LAST TIME
"Perseus Jackson, for all you want me to return, I can't. I am on my last breaths. My powers have all but ran out. You cannot save me," the god of the wild continued stubbornly.
"And I do the impossible for breakfast," I waved off. "But tell me, Pan. Do you really want to return? To get back to your family. Or do you not want that to happen?"
"What would you have me do?" The god said bitterly as his image flickered again. "I've spent the last two thousand years in pain— and yes, I acknowledge that it is somewhere my fault. Can't I spend my last few moments in peace?"
"That was not the question. If given the chance, will you return to the world of living? To help Olympus? To help your family? To right the wrongs?"
"I— I will if it was possible—"
"Say no more," I said, as my bag appeared in my arms. Shoving my hand in, I removed one of the most priced things in it.
An apple of immortality.
"Is that—" Annabeth breathed as Thalia's and Zoe's eyes went wide as saucers.
Grover's mouth hung open while Rachel and Nico stared, confused.
Pan looked dumbstruck.
"Here, eat it. And come with us. Help save Olympus."
Pan continued to look at the apple with a dumb expression.
Dede sang a jubilant song, as if approving my choice while the wooly mammoth trumpeted. The tiger-wolf hybrid roared.
I smiled at Grover and the animals. "Come on. We have an invasion to stop. Is the great god Pan coming to cause some panic or not?"
Ch.41 The Invasion
PERCY POV
Dark gray clouds covered the sky over Times Square as we emerged out of the Labyrinth guided by Rachel.
Thunder rumbled in the sky as a gale of wind blew, blowing strands of Rachel's hair onto my face.
I glanced at Pan, who was looking around taking in the sights around him. The god's jaw hung open as he reared his head to look at the impossibly tall buildings around him.
Grover winced sympathetically behind him, grimacing as he clutched his reed pipes.
The mortals around us went on with their lives without giving us a glance, unaware of who was in their midst.
"New York," Annabeth breathed, looking at her watch. "We must hurry to the camp. Lu— the Titan army would be on its way to the camp."
She looked away, her eyes shining with tears that refused to fall.
"How are we getting to the camp?" Nico asked, casting a glare at the cars that stood honking in the unmoving traffic. "A cab would take far too long in the traffic."
#I do not think the Titans would've already reached the camp. But you must hurry, Percy. The invasion may start any minute now.# Alexander warned.
"I have got that under control," I pressed a button on my car keys. "Our ride will be here any minute."
"What has happened?" Pan suddenly breathed in Ancient Greek, his eyes glowing. "This is— outrageous!"
His shout drew the attention of a group of teens walking by us but they didn't spare him a second glance as they continued to walk, chuckling away.
"Lord Pan," I called, stepping toward the god. "No offense but this thing has been here for decades. Nothing about nature or the cities is going to change within the next few moments. First we must get to the camp. Titans are the biggest problem right now. The camp is about to be invaded. Once all of it is over, you can feel free to start resurrecting nature."
The god looked at me for a moment before nodding briskly and drawing himself up.
"You have done me a great favor, heroes. And I will honor my word to help your camp and Olympus defend itself," Pan said, glancing at the buildings with distaste.
"The elders will be thrilled to have you back, Lord Pan," Grover bleated. "There will be a riot. We will work together to save nature, I promise."
The god smiled softly before his ears perked and he looked toward the sky in alarm.
"Something approaches." He breathed, glancing at me. "I don't know what."
"That would be our ride," I said, as my Aston Martin broke out of the clouds.
"Is that an Aston Martin?" Rachel asked dumbly as my car landed on the side of the street.
"Yeah," I nodded, turning to the girl. "You've been a great help, Rachel. I was honored to have you as a companion on the quest."
Rachel frowned, giving my hand a firm shake, before looking at the others around us.
"This is where we part with you," Zoe said, stepping forward. "If you ever wish to continue your journey with the Greek world, pray to my Lady, Artemis. We will have a place in the hunt open for you, sister."
I saw Thalia roll her eyes at Zoe behind her back.
"I will think about it," Rachel smiled. "Save the world for me guys."
******LoSP******
Light-gray clouds blurred around us as we flew across the sky toward Long Island.
Pan sat next to me, looking slightly squirmy as he kept touching his horns and trying to keep his movements to a minimum. Thalia, Nico, Annabeth, Zoe, and Grover sat behind, cramped into the backseat of the car holding on to their seats.
"Grover, stop fidgeting. Your elbow's hurting me," Thalia growled as half-blood hill swam into view.
In the distance, I could see campers in position around Zeus's fist, their weapons ready. A few campers looked up as I flew over them toward the cabin area.
As we descended in the middle of the cabin area, I caught the sight of Chiron, Silenus, and Artemis hurrying toward us followed by two archers from the Apollo cabin through my windshield.
Except Silenus, each one of them was wearing full body armor, their weapons by their side.
I turned the ignition off and stepped out of the car, just as the backdoors opened and Thalia scampered out of the seat, breathing deeply as she clutched her sides.
"Get a bigger car, kelphead," She scowled, hitting me on my head as she made her way toward Artemis. Zoe followed her a moment later, passing Chiron who trotted toward me with a grim smile.
I glanced inside the car and saw Pan fidgeting with the door handles, trying to open it.
"Grover Underwood!" Silenus roared, hurrying forward as Grover stepped out of the car. "Your searcher's license is revoked! You are three weeks overdue!"
Annabeth and I shared a look before she smirked and hurried toward Artemis as well, ignoring the old Satyr.
Grover stepped forward, looking Silenus right in the eye. "Searcher's licenses don't matter any more, Silenus. Recall the Satyrs."
"What are you saying boy?" The goat sneered. "And why do you think I would take orders from you?"
"Not me," Grover said, pulling open the car door, allowing Pan to emerge out of the car. "But I think you would take orders from him."
Silenus's eyes went wide as he choked on his spit.
Grovers lips curled as Silenus fell to his knees, his nose almost rubbing on the ground.
A breeze blew across the camp, carrying the smell of springtime fresh air seasoned with wildflowers and sunshine.
"Lord Pan," Chiron breathed, trotting around the car to meet the god, ignoring me.
"Chiron, my old friend," Pan beamed, hugging the centaur. "It is so good to see you."
"Grover," I called out loud as Satyrs began to appear out of the treeline, their eyes widening as they caught the sight of their patron god. "Handle the Satyrs and the nature spirits. I want you all at Zeus's fist in ten minutes sharp."
"Alright!" Grover yelled back and I turned, only to find myself face to face with Artemis.
"Hey you," She smiled, a small dimple forming over her left cheek. "I see you brought back your friends along with Pan."
#Percy, she needs to know.# Alexander said. #She will inform Olympus of Kronos's return.#
"He wanted to die. I convinced him otherwise." I shrugged, my face turning serious. "I— Artemis, there is no easy way to put this. While I went there… I saw something."
Artemis's face scrunched into a frown. "What?"
"The Titan Lord has returned," I informed, making her stiffen. "He is inhabiting Luke's body, empowered by the curse of Achillies."
"What?" She breathed before grasping my shoulders. "Please tell me you didn't confront him."
A smile curled up on my lips. "Let us just say if it hadn't been for the invulnerability of Luke's body, we would've won the war already."
"You fought the Titan Lord? And— and returned unharmed?"
Her fingers trailed over my cheek, checking I was alright.
"Thalia and I got out with only a few scratches," I smiled. "Don't worry. We have worse things to worry about."
She nodded. "We do. Thalia, Annabeth, and Zoe have already gone down there."
"Then we should catch up," I smiled, glancing at the hearth behind me. "Lead the way, Artemis."
******LoSP******
Gravel crunched under my feet as I walked toward Zeus's fist with Artemis, passing campers who were running around the place, setting things up for the upcoming invasion.
It was the biggest military operation I'd ever seen at camp despite being one of the lead demigods for about three years. Every single demigod in the camp was at the clearing, dressed in full battle armor, ready for war.
The Hephaestus cabin had set up traps around the entrance to the Labyrinth—razor wire, pits filled with pots of Greek fire, rows of sharpened sticks to deflect a charge. Beckendorf was manning two catapults the size of pickup trucks, already primed and aimed at Zeus' Fist.
Apollo cabin and the hunters were scattered through the woods, with the exception of Annabeth, who was with her cabin already, in the command tent. A gray banner with an owl fluttered outside the tent. Our security chief, Argus, stood guard at the door.
I tore my eyes away, inspecting the battlefield further.
The Ares cabin was on the front line, drilling in phalanx formation with Clarisse calling orders, half the Hermes cabin just behind, ready with swords and spears. Clarisse barely gave me a glance as she continued to bark orders at the troops, her spear crackling menacingly with red electricity.
A group of campers, led by Silena, were mounted on Pegasi a little distance away to facilitate an aerial assault when the invasion began.
The rest of Aphrodite's children were running around straightening everybody's armor and offering to comb the tangles out of our horse hair plumes. Even Dionysus' kids had found something to do by offering water and juice boxes in the sweltering heat.
"Percy, I got your armor repaired," Artemis held out my necklace in the palm of her hand. "It was the best job possible on such short notice but it is usable enough."
"Thanks." I placed the necklace around my neck before willing the armor to appear.
The familiar weight of the cold metal settled over my body, all straps back in place.
I moved a little, twisting my hips and rotating my shoulders.
'The weight is a little off over the hip. But it will do.'
"Where do you think I should be?" Nico jogged up next to me, his sword clutched in his hand.
"By my side," I replied. "How good are you with the sword?"
"Decent enough," Nico twirled the Stygian iron blade in his hand. "Not as good as you or someone like Annabeth, but I can hold my own."
"What of your powers, son of Hades?" Artemis cut in. "What can you do?"
"I can shadow travel reliably well," Nico hesitated. "I can also summon a few skeletons and ghosts."
"Okay, so if someone is in danger, I want you to shadow travel to them and save lives. Understood?" I asked.
"Brilliant," Nico beamed. "Now we need to get the Satyrs and Dryads back in place. They've gone crazy seeing Pan."
I grimaced.
That was going to be a problem. The invasion was due any minute now and the Satyrs were scattered through the camp, spreading the word of Pan's return.
"Grover's on it," I told Nico. "Pan is sensible enough to make them see reason and concentrate on what's necessary."
"Hopefully," Artemis muttered. "I will check on my huntresses before this begins. Make sure they're in place and prepared."
Saying so, she ran off into the woods, leaving me with Nico.
I glanced at the rest of the troops assembled around the clearing.
"Stay with me, Percy," Chiron said, trotting up next to me, his bow back over his shoulder. "When the fighting begins, I want you to wait until we know what we're dealing with. You must go where we most need reinforcements."
"We can empty the camp," I said. "Just leave Artemis and her hunt here with Clarisse, and Nico. Between all of us—"
"It won't be enough," Chiron said. "For all your powers, to fight an army, you need an army. And Artemis might not even be fighting today."
I nodded sadly, just as I spotted Pan and Grover appearing from the treeline, several Satyrs following behind them.
They were here.
"Who's leading command?" I asked.
"Clarisse, of course," Chiron replied, shouldering his bow. "Who better than the strongest daughter of the god of war to lead the camp into battle? She will read the battlefield like the back of her hand. It is the power of Ares."
"Indeed, it is," I muttered.
Not even I could inspire the obedience that Clarisse could within the campers. I might be the most powerful demigod here but Clarisse was the one they most feared and respected at the same time.
She was everything Ares embodied, albeit a little calmer and less bloody than the god himself.
Which, in retrospect, was excellent. Clarisse would never drag a real fight out like her father would, choosing to finish her opponent off before they could get back up. It was something I had made sure to ingrain in her during our spars.
Of course, she still loved her spars bloody and dragged out, humiliating her opponent with every verbal and physical jab. Sometimes, it was too painful to even watch someone spar against Clarisse. Especially newbies who had just come to learn.
"What troubles you, Percy?" Chiron asked, breaking me out of my thoughts. "I have been getting this ominous feeling all day, and I feel you know something about it."
I closed my eyes with a sigh. "Chiron, your father has returned."
The ancient centaur stilled, his fingers curling around his bow.
"You met him," he stated. "I always feared this day might come to pass. My father's return."
"He is inhabiting Luke's body," I added, my eyes fixed on Zeus's fist where the entrance to the Labyrinth lay. "I suspect Luke has taken on the Curse of Achilles to host the Titan Lord."
"I shudder to think what that means," Chiron said. "But perhaps it will limit Kronos's power. For a time, at least, he is confined to a human form. It binds him together. Hopefully it also restricts him."
"Maybe. Maybe not," I murmured. "I am just worried he will lead this attack. And if he does—"
"He isn't," Chiron said confidently. "I would've felt him approach and so would've Lady Hestia. Lady Artemis too, would've felt something coming, considering she never has been in the presence of my father."
"Even through the Labyrinth?" I asked doubtfully.
Chiron didn't say anything, his jaw twitching.
I continued to examine the troops from the place I stood, alongside Alexander.
"CLARISSE!" I bellowed, watching her order a group of demigods to form a phalanx behind a wall of shields. "Put that group to protect the west side of the forest. Let the archers have protection."
"The hunt's there," she yelled back, without a glance. "Phoebe is handling it. The place is filled with traps. The monsters won't know what hit them."
I gave her a nod, allowing her to instruct the phalanx of warriors.
If the hunt was there, the place was already booby trapped, especially considering Phoebe was on it. The girl was scary with traps.
"Percy," Thalia came running toward us, her ax clutched tightly in her hand, Bianca following a step behind. "Lady Artemis sent us to be here."
#All big three kids together. If a few big-bads appear, we have the muscle to counter them, especially with all the hunt here.# Alexander said. #Artemis might or might not be capable of fighting today alongside you unless a Titan appears. This is probably a part of the quest. Same for Pan.#
I gave Alexander a mental nod.
Artemis had voiced as much. The Ancient Laws would probably forbid even her to participate in today's battle unless a Titan or a God came through during the attack. If not, she would have to sit it out.
Till she was sure, Artemis was going to stay with her hunt, in the forest, ready with her bow.
"I am almost hoping for a Titan to come through. A goddess fighting by our side would turn the tide easily," I said. "Because, if not, it will be some very tough monsters."
"I personally am hoping there will not be any Titans invading the camp, Percy. Because—" Chiron's voice faltered, as I felt the hair on my neck stand.
A moment later, the ground underneath our feet began to tremble. Everyone in the clearing stopped what they were doing, tensing in preparation.
Clarisse barked a single order. "Lock shields!"
The sound of metal scrapping filled the clearing followed by dead silence as everyone prepared themselves.
For most campers, this was going to be the first real fight ever, despite the training they went through at the camp.
The fact that there were two gods within the camp did little to ease my worries as both were likely forbidden to fight as per the Ancient Laws unless a Titan appeared.
A moment later, Zeus' fist was split open, and a dozen Laistrygonian giants poured out, roaring war cries loud enough to make my ears ring.
Each giant carried a shield made of fused, flattened cars, as big as themselves in one hand and a spiked club made of tree trunks in the other.
"Fire!" Beckendorf yelled.
The catapults swung into action. Two boulders hurtled toward the giants. One deflected off a car shield with hardly a dent, but the other caught a Laistrygonian in the chest, and the giant went down.
A moment later, a hail of silver and bronze arrows soared from the forest at the giants just as a loud boom echoed across the clearing.
I let a smile curl on my face as more than half the giants fell to the arrows and the canon in one single go. The other giants, though, seemed to be unbothered by their companions falling as they charged onto the demigods around with a roar.
I grasped Thalia's arm, stopping her from charging forward as a giant smashed his club into the left flank of shields, sending half a dozen demigods airborne.
A moment later, Clarisse charged at the giant, leaping high as her spear wreathed with blood-red electricity, her war cry drowning out the giants'.
"Stay here," I told Thalia. "We will need you later."
The Laistrygonian giant stumbled back as Clarisse drove her spear through his belly and the giant burst into a cloud of monster dust.
Beside me, I saw Chiron's arrow pierce the eye of one of the giants who was surrounded by a group of Hermes campers, who had been trying to kill it.
As the giant crumbled into dust, the campers charged at the other giant in their midst.
Over the other side of the field, Clarisse dropped onto the ground in a roll, before throwing her spear with deadly accuracy, taking another giant down just as the Hermes cabin killed their target.
Beside me, Thalia had resorted to taking her bow out and quickly firing silver arrows at nearby giants, taking another Laistrygonian down in a few seconds. Bianca followed her lead, albeit at a slower pace.
Just before the last of the giants perished, a wave of Dracaenae in full battle armor, wielding spears and nets surged out of the maze and dispersed in all directions toward the campers.
"HOLD RANKS!" Clarisse yelled, her voice reverberating through the clearing, just as the traps the Hephaestus cabin had laid went off.
One Dracaena got stuck on the spikes and became an easy target for archers. Another triggered a trip wire, and several pots of Greek fire exploded into green flames.
I saw my chance.
With a clench of my fist, I fuelled the fire into a storm of Greek flames, just as a wave of silver arrows descended on the Dracaena with deadly accuracy.
The Dracaenae never stood a chance as the Greek flames engulfed them, reducing them to monster dust. The inferno of green flames swirled around Zeus's fist, beginning to melt rocks to bubbling lava as the dying screeches of the Dracaenae subsided.
"REGROUP!" I heard Clarisse yell over the roar of flames. "HOLD YOUR LINES! DON'T FIRE TILL I CALL!"
The campers around the clearing scrambled back into positions the best they could, holding onto their shields.
I held onto the inferno, willing it to push down on anything that came into contact, buying the campers time to regroup before the next wave of enemies came through.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a couple of injured campers escorted out of the forest by Apollo medics while the other cabin leaders yelled orders to their troops.
"I am letting go!" I shouted, letting go of my hold over the Greek fire.
"STAND READY!" Clarisse yelled as the flames began to subside a few moments later. "ARCHERS HOLD!"
The ground rumbled again as the flames dimmed to puddles of Greek fire. A heartbeat later, a group of demigods exploded out of the Labyrinth, followed by a wave of Cyclopes and Empousas armed to the teeth.
"FIRE!" Clarisse bellowed and arrows rained down on the Titan Army that had burst out of the Labyrinth.
Several of the monsters burst into a fountain of dust but the demigods just raised their shields and continued to charge.
Silver arrows stuck out of their shields like the spikes of a porcupine as they met the campers, trying to break through the ranks.
"Hold your lines!" Katie hollered as a dozen Cyclopes clashed into the shields of the Demeter cabin.
"Nico, help the Demeter cabin. Go!" I ordered and Nico jumped into my shadow, reappearing behind the Demeter campers.
He took a deep breath before kneeling on the ground and thrusting his sword into the soil.
A cold, chilly wind blew through the clearing, making me shiver as the ground cracked open. Almost like horror movies, dozens of skeletal hands emerged from the cracks.
Several undead warriors —horrible corpses in military uniforms from all different time periods—U.S. Revolutionaries, Roman centurions, Napoleonic cavalry on skeletal horses poured out before charging at the enemy.
I tore my eyes away from the scene as the ground trembled again and an unearthly shriek echoed out of the Labyrinth.
I felt Thalia stiffen next to me.
"Kampê," Thalia breathed, her fingers curling around her ax as her bow vanished.
#Uh-oh,# Alexander said. #Percy, the big bad's here.#
I felt the earth tremble again before the entrance split open and a black blur flew out. I felt a chill go down my spine as the monster settled atop of Zeus's fist.
The monster was— monstrous, for the lack of a better word.
Mutant animal heads growled at her waist. Snakes hissed and swirled around her legs as she snarled, her face worse than Medusa's could ever be.
In her right hand she held a glittering ball of thread—Ariadne's string—but she popped it into a lion's mouth at her waist and drew her curved swords. The blades glowed green with poison.
I felt my mouth go dry by just looking at her.
'Any advice?'
#Avoid close contact.# Alexander suggested uselessly, making me scowl. #Percy, I am serious. Her venom can incapacitate gods for hours if not kill them. You will die. She is older than me. Older than Typhon. She is out of Artemis's league let alone yours.#
'Artemis can't help due to the stupid Ancient laws,' I growled just as Chiron cursed and let loose an arrow toward her.
Kampê seemed to sense his presence as she took flight, allowing Chiron's arrow to whizz past her harmlessly.
"CANNON!" I yelled at Beckendorf, jabbing my hand at Kampê who had landed on the Athena command tent, smashing it flat. She screeched aloud, her blades blurring as she beheaded two of Annabeth's siblings, making my heart clench.
The lifeless bodies fell to the ground, their flesh sizzling and melting.
All around campers either screamed or began to run away from her in fright.
I winced as I saw a few get trampled underneath giants or run into swords of enemy demigods.
A boom echoed across the camp as Beckhendorf unleashed the cannon at her.
The cannonball struck her in the middle of her chest, exploding in a blast of Greek fire.
When the fire cleared, Kampê was sprawled on the ground, looking rather unharmed as she turned her gaze at Beckendorf, her face contorting into a horrible snarl.
'To hell with it.'
I charged across the battlefield toward Kampê, my sword drawn, as I held my shield on guard.
A cannon ball to the chest would've harmed any monster, if not outright killed them. But Kampê had shrugged it off, getting back to her feet with a hiss of anger.
A hellhound charged toward me from my right, but got vaporized by a bolt of lightning, courtesy of Thalia who was following a step behind, her ax crackling with electricity.
I rammed my shield into an enemy demigod who went to intercept me, sending him flying.
My attention was drawn back to Zeus's fist as more shrieks sounded from the other side of the battlefield.
Two large animals had charged out of the Labyrinth toward the campers.
"Di immortales!" Thalia cursed.
#Those are the Crommyonian Sow and Calydonian Boar!# Alexander yelled in my mind. #Send Thalia to kill them off. Someone from the hunt would be coming.#
"THALIA! GO HELP THERE! I will handle Kampê!" I bellowed without breaking my charge at the monster.
Kampê seemed to have heard me as she turned her gaze on me, her dark, demonic yellow eyes sending shivers down my whole body.
'At least Beckendorf is safe now.'
She screeched and took flight in response, holding her swords out, dripping with poison.
The soil sizzled and rocks melted as the poison dripped onto the ground, the monstrous form of Kampê closing in on me.
'I need to take those swords away.'
I slashed my sword at her wings with my full strength as I held my shield up to stop her swing.
The Thyella Kavalris rebounded off her wings like they were made of celestial bronze.
'Any monster should've been minced meat with that strike.' I grimaced as Kampê righted herself in the air, snarling words at me that sounded like owls getting tortured.
Without warning, she lunged at me, her poisonous blades slicing through thin air as I vanished into sea breeze, appearing behind her.
I willed Temptest Domitor into my hands in its sword form before bringing both my swords together in a colossal shockwave directed at Kampê.
Kampê barely had time to see what I had done as she was flung back, one of her swords dropping out of her hand onto Castor, killing him.
Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Thalia go at the Crommyonian sow, her body crackling with electricity as she slashed at the sow.
Beside her, Zoe was wrestling the Calydonian Boar with her bare hands while Annabeth tried to stab it with her spear. Across the battlefield, Clarisse was fighting like a monster, skewering monsters and enemy demigods alike as a dim red glow covered her body.
The other demigods too kept fighting the monsters while the archers waited to take their shots with extreme precision, not wanting to kill their own.
Suddenly the sky darkened as I saw a fire start within the forest, the flames rising higher with every passing second.
Without a thought, I clenched my fist, shutting the flames down before they could burn the forest down, killing the dryads.
The clouds immediately thinned, and thunder immediately fell from the clouds, Thalia utilizing the opportunity.
How had the clouds come? I had no idea. But it wasn't Thalia or I who had summoned them.
A screech drew my attention back to Kampê, who was soaring high in the air, both her hands grasping her sword.
I called to my powers of the storm bringer and brought down a bolt of lightning on her.
Thunder cracked toward her but she flew out of the way, allowing the bolt to vaporize a Laistrygonian charging toward the Ares warriors.
I retracted the Tempest Dormitor and brought forth my shield as Kampê flew at me, her sword a green arc, promising painful death.
Poison splashed against my shield as her sword rang against it.
I felt goosebumps erupt on my arm before a force slammed into my midriff, sending me flying backward.
The animals at her stupid waist attacked, apparently.
My vision darkened for a moment as I crashed painfully on the ground, my grip on my weapons loosening as I rolled across the battlefield.
#Careful, Percy# Alexander said as I felt his power run through my body.
I coughed out blood, spitting it on the ground as pain flared horribly in my shoulder.
My vision blurred and I tried to blink it out.
Kampê's triumphant shriek rang in my ears as my vision began to clear.
Kampê was flying above me, her massive wings fluttering.
She gave me an evil grin before descending on me, her claws poised to rip me open.
Before I could teleport away, a wall of darkness slammed into her, sending her flying as a howl reverberated through the battlefield.
Liekos.
I feebly got back to my feet as I took in the sight of the ten-feet tall wolf standing against Kampê, his fangs barred.
Raising my hand, I summoned my sword back, turning it into a trident.
Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw the battle raging around us.
A hellhound crashed into a pair of Satyrs, breaking through their wooden shields and sending them airborne.
Zoe clashed against the Boar as blood dripped from her lips while Thalia and Annabeth tried to flank it, the sow nowhere to be seen.
Clarisse skewered two Cyclopes in a single strike, growling ferally as blood shone across her armor and face.
A wave of Dracaenae surrounded the Ares cabin, who were shielding themselves and fighting.
I turned my attention back to Kampê, who was snarling at Liekos, her sword dripping with acid.
I pointed my trident at Kampê's waist before shooting a beam of sea green energy at the maw of the tiger that had just formed.
Kampê seemed to sense it as she flew out of the way again, snarling and hissing, allowing the beam to whizz past her harmlessly.
"You will pay, demigod," Kampê snarled in Ancient Greek.
Before she could go through with her promise, another wall of pure darkness slammed into Kampê, sending the monster sideways.
A hellhound, almost as big as Liekos, stood over Kampê, snapping at her.
"Good girl!" A voice called, drawing my attention.
A man whom I had never seen before was fighting his way out of the Labyrinth, his sword slaying any monster that came in his path.
Behind him, a giant followed, waving his multiple hands, swatting enemies away.
#That's a Hekatonkheire!# Alexander exclaimed. #Their kind helped us in the first war. They helped make the weapons alongside the elder cyclopes. They had enough strength to blow mountains apart.#
I saw the hundred-handed one glare at Kampê across the battlefield, its face morphing into something undecipherable.
If I had to guess, I would describe it as brave and revengeful.
The hellhound and Liekos leaped away from the path as the Hundred-Handed One launched a volley of boulders at Kampê. The rocks seemed to enlarge as they left his hands. There were so many, it looked like half the earth had learned to fly.
Within a blink of an eye, where Kampê had stood a moment before was a mountain of boulders, almost as tall as Zeus's Fist.
A cheer went up from the campers, but our enemies weren't done yet. One of the Dracaenae yelled, "Ssssslay them! Kill them all or Kronossss will flay you alive!"
The threat seemed to be real to the monsters as they surged forward again.
But they missed one important fact.
I was free to fight them with Kampê dead. So were Zoe, Thalia, and Annabeth it seemed, as they immediately engaged the enemy around them.
"FALL BACK!" I yelled, as the winds picked up around me.
Thunder rumbled in the sky while campers scrambled out of the way.
I slashed my way through any monster that came near, my swords becoming a blur of green flames.
Monsters disintegrated at the touch of my sword, the godly metal and the Greek flames giving them no chance to defend themselves.
Thalia floated in the air a distance away, raining thunder on enemies, her ax crackling like Zeus's master bolt.
Six giants surged forward toward me but I gave them no chance, blowing them to pieces with balls of Greek fire.
Liekos bounded beside me, happily digging his claws into any enemy around— demigod or monster.
At the sides, the campers regrouped, dragging away the wounded.
A few skeletons and Clarisse stood in front of them, protecting against any enemy that came toward them.
Suddenly, a horrible sound rang through the clearing.
The sound of pure terror, magnified a thousand times.
I felt Alexander's breath hitch.
#The fabled panic. Pan's most powerful weapon.# Alexander breathed as I watched what remained of the forces of Kronos dropped their weapons as one and ran for their lives.
The giants trampled the Dracaenae trying to get into the Labyrinth first. Telkhines and hellhounds and enemy half-bloods scrambled after them.
The tunnel rumbled shut, and the battle was over.
The clearing was quiet except for the fires burning in the woods, and the cries of the wounded.
I turned to Grover, who was standing at the side of the clearing, his eyes wide, staring at the scene in wonder. His reed pipes dangled from his hands, about to fall.
Behind him, Pan beamed, drawing himself up.
"PERCY!" Bianca's shrill voice rang out, making my head snap in her direction.
Bianca kneeled on the ground beside a prone figure clad in black armor.
Nico.
I rushed to their side, to see what had happened.
Nico was sprawled on the ground, dark gray smoke curling off his body as the grass around him withered and died.
#Power overuse.# Alexander declared. #Give him some nectar and he would be fine.#
I immediately removed my bottle of nectar and gave it to Bianca, who trickled some of the drink into Nico's mouth.
He coughed and spluttered, but his eyelids fluttered open.
"Nico, what happened?" I asked. "Can you talk?"
He nodded weakly. "Never tried to summon so many before. I—I'll be fine."
We helped him sit up and gave him some more nectar. He blinked at all of us, like he was trying to remember who we were, and then he focused on someone behind me.
"Daedalus," he croaked.
My head snapped around, to see the man standing with the hellhound who had downed Kampê.
I let my senses extend, only to feel a machine instead of a human.
"Yes, my boy," Daedalus said softly as golden oil dripped out of his joints. "I made a very bad mistake. I came to correct it."
I raised my eyebrows but said nothing.
The Hellhound began to lick the man's face like an obedient dog, which was saying something considering it was as big as a pickup truck.
My eyes searched for Liekos, who was the only animal bigger than the Hellhound in the clearing.
Liekos was helping the wounded, carrying them to the tent and fetching medical supplies.
My eyes drifted toward the horizon, where Artemis and Pan stood, talking quietly.
"I found the Hundred-Handed One as I came through the maze," Daedalus said, drawing my attention back to the inventor. "It seems he had the same idea, to come help, but he was lost. And so we fell in together. We both came to make amends."
"The amends are not done," I cut in. "This entrance to the Labyrinth has to be closed. I have a feeling you would know how to do it, without blowing up the camp."
Daedalus shook his head. "The Labyrinth will be a danger as long as it exists. As long as the Labyrinth is here, your enemies can use it. Which is why the Labyrinth cannot continue."
Annabeth stared at him. "But you said the Labyrinth is tied to your life force! As long as you're alive—"
"Yes, my young architect," Daedalus agreed. "When I die, the Labyrinth will die as well. And so I have a present for you."
He slung a leather satchel off his back, unzipped it, and produced a sleek silver laptop computer with a glowing delta symbol.
Annabeth blushed, shifting from foot to foot.
"I know you took one of the laptops. But this one has more. I have unlocked it completely for you with access to all my works." Daedalus said kindly. "I would've given you the hologram operator too but it was destroyed in the fight. But you can remake it. Continue my work."
"I— I do not know what to say," Annabeth stuttered.
Daedalus smiled sadly, before patting Annabeth's head.
"Someday you will be a greater architect than I ever was, Annabeth. Take my ideas and improve them. It is the least I can do before I pass on."
"Whoa, pass on," Bianca said, catching up. "You are going to die?"
"Genius does not excuse evil, child. My time has come. I must face my punishment." Daedalus said.
"You won't get a fair trial," Annabeth said. "The spirit of Minos sits in judgment—"
"I will take care of that," Nico cut in. "I am the son of Hades. I do hold sway over a few things."
"Thank you, Nico," Daedalus smiled. "But I have one last favor to ask of you. I cannot leave Mrs. O'Leary alone. And she has no desire to return to the Underworld. Will you care for her?""
I glanced at the massive black hound, who whimpered pitifully, still licking Daedalus's hair.
A hellhound named Mrs. O'Leary.
Who said the world wasn't a strange place?
"I will," Nico promised.
"Then I am ready to see my son… and Perdix," Daedalus said. "I must tell them how sorry I am."
Annabeth had tears in her eyes.
Daedalus turned toward Nico, who drew his sword.
At first I was afraid Nico would kill the old inventor, but he simply said, "Your time has long since come. Be released and rest."
A smile of relief spread across Daedalus's face. He froze like a statue. His skin turned transparent, revealing the bronze gears and machinery whirring inside his body. Then the statue turned to gray ash and disintegrated.
Mrs. O'Leary howled. I patted her head, trying to comfort her as best I could.
The earth rumbled—an earthquake that could probably be felt in every major city across the country—as the ancient Labyrinth collapsed. Somewhere, I hoped, the remains of the Titans strike force had been buried.
I looked around at the carnage in the clearing, and the weary faces of my friends.
"Come on," I told them. "We have work to do."
AND… DONE! I hope you all liked the chapter.
I am terribly sorry for the lateness of this update but I was swamped with college stuff and barely had time to write. And as you all know, I prefer quality over quantity.
Anyhow, here we are and I hope you all liked this chapter!
A huge thanks to Mughil, Satan000 and Oska Halliday for betaing this chapter.
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Fnaffan1301: If I had wished to go on Wattpad, I would've done it myself but thank you for the offer.
gdioeDragneel: Mate, this is a PJO fic. Not a avengers crossover.
Ladis11: Omake next chapter? What do you say :D
Rendgar-blade00: Most events remained similar to canon. What changed is what I wrote.
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Thank you all for your reviews!
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I have also created a discord server with the help of my two very good friends. I really hope to see you all there and have fun with you all. There, you can communicate with me, ask me questions regarding my fics, look at the character images, get sneak peeks, give your own theories, and even... wait, why should I tell you everything here? Come over and check it all out yourself!
Discord Server Invite Link: discord . gg / 4qfP3fxdQ4 [Remove the spaces please]
I will love it if you guys come on my server and interact with me there. If you have some of your own theory or wish to see something in this fic as the journey progresses, you can tell it to me on the discord server!
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As of this moment, I have six main stories. They are:
1. The Rise of the Last Potter: My Novel length Harry Potter fic which is already 300k+ words long and it is a work in progress. Updated Regularly.
2. The Legend of the Son of Poseidon: A Novel Length Percy Jackson fic which is already 250k+ words long and it is a work in progress. Updated Regularly
3. Loved Ones Skipping Stones and Ice-cream: A fluffy Haphne one-shot. It is completed obviously.
4. SECRETS: Another romantic one-shot I published recently. Complete as well.
5. Agent Potter: The Wizard of W.A.N.D. - My spy!Harry fanfic which I implore you all to read!
6. Guardian of the Soul: Infinity Saga – My newest fic. An HP–MCU crossover. Novel length, in progress.
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