A/N: So… I'm not exactly sure why there are like 45 typos in the online version of Chapter 3 and none in my Word document… maybe Hephaestus hates me? I promise, I spellcheck!!!

Anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed! Hope you like this chapter :) Love, bloomy.

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After I changed, I led them to the door behind the laundry.

"Where?" Percy asked, and I pointed toward the bright blue symbol glowing on the door.

"It hasn't been used in a long time," Annabeth said.

"I tried to open it once, just out of curiosity. It's rusted shut," I told them.

"No," Annabeth said, stepping forward. "It just needs the touch of a half-blood." Then she reached out and opened the door like it was no big deal.

"Wow," I said, keeping my face blank. "So… after you?"

"You're the guide," Annabeth said, in a voice as sweet as Splenda. "Lead on."

There was a staircase leading down into a dark tunnel. Percy and Annabeth turned on some flashlights. As soon as I saw what had been cloaked in darkness, I screamed.

I couldn't help it. There was a totally creepy skeleton chained to the ceiling… and it only had one eye socket.

"A cyclops," Annabeth observed. "It's very old. It's not… anyone we know." The way she said that was kind of scary, as if it might have been someone they did know.

"You have a friend… who's a Cyclops?"

"Tyson," Percy replied. "My half-brother."

"Your half-brother?"

Weren't Cyclopes monsters?

"Hopefully we'll find him down here," he said.

Oh yeah, I'd always wanted to meet a cannibalistic, one-eyed giant. Looking forward to it.

"And Grover. He's a satyr."

Curiouser and curiouser.

"Oh," I said, hating how small my voice sounded. "Well then… we'd better keep moving."

I led them to the left. I had been worried that the Labyrinth would be dangerous and confusing, but so far it was like there were track lights on the floor, like in an airplane. I just knew where to turn. At the first fork in the road, there were three turns, but I knew which way to go. In fact, there was a light leading me right there. But apparently, the others couldn't see it, because they started debating.

Percy pointed left. "That looks like the tunnel Tyson and Grover took."

"Yeah, but the architecture to the right- those old stones- that's more likely to lead to an ancient part of the maze, toward Daedalus' workshop," Annabeth argued.

"We need to go straight," I told them. As I looked around, it became even more obvious- there were all sorts of menaces lurking in the shadows to the left and right.

"That's the least likely choice," Annabeth said.

By whose rules? I thought. If I remember right, you needed my help because you didn't know the way to go.

But I decided not to risk sounding like a huge brat- a quest really only needs the one.

"You don't see it?" I asked. "Look at the floor." They looked down, then back up with completely blank expressions. I checked again. The light was weak, but definitely still there. "There's a brightness there," I told them. "Very faint. But forward is the correct way. To the left, farther down the tunnel, those tree roots are moving like feelers. I don't like that." I forcibly prevented myself from shuddering. "And to the right, there's a trap about twenty feet down. Holes in the walls, maybe for spikes. I don't think we should risk it."

Percy nodded. "Okay. Forward."

"You believe her?" Annabeth asked.

No, I thought, he just brought me along to get you guys killed.

"Yeah," he said, sounding surprised. "Don't you?"

Annabeth waved at me to keep going. The path was still a brick corridor, but now it felt as if we were walking downhill in a very roundabout direction. "No traps?" Percy asked, sounding worried. I was feeling wary, too, because this labyrinth was basically an epic fail… so far it was just like the journey from the front of the plane to the lavatory in the back, complete with lighted pathway.

"Nothing," I replied. "Should it be this easy?"

"I don't know," he answered. "It never was before." I didn't have any more time to worry about it, though, because Annabeth piped up again.

"So, Rachel," she said, "where are you from, exactly?"

"Brooklyn," I said, choosing to graciously ignore her completely unnecessary tone.

"Aren't your parents going to be worried if you're out late?"

I answered before I realized that this was none of her business. "Not likely. I could be gone a week and they'd never notice."

"Why not?"

Hmm… how do I put this?

My dad won't be home, and my mom will be too high on painkillers or drunk off cocktails to notice?

There are enough maids, cooks, and rooms in the penthouse that they never really have to see me?

I felt the blood rising in my face. What had I been thinking?

Luckily, the sound of doors opening saved me from having to answer. The noise came, completely unexpectedly, from a little further ahead down the path.

"What was that?" Annabeth asked.

"I don't know," I replied. "Metal hinges."

"Oh, that's very helpful. I mean, what is it?"

Suddenly we heard the sound of footsteps so heavy the ground vibrated.

"Run?" Percy suggested.

"Run," I confirmed. We pivoted and sprinted away from the sound, but almost immediately we were cut off by possibly the scariest sight I had ever witnessed.

It was Kelli the vampire cheerleader- you know, the dead one, and two other ladies even more deformed than she was. Where she just had some odd legs- you know, a little fur, a little bronze, no biggie, right? But these things had foregone the legs completely, opting for giant snake tails. They were dressed in bronze armor and pointing huge spears at us. I bit back a scream.

"Well, well," said the cheerleader.

Percy and Annabeth, at least, had better reflexes than I did. I stood there in terror while they drew their weapons, but then Kelli jumped me, holding me facing them with her claws. I couldn't stop from whimpering.

"Taking your little mortal pet for a walk?" Kelli asked them. "They're such fragile things. So easy to break!" She tightened her grip with that last part, and I gasped, but she didn't do anything horrible. I heard the heavy footsteps again, but I closed my eyes. I didn't want to see any more.

Whatever it was had a very loud, threatening voice. "Can I eat them?" it asked.

Well, goodbye world, then. Nice knowing you.

Mostly.

But Kelli told them no.

"Your master will want these. They will provide a great deal of entertainment." I noticed she said 'entertainment', not 'food'. That was a good sign, right? "Now march, half-bloods," she added. "Or you all die here, starting with the mortal girl."

March, I pleaded silently.

I just kept my eyes closed as the vampire cheerleader carried me down the tunnel. I could hear Percy and Annabeth in front of me.

"Oh, yesssssss," commented a serpentine voice from up ahead. "You'll be very popular with our hossssst."

"Who's your host?" Percy asked the snake lady. I admired his ability to speak. If I had tried, I would have cried like a little kid.

"Oh, you'll sssssssee. You'll get along famousssly. He'sssss your brother, after all." That didn't make me feel too excited. I liked Percy just fine, but he'd mentioned already that one of his brothers was a Cyclops, so I wasn't real thrilled to meet any more of his relatives.

And then Percy responded "My what?", which told me that this one wasn't even a personal friend.

Great. I heard the doors opening and forced my eyes open in time to see a giant pluck Annabeth off the ground and tell her to stay like a dog or something, which she obviously didn't appreciate, but couldn't do much of anything about.

The vampire lady who was strangling my throat with her claws laughed, saying: "Go on, Percy. Entertain us. We'll wait here with your friends to make sure you behave."

'Wait here' sounds good, I thought. I can do 'wait here'. Percy met my eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I'll get you out of this." I tried to nod.

"That would be nice," I said, and I managed to do it without dissolving into tears or anything. I was proud of myself.

The snake ladies pushed him out onto a floor that resembled a small, circular hockey arena, except that the floor was covered in sand, the walls and everything made of stone, and there was no glass barrier between us and the brawl going on within, where a giant was chasing after a centaur with a huge spear. There were skulls everywhere, along every wall. It was like something out of Indiana Jones. We were herded in front of the first row of seats, which was high up, maybe ten or twelve feet. I concentrated on watching Percy to keep myself from crying or seeing the centaur get shish-kabobbed. I followed Percy's gaze up to a banner featuring a trident, which I remembered was the sign of Poseidon.

Poseidon, as in Percy's father. He owned this place? Percy looked as confused and surprised as I did, which I took as a good sign. Then he spoke to someone sitting above the banner, in a throne-like chair. It was a young man, no older than 25. He was very good-looking, blonde, but there was something threatening in his demeanor- he reminded me a little of my father.

"Luke," Percy addressed him.

Luke? As in the mortal-hater? This day kept getting better and better.

The man- Luke- smiled. He was sitting next to an even bigger giant than the two we'd already seen, who was naked except for a sumo-wrestler type diaper. His skin was red and had blue waves tattooed all over it. I looked back at Percy and gasped as the centaur flew at him. Percy jumped back.

"Help!" the centaur said. Percy reached into his pocket. I realized he was looking for his sword, but our captors had taken Percy and Annabeth's weapons. One of the snake women grabbed Percy's shoulder and whispered something to him. Whatever it was, he hung back. I closed my eyes, and I would have covered my ears if the vampire hadn't been holding my arms. As it was I couldn't drown out the cruel screams of the crowd.

"DEATH! DEATH! DEATH!" The screams got louder and louder, and I waited for them to subside before I opened my eyes. The centaur had disappeared. The giant sumo guy stood up and raised his hands.

"Good entertainment!" he screamed. "But nothing I haven't seen before."

The thought made my stomach turn.

"What else do you have, Luke, Son of Hermes?" Luke's jaw tightened. I got the feeling he didn't like his father very much. Lot of that going around, lately. He stood and addressed the giant.

"Lord Antaeus," he said, projecting his voice for maximum dramatic effect. "You have been an excellent host! We would be happy to amuse you, to repay the favor of passing through your territory. "

"A favor I have not yet granted," replied Antaeus. "I want entertainment." Luke bowed.

"I believe I have something better than centaurs to fight in your arena now. I have a brother of yours." He pointed at Percy. "Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon." I caught my breath again.

No, no, no.Percy was good in a fight, butthere was no way he would stand a chance against a giant, or anything the sumo behemoth might find more 'entertaining', especially not without his sword. The crowd started chucking rocks at him.

Don't stone the gladiator before his fight, I thought morbidly.

Apparently, this whole genetic storyline was big news. The giant's face lit up.

"A son of Poseidon? Then he should fight well! Or die well!"

"If his death pleases you," Luke inquired, matter-of-factly, "will you let our armies cross your territory?"

"Perhaps!" roared the giant.

This was surreal. I knew I could not possibly be witnessing this in real life. No way. There was no way they were going to kill Percy to see if perhaps some armies could pass through some godforsaken territory.

I wanted to scream, but Annabeth, next to me, gave me a look, so I didn't. Then she did something surprising.

"Luke!" she yelled. "Stop this! Let us go!" I looked at her curiously. Were she and this Luke guy good buddies, then? He seemed really pleasant and everything, just like her, but I was still surprised.

Luke looked at her, floored.

"Annabeth?" What the-

"Enough time for the females to fight afterward," Antaeus butted in. "First, Percy Jackson, what weapons will you choose?" The snake ladies pushed him into the center of the arena.

But instead of naming some weapons- nuclear bomb was my first thought- Percy decided to play Curious Freaking George.

"How can you be a son of Poseidon?" he asked, sounding stricken. The whole stadium shook with laughter.

"I am his favorite son!" the giant bellowed. "Behold, my temple to the Earthshaker, built from the skulls of all those I've killed in his name! Your skull shall join them!" Antaeus sounded gleeful. Percy stood there like an idiot, casting glances around the arena desperately. His face was horrified.

Annabeth tried to get him to snap out of it. "Percy! His mother is Gaea! Gaea-" the smaller giant restraining her covered her mouth.

Well, thanks for that, I thought. That little tidbit would have been more meaningful if I had known who on Earth that was, but I didn't, and Percy didn't appear to have any idea, either.

It didn't matter, though, because he wanted to continue the whole family history line of discussion.

"You're crazy, Antaeus. If you think this is a good tribute, you know nothing about Poseidon."

Oh, good idea there, Percy. Go ahead and insult the giant sumo wrestler who commands this whole operation and is holding us captive! That can only turn out well!

Even my thoughts sounded shrill. The crowd went crazy, jeering and throwing more rocks, but Antaeus held up his hands again.

"Weapons," he persisted. "And then we will see how you die. Will you have axes? Shields? Nets? Flamethrowers?"

"Just my sword," he replied. That's right, the sword they had already taken from him.

That was the weapon he asked for.

May I ask you something? Have you ever been trapped in a room full of monsters while the only thing between them and your throat is a dazed, insane, and weaponless idiot?

Let me tell you, it is not a good feeling.

I relaxed a smidge when he magically pulled out his sword. Still, though. Flamethrowers sounded fantastic right about then.

"Round one!" Antaeus cried. The gates at the other side of the arena opened, and yet another snake woman slid out. She was carrying a trident and a net.

Did I mention she was a giant monster snake woman?

Percy, however, seemed unfazed. He stood and waited for her to stab at him, then stepped away. She threw the net, but he sidestepped again, and suddenly her spear was in two pieces on the ground, and she had burst into dust just like the first vampire back at Goode High. I thought he had done a pretty good job, magically killing a giant monster in less than ten seconds, but Antaeus wasn't satisfied.

"No!" he howled. "Too fast! You must wait for the kill! Only I give that order!" Percy looked at us.

Keep your eyes on the gates, I warned him, albeit telepathically, but he turned away.

"Nice job, Percy," Luke complimented, smiling. "You've gotten better with the sword; I'll grant you that."

Thanks, then. Can we go now?

"Round two!" announced Antaeus. "And slower this time! More entertainment! Wait for my call before killing anybody, or else!" I had never heard anyone request a more entertaining murder before, but today had held a lot of firsts. The gates opened again, but this time a human came out. It was a guy, maybe sixteen or so. He looked Japanese, with straight, glossy black hair. One of his eyes was covered with an eye patch like a pirate. He was sinewy and dressed in armor. He fidgeted around with it.

"Who are you?" Percy asked him.

"Ethan Nakamura," he said. "I have to kill you." Another one of these nice guys, huh?

"Hey!" someone called from the stands. "Stop talking and fight already!"

Percy ignored the crowd. "Why are you doing this?" he asked.

"I have to prove myself," Ethan told Percy. "Only way to join up."

Join up with who? I wondered. And why in the world do you want to join?

Before anyone had a chance to do any more thinking, Ethan charged. Percy hesitated, then started to respond. Their blades clashed around, throwing sparks. They danced across the arena floor, jumping back and forth with incredible speed.

"Blood!" requested the ever-enthusiastic crowd. Ethan glanced up at them then cried out and charged again. Percy backed, blocking his sword.

"Boo!" Antaeus said. "Stand and fight!"

As far as I can tell that was what they were doing, moving around crazily and swinging blades everywhere. It was a miracle no one was hurt yet. It was worse than Pirates of the Caribbean.

Suddenly Percy knocked Ethan's sword onto the ground, then pushed Ethan down after it. He pressed his sword into Ethan's chest. I closed my eyes again.

"Get it over with," groaned Ethan. Percy looked up at Antaeus, who gave the thumbs down. Apparently that meant 'kill the kid', because the crowd went wild. But Percy put his sword up.

"Forget it," he said.

"Don't be a fool," Ethan said. "They'll just kill us both."

Us, too! I added silently. They're going to kill us too, in case you were wondering!

Percy reached down and pulled Ethan up.

"No one dishonors the games!" Antaeus roared. "Your heads shall both be tributes to Poseidon!" Percy leaned in and whispered something to Ethan, then turned back to Antaeus and said the most insane thing I'd heard from him yet.

If you've been paying attention, you'll know that's saying something.

"Why don't you fight me yourself? If you've got Dad's favor, come down here and prove it!" My mouth fell open. I thought a lot of things I'm not going to repeat.

The general idea was 'we're screwed'.

"I am the greatest wrestler in the world, boy!" the giant boasted- or warned. "I have been wrestling since the first pankration!"

"Pankration?" Percy asked.

"He means fighting to the death. No rules. No holds barred. It used to be an Olympic sport," Ethan informed Percy.

"Thanks for the tip," Percy replied.

"Don't mention it." Unfortunately, Percy still hadn't changed his mind, apparently. I just stared at him, unable to believe he was really this stupid. He glanced at Annabeth. Out of the corner of my eye I could see her shaking her head.

At least there's one other sane person in the room, I thought.

Too bad she hated me.

The resident idiot raised his sword to Antaeus. "Winner takes all! I win, we all go free. You win, we die."

Ooh, good terms! Excellent! I always wanted to die at the hands of a demonic cheerleader!

"Swear upon the River Styx," he added.

The giant laughed, which wasn't very reassuring.

"This shouldn't take long. I swear to your terms!" He leapt into the arena just as easily as a child playing hopscotch hops from square to square. He cracked his knuckles and gave a smile more like a grimace. My stomach turned.

"Weapons?" Antaeus asked.

"I'll stick with my sword. You?" Percy said this as if inquiring after the weather, or asking how Antaeus had spent his weekend, not as if he was asking which method would be employed in his own death.

The giant flexed his fingers demonstratively.

"I don't need anything else! Master Luke, you will referee this one."

"With pleasure," Luke said, and suddenly his voice was openly menacing. The giant charged. I wanted to close my eyes, but I couldn't. Percy rolled between his legs and stabbed his thigh from behind, but the giant didn't bleed. Sand poured out, and dirt rose from the ground and healed his leg like magic.

I've got to stop saying 'like magic', I thought. This is magic.

The monster lunged again, but Percy sidestepped and stabbed him in the abdomen. But the giant turned, leaving Percy without a weapon, and pulled. The. Blade. Out. The whole sand trick happened again, and Antaeus was good as new.

I felt sick- physically sick. Percy was going to be killed, and it was all my fault. I had led them into this arena. Because of me, he was going to die at the hands of a monster that couldn't be injured.

"Now you see why I never lose, demigod! Come here and let me crush you. I'll make it quick!" I realized that Percy's sword was on the other side of the giant. Mercifully, tears clouded my vision, so I was spared from watching Percy be killed. He was cornered.

"Puny boy," jeered Antaeus above the excited roars of the crowd. "Not a worthy son of the sea god!" I blinked and saw Percy charge straight into the giant, but instead of rolling through its legs again, he basically ran up its body, then catapulted himself of its head, grabbing one of the chains hanging from the ceiling. He scrambled up the chain like a rope in fifth grade P.E., and then, hanging from the chain by one hand, he magically drew his sword again.

"Come down here, coward!" roared Antaeus. He grabbed for Percy, but couldn't reach high enough.

"Come up and get me! Or are you too slow and fat?" Percy taunted the giant. And as the giant tried to pull himself up, Percy somehow tied him up by his diaper, then flew around like a monkey, tying more knots and securing the beast high above the ground. Finally, when the giant was entangled like a fly in a spider's web, he jumped down.

"Get me down!" Antaeus ordered.

"Free him!" Luke ordered. "He is our host!"

Percy pulled out his sword one last time. "I'll free him." He reached out and stabbed the giant in its gut. Antaeus disintegrated until all that was left of him was a net of chains and a giant diaper dangling from the ceiling.

"Jackson!" Luke screamed. "I should have killed you long ago!"

Haha, I thought. Like you'd have a chance against him.

"You tried," Percy said. "Let us go, Luke. We had a sworn agreement with Antaeus. I'm the winner."

Before we even had a chance to breathe a sigh of relief, Luke countered: "Antaeus is dead. His oath dies with him. But since I'm feeling merciful today, I'll have you killed quickly." He gestured toward Annabeth. "Spare the girl."

The resolve in his voice softened for just a second.

"I would speak to her before- before our great triumph." The crowd drew weapons and put out claws and fangs. I braced myself to die. But suddenly, Percy took out what looked like an ice cube from his pocket and blew through it- if you can blow through a solid cube of ice, that is. It didn't make any sound.

Luke laughed. "What was that supposed to do?"

Good question. Suddenly, there was a sound from my right. Annabeth's guard flew across the arena and smashed into the far wall to the sound of a giant howl. My vampire was next. The giant dog who'd just appeared tossed her into Luke's lap. I fell onto my feet.

"Let's go!" Percy shouted. "Heel, Mrs. O'Leary!" Mrs. O'Leary? I scanned the room for the telltale brightness.

"The far exit!" I yelled. "That's the right way!" Percy sprinted across the stadium, Annabeth, Ethan and I behind him. The huge mastiff was behind us. I hurried out in front, beside Percy. We didn't have time for me to explain the path any more.

"This way!" I told them as we veered left.

"Why should we follow you?" Annabeth exclaimed. "You led us straight into that death trap!"

Really? I'd forgotten, I thought. "It was the way you needed to go, and so is this," is what I said out loud.

"Come on!"I urged them, and we followed the lighted path as quickly as we could.