15 - The Battle of the Labyrinth Part 1

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We wandered further into the maze and found someone. Or more like someone with two faces. Literally. He was pressuring Annabeth. I could see it from the way her eyes kept darting to each side of their faces and how she was trembling a little.

"I-I choose-"

Before she could point to a door, a brilliant light flooded the room.

Janus raised his hands to either side of his head to cover his eyes. When the light died, a woman was standing at the fountain.

She was tall and graceful with long hair the colour of chocolate, braided in plaits with gold ribbons. She wore a simple white dress, but when she moved, the fabric shimmered with colours like oil on water.

"Janus," she said, " are we causing trouble again?"

"N-no, milady!" Janus's right face stammered.

"Yes!" the left face said.

"Shut up!" the right face said.

"Excuse me?" the woman asked.

"Not you, milady! I was talking to myself."

"I see," the lady said. "You know very well your visit is premature. The girl's time has not yet come. So I give you a choice: leave these heroes to me, or I shall turn you into a door and break you down."

"What kind of door?" the left face asked.

"Shut up!" the right face said.

"Because French doors are nice," the left face mused. "Lots of natural light."

"Shut up!" the right face wailed."Not you, milady! Of course, I'll leave. I was just having a bit of fun. Doing my job. Offering choices."

"Causing indecision," the woman corrected. "Now be gone!"

The left face muttered, "Party pooper," then he raised his silver key, inserted it into the air, and
disappeared.

The woman turned towards us. Her light brown eyes filled with raw power. She gave off a motherly vibe and she looked familiar. I've only seen her once upon Olympus, but a familiar feeling came to me.

Suddenly, an image of a peacock, decorated with precious gems popped into my mind. It disappeared just as quickly as it came. She stared right at me and smiled warmly. "Percy Jackson," she said.

I nodded my head, "Yes?" She opened her hand and blew the dust of silver in my direction. I stumbled and backed up to the wall. I looked up at her again. She was smiling brightly now.

"Aunt Hera." I hugged her. She chuckled. "It is good to see you again, Percy. Come, you must be hungry," she said and waved her hand. A plate of sandwiches appeared on my lap. I smiled, "Thanks."

She smiled and ruffled my hair. "Your father has asked us to help in any way possible. We still have not caught the person who did this to you," she said. I sighed and continued eating my sandwich.

"It's fine," I told her.

My friends were lying on the couch she had made appeared. "Why was Janus here?" I asked her. She sighed and waved her hand dismissively, "He was simply frustrated with how small his role was, the minor gods especially. Some might even be easily swayed and support the rise of my father."

"Your fat—ohh." Sometimes, I forget that Hera, Zeus, Poseidon are siblings. Doesn't that make Kronos my grandfather? I shuddered at the thought. Moving on.

"You wish to navigate the maze, yes?" I nodded my head. "But you already have the answer." I was confused.

"What?" Hera sighed as if she had explained this a million times. "I cannot say much, Percy. Zeus does not allow but from time to time, I can offer some help," she said. I sighed frustrated at the king of gods.

"Seek Hephaestus out. You will need my son's help. He knows what has happened to Daedalus," she said. I nodded my head.

"Take care, Percy and be careful of who you trust."

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A/N: This part was first so I changed it. So basically meeting Hephaestus is second. Ok thank you for reading.

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