Chapter Title: The Labyrinth Is A Reason Why Some Things Should Never Be Upgraded

(A/N: I know Chris spends the entirety of BOTL suffering from the madness Minos gave him in the Labyrinth before he is healed, but seriously Rick, I just find that wrong.

Like, you really gotta torture Clarisse like that bro? I know it's the gods' fault that he has to wait the whole damn book before he gets cured, but like.. you really gotta put Clarisse under that kind of stress? They're kids and teens, god damn it.

Point is, part of why I make these fanfics is just to ease the suffering of other characters. Thalia, Luke, Clarisse, Chris, Pollux, etc. ..like they may be heroes.. but realistically, they would be traumatized shell shocked shadows of their former selves by the time the Great Imperial War ended. They're no different than the 104th Cadet Corps in AOT or Ahsoka Tano in Clone Wars.

They're child soldiers, and it's about time some of us started making fanfics where despite all the things they have to go through, there is some sort of Disney-like plot device at the end that reunites them with those that they lost, even if the Fates hate it.

Okay, rant over. On with the chapter.)

Chris and I just stared at each other for a while, in silence. It was a rather awkward silence to say the least really. I hadn't seen Chris in like a year or two.. I don't know.. and here I was with him in the middle of Arizona after he went into the labyrinth and experienced horrors that no man should ever have to experience - or woman, demigod, or living being for that matter.

And to be fair, the labyrinth I'm talking about isn't just the simple stone maze that housed the Minotaur back in the day. Oh, no.

This labyrinth is what can be safely described as a god damn machine of death. Daedalus was an inventor, but honestly, giving a whole maze a damn mind of its own - basically the ability to be constantly expanding, constantly changing, constantly upgrading itself is a reason why some things should never be upgraded.

It's been said that this thing runs all over the planet, like one massive invasive species. Personally, that's the only part about it that I find impressive. Other than that though, if you don't have a way through this place, you're fucked buddy. Because this thing is designed to shatter your mind and then take your life, and yeah.. I do not say that lightly or with any happy feelings about it at all.

Which makes it a miracle that despite the death of his companions and the insanity given to him by Minos, Chris made it out of there alive. Like, we demigods may be part god, but we are what can be described as basically pure cannon fodder for the labyrinth alongside mortals who don't see through the mist. That's why we avoid the damn place like the plague.

The fact that Luke was sending demigods into that dark place - most likely under the orders of Kronos - was disturbing in and of itself. Because chances are those demigods most likely were ones that we have never seen at camp before - the satyrs have been reporting that they have been coming across less and less demigods in recent months, don't ask me how I know - or ones that had already left camp and most likely like Chris, ended up in the ranks of Luke/Kronos' army. He was sending them into the worst place imaginable for demigods on the damn planet, all to find the string that would allow him to destroy my home.

It was sick.

It was twisted.

It was so, so wrong.

Words couldn't describe how sick I felt to my stomach about it.

"You going to puke there Colton or-?" Chris asked, shaking me out of my thoughts.

"I.. I'm good.." I replied. "Honestly just deep in thought."

"I mean, now is a very great time to reevaluate your life choices if you're me.." Chris joked. "But hey.. what you said earlier.. about me being Clarisse's boyfriend.."

He paused for a moment, wondering what he was going to say.

"..it got me thinking about the time I spent in Luke's army. Mary.. that younger of the two girls sent down with me.. she was a daughter of Nemesis.. looked way too much like Clarisse.." he mumbled, just audibly enough for me to hear. He had tears in his eyes. "I tried to protect her.. I failed.. and I think looking back on it, I think it was a sign. Of how much I fell for her."

I had to force myself to keep my mouth shut. Because there was no way in hell Chris Rodriguez just confessed that he had fallen for my sister Clarisse La Rue right in front of me. There was no way.

Chris noticed my surprised expression and keep talking. "Yeah, I realize now.. I'm in love with her.. and I fucking regret ever leaving camp in the first place. I don't expect her to feel the same way as me, so if she doesn't, then it's not going to hurt all that much" he continued. "I swear on the River Styx, I'm going to do everything in my power to protect her. I couldn't protect Mary, so I might as well give my life and love to the girl that I probably should realized before now that I was always destined for. I'll do everything in my power to protect her."

He was serious.

He was fucking serious.

I didn't say anything, I was honestly shocked at the turn of events. Then, I thought of Kayla.

I don't know why I have a habit of thinking of her at times like these, but she just crept into my thoughts.

Maybe that's how I feel about her? Maybe I'm in love with her?

As much as I wanted to believe that was true - I mean, she was basically destined to be with me by a damn prophecy.. how is that not a definite sign she's going to be with you - a part of me still felt that we were just good friends and that we couldn't be at the verge of love.

Besides, while she was the girl of my dreams - literally by now - the thought of her ever admitting that she felt the same way just seemed.. distant. Sure, she had kissed me on the cheek during the summer, but that couldn't have been because she had a crush or something close to feelings of love for me, could it?

It was a possibility to be sure, that much was true, but at this moment, I had my doubts about it.

I hadn't noticed my cheeks had turned red until Chris snapped me out of my thoughts. "Got a special someone, Colton?" he asked me, and I just shrugged my head.

"Those red cheeks of yours say otherwise.." Chris said back, smirking at me. I looked away, embarrassed.

"Like look.. nobody else is here.. so I'm all ears. You meet anyone recently that makes you feel like that? A friend, maybe? Come on.. guy like you.. you had to have met someone recently.." Chris begged, and I reluctantly relented.

"Yeah, there is one that I met recently that makes me feel conflicted about my feelings for her.." I said, trying to stop myself from saying the last word, but couldn't.

Chris' face lit up like he was a son of Aphrodite, now very, very interested. "Well? Who is she?" he asked.

I felt like I was being charm-spoken or some shit. Like, despite me not wanting to tell him, my body seemed to have a mind of its own right now.

"Let me just say, you wouldn't believe me if I told you.." I said back to him, blushing like an idiot.

"Well? Out with it.." he said.

"It's Kayla Knowles, who is apparently a daughter of Apollo.. yeah, I know.. crazy right?" I said, somehow coherently despite blushing. I don't know how and I don't know why.

Chris looked like a deer caught in headlights. His brain was definitely trying to process that one, because I don't think even he could believe that. Finally, he let a couple of words slip from his mouth.

"You have got to be kidding me.." he said. "..there's no way that the Kayla Knowles is a demigod.. there's no way."

"Dude.. you don't know half of the stuff that's unfolded in my life since she arrived.. like, she's definitely someone I can't stay away from that's for sure.. and I think it's the same for her, dunno.. I mean she did kiss my cheek that one time, but.." I rambled on, until Chris interrupted me.

"Hold up a second.. did you just say that Kayla Knowles kissed you on the fucking cheek, bro?" he said, eyes wide as they could possibly be.

I felt embarrassed once more, realizing that I had said that out loud. "DUDE!" he shouted. "That's a sign she wants you, bro."

"Is it though?" I asked, still hesitant to believe it so. "Because we are good friends and despite this damn prophecy about me and her that I will explain at another time because it's a long story, I don't want that to change."

"Give it time bro.." he said, placing his hand on my shoulder. "Sooner or later, you'll realize it. Wouldn't be surprised if camp is making bets on when you and her get together right now."

I felt mortified at the thought. Like, why in the hell would they do that?

Chris chuckled. "Seems like we both have some special in our lives.." he said, patting me on the back. "I'm definitely going to confess to Clarisse once she gets back."

"Hope that goes over well.." I told him, but he was just grinning like an idiot.

"I promise you, indeed it will.." he replied. Deep down inside though, I was still thinking to myself. Could it be possible that she feels the same way as me? Could it?

- — - — - — - — -

It was a full day before Clarisse returned from the labyrinth. Chris found the waiting just unbearable, in his own words. The fact that Clarisse's mother told us that she had gone down in there did not help matters much. Chris looked panicked, and I eventually managed to calm him down after a while. It made me wonder what exactly happened to Mary down there that made him act like that. Chances were, given that it was the labyrinth, that I wouldn't like the answer at all. So I didn't ask him about it, and honestly, it was probably for the better in the long run given that this wouldn't be the last time the daughter of Nemesis would be around in me and Chris' lives. (A/N: I won't say when you'll see her again, but definitely somewhere in the sequel.)

To be honest, I was worried too. My sister was down in that hellhole and god knows what was happening to her down there. I wanted to go down there too, but I felt like I had to stay with Chris, lest he somehow slip back into the insanity. I don't know how that would happen, since he was healed by a god, but I felt like it could.

The minute Clarisse walked into the guest room the next day, Chris' heart was probably beating through his rib cage like crazy the way his face looked. He looked fucking relieved, happy, joyful, and every happy emotion you could possibly think of at the exact same time.

It hurt honestly for some reason.. I don't know exactly. Just here it was, my sister and Chris then proceeding to confess their love for each other and kiss each other, while I just sat in the corner.. at least for a while. Eventually, I sat outside on the porch, thinking about things - like actual things like the Gods, monsters, and so on.

No matter how hard I fucking tried though, it always came back to her.

Kayla, Kayla, Kayla.

She was driving me crazy, and I couldn't understand it. Guess it's a part of my Ares blood or something holding me back from realizing the truth.

Hopefully, I get to see her again and maybe see if being close to her helps ease the suffering I'm feeling from being away from her.

If not, I might as well have my sister place me in a mental institute or something. I have no idea at all at this point right now honestly.