ｔｈｅ ｂａｔｔｌｅ ｏｆ ｔｈｅ ｌａｂｙｒｉｎｔｈ

LUCIA HAD THE SUDDEN URGE TO START SINGING BREAKING FREE from High School Musical while falling five hundred feet above the ground. 'soaring' and 'flying' felt kind of appropriate when she was flapping her arms like a duck mid-air.

However, the urge to break into song was soon forgotten as she plummeted toward the valley and the red rocks below. She was pretty sure she was going to break more than her legs in the Garden of the Gods, until Annabeth yelled from somewhere above her, "Spread your arms! Keep them extended."

The small part of her brain that wasn't engulfed in panic heard her, and her arms responded. As soon as Lucia spread them out, the wings stiffened, caught the wind, and her descent slowed. She soared downward, but at a controlled angle, like a kite in a dive.
Experimentally, She flapped her arms once. she arced into the sky, the wind whistling in her ears.

"Awesome!" She yelled.

The feeling was unbelievable. After getting the hang of it, She felt like the wings were part of her body. she could soar and swoop and dive anywhere she wanted to.

she turned and saw her friends spiraling above her, glinting in the sunlight. Behind them, smoke billowed from the windows of Daedalus's workshop.

"Land!" Annabeth yelled. "These wings won't last forever."

"How long?" Rachel asked.

"I don't want to find out!" Annabeth said.

They swooped down toward the Garden of the Gods. Percy did a complete circle around one of the rock spires and freaked out a couple of climbers.

Then the five of them soared across the valley, over a road, and landed on the terrace of the visitor center.

"got you," Percy whispered when Lucia stumbled on her landing

"Mmthanks" she muttered

It was late afternoon and the place looked pretty empty, but they ripped off their wings as quickly as they could. Looking at them, Lucia could see Annabeth was right. The self-adhesive seals that bound the wings to their backs were already melting, and they were shedding bronze feathers. It seemed a shame, they couldn't fix them, and couldn't leave them around for the mortals, so they stuffed the wings in trash bins outside the cafeteria.

Percy used the tourist binocular camera to look up at the hill where Daedalus's workshop had been, but it had vanished. No more smoke. No broken windows. Just the side of a hill.

"The workshop moved," Annabeth guessed. "There's no telling where."

"So what do we do now?" He asked. "How do we get back into the maze?"

Annabeth gazed at the summit of Pikes Peak in the distance. "Maybe we can't. If Daedalus died...he said his life force was tied into the Labyrinth. The whole thing might've been destroyed. Maybe that will stop Luke's invasion."

Lucia thought about Grover and Tyson, still down there somewhere. And Daedalus...even though he'd done some terrible things and put everybody she cared about at risk, it seemed like a pretty horrible way to die.

"No," Nico said. "He isn't dead."

"How can you be sure?" Percy asked.

"I know when people die. It's this feeling I get, like a buzzing in my ears."

"What about Tyson and Grover, then?"

Nico shook his head. "That's harder. They're not humans or half-bloods. They don't have mortal souls."

"We have to get into town," Annabeth decided. "Our chances will be better of finding an entrance to the Labyrinth. We have to make it back to camp before Luke and his army."

"We could just take a plane," Rachel said.

Percy shuddered. "I don't fly."

"But you just did."

"That was low flying," He said, "and even that's risky. Flying up really high—that's Zeus's territory. I can't do it. Besides, we don't even have time for a flight. The labyrinth is the quickest way back."

"So we need a car to take us into the city," Annabeth said.

Rachel looked down into the parking lot. She grimaced as if she were about to do something she regretted. "I'll take care of it."

"How?" Annabeth asked.

"Just trust me."

Annabeth looked uneasy, but she nodded. "Okay, I'm going to buy a prism in the gift shop, try to make a rainbow, and send an Iris-message to camp."

"I'll go with you," Nico said. "I'm hungry."

"I'll go too. I need to sit down." Lucia stumbled forward. Her leg was starting to ache again and she was sure she was one wrong step away from reinjuring herself. Ever since she landed she'd been limping more. Despite the ambrosia's incredible help, she knew she was doing her leg no favors the longer she stubbornly stayed on it.

"I'll stick with Rachel, then," Percy said. "Meet you guys in the parking lot."

Rachel frowned like she didn't want him with her. That made Lucia feel kind of happy, which she wasn't particularly proud of, but she pushed the thought away before following Annabeth and Nico to a nearby cafe.

Lucia found a seat at the outside tables when Nico went in to order a sandwich. Annabeth muttered a quick 'be right back' before walking away to the gift shop.

Lucia played with her fingers, her eyes falling to her injured leg. when she heard a Click. Click. Click.

Her gaze followed her surroundings. But she saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Click.click.click

finally, she found a shadow behind one of the large trash cans near her table.

Click.click.click.click.click.

The sound got more repetitive and Lucia looked closer to find the figure was a man. a man with a camera.

paparazzi ?

Lucia covered her face instantly, her hair falling in front of her. She stood up, the wood of her splint scraping against the hard concrete. she tried to rush away without hurting herself.

"Lucia!" The man called, his camera in hand and his phone in the other. he was calling for more people "Lucia Verano! wait! why aren't you at reform school? did you run away! have you talked to your stepmother since you blew up her car? why did you do it? after she took you in after your dad died, why?." The man was now recording her, following behind her and shouting out questions. "were you trying to kill her?"

Lucia tried to get away but the ambrosia only did so much. She was vulnerable and it was obvious he had already captured enough photos to incriminate her.

Her heart was slamming against her rib cage, she knew what would happen if those pictures got out. the media would have a frenzy. when she blew up her step moms car and went through the court proceedings it was trending throughout the states. the headlines called her the jealous daughter, the ungrateful brat, and so on. If a rumor spread that she ran away from reform school she knew how bad it could be.

Lucia took a deep breath, the media was nothing compared to what her stepmom would do if she found out she wasn't at Westover hall.. all the strings she'd be willing to pull just to find her. the punishments she would enact.

"Nico! Annabeth!" Lucia cried, now desperate, "Rachel! Percy!" the man kept hounding her and there was no doubt in her mind that soon he would multiply. she felt fear beyond belief, not even the deadliest monster could have her so distraught. how the hell did they find her?

"Do you miss your dad? why are you acting out now? what do you remember from the night he died? Lucia! Lucia! Do you know why he did it?"

"Leave me alone!" Lucia shouted as the man pulled on her arm "I'm a kid!"

"Hey!" Annabeth raged, she ran over with Nico. their weapons concealed. "What do you think you're doing!"

"Lucia, Lucia, Just stay a little longer. Answer the questions."

"Get away from her!" Nico yelled

"I just want a few more—"

Before the man could finish his sentence the sound of his camera being smashed to pieces resounded in the air.

"She. said. leave." Percy now stood in front of Lucia, his body completely covering her from the man's gaze.

The man's eyes blew open "my camera! are you crazy kid!"

"come on." Percy regarded everyone but his hand fell on Lucia's arm

The man was crouched down and cradling his camera which lay in tatters. He looked up his face red like a tomato "Oh no you don't. you have to pay for this you punk!"

Annabeth stepped up, she made a turn, and her foot collided with the man's chest causing him to fly backward.

"Go!" she yelled

The group rushed their way to the parking lot. Lucia stood in silence when they reached Rachel.

"Lu-"

"No, I'm not." Lucia responded, "But I don't want to talk about it."

Percy nodded in understanding

"Thank you." Lucia's lower lip trembled "For breaking the camera."

"Are you okay?" Rachel rushed forward "What happened."

"Paparazzi." Lucia huffed "It's fine, I just haven't dealt with them in a while."

"They're here?" Rachel's eyes widened, she looked around cautiously.

"I talked to Chiron," Annabeth interrupted. it was clear she was the only girl with a good head on her shoulders right now. They had priorities that had to be taken care of. "They're doing their best to prepare for battle, but he still wants us back. They're going to need every hero they can get. Did we find a ride?"

"The driver's ready when we are," Rachel nodded.

The chauffeur was talking to another guy in khakis and a polo shirt, probably his client who'd rented the car. The client was complaining, but Lucia could hear the driver saying, "I'm sorry, sir. Emergency. I've ordered another car for you."

"Come on," Rachel said. She led them to the car and got in without even looking at the flustered guy who'd rented it. A minute later they were cruising down the road. The seats were leather. There was plenty of legroom. The backseat had flat-panel TVs built into the headrests and a mini-fridge stocked with bottled water, sodas, and snacks. They started pigging out.

"Where to, Miss Dare?" the driver asked.

"I'm not sure yet, Robert," she said. "We just need to drive through town and, uh, look around."

"Whatever you say, miss."

Percy looked at Rachel. "Do you know this guy?"

"No."

"But he dropped everything to help you. Why?"

"Just keep your eyes peeled," she said. "Help me look." Which didn't exactly answer anyone's question.

After a while, the radio started playing a pop rock song

"Rachel tell him to change the song," Lucia begged between her and Percy.

"Change it," Lucia repeated, her chest rose and fell faster. Too much had been happening in too little time, and she was starting to become overwhelmed to the point of no return. memories were being resurfaced. pain was returning, and too many questions kept haunting her mind.  "Please. change it."

Rachel understood immediately "Robert could we listen to something else."

"Anything you'd like Miss Dare." before he changed the song, through the rearview mirror Lucia could see the driver watch her, realization falling on his face. Lucia panicked, she turned her head to Percy's side. Her breathing became heavier.

don't panic. don't panic. don't panic.

A hand fell on her back, she felt fingertips begin to draw circles and knew immediately it was the bane of her existence and the object of all her desires. Her breathing steadied as another song started playing on the radio. Percy's hands were on her skin easing her anxieties.

They drove through Colorado Springs for about half an hour and saw nothing that Rachel considered a possible Labyrinth entrance.

Lucia couldn't help wondering who she was exactly, and how she could walk up to some random chauffeur and immediately get a ride.

After about an hour they decided to head north toward Denver, thinking that maybe a bigger city would be more likely to have a Labyrinth entrance, but they were all getting nervous. They were losing time.

Then right as they were leaving Colorado Springs, Rachel sat bolt upright. "Get off the highway!"

The driver glanced back. "Miss?"

"I saw something, I think. Get off here."

The driver swerved across traffic and took the exit.

"What did you see?" Lucia asked because they were pretty much out of the city

now. There wasn't anything around except hills, grassland, and some scattered farm buildings. Rachel had the driver turn down this unpromising dirt road. They drove by a sign too fast for Lucia to read, but Rachel said, "Western Museum of Mining & Industry."

For a museum, it didn't look like much—a little house like an old-fashioned railroad station, some drills and pumps, and old steam shovels on display outside.

"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."

"A door to the Labyrinth?" Annabeth asked. "How can you be sure?"

"Well, look at it!" Rachel said. "I mean...I can see it, okay?"

She thanked the driver and they all got out. He didn't ask for money or anything. "Are you sure you'll be all right, Miss Dare? I'd be happy to call your—"

"No!" Rachel said. "No, really. Thanks, Robert. But we're fine."

He nodded before regarding Lucia "Big fan of your father. It's a shame what happened to him."

The car drove away.

"Fuck." Lucia huffed, a hand ran through her hair in frustration "Fuck!"

could things get any worse

"He won't tell anyone." Rachel reassured "Really."

"Let's just get to camp." she walked away "I need this shit to be over."

"That makes two of us." Annabeth hummed in agreement

The museum seemed to be closed, so nobody bothered them as they climbed the hill to the mine shaft. When they got to the entrance, Lucia saw the mark of Daedalus engraved on the padlock, though how Rachel had seen something so tiny all the way from the highway she had no idea. But then again Lucia had the hearing of a bat.

Percy touched the padlock and the chains fell away. They kicked down a few boards and walked inside. For better or worse, they were back in the Labyrinth.

☼

THE DIRT TUNNELS TURNED TO STONE. They wound around and split off and tried to confuse them, but Rachel had no trouble guiding them. She told herself they needed to get back to New York, and she hardly even paused when the tunnels offered a choice.

To Lucia's pleasant surprise, Rachel and Annabeth started up a conversation as they walked. Annabeth asked her more about her background, but Rachel was evasive, 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—"Have you seen this one," blah, blah, blah,

Lucia hung back trying to be as fast as possible in her circumstance. with every step, she felt pain but she tried shoving it down as far from her mind as possible. there was too much at stake too much to do for her to be worrying about her leg.

Nico and Percy stayed back keeping her pace in uncomfortable silence.

"Thanks for coming after us," Percy told him at last.

Nico's eyes narrowed. He didn't seem as angry as he used to—just suspicious, careful. "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. It eventually reaches you one way or another"

"That's what you were after all along," Percy said. "Trading Daedalus's soul for your sister's."

Nico walked for another fifty yards before answering. "It hasn't been easy, you know. Having only the dead for 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 him. "Do you really believe that, Percy?"

Before he could figure out what to tell him, Percy ran into Rachel, who'd stopped in front of him. They'd come to a crossroads. The tunnel continued straight ahead, but a side tunnel T'd off to the right—a circular shaft carved from volcanic rock.

"What is it?" Lucia asked.

Rachel stared down the dark tunnel. In the dim flashlight beam, her face looked like one of Nico's specters.

"Is it that way?" Annabeth asked.

"No," Rachel said nervously. "Not at all."

"Why are we stopping then?" Lucia asked.

"Listen," Nico said.

Lucia heard wind coming down the tunnel, as if the exit were close. And she smelled something vaguely familiar—something that brought back bad memories.

"Eucalyptus trees," Lucia said. "Like in California."

Last winter, when they'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 Lucia feel a whole lot better.

Annabeth, Percy, and Lucia 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." Lucia refused

"Luke could be right here," He said. "Or...or Kronos. I have to find out what's going on."

Annabeth hesitated. "Then we'll all go."

"No," He said. "It's too dangerous. If they got hold of Lucia, Nico, or Rachel for that matter, Kronos could use them. You stay here and guard them."

What He didn't say: He was also worried about Annabeth. Lucia understood why, she didn't trust what she would do if she saw Luke again. He had fooled her and manipulated her too many times before.

"Percy, don't," Rachel said. "Don't go up there alone."

"I'll be quick," Percy promised. "I won't do anything stupid."

Annabeth took her Yankees cap out of her pocket. "At least take this. And be careful."

"Thanks."

"wait-" Lucia reached for his bicep, she remembered the last time she and he had parted ways. How he surged forward and caught her lips and the world completely stopped for a moment.

"be careful" Lucia whispered, "come back."

"to you?" Percy mumbled under his breath "always"

Lucia felt a blush creep on her cheeks

He gave her a reassuring smile and a nod. "Here goes nothing." And he sneaked invisibly down the dark stone tunnel.

☼

LUCIA PACED BACK AND FORTH. Her anxiety bubbled back in to the pit of her stomach. She couldn't stop thinking that she let Percy walk into the mouth of a monster.

"Lucy, calm down." Annabeth said, "You're making me freak out."

"We have to go after him." Lucia looked up, she crossed her arms over her chest before biting the nail of her thumb. "What if he's hurt."

"He's not," Rachel reassured

"How do you know that!" Lucia snapped, she quickly realized her outburst and took a deep breath in. "I'm sorry. Things have been a lot lately. I didn't mean to—"

Rachel shrugged "No worries."

Lucia's eyebrows knitted together. How was this girl so easygoing?

"About that." Nico began "Why are your eyes purple now?."

Lucia sighed "I'll let you know when I find out."

"They just changed from one night to another." Rachel commented, "Is that a demigod thing or...."

Lucia hummed a no "It happened after I dreamt about my dad and Hyacinthus."

"Hyacinthus?" Annabeth's eyebrows furrowed

Lucia nodded "What do you know about him, Beth?"

"He's the hyacinth. The spartan prince, and son of the muse Clio and Pierus of magnesia.  He was said to be so desirable multiple gods fell for him." Annabeth started talking like she was reciting a textbook. " He died after playing discus with your father because the west wind, Zephyros killed him. He was jealous that he loved Apollo and not him."

Lucia took a deep breath "How could he be connected to me?"

Annabeth frowned "I don't know."

"This can't be a coi—"

Rachel stood from her crouched position "Percy's in trouble."

Lucia moved a little too quickly, pain shot through her leg and up her thigh. She bit her lip and held the ache back as the group started to rush ahead.

Lucia could hear what was happening the closer she got to Percy.

"My lord," someone said. "Your symbol of power is remade."

"You fool," another voice muttered. "He requires the half-blood first."

"Whoa, what do you mean, he requires me?"

Lucia recognized that voice

Ethan.

"Don't be a coward!" the first telekhine hissed. "He does not require your death. Only your allegiance. Pledge him your service. Renounce the gods. That is all."

"No!" Percy yelled. "Ethan, don't!"

Lucia panicked

"Trespasser!" The monster hissed. "The master will deal with you soon enough. Hurry, boy!"

"Ethan," Percy pleaded, "don't listen to them. Help me destroy it."

"I told you not to spare me, Percy. 'An eye for an eye.' You ever hear that saying? I learned what it means the hard way—when I discovered my godly parent. I'm the child of Nemesis, Goddess of Revenge. And this is what I was made to do."

"What about Lucia?" Percy tried "She'll never forgive you. Are you willing to hurt her like this"

Silence

"Lucia is blind now but she will see soon that this is what's meant to happen."

"It's clear you don't know her at all." Percy scoffed

Ethan made a grumbled sound "I renounce the gods! What have they ever done for me? I will see them destroyed. I will serve Kronos."

The sound of rumbling intensified at every step. Then something hitting the floor rung in Lucia's ears causing her to completely forget her vulnerable state and go off in a sprint.

"This body has been well prepared." a voice like a razor blade running over her skin hit her ears. It was Luke's, but not Luke's. underneath his voice was another, more horrible sound—an ancient, cold sound like metal scraping against rock. "Don't you think so, Percy Jackson?"

The person laughed. Lucia gulped in fear of who the owner was.

"Luke feared you," the voice said. "His jealousy and hatred have
been powerful tools. It has kept him obedient. For that I thank you."

There was a sound of fighting when a loud slam caused Lucia to jump.

"Ah...much better," he said. "Backbiter, Luke called it. An appropriate name. now that it is re-forged completely, it shall indeed bite back."

"What have you done to Luke?" Percy groaned.

"He serves me with his whole being, as I require. The difference is, that he feared you, Percy Jackson. I do not."

"Run, little hero," he laughed. "Run!"

The group finally made it to the entry hall. Percy was 10 feet away from them running in what looked like slow motion. Behind him was Luke. He was leisurely walking, swinging his scythe as if he were enjoying the feel of having it in his hands again. No weapon in the world could stop him. No amount of celestial bronze.

his blue eyes now shone eerie gold.

"PERCY!" Rachel yelled.

Something flew past him, and a blue plastic hairbrush hit Kronos in the eye. "Ow!" he yelled. For a moment it was only Luke's voice, full of surprise and pain.

Percy's limbs were freed and he ran straight into them, their eyes filled with dismay.

"Luke?" Annabeth called. "What—"

Percy grabbed her by the shirt and hauled her after him. The group ran and Lucia tried going after them when a hand found her shirt and pulled her back. Lucia tumbled, falling on her side.

"Golden Girl." Hands held her by the shoulders

"No!" Lucia cried as she saw her friends disappear "Ethan let me go! let me go!"

"Lucia." he bent down to her broken state. she couldn't get up without help, her leg now throbbing again, with the fall she had fully reinjured herself. "I'm sorry, I can't."

the voice of Kronos came back into control. "AFTER THEM!"

Telekhines flooded past her. rushing through the walls. Lucia felt hot tears fall down her cheeks when she noticed she couldn't move, time was slow around her.

"No!" She heard Nico yell.

"Wait! wait! Lucia! where's Lucy!"

"Luz?! Luz!- Nico don—!"

A second after, Lucia heard the sound of hands clapping together, and what sounded like an eruption. The tremor it caused was so powerful it reached her, the ground under her feet trembled. She heard the muffled sound of a building crashing down. And then the muffled screams from the telekhines inside.

"Lucia," Ethan called

Lucia refused to look at him "Fuck you."

Then Lucia felt a presence coming towards her, Luke-no-Kronos walked agonizingly slow, a hand coming under her chin when he finally reached her. shivers ran down her spine, and her stomach twisted in knots as bile threatened its way up her throat.

"Daughter of the Spartan prince and Phoebus Apollo." Kronos whispered, "What a joy it is to have you with us."

He howled, shaking the world around her. She fell to complete silence at the realization she was now at the mercy of the Titan lord.

if you ever wonder if things can get worse...they always can for a demigod.

A/N: listen im just trying to give Lucia the real life of a demigod: pure misery! LOLOL. no but seriously this was not the original plan but somehow it feels right to me ! i even had to change the quote in the act two section because i feel like i'm going in a different direction now with the end of the botl! but anyways i hope you enjoy this book! id say lucia is going to be happy again soon but i'm planning on going all the way into hoo so who know 🤭🤭 ANYWAYS enjoy the chapter *evil laughter*

-V