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A Shinobi Among Monsters by euphoric image
 Naruto & Percy Jackson and the Olympians Xover Rated: T, English, Adventure & Humor, Naruto U., Artemis, Apollo, Words: 208k+, Favs: 8k+, Follows: 9k+, Published: Mar 21, 2020 Updated: Jan 15 3,237Chapter 20: The Maze of Death
Hey hey. It has been quite some time since the last update lmao. I really wanted to get something out in time for the holidays, though, so I'm really glad I managed to finish this chapter in time. Thanks for all your patience and overwhelming support. Massive thanks to a certain tuna as well - this chapter wouldn't have happened without them.
Oh, and Merry Christmas to you all!
Enjoy!
Shocked silence rang out through the halls of the throne room.
Zeus recovered first. "The Labyrinth?" he frowned in bewilderment before looking at Athena. "Wasn't that your kid's invention? What does that have to do with this?"
"Everything," Athena answered grimly. "It's obvious - " she paused as she glanced around the throne room only to be met with blank faces. "...or perhaps not," she amended. "An explanation seems to be in order. It's a well-known fact that Daedalus, my son, had originally created the Labyrinth for King Minos's palace to function as a death maze to punish dissenters. What is less well-known, however, is the fact that Daedalus had entangled the Labyrinth with his soul, life force, and the fabrics of Mist itself."
Apollo frowned. "You can do that?"
"Yes," Athena inclined her head. "The result of this is that the Labyrinth, rather than being a normal structure, is instead a quasi-living entity that over the millennia has extended across essentially the entire world. Only a few places are left untouched by its grasp." Her eyes took on a glint. "It's fascinating, it truly is. Its propagation resembles the branching effect of - "
"Spare us the drivel and get to the point," Demeter snapped.
Athena blinked, breaking out of the trance. "Ah, my apologies. The point is, the Labyrinth is intrinsically tied to the Mist, thus it's capable of serving as a conduit for magic." She tilted her head. "An apt analogy would be to think of it as an electrical wire that allows current – magic – to pass through. In this case, the spell would've likely been a spatial transference phenomenon that allowed Hecate to relocate the camp. While the camp's magical protections and charms are capable of defending it from external influences, the Labyrinth is able to bypass that."
"Well, why didn't you just say that in the first place?" Hephaestus growled, the engineer within him clearly disliking the inefficiency with which she delivered the information.
"It's important to have all the information before acting in order to avoid hasty decisions."
"Bah," Hephaestus waved his hand, the permanent scowl on his face deepening. "Now that we know how Hecate moved the camp, how does this help us again?"
Athena smiled. "Even with the aid of the Labyrinth, Hecate wouldn't be powerful enough to move the Camp wherever she wanted. She would have to use the Labyrinth as a channel to facilitate the translocation of the camp. Returning to the electrical wire analogy, she can only move the Camp to a place where the wires go."
"I see," Hephaestus scratched his beard thoughtfully. "Which means we just have to follow the magical residue of the spell left within the Labyrinth?"
"Precisely," Athena nodded. "The spell would've left trace magical residue within the Labyrinth's passages and tunnels." She looked at Artemis. "It should be child's play for you to track."
Artemis tensed up but nodded. "Yes."
"Then it's decided," Zeus declared. "We shall send a rescue team into the Labyrinth to track down Camp Half-Blood and save our children." He paused for a moment before his expression hardened, a stormy look appearing in his suddenly dark blue eyes. "Only Artemis will be permitted to go, as this falls under her sphere of influence. The rest of you all must stay on Olympus."
Immediately, the throne room erupted into pandemonium.
"That joke was in bad taste, brother," Demeter said, a terrifying expression on her face. "If you believe I won't act to save my children, then you're sadly mistaken."
"My children are captured, and you want to send her to save them?!" Aphrodite's eyes glowed. "Not a chance in Tartarus."
"Damn the Ancient Laws," Ares growled. "Those are my fucking children the Titans are holding hostage. If you expect me to just sit back, you're even more senile than I thought."
"Can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Ares," Apollo declared grimly. "I have faith in my little sis and all, but something like this demands a more personal touch."
"Out of all the decrees you've made so far, I do quite believe this will be the one I'll enjoy breaking the most," Hermes said quietly, his eyes narrowed.
Amidst all the objections, Zeus's expression remained stony. Finally, he raised a hand and thunder boomed, a wave of pure sound exploding outward and silencing everyone.
"Two reasons," Zeus stated calmly. "One, there is a very good chance that this is just a diversion to lure us away from Olympus. Two – I'm sure you've all noticed that Dionysus still hasn't returned to us." They all shifted, the empty grapevine throne suddenly seeming extremely conspicuous. "Most likely because he isn't able to return. I may not be the god of wisdom, but even I can see that this is an obvious trap."
Athena, who was one of the only gods who hadn't objected, nodded slowly. "I do not like this. I hate this, in fact. But Father is correct. We must remain here on Olympus."
"So what, you're just going to send Artemis and her Hunters and call it a day?" Demeter cried, outraged. "You really think she can succeed against the Titan forces? She's already been captured once before."
Artemis's eyes flashed angrily. "Atlas took me by surprise," she growled. "It will not happen again."
Demeter snorted dismissively. "Forgive me if I'm not going to risk my children's lives on your assurances alone - "
"Enough," Zeus spoke softly, and inexplicably everyone listened. "We are the council of gods, and we will act like it." He looked at Demeter. "I understand that you're concerned, but there's no need to worry. After all, you seem to be forgetting about someone."
Demeter frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Zeus merely gestured over to the foot of Artemis's throne where a certain demigod was sitting.
"Yo!" Naruto grinned brightly.
"Of course," Hermes murmured. "The son of Artemis will be going as well…"
Naruto nodded. "Don't worry, we'll save Camp Half-Blood and get all of your children back, believe it!"
There was a long moment of silence.
"Naruto has already demonstrated his skills and powers," Zeus spoke. "Along with Artemis and the Hunters, they will be more than capable of saving Camp Half-Blood." He looked around the throne room. "I trust that there are no further objections?"
Slowly, the assembled gods nodded, albeit still slightly reluctantly.
"I guess he's strong enough," Ares relented.
You guess? Kurama said incredulously. Didn't we thoroughly and completely dismantle him just a few months ago? Does he require another practical demonstration? Because after that miserable excuse of a fight we just had against Zeus, I am DOWN to give him another demonstration.
"Kid, I'm trusting you here," Ares continued. "You better get them back."
Naruto nodded determinedly. "I will," he promised.
"Swear it," Apollo said, deadly serious for once. "I know you don't break your promises. Swear it."
"I swear I'll save them."
Apollo closed his eyes. "I suppose that'll do for now."
"I'll do what I can to help," Hephaestus said gruffly. "Just tell me what magical item or weapon you need, and I'll forge it for you."
"You will?" Naruto looked surprised. "Hmm..."
"A sword with mecha-shift capabilities?" Hephaestus suggested. "Or perhaps a suit of impenetrable armor?"
"I want a cloak," Naruto said simply. "A red cloak with black flame designs on the hem."
"... that's it?" the god of blacksmiths frowned when nothing else was forthcoming. "Did you want an invisibility enchantment on that? Or perhaps nanomachines embedded into the fabric?"
"Nah, just a normal cloak is fine."
"That's all you want?" Hephaestus leaned forward, seeming bewildered. "I'm offering to make you anything here. I have like an eight decade waiting list for my services. You sure you don't want anything else?"
Naruto grinned. "What more do I need?"
Hephaestus shrugged. "Fair enough." He pulled out several wires of Celestial Bronze and began twisting them into shape, his hands glowing a fiery red.
Did you seriously give up the chance to gain magical items of untold power... for a cloak? Kurama said flatly.
Hey, gotta attain the drip, y'know?
The fuck is a drip?
"Now then," Zeus spoke up. "Does anyone else have anything to say? No? Excellent." He looked at Artemis. "Good luck, daughter. I'm sorry that I cannot offer you any more assistance, but I trust that you will succeed."
Artemis nodded resolutely, turning to face the council. "I will not fail," she vowed. "The Titans will regret this, that I assure you."
"Just one thing..." Apollo raised a finger, looking at Naruto curiously. "I get that Athena's a genius and all, but how in the world did you know that Hecate was able to use the Labyrinth as a magical conduit for a spatial transference spell?"
Naruto blinked. "Huh? Oh, I had no idea about that. All I knew was that it's capable of manipulating space-time, so odds were it had something to do with the disappearance." He paused. "Besides, the Labyrinth is just plain creepy," he shuddered. "I mean, have you seen that thing? It obviously had something to do with the camp's disappearance." Off to the side, Artemis was nodding along in agreement.
Athena's lips twitched. "Can't really argue with that logic," she muttered.
"Creepy?" Hephaestus frowned, looking distinctly miffed. "It's an engineering marvel – a masterpiece of unparalleled design. What are you talking about?"
Naruto shook his head. "You wouldn't get it."
"No, seriously, you wouldn't," Apollo chimed in. "It's a 'child of Artemis' thing."
Hephaestus made a noise of understanding. "I see," he said. "Anyhow, I'm finished." Naruto blinked. Somehow, in the past few minutes Hephaestus had somehow forged a cloak with his bare hands and several specialized tools. The god of the forge clapped his hands and the cloak dissolved into motes of light, rematerializing on Naruto.
"Hmm..." Naruto examined himself, grinning when he saw that the design was pretty much identical to what he had worn back when he had first mastered Sage Mode. "I love it. Thanks, Hephaestus!" Hephaestus gave a grunt of acknowledgement.
Ah, this brings back memories, Kurama said nostalgically.
It really does.
"Enough with wasting time," Hermes interjected impatiently. His expression darkened. "I already lost a son a few months ago. I'd rather not lose any more."
Artemis nodded. "We'll be off, then."
With a snap of her fingers, she and Naruto dissolved in a flash of silver light.
「」
"How did it go?"
Naruto blinked when the moment he and Artemis reappeared in the Hunters' camp, he was immediately accosted by the Hunters. "Huh?" he asked dumbly.
"The fight against Zeus," Phoebe said urgently. "Did you win?"
"Oh," Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Umm... No, sadly. I lost by ring-out."
Annddd I'm tilted again. They just had to bring this up, huh.
Multiple disappointed sighs went up from the assorted Hunters at that.
"Damn," Phoebe gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Well, good try nonetheless."
"While I'm sure you would like to discuss the fight at length, I'm afraid we have more pressing matters to worry about," Artemis said gravely, striding forward. Immediately, all the Hunters immediately straightened up, their gazes turning serious.
"What is it, milady?" Zoe asked, instantly adopting her role as the lieutenant.
"Camp Half-Blood has been abducted by the Titans."
There was a moment of silence.
"What?" Thalia's eyes went wide. "Wait, what?!"
"When you say Camp Half-Blood has been abducted..." Zoe began cautiously. "Do you mean just the inhabitants, or the entire physical camp itself?"
"I mean the entire camp," Artemis confirmed. "Everything within the magical borders has been forcibly relocated by one of Hecate's spells." Katarina, the daughter of Hecate, visibly stiffened at that.
"Hecate," Thalia snarled, the air suddenly filling with the scent of ozone and the charge of electricity. "That traitor." She hesitated. "I-I need to make some Iris Messages. Excuse me." Zoe nodded, and Thalia hurried away to try to find out if her friends were okay.
"I presume we'll be tasked with tracking down the Camp?" Lily, the daughter of Demeter, asked, her green eyes solemn.
Artemis nodded. "Father put me in charge of the rescue team. We have to locate and rescue the Camp."
"Did the Oracle give a prophecy?" Jeanne, the daughter of Apollo, questioned. Then her eyes widened. "Hold on... If the Oracle is located within the Camp..."
"No Oracle, no prophecy," Zoe summarized succinctly. "We're going in effectively blind."
"Eh," Naruto shrugged. "Prophecies are lowkey overrated anyway. Just gotta trust in the process and it'll work out. Besides, we already know what to do: just follow the magical thingy in the Labyrinth and it'll lead us to the Camp."
"Labyrinth?" Zoe frowned. "Wait, what does that have to do with anything?"
Quickly, Artemis and Naruto filled them in on what happened during the Council meeting.
"So we're going back into that place..." Bianca murmured, no doubt thinking about how they had entered the Labyrinth during the Artemis retrieval mission.
"Yes. We'll be counting on you to help us navigate the Labyrinth," Artemis said. "With your powers as the daughter of Hades, this mission should go along fairly smoothly - "
"NO!" Naruto, Zoe, and Thalia all shouted simultaneously.
Artemis looked taken aback. "What's the matter?"
"Mom!" Naruto looked horrified. "You did not just say that."
"Milady..." Zoe's expression was pained. "I understand that you're a goddess and thus you don't normally have to worry about things like these, but..."
"You just jinxed it," Thalia said hollowly. "We're doomed now. We're actually doomed."
Artemis blinked. "Ah. My apologies. But I mean, how much worse can it possibly get?"
As if on cue, Apollo appeared in a flash of golden light. Zoe's expression became even more pained.
"Much worse, apparently," Artemis muttered. "I stand corrected."
"I have the feeling that that was an insult of some kind, but I'm going to choose to ignore it," Apollo said. "Hey, Zoe, what's up?" He flashed a grin, but his heart clearly wasn't in it; his smile looked weak and forced.
"Apollo," Zoe greeted. "You look more terrible than you normally do."
"Now that, that I'm sure is an insult," Apollo grumbled.
"Zoe's right," Artemis said, frowning in concern. "Brother, are you alright?"
Apollo barked a laugh that contained approximately no humor whatsoever. "My children have just been kidnapped and will probably be dead by the end of the week, and there's absolutely nothing I can do about it. Do you think I'm alright?"
Artemis winced. "I'm sorry, brother, that was a thoughtless question."
Apollo sighed, rubbing his face wearily. "No, it's fine. I'm just… really damn worried. All of us are. This is the most united the Olympians have been since… well, ever." He shook his head. "But enough of that. Have you finished your preparations?"
Artemis nodded. "We'll be ready to leave once we pack things up." At this, the Hunters immediately dispersed, moving like a well-oiled machine to pack up their camp.
"Any luck?" Naruto asked when Thalia walked up to rejoin them.
Her gloomy expression said it all. "I wasn't able to track down anyone," she said desolately, her fists clenching. "Annabeth, Clarisse, Beckendorf... My Iris Messages failed to reach them all."
"Damn. What about Percy?"
"I ran out of golden drachmas."
Naruto paused. "Seriously? Bruh."
"I know, right? I can't believe Iris took my money even though the calls failed to connect," Thalia shook her head. "I'm actually getting scammed here."
"Don't worry, Percy Jackson hadn't gone to Camp Half-Blood yet when it disappeared," Apollo helpfully informed them. "He's in his apartment right now, still completely clueless."
"Can you get him here?" Thalia asked, a little desperately. "We need all the help we can get here."
"Sure thing."
Several seconds passed.
Thalia frowned. "Aren't you going to, you know, get him?"
"Err, not yet," Apollo said, scratching his cheek as his eyes glowed golden. "He's, ah, a little preoccupied right now, if you catch my drift."
Thalia looked disgusted. "I did not need to know that."
"And by preoccupied, I meant that he's in the middle of crying his eyes out," Apollo continued, raising an eyebrow. "Do get your mind out of the gutter, my dear Thalia."
Thalia spluttered incoherently before pausing. "Back the hell up. He's crying right now?" Concern flashed in her eyes. "Wait, what happened? Can you teleport him over here?"
Apollo shrugged. "Suit yourself." He snapped his fingers and in a flash of golden light, Percy was next to them. True to Apollo's words, tears were currently streaming down Percy's cheeks, and his face was flushed bright red.
"Percy!" Thalia was next to him in a flash. "What's wrong?" She quickly brought him in a hug, whispering hushed assurances in his ear.
"T-Thalia?" Percy choked out. "What just happened? Where am I?"
"Apollo just teleported you. But what happened to you?" she asked frantically. "Why are you crying?"
"I fucked up," Percy said, his voice strained as another fresh round of tears streamed from his eyes. "I fucked up bad, Thals."
"What?! What is it?!"
"I just ate a Carolina Reaper pepper to prove a point to my mom," Percy gasped out. "Bad idea. Bad bad idea."
Absolute silence.
Slowly, Thalia stepped back from him, her expression looking as if it was carved from granite. "What."
"Milk! Do you have any milk?"
"You're crying... because you ate a spicy pepper?"
"I'm dying over here! Please help!"
Thalia closed her eyes and muttered several Ancient Greek phrases under her breath that extolled the importance of patience and restraint.
"Percy Jackson," Artemis took over. "We're about to embark on a mission to rescue Camp Half-Blood from the Titans. Naruto will fill you in. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to have some private words with my brother." With that, she and Apollo dematerialized.
All the color drained from Percy's face, a rather incredible feat considering how red it had been just a moment before. "N-Naruto? Is the pain making me hear things?"
Naruto sighed. "No. About an hour ago, Camp Half-Blood disappeared, courtesy of a spell by Hecate. You're one of the only campers who wasn't in Camp when it disappeared, so you're still here."
"You're joking," Percy whispered before his eyes went wide with fear. "Annabeth! Is Annabeth alright?!"
Naruto looked downcast. "I'm sorry, Percy. We'll get her back, I promise. We'll get all of them back."
Percy slammed his fist against a tree, anger in his eyes. "Fucking Titans..." he cursed.
"You're angry, so I'll excuse your transgression against the Holy Log this time. However, strike it again and you shall be punished."
Percy and Thalia started talking to each other, and Naruto decided to give them some space. As he made his way through the camp – which was being rapidly packed up by the Hunters – he paused when he saw a familiar figure standing in front of the fire roaring in the center of the camp.
"Hestia!" Naruto called.
Hestia turned around and smiled. "Hello there, Naruto. I was hoping we could talk before you left for the mission."
"Yeah?" Naruto came up beside her, both of them staring into the flickering flames. "What is it?"
"You're walking into a trap," Though Hestia's voice was calm and level, the way her hands shook slightly gave away her true feelings. "The Titans have been preparing for the past six months for this. They hold every advantage, and they'll have made countless plans to take you out."
Naruto nodded. "I know," he said simply. "I mean, their plans aren't going to work or anything, so it'll be fine."
Hestia's lips quirked up. "Is that so?"
"Of course! Being unpredictable is one of my best qualities," Naruto grinned. "If the Titans think they can take us out with this, then they're in for an extremely rude awakening." His eyes softened. "So please, don't worry for me."
Hestia sighed. "Intellectually, I know you're more than strong enough to take care of yourself. However..." she bit her lip. "I still worry."
"Hestia..." Without hesitation, Naruto reached out and drew her into a hug. "I'll be okay."
"Hugging a goddess without permission?" she mumbled into his chest. "How brazen of you."
Naruto chuckled. "Are you telling me you want me to let go?" He began to loosen his hold, only to stop when Hestia tightened her arms around him. "I'll take that as a no."
"You've gotten taller," she noted.
"Well, puberty has to be good for some things, y'know," he grinned. Where before he and Hestia had been about the same height, now he was a good half a head taller than her. He missed his old height, he really did.
Finally, she let go, stepping back. "Don't you dare die on this mission," she said, her chocolate brown eyes narrowing slightly. "Otherwise I won't make you ramen ever again."
Naruto's expression turned grim. "With such a horrible threat hanging over my head, I have no choice but to stay alive then."
"Indeed," Hestia nodded imperiously. "Now, go."
Naruto shot her a thumbs-up and grinned. "I'll kick some Titan ass for you."
「」
They arrived at the place where Camp Half-Blood previously was located. Nothing remained except for an empty field.
"I can't believe this," Thalia murmured. Her eyes flickered over to a hill that was no longer present. "Even my tree is gone..."
Naruto led them over to where the entrance to the Labyrinth was. A cluster of boulders greeted them, and he pressed the hidden delta that opened the secret entrance.
"Man..." Naruto shuddered as he stared into the dark entrance. "I'll never get over how horrible that feels."
"As if it being underground wasn't bad enough, it's also a death maze intrinsically tied to soul magic and the Mist," Artemis muttered, an identical expression of aversion on her face. "It's almost as if it was created to vex us..." She turned to Bianca. "Lead the way - " she froze. "Ah. I may have made a mistake."
"What is it, milady?" Zoe asked in concern.
"I had originally planned to have us split up into groups to search the Labyrinth. However... only Bianca can safely navigate the Labyrinth due to being the daughter of Hades."
Zoe cursed. "You're right. How could I have been so blind?"
"I mean, it's not that big of a deal, right?" Naruto said. "Can't we just go in one big group?"
Zoe shook her head. "Sadly not. The more people there are, the higher chance there is of something going wrong. There's a reason why normally only three people go onto a quest. Five is probably the highest we can go. Any more, and... well, the risk increases exponentially."
"So what, we just have to stay behind again?" Phoebe demanded.
Zoe sighed. "I don't like it any more than you do, but unless you somehow find a way to navigate the Labyrinth - " She paused. "Oh wait. Katarina?"
All eyes turned onto Katarina, who shook her head. "I... I'm afraid I'm going to be useless here." She smiled thinly. "Mother is intentionally obfuscating my powers right now."
Zoe sighed. "Damn it. Well, it was worth a shot."
"Who will go, then?" Phoebe asked.
Artemis considered them all for a moment. "Zoe, Bianca, Naruto, and Thalia," she finally said.
The Hunters grumbled but acquiesced. Unfortunately, a certain son of Poseidon was nowhere near as agreeable.
"Now hold on here," Percy frowned, stepping forward. "I need to go as well."
"Denied," Artemis said flatly. "I would be a fool to deliver you straight into the hands of the Titans. I'm already taking a big enough risk bringing along Thalia and Bianca."
"I can help though!" Percy protested.
"Umm, sis?" Apollo spoke up. "I think Percy should go."
Artemis whirled to Apollo. "What? Why?"
"Gut feeling," he answered simply. "I have a premonition that his water powers will come in handy."
Artemis exhaled. "Fine. Perseus Jackson will come along as well."
"Yes!" Percy pumped a fist. "I owe you one, Apollo."
"Now then," Artemis cast her gaze back to the entrance of the Labyrinth and steeled her gaze. "Let's go." The Hunters wished them luck as they entered the Labyrinth.
Naruto went in last, and as he moved to enter, Apollo grabbed his arm. Naruto frowned. "Apollo?"
"Don't you dare hold back," Apollo's eyes were narrowed. "Not on this quest."
Naruto nodded. "Got it. I'll go full-out."
Apollo nodded and released him. "Good luck, Naruto."
And with that, Naruto entered the gaping maw of the Labyrinth.
「」
The moment Naruto entered the Labyrinth, the entrance behind them slammed shut with a loud clang, throwing them into absolute darkness.
"So this is the Labyrinth," Artemis murmured. "Gods, I hate this place. It's as if the very air itself is drenched in wrongness. Let us make haste."
"Wait," Percy called, a pensive expression crossing his face – not that anyone could see in the darkness except Artemis, who possessed perfect night vision. "Lady Artemis, you know how gods can make their eyes glow in intense situations? Can you do that too?"
Artemis tilted her head. "Well, yes. It's a partial localized release of my divine form," she answered as her eyes began to glow a dim silver. "Why do you ask?"
"Just humor me. Can you make it brighter?" Percy pressed.
Artemis frowned bemusedly but complied, the intensity of the silver light increasing significantly until it illuminated the entire corridor.
"Awesome," Percy grinned. "Thank you, that works perfectly. Now let's go."
He began walking deeper into the hallway. Nobody else followed.
"I don't get it," Artemis sounded confused. "What is the point of this?"
Besides her, Zoe trembled with suppressed fury. "Perseus Jackson," she growled. "Did you just make Lady Artemis do all that... so she could function as a glorified goddess flashlight?"
Percy froze mid step as horror dawned upon the rest of their faces. "Umm... Maybe?"
"Dude..." Naruto whispered, half-appalled and half-amused. "You crazy son of a bitch."
"Perseus Jackson," Artemis said in a low, exceedingly dangerous voice that had his hairs standing on end. "You are very, very fortunate that we are in a hurry right now. But after this is all over..." Her eyes flashed. "Well, if I were you, I would try my best to redeem myself on this mission fast."
Instead of begging for forgiveness, Percy merely saluted in a manner that was far too casual. "Gotcha, will do."
"He's suicidal," Thalia muttered. "That's the only explanation for it."
"If you had wanted light, you could've just asked," Artemis said, her tone turning exasperated as her eyes stopped glowing. She held out her hand and silver flames burst to life, illuminating the corridor. "But enough talk." Her eyes shone a purple-silver sheen as she examined their surroundings. "The magical residue begins over there. Let's go."
They followed, Artemis detecting where the trace magical residue was and Bianca providing a safe path toward it. Just like before, every choice Bianca made was the correct one, to everyone's immense relief.
"So what have you been up to these past few months?" Thalia asked Percy.
Percy shrugged. "Finals have officially drained my will to live and I'm freaking out about starting high school next year. Same old same old."
Thalia smirked. "Imagine having to go to school."
Percy raised his eyebrows. "Are you talking to me, Ms Middle School Dropout?"
Thalia twitched. "Oh, you did not just go there."
"What if I did?" Percy challenged.
Electricity crackled to life as Thalia prepared to zap the hell out of Percy – when Artemis spoke up.
"Thalia, Percy, please," she sighed. "While I'm glad to see you two continuing your fathers' legacies, I would appreciate at least some modicum of professionalism."
Appropriately chastised, the two apologized and went silent.
That was, until Percy nudged Thalia with his elbow. "By the way, in case you didn't know, 'modicum' means - "
"I will hurt you."
Percy snickered. "Hey, just making sure your middle school vocabulary can keep up."
Zoe let out a weary sigh. "Why can't you two be more like Bianca?"
Percy and Thalia both looked at Bianca, who was chatting to Naruto about Nico.
"But don't you think his social development will be stunted if all his friends are ghosts?" Bianca was asking worriedly. "I'm glad Nico is happy and all, but I think he still needs some friends who are, you know, alive."
Naruto shrugged. "I think it'll be fine. I mean, someone I know didn't have a single friend until he was like twelve years old. And his entire village hated him. And his uncle who he loved tried to assassinate him."
"Hold up, you said something," Bianca frowned. "His uncle did what?!"
"But he turned out alright," Naruto finished with a bright smile. "He's one of my best friends, in fact. I mean, yeah he did have a whole 'murder homicidal psychopath' phase – but he got over that quickly."
"I have so many concerns right now."
"Point is, Nico will be fine," Naruto assured her. "He's BFFs with Achilles and Theseus, and both of them love the kid. They'll take care of him."
"I hope so..." Bianca's eyes suddenly widened. "DUCK!"
Nobody questioned her; everyone instantly hit the deck. Not a moment too soon, for a massive axeblade swung overhead, and if they hadn't heeded Bianca's warning, they would've been bisected.
"I really, really hate Daedalus," Thalia groused as they dusted themselves off. "What kind of dipshit builds a maze like this?"
Artemis flicked her wrists and hunting daggers appeared in her hands.
"Whoa!" Thalia's eyes widened. "If I offended you, that is definitely my bad - "
"I hear breathing up ahead," Artemis cut her off.
Thalia's gaze turned serious as they readied their weapons. They cautiously crept up the hallway and turned the corner to find two... normal girls?
"Huh?" Percy lowered Riptide, frowning in confusion. "What are you two doing down here?"
One of them licked her lips. "Percy Jackson," she smiled beautifully at him. "My, what a surprise. How are you doing, my fine hero~"
"Oh fuck," the other one paled, looking straight at Artemis. "Kelli, I think that's - "
"And you brought your friends with you as well," Kelli seemed positively ecstatic. "I'll enjoy sucking you all dry." She licked her lips again.
"Kelli," the other empousa said urgently. "I really think you should - "
"I don't get it," Percy looked puzzled. "Are you two, like, demigods or something?"
"I cannot believe you are this dense," Zoe muttered. "Do you not smell the cloying scent of blood on them?"
Percy blinked before blushing heavily. "Umm... I think that information is supposed to be kept private, Zoe."
Zoe furrowed her brow before comprehension dawned. "You fool!" she hissed, sounding scandalized. "I'm not speaking of that!"
"Huh? Then what are you talking about?"
Kelli laughed, drawing attention back to her. "I believe your little Hunter friend is trying to tell you that I am an... empousa!"
Silence.
"A what?" Percy looked even more confused.
Kelli stared at him. "An empousa? A servant of Hecate? A being created from dark magic?"
"Sorry," Percy apologized. "I had to cram so much geometry into my mind these past few weeks, my mind is pretty much dead. I don't have blood, I have geometric proofs."
"Gah!" Kelli's appearance shifted, the color draining out of her face and arms. Her skin turned white as chalk, her eyes became crimson red, and her teeth elongated into fangs. "Does this ring a bell?"
"Oh!" Percy's eyes widened. "You're a – " He paused when he noticed her legs; her left leg was brown and shaggy with a donkey's hoof and her right leg was shaped from bronze. " – disabled inbred vampire...?" he finished confusedly. Naruto and Thalia snickered.
"I'm an empousa!" Kelli snarled. "And it's interbred, not inbred, you imbecile!"
"Heh," Thalia smiled smugly. "So much for your 'superior education,' Kelp Head."
"I will kill you all," Kelli promised.
"Kelli!" the other empousa yelled.
"What?" she snapped.
"I might be wrong... but isn't that the goddess Artemis?!"
"What?" Kelli turned to look at Artemis. Somehow, she turned even more pale. "Oh you have got to be kidding me - "
Silver flashed. A moment later, Kelli and the other empousa's heads fell to the ground and disintegrated into dust.
Artemis sheathed her hunting knives. "They were getting annoying," she said simply as an explanation.
Percy shrugged. "Fair enough."
As they continued moving forward, the traps seemed to intensify. Bianca was still able to negate them all with pinpoint accuracy, but there were several close calls.
"Geez," Naruto muttered after the fifth skewering attempt. "Are we near something important? Why are there so many death contraptions in this area?"
Bianca closed her eyes and concentrated. "There's... an arena up ahead? I can't really tell."
"An arena?" Naruto tilted his head. "In here?"
"Certainly brings a new level of meaning to 'underground fights,'" Zoe mused. "Though I wonder just who would set an arena up down in the Labyrinth?"
"Well, we have to pass it in order to move on ahead, so I guess we'll find out soon enough," Bianca said, looking as if she wasn't entirely thrilled with the idea.
Up ahead of them were large bronze doors, emblazoned with a pair of crossed swords. Artemis snapped her fingers and the doors were flung open. They walked inside to find a circular arena. Plain stone benches wrapped all the way around, though they were all empty.
"This place reeks of death," Bianca scrunched up her nose.
"We know," Percy said, a strange note to his voice. "The skulls are kinda a dead giveaway."
Indeed, the arena was full of skulls. They ringed the edge of the railing. Piles of them decorated the steps between the benches. They grinned from pikes at the back of the stands and hung on chains from the ceiling like the world's most unhygienic chandeliers. Most of them were old – nothing but bleached white bone – but some of them were a little more... fresh.
"I'm seeing things, right?" Percy sounded downright strangled now as he gazed at the green banner of the trident – the symbol of Poseidon – hanging on the back wall. "That's just a weapon that looks like my dad's trident but isn't actually, right?"
"Guests?"
The new voice drew their attention. Above the banner was a throne made from bones and bronze. A giant had stood up from it and was grinning down at them. He was massive – nearly fifteen tall and three seats wide. His skin was dark red and tattooed with blue wave designs.
"Welcome to my arena! I am Antaeus," Antaeus grinned. "I do apologize for the lack of audience – I had plenty of guests in here just a few days ago, but sadly they already passed by."
They tensed up at that.
"The Titan army," Zoe surmised in a hushed whisper. "Not good. They're already on the move."
"Antaeus, the half-giant son of Gaea," Artemis stepped forward, her silver eyes calculating. "So this is where you've been hiding."
"Oh? You're pretty knowledgeable. Who are you, little girl?"
Artemis narrowed her eyes. Sensing she was about to lose her patience, Naruto quickly stepped in.
"What's the deal with all the skulls?" he asked, gesturing around with a hand. His other hand was inside his kunai pocket, prepared to launch a wide array of deadly weapons.
Antaeus brightened. "I'm glad you asked. This is my temple dedicated to my father, the Earthshaker himself!"
"Your father?" Percy asked with growing horror.
"Yes! The lord of the seas, the Stormbringer, the King of Atlantis: Poseidon!" Antaeus paused as recognition entered his eyes. "Ah, I knew your aura was familiar. Hello there, brother," he grinned savagely at Percy.
Percy's eyes widened. "Oh Hades no! I disown you! I don't care if I have to burn down my family tree itself! You are not my brother!"
Antaeus laughed. "Haha, you jest, you jest."
"I do not!"
Antaeus ignored him. "Now then..." his grin turned feral. "I presume you all wish to pass by." He gestured at the door behind him.
"We need to get through that door," Bianca confirmed quietly. "There are no other routes – this is the only path."
"And I shall allow you all to do so," Antaeus continued, "as long as you best me in combat. Send forth your best champion and entertain me in a glorious battle!" He jumped down and landed on the dirt floor of the arena, his muscles rippling and bulging outward. "Who shall it be?"
They exchanged glances.
"I would fight him," Zoe began, "but I'd prefer not to dirty my arrows and my blade with his blood."
"Ditto," Thalia agreed. "I don't think my spear would ever forgive me if I let it even touch that thing."
"I wouldn't do that to you, Riptide," Percy said lovingly to his blade. "You're worth more than that."
"Oi," Antaeus straightened, looking offended. "Come on, that's just hurtful."
Percy looked at Naruto. "Do you mind taking care of this guy real quick?"
"HEY!" Naruto frowned. "What is that supposed to imply? So your blade is worth too much, but it's fine for me to fight him? I see how it is."
Percy coughed, refusing to meet his eyes.
"Just a moment," Antaeus suddenly said, squinting his eyes at Naruto. "Aren't you the son of Artemis?"
"He recognizes you but not me?!" Artemis said incredulously. "What is this?"
Naruto chuckled. "Is this what it feels like to be Kakashi-sensei? To be recognized everywhere you go?" he wondered before saying louder, "Yes, I am the son of Artemis," he confirmed. "Why do you ask?"
"EXCELLENT!" Antaeus bellowed with unadulterated glee. "The one who defeated Atlas and Ares. I will fight only you. Come, face me!"
Naruto shrugged. "Aight."
As he moved to step forward, Percy spoke up. "He gives a bad name to the sons of Poseidon everywhere," he glared at the half-giant. "Make sure to beat his face in."
"Will do."
As Naruto faced Antaeus, jumping lightly in place to warm up, he called out. "Hey Antaeus?"
"What?"
"Apollo told me to go full-out, so I can't take it easy on you. Just wanted to apologize in advance."
Antaeus laughed uproariously. "Good! Let this be a phenomenal fight!" He cracked his knuckles and rolled his neck. "Begin!"
He took a single step forward – then was sent flying back as his face was suddenly introduced to a massive Rasengan delivered via a clone that popped out of existence a second afterward. The wall cracked under the force and he coughed out blood.
"Not bad," he gasped out, "but you'll have to do better - "
A screeching sound filled the arena as Naruto created a Rasenshuriken. A bright silver-purple light shone brilliantly from the rotating shuriken of death, sending heavy gusts of wind surging throughout the entire room.
Antaeus's eyes widened.
"Bro what the fuck - "
Antaeus was cut off when Naruto threw the Rasenshuriken at him, screaming in agony as his body was torn apart effortlessly.
"And that should take care of it," Naruto said, walking back to the group.
"Dude," Percy said, staring at the Rasenshuriken, which had expanded into a vortex by this point and was shredding Antaeus with millions of microscopic wind blades. "Overkill much?"
"I didn't want to touch him with my bare hands," Naruto admitted. "He smelled so god awful when I got close to him... Despite his dad being the god of the seas, I don't think he's had a bath in decades."
"Thank you for the imagery," Bianca muttered. "I really appreciate it."
"He's not dead, by the way," Artemis said, her gaze still focused on the half-giant. "Due to his mother being Gaea, as long as he's in physical contact with the earth, he'll continue regenerating."
Naruto paused, turning around to see Antaeus still alive. Dirt was crawling up his body and covering and mending the countless cuts littering his body. "Huh, you're right."
"You..." Antaeus growled, hatred in his eyes. "I'll kill you!"
Naruto merely stomped his foot, utilizing earth manipulation to cause the floor underneath Antaeus to launch him into the air. Then, a basic wind manipulation made sure he was suspended mid-air. One quick Rasenshuriken later, and there was nothing left of Antaeus except for dust falling to the ground.
Well, that was somewhat anticlimactic.
Suddenly, the sound of clapping filled the arena. Naruto tensed up, looking up to see another man come up beside the empty throne. He was old, with short grey hair and a clipped beard, and was dressed in a black t-shirt, blue jeans, and boots. His grey eyes were scanning the entire room, and whatever he saw must've been satisfactory because he gave a single nod of approval.
"You finally killed that nuisance," he spoke in an oddly accented voice. "His presence has been polluting the Labyrinth for quite some time now, so it's a relief for him to finally be gone. You have my thanks."
Bianca let out a gasp, her eyes wide. "This man... his soul is – it's wrong! It feels so wrong!"
They all tensed up.
"Who are you?" Naruto demanded.
"Me?" The man smiled. "The name's Daedalus. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Still can't believe it's been eight months since I last updated lol. Please let me know what you think. As always, thank you to everyone's incredible support for this story. Seriously, words don't even begin to describe just how much I appreciate you all.
Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
euphoric
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