EVERYBODY MET at Zeus's Fist just after daybreak, all the heroes in the quest supplied with a heavy load of ambrosia, nectar, snacks, a wide assortment of weaponry, and other essential items needed for a demigod quest.

  The morning was beautiful, which seemed a little cruel. The sky was clear and air smelled crisp and dewy. Magdalena wanted nothing more than to relax on the beach near the lake in her bathing suit, basking in the warm sun. But, instead, she was going underground. Literally underground.

  Off to the side, Juniper was frantically checking Grover from head to toe— Rasta cap all the way to his fake feet. Grover had made sure to conceal his goat legs, as he had no idea the Labyrinth had in store for them, and what they might encounter. Juniper was doing her best to keep her tears at bay, but the rims of her eyes were tinged green, revealing that she'd been crying practically all night.

Chiron and Quintus stood with the other campers as they prepared the defenses around the boulders. Tents were placed on every side of the structure, while the children of Hephaestus drilled spikes and dug trenches as war defenses around it. Chiron had made it clear that Zeus's Fist must be kept on constant patrol in order to prepare for any sign of attack.

Magnus, Magdalena, and Annabeth were all doing a supply check when Tyson and Percy approached them.

Lena immediately frowned. "Percy, what happened?" She asked, scanning his sunken, tired face. "You look horrible."

"Gee, thanks."

"He battled the water fountain last night," Tyson confessed. "The fountain won."

"Dude," Percy sighed.

"What?" Magnus asked.

Chiron approached the group before Percy got a chance to explain himself. "Good, you're all here! It seems you all prepared accordingly?"

It was obvious that he was trying to sound confident and hopeful for this quest, but his anxiety showed through the mannerisms of his face and body. Percy didn't feel like giving him any more stress to carry, but he needed to tell the centaur about his dream last night. "Chiron, could we talk for a second?"

"Yes, my boy. What is it?"

"Uh," Percy glanced at the group. "Just give us a second. I'll be right back."

Percy gestured toward a secluded part of the forest. Chiron raised an eyebrow, but followed the boy nonetheless.

Lena watched Percy was he walked off, wondering what was bothering him so much. But, her thoughts got interrupted when she heard her name get called from the tree line, and Connor Stoll came bursting into the clearing in his pajamas.

"Thanks gods!" He said breathlessly as he practically tumbled into Magdalena, holding her arms to steady himself. "I thought I was too late!"

"Too late for what?" Lena asked, staring at the boy in slight bewilderment due to his . . . Dramatic entrance.

"To say goodbye," Connor replied. "Obviously."

Shortly after, Travis came stumbling out of the forest, in a similar clothing situation as his brother, his hair sticking upwards and dirt streaked on his face.

"What the hell happened to you?" Magnus asked.

"I fell," Travis said, just as breathless his Connor. He glared at his brother. "Since somebody didn't care to tell me there was a hole in the path."

Connor shrugged. "Should've watched where you were going."

"I was too busy trying to keep up with you!"

Connor made a face. "That's not my problem," he claimed, then turned back to Lena. His face was plastered with worry within a second. "You have everything you need?" He asked. "Ambrosia, nectar, deadly explosives?"

"All of the above," Lena confirmed.

"You brought snacks, right?" Connor assured. "Because I feel like the Labyrinth wouldn't have a food court, unless, of course, there was a Wendy's or something— "
 
  "Connor," Lena interrupted, placing a hand on his arm with a reassuring smile. "I have everything I need, okay? Don't worry about me."

  Connor rolled his eyes. "That's like asking me to not booby trap the Ares cabin with motion-sensing fart bombs."

Annabeth gave Connor a skeptical look when she overheard that, but the son of Hermes barely paid her any mind. He was too focused on Magdalena.

"We'll be fine, Connor," Lena reassured. "I just need you to look after Melé while I'm gone. He doesn't need much, but . . . " she shrugged, glancing down to see the wolf sitting obediently at her side, sniffing the air curiously. "Just make sure he doesn't go running off into the woods. He can be a little free spirited."

"Doesn't need much?" Connor repeated. "Lena, you've spoiled that wolf rotten. Don't think I haven't noticed you trimming his claws and trying to paint them pink."

Lena scoffed. "What?" She asked, trying to be nonchalant. "You must've dreamt that."

Connor raised an eyebrow. Travis looked over, giving her a similar look. "You're full of shit, Mags," he stated, smirking. "You've trained that wolf like a house cat."

Lena sent the two brothers the middle finger, to which both of them laughed, because they knew they were right. Melé barked happily, shaking his fur. The sound of his pink collar jingling made all of them laugh harder. That only proved their point further.

"Would you rather I make him sleep in the stables and eat roaches off the floor?" Lena asked, crossing her arms.

"Melé could easily hunt on his own," Connor said. "I don't think he needs to be eating prime rib for lunch."

"Connor, will you look after him or not?" Lena asked, glaring at him impatiently.

  Connor grinned boyishly. "Yes, Maggie. I'll make sure to stock up on plenty Wagyu beef and spring water for him."

Lena nodded in approval. "Thank you."

Connor stared at her for a moment. His smile slowly fell as he brought himself back into reality. He was  reminded of why they were standing in front of Zeus's Fist. Why he had sprinted through the woods in nothing but socks and his pajamas to see her before she left him.

  "Lena," Connor said, his voice small. "Be careful in there . . . Okay?"

  Lena's smile dropped too, slowly, like a foot stepping into quicksand. "You know I always am."

  "I know," Connor replied. He swallowed nervously. It's just, this time . . . It seems different. I— I have a bad feeling."

  Magdalena frowned. "About what?"

  Connor ran a hand through his hair, his jaw ticking. "I don't know," he admitted. "I've just had this weird feeling in my stomach since the war council yesterday. I feel like something really bad is about to happen."

  "Well, I think everybody is feeling that way," Magdalena tried to justify. "With the Labyrinth entrance in the heart of camp, and Kronos's army preparing an attack . . . Everybody's feeling on edge."

  Connor shook his head. "No," he said. "This feeling's different. It . . . It's about you, Lena." He paused, like he was scared to say the next words. "I don't think you should go down there."

  Lena's frown deepened. "Connor, are you serious?"

  And for once, he was.

  "Yes," he said, and the look on his face showed Lena that he wasn't lying. "Something bad's going to happen. I don't know why I know this, or how, but I know it's true. Please, don't go, Lena. Don't go down there."

  Connor sounded truly desperate, which worried Lena. She'd never heard him sound like this before. And the fact it was about something bad happening to her . . . It started to make her feel uneasy.

  "Connor, you know I can't do that," Magdalena said, her eyes staring hardly into his as she ignored the unsettling pit in her stomach. "I made a promise to Annabeth. I won't stay behind simply because of a bad feeling you have."

  "Lena, I'm not kidding," he said, his voice growing stronger. "Something horrible is going to happen if you go down there. You're not safe."

  "My safety isn't the top priority, here," Lena argued. "This camp will be nothing but ashes if we don't find Daedalus's workshop before Luke. That's more important than having some weird feeling about my life."

"It's a priority to me," Connor said sharply, making a couple of heads turn toward them. "You don't care about what happens to you, and it drives me crazy! I'm trying to help you, and you're not listening!"

"I am listening, Connor," Lena replied strongly. Her eyes were starting to flare with blue fire. "But it doesn't matter! My life might be in danger, but the fate of camp, and all of the half-bloods who stay here is in danger. That is for certain. This gut feeling you have? It's a stretch, Connor! You're acting off your emotions instead of opening your eyes and seeing the real threat!"

Now, more people had started to turn towards the argument, the clearing of Zeus's Fist growing silent. Magnus and Annabeth were watching the argument in concern. Connor and Lena had never fought like this before. The most they'd ever done was not speak to each other for two days because Connor had put orange hair dye in her shampoo. But, even then, they never stayed mad at each other longer than a few hours. Seeing them yell at each other like this meant something was definitely wrong.

"You're blind-sighted by your stupid fatal flaw!" Connor spat, his hands shaking from frustration. "You can't accept the fact that your life's in danger because you're too worried about everyone else's! I know you trust me, Lena, so why aren't you taking my word for it?"

"Because my fate is irrelevant compared to camp's," Magdalena said, the flames in her eyes dancing wildly. "And you can't see that because you're too focused on keeping me close to you. You act like I'm this fragile little girl that needs protecting, and I'm tired of it! Stop trying to protect me, Connor! I don't need it!"

"You're being stupid," Connor said. "And you're saying things you don't mean. I don't see you as fragile, Maggie. When have I ever said that?"

"You don't have to," Lena said, her jaw shaking. "I see it in your eyes every time I leave camp. You think just because I have a shitty mortal dad, and nobody to look after me when I'm not here, that I need someone to always have my back. You see yourself as some sort of savior to me. You and Luke used to talk about it. I know you thought I didn't know, but I did. And you're wrong, Connor. I didn't need your help. I didn't need Luke's help. I don't need anyone's help!"

Her voice cracked on the last line she spoke. That's when Connor knew that the cut was deeper than he thought it was. He'd broken something inside Lena with this argument, and it was no longer just about him. It was about more than that.

  But despite this realization, Connor felt his chest tighten at her words. He felt his heart constrict, and his eyes filled with pain, blending in like oil and water with the anger he felt.

  "If that's how you feel," Connor said, his voice dropping into a low tone. It was empty; emotionless. "Then you should go. Go and throw yourself into the face of danger just because you can't accept the fact that someone cares about you."

  Magdalena felt like her entire body was on fire, boiling her blood and melting her muscles. She had no words to say, because she had no idea how to voice how she was feeling. She could feel every single pair of eyes on her and Connor, Percy's stare burning more than the rest. He had been watching the argument unfold with an unreadable expression, as Chiron watched nervously. The centaur knew both demigods were powerful, and when they were angry enough, things could quickly escalate into something worse. Something that both Magdalena and Connor would regret.

  Connor waited for her to say something; anything. But, when she didn't, he nodded, swallowing hardly. "If you die down there," he said, his feet beginning to fall backwards as he made his move to leave. His voice was filled with so much pain and hate, it made Lena's throat close up. "That's on you. And I won't feel bad for you. Because I warned you. I tried to help you. But your stubbornness overruled your decision, and that's something you'll have to live with in the Underworld if you don't make it back alive."

  And with that, Connor Stoll turned on his heel, and stormed into the forest, turning his head from anyone else before they could see the tears in his eyes.

  The entire clearing was silent as they stared at Magdalena, who was frozen in place, staring at the tree line where Connor had disappeared.

Travis looked guilty as he walked up to Lena, shielding her face from the eyes of everyone else. "I'll talk to him," he said softly, putting a hand on the girl's arm as she held back the tears she wished to shed. "He didn't mean that, Mags. You know he didn't."

Magdalena finally tore her eyes off the tree line to look at Travis. "Do I?" She asked, her voice sharp, but filled with pain. "Because it sure looked like he did."

Travis's heart was lead. "Mags, come on."

Magdalena rolled her arm out of his hand, her frown turning into a scowl. Her eyes were angry. "You don't have to defend him," she said thickly. "He meant what he said. He can own that."

Travis stared at Lena, guilt rising like bile in his throat. Chiron and Percy walked hesitantly over to the group, Chiron calling for everyone to go back to their tasks at hand in order to get their eyes off of Magdalena.

"Lena," Magnus said, walking over to his sister. "We need to go, okay? Forget about him."

Magnus looked at Travis, and he got the message. With one last look at the siblings, he turned and walked off to where Connor had shot off, preparing to verbally beat the shit out of his brother for the things he'd just said to their best friend.

Magdalena took a deep breath, swallowing her frustration like a horse pill, and turned to join the rest of the group, Chiron included.

They all stared at her with pity, and it made Magdalena want to knock all of their eyes out individually. She hated it. She hated the guilt they felt toward her. She didn't want their pity.

"It is time," Chiron said, clearing his throat. "Be safe. Succeed in your mission. We will all be waiting for you if you return."

If. Not when— if.

Percy took a shaky breath. "Be safe, Chiron."

They all made their way toward the fissure in the rocks, where the entrance was waiting with open arms to swallow them whole.

"Say farewell to sunshine," Grover said nervously.

"Goodbye, sunshine," Tyson agreed.

And as a group, the six of them fell into darkness.

  IT TOOK maybe five minutes for the group to become hopefully lost.

  The corridor was different than the one Percy and Lena had fallen into the day before. They'd dropped into a sewer, with burgundy brick walls and a hallway that stretched on forever. The portholes on the side stretched even further into darkness, so those were all lost causes.

  Annabeth was trying to stay confident in her navigation abilities, claiming that they should walk alongside the left wall until they found something.

  "By sticking to one side, we'll know where we came from," she said. "And if we need to turn back, we'll just reverse course."

  That sounded like a great idea, until the left wall stopped and they walked into a chamber filled with eight different tunnel entrances.

  "It's fine," Annabeth said, though she sounded totally not fine. "We'll just turn around."

  Everybody turned toward a different tunnel. It was a total joke. Nobody had any idea which tunnel they'd come through to lead them back to camp.

  "Nice idea, sticking to the left," Magnus said sarcastically.

  Annabeth glared at him. "Why don't you lead the way then, smartass?"

  Magnus didn't respond, to which Annabeth nodded, her eyes saying, That's what I thought, moron.

  Annabeth stared at the tunnels for a moment, before shining her flashlight on one of the left sided ones.

  "That one," she said.

  "How do you know?" Percy asked.

  "Deductive reasoning."

  "So . . . you're guessing."

  Annabeth sighed. "Just follow me."

The corridor got tight fast. The walls went from brick to concrete, and the ceiling got so low that Tyson had to crawl.

"This is a nightmare," Grover heaved as he hyperventilated. "Are we almost there?"

"We've been here for maybe five minutes," Magnus said.

"There's no way," Grover insisted. "It's definitely been more than that. This is hopeless! Why would Pan be here, in this dark, scary, lifeless maze? This is the total opposite of the wild!"

They ignored his complaining and continued forward until the tunnel opened into a large room, their flashlights reflecting dozens of mosaic tiles lining the walls.

The colors were faint due to how long the mosaics had resided there, but they could still make out the figures within the tiles. The frieze had a painting of the Olympians at a table, feasting. All of the twelve main Greek gods were seated around a long wooden table, with satyrs dancing and Hermes flying on his sandals through the sky. The mosaics were stunning, but entirely inaccurate. Dionysus was not that good looking, and Hermes had a way bigger nose.

Sitting in the center of the cavern was a three-tiered fountain that looked like it hadn't been filled in years.

"Where are we?" Percy mumbled. "It looks— "

"Roman," Magdalena said, her voice echoing through the chamber. It was the first time she'd spoken since they'd entered the Labyrinth. It was obvious she was still upset about her and Connor's fight, but she was hiding it better than the others thought she would. "These mosaic are from Ancient times."

"How are they Roman?" Percy asked. He wasn't an expert on ancient history, but he was pretty sure the Roman Empire hadn't reached Long Island during their reign.

"The Labyrinth is constantly growing," Annabeth said. "Expanding all across the world, adding new rooms and traps. It's the only work of architecture that is self-reliant."

"The way you say that makes it seem like it's alive," Magnus grumbled.

There was a shifting sound in the corridor beyond them, like a wall closing shut.

"Can we avoid any talk about it being alive?" Grover pleaded.

Annabeth huffed. "Okay. Straight ahead."

"Down the hall with the scary noises?" Tyson asked, sounding nervous.

"It's fine," Annabeth said. "This is a good sign. The older the architecture gets, the closer we are to Daedalus's workshop. It's in the oldest part of the maze."

  It made sense, but the maze was messing with them, almost like it enjoyed seeing them lose their minds. The tunnels would switch from cement, back to brick, then cement again. Some of the walls were graffiti-d with the words MOZ RULES in neon paint.

  "I'm starting to think we're not in Ancient times anymore," Percy offered helpfully.

  With a sigh, Annabeth continued on.

  It felt like they kept spinning in circles as they twisted and turned through the constantly-changing tunnels. There was no pattern, and no way to navigate it. They stumbled into an old wine cellar, and then something that reminded Lena of an old World War II bunker.

  Soon enough the ceiling changed from stone to wooden planks, and there were voices and footsteps from above them. It was sort of relieving to hear signs of life, even if they were trapped beneath the surface of it. They were stuck below with no way out. Then, they stumbled across their first skeleton.

  The body was all bone, with a wilted, stained white uniform sagging over him. A wooden crate of glass jugs was beside him.

  "A milkman," Magdalena said.

  "Huh?" Percy said.

  Lena blinked. "They used to deliver milk."

  Percy side-eyed her. "I know that," he said. "But that was like, forever ago. What's he doing down here?"

  Annabeth grimaced. "Sometimes people get lost in here without meaning to. Some come to explore and never find a way out. Even the Cretans used to send people as sacrifices down here."

  Grover shuddered. "He must've wandered down here over fifty years ago," he said, looking at the thick layer of dust on his uniform and jugs. The most unsettling part about the scene were that the skeletons hands were stuck into the grooves of the wall, like he'd been clawing at the brick to try getting out as he died.

  "No worries, goat boy," Tyson said. "This milk boy is dead."

  "He doesn't worry me," Grover said. "But the smell does. Can't you smell them? The monsters?"

  Tyson nodded. "A lot of monsters. But, underground always smells like monsters and skeletons."

  "That's a relief," Grover whimpered. "I figured I was wrong."

  "We're losing time," Annabeth said. "Time works differently down here. Every minute we waste is an hour above ground. We need to go deeper in the Labyrinth and get to the center."

  They ran through another collection of corridors and twist and turns until they found themselves back in the Roman-mosaic room with the water fountain.

  Only this time, they had company.

  He had two faces, both sticking out from either side of his head, looming ominously over each shoulder. It reminded Lena of a hammerhead shark. It was hard to focus on the man when each face was staring at them.

  "We don't have all day, Annabeth," the left face snapped. "Come on!"

  "Oh, shut up," said the right face. "You're being terribly impolite. Come this way, ma'am."

  Annabeth stared at him in disbelief. "Um . . . What do you— "

  "That weird man has two faces," Tyson muttered.

  "Yeah, and weird the man has ears, too!" The left face said. "Now, please, Annabeth. Come this way."

  "Oh, you mustn't," the right face said. "Speak with me, my dear."

  Magdalena wasn't sure what the two-faced man was talking about until she looked behind him, seeing two pad-locked doors. They wanted to Annabeth to choose a door. Each face was guarding a door, and each one wanted her to choose their's. The man was tossing a silver key between his hands, almost tauntingly.

  They were trapped now, as the corridor behind them had sealed, leaving them with no choice but to choose a door to continue through.

  "You want me to choose an exit," Annabeth realized.

  "Certainly!" The right face said.

  "Where do they go?"

  The man shrugged his shoulders, which made each face bounce. "One door will lead you further into the maze, the other will definitely take you to a terribly painful death."

"Great," Magnus muttered.

  "I know you," Annabeth said.

  "Well, aren't you wise?" The left said snarled. "But do you know which exit is the correct one? We don't have all day."

  "You're trying to confuse me," Annabeth said hardly. "Why won't you just let me through the right one?"

  "You can certainly go through the right one," the left said happily. "If that's what you choose."

  Annabeth shook her head. "Wait, no," she said, backtracking. "I didn't mean it like that. Why are you trying to mess with me?"

  The right face smirked. "Every decision lays on your shoulders now, Annabeth. You're the leader. Isn't that what you've always wanted?"

  "I— "

  "You know us, Annabeth," the left face said. "But we know you, too. We see the indecision you battle with every day. We know of the choice that you must make. The choice that could lead to your death."

  The more they spoke about decisions, the less it sounded like they were talking about just the doors.

  Annabeth pale. "No . . . No, I don't— "

  "Back off," Magnus said, stepping forward. "Who even are you?"

  "Your closest friend," the right face said.

  "Your biggest enemy," the left face said.

  "I'm Janus," they spoke in unison. "God of Doorways. Beginnings. Endings. Choices."

  "They have a god of doors?" Magnus asked. "Seriously?"

  "Do not undermine me, Magnus Arcturus," the right said sneered. "Your time will come soon enough, and we will be meeting again." The faces both turned to Percy. "As you will as well, Perseus Jackson. But, it's Annabeth's turn first."

  "You're up, daughter of wisdom!" The left face said cheerily. "A choice that could ruin your life. A choice that will determine you and your friends' entire fate!
But, don't stress it, my dear. Choose!"

A cold wave washed over Percy. He thought back on the prophecy: the child of Athena's final stand.

"Annabeth, don't," Percy said.

"She has no other choice but this one," the right face said.

Annabeth's eyes flitted back and forth between the two faces. "I . . . I choose— "

She never got to say her answer, because just as she went to choose, a blinding light exploded from the fountain. When the light faded, a tall, graceful woman appeared by the fountain.

She had long, chocolate colored hair that was braided with strings of gold. She had on a a Greek-style dress, the fabric shimmering with colorful patterns every time she moved.

"Janus," she scolded. "Are we causing problems?"

"What? O—of course not!" The right face stuttered.

"Yes, your Highness!" The left face beamed.

"Shut up!" The right face said.

"Pardon?" The lady asked, frowning.

"No! Not you, your Highness! I was telling myself to shut up!"

"Ah," the woman said. "You are well aware this visit is premature. Annabeth's is not ready for her decision. So I will give you a choice: leave this heroes in my hands, or I will flatten you into a door and saw you into slices of filler paper."

"Would it be a French door, perhaps?" The left said asked. "Those are quite nice."

"For all things holy, shut up!" The right face wailed. "And not you, milady! I will leave at once. I was just simply amusing myself with my regular duties. Offering choices."

"Creating trouble," the lady corrected. "And cashing indecision. Be gone!"

The left face grumbled, "Lame," then lifted his silver key, slotted it into the air, and disappeared.

  The woman turned her attention towards them, causing a cold fist to close around Percy's heart. She radiated power, and he almost thought taking their cus chance with Janus would've been a better alternative to being alone with her. Then she smiled.

  "I'm assuming you all are famished," she said. "Let us sit and talk over lunch."

   The fountain in the center of the room burst with a stream of water, pouring out a glass table with plates of sandwiches and pitchers of lemonade.

  "Who are you?" Percy asked.

  The woman turned toward the boy, a gleam in her eyes. "I am Hera," she revealed. "Queen of Heaven."

THERE HAD only been one time where Magdalena had seen the goddess, and that was last winter at the solstice. But, this was the first time where she'd really gotten a chance to see her up close.

She looked like a normal, middle-aged mother serving her children lunch as she passed around sandwiches and poured lemonade into their cups.

"Oh, Grover," she sighed. "Your napkin is for your crumbs, not digestion."

"Sorry, ma'am," Grover said.

"Tyson, dear, you look famished. Perhaps another peanut butter sandwich?"

Tyson's eyes widened. "Yes, please, super nice lady."

Magdalena looked wary as she sipped on her lemonade, her sandwich untouched. Having a goddess randomly appear in the middle of one of the most dangerous places in the godly world wasn't normal. Hera wanted something. They always do.

She wordlessly slid Magnus her sandwich after he'd polished off his second, her stomach too twisted to feel hungry. Magnus gave her a look, but apparently he was too starved to try and scold her, and took the sandwich without question.

"What are you doing here?" Annabeth asked cautiously as she picked at her food.

Hera beamed. She waved her hand, and all of the streaked dirt and mud in Annabeth's hair disappeared. It flattened out into curly ringlets.

"Well, I came to visit you, of course," she replied.

Magdalena sat back in her seat, staring at the goddess with suspicion. Lately, Lena's trust had been wearing thin with the gods. Despite Hera seemingly visiting them on kind terms, she couldn't help but feel like there was a catch.

"But . . . I thought you hated heroes," Annabeth said.

Hera rolled her eyes. "That little disagreement with Hercules seems to follow me, even after a thousand years. Honestly, I've gotten such a nasty reputation from that."

"You sent snakes into his crib to kill him," Lena mentioned, her eyes narrowed. "And set into motion his twelve labors of misery."

Hera sighed, smiling indulgently. "All in the past, as I see it. Back in those days, I was bit . . . Unhinged, some would say. Hercules was a child of my husband's that I didn't sire. But, since then, Zeus and I have been through many rounds of marriage counseling. It has worked wonders on our relationship, and we have come to a mutual understanding. Especially after his . . . Last accident."

"You're talking about Thalia?" Percy guessed, but immediately regretted it when Hera's eyes flashed murderously at him, like even hearing her name had sent a spike through her heart.

"Percy Jackson, right? One of Poseidon's . . . " her face soured. "Offspring."

Clearly, there was different word in mind that she wanted to use, but decided against it. "If I remember correctly, I was one of the hands raised when voting against your death. I hope I voted correctly."

  She faced Annabeth with a radiant smile. "Moving on, I hope you know I have no ill intentions toward you, dear girl. Your quest will be met with dangerous force, and will be even more perilous when you have to deal with fools like Janus."

  Annabeth's expression fell. "Why was he here? Why was he trying to mess with me?"

  "Minor gods like him face much frustration with their insignificance in the universe," Hera explained. "They do their best to stick their noses into business that isn't theirs, trying to show their strength. It is these immortals who we worry will turn on us, joining my father in his betrayal of Olympus."

  "Father?" Magnus said. Then he blinked. "Oh. Never mind."

  They always forgot that Kronos was Hera's dad too, along with Zeus, Poseidon and Hades. That also meant that Kronos was technically Percy's grandfather, but he liked to keep that thought out of his mind. It was too weird to think about.

  "We keep an eye on these smaller gods," Hera said. "Janus, Hecate, Morpheus. Though they give little support to us, they— "

  "That's why Dionysus has been gone," Percy said. "He's checking on the minor gods."

  "Correct." Hera gazed at the mosaics. "It is a sad truth that even gods can lose faith in times of peril. They grow selfish, and trust the things that will destroy them most. But, as the goddess of marriage, these things are not unfamiliar to me. Belief is the one thing that puts you above all of the chaos and fighting. You must keep your goals as your top priority."

  "What are your goals?" Annabeth asked.

  "To keep my family united, of course," Hera said. "And by helping you, that is the best I can give. Zeus is strict with my interference in demigod quests, but once in a century or so, he allows me to grant a wish."

  "A wish?"

  "Allow me to share my advice before you ask it. What you search for is just of a mystery to you as it is to me. Daedalus's Labyrinth is unknown terrain to the gods. I suggest you seek out my son Hephaestus at his forge to learn more on his fate. Hephaestus has never admired a greater mortal inventor more than Daedalus. He is the only person I can assure you knows of that inventors' fate."

  "Where is his forge?" Annabeth asked. "How do we find him? That's my question. I need a way to navigate the Labyrinth."

  Hera's eyes fell in disappointment. "If that's your wish, so be it. But I fear you wish for something that is already given."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I mean that you already know the answer." She looked at Percy. "Percy knows."

  "I do?"

  "What? That's not fair!" Annabeth protested. "You're not telling me what it is!"

  Hera shrugged. "Getting something and already owning the wits to use it . . . They are very different. Your own mother, Athena, would agree."

  A distant crack of lightning echoed in the distance. The goddess rose. "My time has exceeded with you. Mull over what I have said, Annabeth. Find Hephaestus. I figure you will have to make it past the ranch, but continue on. Use every mean to your disposal, no matter how simple they are."

  The two locked doors Janus had been blocking melted, revealing two hallways, light and dark. "And, Annabeth, I have only postponed your time to make your final decision. It will come, just as Janus said. So long!"

  Hera melted into a wisp of steam, along with the food. The fountain stopped flowing with water, and the light dimmed in the room dimmed into its original dark, moldy state.

  Annabeth scowled. "Such much for trying to help. 'Oh, look, have a sandwich. I'll grant you wish. Just kidding! You're screwed! Bye!"

  "Bye," Tyson agreed sadly, staring at his empty plate.

  "At least we know Percy has the answer," Grover said. "That's something."

  Percy looked uncomfortable when everyone turned to him. "I don't," he said. "I have no idea what the answer is."

  "We'll be fine," Lena said, rocking on her heels. "We can figure it out ourselves, like always. When have the gods ever helped us, anyway?"

  Annabeth spared a glance the girl, catching on to her sour tone. It was little unlike Lena to openly diss the gods like that. It caught her off guard.
 
  Magnus shrugged, working to diffuse the tension. "At least the sandwich's were good."

  Annabeth sighed. "Whatever. Let's just keep moving."

  "Which way?" Percy asked.

  "Left," Grover and Tyson suddenly said. They had tensed at the same time, their eyes widening.

  Annabeth looked at them. "How do you know?"

  "There's something really big and really fast coming from the right," Grover said.

  "And it has big teeth," Tyson added.

  "Don't have to tell me twice," Magnus said without question, marching toward the corridor. "Left it is!"

  GREAT NEWS! The left tunnel was a straight shot with no monsters or traps.

  That was the only great news.

  After a few minutes of sprinting, they came to a stop by a boulder blocking their path. Right behind them, heavy footsteps and snarling followed— something definitely not human. And definitely not friendly.

  "Tyson," Percy panted, "can you— "

   "Yes!" Tyson punched the boulder so hard the entire corridor shook.

  "Hurry!" Grover cried. "Don't collapse the roof, but hurry!"

  After a couple more punches the boulder gave out, giving the group just enough room to slide into a small room.

  "Close it!" Annabeth said.

  Everybody shoved the boulder back over the entrance, whatever was chasing them before growling in frustration as the entrance sealed.

  "It's trapped," Percy confirmed.

  "Us, or the monster?" Grover asked.

  Magdalena procured a small orb of light from her hand, lifting it up to illuminate the room around them. With the light casting across the walls, the group was able to observe the room ahead of them, seeing that there was nothing but cement walls for twenty feet down. At the end of the tunnel, a wall covered in metal bars trapped them. They'd ran themselves straight into a cell.

Annabeth walked up to the bars, tugging at them. "What the hell?"

Through the cracks in the bars, there were tons of rows of cells surrounding a center courtyard. The cells spanned for miles, and were at least three stories high.

"It's a prison," Percy said. "Tyson, could you— "

"Shut up," Grover whispered. "Lena, stop the light."

  The light from Lena's hand died as she put it down, their eyesight starting to adjusted to their dark surroundings.

Below them, a guttural sobbing echoed through the room. Along with that, a deep, raspy voice was whispering something in a language none of them understood.

"What language is that?" Magnus mumbled.

Tyson suddenly went still. "No."

"What?" Percy asked.

Tyson took two bars and wrenched them open, wide enough for a Cyclops to fit through.

"Tyson, stop!" Grover called in the quietest voice he could muster.

Tyson wasn't stopping, making the rest of them chase after him.

"We're in Alcatraz," Annabeth said.

"That old jail in San Fransisco?" Magnus asked.

Annabeth nodded. "It's a museum now. My school took a field trip here."

It was a crazy thought that they could've made it across the country within the span of a few hours, but nobody questioned Annabeth. She'd been staying in San Fransisco since last winter, watching Mount Tam. She knew what she was talking about.

"Don't move," Grover warned.

Grover had use all of his strength to pull Tyson back from going any further. "Tyson, don't!" He hissed. "Don't you see it?"

Magdalena looked where Grover was staring, and her heart practically fell into her ass. There was no way. There was absolutely no fucking way.

Magnus's face dropped. "You've got to be kidding me."

Below them, a monster stood. With the lower half of a body as a centaur, and the upper half as a woman. Twenty feet long, disturbingly large claws and a razor sharp tail. There were snakes wrapped around her legs, hissing and bitting the air. Her hair was filled with vipers like that of Medusa. And most horribly, where the woman half of her body met the dragon, animals darted and bubbled around her waist.

It was Kampê.

"Oh, no, no, no," Tyson whimpered. "Bad. Very bad."

"What is it?" Percy asked.

"It's her," Tyson whispered non-helpfully.

"Who is her?" Percy demanded.

"Shhh! Get down!" Grover hissed.

They ducked in the shadows, but Kampê wasn't focused on them. She was talking to something in one of the cells on the middle deck. She said something in her weird language, and the sobbing continued.

"What's she saying?" Percy muttered.

"It is ancient tongue," Tyson whispered. "The language Mother Earth used to speak to the Titans . . . Her first children. Before the gods."

"You know what's she's saying?" Percy asked. "Could you translate?"

Tyson concentrated, and when he opened his mouth, a horrifying voice came out. "You shall bend the knee to the master or die."

Lena's shoulder throbbed at the sound of Kampê's voice. It almost felt like a sick joke, running back into the monster her and Magnus had barely managed to escape from a few months ago. She'd hoped that when Magnus sucked Kampê into the black hole, she would be gone for good, but she knew better. Monsters like her never truly die.

"I hate when he does that," Annabeth mumbled.

As a Cyclops, Tyson had an ability to mimic voices, along advanced hearing. It was always a little frightening when he did so— Tyson practically going into a trance.

"I will not serve," a deep, sad voice said.

"Then I shall glorify you in pain and suffering, Briares." Tyson's face fell when he said that name, which was strange. He usually never broke character when he was mimicking someone. "Your first imprisonment was a warm-up to what is to come for you, Briares. You will not have suffered more pain than what is to come. Think about this until I return."

Kampê turned and descended the stairwell, a pair of wings unfolding from her back as she jumped off the catwalk and soared across the field, disappearing into the darkness.

"Her wings healed," Lena mumbled to Magnus as she rolled her shoulder, trying to ease the pain.

Magnus just shook his head. "This is bullshit."

"What are you guys talking about?" Annabeth asked.

"Cyclopes' worst nightmare," Tyson whimpered. "Kampê."

"What?" Percy asked.

"Kampê was the one who imprisoned all of the Cyclopes' in the bad years. We were told stories about her when we were babies to scare us into doing our work."

Annabeth grimaced. "You're right. During the Titans rules, they captured Gaia and Ouranos's first offspring— Cyclopes and Hekatonkheires."

"The Heka-who?" Magnus asked.

"Hundred-Handed Ones," Magdalena said. "The elder brothers of Cyclopes. They have a hundred hands . . . Obviously."

"Super strong," Tyson gloated. "As tall as skyscrapers and farther! They can crush mountains!"

"Sweet," Percy agreed. "Unless you're a mountain."

Magdalena gave him a look, and Magnus laughed. They fist-bumped.

"Kampê was working for Kronos," Tyson continued. "She tortured us in our prisons until Zeus killed her and saved us. We helped him defeat the Titans in the war."

"And now she's alive again," Percy said.

"Bad," Tyson summarized.

Lena just rolled her eyes. "This is bullshit," she said, agreeing on Magnus's earlier statement.

Annabeth frowned. "Have you guys met Kampê?"

Magnus and Lena shared a look.

"No," Magnus said, shrugging. "Just heard about her. Had a few dreams."

Annabeth stared at him critically, trying to decide whether or not to believe him. Then she sighed. "We should check out that cell," she decided. "Before Kampê comes back."

Tyson clapped. "Yes! To see Briares! Wonderful! They are taller than— "

Percy nodded, shushing him. "Yes, yes. The guy who reaches the sky and breaks mountains. Now, let's go."

  THE WAILING got louder the closer they got to the cell. When they finally got close enough to see the creature inside, it was difficult to really see its figure. I wasn't as tall as the sky, for starters, and he had pale, almost translucent skin. The loincloth around his waist was sagging, and his feet were half the size of his body, with eight toes on his foot. His chest was the strangest part— dozens of arms were tangled and sprouting from his body, fidgeting and squirming as half of them covered his face as he cried.

"Either the sky has shrunk since the old days," Percy muttered. "Or he's just really short."

Magdalena ribbed him, but Tyson didn't even listen.

"Briares!" He cried, sinking to his knees. "Help us, great Hundred-Handed One!"

When Briares' face turned to them, it was coated in tears. His eyes were glossy, and completely brown, with no pupil. It was like they were made out of clay.

"Leave me, Cyclops," Briares called. "Escape while you have the chance. I'm helpless!"

"You're not helpless!" Tyson argued. "You're powerful! You are unstoppable!"

Briares shook his head miserably. His hands kept moving so fast, it was easily distracting. Some of them constructed little trinkets from spare parts, while others played rock-paper-scissors. It was fascinating, like the hands had a mind of their own. Shadow puppets flashed across the walls as ten of the hands created animals from the darkness.

"You're wrong," Briares sniffed. "Kampê has returned to punish us! Soon enough, the Titans will rise again and throw us back into Tartarus."

"Put your brave face on!" Tyson insisted.

Briares's face twitched, and his expression changed. His eyebrows arched awkwardly, and his crooked teeth gleamed in a strange smile, like he was trying to look confident. A second later, it dropped, and he was back to his miserable, depressed face.

"Useless," he said. "My scared face won't disappear."

"How did you do that?" Magnus asked.

Annabeth elbowed him. "Don't offend him. Hekatonkheires can produce over fifty different faces."

"Must be hard to get a yearbook photo," Percy said.

Magdalena elbowed him again, harder this time. Magnus snorted, putting a hand over his mouth to cover his laughter.

"Will you stop?" Lena hissed to Percy, who was smirking, trying to hold back a laugh.

"Sorry," he mumbled, his troublemaker smile now directed at her. Lena hated how endearing it was.

Tyson paid them no mind. "Do not be scared, Briares! We are going to get you out of here! Do you do autographs?"

Briares whimpered. "Do you have a hundred pens?"

"We need to leave," Grover cut in, scuffling anxiously on his fake feet. "Kampê won't be gone for much longer. She could already know we're here."

"Tyson?" Annabeth asked, the Cyclopes already aware of what she was implying.

"Yes!" Tyson boasted. "Briares can do it. He is stronger than a thousand Cyclopes! Look!"

Briares sobbed. Twenty hands anxiously played rounds of patty cake, but not a single one made a move to break the bars.

"If he's so strong," Percy said. "How'd he get stuck in jail?"

Magdalena pinched Percy so hard he's pretty sure she broke skin. "He's scared," she whispered. "Kampê's back after torturing him for a millennium. You would be terrified too!"

"Briares . . . " Tyson's face fell. "What has happened to you? Where has your strength gone?"

"Tyson," Lena said softly. "You should break the bars."

Tyson looked sad, almost as sad as Briares. He took the cell door and yanked it off its hinges as if it were made of butter.

"Briares, get up," Annabeth ordered. "We're getting out of here."

Briares stared at her extended hand, a mixture of indecision and hope blended into his dark eyes. "No," he insisted. "She will hurt me."

"We won't let her," Magdalena promised. "You're strong, Briares. You just need to remember. You won the battle against the Titans, didn't you?"

"I never forgot the war," Briares said, pouting. "It was terrible, and Titans almost won. There was storm and fire. Craters and explosions shook the world. The Titans are rising again, and growing stronger. Kampê spoke of it."

"Forget her," Magnus said. "Now get up, and get moving!"

Briares stayed still, continuing to cry. Percy wanted nothing more than to just leave the guy in his cell, but he knew he couldn't do that to Tyson. He would cry for weeks.

"One round of rock, paper, scissors," Percy suddenly said. "I win, you come with us. I lose, we'll leave you here with Kampê."

Every single one of his quest mates looked at him as if he'd lost his mind.

Briares shook his head. "I always win this game."

"Let's test it, then!" Percy pounded his fist three times.

Briares followed his actions with every single hand, making it sound like a stampede of horses took three steps toward them. An entire collection of rocks, papers, and scissors appeared in his hands.

"I was right," he sighed. "I always— " His confused face appeared. "What is that?"

"A gun," Percy said, lifting up his finger gun to show him. It was a trick Magdalena had pulled on him last winter after fighting against the middle seat, but he wasn't going to tell Briares that. "A gun beats all of them."

"That isn't fair."

"I never said this would be fair. Kampê won't be fair when she see's that you've broken the bars on your cell. Now get your ass up, and come with us!"

Briares swallowed a sob. "Half-bloods are cheaters." But, he began to stand up and follow the group out of the jail cell.

Magdalena walked beside Percy as they navigated the prison. "Nice move, Shark Boy."

Percy smirked, glancing down to see her amused expression. "Thanks, Sunshine."

Magdalena sighed. "I guess the trick's gone dry on you, now."

"I'd say it's a single-use trick," Percy agreed. "I won't make that mistake again, and neither will Briares."

Lena laughed quietly, which was nice to hear. She'd been pretty upset this entire time they'd been in the Labyrinth. Percy knew it was because of the fight her and Connor had gotten into before they left, which was understandable, but it also made him angry. He couldn't believe the things Connor had said to her, and he couldn't believe that Magdalena didn't knock him unconscious because of it.

After a few minutes of walking, there was an air of hopefulness in the group. All they needed to do was find the nearest Labyrinth entrance and get out of there. But then Tyson froze.

On the level below them, Kampê was staring at them rage fully, her teeth bared.

"Other way?" Magnus suggested.

"Great idea," Percy agreed.

They raced across the catwalk. Good thing was, Briares was fully on board with following them. Actually, he bolted ahead of them, all hundred of his arms flapping in panic.

"RUN!" He yelped, stumbling across the catwalk.

The sound of leathery wings flapping behind them encouraged them to run faster. She snarled in her weird ancient language, but nobody needed a translation for what she was saying. She was totally plotting their terribly gruesome death.

"I am sick of this bitch," Lena grumbled as they weaved through rows of jail cells and past a guard's station.

"That makes two of us," Magnus huffed, glancing back to see Kampê's large, ugly face sneering at them.

"Turn left," Annabeth ordered. "It'll bring us outside."

They listened, and sure enough they found themselves bolting into the prison yard in the main building, surrounded by fences wrapped in barbed wire. The bright sun nearly made them go blind after being underground for so long. There were tourists walking around the area, taking photos and admiring the security towers. The wind was harsh, and the city of San Fransisco stood tall across the bay. But, Mount Tam stood out like a sore thumb with its large storm brewing at the top, where Mount Othrys continued to rise.

"It's gotten worse," Annabeth said. "The storms been brewing all year, but now— "

"Don't stop!" Briares cried. "She's coming!"

"We're safe here," Percy said. "Kampê's gotta be too big to get through the doors."

Then the wall exploded.

"Oh, totally," Magnus agreed, glaring at Percy.

Kampê burst through shrapnel, tourists crying out in fear as she expanded her wings to their full size, just as big as the fields' width. She held two swords in her hands that had green slime drenched across the blade, the smell of sour acid spreading in the wind.

"Don't get near that poison," Grover warned. "If those swords touch you . . . "

"We'll probably die?" Percy guessed.

Magdalena touched her scar, feeling its ache grow stronger in the presence of Kampê.

"Something like that," Magnus said, glancing nervously at his sister. Flashbacks of her near-fatal encounter with the monster rushed through his mind, making his heart beat faster. He wasn't going to let that happen again.

"Briares, grow!" Tyson insisted. "Become as big and powerful as you used to be!"

Unfortunately, Briares looked like he wanted to grow even smaller. Right now, it looked like he was wearing his I'm going to crap my pants I'm so scared face. But, that was valid enough, considering that Kampê was now coming at them in full speed on her dragon legs.

"We can't fight her," Magnus said. He saw the look in Percy's eyes— the one he always had when he was about to challenge someone. "You'll die."

"He's right," Annabeth said. "She's too powerful. And with that poison . . . We can't even get close to her."

"Wait," Magnus said. "Did you just agree with me?"

"No."

"You just said I'm right."

"Magnus, shut up!" Lena snapped, staring at him with wide eyes. They were quite literally staring into the face of death, and the only thing he seemed to care about was that Annabeth Chase agreed with him.

"What do we do, then?" Percy asked, turning to his friends desperately.

One last look at Kampê gave everyone the same answer.

"Run."

They all bolted through the courtyard and out of the prison fence, Kampê's hissing practically in their ear. It was chaos all around them with the mortals crying for their life and alarms blaring.

They ran toward the wharf just as a new tour boat was getting off. The new crowd froze in shock at the scene in front of them. What they say, Lena had no clue, but it couldn't have been very good considering the amount of chaos that was ensuing all around them.

"Boat's too slow," Magnus said. "We need to get back in the maze. That's our best shot."

"We'll never make it," Annabeth said. "Kampê needs to be distracted long enough for us to find an entrance."

Tyson grabbed a lamppost and ripped it out from the ground. "I'll keep her attention. You guys go."

"I'll help you," Magdalena and Percy said in sync. They turned to each other with the same expression.

"No, friends," Tyson shook his head. "Poison will not kill Cyclops. Only hurt. Very much hurt. But it will kill you."

"Tyson . . . " Percy swallowed.

"I will be okay, brother. Go!"

Percy despised the idea of leaving Tyson to fight the monster alone. He'd already lost him once, he didn't want to do that again. But, he knew there was no other option. Annabeth, Magnus, Magdalena, Percy, and Grover all took a hand of Briares's and began to haul him through the jail yard while Tyson charged on Kampê.

Kampê's attention immediately differed from Briares when Tyson jousted her in the stomach with his lamppost, sending her flying into the barbed-fire fence. She bellowed and the lamppost dissolved into a puddle of poison on the ground.

It was scary seeing Tyson nearly dodge and block Kampê's strikes— her snake hair writhing and lashing out at him while different types of animals popped from her waist, biting and roaring.

The last thing the group saw as they bolted for the jail cells was Tyson launching an entire hot dog cart as the beast. Ketchup and mustard splattered all over her like she'd just lost a paint-ball fight. The snakes in her hair got pelted with bread buns and uncooked wieners as if they were rocks.

"Leave me!" Briares moaned. "I won't make it! I can't!"

"Tyson is out there fighting for you!" Magnus yelled. "You will make it!"

There was a vicious cry as they managed to find the cellblock door. Turning around, they saw Tyson in a dead sprint toward them, Kampê towering behind him like a dark shadow of death. There were hotdogs lodged in the knots of snakes on her head, and her entire body was a canvas ketchup, mustard, and relish.

"Go! Go!" Annabeth insisted as they finally found the cell they'd come from. "Feel the walls for the mark!"

"Got it!" Grover hit a small indent in the wall, and Daedalus's mark appeared on the wall in its glowing blue form of a delta. The wall shuddered open with a groan.

It wasn't opening fast enough. Tyson was already racing into the jail block and Kampê's swords were hardly an inch away from cutting up his entire backside.

"You got it, Tyson! Let's go!" Percy cried. But he knew the Cyclopes wouldn't make it. Kampê was too fast. They needed one last diversion. Something to give Tyson just a moment more to beat the monster into the maze.

Magdalena, with a surge of strength, grabbed Percy by the shoulders and shoved him into the maze. He stumbled backward at least six feet, falling back on his rear end.

"Lena!" Percy yelled. "What are you— !"

Lena faced the monster, and lifted her hands. Within the span of two seconds, her hands were glowing with universal power— stardust, dark matter, ancient power— and she twisted the power into a force field of sorts in her hands, creating something that would consist of the strength of a supernova. It was condensed into the size of a baseball in her hand, a glowing orb of indescribable power held in the palms of her hands. And then, she placed the sphere of power in her left hand, and hurled it at Kampê.

GAHHHHHH! The force hit Kampê so hard, a ripple of energy shuddered across the entire field, sending everybody backward at least a meter. Percy felt the power radiate through him, sending every nerve on his body into a fit of chaos. It made his hair stand on edge, and his heart lurch.

Kampê was hurled into the air, her body shriveling as she landed across the courtyard, braking the chain-link fence that surrounded the area. She was motionless as Tyson flew into the maze, Lena stumbling in after him.

The door closed with a shaky click, the magical border of the maze trapping them back inside. Percy reached for Magdalena just as she was about to collapse on the ground, blood pouring from her ears and nose as she fought to stay conscious. Percy wrapped his arm around her, and as a group, they all sprinted deeper within the maze.

And for the first time, and the last, they were happy to be back in the Labyrinth.

ANNA'S NOTES!
I will not be tolerating any Connor slander on here okay he is just worried for our girl and doesn't know how to handle his feelings 😭😭😭😭he will be getting what he deserves though trust!! He can't get away with saying that to our girl w/o consequences  (don't hate me💗)

Ok but like hello the beef between Kampê and Magnus and Lena is so unnecessarily funny😭 they don't even care how powerful she is they're just sick and tired of fighting the same mf monsters in every timeline