In which Luke realises he fucked up and is horrified. And once again Percy is literally the only person who can deal with Luke.
Replies:
InfiniteShadow3: Oh she will eventually. And yeah, yeah Luke is suffering right now. Which to be fair to a degree he does deserve but he's redeeming himself. He made a good start.
Undeath9087: Yeah, Argos and Mrs O'Leary are adorable besties. And the Quintus thing... well let's just say that it'll be interesting.
RuthTheRavenclaw: Here you go my lovely!
Percy only just managed to move in front of Luke in the time to intercept Clarisse. "Woah! Woah Clarisse calm the hell down-"
"No! No I'm going to kill him this is his fault!" Clarisse was snarling, filled with fury as Chiron moved to block Luke from her view.
"Clarisse! I warned you not to lose your temper!"
"He fucking regrets it? What fucking good does that do! It's your fault! You recruited him he's like this because of you you son of a bitch!"
"Clarisse stop it!" Annabeth grabbed Clarisse's arm and dragged her back. "Luke knows how bad he fucked up! Everyone does."
"He got out scott fucking free leaving the poor bastards he brain washed there-"
"Kronos brainwashed." Percy cut in. "Kronos is the one responsible for the brainwashing Clarisse and Luke was brainwashed too-"
"I don't give a shit that he was brainwashed! Chris is-" her voice caught. "You- did you know? Did you know what they were going to do?"
"What-" Luke stepped out from behind Chiron. "I don't know what they're planning anymore Clarisse I left them six months ago. The last plans I knew about revolved around Kronos going full power again and that didn't happen. He failed because of Percy-" he paused at the look Percy gave him, "And me. A little. Whatever plans they have now… I don't know them. Whatever happened to Chris… I don't know."
"You don't know." Clarisse stopped struggling, though her expression was still furious and filled with hate. "You don't know. Whatever it was drove him insane." She spat the words, "It drove him- it broke him. You get to run around free as a fucking bird with little miss perfect princess over there, living it up and he's in the basement because he can't even be kept in the fucking infirmary anymore."
"I don't know what happened to him." Luke repeated. "I don't- I wish I did but- I don't know enough to even guess."
"Clarisse found him in Phoenix. He was wandering around the desert in full Greek armor babbling about string. Something drove him insane." Chiron informed them. "Young Clarisse here managed to get her back to her house so they wouldn't institutionalize him."
"I have a suspicion as to where he's been." Chiron added, "But I admit I cannot be certain. Luke?"
"Oh gods." Because Luke's face had lost all of it's color and he stepped back, back hitting the wall, eyes blown wide. "Oh gods-"
"What is it?" Annabeth turned to Luke, "What's wrong-"
"The Labyrinth."
"I suspected as much-"
"Wait- the Labyrinth?" Piper's brows furrowed, "Like, from the myth of Theseus-"
"Yes Miss Kane-"
"Who was a dick-"
"Yes Percy we all know you hated Theseus." Annabeth shot her a look. "But now's not the time. The-" She frowned, "I suppose that would be useful for Kronos if he could figure out how to navigate it. It has entrances everywhere right?"
"Yes. And one could travel across the world in a day in the Labyrinth-"
"It's so much- I-" Luke shook his head, "I- I am so sorry-"
"Luke-"
"I'm sorry-" and Luke was bolting.
"Well that is concerning." Chiron went to move to follow him but Percy shook her head.
"I'll go."
"But-"
"No, no she should go." Annabeth spoke up. "Percy's one of the few people Luke will actually confide in about things. He's still got that stupid thing about not burdening other people with his issues and worries. Like he has to be the one others turn to still, but Percy beat that out of him as long as it's her he's talking to."
So Percy took off after Luke, managing to follow him into the woods.
She followed him all the way to Zeus' fist, tracking him there to find him kicking the pile of boulders furiously, slamming the palms of his hands against them as hard as he could as he let out a frustrated yell. "FUCK! FUCK FUCK FUCK!"
"Like- I know Zeus is a dick and he'd probably deserves that but you do know that those stones aren't actually his fist right?"
"Fuck you." Luke stood with his back to her, shaking. He was shaking.
"Luke. What is going on?" Percy moved forward slowly, as if he was a wild animal she was afraid of spooking.
"I fucked up Percy. It's just another thing I fucked up."
"What did you do."
"I told him."
"Kronos? What did you tell my dear old Gramps."
"About this." Luke moved swiftly, towards a crack between two of the largest boulders and starting to squeeze between them.
"Luke what the- you can't fit in th-" except he was, he was squeezing in and then- Percy gasped as she watched him disappear, rushing up to the gap and squeezing in herself without hesitation.
She was almost fully in before Luke called up, "No! No don't- just- just stay like that." And Percy peered in, gripping the rocks either side to stop herself from falling into- was it some sort of a cavern. She could see- see a corridor. She was above it. A few foot above it, if she let go she'd probably fall in.
She could feel a warm breeze against her skin from inside of the corridor, and she could just about see Luke in the darkness, his back against the wall, his eyes closed.
"I told him about this years ago." His voice was small. "I didn't- I completely forgot. How could I forget I."
"Luke wha-" Percy froze, realisation sinking in and- "Oh my gods… this- this is-"
"They don't want a way to transport armies quickly- I mean they do but-"
"They want to use- this is an entrance into the Labyrinth."
"Yes." Luke closed his eyes, "Yes. Fuck I screwed up gods oh gods-"
"Okay- okay-" Percy reached down with one hand. "First of all, we're getting out of here. This place gives me the heebie jeebies and I've been to the Land of Demons so you know it's bad."
"I should just stay down here and r-"
"And what good would that do us." Percy scoffed, "Self pity is never the answer buddy. You work to fix it you know that Lukey Pookie."
Luke's eyes narrowed a little. "I know what you're doing Kane."
"Oh? Oh and what would that be." Percy's voice was mocking, "Oh tell me wise one what am I doing?"
"You're trying to piss me off to distract me from my guilt."
"Oh would I do that?"
"Yes. Yes you would."
"Okay so I would. Now stop being a moron, grab my hand and pull yourself up or I'll magic you up here."
"Fuck you." But Luke was reaching up and grabbing her hand, letting her haul him out of the labyrinth, which wasn't easy but she managed, yelping when she caught her foot and stumbled backwards after, landing on her back.
"Ouch."
"How? How are you so- so powerful one moment and then so pathetic the next?"
"It's one of my many talents." Percy pushed herself up onto her elbows, shooting him her best winning grin. "Nothing wrong with being multifaceted."
"Sure." Luke scoffed, but there was a weak smile on his lips. "Gods I'm going to have to tell Chiron what I did."
"Yep. Part of dealing with things is facing up to things and admitting it when we fucked up. Painful I know."
"Painful's not a strong enough word." Luke snorted. "Impossible feels more accurate."
"Well maybe so but it is what it is. And you know what you have to do."
"Fine." Luke gave a tiny shrug, though she could see the tension in the line of his shoulders. "Fine. Let's go back to the Big House. I guess we have to deal with this."
So Percy managed to drag him back to the Big House, Luke dragging his feet the whole way. It was painfully obvious to everyone they walked past that he was unhappy about something, so people lingered back, though Percy got a few friendly smiles and waves.
And just as Percy knew they would be the others were waiting for them.
They were in Chiron's office, clearly having moved there, Chiron in his chair- for space purposes, with Annabeth, Piper and Clarisse gathered around the desk. Everyone turned to look as Percy and Luke walked in, Chiron raising an eyebrow.
"I'm glad to see that you've both returned. Will you tell me exactly what that was about?"
"Luke has something to tell you." Percy shot the man a look and he flinched, his eyes flashing with guilt once more.
"I found it." His voice was quiet, "I found it years ago. After I started talking to Kronos but before I got in too deep."
"Found what?" Chiron frowned, "Luke, young man-"
"An entrance to the Labyrinth." Luke's voice was strained, "I found it in camp. Zeus' fist." And Percy watched the color drain from Chiron's face, and from the three girls faces as that sunk in after a long moment. "I- I considered telling you but he was already whispering in my ear back then. I told him right away but he told me I should keep it secret. Just between me and him. It was so long ago I forgot about it until you guys were talking I swear- I- I forgot. Kronos hadn't ever asked me about it after that. He never talked about any plans with the Labyrinth to me."
"Fucking creep." Percy scowled. "Remind me to punch him if I see him again. And kick him in the balls."
"There's an entrance into camp?" Chiron asked the question carefully, as if he didn't want to hear the answer repeated, "You- there is an entrance into my camp? And I was unaware of it?"
"Kronos is planning an attack." Annabeth whispered the words, "Kronos is planning a full scale attack isn't he?"
"Well fuck." Piper blinked. "That- if he can get monsters past the border-"
"Chris was scouting it seeing if they could find a way here." Clarisse looked a little sickly. "Fuck how bad must that place be."
"I never went far." Luke spoke up, "I never dared to but- it felt evil down there."
"I imagine it would." Chiron pressed his lips together into a thin line, "And Chris was speaking of a ball of string."
"That has to be Ariadne's string right?" Percy asked- and at the raised eyebrow Chiron gave her Percy rolled her eyes. "Ariadne is my middle name guys. I know the story. Dad used to tell it to me as bedtime stories- Persephone and Hades and the story of Ariadne."
"You mean Theseus-"
"No." Percy rolled her eyes, "Theseus could go fuck himself with barbed wire for all I cared from what I understood of the stories about him he was a little bitch boy who dumped Ariadne as soon as she wasn't useful for him. And he kidnapped a twelve year old to try and force her to marry him when he was a grown ass adult. My mama taught me right, I know that's messed up."
"You know-" Chiron gave a wry smile, "I imagine that if Mr. D would be here his opinion would be rising rather rapidly. He always has detested Theseus-"
"Dude was a dick." Percy shrugged, "I call it like I see it. But that's not the point right? Because Chris talked about String."
"They must be looking for it." Annabeth pursed her lips. "Ariadne used it to navigate the labyrinth. Which means that if they get it-"
"They'll be able to find their way here." Luke's voice was monotone.
"We need to prepare." Clarisse's voice was almost hoarse, "We need to prepare for war. Don't we?"
"I believe that may be wise." Chiron closed his eyes. "Unless somehow we can get to the string first."
"That's what we have to do then." Piper spoke up, "If there's war here people will die and I know that sooner or later we're going to start losing lives here but I'd rather it be later."
"A quest." Annabeth nodded slowly, "A quest to retrieve Ariadne's string. Without it they can't find us here. It's the only chance."