Walking. That was the only thing they had been doing for hours now. Who knows, it could've been days considering time didn't make sense in the labyrinth. They walked and walked and walked some more until eventually their feet just couldn't take it. Their muscles begged for rest and they were happy to oblige.
"Let's stop here." Percy said, keeping his voice low. He didn't want anything or anyone to be alerted by their presence. He knew this labyrinth. He knew what it was capable of. One wrong move. One wrong step and they were dead. It was necessary to take it slow, even though that was the last thing anyone wanted. The hunter's lives were on the line. Each minute that passed could be a life lost. Artemis was especially of this mindset, groaning in annoyance at stopping for a break. Even she, however, was beginning to tire. Her legs ached and her mind was beginning to play tricks on her or rather the labyrinth was. Even the strong-willed mind of a Goddess of her caliber was privy to the magic of the maze.
"Do you think we're any closer?" Apollo asked, leaning against a wall that was cool on the skin.
"I don't know. I don't think we'll ever know if we're close until it's practically in our face." The son of Poseidon replied with a shrug.
"What was the arena like when you were there? I remember the stories of you being here in the labyrinth once." Atalanta asked curiously. She wanted to know what they were walking into. She wanted to know just what her sisters were currently dealing with. She wanted to know if they had a chance. Even if it was a small one, she just wanted to be reassured. Looking at Percy's face, however, she knew that it was bad.
"I, uh, I don't want to talk about it." He replied, not wanting to scare everyone even more. He didn't want Artemis to give up hope. If he had to give an answer, all he could say was that it was bad. Probably even worse for the hunters than when he was there all those years ago. They were women after all and when men and monsters have control over them, it can bring the sickest of fantasies out. He didn't want the two women to think about what could be done to them.
"Have some food and water. I bet you're starving." Percy brought the conversation elsewhere, digging into his bag and bringing out the last of his rations. She didn't need to know that though. The poor girl needed it more than him.
"Thanks." Atalanta replied, eagerly taking the protein bar and water. She had managed to scarf it down within seconds which made him realize that the stories about the hunter's appetite were true. Leaning his head back, the son of Poseidon turned to Apollo. It was now his turn to ask some questions he had.
"How goes it on Olympus?" Percy asked, causing Apollo to sigh.
"It's definitely going. You defeating the first army is all the talk right now. People honestly thought you wouldn't survive. From what I hear you brought out some unconventional weapons, am I right?"
"I did. Stole them from a mortal military base." He replied with a nod. "How do you know this though? Everyone that was on the battlefield that day is either dead or in Alaska."
"An immortal's presence is everywhere, Percy. Just because you're in the Godless land doesn't mean there aren't any prying eyes." Apollo said mystically. Percy squinted his eyes at the remark. He didn't like the sound of it. The entire reason he escaped to Alaska was to escape prying eyes but it seemed wherever he went that would always be the case.
"Other than that things have been the same. The Gods going berserk at one another, the world basically going to hell, father ordering new demigods to be captured and brought to their respective camps where they'll be fed propaganda about how terrible you are, yadayadayada."
"Wait, what? They're making propaganda about me now?" The demigod asked incredulously.
"Oh yeah, man! We're making tons! It's pretty hard to change opinions about you though since your name is the most famous name in the history of our pantheon but we're getting there. Every new camper is quick to learn to hate you so by the time the great battle rolls around, they'll have no doubts about killing you." Apollo said in a way to cheerful tone, oblivious to the incredulous eyes looking at him.
"I've even made some haikus about you! Wanna hear them, ok here we go!"
"Percy Jackson,
So uncool unlike me
He should die at my feet!"
The trio stared at Apollo in stunned silence as the God bowed his head, seemingly thinking he had a grateful audience. That couldn't be farther from the truth.
"Apollo, what the fuck?" Artemis whispered in amazement.
"For real, dude. What the fuck?"
"I know. I don't like it either but Father threatened to throw me off of Olympus if I didn't do it, believe me cuz! If I could have it my way I would be in Alaska right alongside you! I'm sure the air there is so crisp and pure not to mention the untainted nymphs." Apollo said with a slight shudder, causing everyone to back away in disgust.
Percy shook his head in amazement. It seemed Apollo hadn't changed a bit since the last time he saw him. Getting to his feet and shouldering his bag, he began to trek his way through the maze once more with the others in tow. He honestly didn't know how long it would take to find this arena or even if they found it at all. The labyrinth was ever-changing and its sole purpose was to lead you to your death. Traps, monsters, hallucinations, it did whatever it could to wear you down and make you break. He wouldn't let that happen though. He has sacrificed too much and has lost too many people to just die by a maze he had once conquered before.
Gritting his nerves, he pushed on, walking through the endless darkness with Riptide being his only source of light. There was no way to tell if he was walking in the right direction. For all he knew they were walking in circles. The only thing he knew was that he needed to hold onto hope. Without it, they'll surely never make their way out of here alive.
"Alright, guys, let's-" He was about to say but was interrupted by a thud that shook the very walls around them. Gripping Riptide, he stood silently and waited for the thud to happen again. Everyone stood still, holding their breath for what felt like forever as they waited. Sure enough, a few seconds later the thud came again, shaking the walls slightly. So it wasn't just a figment of their imagination.
"You think it's the arena?" Atalanta asked, turning to Percy.
"Only one way to find out. Come on!" The son of Poseidon replied as he began to jog. Every few seconds the thud occurred, shaking the walls and sending bits of crumpled stone falling from the ceiling above. He would turn in the direction that the thud felt stronger, hoping that would lead him on the correct path. Before long, the thud was practically causing them to stumble due to its sheer force. They pushed on, however, in hopes that they could find the hunters. Rounding the corner, Percy quickly took a sharp breath of panic before hiding behind it, raising his hand to halt the others behind him.
"Found it." He whispered back at them before peaking out to get a better look. Turns out that thud they had been hearing was Antaues who was squashing any monster he found to be an annoyance. He could see the big red bastard get back on his throne before signaling the next fight to begin. The roar of the crowd, something Percy was surprised they weren't able to hear earlier, rang loudly into the air. It seemed his half-brother had expanded his arena to accommodate even more spectators than the last time he was here. Which meant they were in a whole lot of trouble.
"Fuck, that's a lot of them." Apollo exclaimed, peeking out behind Percy.
"Ok, so what's the plan?" Atalanta asked him to which he internally panicked. He hadn't actually managed to think that far ahead. Hell, he didn't even think they were going to find the arena in the first place! Looking at Artemis who was staring intently at him, waiting for his orders, spurred him into action. She needed his help. She needed her hunters. And he wasn't about to let them down.
"Well, I'm just gonna wing it. You guys are going to search for the hunters. Start in the dungeons beneath the arena. That's my guess on where they could be." He replied, nodding his head at the plan.
"But what about you-"
"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I'll cause a big enough distraction that'll let you slip in undetected. Just trust me." He quickly interrupted, not wanting them to have any doubts before shit hit the fan. Preparing himself, he gripped Riptide tightly before beginning to walk out toward the arena. Before he could, however, Artemis stopped him for one brief moment and kissed him on the cheek much to the amazement of Apollo and Atalanta.
"Be careful." She whispered in his ear. Percy could only nod his head, not able to speak properly, before continuing to trek out into the open. The roar of the crowd slowly dwindled as monsters one by one, saw a lone figure walk out into the open, interrupting the current match. Percy licked his dry lips as he craned his eyes upward at the rows and rows of spectators, all peering down at him. It seemed they didn't recognize who he was. They would soon though. He would make sure of that.
"WHO IS THIS! WHO DARES INTERRUPT MY FIGHT?! Antaeus' deep voice bellowed out, the stench of his horrible, warm breath hitting Percy dead smack in the face.
"You know who it is." The demigod replied back smugly, raising his arms in a cocky manner. The half-giant leaned further out from his throne, squinting his eyes to get a better look at the unknown man. They quickly widened in shock though when he realized. Although he was taller, more defined, and uglier, he could tell exactly who this was.
"I don't believe it. If it isn't my brother, Perseus Jackson!" Antaeus cried out in shock, causing the crowd to gasp loudly.
"Oh hell no, I'm out of here." A monster said, running down the steps of the arena before exiting in a flash.
"Smart monster." The demigod mused. Some others attempted to leave but with a wave of his hand, they were quickly turned to dust. He couldn't have anyone leaving if his plan were to work.
"None of you are going anywhere so don't even think about it!" He yelled out, his powerful voice echoing loudly into the air. The arena became still as everyone watched the two brothers stare at one another.
"Good to see you again, Antaeus. You've gotten…redder." Percy greeted, causing the giant to bear his blood-stained fangs.
"And you've gotten even stupider, brother. Only a blind fool would walk into my arena under his own will!"
"Well, I've come here for a reason and one reason only."
"And what's that?"
"To fight." Percy savagely grinned. Antaeus eagerly leaned forward from his seat. Now this was interesting. Perhaps the most interesting thing to happen since the last time his demigod brother was here.
Percy internally smirked as he realized his plan was working accordingly. Playing into the giant's obsession with fights, he knew he could draw both his and the crowd's attention away, giving Artemis and the others an opportunity to look for the hunters. He just hoped that he could give them enough time before things got too out of control.
"You see, brother, I've gotten stronger since the last time we've fought. A lot stronger. And it seems I can never find a worthy opponent anymore. I was hoping that someone in your arena could offer up the challenge."
"Of course my arena can find you a worthy opponent! Do you know who I am?!" The red monster shouted out, pounding his fist against his armrest.
"I don't know about that. All I see as I look around is just a bunch of pussies who couldn't lay a finger on me."
He quickly got a reaction from the crowd after saying that. Already some monsters had dropped down from their seats in the ring below, ready to break the demigod. Antaeus growled at the remark but stayed in his seat. He really wanted to see just how powerful his brother had become. He had heard the stories of his exploits but he just couldn't imagine them to be true. The brat that had gotten lucky in their last fight couldn't have possibly defeated the king of the Titans.
"Well, we'll just have to change that mindset, Perseus. Bring out the first fighter!" The giant said with an intimidating grin but it quickly went away when the demigod shook his head.
"One fighter won't do it. I'm too powerful now to be taken by a simple one on one. I'm more powerful than even you, Antaeus!"
"You dare!"
"Damn right I do!" Percy yelled back, laughing internally at just how easy it was to rile up these monsters. They didn't have a clue about what was going to happen to them.
"I want to go against everyone here!" He yelled, gesturing to the monsters in the stands. "You all know what I'm capable of! You've seen me on the battlefield! If you're going to take me down, you'll need a legion of monsters!"
Quickly the crowd began rageful, their horrid guttural screams filled the hot air. They knew that Perseus was right. They couldn't take him without a legion but thankfully there were over two thousand of them here. That filled them with enough confidence to drop down into the arena, ready for revenge. The demigod was talking too big. Only a God could take out an army this large.
"You talk arrogantly, brother, but can you deliver? Let's play your game!" The red giant said with a menacing smile before gesturing to the arena to attack. It was like a switch had been flipped because as soon as Anteaus had said that, every single monster in the arena charged at the demigod. Warcries and blood-curling screams filled the air as the legion closed in on the demigod. Percy, however, paid no attention to them and instead looked to the back of the arena where he caught a faint glimpse of Artemis, Apollo, and Atalanta swiftly running into the underground dungeons. Smirking at the so-far success of his plan, he took a deep breath, conjured his armor Hecate had gifted him, and readied himself. It was finally time to test the limits of the armor and the curse of Achilles.
It was like a tsunami had hit him when the monsters finally arrived at his position, swarming him like a pack of hungry dogs. Everywhere he looked and stepped, there were at least a hundred monsters in that certain spot with even more behind them, clawing, biting, and jumping over others just to get a chance at killing him.
"YES! YES! KILL HIM!" Percy could hear Antaeus scream out over the roar of monsters. He almost laughed at the joyful expression the red giant had plastered on his face. He wished he could see it when he finished killing all these bastards. That would take some time, however, as with every swipe of his sword, more monsters would just fill in the gaps. Stabbing, slashing, kicking, punching, he did everything he could to kill. If anyone were to be watching from the stands, they would only see a blur of black and bronze flash throughout the wave of monsters. Metal clashed against metal, monster dust, and other abnormal monster fluids rained down onto the arena dirt as the son of Poisedon hacked his way through.
Dodging and weaving claws, fangs, swords, and clubs, the stygian iron-clad demigod fought his way toward the throne of the giant who continued to sit and watch. It seemed Antaeus didn't realize just how much trouble he would soon be in, still occupied watching his subjects try to tear into his brother. He needed to take him out quickly before things escalated out of control. He remembered just how much of a pain it was to kill the giant as he couldn't be defeated if he touched the earth.
Taking a glance up at the ceiling while continuing to fight, Percy realized that there weren't any chains like the last time he was here. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, it seemed Antaeus was smart enough to take them away after reforming, not wanting to be killed by the ornaments of his arena again. Despite the hiccup, he continued to press on toward the throne, killing anything that dared to get in his way.
"You cannot win, brother! You say you've gotten stronger but I don't see a difference!" The giant gave a hearty laugh. Percy smirked at the remark, wondering if he should show a new trick he had been working on.
"Fuck it. Need all the practice I can get." He said to himself before taking a deep breath. Raising both his hands from his side, he felt the air start to become heavy as if it was an early humid morning. He could feel the tug in his gut become sharper and sharper as he dug deep, trying to conjure every ounce of power he had. Grunting at the strain, he closed his eyes, doing his best not to pass out. Feeling his hands begin to shake, he reopened them to find that blood was dripping out his mouth and nose. But the pain he inflicted upon himself was not in vain as he looked up at the thousand monsters floating in mid-air. All were choking on their own essence, desperately clawing at the empty air trying to get a footing to breathe again. Percy, however, wouldn't let that happen. Squeezing his hands shut, he watched them all combust in an instant, raining golden dust onto him.
Dropping to a knee, he panted for air as he tried to gather himself. That display of power had definitely taken a lot out of him. It was easily the most amount of power he had ever exhorted, especially since he was controlling the faintest amount of water the monsters had in them. The only reason he was able to control that many was because of the curse but doing that caused a lot of drawbacks like the exhaustion he was currently feeling.
"ACK!" Percy yelled out as he felt a large hand swat him right in the face, sending him flying backward into one of the arena's walls. Hitting it with such force that caused it to crumble, he collapsed on the dirt, spitting out blood. He had definitely broken a couple of ribs and judging by his wheezing one of them had pierced his lung. Another drawback of the curse was that although it protects your external frame, it definitely didn't protect your internal one.
"Quite a display, Perseus." Antaeus said, gesturing to the now monster-free arena. "That was the power of a God, I'll admit that."
Shakily getting to his feet, Percy gripped Riptide as he used some of his power to stop the blood from rushing into his lung, allowing him to breathe properly, albeit painfully, for some time.
"Clearly, however, you aren't one, judging by how easily it was to hurt you. Allow me to show you the true power of an immortal!" The giant yelled out as he charged, his earth-shaking footsteps causing the entire arena to rumble. Percy, thinking quickly, dove to the side just before the giant could run him over, sending him crashing through the already weakened structure.
"You rat!" Antaeus screamed, looking back at the demigod who was trying to run to a better position.
The black-haired demigod wheezed as he tried to run toward the dungeon beneath the arena where Artemis and the others were. He couldn't fight this giant alone now that he was in a weakened state. A lot of his power had been drained due to that new trick he pulled and he was using the last bit of it to prevent himself choking to death on his own blood. The giant, however, was quicker than he remembered, running right behind him before again swatting him away like he was a fly against a window. Percy closed his eyes as he braced himself before hitting another wall. The sharp pain from his broken ribs felt like they were on fire at this point and the blood that was pooling in his mouth was beginning to leak at an alarming rate. If he took any more hits like that, his endo-skeleton frame would simply fail due to the strain.
"How weak you are." The giant laughed as he menacingly walked toward the downed demigod, cracking his knuckles as he prepared to end his life. Coughing in profuse fits, Percy realized what he needed to do if he wanted to come out of this fight alive. He didn't know if it would work since his powers were almost exhausted but he needed to try. If he can't defeat Antaeus, then this war for Olympus will be lost. His camp, his father's realm, and the countless demigods under Zeus's tyrannical reign will all suffer if he dies here today.
"Oh, you're still kicking?! Let me change that!" He said, trying to grab Percy's head. He was stopped, however, by an unseen force that seemed to wrap itself around his hand. The red giant could feel the blood in it begin to boil and evaporate, making his red skin look grey like it was decaying. Since he was touching the earth, however, he was still being healed at the same time, making the process excruciating. Every second his wound healed, the process would start over. It was enough to make any sane person want to kill themself.
"STOP IT!" Antaeus cried out as he felt the unseen force creep across his entire body, wrapping around him like a blood-sucking cocoon. Soon his entire body looked to be decaying with his red skin, eyes, and even hair beginning to turn grey due to the lack of moisture and blood in it. Collapsing to his knees right in front of Percy, they both watched in pain as the endless cycle of healing and torture continued. It wouldn't be long, however, until one of them gave up this waiting game. One of them would soon succumb to the pain and exhaustion and it looked like Percy would be the first. He couldn't keep this level of power up. The blood in his lungs was beginning to fill at a rapid pace thanks to his last remaining bit of power now being focused on the giant.
"Just fucking die." The demigod gritted out, the blood vessels in his eyes bursting, making him look like a monster himself. Pushing harder, he focused on every last bit of water in the giant, making sure that he felt the absolute misery this power could inflict. The water in him was way past its boiling point, practically turning into magma due to the intense heat. He could see his skin begin to melt off the bone, making the giant look like a red, melted ice cream. But the longer this continued, the more his power drained. He could see Antaeus's body heal faster and it wouldn't be long until he could snatch him and squeeze him to death. It only got worse when the giant was able to sort of move again, digging into his pocket before pulling a red vial out. This caused Percy's eyes to widen. He had seen this same red vial before when Ares had caught them in Alaska. He could only watch as the giant's red arm slowly and shakily lifted it to his mouth, drowning the contents quickly.
Immediately he felt his powers not work on the giant. It was like a wall had been placed in the middle of them, preventing any type of blood manipulation from being inflicted upon him. He watched as the monster got to his feet, looking even taller than before. His muscles contorted beneath his skin, growing larger by the second. His red eyes gleamed with murder as he cracked his neck, enjoying the power he had been gifted flowing through his veins.
"Oh, this is wonderful." Antaeus said to himself, lifting his head with closed eyes as he enjoyed the feeling.
Percy felt panic rise in him as he knew if he didn't kill this giant now, it would be too late. Whatever was in that vial was enough to make even a God worry. While his half-brother was distracted, he quickly grabbed his sword, got to his feet, and charged. Ignoring the pain across his entire body and with a furious scream, Percy stabbed directly into the giant's stomach. He knew this would do nothing as the earth would soon heal his wounds. Thinking quickly, the demigod, with all the might he could conjure, slowly lifted the giant upward into the air with his sword. Using all the strength and power he had left, he lifted the red giant into the air, using only the handle of Riptide as leverage. Screaming in fury, the demigod sliced the giant's stomach wide open, sending all types of dust and guts over his black armor. He could see the earth desperately rise to the air, trying to heal its son but to no avail. Percy had raised him too high. He looked up and watched Antaeus's red eyes peer down at him, the shock and pain in them soon going away only to be filled with the lifeless void. Soon, all who remained in the arena was the true son of Poseidon. His sword was still raised high in the air as if in a victorious pose.
Breathing deeply, Percy capped Riptide as he staggered toward the dungeon. He walked like he was in a trance, his body shakily swaying back and forth like the wind. With his eyes half closed and downcasted, he failed to realize the group that was standing in front of him. Running into the shoulder of a familiar woman, he recognized the scent. Looking down, he stared into the awestruck silver eyes of Artemis, who wordlessly looked up at him. Glancing to his left and right, he noticed that she had brought more people than they had originally come in with. Seeing the faint glow around them, he realized that he was looking at the hunters. He gave a blood-stained smile behind his golden mask, realizing that the mission was accomplished. They had managed to save the hunters.
"Where's Thalia?" He asked, seeing that she wasn't among them.
"They took her up there." A hunter pointed upward toward the top of the arena that held a penthouse of sorts. It looked like one of those fancy rooms you would find at a sporting event that only rich people stayed in. Without another word, the son of Poseidon ran up the steps toward it. He ignored the excruciating pain that filled every fiber of his being. He could handle it if it meant saving his cousin. Coughing up blood, he ignored the concerned shouts of Artemis as he continued on his path. Finally arriving at where the hunters said she would be, he effortlessly kicked through the door that separated him. With Riptide raised, he quickly scanned the room and found a man, no older than twenty, staring at him. Behind him, lay Thalia who was in a cage, looking fine except that she wasn't wearing any clothes. Only protected by her undergarments. Percy growled like a wolf as his eyes landed back on the unknown man. He wanted to do even worse things to him than he did to Antaeus. Walking menacingly toward him, he prepared to cut off his head but sadly he never got the chance.
"Hail the Lord." The man whispered before grabbing a small knife and slitting his own throat. Percy felt his warm blood splatter against his armor but paid no heed to it. He was half tempted to use his powers and prevent the man from dying but sadly he couldn't. Any more use of his powers could send him into a heart attack. Instead, he stepped over the now-dead man and went over to Thalia who stared at him with slitted eyes. Although she was almost nude and powerless due to the cage that dampened her powers, she was as feisty as ever.
"Who are you?!" She snarled but scooted away further into the cage when Percy sliced it open with his sword.
Realizing that she couldn't see him due to his armor, he quickly willed it back into a necklace, revealing himself to her. Although the lower half of his face was covered in his own blood, she immediately recognized him. His green eyes were always something she would remember about it. But as she continued to stare into those eyes, filled with love and concern, that's when her walls broke. Breaking down into sobs, she quickly ran up to Percy and hugged him with all her might. She didn't care about the blood, sweat, and monster dust on him and he didn't care about her tears and nude body on him. All that they cared about was that the other was still alive and now safe.
Percy did his best not to pass out from her hugging his already broken ribs and instead wordlessly hugged Thalia back. He didn't know what all she had been through but if it got her to break down like this, it must've been serious. Looking at the man on the floor whose blood was pooling around his face, endless questions ran through his mind. Who was he? What did he want with the hunters? Who was the Lord?
"Thalia!" He could hear Artemis's concerned voice cry out from the entrance. He turned his head to find the Goddess looking at them with confusion. It soon turned to rage though when she scoured the room and the state of her lieutenant. She saw the dead man as well but her mind was only focused on her sister. Thalia, despite seeing her Goddess here to rescue her, stayed in Percy's arms as he continued to hold her. It was the only place she could feel safe here in this Godsforsaken arena. Taking off his shirt, he put it over his cousin who needed it more than him. She ignored the blood that stained it and softly said thank you.
"Percy?!" She said, looking at his bare torso that had a rib sticking through it. Looking down, he was honestly surprised that it was able to pierce his skin due to the curse but he supposed that only applied to external factors.
"It's fine. Let's just get you home." He said, exhaustion clearly evident in his voice.
The thought of home perked Thalia up greatly as she walked out of the room she had been imprisoned in for Gods know how long. The other hunters, seeing their lieutenant alive, quickly gave her a tearful embrace. They tried to give one to Percy as well but Artemis who was helping him walk, quickly stopped them, pointing to the rib that was sticking out of him.
"Let me heal that for you." Apollo, who had been quiet for most of the reunion, said but Percy waved him off.
"We caused too much noise. Monsters are going to be flooding this area any minute. Let's get out of here first." He replied, ignoring his body that begged for Apollo's powers. Walking out of the arena and back into the maze, the now larger group quickly got as far as they could before they took a break. Collapsing against a wall and coughing in bloody fits, Percy was quickly assisted by Apollo who wouldn't take no for an answer this time. Feeling relief flood his veins, he took one last look at the hunters who stared at him with concern in their eyes. Finally passing out from exhaustion, his last thought was that he was glad the mission was a success but it had also brought up a lot of questions. Questions that could wait until he woke up again.
