"There." Rachel pointed to a hole in the side of a nearby hill, a tunnel that was boarded up and chained.
"An old mine entrance." Annabeth said in disbelief, while everyone got out. I transformed back.
"A door to the Labyrinth?" I asked. "How can you be sure?"
"Well, look at it!" Rachel said. "I mean...I can see it, okay?"
I looked carefully again, and there was a symbol of delta inscribed. Percy went ahead and put his finger on it. There was a crunching sound and the door opened to the Labyrinth.
The dirt tunnels turned to stone. They wound around and split off and basically tried to confuse us, but Rachel had no trouble guiding us.
"Heatblast! Oh man, it's so dark here." I said, transforming, and making a big fireball in my hand.
We told her we needed to get back to New York, and she hardly even paused when the tunnels offered a choice.
Rachel and Annabeth started up a
conversation as we walked. Annabeth asked her more about her background, but Rachel wasn't answering, so they started talking about architecture.
It turned out that Rachel knew something about it from studying art. They talked about different facades on buildings around New York like "Have you seen this one," and blah, blah, blah, so I hung back behind Percy and Nico in uncomfortable silence.
"Thanks for coming after us," Percy said in gratitude. Nico's eyes narrowed. He looked suspicious, careful around me. "I owed you for the ranch, Percy. Plus...I wanted to see Daedalus for myself. Minos was right, in a way. Daedalus should die. Nobody should be able to avoid death that
long. It's not natural."
"That's what you were after all along," Percy said. "Trading Daedalus's soul for your sister's." Wait what?
"You were trying to revive your sister?" Nico walked for another fifty yards before answering. "Yeah. My sister was the only one who took care of me. It hasn't been easy for me. Being the son of Hades, I only have dead for the company. Knowing that I'll never be accepted by the living. Only the dead respect me, and they only do that out of fear."
"You could be accepted," Percy said. "You could have friends at camp."
He stared at Percy, wanting to believe every word of his. "Do you really believe that, Percy?"
Percy didn't answer. I said "Look, if you take this matter unto yourself, you will see that people will start accepting you. Otherwise, they will think you don't want anything with them and you'll remain an outcast."
Percy ran into Rachel, who'd stopped in front of us. In the dim lighting from my fireball, her face looked like one of Nico's specters.
"Is it that way?" Annabeth asked.
"No," Rachel said nervously. "Not at
all." She looked downright scared.
"Why are we stopping then?" I asked.
"Listen," Nico said. I heard wind coming down the tunnel, as if the exit were close. And I smelled
something, and it smelled like a breath mint, or a leaf.
"Eucalyptus trees," Percy said, with a hint of fear. "Like in California."
I remembered then. Last winter, when we'd faced Luke and the Titan Atlas on top of Mount Tamalpais, the air had smelled like that.
"There's something evil down that tunnel," Rachel said. "Something very powerful."
"And the smell of death," Nico added, which made me feel a bit repulsed. Annabeth and Percy exchanged glances.
"Luke's entrance," she guessed. "The one to Mount Othrys, the Titans' palace."
"I have to check it out," Percy said.
"Percy, no." Annabeth said with dread. "Luke could be right here,"
"Or...or Kronos. I have to find out what's going on." Percy said.
Annabeth hesitated. "Then we'll all go."
"No," Percy said with finality. "It's too dangerous. If they got hold of Nico, or Rachel for that matter, Kronos could use them. You stay here and guard them."
I interrupted "Excuse me, but am I a bunny or something? I'll have you know I have a say in this too. Either we all go, or nobody goes."
"Ben, please. It could be really dangerous." he pleaded.
I sighed "You really are stubborn. You are going with me. Annabeth, stand guard and inform us if anyone comes."
Annabeth nodded her head reluctantly. I dialled my watch. "Chamalien!"
Annabeth handed Percy her invisible cap, and we both became invisible, walking down the dark corridor.
Before we even got to the exit I heard voices. There were growling, barking sounds of animals.
"At least we salvaged the blade," one said. "The master will still reward us." "Yes! Yes!" a second shrieked.
"Rewards beyond measure!" Another voice, this one more human, said "Um, yeah, well that's great. Now, if you're done with me-"
"No, half-blood!" the creature said. "You must help us make the presentation. It is a great honor!"
"Gee, thanks," the half-blood said "I feel so honored."
I looked at Percy (Yes, I can see invisible things myself. Another power of Chamalien), who had a bit of an angry look on his face. "Ethan" he whispered to me.
We went inside silently, and they were still talking. "Careful, you fool! One touch, and it will sever your soul" it said, pointing at a black scythe/sword.
I immediately noticed a coffin. Percy had gone white. He shakily lifted the cover and froze. I went forward, and was shocked. It was Luke, the enemy, and he was looking unconscious.
"Who goes there?" someone asked. The creature came and had a joyful look "Look, the Titan Lord is rising! He made the cover move!"
Another one shouted "We will defeat the Gods once and for all. Half-blood, go and pledge your alliance fast! He needs one more!"
Ethan nodded. Percy took off his cap and interrupted "No, don't!"
Stupid Percy! Ethan ignored him and shouted "I renounce the gods! What
have they ever done for me? I will see them destroyed. I will serve Kronos."
Luke bolted up, and sat straight. His eyes snapped open, gold in colour. I transformed back, and grabbed Percy back. Luke regarded me and said "So we finally meet, the demigods of prophecy. I am Lord Kronos."
Percy had a look of disbelief. "WHAT!? How is that possible?"
Kronos got up and held his scythe. It melded into a pure black sword. He rushed forward and striked.
I barely dodged it, and he went towards Percy. Percy took out his Riptide and slashed.
To my astonishment, Kronos just lazily dodged it. I tried moving, but I noticed my movements were slow. He was controlling time.
Clockwork cannot overpower Kronos. But it can give him a surprise. Serena had said.
I dialled my watch and transformed. "Clockwork!"
I shot a beam from my chest, and wound a key in my head. It felt painful, like I was missing a limb.
I rushed forward, and punched him, hard. He flew backwards, and crashed into a wall.
"Who dare control my element!" he bellowed.
"Percy, let's get out of here, NOW!" I shouted to him. He started running, and I followed him.
I heard Kronos shout "Seize them immediately!"
I tapped my watch on the chest, "Echo Echo! Distract. Them!"
They nodded, and ran towards the creatures.
"Percy. Leave. Kronos. For. Now!" I said.
He nodded, but the creatures were still following. Just what were they?
*Telkhine. Sea demon monsters. Practices black magic and are weaponsmiths*
Oh well, thanks omnitrix. While I got surrounded. Lovely.
I tapped omnitrix on my chest. "Ultimate echo echo!"
I flung my speaker disc in the air like a frisbee. "Sonic discs!"
Soundwave started blaring, and the telkhines closed their ears and fell on the ground.
"Percy, close your ears quickly!" I warned him.
His face was in surprise, and he nodded quickly.
"Sonic DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!" I put the speakers in a polygon shape and blared at full volume.
"XLR8! Percy, we gotta go!" I said transforming.
I grabbed him by his shirt, and exited through the tunnel where we came from.
_____
Sorry for the delay. I'm just going to cut to the chase and tell you that I'll be leaving Wattpad from 24th April to 24th May. I have a really important exam and I won't have time to write new chapters. Don't worry, I'll probably be able to post 2 more chapters before I disappear.
We hit 6k reads! I'm really, really happy.
Signing off for now
~~PerseusKyogre09