Thanks to Rezurex for beta-ing this!

A/N: 'Ello! Me again, with chapter 14 of The Dissonant Notes of Fate. Last chapter Nico and Bianca were claimed and I want to inform you all that they'll be playing major roles in this second arc of the story. Happy reading lol. Don't forget to vote, leave a review, comment, kudos, whatever. Enjoy your day/night/afternoon!

Cheers, TripleHomicide.

LUKE felt extra conflicted that night. The camp had erupted into chaos as the news of the claiming of the two di Angelos spread. Murmurs about the Great Prophecy, although most didn't know what it was, was rampant in Camp Half-Blood, causing Thalia to hole up in her cabin.

It scared Luke that there were other children of the Big Three they hadn't known about. For six months Nico and Bianca had lived amongst them, and Luke didn't even want to think about what would have happened had Kronos found out about the two kids before they had. The son of Hermes sat curled up in his bed, gazing at the ceiling. Hereleased a sigh, folding his arms as he got submerged in his thoughts once more.

The idea that Thalia might not be the Prophecy Child scared him. It made him angry, that the fates were toying with them. He was livid that none of the Big Three except Poseidon, had kept their oaths. The heritage of the Di Angelos meant that Thalia could die any minute, any day, at any time, only for Nico or Bianca to claim her place as the prophecy child. It was more likely to be Nico, seeing as Bianca was a never-aging huntress. Luke wasn't prepared to accept that. He frowned, pinching the bridge of his nose. It had taken a long time for everyone in the already crowded Hermes cabin to fall asleep. Nico wasn't there. Chiron had offered him a room in the Big House and it was only because his sister nagged that he accepted.

Luke sat up in his bed, looking around him in the semi-darkness. The cabin was packed as usual. His mind wandered to all the unclaimed demigods lying among his siblings. He knew that Kronos preyed on them each night. The Titan Lord was looking for allies and again, Luke was scared. Any of them could turn dark at each and every moment. And he was in a room full of possible traitors.

Luke stood, grabbing a shirt from his bedside and throwing it on. He crept towards the doorway, then quietly pulled the door open. The son of Hermes stepped out gingerly, trying hard not to make any noise, as he didn't want to wake anybody. He moved towards the steps and almost yelped out in surprise when he brushed past a body in the darkness. Luke took several steps back, blinking to make his eyes adjust to the darkness. The blue-eyed boy, recognising the smallish but lean form of the newly claimed son of Hades, tilted his head in confusion, "Nico?"

The boy was seemingly trying to blend into the shadows. He was hugging his knees as he leaned on the steps, head bowed. He looked up tiredly when Luke called his name. He was instantly alert, black eyes wide and awake.

"Castellan," He murmured. Nico hurriedly stood, brushing invisible dust off his body. "Sorry, I thought everyone else was asleep."

"What's wrong?" Luke pressed, brow furrowing. Nico glanced up at him and he could see the hesitation in his eyes. He reached out and placed a hand on Nico's shoulder. The boy sagged and Luke had to hide his surprise when his hand wasn't shrugged off. "You can talk to me, you know." He said, kneeling so he was on Nico's level. "Has someone been bothering you?"

The younger demigod let out a sigh, then shook his head. He faced Luke. "It's—I—I couldn't sleep. Not in the Big House." He gestured to the Hermes cabin. "And, I wanted to come in, but…I wasn't sure if it was allowed."

Luke gave him a sad smile. "You'll always be welcomed in the Hermes cabin, Nico. Anyone who tries to stop you will have to go through me first." The small kid's lips stretched into a small, rare and uneasy smile. But it was a smile.

"Anything else I can help with? Need some advice or something?" Luke pressed further .

The son of Hades pursed his lips, then muttered, "Well, I—I started getting these dreams. Tonight."

"Kronos?" Luke asked, voice sharp and louder than he wished. Nico nodded quickly, eyes flashing with a little bit of fear and uncertainty for another moment. "What did he tell you?" The counsellor asked, worry seeping in his voice. If Kronos had managed to corrupt Nico…

"He…he told me—He told me father didn't love me. He told me the gods killed my mother," Nico said, eyes pooling with tears, although he was blinking a lot, as though trying to stop them from falling. Luke winced inwardly. The son of Hades' mind was young and impressionable. Anything Kronos told him would take hold if not rooted out. "He-He said I can have revenge on them if I join him…And kill Thalia."

The boy's voice was shaking now and Luke sighed, tightening his hold on Nico. He whispered inside his ear, "Whatever Kronos said to you, whatever he promised, don't believe him. Sure, the gods are horrible people. But they're the lesser evil. Kronos wants to destroy the world. Everyone we know, this place we call home, life as we know it." He paused. "To Kronos we're all just pawns, to be used to wipe out our parents. But we have to stay strong. We have to overcome him."

Nico nodded slowly, and Luke pulled away. He motioned towards his door, saying, "Get in there, di Angelo. You can have my bed tonight." The boy nodded once more and turned, sneaking into the Hermes cabin. Luke turned, hurrying down the steps. How did Kronos know about Nico and Bianca so soon? How had he gotten that information so fast?

Luke didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to face the facts. But Kronos knew that Nico and Bianca were Hades kids in a matter of hours. That pointed to one thing—There was a spy in Camp Half-Blood.

-X-

THALIA looked up when she heard the footsteps. She smiled, although it was forced, when she saw the blond haired son of Hermes making his way to her. Luke perched next to the blue-eyed girl, feet dangling over the edge of the roof. Thalia acted out of instinct, laying her head on his shoulder and her best friend pulled her closer.

The gesture made her feel a lot better, and as they stared into the silence and darkness that was Camp Half-Blood, she was temporarily drawn out of her thoughts.

After what seemed like hours, she softly asked the son of Hermes, "Is it ever going to end?"

Luke let out a sigh. He sounded tired, which was small compared to what Thalia was feeling. "Probably not," Luke murmured back. "The gods are just going to screw up and continue being major pricks and we can do nothing." Thalia snorted. That wasn't exactly the pep-talk she was expecting.

She pulled away from him, brushing her dark hair out of her eyes. "It's just—The Big Three made a pact to not have any more demigod children. And they were all so…insatiable and reckless that they all broke their oaths. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a baby Poseidon running around America somewhere who we don't know about." Thunder boomed above them but Thalia just glared. The assortment of emotions she was feeling at that moment was not even remotely comparable to what the Olympians were dealing with at the revelation of Hades' children. "I'm angry—" Thalia continued. "I'm angry at the gods for not holding their promise. They keep on bringing children, who suffer and die before they're twenty-one. I'm angry at myself, for thinking things would get better. Hell, I'm even angry at Kronos for preying on us just so he can weaken our parents." She all but spat out. 'I'm angry at Percy for vanishing on me." She looked down, bitterness filling her. She missed him and although they hadn't spent that much time together she still felt his absence. "I'm angry at Annabeth and her mother and Aphrodite for turning on us."

Luke stayed silent, listening, allowing Thalia to pour out her feelings, and she was grateful, because she needed that right then. "I'm-I'm scared, Luke. I'm scared because although Bianca is a hunter, Nico will still age. And that means I can die at any second. Anything can happen to me. That means Kronos doesn't need me anymore, and I literally have a target on my back now." She clenched her jaw, hands forming into fists.

Luke pulled her in again, murmuring comforting words into her hair. Thalia tried to stay strong. She tried to keep herself from exploding because of the anger in her. But it was just so hard. Everything was so hard. She was happy that the di Angelos knew who their godly parent was. But that also meant that all three of them were susceptible to attacks from The Crooked One. No one was safe anymore. Hell, it may even come so far that Nico might kill her to then turn to the Titan's side, destroying Olympus in the act.

The gods were selfish—selfish enough that they disregarded a sacred oath and brought children into this life to suffer for them and to fight for them. The whole evening Thalia had been thinking about how the gods were the lesser of two evils. How the gods weren't the best, but were better than the Titans who wanted to destroy Western Civilisation. It was what kept her going, stopped her from losing her last bits of sanity. Thalia didn't know how she got back to her bed that night. She also didn't know why her urge to see Percy suddenly grew stronger when she awoke.

-X-

NICO DI ANGELO squirmed in his seat next to Chiron at the Head Table. It was uncomfortable, and a bit weird, having all those eyes on him, looking at him like he was an alien and not a demigod they had been with for six months. He had wanted to keep on sitting at the Hermes table, but Chiron had pointed out that his father might take it the wrong way and see it as an insult.

Nico hated seeing the fear in most of the camper's eyes when they looked at him. He hated the worried glances Bianca kept throwing at him and he hated the fact that his father had chosen now to claim him. Sure, he had wanted to know who his godly parent was. But he hadn't expected it to be the god of the Underworld, the shunned god, the Lord of the Dead whom everyone seemed to fear and hate.

Nico picked at his food, eyes travelling back to the Hermes table. He met Luke's eyes and the counsellor tilted his head, asking a silent question. Nico nodded to him hesitantly, mouthing, I'm okay. His eyes left Luke's and roamed across the pavilion. He spotted Thalia, silently munching on a burger. She looked worse than the young demigod had ever seen her, and when she caught him looking she passed him a small uneasy smile, which looked more like a grimace.

Nico smiled back anyway. He knew she was uncomfortable. Luke had probably told her about his dream. She probably learned that Kronos had been nagging him to kill her since he was claimed. He didn't want to acknowledge the fact that everyone, except perhaps Clarisse and Luke, would treat him differently from then.

He didn't want that. Gods, he just wanted to go back to being the ignorant and unclaimed eleven year old kid who was helping Clarisse investigate the Maze because he'd nagged her into allowing him to help. The sudden pressure which came with knowing his parentage was too much to handle. And Nico wanted it to end.

He didn't want to be a servant of Kronos. He didn't want to do the god's dirty work. He didn't want a stupid prophecy on his head. Nico shook his head, picking a bit of bacon and chewing. It tasted like sand..

He picked up a few whiffs of an Aethiopian drakon and some rumours of an invasion into camp by Annabeth Chase, the rogue demigod who worked for Kronos and her monster army, as the chatter around him went on and on.

Nico stiffened at the last part, barely noticing when Chiron and Quintus, their new sword instructor, stood and began talking. He was jarred out of his thoughts when Chiron raised his goblet and announced, "To the gods!"

Campers echoed it around him, but Nico's response was half-hearted, and he noted that Thalia's was too. From beside him Chiron stood and went outside the pavilion for a few seconds, returning later with a dejected and definitely depressed looking Grover in tow. He narrowed his eyes when he spotted Luke standing with his food, walking away and then slipping into the seat next to Thalia. Chiron and Grover reached their table only seconds later, exchanging a few whispered words, before the centaur left and Grover plopped next to the two demigods.

Clarisse was up a few seconds later, after a pointed glance was shot to her by Luke and as she walked to them, she turned. The daughter of Ares met his eyes and motioned to Nico to join them. He stood. He wasn't sure how Thalia would react but if anything he had picked up was correct, they were about to discuss Grover's…predicament.

He caught up with Clarisse and they both sat next to the others. Nico was aware of the stares and the whisperings around them. It was bad enough that Luke and Clarisse, two counselors, had abandoned their cabins and were seated with Thalia. Several camp rules were being broken but what made it worth the gossip was the fact that Nico was there, and he knew it. Nico glanced around, once and saw Quintus' raised eyebrow at their small meeting. But the man remained silent and the whisperings went on.

"Uh, hi?" Nico started. Thalia nodded to him in greeting. The others didn't speak.

Everyone looked serious, and grave and Nico was not liking the vibe. Grover let out a small moan and said, "Chiron says it might be my only hope."

"He's right," Clarisse pointed out. "You've searched almost everywhere else."

"Not to mention depleted the camp's coffee reserves," Nico muttered. Thalia snorted and Clarisse actually cracked a smile.

"The Labyrinth is the only factor you haven't considered, Grover," Luke noted. "You've searched for Pan almost everywhere else and you might actually find him this time—"

"If I don't get lost," Grover whispered darkly. "And then die, horribly."

"There has to be a way though," Nico nodded to the daughter of Ares. "She lived, didn't she?"

"Barely!" Grover protested. 'And the other guy—"

"He went insane, Underwood," Thalia folded her arms. "He's still very much alive."

"I don't think that's helping," Luke's brow furrowed as Grover moaned.

"And if the research we've been doing is correct, there's an entrance here," Clarisse said. "In camp." They were whispering, voices low. They couldn't afford to let the campers catch wind of what was really going on.

"Which brings us to our bigger problem," Luke said, sitting straight. 'We have to call a council meeting soon." He looked around the table. "If there really is an entrance to the Maze in Camp, we have to find it, and barricade it before Annabeth and Lelantos try to invade through there."

Nico looked down at his food once more. Was it really that wise to urge Grover to go into the maze when there was all sorts of news flying around that Kronos and his forces were trying to navigate the Labyrinth? And after Chris Rodriguez—a guy Nico had basically slept next to in the Hermes cabin—had been found by the daughter of Ares, barking mad, it wasn't really looking good. But it was the only choice Grover had now.

Nico glanced at Grover. He was chewing his fork in anxiety. "Look, the Maze is full of fatal traps, dead ends, illusions, and all sorts of nasties," Thalia leaned forward. "But these are desperate times, Grover. You need to find Pan soon, or else you lose your license. Hades, if you're scared I'll even come along. Beats sitting here and being useless, waiting for Annabeth to come for us." Nico winced.

"Yeah," Clarisse nodded. "Annabeth is searching for Ariadne's string. That's all Chris managed to say. It's a navigation instrument of some kind. Invented by Daedalus. We need to find it anyway."

"I agree," Nico declared. "I think the Labyrinth is the key to all your problems."

Luke passed him a confused glance. "What do you mean?"

Nico shrugged in response. "I think Pan is underground." Grover instantly shuddered. "Satyrs hate going underground, as I've said already. No searcher would ever try that place."

"The Labyrinth can lead you almost everywhere," Clarisse argued. "It reads your thoughts and it may be designed to kill, trick or drive you insane, but if you can make it work for you—"

"It would lead you to the wild god." Nico ended.

Grover shook his head adamantly. "I can't. Just thinking about it makes me want to—" At the head table Quintus cleared his throat. Nico could tell he didn't want to make a scene, but they were all testing their limits, sitting at Thalia's table for so long.

"We'll talk later," Clarisse stood up. She met Thalia's eyes. "Convince him, would you?" Nico followed her lead. 'One week to find Pan or you better learn songs to grow strawberries, Underwood." He stood up too, picked his still full plate and marched away. He heard Luke say something behind him but he ignored it. Their gathering was over. They dispersed, each of them going back to their respective tables, ignoring the looks they were getting.

XMX

THALIA did not like armour. She hated feeling heavy. It messed with her speed and her agility. As she adjusted her greaves, she took note of the serious mood among the campers. Sometime during the day those mysterious crates of Quintus' had vanished and Thalia had a bad feeling about whatever was going to happen.

"Alright," Quintus yelled, standing on the Head table. 'Gather round." He was dressed in black leather and bronze and in the torchlight, his grey hair made Thalia think he looked like a really old and disturbed ghost. Mrs O'Leary, that big slobbering hellhound, wagged her tail from behind him.

"You'll be working in teams of two," Quintus announced. "Which have already been chosen!" Thalia barely heard the cries of complaints come from the crowd. Quintus ignored them. 'The goal is simple. Collect the golden laurel without dying. The wreath is wrapped in a silk package, tied to the back of one of the monsters. There are six of them, each with one package. Only one holds the laurels. Find the wreath before the other teams." He paused. 'And of course, you'll have to slay the monster to get it and stay alive."

Excited shivers and murmurs run down the line of campers. "I will now announce your partners," Quintus declared with steel in his voice. 'No trading, no switching, no complaints."

"Charles Beckendorf, Silena Beauregard." Thalia tuned the sword instructor out as he called off names. Travis and Connor were together, it seemed. And Clarisse was lumbering over to Bianca di Angelo. Luke stood nervously next to Zoë Nightshade, who looked a bit relaxed around him, although Thalia knew she would castrate him if he breathed wrong. Grover was absent, which Thalia took note of, and at last, she heard her name.

"Thalia Grace, with Nico di Angelo." Thalia blanched, shooting a glance at Quintus. Nico was already having dream messages from Kronos. Who's to say he hadn't already made plans to kill Thalia? She tried to tamp down her irrational thoughts. She had gotten to know Nico a bit better over the six months since winter and she knew he would never do a thing like that. The kid was too sweet, and nice, and eager to help out, although his sense of humour was like a shrivelled up bone. She had to give him the benefit of the doubt.

She didn't see him approach but before she knew it Nico was at her side. He held a standard celestial bronze sword, and looked a bit…obscured in his large armour. Thalia resisted the urge to crack a smile. She tilted her head to Nico, motioning towards the woods. "Come on. Let's see what exactly you're capable of."

-X-

NICO didn't know how long they had been walking around. They had encountered no monster the entire night but they had narrowly avoided their fellow campers. He and Thalia didn't speak much, except when he pulled her into the shadows to avoid the Stolls and when they encountered Clarisse and Bia, the former who, although they were all working together now to help Grover, would sure as Tartarus try to hinder them so she could get the laurel for herself.

They crept through the blackness beneath the trees and Nico, who usually appreciated it, thought it was a little too silent. He refrained from voicing his thoughts however, because Thalia held up a hand as they walked into a clearing where Zeus' fist was located.

"You hear that?" Thalia asked in a low whisper. Nico cocked his head to the side, ears perking, listening. Scuttling noises seemed to be coming from several directions. Nico pawed his sword. It was a bit too big for him and didn't exactly feel right, but he would have to make do with it. Thalia made a movement with her hand and edged closer to the pile of boulders. Nico followed her without question as the noises got louder. They circled the boulders, trying to find the source of the noise, when suddenly a voice spoke behind Nico. "Hi."

They whirled around and Nico barely stopped his sword from cleaving through Grover's girlfriend. The girl yelped, backing away. "Put those weapons down, would you?" She protested. "Dryads don't like pointy things."

"Juniper," Thalia let out a small sigh, flipping her spear. It morphed back into a mace canister and she tapped her shield making it melt back into her bracelet. Nico sheathed his sword. "What're you doing here?" He questioned.

"I live here, Nico," The tree nymph folded her arms. Thalia arched a brow. "In the rocks?"

"Of course not," Juniper rolled her eyes, pointing to the edge of the clearing. 'In the juniper. Duh."

Nico let out a cough as Thalia turned red and muttered, "Yeah, whatever." The son of Hades examined the dryad, taking note of her green tinged eyes and how her fingers were shaking ever-so slightly.

"What's wrong, Juniper?" He asked.

"I-It's Grover," She sniffled. "He seems so…distraught. All year he's been looking for Pan." Nico listened sceptically as Juniper narrated how she felt like Grover was cracking and how she had thought he was seeing another tree. And then Thalia had to come in and reassure the nymph that yes, Grover had had a crush on Blueberry Bush back in the day but now he had eyes for no one else but Juniper the bush. Nico blinked several times, trying to tell if he was in a long-term sleep induced dream or if everything about his demigod life was real.

"He's just stressed out about his license, that's all," Nico finally piped.

"He can't go into the Maze!" Juniper screeched. "You know what happened to Chris. Clarisse herself had so many close calls…"

"It might be the only way to help him," Nico argued. He was starting to get sick of this entire debate about whether or not Grover should go to the labyrinth. But he supposed it was his own fault, for volunteering to help Clarisse research and investigate the labyrinth, and then nagging her and Chiron to let him help out when they had refused at first. "If we just knew where to start," He ended.

"Ah," Juniper said softly. "I think I might be able to help with that."

Another scuttling noise reached Nico's ears and before anyone could react Juniper yelled, "Hide!" She exploded into a fine green mist. Nico whirled, grabbing Thalia by her hand. He reached out to the nearest tree on instinct and before he knew what was happening he was melting into the shadows. He felt blackness engulf him and the rush of the wind on his face and before he could speak out he was on top of Zeus' fist, Thalia at his side.

Nico felt the exhaustion hit him almost immediately and he fell to his knees. Thalia's hands shot out just in time as she shouted, 'Whoa!' and grabbed his shoulders to steady him. Her eyes were wide and she was shaking, ever-so slightly. "What the bloody hell was that?"

Nico let out a breath, tiredness engulfing him as black spots danced in front of his eyes. "I-I don't know."

He looked away from her, glancing towards the clearing they had been in before. Nico felt like he could pass out but he steadied himself, drawing his sword once more. What he saw made his eyes pop out. Coming out of the woods was a glistening amber insect, ten feet long, with jagged pincers, an armoured tail and a stinger as long as Thalia's spear. Tied to its back was a red silk package.

"We'll have to get down," Thalia stated decisively. Nico barely had the energy to nod.

"One of us gets behind it," Thalia continued. "Cut off its tail while I distract it in front."

Nico was about to answer when his eyes caught sight of two more monsters scuttling out of the shadows and into the clearing. Thalia swore loudly. "Three? The whole bloody woods and half the monsters come at us?" Nico swallowed. They were Big Three material. Together they could have taken down the first scorpion, at least if Nico had recovered his wits soon enough. But three was a crowd. Three was too much.

Nico watched as the scorpions surrounded the collection of Boulders. They were so close he could see foamy mouths, no doubt already feeling the taste of demigod. Nico reared back as a pincer reached for him. He felt a rock slip from beneath him and he was falling. He landed on his arse, and let out a loud yell of pain as his vision swam. If what he was seeing was correct, there were about two more scorpions in the list. Nico backed away, creeping out of the reach of the scorpions and suddenly, there was nothing behind him. It was a crack, between two of the largest boulders.

"In here!" He shouted. "Thalia!" The girl looked down. Her brow was creased as she jabbed at the monsters which were getting a lot bolder. Thalia swore, then replied, "I can't get down! Not without jumping into them."

Nico was about to reply when he felt hands slip around his mouth. He felt another pair of hands, bony, and hard, reach for his body, grabbing him by the armour. A dusty, rancid smell—like death—filled his nose. His eyes widened and he tried to scream but the hold on him tightened. Nico felt whoever it was begin to pull him.

Into the darkness.

He let out a muffled yell as the darkness engulfed him. And then something slammed into his head and everything went black.

-X-

THALIA heard the scream come from below her, although it sounded a bit…diluted? She looked down, about to call her teammate's name. But all she was was darkness, but no sign of Nico di Angelo. Her eyes widened comically and, cursing to herself, she brandished her spear tightly. She, yelling as loud as she could, jabbed at the nearest scorpion, slamming her spear through its head, cracking its armour and killing it instantly. She then jumped off the top of the clump of rocks, calling down the power of her father.

Lightning slammed into her raised spear and she thrusted it through another scorpion. Thalia pulled away as if convulsed, burning up from the inside as lightning raced up and down its body. She felt the presence behind her and ducked just in time as a scorpion tail stabbed where she'd been before. Thalia's eyes darted this way and that and she raised her shield just in time to stop another attack.

The scorpion slammed down into her once more and Thalia cursed when she felt her shield shudder. The scorpion kept hitting and she kept groaning. She wouldn't allow it to break through. She couldn't. Thalia shut her eyes, bracing herself for another attack. But none came. A yell erupted from beside her all of a sudden, and Thalia looked above her shield, spotting Clarisse, looking mad out of her mind as she attacked the last of the scorpions. Thalia saw a blur of silver ducking around and had to squint to see Bianca lop off the stinger. Clarisse drove her spear through the scorpion and let out another primal roar.

Thalia scrambled up, thoughts of the young son of Hades smashing into her mind. What had happened to Nico? Where was he?

"Where's my baby brother?" Bianca demanded, coming up next to Thalia. The daughter of Zeus was gobsmacked as she stared at the empty spot where Nico had just been in before.

"I-I don't know," Thalia muttered. "He fell, then he called me to join him so the scorpions wouldn't reach us and he just…disappeared."

Thalia smelt Juniper before she saw her. The dryad looked pale, if that was even possible and her eyes were wide in shock and…fear. "I-I think I might be able to help. I was going to say it before but—"

"Oh, no," Clarisse came up next to Thalia as they stared at the dark hole. "Don't tell me—"

"That's an entrance into the Labyrinth," Juniper said.

"And invasion route for Annabeth, right into camp," Thalia said, ice filling her veins.

"And Nico just fell through it," Bianca said in a low shaky voice, falling to her knees.

XMX

THALIA had a very weird dream that night. She had had a hard time falling asleep, seeing as they had just discovered an entrance into Camp and Nico was missing and Camp was in chaos, but when Luke finally left for his cabin after the game and Thalia finally managed to doze off, she had found herself in a massive stone room. A guy in a Greek tunic and sandals crouched alone in one corner of the room. The ceiling was high and open and Thalia could see several constellations.

Scattered around the room were several crates, with bronze tools spilling out of each of them, some of which Thalia couldn't even name. The boy huddled in the corner, shivering. He was tall and lanky, but he was spattered in mud, scraped up and bruised as though he had been sat on by a hyperborean giant in a bog. Thalia jerked when the double oak doors moaned open behind her.

She turned around, just in time to see two guards in bronze armour march in, dragging an old man between them. And behind them…

"Percy?" Thalia's eyes widened. The Titan stiffened when he heard his name, but then visibly relaxed, and jogged towards her. Thalia was shell-shocked. For six months she had been trying to contact him, through Iris, messages, fires, dreams, anything. But it had never worked. And now, here he was, appearing out of the blue in her dream.

Thalia reared back and then decked him in the face. Percy let out a groan, stumbling back as Thalia's eyes blazed with anger. "Where have you been?"

"I'm a prisoner on an Island, remember?" He stood straighter, rubbing his jaw and rolling his eyes. Percy smiled, uneasily and Thalia felt her anger melt away. She was glad that she could finally see him again, although she couldn't understand why it mattered so much. She took note of his appearance and said, "You look different."

Percy looked down at himself and blushed, which Thalia found oddly endearing and…cute?. But she was right. He had changed. His hair was longer, shaggier and fell in choppy bits to his shoulder. He looked older, even, with a filled out jaw, and his green eyes were brighter and more…alive. He had a cut on his eye, running down to his cheek, a scar Thalia would be sure to ask how he got later. He was taller now, with visible muscles peeking out from beneath his tunic and Thalia got a weird notion that he had been swimming often, because he had a swimmer's build, with broad shoulders and a beautiful tan skin.

Thalia realised then that she was checking him out and stepped back in haste when Perseus turned redder. He coughed, then said, "Well, uh, after my…dream trips last time, the magic binding me to the Island weakened considerably. Apollo and Hermes' trick potion also lost effect, I think. I started…aging." He blinked and Thalia could see the anxiety in his eyes, which he was trying to veil. She tilted her head to the side. Didn't immortals like Perseus…not age?

"Well, it's done you good," Thalia blurted out before she could stop herself. She turned, scarlet overtaking her face. Thalia turned her attention to the scene being displayed in her dreams.

"Father!" The boy ran to the old man being dragged in. His clothes were in tatters and his hair was streaked with white. His beard was straggly and unkempt. His nose was broken and his lips were bloody. "What did they do to you?"

The boy looked up at the guards and Thalia saw the rage in his eyes. "I'll kill you!"

Thalia felt his presence before he was by her side and she turned to face Perseus, squinting in curiosity. "How did you even get here? I've been trying to contact you for so long…"

"So have I," He rubbed his nape. 'But nothing I did was working. And I'm still powerless on Ogygia, however weak the magic might be." He paused. "I found out the gods could send dreams to demigods from Hermes and I, uh…pleaded with him to send me to you. He finally agreed a few seconds ago."

Thalia's eyes narrowed and she felt an odd…emotion take over her, although she didn't know what. "At what price?"

Perseus pursed his lips sheepishly. "Well, uh, nothing, actually. He just kept spouting some nonsense about making a ship sail or something like that. He also wanted me to tell you to remind Luke that he's still watching over him, and not to give in to Kronos and to keep some di Angelo thing safe. I don't know what that means either."

Thalia arched a brow confusion. The booming voice which came from before them made her jerk, then turn to the dream people. Dammit, Percy was such a distraction.

A man, tall, wearing white robes and a thin circlet of gold on his head, stood before the old man and his son. He had black eyes that glittered cruelly, together with a white beard pointed like a spear blade. "You helped Theseus kill my Minotaur, Daedalus!" He shouted. 'You turned my own daughter against me!"

Thalia's eyes widened. Daedalus? That meant…

"You did that to yourself, Your Majesty," The old man wheezed out.

A guard kicked out with his foot and the man, Daedalus, groaned in pain. The young filthy boy yelled at them to stop.

"You love your maze so much!" The king shouted. 'I have decided that you shall stay here. This will be your new workshop. Make me new wonders. Amuse me. Every maze needs a monster and I believe I have found mine, in you!"

"I do not fear you, Minos," The old man brought forth.

The king smiled coldly. Thalia watched as he threatened the boy, a sick feeling erupting in her gut. She watched the king sweep out of the room and the doors slammed shut, leaving the boy and Daedalus alone in the darkness.

"What shall we do?" The boy moaned. "Father, they will kill you!"

The old man swallowed and tried to smile. It was a terrible sight. "Take heart, Icarus. I-I will find a way." Thalia exchanged a confused and anxious glance with Perseus just as a bar lowered across the doors with a fatal sounding BOOM.

And she woke up.

-X-

LUKE stood next to Thalia in the arena, which in itself was a pretty unusual occurrence. Behind them Mrs O'Leary chewed on a life-size squeaky pink rubber yak. Chiron and Quintus stood at the front of their small crowd by the weapon's rack. Clarisse and Bianca di Angelo sat at the head of the ping pong table, which had been moved out of the Big House for reasons Luke didn't know yet, with Zoë. Tyson, Luke and Thalia's cyclops friend stood next to them. Apparently he had arrived in the morning. Around the table were Juniper and Grover, Silena, Travis and Connor, Beckendorf, Lee Fletcher and even Argus, their hundred-eyed watchman who only appeared when something really important was about to go down.

"Annabeth must have known about the entrance to the Labyrinth," Thalia began, laying her palm flat on the table at Clarisse's shoulder. "She hasn't been here all that long, but we all know the explorer phase she went through when we first got here." Nods of assent came from across the table.

"I was trying to tell you that last night," Juniper spoke up. "The cave entrance has been there a long time. Annabeth has used it a lot."

Silena frowned and leaned forward. "And you knew about this?" Juniper turned even greener and Luke felt sorry for her, for all the attention she was receiving. "I didn't know it was important, okay?" Juniper said. "I don't like caves." Luke heard Grover mutter something about good taste but didn't pay it any heed.

"Interesting," Quintus said. "And you believe this girl, Annabeth, would dare to use the Labyrinth as an invasion route?"

"Definitely," Luke spoke up. "We know Annabeth. It might sound illogical but she was the smartest out of all of us, and she was even more daring than Thalia. She wouldn't use the Labyrinth unless it was a last resort or unless she was absolutely certain she could navigate it. Or maybe, her hubris is making her try the most dangerous method and see where she gets."

"And if she could get an army inside camp, just through the woods without having to worry about the boundaries…We wouldn't stand a chance," Clarisse piped.

"She is correct. The camp could be wiped out easily if this is true," Zoë said gravely. "She must have been planning this for months."

"She's been sending scouts into the maze," Thalia spoke once more. "We found one."

The murmurings among the counsellors started. "Chris Rodriguez," Bianca said, passing Clarisse a weird look. The daughter of Ares glared. "The point is, this Annabeth person has been looking for a way to navigate the maze. She's on the hunt for Daedalus' workshop." Luke saw Thalia stiffen from next to him. He would have to ask her about it later.

"The man who created the maze," Beckendorf said in a low voice.

"Yeah," Luke folded his arms. "Greatest architect, greatest inventor, blah blah. If the legends are true, his workshop is in the centre of the maze. He's the only one who knows how to navigate the maze perfectly. If Annabeth finds the Workshop and convinces Daedalus to work for Kronos…"

"We're all screwed," Thalia summed up. The arena was silent, except for Mrs O'Leary's toy squeaking as it was dismembered.

'Wait, hold up," Travis piped. 'Isn't Daedalus dead?"

Chiron sighed. "There are many…disturbing stories about the old inventor. It is not known if he cheated Thanatos or not but we must hope for the latter. For if he joins the Titans, it is finished."

They went silent once more. They all knew the stakes, and what would happen if Annabeth was successful. They knew what it meant for each of them.

"We could fight," Lee Fletcher said. 'We know where the entrance is now. We can set up defensive lines and wait for them. If an army comes through our arrows will hit them before they can fully enter camp."

"We'll certainly set up defences," Chiron said. "But I fear that if Annabeth manages to get a large army of monsters into camp, bypassing the boundaries, we may not be powerful enough to defeat them." The atmosphere was morbid and dejected. If even Chiron was warning of bad times ahead, then it meant things were serious.

"We have to get to the workshop first," Clarisse said. 'We have to find the string and prevent Annabeth from using it."

"We need a quest," Bianca spoke. "To find my brother, to find the string and to find the workshop, to prevent ANnabeth from using the maze to invade the Camp."

"We all know who should lead this quest," Chiron declared. "Clarisse, I know you have had a hard year, and that things haven't been exactly smooth after your time in the Maze. But you know the most about it out of us all and only you can do enough to help us succeed." Clarisse looked uneasy, as though she had been given a bitter pill to swallow but finally she nodded in agreement.

"Good, then," Chiron said, clasping his hands. "I think it is time you went to visit the oracle. If you return, fully sane and stable, we shall discuss our next course of action.

-X-

THALIA was standing next to Luke in wait for Clarisse when she caught sight of Juniper motioning to her to follow the dryad out of the arena. Thalia muttered to Luke that she'd be back and quietly slipped away from the group, tailing the green-eyed tree nymph all the way outside.

'What's wrong?" She asked.

The girl looked nervous, but whispered, 'Annabeth wasn't the only one I've seen poking around the rocks." Her stomach clenched and she whispered, 'Who else?"

'The sword master," She said, eyes widening. 'Quintus. He's been there a few times. Even gone through once or twice." Thalia pursed her lips. The mysterious demigod was seeming more suspicious and shady as time went by. "You have to tell Grover it's too dangerous—"

At that moment Grover's voice reached them and Juniper sighed. She hurriedly said a small goodbye and rushed back into the arena.

A few minutes later Clarisse walked in. She ambled over to them slowly, eyes on the ground as she made her way into the arena. Thalia took a wild guess and deduced she had visited Chris on her way back. They converged around the table once more and Clarisse let out a sigh.

"I got a prophecy. I shall read the quest to find the workshop." Silence greeted her words. After a few seconds Chiron cleared his throat, 'And, what did it say?"

Clarisse took in a deep breath, blinking, and spoke up. "Ah, well, it said, You shall delve into the darkness of the endless maze…" Thalia felt ice fill her veins as a chill raced down her spine. She hated this part.

"The traitor, the lost one and the imprisoned raise." Grover perked up. Thalia knew what exactly it meant. Pan, and Perseus. But the traitor…

"You shall rise or fall by the ghost king's hand," Clarisse recited.

"The child of Athena's final stand." Thalia felt an odd feeling of…sadness engulf her. The meaning of this line was clear enough. Annabeth…she didn't deserve this. She had been manipulated by Athena and Kronos.

"Destroy with a hero's final breath,"

"And lose a friend, to worse than death."

The arena was silent once more. Thalia couldn't make head or tail of the prophecy. Not anymore. Finally, Clarisse stood, 'Look, the Prophecy clearly states what we have to do. I have to go in. We have to find the workshop and defeat Annabeth and Kronos." She looked around, eyes narrowed. 'But…I'll need some help." She turned to Thalia, cocking her head to the side.

"Up for it, Thunder tights?" Thalia grinned and nodded in answer. Finally, there was something to do. Clarisse turned to Luke. "I know you'd come anyway even if you're not asked to, Castellan," She said. 'You down?"

"Of course," Luke said.

"Grover," Clarisse turned to the satyr. "This is your last chance. The wild gold is waiting." Grover seemed to forget his hatred for the underground. He nodded eagerly, already talking about packing extra recyclable snacks. Clarisse looked around the table and her eyes fell on Bianca, at her side.

"I know you want to find your brother," She said. "So, want to come along?" Bianca nodded almost immediately, her eyes filling with determination. Thalia caught sight of Zoë moving forward to argue but the daughter of Hades shot her a look and she leaned back, although her eyes revealed her displeasure.

'Clarisse," Chiron said uneasily. "Consider well. You would be breaking ancient laws and there are always consequences." He pursed his lips. 'You remember last winter. Three is a sacred number. There are three fates, three furies, and three sons of Kronos. A quest with five members is…risky."

Clarisse clenched her jaw. "I know that. But they're all needed, in some way." She folded her arms. "My decision is final. Just watch over Chris and I promise all these kids will be home safe."

Chiron didn't like it, that much was obvious. Quintus' eyes were narrowed and Thalia shot him a suspicious glance as she remembered Juniper's words.

"Very well," Chiron decided. "Let us adjourn. Questers, prepare yourselves. Tomorrow at dawn you venture into the Labyrinth."