•as the world caves in•

•the workshop•

Once we arrived back at our small camp, Rachel was sleeping. I tossed my sticks onto the fire. Annabeth crossed her arms. "I'll take first watch. You two should sleep."

We didn't protest but as I laid down, Percy said, "you don't have to act like that."

I glared at him. "Like what?"

"Like... never mind." He said.

I turned away from him and hugged myself. I hated how he made me feel sometimes.

•.•.•.•

I woke up with Annabeth shaking me awake. "Earthquake!"

I quickly grabbed my bag and shoved Percy. "Percy, let's go!"

"Tysons in trouble! We need to help!"

"We have our own issues!"

Rachel woke up and we chased after her through the collapsing tunnels. "We're close!"

And for once I was glad Rachel was here because right before of was a large Greek L.

We arrived at Daedalus's workshop.

•.•.•.•
The sun that shined through the windows blinded me. Odd windows would be here, but I'd seen enough weird stuff.

I was in awe at the workshop. "He's a genius."

"Look at the curves of this building!" Annabeth grinned, looking at a sketch of said building.

"Where are we?" Percy asked as he looked out the windows.

"Colorado Springs," a voice said. "The Garden of the Gods."

"You," I said. "What have you done with Daedalus?"

The man was Quintus. "Trust me, you don't want to meet him."

"Look, Mr. Traitor," Annabeth growled. "We didn't fight a dragon woman, a three-bodied man, and a psychotic Sphinx to see you. Now where is he?"

Quintus was still in his camp outfit, which was an insult. "You think I'm an agent of Kronos, that I work for Luke."

"Duh." I said.

"You two are intelligent girls. But you're wrong, I only work for myself." He walked to the window. "It changes everyday, but it always likes it here, keeps returning here."

"It's an illusion then?" Percy said.

"No," Rachel said. "It's real."

Quintus looked to her. "You have clear vision. You remind me of another mortal girl I once knew. Another princess who came to grief."

"What gave you done with Daedalus?" Percy asked.

"My boy, I am Daedalus."

I wish I could say I saw that coming, but I definitely didn't. I thought he stayed hunched up in his workshop, I didn't think he'd come to camp.

"But you don't even look like him," Percy protested. "I saw him in a dream... you're an automaton! You made yourself a new body."

Annabeth paled. "That's not possible."

"Do you know what Quintus means?" He asked.

I gasped. "The fifth. There's no possibly way!"

"Yes, this is my fifth body."

"You found a way to transfer your animus into a machine?" Annabeth questioned. "That's... not natural."

"Oh, it's still me. I'm still very much Daedalus, mother never allows me to forget." He pulled back to collar on his shirt was the mark a of a bird.

"A murder's brand," I mumbled.

"For your nephew, Perdix," Percy quested. "They boy you pushed off the tower."

Although all half-bloods had dreams about future quests, mine were rare whereas Percy's were all the time. It was one thing I didn't envy.

Quintus - or Daedalus, frowned. "I did not push him."

"Made him lose balance, let him die."

"I regret what I did, but I cannot take it back."

"But why did you come to camp? Why spy on us?" I urged.

"To see if your camp was worth saving. Luke had given me one story. I preferred to come to my own conclusions."

"You you have talked to Luke." Percy said.

"Oh, yes, several times. He's quite persuasive."

"But you've seen camp!" I persisted, a small feeling of hope. "Do you know we need help, you can't let Luke get through the maze!"

"The maze is no longer tied to me. It grows on its own. It's the price I pay for privacy from the gods, from death. The only man who has kept trying to look for me is Minos. He hunts relentlessly, now he is a judge of the dead, he wants nothing more than to punish me for my crimes. After the daughters of Cocalus killed him, his ghost began torturing me in my dreams. I did the only thing I could, I retreated from the world completely. My ultimate accomplishment would be to cheat death."

Before anymore could be said, a bark echoed and Mrs. O'Leary bounded into the room and onto Daedalus. He grinned. "There is my old friend! My only companion all these lonely years."

"You let her save me." Percy said. "That whistle worked."

Daedalus nodded, petting his dog. "Of course it did. You have a good heart and I knew she liked you. I wanted to help. Perhaps I felt guilty as well."

"About what?"

"That your quest would be in vain."

"What? But you can still help!" I said, pleading. "You have to! Give us the string so Luke can't get it!"

"It is with Luke already. You are several hours too late. Kronos promised me freedom, once Hades is overthrown, he will set me over the Underworld. I will reclaim my son Icarus, I will make things with with Perdix. I will see Minos's soul cast to Tartarus, and I will not longer run from death. Your cause is doomed. There is no way you can hold back the night of Kronos. I'm doing what I must, the offer was too sweet. I'm sorry."

I knocked over an easel with drawings. I balled my hands into fists and flared at him. "I used to respect you! You were my, our, hero! You built amazing things and solved problems!"

Annabeth pointed a finger at him. "Children of Athena are supposed to be wise, not just clever. Maybe you are just a machine. You should have died two thousand years ago!"

Instead of getting mad, he hung his head. "You should warn your camp."

Mrs. O'Leary pricked her ears.

"Someone's coming!" Rachel warned.

The doors burst open and a snake woman and two Laistrygonians marched in, Minos grinning evilly and Nico chained.

"There you are, old friend." Minos sneered.