AN Okay so the Labyrinth will be split between like four chapters. I Don't Own PJO. Sorry but it is a short chapter.
"Hate to be that guy, but what's going on?" Nico asked.
"That's what I wanna know. How did whoever that was know to contact you, Percy? Are you a spy?" Clarisse stated while staring at me suspiciously. Everyone else stared as well besides Nico, Bianca, Thalia, and Annabeth. Annabeth and I became great friends when planning Nico's party. They all continued to stare until Thalia spoke.
"Hey! Don't go blaming Percy! I have been with her ever since I joined the hunt and don't forget that Artemis found Percy when she was a child! When would she have the chance to contact them without one of us knowing? If you got a problem with Percy then have fun dealing with Poseidon, Artemis, and the hunt." Thalia exclaimed but I put my hand up.
"I know you guys are probably just confused and scared right now so it's okay that you blame me. I swear on River Styx I am not a spy and do not know who just contacted us." I told them and wasn't killed, so you know that's good. Not gonna lie but it kinda hurt that I have to pledge my loyalty to them. Everyone looked down guiltily but I just offered a small smile.
"I should go tell Chiron." I stated awkwardly before rushing off with Thalia, Bianca, and Nico behind me. We reached the Big House and they pushed me forward. Gee what great back up I have. Hesitantly, I stepped inside and located Chiron.
"Oh hello heroes! Is today your party Nico?" Chiron asked us kindly. Darn this centaur was so sweet. Wait in his tail are those curlers? Woah that's just disturbing.
Thanks for the mental image Percy brain.
Wait I am Percy. Ugh better just listen to what Chiron is saying.
"Yes it is and we actually need your help. Someone just contacted me on my Iris Messaging necklace and said to 'have fun in the labyrinth'. What does this mean?" I asked Chiron. His eyes widened in shock when I mentioned the labyrinth.
"I didn't think it would happen so soon," Chiron muttered under his breath before continuing in a louder voice." You all remember about Daedalus' Labyrinth correct? The one with the Minotaur? Well...it still exists." Everyone around me gasped but I just stared at Chiron. After living with a Goddess for the majority of my life and facing off against countless ancient monsters, a glorified maze existing isn't the weirdest thing I've heard.
"And?" I prompted.
"And there's an entrance to it here, isn't that right Chiron?" Annabeth said as she suddenly appeared. Her mother, Athena, gave her a invisibility hat as her gift which I thought was wicked cool.
"How do you know this Annabeth?" Chiron demanded and I flinched. Chiron could also be scary.
"Quintus, the new swords instructor, invented a challenge for me yesterday where I was attacked by two giant scorpions. To hide from them I slid between a crevice in Zeus's Fist and realized it was a Labyrinth entrance. When I was talking to Clarisse I found out what her quest was last year. Locate the entrance. I bet you Luke also wants to use the entrance to attack us." Annabeth admitted. I winced at the mention of Quintus who was covering camp while Mr. D was away. Funny story was a few days ago I almost killed his pet hellhound, Mrs. O'Leary. He has been avoiding me since then.
"Well I assume you know what is going to happen. Annabeth would you lead a quest into the Labyrinth?" Chiron asked Annabeth who nodded eagerly and I smiled. Last year's incident was a real blow to her pride and she always wanted to lead a quest.
"Well then go on up to the Oracle. We shall talk afterwards." Chiron said then turned to us.
"You know who Grover is correct?" Chiron asked us and I shook my head. Thalia smiled slightly while Bianca looked lost until Nico whispered something to her.
"Grover is the satyr sent after you two and the one who guided Thalia to camp. He is searching for Pan currently but he only has a week left." Chiron explained to me. Oh that curly haired kid who was always hanging around the nymph Juniper, his girlfriend. Annabeth talked to me about him a little bit.
"Wait hasn't everyone who has been searching for Pan died?" I asked confused.
"Yes but Grover has stayed alive under miraculous circumstances. Annabeth will probably ask for him to come on the quest. Since you three Thalia, Percy, and Bianca have been to camp before I will allow you to go on this quest if asked. Normally I would wish for Annabeth to bring Tyson, another child of Poseidon who is a half cyclops, but he is busy in the undersea forges." Chiron told us and I blinked. So I have a half cyclops brother now?
"I have a brother? Where was he last year?" I asked. Chiron sighed.
"At the forges. It is a difficult job that requires mist of one's time." Chiron explained when Annabeth appeared again. Her face was pale and I felt a pang of sympathy. I had to carry the oracle last year, can't imagine what it would be like to have a one on one audience.
"She said: You shall delve into the darkness of the endless maze
The dead, the traitor, and the lost one raise.
You shall rise or fall by the ghost ruler's hands
The child of Athena's final stand.
Destroy with a hero's final breath
And lose a love to a fate worse than death." Annabeth recited shaking. I hugged her before pulling away, poor friend. Now I'm not an oracle but Annabeth is a child of Athena and final stand kinda means death.
"Are you okay? Try not to dwell on it." I advised and Thalia poked me.
"What was that for?!" I glared at Thalia who rolled her eyes.
"Just needed to make sure you are still Percy." Thalia joked which made Annabeth smile.
"Who do you wish to bring on the quest?" Chiron asked which got me thinking. That's right thinking. Who could be the ghost rulers? Unless... I thought but Annabeth's voice snapped me out of it.
Percy, Grover, and Thalia." Annabeth stated. Chiron nodded his approval and I shared a grin with Thalia. Nico and Bianca smiled at us but I could tell they were hiding something. I shook it off for now and turned to Annabeth.
"When do we leave Leader?" I smirked with a lazy salute. Thalia lined up next to me. Annabeth rolled her eyes.
"Tomorrow morning. Meet me at Zeus's Fist. I'll find Grover." Annabeth sighed.
"You all may leave. Please rest for tomorrow. You'll need it." Chiron told us and we headed to our cabins. During the walk, Bianca was silent and kept looking at the Hades cabin.
"You should go share a cabin with Nico tonight." I said with a knowing look. Bianca looked at us hopefully and Thalia nodded.
"He needs his sister on his birthday." Thalia agreed but before she could finish Bianca was out of sight.
"Does something seem off about Nico and Bianca?" I asked Thalia as the sun started to rise. I was double checking my bag and Thalia was checking our ambrosia supply.
"Yeah. Maybe it had to do with the Prophecy. They are ghost rulers." Thalia said. I nodded and we set off to Zeus's Fist. Once we arrived we saw Annabeth and Grover already there. I hugged them while Thalia just waved.
"Should we begin?" Annabeth asked us but we could tell the hidden meaning. Are we ready for this quest?
"No time like the present Captain!" I smiled and motioned for Annabeth to go. She did then Grover, Thalia, and I followed. I was the last one in and landed on something soft.
"Get off me fatty!" Thalia groaned from underneath me. Oops someone soft. I quickly stood and murmured a soft apology.
"So did anyone bring flashlights?" I asked awkwardly and my response was a small beam of light now shining across the narrow maze.
"I packed a flashlight for everyone since I didn't think anyone would think about that." Annabeth huffed but I could tell she was happy we were here. I grabbed one and we began to walk in a line. Annabeth, then Grover, then Thalia, and finally little old me bringing up the rear. Not that I'm complaining but so far this quest has been boring.
Way to jinx it Percy.
As if that thought was they key, suddenly the passage we were walking down became a dead end and behind us the walls were coming towards each other. Frantically, I swung my flashlight across the maze trying to find a hidden route when a door caught me eye. I kicked at it until it smashed open.
"Guys! Get inside!" I shouted and shoved them into the room. I slipped in just as the walls smashed together outside and took a deep breath.
"Well that was eventful wasn't it?" I smiled but stopped when I turned around. The room had Roman architecture and there were two doors behind a head. The head was grinning but when I looked again it was frowning. Then...grinning. Okay so either I'm hallucinating or someone is bipolar.
"Um Annabeth do you have any wisdom to impart on us?" Thalia asked and I turned to look at Annabeth.
"Janus. God of choices." Annabeth spat out and Janus laughed. Well...half of him did.
"Oh I'm so much more than that! I'm the god of beginnings." The right head said.
"And endings." The left added.
"Of doorways." The right spoke.
"And gates." The left sang.
"You see, I'm your best friend." The right smiled.
"And your worst enemy." The left ended with a wicked grin. Grover shuddered and said something about cans but I wasn't quite sure what was going on.
"Annabeth you must make a choice. Which doorway?" The right one said and the left one began to speak.
"Both doors are perfectly safe." He began but the right cut him off again.
"Don't lie! One is full of safety, the other filled with darkness. But only you know. Take the key and open the door you must." The right one trailed off when a key appeared in Annabeth's hand. Somehow I couldn't help but think Janus was talking about something more than a door. Even though we were all there Annabeth seemed like she was looking at something entirely different then us.
"Annabeth..." I called out but was stopped by a bright light.
"Close your eyes!" Grover bleated and I did until the light stopped. Hesitantly I opened my eyes and saw Hera. Quickly I bowed along with the others, though Annabeth did so reluctantly.
"Milady how can we help you?" I said, ignoring Annabeth's glare.
"It's more like how can I help you. I came to give Annabeth one wish, and about the door I only postponed your desicion." Hera ended with a smirk. Okay I'm happy she saved us but she seemed to take joy in Annabeth's pain which isn't cool with me. She is my friend.
"I wish for a way to navigate the maze." Annabeth asked. See this is why she's in charge, asking the right questions. Well according to Hera it was the wrong thing.
"Stupid girl! Why wish for what you already have?" Hera laughed before disappearing. The two doors were gone and all that is left is a ladder.
"Going up?" I asked the group and began to climb, despite Annabeth's protests. I reached the top and gasped.
"Guys...we kinda are in Alcatraz." I admitted sheepishly and they turned to look at me. After we all sat at the top we began to search. Thalia called us over after a few minutes and we saw Kampe. Let me tell you one thing about Kampe. She is hideous. Basically she has snakes on her head like Medusa, already disgusting enough but to top it all off she has a human top with a dragon bottom. Yup, dragon. Don,t forget her huge scorpion tail. She is scaly, terrifying, and was a jailer in Tartarus. Word to the wise, if you ever see her, run. Of course we aren't that wise so we kept watching her. Apparently her reputation reached Alcatraz because she had another prisoner. Briares, the one hundred handed one. Honestly I know he made powerful weapons but by the gods he smelled worse than the Hunt's bathroom after Phoebe bought us Taco Bell.
"What is Kampe doing here?" I whispered to Annabeth.
"Probably was freed by the Titan Army." She replied before sticking on her Yankees cap. Oh yeah Anna has a plan. Don't tell her I said that though. Suddenly Kampe looked at where Thalia, Grover, and I were sitting. We ducked but I looked around to see what attracted her attention. Grover was munching on a shiny aluminum can. I nearly groaned.
"Grover stop eating!" Thalia whisper shouted and Kampe came over.
"Well well looks like it's snack time!" Kampe grinned.
"Um ma'am I wouldn't do that. We have been known to give people terrible indigestion." I offered and Thalia nudged me.
"Not now!" She groaned and Kampe smirked. She advanced toward us with her twin scimitars.
Uh oh.