Ch53

Percy followed Rachel as they left Antaeus' colosseum. "Good thing we were able to get out of there," he said as they were all able to stop and rest.

He turned to Ethan Nakamura, "How did you end up there?"

"Hey I recognize you," Malcolm said. "You were one of those unclaimed demigods in the Hermes Cabin."

Ethan's posture stiffened. "Yes my mother is Nemesis, I was unclaimed since she didn't have a cabin." The resentment was so obvious he shifted uncomfortably.

"Well um thanks for helping out," he said. "Want to join us? You can return to camp with us."

Ethan's gaze shifted but the son of Nemesis shook his head, "No sorry but I have other things to do. Besides my mom isn't welcome there, she has no Cabin."

He frowned. "Well that is changing. Hecate she has a cabin, I'm sure your mom will eventually have one."

Ethan looked at him as if debating it. "I've heard of it but my mom has made up her mind."

"Not everyone has to follow their parents," he said. "I know it won't be easy but things are changing, I promise the minor gods will get the respect they deserve when things are done. They won't be cast aside and forgotten I promise."

He took the necklace Lou gave him. It glowed in the dark and he could see Ethan's eye widen in curiosity. "Hecate is with us, her children are proving there worth right now you can do the same with your mom."

Ethan looked at him with a calm gaze. A good minute passed before he nodded. "Fine. I'll hold you to that Percy Jackson." The son of Nemesis held out his hand and he shook it.

"Well come on lets go," Malcolm said.

Rachel continued to lead the way. They followed her until they reached a door with the symbol of Daedalus on it. "Here it is," she said. "It all leads here."

"Well what are we waiting for," Malcolm said as he opened the door. They quickly entered a large room, the walls were made of glass with the exception of a few bookshelves and staircases that lead to who knows where.

"Well I believe a welcome is in order," said a familiar voice. They turned and saw Quintus still in his camp shirt.

"What are you doing here? Where is Daedalus!" Malcolm said.

Quintus smiled at them. "You're looking at him."

They all stared at him in shock. "B-But how can you be alive," he said in surprise. It was the only thing he could get out of his mouth at the moment.

"My pseudonym is Quintus meaning fifth in Latin. This is my fifth body," Quintus said.

"You found a way to transfer yourself into a machine? That can' be good," Malcolm said.

Quintus only smiled at them. "I've lived for a long time and am constantly reminded of my son's death. I came to your camp to view its strength, to see how well it would fair against Luke and his army."

"You can still help us," Malcolm said. "You can give us Ariadne's string before Luke does."

Daedalus gave them a sad look. "I'm sorry but you are too late. You see Kronos has promised me freedom, once Hades is overthrown I can reclaim my son and my enemy Minos will be cast into Tartarus."

"That's your idea!" Malcolm shouted. "To help Luke destroy our camp and many innocent people!"

He summoned Mrs. O'Leary, the hell hound appeared and greeted her master. "You trusted her with us and now you want the camp to just die?'

"The offer was too good for me to refuse," Daedalus said softly. "I've lived and suffered a long time and now I will gain my reward."

The door to the room suddenly burst open and Nico di Angelo and Kelli appeared. "Sorry old man but this the end of the line," Kelli hissed.

Daedalus' expression paled. "I see so this was a double cross." Mrs. O'Leary stepped in front of him and growled

Nico laughed and stepped forward, his gaze wide and erratic. "It was. We'll take your life and I'll take my sister here and now." He extended his hand, the son of Hades looked like a lunatic with his sunken expression and bags under his eyes.

Bianca stepped forward, "Nico please don't do this. Come with me we'll talk it out I promise."

Nico laughed like a lunatic. "Those gods brainwashed you didn't they?" He gave his sister a wide cruel smile. "Don't worry I'll take you back, I'll save you from those evil hunters."

"Nico please don't do this," Bianca begged. "You're being brainwashed."

"No! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO IS BRAINWASHED!" Nico yelled drawing his sword and pointing it at them. "I'll tear down the world so we can be together, the gods will suffer for taking you from me."

"Nico they didn't take me away from you," Bianca said. "I chose the hunt. I just wanted my own life, I knew you would be safe in camp that is why I left you there. I would've came back and visited though."

Nico laughed an emotionless laugh. "I'll take the hunt down one by own if I have to," Nico's voice was low as he gave them all a cold hard look. "Lord Kronos has shown me the light."

"Nico no," Bianca said her body shaking.

"Enough!" Kelli hissed. "You all will die now!"

Mrs. O'Leary charged at one of the giants but was knocked away. "You all have to get out of here now!" Daedalus said.

"He is right we can't fight here," Malcolm said gripping his sword

"How can we get out?" Rachel said hiding behind Malcolm.

"Rachel can you take us all shadow traveling?" He asked as the enemy charged at them.

"I'll try grab a hold of me," Bianca said as she fired a few arrows at the Kelli.

They all grabbed ahold of her except for Daedalus. "I'll stay here with my pet. Don't worry I won't die easily," Daedalus said.

The last thing he saw was Daedalus and ordering a series of machines to attack Nico and Kelli before everything went dark. It felt as if he were being sucked into a cold tube and his skin was peeling off.

When he felt the ground again he realized they were back in the labyrinth. "Hey is everyone ok," he asked as he caught his breath.

"I'm fine," Malcolm said as he got up and caught his breath.

"I'm alright," Ethan said rubbing the sand off of him.

"Me too," Rachel said. "That was definitely something I'd rather not experience again."

He turned to Bianca whose face was pale, "Hey thanks for getting us out of there."

"He is brainwashed," Bianca said shaking her head tears falling down her eyes. "It's all my fault."

"Hey don't say that," he said patting her on the back. "We'll save him somehow, the enemy tricked him it has nothing to do with you."

Ethan nodded. "True. The Titan Lord can be very convincing."

"Thank you," Bianca muttered. "I should've talked with him some more instead of just leaving him."

"We can't look to change the past but we can look forward to the future," Malcolm said. "Come on we have a quest to finish."

Bianca nodded and cleaned her face, "Yeah lets do this."

"I can see the trail," Rachel said pointing down the hall. "It leads down that way."

"Well lets go then," he said as they quickly followed Rachel. Down a series of halls until they made it to a large room lit by torches.

He froze as he saw the familiar coffin Kronos, inside was the body of Luke. The coffin was surrounded by monsters and next to it was Annabeth Chase who looked down at the coffin with red eyes.

"Your too late," said a familiar voice. Nico came out from the side and walked up next to Annabeth.

"Nico what are you doing?" He asked.

The son of Hades gave him a hard stare, "I'm going to set things right. The gods use us as toys and stole my family, with my pledge to Kronos I will resurrect him."

"Don't do this!" Bianca said. "Nico you can' do this, Kronos will end the world."

He tried to think of something to say but Ethan's gaze was firm and steadfast. "The gods need to put down," Nico said his gaze cold and hard.

Malcolm then stepped forward. "Annabeth why?" His voice was calmer than he expected but he could still hear the emotion in his voice.

Annabeth ignored her brother and shook her head. "Luke is my family," she muttered to herself her voice sounding as if she had lost someone dear."

"And I'm not!" Malcolm snapped his voice reverberating throughout the room. "Gods Annabeth you are my sister and you just tossed me and the rest of the cabin aside! Do you know how much you hurt our mother? Do you know that Poseidon forbids us to enter his domain because of YOUR actions?"

Annabeth flinched, she avoided looking at Malcolm but he could see tears fall down her face, "We were a family. We were going to be together." Her voice was hollow like a broken recorder."

"A FAMILY? Annabeth you are the most self centered hypocrite I have ever met!" Malcolm yelled his body shaking violently. "You tossed us and our mother under the bus for Kronos. You know we never said anything when the other campers spoke badly of you but now I think they are right, you are so full of yourself. I know that hubris is our fatal flaw but you take it too far. You are a fucking self absorbed hypocrite."

Annabeth flinched tears falling down her face. "Enough!" Kelli said as she appeared from the shadows with Nico. "Nico di Angelo make your oath."

Nico nodded. "I pledge myself to Kronos and vow to serve him and overthrow Olympus!" The son of Hades glared at them. "May the gods suffer for their crimes against my family."

There was a rumble as the coffin glowed. "Guys get ready," he muttered as he saw Luke exit and grab the scythe that a monster offered him.

Luke came out but he was different, his eyes were gold and his demeanor was stiffer. "Ah good to be back," Kronos said as he grabbed his scythe. "Percy Jackson you shall all meet your end here."

"We have to get out of here," Bianca said.

Rachel then through a blue hairbrush at Kronos, it hit his eye and he yelled. "Hey," Luke voice said.

"Run now!" Malcolm said as the monsters began to charge at them.

They ran down the hallway as the monsters charged at them. "I don't think we can outrun them," Rachel said as they turned around and them charge after them.

Nico di Angelo led the monsters with a crazed look in his eye sword gripped in his hand. "Bianca I'm going to save you now!"

"Damn it we can't deal with them all here," Malcolm swore. His face was red from yelling at his sister.

Bianca sighed her brow furrowed as she gripped her bow. "I can do this," she said softly as grabbed an arrow. Bianca turned around and fired it at her brother. Nico's eyes widened as the arrow hit his shoulder.

"AHH!" Nico screamed as he collapsed on the ground.

Tears fell down her face as Bianca clapped her hands and summoned a wall of solid rock to block the monsters. "Come on we don't have much time," she said softly.

"Bianca thank you," he said softly as they made their way down another path.

Bianca only nodded and cleaned the tears off of her face as they ran down another corridor and entered a room with flowers and various wild life in it. In the middle were Grover and Tyson and an elderly satyr. "Grover! Tyson!" He yelled as he ran to his friend.

"Percy!" Grover said. "I um found him."

He turned and saw a large satyr figure. Pan gave them a sad look, "I know you satyrs have been searching for me for ages." That was when he noticed that Pan did not look well in fact he was becoming harder to see. "Grover Underwood my domain is gone please spread the word to all to protect the remainder of my realm."

"No this can't be," Grover said as he broke down. "You can't fade away."

Pan gave Grover a sad look, "Grover I leave it to you to spread my word."

Pan smiled and looked at each of them and addressed each of them personally before looking at her. "Hunter of Artemis send my regards to Lady Artemis we were good friends in the day and I bare no grudge against her or her hunters or the few times the hunted in my domain."

Bianca felt a few tears well up, "I will sir."

Pan smiled at all of them, "Good now the exit from here is that way. Son of Poseidon good luck on your journey. Son of Athena you did well on this quest you have my praise. Son of Nemesis send my regards to your mother. Rachel Dare do not disappear this is not your fault. Good luck to you all," Pan said as he faded and disappeared from their sight.

They all stared in shock at what had transpired as Grover and Rachel began to cry. "Lets go we have a quest to finish," Malcolm said softly. They all nodded and followed the path out of the labyrinth. When they arrived outside they were greeted by a bright sun. "Looks like we will have transportation back to camp," Percy said as he pointed to the sky and some pegasi arrive to carry them back.

Blackjack landed in front of him, "Hey boss we are to pick you guys up. Don't worry the Athena boy can ride on us since it is an emergency."

"Great," he said as he told Malcom the good news.

They all got onto their pegasi and immediately flew off. "Hey Malcolm you did a good job," he said as they flew through the sky.

Malcolm smiled at him, "Thanks. This quest was everything I could've dreamed of and more. But now we have to save our camp."

He nodded and turned to Bianca, "Will you help us? We could use your help."

Bianca nodded, "Of course. After everything Kronos did to my family I'll definitely fight him to the end. Besides I think Nico will still come after me."

"Yeah true," he sighed as he turned to Rachel. "Thanks for coming with us, we couldn't"' have done this without you."

"No problem," Rachel said avoiding his gaze. "I had a great time thanks for having me."

"What did Pan when he said it wasn't your fault?" He asked.

Rachel sighed. "My dad is a rich real estate developer. He buys land sometimes and builds things on them."

Malcolm nodded, "I thought I recognized your last name. I think my dad may have done business with yours a few times."

Rachel nodded, "Yeah that's him. He cares a lot about money and not much else."

"Well it isn't your fault," he said. "You aren't your dad, thanks for coming with us."

Rachel smiled at him, "Thanks Percy."


AN: Well here Ethan joins Percy and Nico helps bring Kronos back. Trust me it will get worse for Nico lol.

Anyway that crazy moderator pretty in pink is still lurkinng around. I deleted her spam reviews and reported her mod account