The Battle of The Labyrinth [Book Four]

Growing Shadows.

     Mist curled around her legs- her entire body. The scenery was dark, making it impossible to tell where she was. But Nico stood there against the darkness, bags of McDonalds happy meals and six packs of Coke in his arms. Before Reagan could even question why he had those, Nico popped the cap off of a can of Coke and poured it onto the cold ground. When she looked closer, she noticed that he was dumping the food and drinks into a grave. Then the ground began to tremble, spectral bodies pulling themselves out of the grave. The shaking got worse, and Reagan covered her ears and shouted for it to stop, but her voice sounded a lot like Nico's voice like he was asking for it to stop, too. The ghostly limbs reached out, grasping at Reagan's body and pulling her into the grave. She awoke with a start that morning, breathing heavily as she sat up in her bed. Even though she had woken up, Reagan felt like her nightmare was just beginning.

     Despite the dream, the day was a little better then the day before. It turns out that Tyson had come back for the summer. Reagan had never really got to talk to him since the Sea of Monsters. Mostly because by the time she had woken up aboard the old Civil War vessel, all things were going to Hades and back. Then when the ship exploded, they had all thought that he had died. Even after that, when Tyson reappeared, they were too busy trying to survive to really get to talk at all. So Reagan, Annabeth, Grover, Tyson, and Percy spent the day together. Talking, laughing, hanging out. It was nice for a change. Reagan was enthralled by the underwater palace that belonged to Poseidon, even if it was a little freaky and daunting. When asked about how they spent their summer together, Reagan and Annabeth would simply shrug their shoulders and say it was monster infested but otherwise boring. They watched Mount Tam closely. Reagan went missing in the Labyrinth for a week, but otherwise boring. They didn't mention that, though. Chiron had instructed Reagan to keep this a secret, and tell only Annabeth. They talked a little about the Labyrinth, and how Juniper really didn't want Grover to traverse the endless corridors.

     Honestly, Reagan couldn't blame her. The Labyrinth was terrifying, and Grover never really liked caves, especially since he spent so much time locked away in a cave as a captive. If Grover wanted to go into the Labyrinth, then he's braver then the credit that Reagan gives him. As dinnertime approached, they went their separate ways to get ready. The mealtimes felt weird without Dionysus there, yet somehow better. At one point, Reagan felt someone tapping her shoulder and looked up with a mouthful of pizza.

It was Annabeth.

Reagan choked down her pizza, gagging as she struggled to breathe. "W-What are you doing?"

"We have to talk to Percy."

"Uh-"

     Before she could finish her sentence or her food, Annabeth yanked her up from her table and dragged her hand-in-hand to the dining table that belonged to Cabin Three, only three people inhabiting the table. Percy, Grover, and Tyson. However, because Grover was uncomfortable around the Cyclops, he got up and left, while for some reason Tyson nervously got up and left too. Leaving Percy alone with Reagan and Annabeth. Waves of whispers grew at the sight of Reagan and Annabeth sitting at the wrong table with Percy.

"Percy, you need to convince Grover to go into the Labyrinth," Annabeth insisted. "It's his only way to find Pan."

"You know how he feels about caves and being underground."

"But finding Pan has always been his dream."

     As the fighting continued, Reagan grew more aware of the stares that they got, especially from the Aphrodite table. They weren't exactly whispering about Reagan and Annabeth sitting at the wrong table, a clear rule breaker, but they were whispering about Reagan and Annabeth's hands still clasped tightly together under the table.