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▪︎botl▪︎ everyone thinks that they know us

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ANDROMEDA MET ANNABETH AFTER DINNER. and annabeth told her about the last two times she'd come to camp.

the labyrinth had reopened. this much they had known since the winter break, when clarisse found chris rodriguez in front of her house in pheonix. chris was half mad when he returned, chiron kept him at one of the rooms at the big house, and assigned clarisse a quest to investigate te labyrinth. annabeth claimed it was doomed to fail, the labyrinth was an ancient place infested with ancient magic, no simple demigod could manage to make ends of it.

clarisse had, as expected, failed. she managed to enter, but was instantly lost. she had to fight for her life by the time she managed to get out, but it was all the way in milwaukee. time was also a strange concept in the labyrinth. clarisse thought it had been mere days in the labyrinth, when it had been over a month.

ever since last winter break, chiron had given annabeth the responsibilty of finding out whatever information she could gather about the maze, a sort of homework. and recently, he had also put annabeth and clarisse together and assigned them work to map out the labyrinth. make out what they could of it.

"so far," annabeth sighed. "clarisse has been repeating over and over about how the labyrinth sucks ass, and there was no way of surviving in it too long without going crazy."

"did she say anything about what could be in there?" andromeda enquired, sipping her lemonade she'd saved from the dinner table.

"just a bunch of monsters," annabeth shrugged. "it sounds terrible though, no wonder chris returned half mad." she frowned.

"you know what this means, don't you?" andromeda began with a careful look on her face. "luke is beginning to explore the labyrinth, too. he knows it's been opened. he's on the move, too."

annabeth's head hung low. "it's just the way he spoke when he came to see me. . .it was like he was seriously scared."

andromeda rolled her eyes. "he's playing the victim. is lack of intuition a side effect of wisdom overload?"

"is lack of battle skills a side effect of magic overload?"

andromeda stopped in her tracks. she looked at annabeth. annabeth stared at her.

the two of them laughed, holding each other's shoulder and their heads bowed. and the sound rippled in the air, like it was glad to have some lighthearted laughter echo in the winds.

"how's strýchnos suiting you?" annabeth asked, remains of a smile still evident on her face.

"haven't really had a chance to test it out," andromeda shrugged, pulling it out of the holster on her waist and handing it to annabeth.

"it's like something in you switched when you got this," annabeth smiled at her.

"gray hair will do that to you." andromeda shrugged.

annabeth's smile dropped.

andromeda wished she hadn't brought it up. she knew annabeth hated that topic, she claimed it angers me how you deliberately brought damage upon yourself in the pursuit of saving me.

but andromeda argued that saving you from holding the damn sky!

and percy, at the time, had snorted, and said something like, the dam sky. and has explained to them how a little bit of an inside joke was made between him, thalia and grover at hoover dam when zoe had said 'let us find the dam snackbar' and they'd all followed up the line with lines like 'i want a dam t-shirt' or 'i need to use the dam restroom'.

andromeda had laughed for a good ten minutes at that, but annabeth had just shaken her head and facepalmed.

just like she was doing now.

"you can't joke about things like that,"

"but those jokes are the funniest one."

annabeth glared at her.

"okay!" andromeda raised her palms by her head in surrender. "okay. . .jeez,"

annabeth took a good look at her. "i can't see them, though,"

andromeda shrugged. "i dyed them in my hair colour. i didn't like how they stood out,"

annabeth's eyebrows went up for a second, like she'd just realized something. then she nodded. just once. "so, what did chiron need you for?"

"grover must have told you," andromeda began walking again, glad for the change of subject. "the council of cloven elders plan on taking away his searcher's license if he doesn't find them proof of pan by a deadline. chiron called me to basically sniff out pan with his ancient magic and all,"

"and have you made any progress?"

andromeda shook her head. "i mean, i'm sure pan has reawakened. i can sense his magic in the air, very mild, but the plants and all seem healthier. like their absorbing it all. he must be someplace very remote for me fo not sense his direct magic."

"you'll figure it out." annabeth layed a hand on her shoulder. "you always do."

they'd reached the cabins. the hearth fire was emitting it's glow on the walls of the greek buildings. and outside the demeter cabin, evander smiled and waved to them.

"he's like a lost puppy," andromeda muttered under her breath.

annabeth chuckled.

"does this mean you don't like luke anymore?"

annabeth rolles her eyes. "i lost feelings for luke when he lost my trust. doesn't mean he means nothing to me, though. i still want him to live."

andromeda shrugged. "what would you do if he had to die?"

annabeth sighed. "if that's what needs to happen, so be it."

"would you kill him if it came to it?"

annabeth glared at her.

"what?" andromeda said in a high-pitched voice. "these are perfectly hypothetical — slightly probable — questions."

"you need sleep, 'rome."

"that i do. good night!"

annabeth waved with a small smile. she was joined by evander just as andromeda began making her way to the hermes cabin.

"andy!"

"jas!"

she was engulfed in a back-bending hug, a head of brown hair appeared in a blur before her.

"i didn't know you were coming with evan!"

andromeda laughed as she let go of the brunette. "me neither. it was a very last minute decision."

"how are you now?" jasmine pulled away.

andromeda remembered how stressed jasmine had been when she waltzed into camp with a head throbbing with trauma and pain. she had almost decided to not let her leave at all. andromeda had to convince evander to convince her she would be fine. in the end, jasmine was only convinced because andromeda had a weapon now.

"i'm good, you're so tall now!" she put her hand on the girl's head, which reached her lower rib. "you used to reach my waist!"

"you've grown taller, too." jasmine said, looking up. "you almost reach the upper frame of your cabin door," she commented.

andromeda had grown a little taller over her time away. maybe five foot four or five foot five. she almost thought it was too tall, but the boys at her school were still taller than her mostly, so she supposed it couldn't have been out of the ordinary.

"i'm never too old to have flower crowns, though." she winked at the little girl.

jasmine chuckled. "i'll make sure you have one by tomorrow."

andromeda nodded, and bid her goodbye. she entered the cabin and sprawled on the little corner she called her's. and for the first time in a few days, she fell into a sweet, dreamless sleep.

● _____《°•○ \|/ ○•°》_____ ●

for the first time, andromeda was actually excited for swordfighting class. she had a weapon, and she could use it. but she would have to wait until after her meeting with chiron to use her new-found skill.

she was glad to be missing archery, though, as she walked to the big house.

she saw annabeth on the porch. the two waved and entered.

"what are you doing here?" andromeda asked her friend.

"chiron sits me and clarisse down at this time to work on labyrinth," she gestured to the book in her hands. "it used to be before breakfast, but clarisse got cranky."

andromeda gave a chuckle.

"what about you?" her friend asked.

"one of the multiple reasons chiron called me here," she said to her friend.

the sound of violin greeted them as they entered. dean martin playing in soft tones around the walls of the house. and in front of them, chiron and dionysus were playing pinochle.

"clarisse is already upstairs, annabeth." chiron informed without looking up from his cards.

annabeth gave a tiny salute to andromeda before she walked off into whichever room clarisse was in.

"why are you still here, annalise dorothy?" dionysus asked.

andromeda rolled her eyes. "chiron wanted to talk to me after breakfast."

"ah," chiron said as dionysus layed down all his cards. "i see you have won our final round,"

"final?" dionysus asked.

"i shall leave now," chiron stood up. "i do need to talk to andromeda,"

"what could possible be important about alexandria here?"

andromeda sighed.

"you know as well as i, lord dionysus." chiron said with a serious expression.

dionysus sighed. "oh these heroes are so dramatic. always in need of spotlight. fortunately they live rather shortly, go on, entertain them for what they are worth." he shooed them away.

"what did he mean?" andromeda asked the moment they were out of the big house.

"do not dwell on his words," chiron pursed his lips.

". . .okay, what did you mean?"

chiron sighed. "i only meant, your importance is more than you imagine."

andromeda raised an eyebrow.

"infact," chiron stopped walking when they'd reached the end of the path. the first stood before them. "that is what i need to talk to you about."

"what? to tell me i'm more important than i realize?" andromeda chuckled with little humor. "it sounds like you're trying to get me to not kill myself."

"you need to live, andromeda."

the serious tone of his voice made her solemn. she couldn't joke even if she wanted to.

"you are our last hope. you're the backup."

andromeda had a hunch where this was going. she pursued it. "you mean the savior's prophecy is about me?"

chiron looked away. "potentially. most likely."

"and why didn't i know this?" she crossed her arms.

"you were a child, my dear —"

"i'm still a child, chiron!" she cut him off. "i'm only fifteen! but why hold things back from me? the monsters never did. the gods never did. zeus electrocuted me when i was seven. ares tried to choke me when i was ten. i was ready to die at thirteen. i held the goddamn sky two days after my fifteenth. a prophecy won't faze me."

"it is exactly all of the things that you just mentioned that might make you the subject of the prophecy." chiron frowned. "you saved percy from a minotaur the day he entered camp. you saved percy and annabeth on the quest to the sea of monsters, you saved annabeth from holding the sky for two days last winter break. you are a savior."

andromeda scoffed. "you mean just because i don't want people to die means i'm some kind of hero?"

"no." chiron shook his head. just once. "but you could be a hero's savior."

andromeda heaved a sigh. "what is this prophecy?"

"it came to exist —"

"because the gods were worried about what decisions the hero would make and they needed a backup for their safety, yeah, yeah, i know that much." chiron began to talk again, but she cut him off. "what i need to know is, what the lines of the prophecy are. what makes you so sure it's me in them?"

chiron's gaze dropped. "i will have to dissapoint you, child. only the eldest gods know this prophecy."

andromeda threw her hands up in frustration. "just fucking great! i'm supposed to be the subject of the prohecy i don't even know! why do the eldest gods know this anyway? this isn't even about them!"

lightning crackled in the sky.

"that's right zeus!" she screamed up at the clouds. "not everything is about you!"

she was only just about to show up two middle fingers when chiron restricted her.

"andromeda, please." he begged. "you feel very overwhelmed, i understand —"

"you don't, chiron!" she shook her hands free. "all those years i spent hating them, and suddenly i find out i'm supposed to be the one to save them? that too, if percy doesn't make the right decision? not only am i angered by their lack of trust in a hero, but i'm also baffled why they give such responsibilities to children! if the fact that our lives are very short just because we're half-god isn't enough, we have to die for a prophecy!"

"you must be rational about this." chiron said very slowly. "please —"

"no." andromeda said definitely. she began walking away. "i'm not accepting your stupid prophecy. find someone who gives a fuck!"

she could hear chiron's sigh as she stomped away.

she didn't regret her words one bit. she'd had enough of the gods weighing their back down with burdens while they were children. their own children. and she had to save them? no way. she wouldn't take the prophecy for them.

she stomped her way to the pegasi stables. why she was here, she didn't know. she just needed some quiet time. and the stables were frankly perfect for that. no one ever came here if they could help it. not when they didn't have riding lessons. the only person she'd seen in this area was silena.

"hey, andy,"

andromeda wanted to shoot a killing curse at whoever it was, just because she was tired of talking. but then she saw silena, and smiled.

"hi sel," she nodded, reaching forward to pet one of the smaller horses.

"he's new," silena said. "his name is charlie,"

"charlie huh?" andromeda smirked. "as in, your long-time crush charlie beckendorf?"

"actually," silena blushed a shade of red. "my boyfriend."

andromeda's jaw dropped. "are all my friends getting into relationships?"

"we're not actually together," silena shrugged. "but that's just the finer details. we like each other, that much we know."

"that much everybody knows. it was hard to miss. you two were probably the last ones to realize it."

"look who's talking." silena said with a coy smirk.

"what?" andromeda's expression dropped. "what do you mean?"

"you probably don't realize you like percy,"

"because i don't."

"see what i mean?"

"no. i really don't like him."

"just like he doesn't like you, right?"

"right."

silena laughed.

"what?" andromeda asked, more annoyed than happy now. "what was so funny?"

"you'll see," silena said with a knowing look.

"could you teach me how to ride one of these?" andromeda asked, changing the subject.

"sure," silena shrugged. "how about tomorrow?"

"uh," andromeda said, looking up at her. "not tomorrow, i'm going out of camp tomorrow."

silena's face fell. "you're going back?"

"no," andromeda shook her head. "just catching a movie for the afternoon."

silena smirked. "with percy?" she joked.

"no," andromeda tried ro laugh it off.

silena stopped her movements. "oh my gods. you're actually going with him!"

"i said no!" andromeda defended, feeling her cheeks heat up.

"on a date! wow!"

"it's not a date!" andromeda shook her head. "he just invited me to catch a movie for purely platonic reasons!"

"are any of your friends coming?"

"well. . .no. . ."

silena squeaked. "i can't believe it! took you two long enough! you need to let me pick out your clothes for you!"

andromeda sighed, knowing damn well that silena wasn't going to remove the notion of a date from her mind. "sure, just. . .don't overdo it? he really didn't ask me to go on a date."

silena nodded. "i promise. now come on, we'd better go now. i can't miss another rock-climbing class,"

"i've got swordfighting," andromeda said, the excitement returning to her.

"chiron's got a new instructor," silena informed, moving away from the pegasi.

"really?" andromeda said, following her. "how is he?"

"you'll see for yourself won't you?" silena winked as she went.

"be sure to push down some ares kids for me!" andromeda shouted.

"will do!"

andromeda chuckled to herself. she took out her spear and began walking to swordfighting arena. when she reached the swordfigthing arena, she did not find what she thought.

andromeda didn't know how she expected the instructor to look like, but it definently wasn't in hellhound form.

because that was all she saw when she entered the arena.

a big, black hellhound with beady eyes down on the ground. she quickly assumed her stance as she pulled out the tips of her spear with a press of a button.

she aimed the spear, and shot it at the beast, waiting for it's disintegration.

clank!

a sword had hit the tip of her spear, sending it awry and defending the hellhound behind it. she called it back to her and backed away as the hellhound leaped and jumped right beside her.

she heard laughter.

she turned to face the sound.

the hellhound had engulfed a man in it's arms, licking and hugging like a dog would. the man laughed. he was in his forties or fifties, he had graying hair and a creased smile. he seemed rather attractive for his age, a lean built and strong muscles.

"dude," andromeda began. "what are you —"

"ah, i see you've met quintus," chiron cooed as he stepped into the frame.

"the guy who's friends with the hellhound?" andromeda scoffed pointed to the scene before her. "yes, chiron, i've met him."

"hey," said quintus with a slightly offended tone. "be nice to mrs. o'leary."

"isn't this, like, dangerous?" andromeda asked. "can't she, like, kill us demigods? how isn't she killing you? are you even a demigod?"

"whoa," quintus said with a shocked expression. "too many questions, kid."

"quintus is your new swordfighting instructor. he'll be helping me run camp while mr.d is away," announced chiron.

quintus gave a little salute.

andromeda looked around, campers had gathered in the arena, including annabeth, who still had her golden knife in her hand, just in case.

"right," started quintus, mrs. o'leary now off him. "sorry, about that, it's my first class and she's excited," he smiled at the beast. "if you would all pick your weapons from the stack?"

andromeda watched with suspicion as the swordmaster lingered around the students.

she turned to annabeth. "mr.d is away?"

annabeth nodded, her eyes stuck to quintus's back. "olympus."

andromeda followed her gaze. "don't trust him?"

her friend shook her head. "not exactly. but he seems familiar. like i know him. . ."

andromeda was skeptical of him, but the lesson went well. quintus taught differently than luke, but it wasn't bad. by the end of the lesson, she could recall and practice his teachings.

in the evening, she sat down to think about where pan could be, to feel and trace his magic down.

pan was an ancient diety with significant power and domain. andromeda could think of a few forests he would be in: the amazons in brazil, the western ghats in india, the himalayan forests, but she could feel no actual magical connection to those place. nothing about them stood out, and pan's residing would definetly influence the place.

maybe those places were too open to the world. maybe pan was in some remote unknown place that was hardly known.

or maybe he was in some place that had just started to be known. some place that had been hiding in the shades of world, but now that it was apparent, so was pan's influence. . .but what could it be?

andromeda racked her brain for any such locations. she found none. still, she delayed the task to research on the net later. but something told her that it was too predictable. too easy.

her brain recommended her ancient greek places, after all, pan was an ancient greek god. she looked through her mind among the stories luke had told her to find something of relevance. still nothing.

most ancient greek places were domains of gods already ruling over them. the only one that didn't have a resident was the labyrinth.

wait. . .

the labyrinth.

her mind whirled a mile a minute. she began to think of what connection the two might have. and then she remembered that clarisse had just been back from her quest when grover heard pan in his head.

it all made sense to her. she just needed to confirm one thing.

so, that night after dinner, andromeda approached annabeth with the weirdest question.

"hey, 'beth," she said. "did clarisse say anything about the entrance of the labyrinth?"

"her usual adjectives are dark, scary and wild." annabeth said.

wild. lord of the wilderness.

"unkempt? unrestrained? with a mind of it's own?" andromeda prompted.

annabeth fixed her with a look. "yes. why?"

andromeda gulped. "i think i know where pan is. . ."

annabeth took only a moment to catch on. "holy shit."

"holy shit, indeed."

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