School sucks. Math sucks. Life sucks.

The story reached 150 reviews, so like promised, a 2,000 word chapter is to be written. Next goal is 200. So that's great. But, because I've been gone so long, It will be 3,000 words, hope u enjoy.

So with that lets move on.

Shoutouts:

PoppyOhare: The more there is, the better it is.

Alright chapter time!

Percy POV

Nico dragged me away from the scene and started making his way out of the workshops. I probably should have mentioned this earlier but it didn't seem important at the time. You know how we had chains around our ankles? Well when I transformed into a My Little Pony they came off, and Nico thrust them in lava so he was free to roam around. Though he still has part of the chain clamped around his ankles and they were dragging across the ground. But like I said earlier, not important, I just didn't want a bunch of people asking me stupid questions, got it?

We finally exited the humid workshops and trudged across the red barren land. It took a while but I finally realized that I had no idea what was going on. So, like the smart guy I am, I simple asked.

"Hey Nico, where we going?"

Silence.

"Nico! Where we going?"

More silence.

I rolled my eyes, "Stop ignoring me nighthawk!"

"Don't call me that." Was the response.

We walked in silence for a few more yards.

My ADHD started to kick in again and I wasn't going to go through more of this silence.

"Ok, dude seriously, what's going on?"

Nico trudged ahead, I was about to grab a rock that looked like wonderbread and chuck it at him when he said, "We've been planning this escape for a long time, and we've lost a lot of lives to make it."

"This torturous place is just a giant chamber, we've had people go and explore around, trying to find an exit." He continued "Where we're heading is a secret entrance to the vents, and if we're lucky, it'll lead us out of the building"

Lucky I thought. Yeah right. When are we ever lucky?

We walked for miles and miles, my feet were aching and I wanted to fall on my face and sleep.

"Nicooooo, we've been walking forever" I fake complained, trying to get a bit of a laugh.

"Shut up, it's been like 30 minutes."

We finally reached the end of the death chamber. Where the red rocks and dust turned into giant cliffs, going all the way around, ensuring that no visitors got in, and no desperate prisoners got out.

But we were smart and didn't climb the wall like I thought we were going to. Instead, Nico, the "intelligent" one, got down and began to turn over rocks. Why didn't I think of that?

"Help me out here Percy." Nico said.

"Ok," I responded, "You missed, 1, 2, 3, about 5 million rocks, over there"

He groaned in annoyance, or frustration, maybe both. "According to previous sources, one of these rocks, in this area, is a secret lever, and if said sources are correct, once we pull the lever, it should open a hidden door that leads to the vents. Now come over here and help me."

I decided to not annoy him any more and got down on my knees. I went through several rocks when I came upon one that had weird grooves coming from it. I tried to pick it up but it didn't budge. This rock was roughly the size of two fist so I should have easily picked it up. I looked at the mystery grooves and tried to push the rock in the direction. The rock slide down the path of the grooves.

The secret lever!

Underneath the rock was a metal plate, and on it, a small lever with a red rubber grip.

"Nico!" I shouted, "Found it!"

He looked at me as if I were the dumbest thing on this here planet, "Well then pull it dummy!"

I grabbed the the lever and tugged. Suddenly, the rock slammed back into it's original position, almost crushing my hand. A section of the cliff wall that was where Nico was came away and slide over, revealing the secret entrance.

"Let's go!" Nico shouted, making a run for the door.

I ran after him.

The door was farther than I expected, Nico was already in and beckoning me to hurry up.

Then the door began to slide close

"Percy hurry! I don't know what happens after the door closes, but it probably ain't gonna turn out great."

I sprinted to the door, and just before it slid shut, I slipped through.

"You know," I said taking deep breaths, "I probably could have just pulled the lever again."

"I doubt anything here is that easy, the lever's probably magic or something, could either not open again, disappear, move, who knows? It's a good thing you got here in time."

"Cause nothing is ever easy" I muttered

I took this time to look at the room. The place was made of steel, on the walls were a few air pressure instruments and valves and what not, on the far end, was a bronze ladder that led to a higher level.

Nico walked to the ladder and began climbing, he had half of his body into the upper level when he called, "Percy, it's the vents, come on!"

For once he seemed excited, and I couldn't blame him, after being kept here for who knows how long, he might be able to escape his ongoing nightmare.

I climbed up after him and squeezed into the small vents.

"We might be able to crawl through here and out of the building! But we should go slow, I bet any noise can echo throughout the building, so try and be quiet until we're out of the building." Nico whispered.

I nodded in recognition and followed Nico as we slowly crawled out to our freedom.

The quiet environment gave me time to think. I noticed that Nico seemed so sure that we'd get out, not a bit of doubtfulness was said about eventually getting out. If we were captured, how would that make him feel?

We crawled in silence until we reached an intersection.

I expected Nico to start in a direction but he stayed still, looking at one entrance to the other.

He didn't know which way to go. I forgot that he wasn't part of the "sources" and even if he was, the "sources" might not have gotten this far either.

I felt wind and the smell of the sea coming from the right, but that still wasn't sure evidence that we should go right. There were so many rooms in this place I'd be surprised if the right vent didn't lead to a ocean scented sauna or something.

"I'm telling you sir, there was a horse rebellion in the stables" Called a desperate voice from beneath me.

"Our horses are trained to behave, unless you're telling me that you idiots have slacked off and let them run, I highly doubt that." Boomed a commanding voice.

I knew that voice, it had echoed in my mind since my capture.

Polybotes.

I heard the floor squeak. As if someone had abruptly stopped. "Actually, were all of the horses rebelling or just one?"

"Well all the horses sometimes disobey once in a while, but I've been told that a erm, fire horse caused a considerable amount of trouble, killed a few of us I think." Said the voice, a telkine I assumed.

"Hmm, and what about our prisoner, ah, Percy Jackson?"

I let out a small (very manly) squeak.

Below us was silence. I saw Nico tense up, not moving a muscle.

It was quiet for a while until the telkine responded, "Erm, well from what I've recently heard, He was still in the forge, although some rumor was going about but it was really nothing"

"What was the rumor?" Polybotes boomed.

"Er, it was really nothing but silliness sir" The telkine stuttered.

"Tell. Me. Now."

"Um, well, you see, some of the guards thought they saw the Percy person, um transform into the fire breathing horse, but that's all malarkey, I mean, obviously one of the horses just got out" The telkine nervously explained.

He growled out loud, "PERCY JACKSON!" He shouted out.

"Sire, it was just a rumor, there is no evidence, and it's highly unlikely! The chains sire, the Percy person was in chains!" The telkine rapidly explained.

He hurrumped in response.

"Billy, do you know who Percy Jackson is"

"Um, well I've heard that he exploded my kinds recent forge, the Mount St. Helens?"

"That true, but, do you know why he is so important to me?" Polybotes questioned.

"Um, you had some type of rival?"

"IDIOT!" Polybotes exploded.

I could hear the telkine quiver, and frankly I was too.

"Percy Jackson is that annoying pest that always gets in my way, I guess you're slow on news because all of your comrades know that I sent an evil personality of Percy Jackson into his mind, the evil one will soon take over his mind, then his body, and he'll will soon work for me! He's all part of my big plan, I don't even care what he does, if he escapes, fine, he'll kill all his friends which is a bonus point for me, if he doesn't escape, well then I'll just be training him for being my assassinator in later time." Polybotes evilly explained.

I hated his plan.

"But sire, if you don't mind me asking, why does the rumor matter so much to you?" Billy asked.

Billy was probably dumb, remember this kids, if your parents or leader is ever lecturing you or screaming at you, stay silent! Stay silent until they are done, and then still be quiet until you leave, and then you are allowed to faint.

You're welcome, this is pro surviving parents 101 advice that I suggest you follow.

"Stop asking unnecessary questions Billy! You'll never get through life doing that. But if it soothes your curious monster butt, I am interested in it because it just so happens, Percy Jackson has taken on the power to transform into a pegasus. If you're rumor is correct, he's able to transform into other things too. This is a great power that he has attained, and will be great use to us in the war once he joins us." Polybotes said with absolute certainty.

The fuzzy memories came flooding back to me. The transforming, the conversation, everything I had forgotten was now restored.

And I hated knowing it. This proved that I couldn't be trusted, I could turn from a friend into a foe at any time. What was I going to do?

Polybotes and Billy had seemed to move along the halls but I stayed there.

It began with small twitches, but soon enough I started to have a panic attack.

What was I going to do? I was a monster. I can't go back! But I have to go back. This was a bad idea. Nico deserved to get out. But he could go by himself right? No. I needed to go too! But my friends, what happened once I was gone, when the evil within me took over! Could I hold it back? Could I beat Polybotes game!

So many thoughts were zooming through my brain all at once.

I couldn't breath. I couldn't breath.

I began to choke on my own supply of oxygen.

"Shhh Shh, Percy stop, stop it Percy, we're so close, you can't stop now" Nico said. Speaking for the first time since we entered the vents.

"Don't tell me what to do!" I said in a demonic voice.

"Percy?! Percy, this isn't you! Don't let him control you" Nico said as he scrambled away from me.

"You are nothing, but a worthless bossy brat, I bet your family abandoned you, you know, if you even HAVE a family!" I continued in the same demonic voice, not even hearing him.

Nico had started shaking, tears were streaming down his face.

I didn't say that! I wouldn't! But I did! I had to control it! But the words we're said, and there was no taking them back. I tried. I tried hard to stop. But I felt my vision went red, and I began to have an awful headache.

"You know nothing about my family." Nico whispered

Then the beast within was unleashed, and I was powerless to stop it.

My headache got worse, the red became defined, and I watched my body lunge towards Nico. I grabbed him by the throat and began to pummel Nico with my fist, I wanted to cry, to show him that I was sorry, but I was incapable of doing so, I couldn't watch, but it was like the evil was forcing me to. Forcing me to watch beat up my friend.

Nico yelled out in pain as my fist connected with face. Together, we made a lot of racket, with Nico yelling out, and us denting the metal vents.

I managed to grab a handful of Nico's shirt and shove him into the wall of the vent. The metal around us shuddered, I did it again, and again, and again. The metal underneath us gave way, and we tumbled to the ground.

I watched as I slowly got up, but then suddenly, a fist made contact with my face and I collapsed onto the floor.

I laid there for who knows how long, the headache subsided, and my vision turned normal.

I looked around for Nico and saw him on the floor as well, shaking. And I knew it wasn't from me hitting him with my fist, it was me hitting him with my words.

It was getting worse. The first time, at least I didn't watch myself hurt Jason, but this time, I was forced to watch, and that was infinitely worse.

"Nico, I'm sorry" But I'm sorry didn't make a difference, the damage was done, and I couldn't apologize for that.

"We can still get out, and you can go ahead a leave me, but you we're wrong, I can't go back, not like this." I said.

Nico turned to look at me, "Percy, you're friends will help you, that's why there are friends, that's why I haven't killed you yet for the things the other person said. I know it wasn't you"

I looked back at him

"But," of course there was a but, "You have to learn to control it" Nico said.

"I tried Nico, I tried so hard, but I couldn't do it" I said.

"You CAN do it" He said, "Come on, get up, we can still make it out."

He got up and lent me his hand, and I gladly took it.

We got up and walked down the hall, then we turned the corner.

And guess who was waiting for us, Polybotes and a small army of telkine minions by his side.

"I think we can all agree that was very heartfelt" Polybotes mused.

"But you're friend is wrong, you won't be able to control it, but by all means, try and run back to your friends, makes things easier for me." He continued to say.

He snapped his fingers and a telkine ran up to him, holding a jar with Riptide in it.

Polybotes screwed the jar open and tossed the sword at me and I easily caught it.

"You'll need that in order to kill your friends." He said.

I glared at him, "I won't kill them,"

"Oh but you will." He said right back.

"Percy, run" Nico whispered to me.

We started to back away and run for a door, any door.

"Oh but Percy,"

I turned around to glare at him.

"You are still my prisoner, I can't just let you escape, that would make it too easy for you, if you die while escaping, oh well."

Nico grabbed my wrist and we ran.

Behind me I heard the command the army had been waiting for, "Get them"

The army surged passed Polybotes and ran after us, occasionally throwing spears and shooting arrows down the halls. An alarm sounded and the thumping of monsters feet running down metal stairs was heard.

We scrambled around for a while, killing monsters whenever we could. Me with Riptide, and Nico with a strange black sword emitting smoke that he'd had somehow hidden, I assume he made it, but the metal was unlike the ones I've seen at the forge.

We ran, trying to find an exit to the building. Suddenly, Nico spun around, grabbed me, and jerked me into a different hallway.

Up ahead were steel doors guarded by two monsters, at the top were small windows that showed a blue sky.

I really hope we weren't running to our deaths.

We quickly killed the monsters and pushed open the doors. The coast was seen, the ocean sparkled, and I never saw Nico so exhilarated in my life. But the moment didn't last, for behind us was still a mob of monsters. We ran down a sand dune and to the coastline. Spears and arrows flying after us.

"Run, run, little demigods" I heard a voice boom.

We didn't turn around and kept running.

"I hope you don't mind a stick in your chest." Said Polybotes.

I spun around to see a spear flying towards me. I didn't react fast enough.

The last thing I remember was a spear plunging through my chest, the point going through my back.

I collapsed on the sand and watched Polybotes laugh as I blacked out.

3,000 words, lets go! What happened to Percy? Guess you'll have to find out! But for now, peace!- greekgodsrox