Hey everyone! Sorry it's been a while, I've been reading the Artemis Fowl series (which I highly recommend to anyone who hasn't read it) and haven't had much time for writing. Here's an Ethan one-shot, taking place during BOTL.

Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan

He could hear the roaring of the crowd from a mile away. With every step he took, the sound menacingly increased until it shook every inch of his body. This was the time when the doubts and the what-ifs trickled into his mind, teasing him and tossing around his emotions until his mind would surely sever in two.

Why couldn't I just stay at camp? Why couldn't I just put up with being ignored and suck it up like the rest of the Hermes kids? What was I thinking, running away into the Labyrinth? What if I don't want to join Kronos's army? What if-

The dracenae hissed, butting the end of her spear into his back. "You musssst keep moving, ssstupid boy," she snapped at him. "We must not keep our massster waiting."

"Fine," he said, promptly quickening the pace. "We can't have an impatient massster."

The dracenae hissed again. "You mocking me, halfblood?"

"No!" he said quickly, cursing himself for provoking the dangerous creature.

"Then bite your tongue, or I'll cut it off myssself."

He remained silent for the rest of the journey. Now the arena was towering above their heads, the chants of the crowd distinguishable to a trained ear. His hands were quivering, as was his resolve. What have I gotten myself into? What do they want me to do?

The monsters in front of him halted in front of a small gate on the side of the stadium. There was an exchange of grunts and then the doors slowly opened to a hall with several doors on either side.

"Lisssten up, halfblood," the dracenae said right behind him, making him jump. "In an hour or ssso, you will fight in the arena. You defeat your adversary, you join Kronos's army. You fail, you die. Choossse your weapon carefully, your life dependsss on it." The monster threw open a door and shoved him inside, making crowd's roar suddenly subside to a whisper.

He raised his head to drink in his surroundings, stumbling back onto his feet. The only light in the cell came from a small barred window at the top of the wall that casted a pale glow across his face. A small rack of armor and weapons sat at the far end of the room, and he slowly strode over to peruse through the swords piled up in the corner.

As his fingers fumbled through the metal, the clammy hand of fear clawed its way across his heart and snatched all sanity from his mind. I must pick the right weapon. I must fight flawlessly. I must win. What if I don't? What happens if I fail? A thousand horrible ways to die flashed through his mind, each more grotesque than the one before. There was no barrier between him and his fears. They grabbed hold of him and shook him to his core, causing him to suddenly pound his hands on the cold floor in a desperate attempt to drive them out.

Suddenly a cool and quiet voice whispered in his mind, overpowering all the demonic fears that threatened to drive him mad. "Ethan," a woman's voice said. Ethan sat bolt upright, his terror driven back into the deepest and darkest valves of his mind. "Ethan," her voice sounded clearly in his head.

"Mother," Ethan panted, wiping cold beads of sweat from his face.

"Ethan, compose yourself," she said scornfully. The boy nodded and heaved a heavy sigh. "That's better. Ethan, you must remember your task. If you focus now on possible fates, you will never achieve the true fate that lies before you,"

Of course she was right. Ethan felt ashamed. By allowing panic to overtake him, there was no chance of success. "I'm sorry mother," he said to the cell ceiling, envisioning the sharp features of his mother Nemesis, goddess of revenge. "I will not let my fears take control of me again."

He could almost see his mother's lip curling as she sneered down on him. "You better not, fool of a son. I am blessing you with the ultimate destiny, and in return you allow Phobos (A/N: god of fear) to possess you. Unacceptable. Calm your nerves, I can see them quaking from all the way up here."

Ethan's eyes narrowed as he tried to to muster all the courage within him for the task that laid ahead. "You defeat your adversary, you join Kronos's army. You fail, you die." The dracanae's ominous words kept replaying over and over in his head.

What did the Olympians ever do to help him? "They have done nothing, my son," Nemisis's voice echoed throughout his head. His mother was right. They did not deserve his support. Kronos would strike them down. And Ethan had to aid him in that endeavor. "Yes. The titan lord needs your allegiance. You shall be the one to turn the tables, son of mine." Ethan gripped the sword that lay next to him and stood up. I am the son of Nemesis. I will defeat my adversary. I will join Kronos's army. The gods will be casted down from Olympus.

He slashed the sword experimentally through the air, testing its balance. Perfect. The sword would do him justice. And with it, he would bring a hideous justice to all of Olympus.

I hope that made up for my neglect to update. Please review, it will make updates come all the faster!