Alright boys, chapter twenty seven is here! I'm stoked as fuck to write this one, as it features someone who is probably going to be one of the best villains in this whole fic, besides Hyperion and Luke. Prometheus is definitely going to be the coolest out of all of them. Also, side note: As I'm writing this I just saw the Eternals movie and it was fucking dope as hell. I won't get into it that much, so let's just get into some reviews.
Shadowhunter2077: "That's a good way to start a new arc, it's nice to see that this Percy is taking his training seriosly and actually using his divine powers and Zane basically invoked his inner Zeus when talking to those old satyrs they deserved.
And man I want to see how you will handle this book because to it served more to build up to the Last Olympian, but I think you can change things in this book and no one will blame you.
And will Zane look for other pantheons after this book or he will leave them be.
Response: Thanks for the review, man. Yes, Percy is definitely taking his training seriously. He had to catch up to Zane somehow lol. And yeah Zane invoked that inner leadership ability when talking down the satyrs. He might not like to lead like his father does, but he has the innate ability. And yeah, I plan to make this book a bit more separated from Last Olympian, mostly so I can focus on Prometheus a bit more and his battles with Zane. Seriously, he's gonna be crazy. And let me go ahead and say this right now, no other pantheons until after Last Olympian. Until we're done with the first five books, we're not focusing on anything else just yet. I do have a lot planned, especially in between the time of Last Olympian and Lost Hero. You're really going to like what I have planned then. Anyway, enjoy this chapter.
Echoxenvy: "Awesome beginning to the arc. There were so many scenes in this one, and the events from beginning to end, if done by someone that didn't know what they were doing, would feel rushed, but this didn't at all. Somehow you made it completely natural. I honestly had no idea how you'd introduce Prometheus, but the way you did it, was awesome. Now let's review piece by piece. This will be a long one.
Firstly, the fights are spectacular. You seriously never fail to write some of the best fights i've ever read, period. Even though Zane vs Taylor was short, it was well done, as was Taylor vs Nico. It's honestly amazing how far Taylor has come as a character, his development is truly great. I'd be proud of it if I were you, and honestly he doesn't really need further development, but I'm all for it in this arc and the next. One thing I hope to see is a Zane/Taylor duo teamup against a monster, Prometheus, or something, since Taylor is quite a bit stronger now. The two haven't fought together well...ever from what I remember.
Secondly, the romantic moments, they were sooo good. Wow bro, everything I wanted from the pairings and it's only the first chapter. Zaylico was perfect, love that they are more comfortable around each other and it's not just a two way on Zane, but a mutual three way. And of course you know I love Percabeth, and you gave it to not just me but everyone good in this chapter, it was so cool to read their little moments and the fact that they're basically dating now. Interesting that you included Rachel though, but without Annabeth's knowledge. I think you're setting up an eventual mistep and Annabeth will find out, get mad at Percy, and their will be a little drama in the Labyrinth. If so, that would be great writing, as it would be the first sign of genuine drama for Percabeth instead of the sort of Malachi/Sera thing they've got going on, where there's no tension. If no Rachel drama ensues though, I'd be fine with it, but I think you'll go for it.
Thirdly, the stuff that you changed. Quintus is still here, and Ms. O' Leary, so that's cool. Hope you make the hellhound Percy's pet like in canon, and Blackjack the pegasus too. I noticed you haven't mentioned him yet, but maybe next chapter. I love the way you describe Quintus's aura, and keep his true identity concealed to Zane. The same with the labyrinth, since that would make it too easy if they could just sense where Pan is and Luke and all that. The scene with the council of cloven elders was epic, and a new iconic Zane being a badass scene. Seriously, telling them off like that and literally forcing them to let Grover off the hook is very him, and a really cool thing to do. Zane in this arc is very different from second arc Zane already, who probably wouldn't have even done that for Grover's sake, and if he did, he would've not hesitated in killing the old goats. Lol, Matt probably would've tried to reason with them, maybe getting Grover more time like in canon, even though he could kill them easily. Just goes to show the differences between the two. That's another thing, love the mentions of Matt and my gang, it was a nice little touch and callback, so that was really cool.
And the last thing I have to talk about and probably my only criticism of the chapter, which it's not even a criticism but a personal opinion. Prometheus's appearance. I think it's dope, don't get me wrong. What with the sword and interesting body proportion choice. However I would've made him bald, and covered in small cuts, I mean covered head to toe, because of the whole vultures and being chained to a rock thing. Also having him wear a long cloak to cover it up because it looks ugly. But that's just me, and I'll probably do that with my Prometheus. Gotta say, the long hair is probably more realistic, so it's really cool and badass overall. Can't wait to see his personality and how he interacts with Zane, and fights. That will be so epic. I wonder if he'll find a way to get the Labyrinth to separate Percy and Zane, or if he's strong enough to fight both of them. Somehow I imagine he is...
Anyway, that's all I've got. Excellent chapter dude, so stoked for the next. BOTL is filled with so much stuff, that this will honestly probably be seven or eight chapters instead of the usual six. But you'll find a way to squeeze it in, I'm sure."
Response: Damn, this a really long one lol. Alright, let me get right into dissecting this one. So yes, the fights. I've been playing a fuck ton of Sekiro lately, so a lot of the fights were based on that. I mean I literally saw Mikiri counter in the chapter lol. I'm not too sure if Taylor is going to be getting too much more development, because of what is coming in the future, but we shall see what the future holds. I, glad I did a good job on the romance, as that's the part I'm the most worried I'll get wrong or not do justice. Unfortunately, I haven't had much non toxic relationships in my life, so I'm not sure if I'm portraying it correctly. And if Annabeth finds out about Rachel, we'll see lol I haven't read too far into the chapter just yet for me to plan. Also, about Blackjack, yes Percy has already met and made friends with Blackjack. It's just been completely off screen and Zane has never met him so far. May change in the future. And I'm glad you liked Zane bullying the council, since I was afraid people wouldn't like that lol. And yeah I'll probably mention Matt and the gang a lot in the future lol. And about Prometheus' appearance, your idea is fucking dope as hell, just not realistic with my story. Prometheus has a healing factor like all immortals so he wouldn't have any scars. And he's been free from the chains for over three thousand years at this point, so he's had plenty of time to clean up and not look all raggedy. However, I can't wait to see how you do him when he appears in your story, especially with how you did Atlas lol. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
SaUvE ViPeR: "Perfect beginning to the new arc. I loved every word of this chapter.
So the trio's moments were great, It's going to be interesting to see Zane, Taylor and Nico get even closer. Also the Percabeth, yes.
Nice to see that you kept some things from canon, it was cool to see "Quintus" and Ms. O Leary. The fights were also really cool, it's crazy to see just how far the characters have come since the first chapter, especially Taylor, he got a huge buff.
Nice callbacks to Matt. Hope to read more. It's still surreal that the two know each other now. Also, add the council scene to Zane's top ten most badass moments. Lastly of course, Prometheus's appearance. Wasn't expecting him to be the enemy for this arc, but it's really cool nether the less. Not sure how he'll be able to match Zane in power though, especially with Percy by his side as well. Although I'm sure the sword has something to do with it. Maybe it's made of Heavenly Diamond?
Great overall. But to let you know, the title has an error. You might want to fix it. It says "Undergroud" instead of Underground. Just a quick edit and it'll be good. Only flaw of the chapter to be honest, it was very good. Can't wait for the next one."
Response: Thanks for the review man. I'm glad to see you like the trios relationship, and yeah we will definitely see it develop over the course of the book. One of my favorite things to write. And the fights were also really fun to write and everyone really has come really, really far over the course of the books, except maybe Annabeth lol. And yeah, Matt callbacks are fun. I'm so glad we wrote the crossover. And Prometheus is going to be very interesting. I'll say it now and you'll see later on the chapter, he's kinda like the Batman of the Titans. That will make more sense as you read lol. And the sword has a lot to do with it, and no, it's not Heavenly Diamond. It's the next best thing, though. Also, thank you so much for pointing out the title flaw I literally had no idea lmaooo. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
ReaperKurosaki: "Niceeee start. Epic fights and awesome character moments. It's cool to see Percabeth together this early, however I sense some drama coming, since your boy didn't mention Rachel to wise girl. Interested to see how you'll handle that. Prometheus sounds dope, it'll be really cool to see how he equalizes against Zane. In canon he's rather nice for a titan, but against a son of Zeus, the god he hates the most, he probably won't be so kind lol. So it'll be cool to see what you do different. Can't wait for more."
Response: Yo, thanks for the reviews, man. I tried to make the chapter as exciting as possible, as it was an introductory chapter, so I threw some fights in. And some drama? Perhaps. We'll have to see how the story goes. And yes, Prometheus will probably be the most dope villain in the entire fic, at least for a long time. Definitely my favorite so far. And while Prometheus may not be a vile asshole like Hyperion or Atlas, his punishment from Zeus has definitely twisted him quite a bit. You'll see, though. Anyway, here's the next chapter and I hope you enjoy it.
FabulousOutlaw58: "Great first chapter to the arc. Nice development for Zane, Taylor and Nico as a trio relationship. Especially Taylor, wow he got strong quick, and it's a good thing, since he was kind of getting left in the dust lol. Percabeth also was a nice surprise, glad to see it happening but interested to see how the Rachel thing gets brought up. Prometheus as the villain is very interesting, can't wait to see how he acts and the fight that follows. Can't wait for more."
Response: Hey man, thanks for the review and read. Yes, last chapter was a lot more of a development chapter, especially for Zane and Taylor. And yes, Percybeth is here and Rachel might possibly be coming, I'll have to see what's in the cards as I write. Prometheus is definitely going to be a cool af villain, and I'm going to put my all into him in this appearance and any future ones. Anyway, bro, here's the next chapter and I hope you enjoy it.
Merrik69: "Prometheus is the villain? Gotta say, that's very unexpected, but a really cool idea. Can't wait to see what he's like as a full on villain, and of course the fight. Now as for the rest of the chapter, it was really good. Like the development for Zane, Taylor, and Nico, it's cool to see them as less awkward now, and of course Percy and Annabeth finally getting together, a book early here, but that's fine with me. Interested to see how Rachel comes up though, hope Percy or Zane doesn't spoil it and let the secret go. Anyway, waiting on the next chapter strenuously, I need more of this fic asap."
Response: Yep, Prometheus is the main big bad for this arc. I'm going to do my best and make him incredibly memorable, more so than the previous ones. I hope you enjoy the fight, since it's literally half the chapter lol. And yes, the rest of the chapter was development, good development I hope. And Percy and Annabeth getting together early is gonna be fun, since I've been looking to change up canon more since we're further along the way in the story. Don't know how I'll introduce Rachel, but I guess I'll figure it out as we go along. Anyway, here's the next chapter and I hope you enjoy it.
Zutama: "Okay so great start with the training. It shows Taylor's growth and really just how far he's come. Idc what anyone says, Taylor honestly has a great arc, going from noone with confidence to someone important. The fights, though scarce in this chapter, were great as always. I really liked Taylor vs Nico, which is a fight I never thought would happen, and if it did it would be over Zane. As for Percy and Annabeth, hell yes. A bit early, but it's been three books, and they kiss canonically in this book anyway, so It's fine. This fic does things different from canon, we all know that, and a lot of it is for the good, like Zane's badass moment with the elders. That was so dope, and realistic, because of course they'd be scared of him. Lastly, Prometheus? Will he be the villain of this arc, or is he just a side boss? I'm guessing since he's a titan he's the arc's villain. It's actually really cool, and i can't wait to read more. His sword is dope and he has perfect reason to hate Zane, for obvious reasons. I hope you touch up on the whole Zeus revenge/tied to a chain and eaten by vultures thing. Bro you have so much epic material to work with it's crazy, it could honestly be better than arc three if you want. I hope it is, and can't wait for chapter two."
Response: Yes, beginning of the chapter was to show how much more powerful Taylor had become, which honestly was needed. He's been left in the dust as of late when it comes to power and he needed a serious upgrade. I'm glad you like Taylor's arc and development, because honestly I've felt it's been pretty lacking, so definitely going to focus on that. Taylor vs Nico was something I've really been wanting to do for a while, so it was honestly a cool fight to go over and finally do. And Percabeth is definitely early, but with the way that the story has been going so far, it's not really in character for them to stay apart. I mean, they obviously like each other, and with Zane, Taylor and Nico getting together and setting the mood, it's even more motivation for them. And I'm honestly surprised people liked the scene with the Elders, because it felt a little too much of OC fan service or something like that when I wrote it, but I guess I was wrong. And with Prometheus? He is definitely the main villain for this arc, this arcs Atlas. And I'm glad you agree that he's cool and also glad you like the sword. Get used to it lol, it'll be around for quite a bit. I had a lot of fun writing this one and hopefully will have fun writing the future chapters. Hope you enjoy this one.
MR.EXCLUSIV3: "Wow so good intro chapter. I was curious on the villain, and you didn't dissapoint with Prometheus. I figured it would be a titan, but I ddin't guess him. It makes sense though, because he hates Zeus and has good reason to want to kill Zane, or at least motivation, maybe not good reason. Great moments between Zane, Taylor and Nico. I liked Percy and Annabeth getting together, the council scene was awesome, Zane owning the cloven elders. So it seems like you'll include the Pan storyline, so I'm wondering how Zane will react to Pan, and maybe he can give Zane a nature boost or something, maybe he can add plant control to his arsenal or something, I don't know. Will Grover go on the quest, and will Arthur? I'm interested to see more of Arthur, and want more. He's underused in my opinion, and right now it seems he was only there to create relationship drama and no other reason. But he has cool powers and a name, so that had me think that he was going to fight more in the future. It would be cool to see his backstory, because he can't just be a random camper. In Sea of Monsters, it's said that Taylor and Arthur know each other, but from where? Not Camp, since he wasn't mentioned in book one, so where? From school, or before Camp? It would be interesting to know more about people's past other than just Zane. We need Taylor's past, Arthur's past, stuff like that, at least I think it's necessary. Not saying Taylor isn't a great character, but I feel like his past has a lot of potential, and maybe some flashbacks of him getting bullied would be helpful to understand him better, and maybe the same with Arthur. I feel like we all understand Zane, and like him, that's both things. But with Taylor, we like him, but we don't understand him. You've told us about his experiences, but show us. Just my opinion, sorry for the long review. Can't wait for chapter two!"
Response: Yes, Prometheus is the main villain for this arc. And I'm so glad everyone likes his involvement, since all his motivations and reasoning are there. I'm glad you liked the moments in the chapter like Zaylico and Percabeth. I like writing romance and I hyper focus to make sure it's a realistic as possible when I write it. So yes, Pan storyline is still definitely being done, since it's a major fucking part of the story, not going to lie. Idk about plant control or some kind of nature boost, but we'll see done the line. Grover will go on the quest, since it's basically his whole character, and Arthur? You're going to be interested what I'm doing with him in this arc. You're definitely right about him being hella underused, so I'm looking to fix that in this arc. He wasn't initially created for relationship drama, as honestly his and Taylor relationship was improvised. ShadowHunter actually gave me the idea for him, so I used him. And to clear up, Arthur and Taylor simply know each other from classes in Camp, they have not met before or anything. Simple as that. Reason he wasn't mentioned in book one was simply because I hadn't made his character yet lmao. And doing things with Taylor's and Arthur last sounds interesting, but I'm going to be honest with you. I'm shit at flashbacks and stuff like that and visions. I don't like writing them and honestly don't like them too much in stories. Good story telling about character backstory that can be told and inferred without the use of flashbacks is something I am absolutely hard for, kind of like Fay in God of War. Though, I'll admit I haven't done that very well for Taylor. I do promise more future development in this arc, however. But most of the main development is for Zane, if I'm being honest. This is mostly his story told from his point of view, so we only see it from one perspective. I want to stick with that theme, so if things are not seen or spoken about, Zane simply doesn't know about it or hasn't experienced it. Anyway, had to get that out of the way and I hope you enjoy this next chapter and more chapters to come.
Alright, enough with reviews. Let's blow this pop-stand.
(Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or anything related to it. If the fact that this is on a FanFiction site didn't tip you off, you're fucking retarded.)
{000}
I looked at the apparent Titan before me, my face scrunching up in confusion. "Prometheus?" Why in the ever living fuck would Prometheus of all people be in the Labyrinth, and be so close to the entrance of Camp Half-Blood?
I paused for a few seconds, waiting for a response from the Titan, yet heard nothing. "Uh...so, can we help you or something?"
Prometheus was quiet for a few seconds, simply staring at both me and Percy. He then audibly chuckled. Both me and Percy looked at each other with a confused expression.
What was with this guy? Prometheus spoke. "Ah, children. Even after all these years, your minds never cease to amuse me." As Prometheus talked, I could make out some kind of small metal sphere on his back underneath the massive blade.
It was mostly flat, but jutted out enough to be noticeable from right in front of the Titan. It looked very similar to the massive sword and had a very similar shine to the metal. I looked at it closer.
My eyes widened, seeing that it was Universal Titanium. That's not good. "I suppose you could help me with something. It's very clear the two of you are demigods and I even have an idea of which demigods you are, judging on your weapons. However, I would like for you to correct me if I am mistaken."
Percy was the one who spoke next. "Well, if you put it like that, I guess we could help you out a little." He pointed his thumb at himself as he put up his sword. "I'm Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon."
Percy pointed his finger over to me. "And that's Zane Williams, son of Zeus." My eyes widened as Percy casually just revealed both of our names. Dude, can you not feel the malicious intent reeling off of him?
"You said you were Prometheus, Titan of...uh, something. What are you doing here exactly?" A sinister smirk appeared on Prometheus' face at Percy's words, putting both me and Percy on edge.
Prometheus' smile grew wider as he widened his arms out. "Ah, that's just perfect. My assumptions are correct. You two are exactly who I thought you were." He stared at both of us in the eye, his smirk not disappearing.
"As for what I'm doing here, well, normally it is a bad idea to reveal my intentions, but considering what is about to happen, it's fine." I tensed at the Titan's words, not liking the implications of them one bit.
"You see, I was supposed to be scouting out your little summer camp for the rest of the army and report back to my lord, but I ran into the two of you." Prometheus' smirk turned into a wide grin. "Now I can complete my original objective and kill the two of you."
I fell into a fighting stance while Percy redrew Riptide from its pen form again. I leveled Thymos at Prometheus. "I would like to see you try, motherfucker."
Prometheus' smirk remained while I continued. "I have a good idea on why you would want to kill us, but I could be wrong, so enlighten me. Why exactly to you want to kill us?"
Prometheus was silent for a second, the smirk not leaving his face for one moment. "Simple. You two are the biggest threats to the Titan army, outside Zeus, Hades and Poseidon. The two of you are more powerful than all the other Olympians combined, and one of you wields a weapon that can permanently kill immortals."
Prometheus motioned towards Thymos, which illuminated the dark Labyrinth in my hand. "Plus, my lord has quite the vendetta against you, son of Zeus." The smirk finally left Prometheus' face, and a dark look crossed over his features.
"And I have quite the vendetta against your father. Unfortunately, I'm not strong enough to face him directly, not just yet at least. But killing you will be the best way to hurt him and please my lord."
I scoffed at Prometheus' reasonings. "So you want to kill me because Luke or Kronos or whatever he's calling himself now doesn't like me, and because you're mad at my father? Please, at least have some better motivation besides 'Master will be happy if I do this.'"
Prometheus' face twisted in rage at my mocking words and his form shook in anger. I raised an eyebrow, a mocking smile on my face. "Was it something I said?"
Prometheus nearly growled at my words, glaring at me with his bright green eyes. "You dare call my motivations lacking?" Prometheus didn't raise his voice at me, yet I could sense the sheer rage and anger in his tone.
With the way his arms and hands were twitching, I could tell I was definitely walking on thin ice in this confrontation. "Do you not know of my backstory? Millions of years ago I stole fire from Olympus and gave it to mortals so they could grow."
Prometheus' face became somber and he looked like he was remembering something. "If you didn't know, son of Zeus, me and my brother Epimetheus created mankind. I loved humans, more than I loved myself. They were like my own children."
Anger returned to Prometheus' face. "I stole fire from Olympus because your father forbid anyone from gifting it to them. He was afraid of what mortals could become one day, afraid of their potential. But I stole the fire and gave it to mankind regardless. How could I deny the ones I so dearly loved something they so desperately needed? Your father was incredibly angry with me, so he chained me to a rock so an eagle, a symbol of your father, could eat my liver every single day." Prometheus' eyes became wild, and I could see the hidden derangement underneath all the intelligence.
"Every. Single. Day. For millions of years. Can you even imagine in your short life how much torment that was?!" Prometheus rose his voice for the first time, the insanity of his torment escaping slightly.
I was silent for a few seconds, looking at the Titan. He had clearly suffered immensely in his life, and it was for something he did out of love. He hadn't deserved what had been done to him. I
sighed. "Look, I won't try to deny what my father did was wrong. I doubt he would either. He's done a lot of things in his long life that he's not exactly proud of. But he is different now. He's not the same person who punished you for helping mortals."
Prometheus shook his head. "I don't care." The simple statement from Prometheus shouldn't have shook me as much as it did, but somehow it had shaken me quite a bit.
"For almost all of my life, I've been suffering at the hands of your father. It's only been about three thousand years since Heracles freed me from my imprisonment. I am millions of years old, boy. Most of those millions of years I have been tormented. So what if your father's changed? I've changed too." Prometheus pulled his massive sword off his back.
I could see the incredible engravings and runes all across the silver and black Buster sword. And the shine of the blade was more defined as well. Universal Titanium.
He already had some kind of thing on his back made from the metal, now his sword was made of the same thing as well? "My vengeance against Zeus begins now."
Prometheus pointed his massive blade at us, holding it with one hand as if it weighed as much as a feather.
Percy spoke up, glaring at the Titan. "So what if Zeus hurt you? That doesn't mean you should take it out all on Zane." I looked at the son of Poseidon, a grateful look on my face because of his support.
Percy smiled and nodded at me. "You said Heracles freed you from the whole chains and eagle eating your liver thing. Wasn't he not a son of Zeus? Do you hate him as well or something?" Percy's words had quite the point to them.
Prometheus shook his head. "No, if anything I am indebted to Heracles for what he's done. He freed me from millions of years of torment and gave me a new chance at life. I am forever in his debt."
Prometheus' face hardened. "However, you do not seem to understand. I have no quarrel with Zane Williams, or at least, no personal one." Prometheus looked at me.
"You are your father's son, but you are not your father. I am not so stupid as to judge the son for the father's sins. However, that doesn't change anything. You two are still my enemies, and enemies of my lord. You stand in our way and are one of the greatest threats to our plans. I must kill you. It's nothing personal." Prometheus smirked a little, the smile being slightly sadistic.
"Well, I can't pretend I won't enjoy the pain it will cause your father, Zane Williams. So maybe I will enjoy this." Okay, so only a little personal.
I shifted into my Thunder Form, the lightning of my form and the blue light shining from my eyes illuminating the entire corridor of the Labyrinth. I couldn't sense how powerful Prometheus was, as the Labyrinth fucked with my aura sensing, but I could infer he had to at the bare minimum be considered on par with Koios.
Koios was probably the weakest Titan in terms of physical ability, so Prometheus had to at the very least be the same strength. So I needed Thunder Form the fight him.
"Like I said earlier, I'd like to see you try, motherfucker." I looked over to Percy at my left, seeing that he had shifted into his Earthshaker Form. "We're ready whenever you are."
Prometheus didn't say anything for a split second and then he chuckled. He placed the edge of his massive sword on this ground of the Labyrinth and fiddled with something on his wrist.
"I would be a fool to believe I could challenge the two of you directly. You two are stronger than most Olympians on the Council combined, and that's by yourselves. I am not Atlas or Hyperion, and I've never been particularly strong amongst the Titans." I got a better look at the device he was messing with on his wrist, something that looked like a high tech wristband that was clearly made out of Universal Titanium.
What could that be? "But, I am definitely the smartest and most cunning, if I do say so myself." I heard some slight shifting coming from Prometheus' back, and I saw the Universal Titanium sphere start to move somewhat. "So, to make up for my lack of raw power, I have constructed something to even the odds."
The sphere on Prometheus' back fully opened up, expanding all over Prometheus' body like some kind of Iron Man suit. The Universal Titanium unfolded and formed into some kind of suit of armor all over the Titan, not leaving an inch of his skin exposed in the slightest.
The metal moved over Prometheus' torso, arms and legs. Finally, the armor moved over his head, creating some kind of helmet over Prometheus' head. The design was very obviously Greek and had some kind of feathered plume, but it completely covered Prometheus and didn't let a single bit of skin show.
His neck, which normally in Greek style armor would be exposed, was covered by some kind of Universal Titanium weave mail, which allowed complete freedom of movement.
His torso was protected by a cuirass, which depicted himself having his liver eaten by the eagle while he was chained to a rock. The weave mail extended all the way down his arms and legs to a pair of gauntlets and greaves, allowing no restriction to his range of motion.
Prometheus then click some kind of button on his belt, and the weave was suddenly covered by some kind of plate armor that jutted out of edge of each piece of regular armor.
All in all, Prometheus was now about twelve feet tall, the armor giving him a couple of extra feet in height. The armor looked like some kind of Greek medieval knight, just really shiny.
It looked more like a cross between a mech suit and a regular suit of armor, having the bulk and feel of a mech suit, but the look and movement of a normal suit of armor. Best of both worlds. After the suit had finished its metamorphosis, the eyes glowed a bright blue.
Prometheus looked down at one of his hands as he hefted the sword on his shoulder. "Koios, eat your heart out." Prometheus said, alluding to something that I didn't know about.
Prometheus held his massive blade with both hands and took a combat stance. "I'm ready for you. Come at me." Prometheus' voice was amped by the armor he wore, making his voice louder and sound echoey.
"Gladly." I flew at the Titan with my full speed, pulling back Thymos and getting ready to smash it directly into his face. Percy wasn't far behind me, a sea green aura over his sword.
I tried to slam Thymos into Prometheus' armored face, but the Titan blocked my strike with the flat end of his massive sword. Prometheus pushed me back, the armor no doubt massively increasing his strength. The Titan pushed me back just in time to deflect a lunge from Percy.
Prometheus knocked Percy off balance with his perfectly timed deflect and tried to bisect the son of Poseidon in two. Percy barely avoided the attack and tried to counter Prometheus' move with an attack of his own. Percy and Prometheus entered in a clash of blades, their movements creating shockwaves that started to crack the walls of the Labyrinth.
Their movements and swipes were filled with incredible skill, and the two seemed evenly matched. Despite the size of his massive sword, Prometheus' attacks were not slow in the slightest.
The massive buster sword looked like it weighed at least five hundred pounds, but the Titan's power moved it like it was a feather. Both Percy and Prometheus reared their blades back, summoning strength as they did so.
Their weapons smashed together, sending both of them skidding back several meters. Percy panted slightly, a few small cuts present on his watery skin of his Earthshaker Form.
I charged my left hand with lightning. "Want to know Universal Titanium's weakness, Prometheus?" I shot a powerful burst of lightning at the armored Titan. "Lightning!"
The lightning flew in an arc at the Titan, crackling and surging in the air. Surprisingly, Prometheus didn't even bother to dodge or even block. He simply just let the lightning slam into him.
The even more surprising thing was that the lightning did absolutely nothing to Prometheus, despite the fact he was wearing a Universal Titanium mech suit.
My eyes widened at the lack of affection that my lightning did to the armor. How? Prometheus chuckled. "Do you really think I don't know the innate weakness of the material my armor is made out of. I am knowledgeable of the reason the Titan's lost the last war. I am not a fool."
Prometheus took the handle of his massive sword in both hands and held it out in front of him. "However..." Prometheus trailed off, before he suddenly disappeared from view. Prometheus blurred in front of me, swinging his massive blade downward towards me form as he did so. "...You are!"
I brought Thymos up just in time to block the Titan's strike, my arms feeling the strength of Prometheus' blow. Prometheus pulled his sword back and tried to cut me in half with it, but I ducked under the blade.
"You brought Universal Titanium to compete with Heavenly Diamond." I slammed Thymos in Prometheus' side, making the Titan grunt and stumble slightly. "Not smart!" I unleashed a barrage of powerful swings and strikes with my Heavenly Diamond Morningstar, hitting Prometheus in all manner of places.
Prometheus grunted and stumbled back from my assault, trying to get his bearings. I didn't let him recover and I tried to press the advantage. But Prometheus pointed his left hand at me and some kind of small vent opened up on the top of his gauntlet.
Fire erupted from the slit, forcing me back to avoid the flames. I was immune to regular fire, but I was not going to take any chances with Prometheus' fire. Prometheus fully recovered from my earlier barrage. I looked at the damage my weapon had caused to his armor, only to find I had caused absolutely none.
My eyes widened and my jaw dropped slightly. "What!? How is your armor completely undamaged? Universal Titanium is tough as hell, but this is Heavenly Diamond! There should at least be a few dents and scratches!"
Prometheus laughed slightly at my disbelief. "You really think I would be so stupid as to make my armor out of regular Universal Titanium?"
Prometheus motioned towards the ornate and heavily detailed armor. "I've put three thousand years of work and knowledge into this. Runes, enchantments, engravings. All kinds of magic protect this armor. More kinds of magic than you even know exists. It is practically unbreakable.
Only the void itself could do anything to it whatsoever." I couldn't see Prometheus' face, but I could imagine a mocking smirk plastered on it. "How do you think I was completely unaffected by your lightning? I am not as dumb as Koios."
I glared at the armored Titan. "Well, you're definitely going to die like him. Back me up here, Percy. We'll take him together." Behind me, Percy nodded. Both me and Percy blurred out of sight, moving at our full speeds.
We reached Prometheus and unleashed a combined barrage of slashes, swings and stabs at Prometheus. Prometheus defended against our fast and precise attacks with his massive sword, back stepping as he did so. "The two of us have killed at lot of Titans!"
I said in between attacks that me and Percy chained together, both of us moving perfectly in sync. "You're just going to be another one added to our list!" Percy punched the ground as I spoke, creating a wide spreading earthquake that shattered the Labyrinth floors below us to try and trip Prometheus up.
It didn't work, as the Titan simply moved through the seismic wave like it was nothing. I unleashed a blast of pressurized wide slashes at the armored Titan, trying to cut him into pieces. Prometheus simply moved through the wind cuts like nothing, his armor completely protecting him.
Both me and Percy moved into melee range again and exchanged attacks with the armored Titan. Prometheus' attacks with his massive blade were fast and deadly.
Both me and Percy combined our attacks together to counteract Prometheus' attacks and to try and overpower the Titan. Prometheus held fast, the narrow corridors for this fast perfect for fighting two opponents. "I am nothing like the Titans you have already slain before."
Prometheus swung his blade in a massive and powerful arc, forcing both me and Percy off of him in order to dodge the blade. Prometheus held the weapon in both hands and pointed the blade towards both of us. "I am the father of mankind. Without me, you demigods wouldn't even exist."
I gripped Thymos in my right hand as I assumed my fighting stance, fully recovered from Prometheus' early powerful swipe. "Well, thanks for creating our ancestors, but you're still a prick."
Prometheus was fucking good with that massive sword of his. Hell, he might even be a better fighter than Hyperion was. I've improved immensely since my fight with the Titan of Heavenly Light, but Prometheus could hold off both me and Percy at the same time with pure skill alone.
I couldn't get a good read on how strong the armor Prometheus was wearing made him, since it didn't do anything to strengthen his aura, but he could fend off our incredibly powerful blows without much trouble, so he had to be really powerful.
Prometheus opened a pouch that hung from his belt and pulled out some kind of bronze, intricately designed sphere. I frowned at the action. "What are you doing?"
Prometheus looked at me and I could imagine a smirk underneath the Universal Titanium helmet. "It's not exactly very practical to continue fighting in this cramped corridor, is it?"
Prometheus pressed some kind of button on the sphere and threw it at us light a snowball. I blocked the sphere, expecting it to be some kind of weapon, but as soon as it touched the spiked ball of Thymos, I felt some kind of warping motion all around me and Percy.
I couldn't see further than five feet away from either of us for a few seconds, the only thing visible being warped darkness. Eventually, some kind of dark, rocky landmass came into view. It was seemingly infinite and flat, expanding out in all directions.
The sky was dark, filled with millions of stars in formations I had never seen them in before. Despite the night sky, there was no visibility issues at all, which I found odd. "Confused?" Both me and Percy turned our heads behind us, only to find Prometheus.
The Titan held his massive blade in one hand and stared us down. "This little realm here is a world of my design. A pocket dimension, if you will. I use this specific one to fight enemies without causing immense destruction. We wouldn't want to level the entire planet in our battle, now would we?"
I assumed a combat stance once again, Percy quickly following suit. "I've seen this kind of thing once before. Hyperion brought me and a friend to some kind of sun hell dimension when we fought him.
I guess you're not as different from the other Titans we've killed as you thought." I didn't even need to use my telepathy to feel the annoyance roll off of the Titan. I couldn't actually use it on Prometheus if I wanted to, as his armor seemingly blocked the us of it.
Maybe he had some kind of enchantment or rune that protected his mind? Whatever protection he had, it made it impossible for me to attack his mind in any way. "Speaking of killing Titans, we have one right in front of us that is just begging to die."
Prometheus assumed his fighting stance once more. "By the end of this, the only one who will be begging for death are you two." Prometheus charged the both of us, his sword positioned above his head in a downward strike.
Both me and Percy jumped to the side to avoid his attack, and both of us tried to counterattack. Our weapons simply clanged off of the Titan's armor, not even making a small dent or a slight scratch. His armor was really something else if even Heavenly Diamond could not even mark it.
Prometheus didn't even bother to defend from our attacks, as he knew we could really do nothing to harm him. Prometheus unleashed a barrage of fast and deadly strikes, which was only amplified by the massive range of his giant sword. Me and Percy defended against every single attack from Prometheus, not bothering to hold back or control our strength in this realm.
Prometheus traded strikes with both me and Percy, the power of our blows cracking and damaging the ground for as far as the eye could even see. Our power was starting to destroy everything around us and we were just getting started.
Prometheus eventually jumped away from the two of us, and the slit in his gauntlet opened up again. However, instead of fire that jutted out, it was some kind of green poison gas.
Both me and Percy jumped away from the gas as quick as possible, doing our best not to inhale a single molecule of it. "Fucking poison!? Are you some kind of giant, immortal Batman or something?"
Prometheus chuckled slightly as he stood from a crouched position he had taken after jumping away. "An interesting way to look at it." Prometheus then touched some kind of button on the large hilt of his massive buster sword, coating the long blade in burning flames.
Prometheus then swung the sword in our direction, shooting a narrow blast of fire in our direction. Both me and Percy avoided the attack, only to have to avoid even more as Prometheus performed some kind of wombo combat of fire slashes.
Eventually, the fire from Prometheus' sword vanished and his blade returned to normal. "I doubt Batman would do something like that."
I smirked at Prometheus' words. "You'd be surprised." I blurred out of view, moving at full speed towards the armored Titan with Thymos pulled back with the intent to kill. I tried to slam Thymos into Prometheus' face, but he reacted just in time by bringing up his blade to block my attack.
I growled in annoyance as Prometheus pushed me off of him. Prometheus tried to bisect me in two with his massive fucking sword, prompting me to bring up Thymos in defense.
However, Prometheus' blade didn't even reach me, as Percy had charged behind me and planted a fist into the unprepared Prometheus' face.
Percy unleashed a burst of vibrational energy as he punched Titan, sending him back. Percy had probably damaged his own fist more than he had Prometheus, as the son of Poseidon shook his blue, rocky hand after the strike.
Prometheus growled as he righted himself, as Percy's punch had staggered him. He probably didn't feel the blow thanks to his armor, but the force of the punch still pushed him back.
"The two of you annoy me." Prometheus held up his sword in front of his face with one hand on the hilt. Prometheus pressed another button on the hilt of his massive sword, a different button this time.
Some sort of odd, yellow lightning coated the massive blade, crackling as it did so. Prometheus flicked his sword back to his side. "Time for me to end you."
I laughed out loud slightly at Prometheus' action. "Lightning? Is that really what you're going with? You know children of Zeus are immune to lightning, right?" Prometheus didn't respond to my word and simply assumed his fighting stance.
I scoffed slightly at Prometheus. "Whatever, your funeral." Prometheus blurred towards the two of us, moving just as fast as we had been earlier. Our weapons clashed as the three of us danced. Percy was a bit more on his toes, as unlike me, he was not immune to the lightning.
Prometheus tried to cleave the two of us into tiny pieces with fast and powerful strikes, but the two of us met each and every one of his attacks directly. Prometheus swung at me with a particularly powerful attack, sending me skidding back several meters.
Prometheus pointed the blade at me, and the yellow lighting shot at me in a single bolt. I smirked and simply let the lightning hit me, knowing I would be immune to its effects. However, I knew something was wrong the second the lightning made contact with me.
For one, it actually hurt. A lot. The shocking feeling of being electrocuted filled my body, something I hadn't felt since before I acquired my powers. I had only been shocked by outlets and trampolines before, so just take that feeling and amplify it by a million.
I tensed up as the lightning flowed throughout my body and pain exploded from every pore. I yelled in agony as I collapsed down on one knee, completely unfamiliar with the pain that lightning brought.
I looked at my left hand, with was slightly coated with the odd yellow lightning. "W-What!?" I barely got out, being filled with the pain the lightning brought.
Prometheus laughed. "Immune to lightning, you said?" Prometheus blurred away and appeared right in front of me, standing over my form. "Arrogance does not suit you, son of Zeus."
Prometheus raised his massive sword, intent on slicing me in two vertically. But before I could die at the hands of the Creator of Mankind, Percy appeared in front of me, his aura coated blade clashing with Prometheus' own massive weapon.
Prometheus frowned at Percy. "You annoy me, son of Poseidon." The two immensely powerful beings exchanged strikes, the force of their attacks creating massive shockwaves that shook and cracked the barren landscape of this realm for miles.
However, without my help, Prometheus outmatched Percy, both in skill and power. After a quick succession of attacks, Prometheus broke Percy's posture and impaled Percy directly in the middle of his torso.
Percy's eyes bugged out their sockets as he was impaled by the massive sword and my eyes widened as well. Prometheus lifted Percy into the air and threw him away like a burnt marshmallow off a stick, blood being expelled from Percy's wound as he flew away.
Prometheus had a stony look on his face as he returned his gaze to me, or I assumed he would have, since I couldn't see his face.
With the yellow lightning still coursing through my veins, I growled at Prometheus' towering armored form and glared up at him. "Y-You son of a b-bitch. I'm going to kill you."
I tried to move through the pain of the odd lightning, but it was simply too restrictive. Every time I tried to move I shook uncontrollably. I looked over at Percy's form, who had been flung over twenty feet away by Prometheus.
He was still alive, as he was groaning and trying to stand, but his wound restricted his movements. He didn't have a natural healing factor like I did. I growled in frustration as I failed to move. "W-What the fuck did you d-do to me?"
Prometheus chuckled slightly. "I simply hit you with irregular lightning. You children of Zeus are immune to natural lightning, as you inherit your powers from your father, but you do not share the same invulnerability when it comes to alternate sources of lightning."
Yellow lightning surrounded Prometheus' blade once more with the touch of a button on the weapons hilt. "This lightning is simply imbued with magical properties. While your immunity protects you from the Lightning's effects, it does not protect you from the effects of the magic."
The lightning dispersed and he pointed his massive blade at my face. "While this has definitely been an educational experience, and you did better than I expected you to do, I'm afraid I have to end this little battle. I'll be sure to send your head to your father." Prometheus drew his blade back and swung towards my form.
My next move wasn't exactly the smartest, but considering the circumstances of the situation, I couldn't blame myself for what I did.
I couldn't bring Thymos up in time to deflect the attack, I couldn't form a telekinetic barrier due to the lightning disrupting my concentration, I couldn't dodge due to the pain and restriction of the lightning, and I wasn't sure a wind barrier would work.
So my brain, in all its wonderful intelligence, made a small shield made from my own lightning. The shield was just big enough to block the strike from Prometheus' massive sword and it was made as fast as possible.
I wasn't expecting it to defend me for more than one attack, but that was all I needed. But that is not what happened at all.
As I made the shield, the magic lightning dispersed from my body, seemingly being counterattack by my own lightning. However, I still couldn't move out of the way one hundred percent in time, so I jumped back and still brought the shield up to deflect the attack.
However, Prometheus' sword...cut through my lighting. It didn't overpower or disperse my lightning, no, it cut through it like it was made of paper. My eyes widened at the sight, but I quickly realized what else it had cut through.
My arm.
My left arm had been sliced clean off at the middle of my left bicep. Blood spurted and exploded from the wound as my arm fell to the cracked and damaged ground. I fell back on the ground, looking at my severed arm in shock.
I felt no pain from the wound, as my arm had been cut so throughly, all the nerves had been sliced through faster than my body could even register the pain. "...H-How?"
Prometheus held his sword at his side, not even having to swish the blood from his blade due to how clean the cut was. "Well, seeing as you're about to die, I see no harm in telling you."
Prometheus motioned towards the edge of his sword, the same edge that has removed my arm fully from my body. "My blade is no normal blade, as you can tell. It's edge it forged and tempered so precisely, it can literally split molecules into pieces. It doesn't matter how tough you are, my sword can cut through anything. Any being, any metal, any material. Including lightning itself."
Prometheus looked at Thymos, which I still held in a vice grip in my remaining arm. "Though I do suppose aura and Heavenly Diamond are the exception to that rule. Life energy and things imbued with chaotic energy are...troublesome to deal with."
I barely even listened to Prometheus' explanation. I was still looking back and forth between my severed arm and the stump where it used to be attached.
Blood still spurted from the wound and my arm on the ground was lying in a pool of blood. "You...cut off my arm..." I whispered, my voice probably barely audible. But I could tell that Prometheus heard me, because he tensed up when I said those words.
I glared at Prometheus, hate and rage likely clear on my face. "YOU FUCKING CUT OFF MY ARM!" I charged lightning into Thymos and shot it in a single powerful bolt at Prometheus. I wasn't expecting it to do much, due to his apparent immunity to lightning, but to my immense surprise, it actually hurt the Titan.
Prometheus immediately clinched up and writhed in pain from my lightning, the metal of his armor conducting the lightning incredibly well. That was weird, since earlier he said he was immune to lightning in general.
I didn't let the opportunity go to waste, as I knew I had to get both me and Percy out of here. We were both currently in absolutely no condition to fight Prometheus.
"H-How!?" Prometheus gargled out as he was constantly electrocuted by the lightning conducting in his armor.
Prometheus fell down on one knee, grasping his massive sword hilt in pain. "T-This should be I-Impossible!" I didn't bother trying to attack him again and simply used my telekinesis to lift both my severed arm and Percy right beside me.
Percy looked at me in bewilderment and shock, no doubt seeing my arm was missing. I charged lightning into my Morningstar, thinking of only one way I could get the two of us out of here.
I reached out with my aura sense, trying to feel between the dimensions. Prometheus said this was a pocket dimension, not an alternate universe, so we should at the very least exist on the same plain in some capacity.
I felt the incredibly weird and odd aura of the Labyrinth, however this time it was no longer messing with my senses. Or at least, I could sense things away from it for once. I still couldn't sense inside of it.
I tried to find a familiar aura close to the Labyrinth, immediately centering in on a large group of demigods close to the entrance of the Labyrinth me and Percy found.
I had been charging my lightning for several seconds, and Prometheus was currently being electrocuted right now and it didn't seem to be stopping anytime soon, so we had the perfect chance. Pointing at a random spot in the air, I unleashed a massive blast of lightning.
The lightning was similar to the blast I had unleashed during training six months ago, the one that had opened up a portal to Matt's universe. Only this blast was much weaker, and this should close very quickly.
The blast broke through the walls of reality, making sounds I couldn't even begin to describe as it did so. I saw Camp on the other side of the portal, as well as seeing a large group of people from camp right on the other side.
Their eyes widened and bugged out of their skulls as they saw us. I felt an aura shift behind both me and the floating Percy, and I turned to see Prometheus no longer being electrocuted. He had his weapon raised and he looked like he was about to charge us. I knew I had to act fast.
"Coming through! Move!" I dove through the portal, forcing apart the crowd with my telekinesis. I brought both Percy and my severed arm through the portal, dropping both of them to the ground as soon as we were through.
I turned around as quick as I could, just in time to stop Prometheus from crossing through the portal with a telekinetic field. Prometheus' Sword had reached through the portal, and was outstretched only inches away from my face.
My mind strained, just barely being able to hold the Creator of Mankind back with my telekinesis. I growled, and finally through him back into the portal.
I saw Prometheus land on the cracked, rocky ground of the realm he had brought us into, and then the portal finally closed. Everyone was silent as I breathed heavily, exhausted and heavily injured from the battle.
"We...survived...fuck." I breathed out, before collapsing on the ground, likely from a combination of exhaustion and blood loss. I heard voices and yelling all around me as my vision went dark, my last sight being Chiron's alarmed and worried face looking down at me.
(000)
The first thing I saw as specks of sight started to return to me and darkness started to fade was the roof of whatever building I was in. I blinked, trying to understand and comprehend where I was.
I was laying down on some kind of bed, one that was pretty familiar in a weird sort of way. I sat up, surprisingly rather tired. The infirmary. It's been quite awhile since I had been here, almost a year even.
The last time I was here was when Luke gored me after I fought him and that Titan Koios. Wait...Titan. A flush of memories assaulted my mind, memories of my most recent fight against Prometheus. Immediately my eyes shot to my left arm, only to my immense surprise, find that it was still attached to my body.
It felt odd, however. As if it was lighter than it normally was. That wasn't the case, as it was as well muscle and defined as it usually was. "What in the name of Olympus...?" I muttered, not really believing what I was seeing.
I had a natural healing factor after my battle with Atlas seven months ago. I could heal virtually any wound, as long as it wasn't a fatal injury to the head or a loss of limb. How was my arm back?
"Zane!" I immediately was brought out of my thoughts by a call from my name to the left. I saw Taylor for only a split second just before the son of Ares hugged me as tight as he could. Damn, Taylor had gotten a lot faster. I enjoyed the moment, Taylor hugging me while I sat in a bed.
But the son of Ares pulled away quickly and slapped me on the top of the head, earning a yelp of protest from me. "You idiot! You almost died again!" Before I had any chance at all to respond or defend myself, Taylor pulled me back into another hug. "I don't even know what I would do if I lose you, you stupid airhead. Don't scare me like that ever again."
I patted Taylor on the head as he hugged me, chuckling as I did so. "Heh, I'll do my best, but I can't make any promises." Our hug broke and my smiling face became serious and questioning.
"I assume Percy filled everyone in on what exactly had happened considering how you know I almost died. How long have I been out exactly?" I looked towards my left arm, still bewildered how it had somehow be reattached. "And how is my arm back? Prometheus had cut it off during our fight."
Taylor sat down on the bed beside me and laid his head on my muscular shoulder, sighing as he did so.
"Percy did fill us all in on what had happened. He said you two had found an entrance to the Labyrinth after you guys killed a bunch of scorpions in Quintus' game he had set up. And how Prometheus was there, how the two of you fought him and how he brought you guys into some barren world to fight him. Percy said he didn't see it, but he did tell us Prometheus had cut your arm off. I don't know if you remember, but you saved all of us by stopping Prometheus from coming through that portal Percy told us you made." I did in fact remember that.
I remembered everything of the fight now. "As for how long you've been out, ever since last night. I think it might be the morning now, not sure," Taylor sheepishly smiled. "I may or may not have been sitting here watching after you since you passed out."
I looked at the idiot son of Ares I loved and sighed, shaking my head as I did so. "Taylor, you can't be throwing your health to the side whenever I get hurt. It's not healthy."
Despite my chastising words, I couldn't keep a smile, rising smile off my face. It warmed my heart to hear that Taylor did that. "Anyway, what about my arm? How in the world is it back? I wasn't aware I could regrow limbs."
Taylor shook his head. "Well, you didn't regrow that one. It's the same arm that got cut off. You pulled it out of the realm along with Percy when the two of you escape, or that's at least what Percy told me."
Taylor's brow furrowed slightly. "Chiron said it could be reattached last night. Whatever weapon Prometheus used to cut you with had done it so precisely there was virtually no unfixable damage. He said even a regular human's arm could be reattached if it was cut like that.
All we basically did was put it back on the stump and held it there for a few seconds, then it healed fully all by itself." Taylor looked at me, a questioning look on his face. "What kind of weapon did he cut you with that could be so precise."
I smirked at Taylor's question. "A giant ass sword." Taylor's face fell and his eyes widened at my answer, causing me to laugh out loud.
"I'm not even joking, either. He had this massive buster sword that was like ten feet tall and two and a half feet wide. It was super detailed and apparently it's edge is forged so precisely that it cuts on the molecular level, or at least that's what Prometheus said." I remembered the blade slicing through my arm like it was nothing, blood splattering on the barren ground.
"It was made of Universal Titanium and was immune to the lightning weakness it should normally have. Probably protected by runes and enchantments." I looked back to Taylor. "In fact, he had a whole little mech suit made of the shit. Also immune to lightning. Like Grayson's mech, just a lot smaller and cooler looking. Definitely stronger as well."
I sighed, looking at the floor. "I don't really know how I can beat him. He nearly killed both me and Percy at the same time. Even Thymos couldn't do a single thing against his armor!" I said, exasperated with the whole situation.
Taylor was silent for a few seconds, hopefully thinking of some way I could overcome and defeat the Creator of Mankind. Eventually, the son of Ares spoke.
"Well, can you think of any weakness he might have?" I looked at the son of Ares quizzically, as if asking him what he meant. Luckily for me, my boyfriend elaborated. "Like did you do anything in the fight that actually even affected him at all? Anything you can take advantage of the next time you fight him?"
I sat in thought, thinking of something I could use against Prometheus next time I fought him. My thoughts unconsciously returned to how Prometheus had cut off my arm, and the utter disbelief that had turned into rage against him.
A memory shot into my head, where I had electrocuted Prometheus with a blast from Thymos, and how it had actually worked on the Titan.
Prometheus had said that his armor was protected by enchantments and runes that made him immune to lightning, but when it was channeled through my Heavenly Diamond Morningstar, it seemed to still affect him.
I wasn't sure what Thymos did to lightning when it was channeled through it, but maybe Prometheus hadn't protected his armor against Heavenly Diamond lightning? "Maybe his armor is weak to Heavenly Diamond enhanced lightning? I managed to stun him after he cut off my arm with it, so maybe there is some kind of weakness."
I sighed and shook my head. "I'm not certain. I guess I'll need to try it next time I fight him." I turned my head to Taylor, our faces inches apart. I placed my forehead on his, feeling the closeness between us.
Taylor giggled a little bit as I did so, nuzzling up against me. I smiled, feeling the familiar fluttering in my chest. "So what's been going on since I've been out? Has Chiron or anyone said anything yet?"
Taylor laid against my chest, sighing as he did so. "Well, Chiron did say everyone would all talk about it in the morning, but I'm not exactly sure what time it is just yet, since I've been in here since they brought you here to the Infirmary."
Taylor got up off me and walked over to the nearest window, opening the blinds as he did so. The morning light shined through the window, lighting up the room.
"Well, I guess it's morning now." The light shining through the window highlighted the bags that had grown under Taylor's eyes, showing just how tired he was.
Taylor yawned, closing his eyes as he did so. "Well, I'm glad you're okay, Zane. I'm going to go get some sleep now. Tell me how the whole thing with Chiron goes if you haven't missed it already."
I stood up from the bed, taking a piece of ambrosia from the side tables that are usually kept in the infirmary. I munched on it, tasting the amazing taste of some good old fried chicken, regaining my strength and stamina.
I felt my auras power return and and felt myself return to normal. I sighed, shaking my head. "Well, alright then, Taylor. You go get some sleep and keep a better look out for your health, okay?" I walked up to the son of Ares, taking him in my arms.
"Love you." I pecked him on the lips, but Taylor was not satisfied with that at all. He brought me into a full kiss, one that lasted for several seconds.
When we separated, I walked out of the infirmary, intent on finding Chiron and the others to discuss what the hell had just happened.
Everyone's auras were inside of the Big House, in the normal spot that we all meet at when something important happens. Well, everyone who was important's auras.
There were hundreds of campers in Camp Half-Blood, so there's no way in hell we would all be able to be able to fit inside here in the Big House.
Before I walked into the main room where I felt the other campers, I walked into the bathroom to freshen up a little before making my appearance. Looking at myself in the mirror, I noted that I was a little bit worse for wear.
For one, my clothes were a little bit tattered and messed up, as they hadn't been changed ever since my fight with Prometheus alongside Percy, not to mention the large dried blood splatter on my left side from my earlier amputation.
My straight, black hair was messier than it normally was, and even my face had specks of dried blood on it. I washed the blood off my face and did my best to get it out of my tattered clothes, not finding too much success with the second one.
In the middle of washing I noticed a thin, but very clear and defined scar right where Prometheus had sliced it off, right in the middle of my left bicep.
The scar was like a ring around the entire thing, taking away from my nearly flawless muscular form on my arm. I hated it, but my natural healing did not remove the scar.
Leaving the bathroom and entering the main room of the Big House where I felt everyone's auras, I found an entire treasure trove of demigods. The ones who were normally part of shit like this, like Percy, Annabeth and Nico.
I saw Tyson and Grover in opposite corners of the room, giving each other the side eye every so often. Those two really didn't like each other, huh? I saw other people like the Stoll brothers, Charles Beckendorf, Lee Fletcher, Juniper the tree nymph and even Arthur Wayne, son of Helios.
Arthur gave me a barely concealed glare when I walked in, not bothering to hide his obvious dislike for me. I made a mental note to talk to the son of Helios, since there was a lot of unresolved history there.
In the middle of the room sitting at a pinochle table were Chiron and Quintus, with Clarisse sitting on the side of the table, looking rather uncomfortable. It had been a long while since I'd seen her, not counting yesterday at Grover's farce of a trial.
As soon as I walked into the room, Nico blurred over towards me, locking me in a hug in an instant. He didn't hit or yell at me like Taylor did, simply just nuzzling into my chest. "Don't scare me like that again..." He whispered, but I heard him clearly.
I put my jaw on top of Nico's head and chuckled. "Don't worry, I certainly don't plan to, anyway." I looked at everyone in the room, completely unashamed of my relationship with the son of Hades.
Percy and Annabeth had knowing smirks on their faces, something that didn't bother me in the slightest anymore. Most of the people in the room simply didn't care besides them, except for Arthur Wayne. He glared at me, but said nothing.
Okay, I really needed to talk to him then. Chiron had a warm smile on his face at my appearance, although he raised an eyebrow at Nico's bold move. "So, what did I miss?"
Chiron nodded at my words and begun an explanation. "Well, we had just been discussing what had happened. About the appearance of a Labyrinth entrance so close to camp, and how Prometheus had been on his way to not only scout out our defenses, but also kill both you and Percy, as young Percy himself has told us."
Chiron nodded to Percy, who did a dorky salute to me. I chuckled. "We were now discussing on what exactly to do, as Prometheus nearly made it into camp and no doubt would have laid waste to it if he had arrived."
Chiron motioned towards Juniper, who shrunk under the attention. "Juniper here has told us Luke used to use the Labyrinth entrance long ago back before he left Camp and joined the Titans.
If he could somehow navigate the maze, he could lead an entire army of monsters into camp and destroy us. Much like Prometheus would have done." Chiron looked over to Clarisse.
"Clarisse had been on a quest for the past six months investigating the Labyrinth. She has found many scouts and they have all told us one thing. Luke is searching for Daedalus' workshop. With it, he could accurately navigate the maze and arrive anywhere in the entire country with an army in the blink of an eye. It's also possible he could find Daedalus himself and gain his aid."
One thing didn't exactly sound right with Chiron's brief explanation. "Hang on, one second here." Chiron paused at my words, one of his eyebrows raised in questioning.
"Isn't Daedalus dead? I mean, it's been about three thousand or so years since he built the Labyrinth, which I guess also carried over to America like everything else did for some reason." It didn't make sense, unless Daedalus was immortal or something like that.
Instead of Chiron answering, it was Quintus. Quintus crossed his arms, his lean muscles bulging out. "I would hope so. He lived during the reign of King Minos of Crete. Minoa was old when Athens was a collection of mud huts, and Daedalus wasn't exactly a spring chicken when Minos himself was alive either. And even if Daedalus is still alive, what's the guarantee that he is in the Labyrinth? The old stories say he fled with his son, Icarus, by making the wings out of wax."
As Quintus spoke, I noted how weird and odd his aura was. It was weird earlier, but difficult to define and understand, but now I had a familiar feeling from it.
Quintus felt like the Labyrinth. Kind of, at least. The Labyrinth messed with my aura sensing, like some kind of coat or something like that. It had its own aura, yet it was wide spread and intricate.
I couldn't even begin to understand the complexity of it when I sensed it, basically making me blind when I tried. Quintus felt very much like that, only a lot smaller and less broad.
It was incredibly suspicious, especially because this whole Labyrinth business had only really started after he showed up.
Chiron shook his head at Quintus' words. "It is not so simple, my dear Quintus. The problem is that nobody truly knows. Myth changes so much with each generation and is retold a thousand times. Yes, there are rumors..."
Chiron trailed off, as if considering his words. "Well, there are many, many disturbing rumors about Daedalus, but one is about how he could have disappeared back into the Labyrinth at the end of his life. There is a possibility he might still be down there."
Chiron was silent for a few seconds, before speaking again. "However, as I said, those are just rumors. We have no real way to tell what really happened."
Annabeth spoke up. "We need to go in. We need to find Daedalus' workshop before Luke and convince Daedalus to help us. If Adriane's String still exists, we can't let it fall into Luke's hands."
Several of us in the audience looked confused, so the daughter of Athena elaborated. "Adriane's String is what Theseus used to navigate the Labyrinth. Don't any of you pay attention in my classes."
All the daughter of wisdom got was awkward silence, so she just rolled her eyes. "Idiots. Anyway, we have to go inside. Our alternates selves from the other universe did and they turned out alright."
Annabeth was making some sense here, but I just wanted to be sure about everything we could do. "You might be right about that, Annabeth, but we're not them. We can do things differently if we have to, and we already have in the past."
I thought for a few seconds, thinking any potential solutions. "What if we simply destroy the entrance instead. I mean, we would have to turn the Fist of Zeus into a different pile of rocks, but would that really change anything?" My joke got a few chuckles out of everyone present, since the Fist was just one pile of stones.
Clarisse was the one to shake her head. "It doesn't work that way. It takes a massive amount of power to even make any meaningful damage to the maze, even though I know you definitely could do that damage.
It's some weird magic shit that the maze does, destroy or cover up one entrance, another will just form to the right of it." Clarisse shook her head.
"Even if you dealt massive damage to the Labyrinth, there's so many entrances that Luke can just use them instead. If you destroyed the entire thing, you'd run the risk of destroying the whole country, since the Labyrinth runs underground across the whole thing. No real way to win with destruction when it comes to this." Damn.
Lee Fletcher was the next to talk. "Well, we could try and fight when they come through." He motioned to me and my friends.
"With all them here, the army wouldn't really be any trouble, not to mention everyone else would be helping out. That mostly just leaves Luke and Prometheus." Lee looked at me. "Zane, you've already fought Luke before six months ago and you beat him. You could do so again, right?"
I was silent, truly pondering Lee's question. Luke had grown to my level in only six months after fusing with Kronos, and his strength had been far below that level when he started.
I had no clue how powerful he was now, and if his previous rapid growth attested to anything, it probably would be massive. "I'm not sure, Lee. When we last fought, Luke held himself back from using any of his time abilities in our fight so he could battle me fairly, but after I embarrassed him six months back, he probably wouldn't do so again."
I sighed. "Not to mention Prometheus, who literally fought both me and Percy at once and had us nearly dead. He even cut off my arm." I put my face in my hands and rubbed my eyes.
"I'm not saying if I fought them again, I'd lose, since I think Prometheus has a weakness I can exploit the next time I come across him, but I would rather not put the Camp's safety on whether I could win or not."
Annabeth nodded in affirmation, agreeing with all of my points. "Zane is right. We could maybe fight Luke's army and win, but it would be better to avoid the battle entirely. If we go into the Labyrinth, find Daedalus and Adriane's String, we can nip this problem in the bud before it ever becomes too big to deal with."
Annabeth fell silent, her face twitching with thought for a few seconds. "There is the issue of navigation, however. From what Percy has told us, aura sensing our way through the maze is impossible due to the shroud the Labyrinth casts. I've studied architecture and the original mazes layout, but I'm not sure if that would be enough to help us."
Clarisse nodded at Annabeth's words. "Well, that makes you more qualified than literally all of us, so I'd say it's our best bet at this point. Which is also why I think you'd be the perfect choice to lead this quest."
Everyone looked at Clarisse in surprise, especially Annabeth. "I mean, you've wanted to lead a quest since you were seven, so I'd say it's about time. Plus, Daedalus is right up your alley, so that's double points for it." Everyone actually agreed with Clarisse's words, although Annabeth still looked hesitant.
Chiron spoke up. "I agree with Clarisse's assessment. Annabeth, you are more than qualified to lead." Chiron turned his head from the daughter of Athena to us, a raised eyebrow on his face.
"All in favor of Annabeth leading this quest, raise your hand." Everyone rose their hand, although Percy looked a little hesitant. He clearly didn't want her to be in harm's way, but he also wanted to support her.
Chiron nodded at everyone's answer. "Well, I'd say that answers it. Now, before you go see the Oracle, there is the matter of your companions."
Chiron took a deep breath before speaking. "Usually, camp rules have stated no more than three demigods to a quest, but we all know that rule has been bent quite a bit in the past couple of years, correct?"
Chiron asked with a smile, prompting chuckles out of all of us. "So I won't even bother to try and restrict your number on this one. Who will your companions be?"
Annabeth thought for a few moments, before fully answering. "Well, I guess I'd like the normal squad. If I'm going to be going into a giant maze of death, I'll want to go with the people I trust."
Annabeth said, looking fully to Percy as she spoke. Both of them smiled at each other, a slight red tint appearing on both of their faces. "So Percy, Zane and Nico to be our heavy hitters if we run into Luke or Prometheus again, Grover, Tyson and Taylor for support."
Annabeth looked over at one side of the room. "Also, from what Percy tells me, the Labyrinth is pretty dark, so we'll need someone to light the way. Arthur,"
Annabeth said, gaining the son of Helios' attention. Arthur looked surprised, completely not expecting for Annabeth to speak to him. "Will you go with us? We could use your abilities."
I looked at the daughter of Athena in surprise. Arthur? Why the hell would she want Arthur on this quest. Someone to light the way? Had she not heard of a revolutionary invention called a flashlight?
Arthur stammer a bit, unsure why he was called on. "U-Uh, sure, I guess." Arthur's nervousness faded and was replaced with a smirk. "I haven't been on a quest since the whole sea of monsters thing, so I'd say it's about time, don you think?"
I tried to not feel disappointed by his response, as I knew I'd be forced to interact with him during the quest. I did say I needed to talk to him about things, but I wasn't expecting it to be this soon.
Chiron nodded at Annabeth's choices. "Great. Now that your companions are chosen, you can now go to see the Oracle for your Prophecy. Hurry on now, time is of the essence."
Annabeth nodded at Chiron's words, standing up to walk towards the stairs up to the attic where the Oracle was. She stood at the base for a few seconds, as if she was hesitating, but Percy came up from behind her, giving her a hug.
Percy whispered something in her ear likely words of encouragement or something, as she immediately gained back all her confidence and walked up the stairs, not before planting a kiss on Percy's cheek.
Percy's face light up from the move and I smirked. I turned my head back toward the demigods in the room, seeing Arthur walk outside the Big House and lean up against one of the railings outside. I sighed, better go ahead and get this over with.
(000)
Alright, boys. Chapter twenty seven is complete. Sorry this took awhile, but at least there wasn't a full month break on this one. Only almost a month lol. I had something happen a couple of weeks ago that killed my writing motivation for a week, so I blame that. Anyway, hope y'all enjoyed this chapter and I promise I'll get the next one out as soon as possible. Later cunts!