imaginary mind, imaginary lines

Notes:

here's my 2 cents: Rick's greatest crime was not having more Clarisse. She's such an underrated character and I love her so much

(Title from Labyrinth by Miracle Musical)

Chapter Text

Percy at least had a shred of vital information when he returned to Camp Half-Blood after his second trip into the Labyrinth. No, not that there was a whole other camp full of Roman demigods. No, not that the gods had been lying to both camps about there being only one safe haven for their kind.

As Percy broke through the surface of the earth, finding himself back in his camp, he wondered what the fuck he should be doing with this information. Obviously, Camps Half-Blood and Jupiter had been split for a reason. Probably some archaic dumb one, but a reason nevertheless. And since he only narrowly escaped divine execution once, Percy had no idea if revealing what he knew would land him in a similar situation again.

What he did know was that monsters were attacking Camp Jupiter too, so Luke's forces were at least somewhat split. But with Camp Jupiter being so close to the Titan's base of operations, Percy wondered if that put the Roman camp in even bigger danger than their own.

Percy headed straight for the Big House. The sun was bright and high in the sky now, but hopefully not much time had passed. He found Chiron in his private office, the door slightly ajar.

"Percy, is that you? I thought you had gone into the Labyrinth already."

"I did. I found something big, Chiron."

He waited for his mentor to react. Chiron set his book aside and rested his arms on the table.

"Close the door, come tell me what you discovered."

Percy did so and sat down across from his teacher. First, he learned that it was still the same day he left Camp Half-Blood, only now it was the early afternoon.

When it was Percy's turn to trade information, he said, "While I was in the Labyrinth, I came across a huge group of monsters. There were at least a few dozen and they looked like they were on their way somewhere."

Technically not a lie.

"I'm not sure what it was, Chiron, I couldn't really follow them. But from what I heard, it sounds like Luke's definitely still alive but his forces are split between two primary targets."

Percy waited for Chiron to react. His teacher stroked his beard as he contemplated what Percy told him.

"One must be Camp Half-Blood," he said.

Percy nodded. "But the monsters I found said something about the west coast. I heard that Kampê was recruited and is in Alcatraz, so maybe their target is in California."

Percy didn't want to let on too soon that he found Camp Jupiter. He wanted to give Chiron pieces, to see either if he knew or if he was going to purposely withhold information.

"Chiron… is there anything you can think of on the west coast? Anything Luke would want to attack?"

The silence stretched between them, putting Percy on edge. He gripped the arms of his chair until, finally, Chiron spoke.

"Firstly, it concerns me greatly that the likes of Kampê have been brought up from the pit. She is a powerful foe, and there are others just as dangerous as she. But the only location of significance in the west that I can think of is the entrance to the Underworld. Though I find it hard to imagine there's any worth in attacking there."

Percy swallowed and nodded. He searched Chiron's face foranything,but found no trace that his mentor was lying.

"Percy," Chiron said, "this is valuable information you've brought. I thank you for bringing this to my attention so quickly, but I ask that you not attempt to return to the Labyrinth until the camp as a whole can better prepare. I fear we may need everyone here, especially considering that the summer is so far off."

So he was asking Percy to stay here. Maybe Chiron did know something. Or maybe Percy was just being paranoid. After all, why would Chiron keep the other camp secret? Especially when most campers here seemed to face pretty bad ends fairly often.

"Alright, Chiron. I... uh, if there's nothing else you need, then I think I want to get some rest."

Chiron nodded. "Please do, Percy."

He quickly excused himself. Onyx was laying with his head resting on the front steps of the porch. Andrea was licking the cut in her side.

"How are you doing, girl? Does that still hurt?" Percy asked, coming up to her to pat her neck. Andrea woofed and nuzzled against him. It looked like the cut was already healing, the blood flowing much less than before. So long as Andrea kept to the shadows for the rest of the day, the darkness should help her heal.

"You two get some rest, alright? We already went through a lot today."

Andrea nuzzled his hand before vanishing into shadows. Onyx got up and padded alongside Percy on his way to his cabin. Halfway there, he walked past the arena and saw Clarisse whacking at some dummies with her spear.

She turned, as if feeling his eyes on her, and paused.

"Jackson? You're back already?"

He nodded.

Clarisse adjusted the bandana keeping her hair back, her spear propped at her side. She looked like something was bothering her.

"Can we talk?" she suddenly asked.

Percy blinked, surprised. Then nodded. "Yeah, sure."

He waited for Clarisse to take off her armor before they started wandering down the path that led to the woods. Clarisse was using her spear like a walking stick, until Percy noticed that there was a slight limp in her leg. A healing injury, maybe?

"What'd you find down there this time?" Clarisse asked, "I heard the first time you went in, you got to California in days."

"Hours," Percy corrected. "It only felt like hours to me."

Clarisse huffed. "Lucky. When I was down there, it felt like years."

The end of her spear hit a rock, the sharpthunkjarring in the relative silence. "It's the lack of light. I couldn't tell what time or day it was."

Percy nodded. "Yeah, I got that feeling too. But this time, I was gone for only a few hours and it didn't feel much longer than that. Though space inside the Labyrinth was completely warped, I ended up back in California again."

Clarisse' nose wrinkled. She was only a year or two older than Percy, but Clarisse had always seemed so indomitable. Tough as Hades, reaching six feet tall and still growing from what Percy could tell. But now, she had never looked so weary. Dark bags hung under her eyes and her hair was shaved short now, maybe from getting so matted during her time in the Labyrinth.

They haven't always gotten along, but Percy felt bad for her. She was down there all alone and with no backup. And she couldn't see in the dark, either.

"Did you try getting any information while you were in California?" she asked.

"I found out that Luke's forces are split. I'm guessing they're planning on attacking our camp, but there's something else they're targeting. Something big, and something they need the Labyrinth to reach."

Clarisse squinted at him."Ourcamp?"

Fuck. Clarisse was no Athena kid, but when it came to war, nothing slipped past her. "Yeah, I mean Camp Half-Blood. Obviously. But I didn't get to find out the other place they're trying to find."

"Could be Daedalus' workshop," Clarisse said, "supposedly there's all sorts of weapons and shit in there. Even ways of navigating the Labyrinth, supposedly."

"Supposedly," Percy repeated.

Actually, that made sense. If Luke was trying to weaken Camp Jupiter because they were so close, but was also probably planning on attacking Camp Half-Blood, butalsoneeded to know how to navigate the Labyrinth, then that meant Kronos' armies were even more divided than Percy originally thought.

He and Clarisse were well within the woods now, their conversation somewhat covered by the sound of the babbling creek close by. It was then that Clarisse stopped and turned to face him. It was so sudden, he nearly walked into her.

"Percy," she said, using his actual name, "Listen. There's something I want to ask you."

He suddenly got a bad feeling in his gut, not just because Clarisse wasn't one to ask for anything, but also just by seeing the look on her face. She seemed pensive, grinding the end of her spear into the dirt.

"I didn't want people finding out, but when I went into the Labyrinth, I found someone. You remember Chris Rodriguez?"

Percy's brows furrowed. The last he ever saw of Chris was on Luke's cruise ship, after he turned traitor.

"What about him?"

Clarisse frowned, not from anger but from something else. Something that was bothering her badly.

"I found him. He was wandering around Texas, near where my mom lives. And he was driven completely insane." She gestured with her spear in the general direction of the Big House, "I brought him back, but since Mr. D is away on orders from Olympus, there's not really a way to cure his madness yet."

A faint memory surfaced in the back of Percy's mind. When Clarisse came back from her mission, she briefly asked Chiron about ahim.

Clarisse shook her head, "There's no getting through to him, he's terrified of the dark but also refuses to go outside. He's just- it's like he's justbroken."

"Clarisse..?"

She grabbed him by the shoulder and squeezed. Percy's eyes widened, not at all used to any physical contact from Clarisse not hurting.

"You don't know the rumors going on about you, Jackson. Some say you came back from the dead, others say you didthingsto look more normal. But I don't give a shit about any of that."

Clarisse gave him a slight shake.

"I haven't forgotten the huge solid you did for me on my quest to the Sea of Monsters. You're really valuable for the camp, Percy. And even if Ihavegiven you a lot of shit in the past, we can't afford for you to... to end up like Chris."

Percy was quiet, a thousand different things he wanted to say or ask getting stuck in his throat. Clarisse pulled her hand away and adjusted her bandana.

"You got that, Jackson?"

Percy swallowed. "So you're asking me to not go back?"

Clarisse tilted her chin up a few centimeters, looking much more like herself. "I'm saying that with Annabeth and Thalia both with the Hunters, and with summer still months away, that if anything goes to shit we're going to need all the help we can get."

If they were anything like Camp Jupiter, they'd be a lot better off. But since it was just a dozen year-rounders here, Percy felt torn. He wanted,needed,to learn more about Camp Jupiter and Kronos' plans, and he was probably still the best choice for expeditions into the Labyrinth. But on the other hand, he didn't want to make it feel like he wasn't actually here helping.

"Alright," Percy said, "besides, we don't have any way of controlling the Labyrinth, either. Until we get a better idea of what we're dealing with, I'll stay."

Clarissed breathed a sigh of relief. She nodded. "Good. Well, I'm going back to training."

She hurried off, leaving Percy by the river. But before disappearing from view, she turned back and said, "Also, Jackson. Your mom is pretty cool. So don't do anything that would get her upset, got it?"

Percy nodded. And without another word, Clarisse left. Though Percy didn't feel the need to follow after her. Instead, he stewed in his thoughts as he took the scenic route around a bend in the river further into the woods before winding his way back to the cabins.

Ruby and Cass greeted him, sniffing his clothes and following him into his cabin. Nico was missing, but it made Percy feel a tiny bit relieved as he changed into clean clothes and fell onto his bunk. He didn't think he was tired enough for a nap, but being sandwiched between two hounds made him want to close his eyes.

He was dreaming soon after.

The world stitched itself out of nothing, blackness giving way to columns and walls until Percy was standing in a massive chamber. It felt like a tomb with its oppressive air and low lighting, but he knew he was back in the Labyrinth.

"Why do you keep bringing me back here?" Percy asked.

A voice responded,Isn't a setting you're more familiar with comforting to converse in?

Percy frowned. "Yeah, but why this one? Why not anywhere else?"

Chaos hummed.Perhaps because I feel a sort of kinship with this little Labyrinth. It lives in a similar way to myself, divorced from the need of blood or bone like humans do. I can feel it in you, my child, the way you also feel a connection to this place.

Percy took a step back. "I don't know what you mean."

Is your goal not to explore? The Labyrinth can give you dungeons full of enemies, provide you with ancient curses, and much more. But you have a different want in your heart. A want that is currently sowing, and excuse my language, a great deal of chaos within the world.

"Haven't I already been doing that?"

Chaos laughed.

Oh, my child. There is so little about your world that you understand. Your Greek camp and your Roman siblings have been separated for thousands of years, kept from each other by the gods themselves.

Percy frowned. "Why, though? We would be better off if we had each other for support."

If Camp Half-Blood had the type of backing Camp Jupiter did, that was.

Your gods are far more fragile than they want you to think. They like to keep their Greek and Roman identities separated, though I find it a rather foolish endeavor.

Chaos paused for a moment, as if pondering something.

Though they do not yet know of your exploits, I imagine the uncovering of your Roman counterparts may bridge that gap the Olympians have been desperate to maintain.Perhaps not enough to hamper their war preparations, but enough to cause a headache for those spoiled gods.

Percy inhaled sharply, a sinking feeling in his gut. He ran a hand through his hair, twisting it in his pale white locks. About a hundred different thoughts tried to fit in his head. But it wasn't the gods he was scared for. It was Camp Half-Blood and Nico. Clarisse and Silena and Beckendorf. Annabeth and Thalia, who were out in the monster-infested world with only their goddess and fellow Hunters for protection. His mother, who was now deeply entrenched in his life.

"So I really can't go back into the Labyrinth then? I can't afford to find Camp Jupiter again?"

Is that so?Chaos asked.

Without warning, the Labyrinth began crumbling away, walls revealing Camp Jupiter in the midst of an attack. Percy staggered back, the clash of dozens of different swords and shields ringing in his ears. But it was night, and Percy knew he went to sleep in the afternoon.

Come sunset in exactly seven days, your sibling camp will be under siege once more.

A burst of white light made Percy flinch. It faded just as quickly as it appeared.

And should they fall, your Camp Half-Blood will be Kronos' next priority.

Percy squinted against the darkness, spotting a glowing figure several yards away. Bolts of lightning, just like Thalia's, arched off their sword and armor. No monster dared to go within ten feet of them, but the figure was fast, cutting through foes while blasting others.

And it wasn't just the sword or armor. Percy knew what enchanted weapons looked like, and what it looked like for a person to actually summon lightning. Thalia's lightning lit up her eyes, just like this person.

Another child of Zeus. Or rather, Jupiter.

The realization made Percy's blood freeze in his veins despite every instinct of his wanting to draw his sword and fight. He sprinted for the figure, dodging monsters even though he was sure they couldn't hurt him while he was dreaming.

He stopped in front of the other demigod just in time for him to narrowly block a blow from a cyclops' club. The impact still sent them staggering backward, though the cyclops fared much worse.

The lightning dancing across their armor dimmed just enough for Percy to see their eyes. Their cyan colored eyes.

Jason.

Thalia had a brother.

But more importantly, another kid of the Big Three meant Percy might not actually be the subject of the Great Prophecy after all. As much as he knew it might kill him, Percy had wanted to be the subject so Nico could be spared from it. But all this time, maybe the stupid prophecy wasn't even meant for either of them.

The scene shifted again. The sounds of war were fading fast, giving way to the crackle of a fire and the sound of wind. Percy was back in the temple at Camp Jupiter, though it was daytime now.

Watch the calm before the storm.Chaos said.

This was happening in real time? Or was it some other time before the attack?

Either way, another blond guy -unmistakably Octavian- was standing over a bronze brazier. Gutted plushies and piles of stuffing laid around his feet. Octavian was muttering something too faint for Percy to hear.

He stepped closer, circling the brazier until he saw the older boy's face. In Octavian's hands was a plate piled with meat and cheese. He scraped the whole thing into the fire. Percy took a step back as the flames jumped a few feet in the air, writhing and churning before dying down.

"Perseus," Octavian said, louder now."Perseus..."

The fire was like those at Camp Half-Blood. It smelled exactly like perfectly cooked steak and fresh cheese.

I have faith that with the knowledge you now have, you will be able to act accordingly. Goodbye and good luck, Percy.

"Wait, I-"

Percy wanted answers. He wanted to know if Jason was the true child of the Great Prophecy. He wanted to know if he should stay at Camp Half-Blood or try to go back into the Labyrinth. But the world and all its sights and sounds were melting fast.

Percy opened his eyes and inhaled. He was back in his cabin. He sat up, head spinning as he could still smell the smoke and food from Octavian's fire. But the strangest thing was, Percy swore he could taste rare steak and goat's cheese on his tongue. Faint, but there.

He was probably just hungry. But he was in no mood to venture outside for something to eat, his thoughts occupied by Jason and what Chaos told him. Percy reached under his bunk and grabbed at his secret stash of snacks.

He wished he had someone he could talk to. Annabeth, if she was here, would have been the perfect confidant. But once again, it looked like he was on his own.

Percy climbed out of bed and staggered to the door. He wanted to head for the arena, or maybe take his hounds into the woods for some training. Anything to help take his mind off of everything.

To his surprise, he found Nico talking to Hestia by the fire in the center of the cabins. Nico spotted him and got up, running toward Percy.

"Percy! What happened? When did you get back?"

"Uh, hi Nico," Percy said. He glanced toward Hestia, though she looked more amused by Nico's sudden departure than annoyed. He gave her a small smile before turning his attention back to Nico.

"It was a short mission this time. I had to come back for reasons."

"What kind of mission was it?" Nico asked.

Percy frowned, knowing he couldn't tell Nico. But at the same time, he didn't want the other to feel left in the dark. Percy gestured over his shoulder.

"Come on, I think I should talk to you about something."

Nico's eyes lit up as they returned to Percy's cabin. He sat down on his bunk and Nico sat down across from him.

"So you'll tell me about where you've been going?"

Percy rubbed the back of his neck. "Not exactly. There are a few things Chiron wants to keep secret. But you deserve to know what's really going on, in case things go bad in the future."

Nico didn't need to know about Percy's whole past or his experiences with Chaos, but he should be told about the same amount that most other year-rounders and even other campers knew. So Percy explained to Nico who Luke was, a former counselor at camp who turned traitor. He explained how Luke had stolen Zeus' master bolt and poisoned Thalia's old pine tree in the past, and how Percy had to go on quests to resolve both issues.

"So there's a war going on? With gods and Titans?" Nico asked.

Percy nodded. "Chiron's been sending me on missions to try and fix an issue with the camp, but I've been told to stay here for now."

Nico studied him, completely quiet. Percy had sort of hoped Nico would be happy that he was staying, but the other boy had a strange look in his eyes. Nico brushed the stray locks of dark hair from his face.

"But you're not actually going to stay, are you?"

Percy blinked. "Why do you think that?"

Nico made a gesture with his hands, an open palmed gesture as if to indicate the answer was obvious. "You've been through too much to justnotdo anything now. You left this morning without saying goodbye and you'll do it again if you have to."

Percy was taken aback by Nico's words. But it wasn't like Nico was accusing him of leaving, there was a sort of quiet acceptance to his words. Not even a hint of anger, just a kind of sadness.

"I left early so I wouldn't worry you. I just- I can't tell you where I go or why but…"

Percy trailed off. Hearing himself, he realized he sounded a lot like Chiron. Withholding information on purpose. Nico didn't even know about the Great Prophecy, which Percy had heard rumors of over the years. He was keeping secrets from Nico just as much as Chiron and the gods were doing to him, and the idea made Percy hate himself for acting like them.

He ran a hand through his hair. "Look Nico, the more you know the more danger you're in. And you found out you were a demigod even younger than I did. Plus, the more of a handle you get on your powers, the more monsters and enemies will want to target you."

Nico frowned. "So you're saying I'm better off useless? Even if I am a child of the Big Three?"

Percy inhaled sharply, glancing toward the windows to make sure there was no one in sight. So far, Hades hadn't bothered sending a symbol to claim Nico, and Percy wanted things to stay that way. Word couldn't get out that another child of the Big Three existed. Luke or Kronos would do anything to get their hands on Nico, as either a pawn to use, or to eliminate a rogue element in their plans.

Percy thought back to before he got his new body. Chaos showed him images of Nico either fighting for or against Camp Half-Blood. He wondered if it was still possible for things to go either way, or if he'd altered fate by bringing Nico back to camp. Regardless, it was even more reason to not treat Nico like a child.

Nico got to his feet. "You know, in my dreams the dead try to talk to me. And they tell me things about you, too."

"Nico," Percy said as he stood up as well, "I just don't want you to get hurt. I want you to train, to get stronger before trying anything serious."

Nico started wringing his hands, frown deepening. "The dead tell me I shouldn't trust you. That you're really dangerous. But you aren't like Annabeth. Can't you tell me what's really going on?"

Gods, he was perceptive for his age. Though Percy didn't like that comment about Annabeth, he realized that Nico was already getting stronger on his own.

"If you swear not to tell anyone, I'll try to tell you as much as I can."

Nico's eyes widened, like he didn't expect Percy to yield. They sat back down and Percy told him about the Labyrinth running under not only the camp, but the entire country. He twisted the truth a bit and told Nico that because of his hellhound pack, Percy was the safest choice for the person to explore the Labyrinth. And he explained to the younger boy how important it was for Percy to keep some of his findings secret. Not only from Nico, but from basically everyone.

"Believe me, if it was my choice I wouldn't be keeping this a secret from any of the other campers. But it just isn't safe."

Nico was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "Thanks for being honest with me. I'll keep it secret, promise."

Percy breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want to bind Nico to his word by using the Styx, so he let the other boy leave without much fuss. But once he was alone, thoughts of Camp Jupiter came creeping back in.

They were going to be under siege again in a week. Gods, how long had that been going on?

Maybe Camp Jupiter wasn't as well off as he originally thought they were if they were being bombarded so frequently. Or maybe they already knew of the attack ahead of time because of Octavian. Percy didn't know. A part of him kind of did want to stay at Camp Half-Blood, to work on fortifying their defenses and training Nico, but another part of him knew he couldn't possibly stay here.

He couldn't afford to be gone for long, but at the very least, he could warn Jason and Camp Jupiter. Anything to help, because even if Percy was jealous of them, they deserved a heads up at the very least. After all, they were both fighting the same enemy.

Percy had hoped that, even for a while, he could try to pretend that things were alright. He trained with Nico in the arena, ate meals at the pavilion, and kept check of Andrea's health. He wanted to have a normal week, or as normal as it could be, but the extra chores Chiron had him do didn't help.

One night, Percy had to take Beckendorf into the woods to patrol the far perimeter of the camp's borders and set up a few traps. The hounds, save for Andrea, came willingly, providing transport and backup. And with three hellhounds accompanying them, not many monsters dared attack them. Then he was busy with other things, like shining and sharpening old weapons in the armory, or working with Clarisse to run camp-wide drills.

The morning exactly seven days after his return, Percy awoke knowing that Camp Jupiter would be attacked come nightfall. It would take place several hours after curfew here in Camp Half-Blood, but maybe Percy could use that to his advantage. At the cusp of curfew, he might be able to make it to California before it got dark there. If not, he could at least act as backup. With the power to shadow-travel on his side, he should be able to make it to the Labyrinth without any issue. All he needed to do was pack beforehand and keep quiet about his plan. No one needed to know.

So Percy spent that day trying to act as normal as possible. He trained Nico and tried to get in some rock climbing to burn off a little of his nervous energy.

Then, just after dinner and the setting of the winter sun, Percy got ready to head out. He put on the armor he had stashed in his cabin, the leather and celestial bronze a comfort after wearing so many times. Then he grabbed his backpack full of nectar, ambrosia, water, and first aid supplies. While he was still in his cabin, he whistled low and long. Ruby and Cass phased through the shadows, tails wagging with anticipation.

"Come on, you two are coming with me this time," Percy said.

He grabbed onto Cass and Ruby with each hand, the two of them transporting him through the tumbling darkness and into the woods. They were just a few yards away was the treeline and the start to camp, but hopefully no one would see him moving in the dark.

Percy whistled again, the sound almost lost to the wind. Thankfully, Onyx's keen ears must have heard him. He didn't have to wait long before the biggest of his pack arrived, raising his head to sniff the air.

"Hey, boy." Percy said, holding out his hand.

Onyx nudged his palm with a wet, warm nose. Too bad they couldn't bring Andrea, but Percy wasn't willing to risk her getting hurt more. Besides, he hopefully had all the backup muscle they'd need with them already.

So with (nearly) his whole pack, Percy raced through the woods. Onyx, already guessing where they were going, carried him right up to the entrance to the Labyrinth. Percy took a deep breath and looked back. He couldn't see the edge of camp anymore, and the woods were starting to become more active with nocturnal monsters. He was already here, he just needed to go in.

Percy didn't dare pray to any god or Chaos, but he just hoped he wouldn't disappear for another long stretch of time.

He plunged into the Labyrinth. One by one, his hellhounds followed. By then, the darkness and the uneasy aura within the Labyrinth felt familiar but no less disquieting.

More than once, Percy was sure he heard footsteps behind him. But each time he turned around, there was no one there. He almost wished one of the hounds would perk up and growl at the darkness, just so his suspicions could be confirmed. But no, it was only him that felt uneasy.

Then they were slowed down by a small group of monsters. By the looks of their tattered clothes and pale skin, they'd been down in the Labyrinth for a long time. Too long to be part of Luke's army. Percy couldn't decide if he was relieved or not.

At last, the tunnel they were in gave way to modern cement and fluorescent lights. Whatever hold Percy suspected he had over the Labyrinth, he hoped it brought him to Camp Jupiter. They reached a service door made of tarnished metal at the end of the corridor, and Percy pushed it open.

It might've been a slightly different exit, but it ended up leading to the same place. Below Percy was a familiar sprawling valley hidden within San Francisco, and it was still bathed in sunlight even if the sun was low in the sky. He made it in time.

Percy took off his backpack, wondering if it would bog him down. He didn't think leaving it by the Labyrinth was a good idea, though. Cass sniffed it and bit down on one of his backpack's straps.

"Hey-" he said. The next thing he knew, Cass and his backpack were gone. A second later, his hellhound returned empty handed (or empty mouthed).

"Oh. Cool."

He couldn't tell if Cass stashed his backpack somewhere safe or had some little shadow pocket-dimension, but that wasn't his biggest concern anymore.

Without hesitating, Percy climbed on Onyx's back and urged his hounds down the hill. He brought two fingers to his mouth and whistled, the sharp sound carried on the wind. Besides him, the hounds raised their heads and howled with him.

That certainly got some attention. Mounted crossbows and the big harpoon launcher at the nearest guardpost swiveled towards them. Percy's stomach clenched, whole body taut as he prepared to tell the pack to split up. But instead of being fired at, a horn sounded like an alarm as the people in the guardpost scrambled about. Percy tugged on the thick tufts of fur around Onyx's neck, urging him to slow down. As he did, the other hounds followed suit.

Percy stopped them just short of Camp Jupiter, on the other side of the shallow river circling the valley. Some kids at the guardpost were pointing at him. Others were shouting.

Now he was at that awkward middle part in his plan. Step one was getting to Camp Jupiter before it was too late. Step three was to warn them and help them prepare. Step two was something he didn't really think about ahead of time.

"Hey!" Percy shouted as he waved.

The gates to the camp opened and several people came out. One was Jason, dressed in jeans with a purple shirt and chestplate strapped on. They had their weapons lowered, so Percy took that as a good sign. Looking down at the river, he closed his eyes and concentrated. He inhaled, then held his breath and opened his eyes. The surface of the river stilled and became almost glass-like. Percy urged Onyx onward. His friend moved toward the river with a huff, testing the surface with a paw before trotting forward.

The others followed. Together, Percy guided his pack across this river. Once they were on the other side, he exhaled with a huff. The sound of rushing water came soon after.

Percy dismounted, his feet hitting the ground with an audiblethud.He hadn't been attacked yet, which he hoped was another good sign. He brushed the hair from his face and fixed his eyes on Jason.

"You're back," Jason said. There was something in his voice, something not necessarily negative. Relief, maybe. Hope.

"I am. And we need to talk," Percy replied.

Jason's eyes darted toward his pack. "Will you be leaving them outside?"

Ruby trotted forward, unafraid of teenagers wielding weapons, but Percy threw his arm out.

"You all stay."

Ruby pinned her ears back against her head, a low whine coming from her throat.

"Stay." Percy said again.

Onyx barked. He trotted away from the entrance to the nearest guardpost. Percy didn't miss how some of those crossbows tried pointing downward. Onyx melted into the shadows and one by one, Cass and Ruby followed. As much as Percy was relieved they wouldn't get hurt, he was also still uneasy being alone with these other campers.

Jason gestured for him to follow, so he did. The inside of Camp Jupiter felt so much different since the last time Percy was here. There were more campers, first and foremost. Dozens, either walking down the paths carrying weapons or pushing carts, inside buildings, standing outside of shops. Many stopped to stare at Percy as Jason led him to the big, white building from before. He supposed it was their equivalent of Camp Half-Blood's Big House.

Once the doors were sealed behind them and Percy was alone with Jason, the other turned on his heel to face Percy. There was less tension in his shoulders now, but a weary look in his eyes.

"You're going to be under attack," Percy blurted out.

Whatever Jason was going to say, he faltered. "What?"

"I heard from some monsters I was tracking in the Labyrinth. Camp Jupiter will be under attack by nightfall."

Jason didn't seem very surprised. "How serious?"

Percy thought back to his dreams and the visions Chaos showed him. "Pretty bad. A huge chunk of Kr- of Saturn's forces will be invading."

Jason stared at him. Then he exhaled through his nose and walked over to the long table dividing the room in half. He pushed aside papers and looked over others.

"Nightfall doesn't give us much time to prepare. Are you certain it's tonight?"

"Yeah, it's why I came back. I had to warn you guys."

Jason looked over his shoulder. Percy remembered the title Jason spoke of when they first met. Praetor, a leader. Percy couldn't imagine having a camp of hundreds, plus a whole town, depending on him to protect them.

Jason was good at hiding it, but he seemed tired. There were shadows under his eyes that Percy didn't think were there before.

"Will you be going now?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"This isn't your camp. You said as much," Jason said. He gestured toward the doors, "But I have to defend my home. So if you choose to leave now, I won't hold it against you. But we could use every fighter we have, and you happen to have a couple of hellhounds at your disposal."

"A couple hundred campers aren't enough for you?" Percy asked, not out of spite but out of curiosity.

Jason shook his head, "Minor assaults have been happening almost daily, long before you got to camp. At first, they were just scouting parties. But now we've got a few dozen campers with injuries at this point, and are starting to pull from pools of reserve veterans in New Rome. We're strong, but Saturn's forces are relentless."

Percy had until morning in New York to help. At the latest, and with a lot of luck, he could try leaving by the very early hours of the morning and still get to camp before breakfast was called.

"I'll help," he said.

Jason seemed faintly surprised. He straightened his back. "Thank you. But before anything else, I want to test your skills-"

The doors burst open. Octavian came in, a cape clipped to his toga flowing in the wind. His eyes immediately locked onto Percy. He smiled, a sparkle in his eyes that still managed to be cold and uninviting.

"Ah, so it's true. Perseus has returned."

"Just Percy," he said out of habit.

Octavian studied him. "So what brings you to our fine camp this time?"

"Octavian, I want you back at the temples. There's supposedly going to be a major assault tonight. I want as much information as you can gather."

For a moment, Percy marveled at how composed Jason seemed, despite his demeanor only seconds ago. However, Octavian refused to budge.

"If the battle will be severe, then surely we can pray to the gods for help."

His words had an edge to them, one Percy didn't quite understand. It was like there was an inside joke going over his head.

"Octavian," Jason said, voice harsher now. "Go. Now."

The older teenager regarded Percy for a second longer before leaving with a flourish of his cape. Once he was out of earshot, Percy couldn't help but ask, "What's his deal?"

Jason didn't say anything for a moment. "Octavian has always been like that. But I think the current situation has also been putting him on edge."

His bright blue eyes, so much like Thalia's, felt like they were giving Percy a shock with just a look.

"If you don't mind, I want to test you on the training grounds."

Percy nodded, hand reaching for his pocket. Jason led him out of the Roman Big House and toward an arena similar to the one found at Camp Half-Blood, only much bigger. (Everything at this camp felt bigger.) Inside, groups of teenagers were sparring, practicing archery, or going through obstacle courses.

They reached a secluded part of the arena where Jason stopped and turned to face him.

"Do you have your sword?"

Percy nodded. He took out Riptide and uncapped it. Jason's eyes were glued to his sword as it expanded in Percy's hand.

The corner of his mouth twitched upward. He took out a gold coin and flipped it. Jason caught it and, in just a second, it turned into a golden sword. Percy cocked his head to the side. Seemed like he wasn't the only one with an enchanted weapon. A part of him wondered if Jason's sword carried a tragic history like Riptide did.

"So do you usually fight with only a sword? No shield?"

"Hard to travel when you're bogged down," Percy replied. Jason studied him for a moment before readying himself. Percy did the same, holding Riptide in front of him. He took a breath before lunging forward.

Jason was good. Fast like Annabeth but with the strength of a trained swordsman. Again, Percy was reminded of Luke. But where the two blonds differed was in basically everything else. Jason was a straightforward fighter, at least. His chestplate and greaves gave him good protection, and he relied on a very stabby-stabby sort of sword fighting. Very direct, very dangerous.

Percy had a few advantages of his own, though. Being on the receiving end of many fights with Luke and Clarisse honed his defensive instincts. Plus, Percy was a good sword fighter himself. He wove between some of Jason's strikes, blocking others and attempting more than once to disarm him with the old trick he learned when he was twelve.

It ended in a draw.

Both of them were panting hard by the time Jason backed off and raised one hand while lowering his sword arm. Percy had a few cuts on his arms, only one being concerningly deep, and the hem of one sleeve was singed by lighting.

"Enough. I can tell now that you can hold your own."

Jason's eyes went to Percy's sword arm. "I'll take you to the infirmary to patch those up, though you might have to go without nectar or ambrosia. We've had to start rationing our supplies."

Percy shook his head. "No need. I'll be fine."

He glanced around, heart skipping a beat when he realized how many kids had been watching them. Some had stopped their sparring or racing to gawk, though he didn't understand why. Maybe they hadn't expected their leader to end a fight in a draw. Maybe they'd been watching for longer than Percy thought. Internally, he kicked himself. He should have been more aware of his surroundings.

Without waiting for Jason, Percy capped Riptide and hurried from the arena. Hand covering the cut that was bleeding the most, Percy glanced down at himself. His long sleeves absorbed most of the blood, keeping it from catching in the light and shimmering in ways it shouldn't. But some was seeping from between his fingers now.

He stumbled out of Camp Jupiter and knelt by the river. Percy lowered his arms to the water, willing the water to wash away his blood. For a few seconds, the water was tinged with a reddish-gold hue. Then it flowed clear as his cuts healed. He exhaled, relieved. Hereallydidn't want to explain the phenomenon behind his blood if he could avoid it.

Percy got up, shaking his hands of excess water before turning around. He stopped. Jason had been watching him.

"You healed yourself," he said, voice concealing anything he was thinking. Percy only nodded. Jason's eyes narrowed.

"The last time you were here, you said you didn't know who your godly parent was, right? You never received a sort of sign?"

Percy played dumb. "A sign? Am I supposed to get one?"

Jason shrugged. "Yeah. Not every demigod is lucky enough to receive one, but sometimes we impress our godly parents and get a sign. An honest to gods' neon, light-up sign over our heads to display our parent's claim over us."

He paused. Then asked, "You really never got one?"

There was a softer edge to his words now, something a bit closer to pity in his voice.

Percy shook his head. "What about you?"

He waited. He waited for Jason to reveal he probably got a lightning bolt over his head, for a flare of pride at being the child of Jupiter that Percy knew he was. Instead, Jason looked away. "Yeah, I did. I was pretty young when it happened. But for someone as powerful as you, I'd expect it to come any day now."

Percy didn't know what to make of that.

It was an hour later, the sun now dangerously close to touching the horizon. Percy had been given the task of perimeter patrol. Jason had figured that, with his pack, Percy could act as a great early-warning system. It was smart on his part; Percy was out of the way of most of the preparations while still being close enough for the actual battle.

But as groups of campers embedded golden landmines, snares, and other traps around the entrance to the Labyrinth, something happened that Percy hadn't expected. Someone else raised a warning signal, a white flare that cut through the oncoming darkness. But not red, signalling an immediate attack.

Percy urged Onyx onward, heels digging into his hellhounds side as if he were a massive horse. Onyx raised his head and howled as the pack began racing. They were on the far side of Camp Jupiter when it happened, the outer walls obscuring Percy's vision of the Labyrinth. High up on the hill above him, a cluster of people were gathered.

"Careful," he said, raising his voice to be heard over the wind. He urged Onyx to leap over trenches and weave between traps, the others following close behind.

Percy urged Onyx to a stop at the top of the hill, taking in the sight before him. A group of half a dozen campers in golden armor were levelling their spears at someone partially eclipsed in the shadows of the cliff looming over them. A large shadow flew over the ground.

Percy looked up, eyes widened as he witnessed Jason gliding through the air like a blond superman. Granted, it wasn't exactly like flying. Jason didn't move with the grace of a bird or a superhero, but there was power in his motions. Wind whipped around him and thin trails of lighting followed in his wake. He landed with an audible thud on the ground as Percy dismounted.

"Didn't know you could fly," he said.

Jason ignored him. "What happened?"

"We found a spy!" a girl said. She reminded Percy a bit of Clarisse with the burning heat in her glare.

Jason moved toward the group, Percy following behind him.

"Move aside."

Then Percy froze.

It wasNico.He had his hands raised, eyes wide with fear and shock and an intensified blend of relief and confusion when he saw Percy. By his side, Andrea was crouching low to the ground and letting out a continuous growl from her throat.

Jason was speaking, but Percy didn't hear what he was saying. He rushed forward, putting himself between the Romans and his friends.

"Stop! Don't hurt them."

Andrea ceased snarling. She pushed her nose up against his side, sniffing him with an intense, curious fervor.

"P-percy…" he heard Nico say. He didn't look back.

Jason's eyes darted from him to Andrea. "Another one of your hellhounds?"

He nodded.

"So then," Jason leveled his sword- when had he pulled out his sword- at Nico, "who's this?"

"I'm-"

Percy held his arm out to the side, silencing the other boy. He steeled himself and took a breath.

"I told you before. There are other half-bloods like me, ones who try to survive on our own." He debated how much to tell the Romans, and specifically Jason, "I found him. His name is Nico, but I didn't know he followed me here."

It would explain the feeling of being watched while in the Labyrinth. But how Nico didn't get lost was a mystery to him. And now they were both in deep shit.

With their backs to the Labyrinth, Percy contemplated the idea of shoving Nico back inside and forcing his hounds to retreat. Just for a second. Just to get Nico out of danger, but then they might run into Luke's army.

Jason lowered his sword. His eyes glowed in the sunset, a harsh bright blue. "We'll hold him inside the camp until the attack is over."

His tone made it clear he wanted to continue this conversation but without so many eyes and ears on them. Percy nodded. Without breaking eye contact with Jason, he grabbed Nico's arm and urged him through the crowd. The campers parted for them. As a show of trust, Percy didn't rely on his hellhounds. He, and Jason, marched Nico down the hill and into Camp Jupiter.

"Whoa…" he heard Nico say.

At one point he stopped. Percy glanced behind him, finding Nico staring at one of the storefronts displaying a leather aviator's jacket. He gently tugged at Nico's sleeve, hurrying him along. He was at least glad the thin coat Nico was wearing covered his Camp Half-Blood t-shirt. Once inside the Roman Big House, Jason shut the doors behind him. The shadows around them rippled as the hellhounds emerged, taking up refuge along the walls of the inner chamber or sitting by the door. They kept their eyes on Jason. But to his credit, he hardly seemed bothered.

"So what's your deal, Percy? Do you have a pack of wild demigods that you train on your own? Where you do live, how do you care for them?" His eyes clouded over for a second while lost in thought, then his gaze became sharp and harsh. "I thought you said you were on your own."

Percy's jaw clenched. He squared his shoulders and said, "I was, for a long while. And it's just us, by the way. I found Nico a few months ago and knew he was a demigod. After he was attacked by a monster, I decided to take him in."

From behind him, Nico made a sound like a mouse squeak.

"But he wasn't supposed to follow me into the Labyrinth, I'd never ask him to do that. In fact," Percy rounded on Nico, eyes warning him to keep silent, "he should have been in bed by now. He shouldn't have known where I'd gone."

Nico hung his head low, bangs covering his eyes. He was twisting the hems of his jacket in his hands.

"I thought you were in danger," he said, voice soft and low.

It was the first time Percy actually got a good look at him. It didn't occur to him that Nico might be injured from being in the Labyrinth. But what surprised him more than a lack of any injuries at all was a new scabbard hanging at his side.

Where did he get aswordfrom? It didn't look like the type of scabbards they kept for training at camp, and the pommel was fashioned with a gleaming black gemstone.

But his questions would have to wait. Percy didn't want to send Nico back into the Labyrinth without him, but he knew the other boy didn't have enough training to fight in a real battle yet. Instead, he'd have to find someplace safe for Nico to stay until they could leave.

Percy's gaze softened. He turned back to Jason.

"Can he stay here until the battle is over?"

"Of course. Camp Jupiter is a safe haven for all demigods."

"Jupiter?"Percy heard Nico ask.

Jason raised a brow. "The most powerful of the gods?"

Please,Percy pleaded,just be quiet.

"I know that. It's just…" Nico faltered, "...in the first Roman alternative expansion set in Mythomagic, he's crazy overpowered with bonus damage for each active ally."

Percy and Jason both stared at him. Nico tugged at the collar of his coat. "It's fitting."

After a beat, Jason cleared his throat. "Anyways, I need to consult Octavian at the temples."

His tone implied he wanted Percy to come with him. He nodded. Percy turned to Nico before they left.

"Stay here. There's a battle happening soon and I know you want to help, but the best thing you can do is stay away from the danger. When it's over, we can leave together." Percy said.

Nico still looked like he was about to argue, but Percy was already on his way out with Jason. Once the doors closed behind him, the other boy nudged his side.

"There's a big Mythomagic club within the camp. Maybe he'd like it."

Percy blinked. It was such a strange comment while they were on the eve of a major battle. Maybe Jason was offering to let Nico stay with them. Not that Percy would let that happen. They walked the rest of the way to the temples in silence. At the top of the hill, Percy could see flashes of bright light and lightning. As expected, Octavian was working his weird prophecy-magic via gutting teddy bears.

Though in the dying light, the silver accents used across the temple to Jupiter gleamed with a harsh glow. One caught Percy's eye as Jason walked ahead of him.

A half-blood of the eldest gods…

He stopped. Percy's eyes fixed themselves upon one of the many prophecies laid in stone on the ground. Some were faded from age, others were inlaid with silver or gold to preserve them.

A half-blood of the eldest gods

Shall reach sixteen against all odds

And see the world in endless sleep

The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap

A single choice shall end his days

Olympus to preserve or raze

Percy knew as much as the second line and understood that the Great Prophecy spelled bad news for whoever its subject was, but he never heard the rest before. The wordscursed bladeshocked him to his core, and Riptide suddenly became a very present feeling in Percy's pocket.

"Percy," Jason said.

He hurried past the prophecy on the floor. Octavian had stopped his work to greet him.

"Ah, Perseus. I expect the battle to begin by the time the sky is fully dark. It's incredibly fortuitous that you are here, surely your hellhounds will give us a great advantage."

Jason shot Octavian a look, a vibe between them that Percy couldn't decipher.

"Okay, great." He said, "Then I'm going back to my pack. We'll be ready."

Octavian looked like he had more he wanted to say, and maybe it was a mistake walking away from the guy who could kind of tell the future, but Percy already felt on edge. He stepped out of the temple and whistled. Onyx appeared, ever faithful, and together they melted into the shadows to rejoin the others.

It was good timing. The sky was a cascade of blues and reds with the night arriving not long after. With his enhanced eyesight, Percy could see perfectly in the dark. It was unfortunate for the campers, though. There were torches set up outside the camp's walls with spotlights mounted overhead to cast white light over the surrounding area.

The Romans were readying for battle, cavalry units among phalanxes and even a few in the air on pegasi. Percy also spotted an actual war elephant in armor with two campers on its back. Others were running around adjusting armor, handing out shields, or offering last minute drinks of nectar for energy. One came up to Percy with a set of bright yellow, reflective strips of fabric for his pack. Percy tied one around the leg or neck of each of his hellhounds, to mark them as his own.

And for a moment, the whole of Camp Jupiter was holding its breath.

Then the entrance to the Labyrinth erupted.

More than a dozen Laistrygonian giants in armor came rushing out of the Labyrinth. They bellowed their war cries, but the Romans were well prepared. A landmine went off, vaporizing two giants into clouds of golden dust. The others weren't deterred, even as they were snagged in traps. They were still out of range from the harpoons or crossbows mounted to Camp Jupiter's walls, so Percy took his chance.

"Let's go!" he shouted.

He squeezed Onyx's sides with his heels. The next moment, he was dipping into a free fall in pitch black darkness. When the world came back to them, they were behind the charging Laistrygonians. Onyx snarled, catching one off guard as he pounced. While the Laistrygonian turned to dust from Onyx's weight and teeth, Percy saw Cass and Ruby work together to bring down a second. At that point, the Laistrygonians had slowed down, confused by the sight of other monsters attacking them.

Percy heard the sound of rustling from behind him. About fifty feet away, the entrance to the Labyrinth trembled.

Onyx tensed, teeth bared and hackles raised. But Percy only tugged at his fur.

"No! We need to get back!"

He was right. Several dozen monsters, including a mix of giants, cyclopes, Dracanae snake women, and a drakon, burst from the darkness. Just in time, Percy dipped back into the dark. When he reappeared, he and his pack were closer to the front lines now.

"Charge!"Percy heard Jason shout.

They were brave, these Romans. Not that the kids at Camp Half-Blood weren't, but Percy admired how these campers moved as one singular front. Soon after that, everything became a blur.

Never before had Percy been in a full-scale battle. One-on-one fights, plenty. Fights against more than one opponent, yes. But a battle with hundreds of enemies and hundreds of allies? Never.

It was just as deafening as his dreams. The mingling sounds of Romans, monsters, explosions, and dozens of individual fights coalesced into one cacophony of overwhelming sound.

It was terrifying. As soon as Percy killed one monster with Riptide, as soon as one of his pack felled another enemy, there was another to take their place. Injured Romans laid on the ground everywhere, others dragging them to safety.

It was also exhilarating.

His pack wasn't the only advantage Percy had. He also had a ready supply of water. He drowned a fleet of Dracanae that somehow managed to slip past the main battle and tried to scale the walls of Camp Jupiter. Then he swept away a group of cyclopes big enough to wield car doors as shields and pinned them long enough for the cavalry to finish them off. Percy also raised up a thirty foot wide stretch of river and made it form a wall around a battered phalanx so they could regroup and recover.

From the other side of the battle, closer to the Labyrinth's entrance, he could see arches of lightning firing into the sky almost constantly. That was where the battle was thickest.

Then it became truly heart-stopping. For two reasons.

One, Percy noticed a blot of darkness weaving in and out of the field. He thought it was an enemy hellhound, but no. When the darkness solidified for a moment, Percy could see a pale kid with dark hair slashing the ankles of a Laistrygonian before vanishing again. The dark blot, probably invisible to most campers and even monsters, reappeared behind a Telekhine and stabbed it in the back.

Nico was darting in and out of the abundant darkness with the help of a hellhound at his side with a yellow strip tied around her neck.Andrea.

His momentary pause nearly cost him his head. A cyclops with an axe roared and took a swing at him. Percy ducked and rolled just in time for Cass to bound forward and go for the monster's jugular. He got to his feet and scanned the field.

There Nico was again, slashing the ankle, or at least stabbing the tail, of a Dracanae before vanishing. At the back of his mind, while the fight was still going on all around him, Percy remembered the advice he once gave to Nico during training.

When you're smaller than your opponent, you're probably more agile as well. Get them in the ankle and they'll go down.

Half of Percy wanted to scream for Nico to get out of the battle. The other half was almost proud.

Then the second heart-stopping thing happened.

Even at the base of the hill and far from the entrance to the Labyrinth, Percy could feel something coming. Something big enough to make the entrance shake and spew out a cloud of dust. Something that had campers and monsters alike giving pause. That was Percy's only clue that whatever was coming wasn't on either side.

Then all Hades broke loose when Kampê herself burst from the Labyrinth.

In just a second, the gust of wind from her wings sent campers and monsters alike scattering, some unfortunate enough to even be tossed up in the air. Compared to even the biggest of the giants on the field, Kampê was still titanic in size. She circled the battlefield, bat wings and dragon body and scorpion tail on full display while she sent the air support fleeing in terror.

Her yellow slit-eyes pierced the darkness. As if designed by the fates themselves, her eyes locked on with his. Kampê tucked her wings and dived. Campers screamed, some shouted to retreat while others called to stand their ground. Some monsters blindly cheered, assuming her presence was a good thing.

Kampê landed on the ground with an earth-shakingthud,making Percy's teeth rattle in his skull. She drew her dual scimitars and smiled, nothing but pure elation in her eyes. Percy noticed she already had gold dust caked on her claws.

"So glad I chose to follow Kronos' army through the Labyrinth,"she said, speaking in the ancient tongue only Percy could understand. And for a second, his blood ran cold. Her eyes gleamed in the dark."You were right, little hero. It is much more satisfying to fight Kronos than to submit to him."

And to prove her point, she slashed one scimitar in a wide arch, taking out at least ten monsters at once.

"Now let me see what chaos you can wring!"

It was utter carnage. Some Romans were trying to attack Kampê, others were focusing on killing the remaining monsters. Meanwhile, some of the monsters were trying to fight the Romans as others tried to retreat as Kampê slaughtered them a dozen at a time.

At some point in the night, Percy remembered shouting, "Not the humans! Attack only the monsters!"

He couldn't remember if it was in English or Greek or in that ancient tongue. Kampê seemed to understand him well enough, even if it did mean she had to ignore the Romans stabbing at her with the equivalent of toothpicks.

By then, the tide was well after turning. The monsters were retreating without a doubt, but the Romans were dedicated to killing as many of them as possible. The battle was also more scattered now, with pockets of campers and monsters still locked in combat. Jason shot up into the air and tried to blast lighting at Kampê, apparently unsure which side she was on. But for as large as she was, Kampê spread her wings and dodged the attack with ease.

Percy was distracted. He didn't want Kampê to hurt any of the Romans, but he also didn't want anyone else to make her angry. He should have kept part of his focus on Nico.

He didn't. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He turned.

Percy saw Nico emerge from the shadows once more, but something was off. Andrea was panting hard, and Nico was clutching one of his legs. His sword arm was hanging low as his chest heaved. A remaining monster more than twice his size spotted him, a demigod without any armor, and charged.

Percy knew Nico couldn't shadow travel away, they were both at their limit. Before he knew it, he was sprinting toward Nico. The other was only a few yards away.

"Get down!" Percy shouted.

Nico saw him and stumbled away. He tripped and fell, Andrea grabbing him by his coat collar and trying to pull him to safety.

Percy blocked the first blow with Riptide, the grind of metal on metal deafening. His arms shook and Percy was tossed to the side, hitting the ground hard enough to nearly knock the breath from his lungs.

He reached for Riptide, but couldn't find the handle of his sword.

A massive shadow blotted out the moonlight.

He didn't realize how exhausted he actually was, how much he'd been relying on pure adrenaline to survive.

"Percy!"

He focused his eyes on the axe coming down on him. With the little breath left in his lungs, Percy exhaled.

Time felt impossibly slow. He reached out with his hand, the air around him rippling with waves of darkness. Percy blinked, a straining force emerging from behind his eyes. The axe shattered mid-air, metal corroding and disintegrating into dust before it could even hit him.

Percy blinked and time resumed. The monster reared back as Percy tried to catch his breath. He clutched his chest, coughing to get the dust out of his mouth. He ran his tongue over his teeth, finding his fangs exposed. Percy saw Riptide laying in the grass a few feet away and grabbed it. He turned his attention back to the monster, but to his surprise, there was only a cloud of golden dust being blown away in the wind.

He touched the corner of his eye with his other hand. It'd been so long since he let his second skin slip, revealing the inner part of him that took after Chaos. It was the first time he ever purposely used those powers in a fight. Hands suddenly grabbed at him.

"Percy, get up! Please!"

It was Nico. Percy forced himself to his feet and shook his head. He felt his fangs recede and hoped his eyes were doing the same. He blinked and raised his head.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. What about you?"

The wound in Nico's leg didn't look terrible. He was at least still able to stand on it, but Percy could smell something metallic in the air.

The wind rippled in the grass. Percy looked up and saw Jason coming in for a landing. They both took a step back. Jason still seemed on edge.

"The battle is nearly over. All that's left to worry about isher."

He pointed his sword at Kampê, who was circling the air above the battlefield.Fuck.All around them, older campers with stretchers were taking in the wounded while others were assembling into a defensive formation to drive off the last of the invading forces. Percy felt a warm nose sniffing at him and checking for injuries, undoubtedly Onyx.

"Yeah, uh… about that." Percy said. He pushed the sweat-soaked hair from his eyes. "We've met before. In the Labyrinth."

Jason's eyes pierced right through him. "So you know how to fight her?"

"Not exactly." Percy got an idea. "But what Icando is lead her back into the Labyrinth."

He glanced at Nico, who was sitting on the ground now and clutching his leg. Percy knelt in front of him and spoke softly, "How badly are you hurt?"

Nico tried to give him a grin, though it came out more like a grimace. "I'm alright, I think. It just hurts."

Percy nodded. The situation wasn't ideal, but he could work with it. He spoke low enough that he was confident Jason couldn't hear him, "Get ready. Have the hounds take you into the Labyrinth when no one is looking."

Then Percy got up and climbed on top of Onyx's back.

"Wait," Jason said, "You can't go back in there with her! You might run into Saturn's retreating forces, or get lost in the Labyrinth."

Percy hadn't actually considered Kronos' forces, but he still had to get Kampê out of here. "Don't worry about me! Just look after yours, Jason. I'll be alright."

Then Percy raised two fingers to his mouth and whistled, sharp and shrill. That caught Kampê's attention. Percy urged Onyx up the hill while Kampê followed. Arrows flew through the air, a few spears too. Plus a bolt of lightning. Percy didn't stop to see if any hit Kampê. At the top of the hill, he patted Onyx's side and got him to slow down. He turned back, heart stopping at how close Kampê was now. Just because she liked him didn't mean she was any less terrifying to see up close.

Percy heard rustling coming from behind him, deeper in the Labyrinth. Then Kampê was right in front of him. Up close, he could see dozens of miniscule cuts all over her body, though they hardly seemed to bother her. She stood over him with her blood-drenched swords in hand.

She followed him into the Labyrinth.

"So," Percy said, "fun time, right?"

Kampê grinned, flashing her pointed teeth."It has been quite some time since I have had the pleasure of battling a full army."

She sheathed her swords."You have proven yourself worthy of my allegiance, child."

"Alright, awesome." He gestured behind him. "So come on then, we have to find someplace safe to stop."

Percy turned Onyx around, relieved to see the others waiting for them. Nico was on Andrea's back, staring at Kampê with wide, mildly terrified eyes. Once the entrance to the Labyrinth disappeared from view behind them, they came across a large, circular chamber. Percy stopped them and glanced around.

"I need my bag," he said.

Besides him, Cass woofed. She vanished into the darkness and reappeared with the backpack in her mouth. Percy smiled.

He took the backpack and gave Cass a scratch behind his ear. "Good girl."

With a flashlight, it was a lot easier to see. Nico held it as Percy cleaned his wound. And after Nico drank some nectar, the cut was already starting to heal.

"What you did was insanely reckless, you know. You didn't have any armor or anything," Percy said, "but I'm glad you're safe."

Nico didn't respond. From behind them, Kampê cleared her throat.

"This is not the best place to rest. Come, follow me."

Together, Percy and Nico followed Kampê as she led them through the Labyrinth. They arrived at a metal door, but when Kampê touched it, it grew large enough to accommodate her. After a beat, Percy and Nico followed her.

They were back in Alcatraz, but it wasn't nearly as empty as Percy remembered. The cells were filled with people and for a second, his blood ran cold. Butno,he looked closer. A lot of the cells were occupied by monsters. They all sat quiet and huddled, all of them with their eyes on Kampê.

"Behold, child. The fruits of my labors."

"Are these…"

"High ranking lieutenants, blacksmiths, and other important figures in Kronos' army!"she said proudly,"As I said before, I am a jailer. Iliveto cause misery."

"Percy?" Nico asked. Percy felt a hand grab his arm. "Why are we here?"

He was reminded that only he could understand Kampê's ancient language.

"I'll explain everything once we're safe," he said. Then louder, he said to Kampê, "Great. That's awesome. Keep up the good work."

She laughed, as if Percy said something funny."You have proven your worth, as have I. Kronos' mistake was his lack of faith in me, so now I crave to spite him. Tell me, child, where the base of your operations is."

Oh, no. Absolutely not.

"I think you're doing a great job here, actually."

Kampê narrowed her eyes and moved closer. Nico's breath hitched as he stumbled back, trying to pull Percy closer to him. He stood his ground.

"I'm aware that the Olympians foster their Greek children closer to their home. This is accurate, yes?"

Percy bit his lip. On one hand, there was no way he could explain how he got Kampê to help him. On the other hand, if Kronos or Luke wanted to wage war on Camp Half-Blood, he might not have a choice. Camp Jupiter was so much bigger than them andtheystruggled to defeat Luke's forces. If a full-scale assault was planned for Camp Half-Blood, Percy realized they really would need all the help they could get.

"Firstly..." he said, heart hammering in his chest. He willed himself to speak in Kampê's tongue to make sure she understood him,"First, I want you to swear on the Styx that you will not harm my friends or any of the other demigods at my camp."

Kampê's smile, cruel and sharp, returned."You are clever, child. But tell me one thing. Give to me the name I swear allegiance to."

Percy realized with a start he never actually told Kampê his name. "Percy. Percy Jackson."

Her eyes lit up with recognition."Ah, Luke spoke of you. Very well, Percy Jackson. I swear upon the Styx to your terms."

The whole of Alcatraz shuddered as the pact became binding. Percy breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

He had assumed Kampê would accompany them through the Labyrinth, but she only laughed. She had prisoners to dispose of, so that they may not fall back into enemy hands. It made Percy feel queasy, but he still agreed to it. Despite a huge chunk of him screaming at himself not to, Percy described the general area of Camp Half-Blood and how to get there. Though before they left, he recalled the first prisoner Kampê had. Briares, the Hundred-Handed One. Percy made Kampê promise to spare him, though she only did so begrudgingly. It was still better than nothing.

So after a long day and after a long night, after a battle and after nearly dying, Percy finally got to head home. His pack and Nico walked with him across the threshold and back inside the Labyrinth, where they were finally able to actually talk to each other.

Because there was no way he could try to hide the truth, Percy explained how he discovered Camp Jupiter on his previous expedition into the Labyrinth. How the gods apparently kept their Greek and Roman halves separate. How neither camp knew of the other, save for Nico and Percy. He also explained how he met Kampê before and accidentally gained her trust.

"The Labyrinth is supposed to be super dangerous and hard to navigate through. How can you keep finding the same places over and over again?" Nico asked.

He was being guided by a flashlight, though Percy was able to see with his enhanced vision.

"And you befriended hellhounds even without being a child of Hades. And- and what you did in battle- you vaporized a monster just by being near him. And you have your hypnotizing powers and-"

Percy nearly tripped and fell."Hypnotizing?I can't do that."

Nico gave him a strange look. "But… your eyes. And your white hair."

"The hair is from stress. I held up the sky for like, a week. It sucked."

"But you, you know…" Nico fumbled with his words, "It's so easy to get distracted by your eyes. Or your voice. Looking at you makes it hard to think."

Percy's face flushed red. He quickly looked away from Nico and felt a hot flash of embarrassment for them both. It sounded like Nico was confessing he had a crush on Percy without even knowing it.

Gods,Percy thought.I hope Nico doesn't remember this when he gets older.

He at least hoped that it was just a silly crush, because otherwise Percy was tangled in unexpected Chaos powers yet again.

He was reminded that his body now was technically not the same one he had all his life. Chaos called it a second skin, though Percy felt flesh and bone enough. And yet, it made him curious. Especially after last night. What if his body really was just a mask, something to conceal the ghastly powers he grew up with… and what if Chaos made ittoowell?

Percy recalled the rare moments when being with Chaos overwhelmed him with the sheer power and beauty of the universe, rather than fear or dread. It might've been possible for Nico to be telling some form of the truth. It also made a part of Percy wonder if that abomination, not-meant-to-exist part of himself still existed right under his skin.

It made another part of him never want to think about it again.

"Percy?"

He realized he'd been quiet for a while. He said, "All this stays a secret, you understand? Not only Camp Jupiter but everything I'm about to tell you."

Nico's eyes widened as he nodded.

Percy gave Nico the footnote version of his condition. How his body and powers got messed up when Chaos decided to intervene in his life when he was just a baby. How he could summon up fangs as his freaky chaos-eyes and decay monsters to the point of death just by being around them. The not-dying thing.

"So you're like… mega powerful?"

"Trust me, it's not like I asked for it."

He couldn't tell how long they'd been in the Labyrinth at that point. Ruby eventually barked and raced ahead of the group. Cass and Onyx followed after her, ears perked up and barks bouncing off the stone walls. A sliver of light was shining in a crack in the wall ahead of them. It was an exit.

Nico climbed out with Percy following him. The hounds shadow traveled to the other side. Above them, the full moon was shining through the clouds. The woods were still, though the horizon was just barely tinged with the traces of morning light.

"We're back at camp?" Nico asked, "Our camp?"

Percy nodded. "Yeah, finally. Let's get back to the cabins before anyone sees us."

They used shadow travel, but Nico ended up following him to cabin 3. Percy let him. Once inside his cabin, Percy threw off his armor. He'd have to hide it until he could clean the dirt and dust off of it.

Meanwhile, Nico fumbled with his torn-up coat and unlooped his belt. The scabbard fell to the floor. Percy had almost forgotten about it.

"So... where did you get the sword?"

Nico froze. Percy picked it up off the ground and unsheathed it. As he recalled from battle, it wasn't bronze or even gold. It looked like it was made of steel.

"Be careful!" Nico said, taking the sword, "It's made of Stygian iron. I uh… I got it from my father."

"What?When did you meet fucking H- your dad?"

Nico flinched and clutched the handle of his sword. "It was when I first followed you into the Labyrinth with Andrea. At first, we were just tailing you. Then we must have taken a wrong turn, because we got lost for a while. We ended up finding an exit that led to the Underworld."

Nico sat down on the bed opposite of Percy, a distant look in his eyes. He spoke, though his voice was hoarse, "I got caught trying to look for my sister. I was brought to the palace."

He was staring at the gleaming blade of his sword now. The thing didn't look like an ordinary sword the longer Percy stared at it. Its blade had a sort of darkness to it, like it was sucking in the light around it.

Percy sighed and sat down next to Nico, only faintly aware of his aching feet and legs. There were tears welling up in the corners of Nico's eyes.

"He said I'd better make him proud. But I don't care about him. I- I only wanted to find Bianca."

Percy wrapped an arm around Nico and pulled him into a hug. The other boy leaned with his full weight against Percy and shuddered.

"Hey, it's alright. How about you just try to rest now? For as long as you want." Percy said.

He ignored the way the tears trickled down Nico's face or the way his hands shook.Gods,Nico was only around eleven or twelve years old and just barely survived his first battle.

Percy felt bad for him. He gently took the sword from Nico's hands and sheathed it. He set it on wall-mounted brackets next to the beds. Percy then unlaced Nico's boots and worked them off one by one. Using his first aid kit, he used a wet wipe to clean the grime from Nico's face. As he did so, Nico refused to meet his eyes. His jaw was locked tight, though his lower lip still trembled.

What did that fight feel like for Nico, who only found out he was a demigod a few months ago?

Percy gave him a moment to change into clean clothes while he did the same. They crawled into beds on either side of the cabin, though the call for breakfast would come soon enough. Not like it mattered. Percy was going to sleep to his heart's content. And given the way Nico was curled up under the covers, he needed time for himself as well.

Despite everything he witnessed in the past twelve or so hours, Percy closed his eyes and fell asleep within moments.