought plenty of clothes, ambrosia and nectar, and other essentials we would need on the quest.
Nico didn't bother going to his cabin to get anything, as he mostly just stayed in my cabin all the time, along with Taylor. I thought about the Last Resort I had stowed away in the closet, wondering if now was the time to use it.
We were about to go into the most dangerous and mysterious place in the entire country, possibly the world, so it could be a good time to use it.
However, I promised myself that I would only use the Last Resort if not using it would result in mine, or anyone else's death. If you're curious about what the Last Resort was, don't worry, you will find out soon enough.
Around midday, our questing party met at the Fist of Zeus, along with many other campers who had come to see us off. Percy and Annabeth were sitting together on a boulder, the two of them holding hands and obviously talking to each other.
Both of them looked serious and were probably talking about something important, so I wasn't going to interrupt them. Tyson was sitting close by Percy, sparing looks at Grover as he did so. Why does the cyclops hate Grover so much?
Grover was currently talking to his girlfriend, the nymph Juniper. The satyr looked like he was reassuring Juniper that everything was going to be okay, although Juniper didn't look too convinced. Arthur was sitting away from the group with his arms crossed, looking just as pissed as he did earlier.
He glared at me as me and Nico approached the Fist, prompting me to look away from the son of Helios. Would rather not provoke him anymore if I could help it. As me and Nico approached, Taylor appeared out of nowhere in a burst of speed, surprising Nico.
I saw him coming, but I didn't warn Nico of his incoming presence. "Boo!" Taylor surprised Nico, who jumped at the son of Ares' sudden appearance. "Heh, see how you like it when people scare you." Nico grumbled at Taylor's actions, but he didn't say much of anything to it. "So we have another quest on our hands, huh?"
I nodded at Taylor's words. "Yep. I take it you've been filled in on about the whole situation, right?" Taylor had what I would call his quest clothing on currently. Due to the heat of summer, he had forgone his normal overly large long sleeve t shirt and wore what
I would describe as a blood red tank top that cling to his form really well.
He also wore a part of black, form fitting shorts that almost kind of seemed like yoga pants or something. He still wore his red and white stockings, although I'm not sure how he put up with the heat.
Taylor nodded in affirmation, a slight smirk on his face. "Yep." Taylor said, purposely copying my words. I saw Taylor still had a slight amount of bags underneath his eyes, as he had probably only gotten a few hours of sleep after staying up all night by my bedside waiting for me to wake up.
"Annabeth came by and explained the whole thing. Luke and his army trying to navigate the Labyrinth, how we needed to find Daedalus before Luke does, and whenever we were leaving." Taylor looked over at the daughter of Athena, concern etched on his face. "Do you think Annabeth is okay? She looked really stressed when she came to tell me of the whole thing."
I was about to answer that Annabeth had kind of freaked out a bit whenever both me and Nico had asked her about the prophecy she'd had received and ran off to talk to Percy, but said son of Poseidon spoke up to Chiron whenever the centaur had arrive with both Quintus and Ms. O'Leary in tow.
"Chiron, I need to talk to you." Chiron looked surprised at Percy's words, but then raised an eyebrow as if motioning Percy to continue. Percy hesitated, looking around at the dozens of campers who had gathered at the Fist. "Uh...in private, please?" Chiron and Percy then walked away from the Fist to talk.
I looked at the retreating forms of the son of Poseidon and the legendary centaur with a raised eyebrow and a curious expression. What exactly does Percy need to talk to Chiron about that he felt like he couldn't say in front of all of us?
I turned back to Taylor. "Well, that's not weird at all." Taylor giggled at my words, an angelic sound to my ears. "Quick question, when's the last time you talked to Arthur? And did you ever apologize about the 'using him to get to me' kind of thing that happened?"
Taylor smile faded at my words and the son of Ares sighed. "Well, honestly, I haven't talked to him since we broke up at the end of that Capture the Flag game with the Hunters back before the whole Atlas quest. The way we ended things was just a bit too awkward to try and talk to him again."
Taylor then cringed slightly and looked guilty. "And about apologizing to him, I don't even know where to begin with that. If he's angry with me, he has every right to be. I dropped him like nothing after I heard you were about to ask Nico out at the bonfire the night before." Taylor put his hand on his face.
I leaned on a nearby boulder, shrugging as I did so. "I have to admit, that was kind of shitty to do that to him." Taylor cringed at my words, and I felt guilty saying what I did. "Well, you could still rectify that. I would start by trying to apologize to him, but honestly, I wouldn't really go for that right now."
Taylor looked at me, a questioning gaze on his face. I elaborated for my boyfriend. "He told me he hates you and he doesn't want to ever really talk to you again. He told me he thinks your two faced and manipulative."
Taylor's face fell and he looked at the ground, sadness clear on his face. I felt even worse and I tried to think of something I could say to make things better.
Taylor sat down beside me on the boulder. "Well, that sounds pretty reasonable, considering what I did."
He sighed, regret clear on his beautiful face. "I don't know if you know this, but Arthur hasn't exactly had the best life. He doesn't really like to talk about it, but whenever I was dating him, he told me quite a bit. His entire family is dead, killed by an empousai that had seduced his father. Arthur barely made it out alive and arrived here at Camp a couple of months before the whole Sea of Monsters thing."
Taylor tapped his blood red nails on the rock the two of us sat on. "Despite his talent and his powerful abilities never before seen at his level in Helios children, he had no friends. He wasn't very social in the first place on account of his dead family, and this combined with the whole tense situation of the Camp during that period, no one really reached out to him. I felt bad for him, and decided to talk to him one day during class. We hit it off really well and he became one of my best friends, besides everyone in our group."
Taylor frowned. "I was the first person to ever reach out to him, his first friend and the first person he loved, and I dropped him like a sack of potatoes and didn't even apologize. I have no clue where to start to even begin to apologize."
This situation sounded really familiar. Honestly, it sounded freakishly familiar. Mainly, it was because it was just the exact same story of me and Taylor, just Taylor was taking my place and Arthur was in Taylor's spot.
So, I had a bit of advice for the son of Ares here. "Well, the main reason he's hurting is because you stopped associating with him, or chose to stop associating with him. He obviously very much cherished you and now that the two of you are no longer together or even interacting, he's clearly in pain. He also blames you for it, so of course he would lash out if you ever attempted to reconnect with him. But honestly, it might be better to do it anyway, since he'll get it out of his system. It would be kind of like what I did when you reconnected with me before the Atlas quest, so I would try to talk to him at least a few times during the quest to try to apologize and make things right."
Taylor didn't immediately answer, but he eventually nodded at my words. "You're right. I do need to at least try to apologize, no matter what Arthur's reaction will be." Taylor looked at Arthur and saw the immense bad mood the son of Helios was in.
"But...maybe later, when he's had time to...you know, cool down?" I chuckled a bit at Taylor awkward tone. Eventually, Annabeth had walked over to where Chiron and Percy had gone to talk and pulled the son of Poseidon back over towards the Fist.
Percy looked a little more serious and grim than he did earlier, and he was occasionally sending glances over at Quintus. What was that about?
Annabeth addressed everyone. "Alright, everyone, we're burning daylight and we need to get a move on. Let's head on out!" Everyone nodded in affirmation to Annabeth's words, and we got all of our gear and supplies for the quest and got ready to leave.
Chiron bid us farewell, hoping to see all of us returned unharmed. Our group followed Annabeth into the entrance to the Labyrinth, Percy following the closets behind Annabeth, Grover behind the son of Poseidon, me and both of my boyfriends walking side by side behind the satyrs, Tyson following behind us, and finally, Arthur bringing up the rear. Darkness consumed our vision as we entered the Labyrinth.
(000)
It did not take us very long to get lost in the Labyrinth after we entered it. One big problem we ran into when we started, was that the corridor we entered was not the same one me and Percy had fought Prometheus in yesterday.
The architecture was completely different, as rather than the large, massive square corridors I had seen before, it was now round and narrow, built like a sewer. Red, incredibly old brick lined the walls, with iron barred portholes every ten feet on both sides.
Despite the lack of direction and change in the earlier layout, Annabeth was determined to guide us through the maze. "If we keep our hand on the left wall and follow it, we should be able to find our way out again by reversing course."
As soon as she said those words, the left wall immediately vanished into thin air, leaving only pitch black darkness on the left side of the tunnel. Annabeth groaned at the turn of events. "Well, so much for that idea. Arthur, come up here in the front with me so you can light the way."
The son of Helios did just that, passing me and both Taylor and Nico. He didn't even bother to look in our direction, and did his damndest to not touch any of us.
Arthur held his hand into the air and a bright, yellow ball of light energy formed in the palm of his hand, completely illuminating the sewer tunnel we were in.
Ominously, the pitch black pit to our left didn't change whatsoever with the added light, but the rest of the sewer was completely lit.
Annabeth continued to led us down the tunnel, and eventually we all came into a circular room with eight identical passageways. We all looked around at the doors, confusion running through us. "Uh...which way did we come in?" Grover asked, nervousness filling his voice.
Annabeth didn't exactly look much more confident. "We'll just turn around then." The entire party turned around, finding that the way we had come in looked completely identical to the other seven entrances, and we had no idea if we had come through this door or not.
I was annoyed that I couldn't use my aura sensing to find my way through the maze, as the shroud aura that the Labyrinth casted screwed with my aura sense. "Well...uh..." Annabeth trailed off, unsure what to do. She then pointed to a random corridor. "That way."
Annabeth moved towards the doorway and the rest of us followed her. The pathway she chose became even more narrow than the sewer one we walked through, the walls turned into some kind of grey cement and the ceiling became incredibly low.
The ceiling got so low all of us were forced to crawl on our knees and the corridor became so narrow we had to crawl one by one. I felt uncomfortable and completely boxed in. "Well, this is very comfortable." I said, getting a giggle out of Taylor, who was crawling ahead of me.
Taylor's giggle prompted me to look forward in his direction, and my vision went right to his behind. I got a perfect view of his ass, which was very supple and full. It was made even better by the fact the shorts he was wearing looked kinda like yoga pants.
Grover and Annabeth said a few more things, but I didn't pay attention in the slightest. Eventually, my perfect view was taken from me when the tiny crawl space opened into a massive room.
The room all of us entered was huge, probably a good thirty feet wide and a solid fifty feet tall. The ceiling of the massive room was domed, and the walls were covered in all kinds of mosaic paintings.
The paintings were faded, but I could still make out the colors and shapes. There were dozens of pictures, but the one that stood out was a scene of a feast with all the gods. In the center of the room stood a three headed fountain, one that looked like it hasn't had water flowing through it in a long time.
On the opposite side of the room was a tunnel. "This room almost looks Roman. Why would Roman architecture and art be in the Labyrinth?" I said, confused about the room's appearance here.
Annabeth had just the answer for me. "The Labyrinth is like a patchwork. It's always expanding, adding new pieces from history all around the world. It's the only work of architecture that does so. It's almost like it's alive."
Well, if it is alive, it would explain the weird aura the entire place seemed to have. As Annabeth finished her explanation, a groaning noise erupted from the tunnel on the other side of the room, causing all of us to tense and go completely silent.
After nothing happened for a few seconds, Annabeth pointed towards the tunnel. "Alright, forward."
Everyone looked at her in confusion. "So we're going down the hallway with the weird groaning sound after you said this place was basically alive?" Nico asked with an incredulous expression on his face.
Annabeth nodded her head. "Yes. The architecture is getting older, which is a good sign. Daedalus' workshop should have the oldest architecture in the entire maze, so we're on track. Come on." We followed Annabeth into the tunnel, some slight hope beginning to feel us.
However, we only made it fifty feet before the walls turned into cement again, bronze pipes lining said walls in weird, non functional patterns. Graffiti even started to fill the walls. The maze was toying with us.
"Ah yes, this looks decidedly not Roman." Percy sarcastically said, prompting Annabeth to falsely glare at him and hit him on the shoulder, a small smile building on her face. Percy chuckled, which honestly probably brought our spirits up.
I wasn't sure how long we'd been down here, but I decided I really did not like enclosed in areas, so Percy and Annabeth's little banter made me feel better. We continued down the tunnel, which started to twist and turn and several tunnels branched off into their own paths.
The old bricks from before even started to seemingly mix with the cement, which kind of made my head spin. It didn't help that the deeper we went, the more paths seeming branched from the one we were currently following. "Uh, does this hurt anyone else's brain, or just mine?" Percy asked to no one.
We started to follow random pathways, as we had no idea where we were going. "We have to go deeper into the maze. There has got to be a way to the center." Annabeth led us into more hallways and corridors, the architecture of each path changing, along with the material of the walls.
We even went into a corridor made completely out of steel. Eventually, we followed one tunnel that looked very similar to the really tight one we had passed through earlier, and we found the Roman room with all the faded mosaic paintings. Only this time, there was a figure standing right in front of the fountain.
The figure standing in front of the fountain was haunting to say the least. He was about seven feet tall, and thinly built, like Ebenezer Scrooge.
He was dressed like an old fashioned doorman, with a long black overcoat, dark dress pants and a black top hat. However, the most eye catching figure was his head. He had...two faces.
His head was shaped like a hammerhead shark, which the faces being on the opposite ends of the side of the head. The two faced man had mirrored side burns and even had shared, overly large ears. Both faces were of a pinched face, covered with an exaggerated mustache.
I'd seen some messed up shit in my life, but this guy was probably the most disturbing thing I'd ever looked at. We all looked at the two face man in shock, and simply stood there, waiting for him to do something. The man extended both his arms. "Well, Annabeth? Hurry up!" The man's left face spoke.
Our group looked at each other in confusion, wondering what the hell this weird looking dude was talking about. Suddenly, his other face spoke. "Don't mind him, miss. He's terribly rude. Right this way please."
Behind the two faced man were two massive wooden doors with iron locks, which were not there before hand. The two faced man held a silver key in his hand, which he kept tossing in between both his left and his right hands.
Arthur looked at the two faced man with an expression I could discern as disgust. "Why the hell does this guy have two faces? And why is his head shaped like a shitty boomerang?"
I nearly laughed out loud at Arthur's words, but I contained myself, barely. Arthur wasn't exactly wrong. I tried to sense the aura of this two faced dude, but the shroud of the Labyrinth blocked my sensing. I scowled. That was going to get annoying real quick.
The left face of the two faced man spoke. "'This guy' has ears as well, you know. And our head is not shaped like a boomerang!" The left face was getting defensive, and was clearly the more dickish of the two faces.
The left face shrugged Arthur's comment and question off. "Anyway, come along this way, now."
The right face quickly spoke up. "No! No, come this way, miss. Talk to me, instead. Please." The right face seemed almost desperate for Annabeth's attention. The two faced man started to pass the key between his hands even quicker, and his movements started to become twitchy.
I looked behind us, finally noticing that the doors we had come through had disappeared, being replaced by more mosaic paintings. This was going to become a regular thing, huh?
Annabeth looked between the two faces intently, although I could see the uncertainly beneath her gaze. "Both of the doors are closed. Where exactly do they lead?"
At Annabeth's question, the two faced man's movements became even twitchier, and everyone tensed slightly. I couldn't sense exactly how strong this guy was, so I couldn't gauge if he was a threat or not.
The right face answered Annabeth's question, it's gentle tone not wavering despite the man's twitchy movements. "One door leads to the way that you want to go, the other probably leads to certain death."
The two faced man looked between me, Percy and Nico. "Although, with such strength on your side, it would likely be much easier on you."
The left face hissed at the right one. "Idiot! Don't tell her that!" The left face coughed and continued to speak to the daughter of Athena. "I sense you know who I am, daughter of wisdom."
The left face sneered at her. "You're quite smart, aren't you? Now hurry up and choose. I don't have all day." I raise an eyebrow. Annabeth apparently figured out who this dude was without even asking a question about it, which honestly didn't surprise me. But that begs the question, who was this guy?
Annabeth's brow furrowed as she stared at the two faced man. "The myths didn't usually depict you as being so difficult and unruly. One question, why are you trying to confuse me? Do you not side with Olympus?"
Well, thanks to Annabeth's words, it was very clear to discern that this guy was not a regular dude at all, even though I could tell from the two heads.
The two headed man did not answer her question, but the right face smiled gently while the left face glared at Annabeth as if she was made of actual shit. "You're in charge now, dear. You get to make all of the decisions now."
The right face raised an eyebrow at Annabeth. "Although, that is what you wanted all along, isn't it?" Annabeth couldn't say a word in response, as she was too busy tripping over words she attempted to get out.
The two faced dude's words didn't really surprise me, as Annabeth has wanted to lead a quest since she arrived at camp. However, I wasn't sure if the guy was just talking about the quest.
The left face spoke up, it's annoyed and irritated voice biting my ears. "We know who you are, Annabeth. We know of your indecision. We know what you wrestle with everyday. You know you will have to make your choice sooner or later, and you know the choice could kill you." I looked on at the two faced dude in confusion, what the hell was this guy talking about?
I was annoyed with my lack of knowledge about who this guy was, and I wasn't exactly appreciative of his appearance. "Hey, messed up version of Two-Face." I spoke up, getting the two faced man's attention.
"Leave Annabeth alone. She already has enough on her plate as is, and she doesn't need some asshole like you trying to trip her up. And exactly who the hell are you in the first place?" As soon as I asked the question, the two faced man smirked at my words. In fact, both faces smirked.
"I am your best friend." The right face spoke, the right arm's palm opening as it did. "I am your worst enemy." The left face stated, the left arm copying the same movement of the right. The man opened both its arms, as if he was trying to hug the air or something. "I am Janus." Both of the faces spoke in harmony, it's two voices becoming one.
"God of doorways, beginnings, endings, choices." The right face looked at me. "I will see you soon enough for your ultimate choice, Zane Williams, but right now, it's Annabeth's turn."
The right face laughed giddily, it's kind and calm image cracking slightly to reveal some kind of derangement underneath. "Hahahaha! Such fun!"
The left face hissed at the right one. "Shut up, you fool! This is serious! One bad choice can ruin your entire life! One bad choice can even kill your friends!" Janus' left face looked directly at Annabeth. "But no pressure, Annabeth. Now, choose!"
Annabeth was silent, indecision filling her face and any confidence she had before completely crumbled. She looked in between both faces, as if she was doing some kind of choosing game, before she eventually opened her mouth the speak, but she was interrupted by something unprecedented.
Before Annabeth could answer and point to a door to choose, an incredibly bright, white light flooded the entire room, filling everyone's vision.
I couldn't sense anything concrete with my aura, on account of the Labyrinths incredibly annoying shroud. When the blinding light finally died down, a new figure could be seen in the room, standing beside Janus.
The figure was still bathed in light, it's features being unrecognizable. "Janus, are we causing trouble again?" The voice was feminine and filled with tact and grace. Almost heavenly.
Janus' two faces immediately both shriveled up in fear at the figure. "No! No, milady!" Janus' right face called out. Janus almost physically cowered at the bright figure, which simply stood there with a hand on its hip.
The left face of Janus also answered. "Yes! We are, milady." The right face twisted with horror as the left face admitted what it was doing. At least it was honest. The right face hissed at the left face, it's kind facade now completely gone.
"Shut up!" I could almost imagine a risen eyebrow on the white figures face, which Janus' right face cringed at. "Not you, milady! I was talking to myself."
The white figure chuckled, it's voice sounding echoey. "I see." Any trace of amusement left its voice as it bared its featureless gaze into the God of Doors. "You know very well your visit is premature, Janus. The girls time of choice has not come yet. So now, I will give you a choice. Leave these heroes to me, or I will turn you into a door and break you down, understand?"
The figure's voice was threatening, and Janus cowered in fear from its word. Janus nodded frantically in understanding, brokering no argument. "Good. Now, be gone!"
The figure whisked its hand and Janus completely disappeared, not a trace of him left. The figure turned towards us. "Now, onto the reason I came here."
Everyone was silent at the figures words, all of us looking at each other as we were. Just who in the literal hell was this person? It kind of looked like Kami Tenchi from Tenchi Muyo, just with a feminine figure rather than a masculine one.
Eventually, Percy was the first person to get enough gall to make all of our collected thoughts known. "Who exactly are you?" His voice was suspicious, and he narrowed his eyes at the figure.
At Percy's words, the white figure started to become less white. The bright light of the figure slowly faded and it's features became visible. It was a woman, which was easy to tell earlier due to its figure and the sound of its voice.
The woman was the same height as Janus had been earlier, around seven feet. Her hair was chocolate and long, as well as being braided with gold plaits. She wore a simple white dress, yet it seemed to shimmer with all kinds of different colors as it flowed.
Her figure was curvy, yet not overly so, keeping a good amount of modesty. She had hazel eyes, ones that burned with power. "I am the Queen of Olympus. I am Hera." Everyone was silent at her declaration, not saying a word.
She smiled slightly, which became slightly strained when her eyes laid on me. "Come, you all must be hungry. Sit with me and let us speak." She waved her hand and water began to flow in the old fountain, probably the first water in thousands of years. A picnic table appeared, one filled to the brim with food.
Despite her obvious dislike of me for being a child of Zeus, I was the one to sit down first at the table. I would never pass up food, especially food from a goddess. I wasn't worried Hera would do anything to me at all, as she was far weaker than me and Percy and even a good bit weaker than Nico.
"Well, who am I to deny an invitation from the Queen of Olympus?" I could feel Hera's eyes bared into my head, but she didn't say or do anything. Everyone else joined me at the table and began eating alongside me, although Percy and Arthur were hesitant to do so, probably for very different reasons.
Nobody said anything for a little bit, as everyone was focused on their food. It had probably been hour since we had eaten anything at all, so we were all pretty hungry. Grover bit into a napkin, his weird satyr food cravings on full display.
"Grover, dear. Use your napkin, don't eat it." Hera said to the satyr. Grover nodded, his head, looking admonished. Hera looked to Tyson, who was gorging down several peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. "Someone was hungry. Do you want any more sandwiches, Tyson dear?"
Tyson nodded at her words as well, his mouth being too full with food to speak aloud. It was rather weird to see Hera, the Queen of Olympus, wife to Zeus, my stepmother, acting like a mom to a bunch of teenagers at a picnic table.
Eventually, Annabeth couldn't contain her curiosity anymore. "Queen Hera, I can't believe it. What are you doing here in the Labyrinth?" Annabeth had a look of amazement on her face at the Queen of Olympus, which didn't really surprise me.
Annabeth hadn't had too many interactions with the main thirteen Olympians, as she had only been to Olympus thrice, and she hadn't said very much or been addressed all that much at those meetings.
Hera looked amused at Annabeth's amazement and answered her question. "I came to see you, naturally." She pointed her finger at Annabeth's face and swished it in here direction, completely cleaning Annabeth's face of all the dirt and grime that had covered it beforehand.
Hera looked around at all of us at the table, her eyes narrowing slightly when the landed on me. "All of you."
Everyone looked at each other in confusion, while people like Grover and Arthur looked slightly nervous. Why would Hera of all people come and try to come see us?
I know are probably pretty noteworthy on Olympus, and that's not even accounting for how stronge we were, but Hera was literally the Queen. Doesn't she have bigger things to worry about?
"Why would you come to see us? Don't you hate heroes?" Nico was the one to ask this question, confusion written all over his cute little face.
Hera smiled at Nico, one of her eyebrows raised. "Really now? Is it because of that little spat I had a long time ago with Heracles?"
She waved off the son of Hades' question. "Please. I've gotten so much bad press over the past three thousand years because of one little disagreement I had with him."
I had to contain a snicker at Hera's incredibly gross simplification of her feud with Heracles. Taylor spoke up, confused at the Queen of Olympus' explanation. "Uh, didn't you try and kill Heracles like multiple times when he was a kid? Not to mention all the labors and everything?"
Yeah, I'm not certain as there's a lot of different versions of the myths, but I'm pretty sure Hera caused Heracles to kill his entire family one time and force him to go on twelve labors for 'repentance.' Yeah, I'm going to take whatever she says with a grain of salt.
Hera shrugged at Taylor's question. "It's all water under the bridge now, Taylor dear. It was over three thousand years ago, so I'm sure Heracles has gotten over it by now."
The memories I had seen in Matt's mind told me Heracles very much did not get over everything that had happened, or at least that universe's version of Heracles did not.
Hera continued. "Besides, he was another one of my loving husband's children by another woman." Her eyes flickered to me for a moment as she said that, something I did not miss.
"My patience ran a bit thin, I'll admit. But Zeus and I have had some excellent marriage counseling sessions since then. We have aired our feelings out and come to an understanding. Especially after the last couple of little incidents." She looked at me square in the face as she said that, a small glare escaping her motherly mask.
I smirked slightly at her ire, which probably made her even more pissed. "By 'last couple of little incidents' do you mean when he sired both me and Thalia?"
Hera's barely contained glare was let out in full fury towards me, and I could feel the aggression and rage flood off her even without using my telepathy on her.
I couldn't even use it on her regardless, since her mind had an iron defense, much like Janus' did. What was with immortals and having nearly impenetrable minds? My mental defenses were strong, but not that strong.
Hera looked at me like I was a piece of trash, her face contorted into a sneer. "Zane Williams. Another bastard child of my husband."
Her eyes flickered to Thymos, which hung at my belt and shined with chaotic power. "And one that wields a weapon with such power as that. Hephaestus' craftsmanship is wasted on you, boy. As is the power you wield."
A shadow fell over my face and I glared at the Queen of Olympus. Mu bright blue eyes glowed like they did in my Thunder Form briefly, which cause Hera to flinch. "I would be careful, Queen Hera. This bastard child of Zeus can annihilate you with his pinky finger."
Hera looked unnerved by my statement, especially as I had a Heavenly Diamond weapon at my belt. My dark look faded and I let a easygoing smile cover my face. "But no need to worry, I'm beyond that now."
Hera didn't answer me and just nervously looked at me and my weapon up and down. I couldn't kill her and get away with it anyways, not without facing the wrath of my father. I may be his son, but Hera is literally his wife and his Queen.
Hera turned back to the general group, a false facade of motherhood on her face. "Despite my past...disagreements with Heracles, I have no ill will towards any of you." She glanced at me slightly before looking away, causing me to smirk. "And I appreciate the difficulty of your quest, especially if you have to deal with troublemakers like Janus along the way."
Annabeth perked up at the mention of the god of choices, and a question rose on her lips. "Uh, Queen Hera?" Hera looked at the daughter of Athena with a raised eyebrow, as if it was motioning for her to continue.
"Why exactly was Janus here? And why was he trying to confuse me? He was driving me crazy." He was also driving me crazy, since he had the head of a shitty boomerang made out of flesh with faces at the end. Not to mention the whole two face and two different voices thing. That was weird.
Hera sighed at Annabeth's question. "Yes, Janus was trying to confuse you. You see, there is the possibility that he could be trying to cast his loyalty aside and join the Titan Lord. You must understand, minor gods like Janus have been always been frustrated by the small part they have to play in the universe. Some of them have little love for Olympus, like Janus. They could be easily swayed to join my father."
Hera's face became serious, and she looked more like a Queen than before. "We must watch the minor gods. Janus, Hecate, Morpheus. Gods like them give lip service to Olympus, but their true loyalties can be fickle."
As I digested Hera's words, I remembered something. Dionysus. It's been quite awhile since he's been at camp, as he was given a task by the Olympian Council. "Wasn't Dionysus chosen by the Council to check up on the minor gods? That's why he hasn't been at camp for a good bit, right?"
"Indeed, he was chosen for that task." Hera didn't even look at me when she said that. I guess my words had more of an effect on her than I thought. "You see, in times of trouble, even gods can lose faith. And this is obviously a time of immense trouble."
Hera said, getting a slight chuckle out of all of us. Except Arthur, he's still mad. "They start putting their faith in the wrong things. Petty things. They stop looking at the big picture and start being selfish." Uh, Hera? That sounds like the gods literally all of the time.
I didn't bother voicing that thought, though. "But I am the goddess of marriage, you see. I am used to perseverance. I'd have to be, considering who I'm married to." Hera muttered the last sentence under her breath, but I heard it. "You have to rise above the squabbling. Rise above the chaos and and keep believing. You always have to keep your goals in mind."
Percy raised and eyebrow, and had a questioning gaze of his face. "What exactly are your goals? I doubt kill the Titans with kindness is on that list."
An image of up my entire group holding hands and singing friendship songs to destroy the Titans flashed through my mind, forcing me to stifle a laugh that came to my throat.
Hera chuckled at Percy's words. "No, it is not, but the thought is quite amusing. No, my goal is keeping my family, the Olympians, together. At the moment, the best way I can do that is by helping you. Zeus does not allow me or any of the other gods to interfere much, unless the circumstances are incredibly dire, but every hundred years during a quest I care deeply for, he allows me to grant a wish."
Everyone looked at the Queen of Olympus in confusion. A wish? Hera held up a hand. "Before you ask for one, let me give you some advice, which I can do for free. I know you seek Daedalus. His Labyrinth is as much a mystery to me as it is to you." How did she get down here then? I doubt she can just teleport in due to the Labyrinths shroud.
"But if you want to know of his fate, visit my son Hephaestus at his forge. Daedalus was a great inventor, a mortal after Hephaestus' own heart. There has never been a mortal Hephaestus admired more. If there's anyone who kept up with his fate, it would be my son."
"But how do we get there then?" Annabeth asked, a serious gaze on her face. "That's my wish. I wish for a way to navigate the Labyrinth." Hera looked almost...disappointed at Annabeth's request. Annabeth looked confused. "W-What?"
Hera shook her head in obvious disappointment. "So be it. You wish is something that has already been given." Everyone did a double take at her words. What the literal hell did that mean?
Hera unhelpfully elaborated for us. "The means is already in your grasp. Percy knows the answer." All of us looked at the son of Poseidon, a questioning gaze on our face. Percy looked confused and just shrugged.
Annabeth almost...pouted at Hera's explanation, like a child even. It was honestly a little funny. "But...but that's not fair! You're not telling us what it is!"
I looked confused at the entire situation. Did that even count as a wish? I mean, if we already had what we wished for, can we just like have another one for free or something?
Hera shook her head, disappointment on her face both at the wish and at Annabeth's answer. I guess that's a no on the free wish then. "Getting something and having the wits to use it are two different things, my dear. I'm sure your mother would agree with me."
Annabeth almost looked downcast at Hera's words, as being a daughter of Athena and being accused of having no wits was probably pretty disheartening. A deep rumbling noise suddenly could be heard, almost like that of distant Thunder, a familiar noise to me.
Hera stood up. "That would be cue, unfortunately. Zeus grows impatient." The only thing he is probably inpatient with is your bitch of an attitude. I almost said that to her face, just to see the reaction she would have. I held the thought in, though.
"Think of what I said, Annabeth. Seek out Hephaestus and learn of Daedalus' ultimate fate. I would imagine you would have to go through the ranch, however. But perhaps not." What exactly was the ranch? It sounded important, but the Queen of Olympus did not elaborate.
"You must keep going. Use every mean you have at your disposal, no matter how common they may be." Hera pointed at the two doors that Janus had been in front of earlier, and the doors faded away, revealing two dark corridors.
Hera turned back to Annabeth. "One last thing, Annabeth. I have postponed your day of choice, not prevented it. As Janus said, one day, you must make your choice. Farewell!"
Hera snapped her fingers and then she disappeared in a blinding blast of light, along with the food and the picnic table. Even the fountain stopped running the water.
Annabeth looked incredibly annoyed. "Well that was one big waste of time! What kind of help was that? 'Here, have a sandwich! Make a wish! Oops, I can't help you! Bye bye!'" Annabeth stomped her foot on the ground, cracking it slightly.
Despite her definitely being the weakest demigod that was part of the quest, Annabeth had a good deal of superhuman strength, as shown by the cracked floor. "
She said Percy had the key. At least that's something." Annabeth turned her head to the son of Poseidon. "You have any idea on what it could be?" Percy shook his head. "Great. Back to step one." Annabeth groaned.
Surprisingly, Arthur was the one to shake his head. "Not necessarily. Hera did say that Hephaestus was the one who could know what happened to Daedalus, so we at least have a lead right now."
Arthur's face and tone were serious, as he was in a room with two people who he probably hated the most. "Speaking of that, we should probably get moving."
Everyone was surprised by his words, so he elaborated. "I can feel the light particles in the air all around us, so I can tell when something disrupts them. It's not precise enough to help us through the maze, though."
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the son of Helios' power. "Well, that's definitely something I've never heard of. Light sensing." The more i thought about it, the less special it became, as I could sense what was happening in the sky, as Percy could sense the ocean and Nico could sense the shadow.
Makes sense if Arthur could sense light. "What exactly do you sense if you're bringing this up?" Arthur's brow furrowed as I spoke to him, and I could tell he was doing his best to keep his annoyance and anger under control.
He took a deep breath. "Well, I can feel the light particles from the corridor on the right being heavily disrupted. By something big. And incredibly fast. Faster than almost anything I've ever felt. After what happened last night, we know who that could be."
My own brow furrowed at the thought. "Prometheus." I said the name of the Titan with incredible disdain, although not as much disdain as I would say Luke or Hyperion.
While I definitely had beef with Prometheus for cutting of my arm and nearly killing Percy, as well as trying to get into camp, he wasn't the most vile guy who I've ever fought.
His motivation was there and honestly I couldn't even blame him. I still wanted to kill him, though. "We need to get going, then. Prometheus nearly killed both me and Percy when we fought him yesterday. Not to mention this isn't the best place to fight him in." I said, motioning to the the mosaic Roman room around us.
Everyone, even Arthur agreed with me. "Alright then, let's head out." We made our way down the left corridor with haste, trying to get some ground on whatever could be down the right path. We sprinted down the straight path, one completely covered in darkness.
We only made it about a hundred meters before the path suddenly ended, as it was a dead end. "Ah fuck." Just our fucking luck.
(000)
Alright motherfuckers! Chapter twenty eight is finished. And it didn't take a month for this one to come out. Still very sorry about that for last chapter, was in a bad place for a little bit while writing it. Anyway, this was a bit more of a talk chapter, no fights and just some development. This is just a taste of what is to come, and I promise you'll be getting a hell of a lot more in the future. Seriously, you guys are gonna cream your pants when this shit is finished. Anyway, I'm going to bed now. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!