Chapter 16: Gladiator

3rd Person POV

Percy and Annabeth set out for Manhattan the following morning after managing to track down Rachael Elizabeth Dare (RED) through her parents in some old phone books that were left in the attic of the Big House. They made their way to her parents' loft and manipulated the Mist to appear as childhood friends to find out that she was at Time Square for an art demonstration or something of the sort.

They found the frizzy redhead painted all gold standing on a podium to help raise funds for art supplies to provide for local schools that were lacking. "Uhh, Rachael Elizabeth Dare? My name is Percy Jackson… we kinda met at the Hoover Dam awhile back," Percy began and she blinked and unfroze from her position. "You!" she yelled and Percy rubbed the back of his head nervously.

They allowed her to change out of her costume and met at a coffee shop to talk. "So let me get this straight: Greek myths exist, you two are demigods, and I'm a clear sighted mortal that can see through this so-called 'Mist'. Sound about right?" she asked and the two demigods nodded. "Huh. Well that explains a lot actually," she said and took another sip of her beverage.

"Wait. You're not skeptical in the slightest?" Annabeth asked and RED shrugged. "Not really. I've been seeing some bizarre things for a few years now and after I met Percy at the Hoover Dam, I was just glad I wasn't the only one," RED said casually and the other two just blinked at her momentarily. "So how can I help in all of this?"

Annabeth went on to explain the quest into the Labyrinth and how they believe that Ariadne was a clear sighted mortal like RED so she could navigate the maze. After a few more questions and Percy giving her a watered down version of his Shinto bloodline, she agreed to help and they promised to keep her safe.

"So how do we get in?" RED asked as they finished their drinks. "Well, there are entrances all over the place. We just have to find one and it's denoted by a Greek letter 'Delta'," Annabeth replied and RED paused for a moment in thought. "That's the triangle, right?" RED asked and Percy nodded. "There's one in the basement of the hotel my friends and i use for costume changes. C'mon, let's go!" RED said excitedly and the newfound trio headed off.

They arrived at the basement and RED showed them where it was. "I don't know how you're going to open it though," she said and Annabeth smirked. "All you need is a demigod," Annabeth said and she placed her hand on the symbol that glowed blue and the rumbling revealed an entrance to the maze.

Percy POV

We plunged back into the darkness of the maze and immediately RED started walking in a direction. "Uhh, RED? How do you know it's that way?" I asked and she stopped and looked at us. "You don't see it?" she asked and Annabeth and I exchanged a look before shaking our heads in the negative. "The floor has a glow to it. I can't explain it and it's faint, but I can see it," she said and I shrugged as we continued on.

Eventually, we came to a room that had several paths and Annabeth and I both grew uneasy. "Which way?" Annabeth asked and RED pointed to each tunnel and told us what was down each. "There are spikes that will shoot out of the walls down that one. That one has a massive pitfall about 30 feet from this room. And those ones… let's just say they're less pleasant," she said and turned to the final one.

"The path leads this way, but there's a big room not far ahead; like a stadium or something," RED said and we nodded again. Not 10 paces down the appropriate tunnel, we were ambushed by a group of rebel demigods and held at swordpoint. "Look what we have here," one of them said that I didn't recognize. "Ethan?" Annabeth questioned and said demigod grunted in response.

"Come. Lord Kronos has been expecting you," he said and the others pressed their weapons lightly against our flesh to push us forward. We marched until we reached the arena that RED told us about that was lined with remains of fallen monsters, demigods, and humans alike. Hanging from the sealing was the symbol of Poseidon that made my blood boil slightly, along with another one that I didn't recognize, but I assumed to be Mother Earth herself.

"Welcome to my Arena, demigods!" a voice boomed from his viewing place. The voice belonged to a giant of 15-ft who claimed to be Poseidon's favorite son; not that I cared in the slightest. I took my time to analyze everything about the arena while he rambled on about hosting fights in the name of his father.

'Monsters surrounding us on all sides. Demigods too. That Luke guy is here. Now, Steven are you here to show your true colors as well?' I mused in the few seconds of my analysis. "Son of Poseidon," Antaeus said and I growled. "Or should I say Son of Susano'o," he continued and I tensed. "You will provide the greatest entertainment for me and our father, brother," he spat.

"Poseidon is not my father, but I will give you a swift death regardless," I said in a low and dangerous tone as Annabeth and RED were dragged off and thrown into a cage off to the side, but still on the arena floor. Antaeus let out a booming laugh at my response before he reigned himself in. "That's right. You're the son of that bitch moon goddess," he began and the temperature in the room dropped significantly.

"You may speak ill of me, but speak of my mother in such a tone again and you will beg for Tartarus," I hissed at him, only for him to laugh again. 'Pride cometh before the fall, huh Zo,' I mused as he quieted the monsters down. "If you despise Poseidon so much, why don't you join us?" Luke voiced and made himself seen in the viewers box alongside an empousai and Ethan from earlier.

"Save your breath, Son of Hermes," I said with a smirk, knowing I would make him angry. "Do not speak that bastard's name to me! I will be the host of Lord Kronos himself!" Luke roared and the monsters cheered in approval. He retreated to his seat to observe, giving Antaeus control of the ceremonies again. "Send in the challenger!" he boomed and the doors opposite of me opened to reveal the bastard I was waiting for.

Annabeth POV

The doors open to reveal Steven and I was elated, but that died quickly when I saw that he was completely unharmed. "Steven!" I yelled and he looked over to me with what looked like concern in his eyes. Before I could say anything more, Percy addressed him in his icy tone that sent shivers up my spine.

"Have you finally decided to show your true colors, Son of Poseidon?" Percy asked and I looked at him in confusion and then back to Steven. "Steven, what is he talking about?" I asked, borderlining hysterics. "I see that you are completely unharmed and that only confirmed my suspicions. You weren't tied up at Geyron's ranch, you were surprised to see all of us free once you returned from the stables, and you even left Annabeth with me to go meet Hephaestus," Percy said and the gears began turning in my head.

"I figured after you didn't make Geyron swear on the Styx to honor the deal that you were in league and after seeing you here, you confirmed my suspicions that you went with Grover and Tyson only to ditch them and rejoin with the Titans' forces. Is that correct?" Percy asked and the tears started to well up in my eyes.

'No. No no no. First I lose Thalia, then Luke, then I get Thalia back only to join the hunters, and now Steven?!' I screamed in my head, hoping that it wasn't true. "The Titans have promised me the power I rightfully deserve! And they promised me your head!" Steven hissed at Percy and the tears began to fall. Surprisingly, RED comforted me, even though I doubt she had any tides what was actually going on.

"The Titans are using you Steven. I know not all the Gods are good; in fact most of them aren't. The Titans are far worse. They won't honor their deals you have made and they will turn on you if they win the war," Percy told him with what sounded like a small amount of regret in his voice. Steven began to laugh uproariously at that and the monsters, Luke, Ethan, and Antaeus followed shortly after.

"You're wasting your breath, you bastard. I will kill you now, just like they promised me and I will receive my reward!" Steven bellowed and Percy let out an audible sigh. "Steven, I will offer you this once and only once for Annabeth's sake: join us again and help us put an end to this madness. Fight for us and I will help see to it that the Gods change their ways and you will be rewarded for your efforts in defeating them. If you join us, I promise this all on the Styx," Percy said and the thunder rumbled, even underground.

Steven laughed again. "Fool! The Gods will never change, unless we destroy them!" Steven yelled and Percy turned to look at me. "Annabeth, I'm sorry," he said quietly, but I heard him as if he whispered it into my ear. He turned back to Steven and said, "Steven, I believe you remember my promise before we started on this quest," Percy said, back in his icy tone and the temperature dropped again. I knew in that moment Steven was dead; he wouldn't survive, not from Percy.

Steven arrogantly laughed again and began to speak, "Fool! I will have your-" but he never finished his sentence. In a moment that I had trouble believing, Percy moved so fast he was hardly a blur to everyone's eye, drew his katana from the scabbard on his back, and separated Steven's head from his shoulders.

Deafening silence took its vice grip on the arena as everyone watched in awe and horror and the only sounds to be heard were Steven's head and lifeless body hitting the sand floor with a thud and Percy's blade being put back in its rightful place on his back. A moment later, sobs racked my body and pierced the veil of silence that had blanketed the room.

3rd Person POV

As soon as Annabeth's sobs broke the silent atmosphere, the monsters were screaming for blood and Luke and his lackeys watched in disbelief. They had never seen anyone below a god move with such speed and lethality. "NO! YOU HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL I GIVE YOU THE ORDER TO KILL HIM!" Antaeus roared at Percy as his rage bubbled to the surface. Percy stood tall and glared fiercely at the giant before he spoke. "Come and fight me yourself, favorite son of Poseidon," Percy spat at the giant, to which he regained his composure and smirked before leaping down into the arena himself.

"Very well, demigod. I will bring honor to Poseidon by claiming your head!" he roared and Percy quickly drew his bow and fired a dozen arrows into the giant's limbs. The giant smirked and pulled out said arrows, but what surprised the questers was how the dirt rose from the ground and healed his wounds.

Antaeus let out a booming laugh, "See demigod! I am the son of Mother Earth herself! The seas answer my call and the ground heals me with my mother's embrace. You cannot kill me!" he roared and Percy had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. 'Get him off of the ground and this fight is yours,' Percy said to himself and waited for Antaeus to draw his weapon. When the giant charged him unarmed, Percy smirked to himself and retreated quickly, putting his bow away in the process.

"Grab your weapon, demigod!" Antaeus bellowed and Percy took his fighting stance. "If you are using your bare hands, then so shall I," Percy said calmly and the giant chuckled again. "Very well," Antaeus said and on an unspoken cue, the two gladiators charged one another.

Due to Antaeus' great size, Percy had no issues in out maneuvering him, but Antaeus didn't expect the puny demigod's punches to feel as heavy as his own. Percy dodged a hasty punch by leaping on top of it and running along the giant's arm with assistance from the winds and kicked him right across the jaw, sending Antaeus's head to the side and making him stumble back several steps.

The monsters were roaring in approval of the combat, but Luke, Ethan, Annabeth, and RED were watching mildly interested since Percy was so much faster than the giant that he couldn't hope to keep up. That fact, combined with the force of Percy's chakra enhanced blows made the spectacle a rather one-sided ordeal; at least in their eyes.

After about 10 minutes of avoiding the giant's hasty punches, kicks, and grapples, Percy recalled the chains hanging from the ceiling from when they first entered the arena and decided to end the fight. Percy slipped another right jab from the giant and threw his own sharp jabs to his opponents arm up to the shoulder, briefly numbing Antaeus' right arm and began weaving his hand seals as he dodged the subsequent left.

"Fuuton: Reppushou!" Percy yelled and delivered a palm strike that sank nearly eight inches into Antaeus' gut and sent the giant flying into the air toward the ceiling. Wasting no time, Percy vapor traveled to the chains, grabbed one, and descended with it to hook it onto Antaeus' loincloth.

Antaeus was disoriented and swinging idly from the chain as Percy went through another series of hand seals. "Goodbye, Antaeus," Percy said as he finished the seals. "Raiton: Chidori!" he yelled again as his hand was coated in crackling lightning. Percy thrust his hand into Antaeus' chest, straight into his heart, and watched as the giant slowly crumbled into golden dust.

The silence in the arena, while again deafening, was only a moment before Luke rose to his feet and shouted, "GET THEM!" The monsters and demigods snapped out of their stupor and began flooding the arena floor in an attempt to get the questers.

Realizing that he had little to no options, Percy flashed through a final set of hand seals and gave Annabeth and RED a pointed look before whispering, "Hyoton: Hyogaki." The arena floor froze over in an instant and ice began to creep up the walls, freezing tens of monsters in their places and blinding the rest.

Percy, with no trouble seeing through the water in the air, went straight to the cage and freed his friends. Once free, he shifted into his wolf form and yelled in their minds, 'Get on!' The two girls complied and mounted the large wolf as he sprinted toward the exit where the path was, weaving in and out of enemies and cutting any down that got in his way before they realized he was there.

With one final leap over the Titans' forces, the trio burst through the doors and began sprinting through the maze. 'RED! Direct me until we're clear!' Percy yelled in their minds again and RED did as she was told, but wanted to ask multiple questions about Percy's abilities, much like Annabeth wanted to.

After several twists and turns, they deemed it safe to slow to a walk again and Percy let them down and shifted back to his human form, breathing a little heavily. "Let me rest for a few minutes," Percy said through the labored breaths and Annabeth grabbed a bit of nectar out of her backpack.

RED Pov [AN: Weird, right?]

"What the Hades was that?!" Annabeth screamed at Percy as he regained his breath. "Abilities from my Shinto bloodline," Percy said and Annabeth put her hands on her hips and gave him a pointed look. "First, Annabeth I'm sorry. Steven…" Percy began but trailed off as Annabeth stiffened and the tears welled up again. He quickly pulled her into a hug that she resisted at first, but melted into and sobbed for a few moments. "J-Just tell me what that was," she said softly and Percy pulled back and nodded.

"Shinto demigods have a source of internal energy called chakra. It's a combination of physical and spiritual energy that we can utilize with the use of the hand seals we perform. There are five separate natures: water, earth, fire, wind, and lightning. Due to my heritage, I can manipulate water the easiest, followed by wind, earth, and lightning, respectively," Percy said and we both nodded in understanding.

"You used ice. Is that still water?" Annabeth asked and Percy shook his head. "There are natures that are called Kekkei Genki and they combine two of the original five to create a new one," Percy said and we nodded again. "Ice would be water and… wind?" I asked hesitantly and Percy smiled softly and nodded. "I can also use storm or gale nature which is water and lightning. In theory, water and earth could be combined to create wood nature, but my affinity for earthnature is already pretty low," Percy explained and we nodded again.

We began moving along the path again and I could tell we were nearing the center of the maze. "How can you turn into a wolf?" I asked finally and Percy looked at me before smiling. "I was training in Japan with my father for the last year or so and one of my teachers was Yama-no Kami-sama, the Shinto God of Wolves and he gave me the ability as a gift," Percy said and I couldn't help but smile back.

Just as the questions came to a close, we arrived at the doors to Daedalus workshop. We all looked at one another and nodded. "Here we go," Annabeth said as Percy pushed the doors open.

'How did I get involved in all of this?'

AN: Chapter 16! Sorry for the lack of updates again! I'll be working on it and my others stories this weekend so fret not! So far the polls for the ship are as follows:

PercyxThalia: 13

PercyxOC: 13

PercyxHarem: 3

Until next time!