My eyes flare a bright white and I knock Harley out.
That's all I remember.
******
I wake up on the floor, and rub my head solemnly.
"It feels like I got a fucking concussion. What the hell happened?!"
I shift my eyes around, catching on a chair in the middle, and then a few people around it.
I stand up, getting extremely light headed.
"Jesus."
I walk a little closer, standing next to Alec.
"Hey. What the hell is going on?"
He turns his head down to look at me, the corner of his lip lifting up in a sort lopsided, half grin.
"Look who it is. My sleepy little Emo-Bimbo."
He flicks my head and I glare up at him.
"Emo-Bimbo?! I am not a bimbo. And I'm not emo, this is just called style, child. Something you don't seem to possess with those ripped jeans."
I give him a tight smile.
"Like one of the eighth grader boys with the Gucci belts and jordan's who throw gang signs."
Alec rolls his eyes.
"I'm more cultured than an eighth grader and we both know it."
"I find that hard to believe. You're dumb as rocks. And old as shit."
"I didn't graduate school that long ago. And I'm not old. Dumb swine."
"Uhh...hello?"
Me and Alec move our eyes to Althea, she looks absolutely mortified, tied up in a chair in front of us.
"What're you going to do to me?!"
"Calm your little ass down somewhere, sweetheart. You act as if I'm gonna assault you or something. I'm a shapeshifter, not a child predator."
Althea rolls her eyes.
"Child my ass, Walker. I'm probably older than you."
"Ooh...interesting. You know my last name...which in my case is extremely confidential. Now I do want to kill you..."
Althea snaps her eyes on mine.
"And you're just letting him do this?!"
"My master wouldn't want me scheming with the enemy."
She looks into my silvery white irises before looking at Alec.
"Did you do something to her?! She isn't right."
"Master? If we're speaking master we're speaking Megaera. Megaera!? Daddy needs ya!"
Megaera appears, and smirks down at Althea.
"Why don't you look at that? The little pipsqueak is all by herself. You're nothing without your power rangers."
"Where are they?! Please tell me they're okay!"
"They're back with Hades...he'll keep them occupied long enough for us to get answers out of you."
"What did you do to Aiden?! She isn't normal."
"Just a little dose of Styx and her father's blood, I got her to swear to the oath that her powers will be mine when she can use them. I've been controlling her easily...too bad it'll wear off sooner than later."
"You—you what?!"
Her eyes move frantically between me and Megaera, until I hold out my hand.
"I'm still here. You don't have to panic, Althea."
"What the hell is happening?! Did you willingly hurt the others?!"
"No, Althea. My mind is scrambled...but I would never hurt them. Not on purpose."
I rub my head.
"Where's Harley?"
Megaera sighs.
"In the chambers. I don't think he wants to—"
I run from the room, and Megaera rolls her eyes.
"—see you."
******
I run towards the chambers, near the bottom of the Minotaur's home.
Where the lava is.
I open the door, seeing a silhouette suspended from the air by their wrists.
I walk closer, careful not to accidentally fall and drown to my death in a pile of lava.
"Harley?"
I say softly, feeling a pounding in my head subside and feeling in my body come back.
I'm back to normal. No more Megaera controlling me.
I walk in front of the person, seeing their face illuminated softly by the lava's glow.
"Hey."
"Oh, thank goodness you're okay!"
"No more psycho-mode on me? Thanks. I was afraid you were gonna disintegrate my asscheeks."
I give him a look.
Harley rolls his eyes.
"Sorry not sorry, sugar."
"Are you okay up there? Is that not uncomfortable for your tendons?"
Harley releases a humorless laugh.
"Oh I'm doing just fine up here, babe."
He moves his dark eyes to mine with a sarcastic grin.
"Thanks for your concern."
"Oh no! Don't worry. I'll get you down from there."
"Aiden, I wouldn't—"
I reach up to unlock one of his cuffs when a short alarm goes off, and the Minotaur comes rambling in.
"Aiden. Puts your hands down. Now."
I narrow my eyes, reaching up even further.
"Aiden. Listen to me. Don't make me—"
I unlock one, and he grins at me.
"Very well."
Harley's eyes widen and the Minotaur comes at me full force, knocking the wind out of me.
I fall splat onto the floor, my head banging against the metal.
And then I blacked out.
*******
When I wake up, I too am tied to a chair.
Except this time it's like an interrogation room.
I hear footsteps. Ones going back and forth. Back and forth.
I see shoes. Black shoes.
Long legs clothed in tight, black ripped jeans that show off his calves. Muscular.
When my eyes move up further...I almost get a heart attack.
Shirtless.
He is shirtless.
Perfectly tanned skin...and holy shit. Deep...deep v-lines. I swear...those abs...that chest...the arms! Oh my god he could strangle me and I'd thank him.
I move my eyes up further. Full lips, sharp jawline.
Further.
Cute nose. Haunting green eyes.
Even further.
Silky, wavy black hair.
Fuck. That means—
"You done checking me out, sweetheart?"
My eyes move to his, and I smile tightly.
"I've been caught red handed."
"If you wanted to fuck you could've just said so, Weiss."
His eyes linger on my chest before moving to my lips, then my eyes.
"I wouldn't mind getting another taste...what you did before was just a little tease..."
"First of all, no. I don't want to fuck you, Alec. Second of all, no. I was totally not teasing you. It was the lust from the challenge."
Alec walks closer, leaning over on his forearms over the table I'm sitting at.
"So you're saying that if I did a little something like this..."
He gently caresses my lips with his, licking a small smear of blood off with a grin.
"...that you wouldn't enjoy it? That you wouldn't want more?"
"You're a really horny guy, Alec. Control your hormones."
"Says the one who kissed me back."
"Hey!"
Alec stands up straightly, giving me the side eye.
"Jokes on you, bitch. No one can resist my charm."
I roll my eyes before staring him straight in his.
This is going to be weird. I'm going to sound weird. But I'm doing it anyways.
"Odd question...but how old are you?"
"Making sure I'm not 48 before you get your raunchy on? L-O-L, I get it. And I'm just kidding. No where near 48. 19."
My mouth drops open, and I blink a few times.
"Dude. You aren't nineteen. I cannot bring myself to believe that."
"Then don't. Pretend I'm a hot thirty year old for all I care. I'm less than a year older than you...I don't fuck around with minors."
"I ain't a minor!"
"Mmkay."
He sits down in the chair across from me, kicking his legs up.
"Is there a reason I'm handcuffed in a chair?"
"Because you tried to free pyromaniac-lava-man. Not on my watch, bitch. You aren't getting away with that."
"But aren't you on my side? I'm just trying to get out of here at this point!"
"I am on your side, but why not have a little fun first?! I will help you if you help me."
"How?"
"I'll get rid of the oath you have with Megaera in exchange that you do a little work for me."
"You're a scammer, Alec. Look what you've got me into."
"You agreed in the first place, sweetheart. Don't put the blame on little old me!"
"Ugh. Whatever. Get me out of this."
He smirks, taking a drag from a cigarette.
"Of course..."
"Wait!"
He switches his focus on me.
"What?"
Alec throws the cigarette.
"Where's Pandora?!"
"What do you mean?" Alec says, obviously not paying attention saying he's playing with his hair.
"She's gone. Megaera possessed her and she never came back."
"Oh don't worry. I believe she's somewhere here with us...we'll find the girl soon enough."
I give Alec a weary look.
"Alright. What do you need me to do?"
Alec smirks.
"Kiss me."
"What?"
He leans over the table, grabbing my face in one strong hand.
I melt in his touch, surrendering to the soft lips of Alec Walker.
He lifts me up from the chair, sitting me down on the table in front of him.
He pulls away, looking at me mischievously.
"Why're you looking at me like that?"
"Didn't want to fuck me?! Hilarious. Once I touched you you melted like the wicked witch of the west."
I roll my eyes, lifting up my wrists.
"If you want anything more from me I'd suggest you remove these, Walker."
"Another little bitch calling me by my last name."
He bends the cuffs and they snap in his hands.
"That'll be your neck if you don't cut it out. Now come here."
Alec grabs the side of my face again, trailing kisses from my lips to my jawline, then my ear.
"Open wide, sweetheart."
"Huh—?"
He pours something down my throat easily, shutting my mouth with his pointer finger.
"Swallow and you'll get another kiss, baby."
My eyes droop, and he lays me down gently.
"That's what I thought. Now to bring you to Hades."
*******
(ALTHEA'S POV)
They all really just left me here.
If I could just—
"Ouch!"
I let out a small yelp, sighing at the scratch in my bare leg.
"That didn't work..."
I mumble softly, trying desperately with my tied up hands to pry some of this rope free.
But since Alec the bodybuilder did it it's on too tight.
I'm so fucking confused though...what the hell is happening?!
Ever since I got down here I haven't been able to contact any of the gods through my mind which means I'm basically stuck.
Because Harley is tied to the fucking ceiling in a different room and only god knows where the hell everyone else is.
But this is really bad.
Whatever happened to Aiden was mortifying...and that was only with less than half a little test tube of Hades's blood.
If she gets half of his powers?!
We're all dead.
Especially because she can't control it.
And she's being brainwashed by Alec and his charms.
Which means one thing and one thing only.
We can't let her get out of this labyrinth.
If only—
I feel something crawling up my leg and freak out, kicking something.
A large black spider falls onto the floor and i grimace.
"Ugh...eww...but poor thing. Hey? Are you okay?"
I smack my forehead.
"Great...now I'm turning into Porter and Dahlia with the fucking frog shit."
I mutter, and freeze when I here a response.
"I mean...you're friends aren't that crazy."
"Huh?! Who is that?!"
"Me! Down here...the spider you just kicked?"
I look down, my mouth opening in shock when the spider morphs into a human girl with long black hair.
"My name's Arachne. You must be Althea?"
"Uhh...yeah?"
"Hmm...cool. Your mom turned me into a spider."
She snakes around me, stroking my hair.
"You look a lot like her, you know? It kinda makes me want to eat you..."
"Please don't."
"I'm just kidding, girl. Where are your friends?"
She circles back around to the front, making a mock sad face.
"Did they leave you to rot...like mine?"
"I mean...no...but okay."
"Don't play with me or I'll feed you to my life sized spiders, Althea. But I'll help you get out of here...I know where your friends are."
"You do? Are you sure this isn't a trap?!"
"Positive. No strings attached. All you have to do is tell me where Aiden Weiss is."
"What?! Why?! You're not going to hurt her...are you?"
Arachne pauses before responding.
"She can help me and my friend, Medusa."
"Medusa? Aiden?"
"Yes. Aiden can help us get out revenge."
*******
(AIDEN'S POV)
"You can't do this to me! This is abuse!"
"Calm down, will you, Aiden?! You're making a scene."
"Stop! You're assaulting me! I'm being harassed!"
"I'm not assaulting you, Aiden. There's a clear difference between assault and pulling someone by their wrist."
I glare at him, raising my hand to smack him.
Alec grabs my other wrist, putting my hands at my side.
"I regret ever untying you! You're insane, woman!"
"If I had fire powers like Harley I'd turn you into a pile of ashes, you bastard! And drugging isn't assault?! I thought you said you weren't stupid, Alec!"
"I swear, if you keep yelling in my ear like a fucking alarm clock I will body slam you so that your bones turn to tomato paste!"
"I'm allergic to tomato paste!"
"No one fucking cares!"
"Stop being an annoying prig!"
Alec releases a humorless laugh.
"Oh and I'm the annoying one?!"
"Yeah! I wish I'd never met you, you dumb cat! I'd rather drown in a lake or be lost in the freaking underworld then talk to you again!"
Alec turns his head over his shoulder with an icy glare.
"Fine."
I pause.
"What?"
"Fine. Have it your way, sweetheart." Alec spats.
"What do you mean?! Alec?!"
He turns around to face me with a distant look in his usually lively eyes.
Alec hands me something...a note and a key necklace before giving a standoffish smile.
"Have fun wandering around in the underworld by yourself, Aiden. It was nice meeting you."
His right eye twinkles with mischief and aversion.
"Not."
He then disappears into thin air, leaving me open-mouthed and speechless.
He really just left. Just like that.
I messed up.
Oh my god where the fuck even am I?!
I sigh heavily, sitting on the floor next to some sort of building before lifting up the key necklace.
A silver key with initials engraved in it.
AW.
What does that mean...?
I unclasp it to put it around my neck before pausing.
I don't think I should. Something's telling me not to.
I place it down back in my lap, before unfolding the paper with beautiful handwriting on it.
It's the note and then a little something taped to the bottom.
I started reading it and it says:
Dear Aiden,
If you're reading this it's either the perfect moment or your gonna die. JK, L-O-L. And don't think this is some love letter...I don't do that shit.
This is just a warning.
Don't get scared though, I'm sure you'll be okay.
Hades is planning something awful...he's planning to unleash the worst of monsters on earth, specifically in Louisiana.
Or where you live.
The Titans, Hydra, gorgons, manticores, it's going to be crazy. He's using you as a weapon.
Hades will pour all of his power into you, and since you're younger and already hold some sort of strength, you'll be more powerful than all of those monsters combined.
Don't trust anyone down there...they're only in it for themselves.
If Arachne, Medusa, or especially Megaera and her group of bimbos try and befriend you?!
Reject their asses.
Unless you want to turn into some Aiden-noodle-soup.
There would be no way I could get you out of that.
Now that key necklace I gave you and the powder I attached to this note are important.
I would not suggest put on that necklace unless you really have to.
So you see...this is very random...but that necklace is mine. And my parents are Nyx and Thanatos. Haha. Bitch. Bet you didn't now my parents were gods either...did ya? So yeah. They both gifted this necklace with protection from any dark spirits and that type of shit. And guess what? Since we have the same initials you can just pretend it's yours.
That powder can make Hypnos appear...and he will help you whenever you need it. But that junk only has one use. I don't really know how to use it...so you'll just have to figure it out yourself.
One last thing, babe. If you ever need me...just call out. I'll be there.
Your favorite, (and hot) shapeshifter/god,
Alec ♡︎.
I fold the note up again, looking down at the necklace.
A necklace that possesses power from two gods...and powder that summons another?
Odd.
I shove them both in my pocket, standing up off the floor.
I begin to walk in a different direction, when I hear something.
"Aiden...is that you?"
I freeze, turning my head over my shoulder.
"Pandora?"
*******
(ALTHEA'S POV)
"Okay then, Arachne. You better not be lying to me."
"I don't scam people like Alec, child."
She unties the ropes with her delicate porcelain fingers, lifting me up.
"Come now, Althea. We have places to go.
******
We approach the cellar where Harley should be located, and Arachne halts.
"Stay here. I can be invisible. And a spider."
She turns invisible, leaving me standing there awkwardly.
A few minutes later she comes back with Harley.
"Got him."
"Harley!"
"Thea, hey."
I wrap my arms around him, and Arachne rolls her eyes.
"I did not free the boy so you can hug. Come on."
She glides stealthily through the place, pausing at another door.
"The other pipsqueaks are in here. Wait a minute."
She turns invisible again, sliding through the doorway.
I turn my head to Harley.
"What in the heavens happened to you?!"
"I don't know, to be honest. But I'm okay. I don't think Aiden is though."
"Arachne told me she's going to help us find her...only if we help her in return."
"What're we supposed to do for her?!"
"We're going to—"
The door opens and everyone else gets pushed out.
"I got your friends, now let's go. I don't have time to dilly dally with you and your demigod friends."
We all look at each other before following Arachne out of the place, and into a darker section of the labyrinth.
********
(PANDORA'S POV)
Thirty minutes earlier...
I lift my head up, the world spinning around me.
Great. Still stuck in this room.
I stand up, seeing an empty test tube looking container and a strand of dark black hair.
That's not mine...what the hell happened?!
Images of someone feeding me something and then possessing me circle through my mind.
Megaera.
That...that bitch!
I run my head, running towards the door.
I try to open it, but it's locked.
Jammed shut.
I kick it a few times, punch it, anything, but it doesn't budge.
"Ugh! Someone get me out of here! Help!"
I bang on the door, knowing in my head damn well that there's no one in this place besides me.
The only chance I had to escape was completely diminished when Megaera possessed me.
I sigh, slumping against the door with my head in my hands.
"Screw this. I'm gonna be stuck in here for another century before Hades or someone else sends a person down here for the trials."
"Psst. Need a hand?"
I snap my head up, becoming face to face with a man in a black cloak thing.
Or face to hood, his entire face is covered besides his grin.
From the small gap in it, I see a glint of gold.
Golden eyes.
Who is this man?!
"Who are you?"
I take his hand, feeling a sort of shock.
"That's for a different time, sweet thing...you're looking for someone, right? Her name starts with an A...I can't quite put my finger on it. Aieslynn? Abigail? Annabella? Oh no...it's Aiden, isn't it?"
"Umm...yeah?"
"Great. I'll take ya to her."
"Uhh...okay?"
His strong hand hooks around my waist, and I freeze in shock as he teleports us out of the room, and into a deep part of the labyrinth.
I see a girl straight ahead.
"Is that...Aiden?"
"Yes. I brought you to the girl. Now I'm leaving."
"Wait!"
I hold my hand out, and he snaps his head back around.
"Yes...? I have souls to reap, bitch. Don't keep me waiting or I'll put you on my hit list."
"Souls to—what?! Who the hell are you?!"
His pearly white teeth are showcased again in a wicked grin.
"I thought it was pretty obvious..."
He pulls the hood down, revealing possibly the most attractive dude ever.
Golden yellow eyes, lightly browned skin, flaxen locks of hair.
"The name's Pierce. Or as most people know me as...the Grim Reaper."
*******
(AIDEN'S POV)
I walk closer to her, and she stands there, staring at the walls of vines and moss around us.
"I haven't seen the outside world in centuries...where the hell are we?!"
"In the middle of a labyrinth. I'm currently trying to find my way out."
"How long have you been down here?"
"At this point I don't know. A while, though."
"Can I help you?"
I frown.
"With what?"
"The battle...I heard all about it. I believe I might also be able to help you escape this darn labyrinth."
"Really?!"
"Yeah."
Pandora shifts her head to the sky, which is now a pitch black with little stars littering it like confetti.
"All we have to do if follow the flowers on the north side, and not get mauled by the wendigo."
******
"The what?"
I'm now walking along side Pandora who's running her fingers along the weird prickly labyrinth walls.
"The wendigo. It is a malevolent, and cannibalistic supernatural being. It lives within these walls..."
Pandora turns her head to look at me for a moment.
"The wendigo is usually, but not always, endowed with powers, such as superhuman strength and stamina that allow it to stalk, overpower and devour its victims. Wendigos are usually credited with exceptional eyesight, hearing and sense of smell."
"Wow. So reassuring. Now I have a fear that I'll get eaten by some sort of dog demon."
Pandora laughs.
"You'll be fine. Just if you hear something, stay quiet."
"Alright then..."
We continue on for a while, until Pandora gasps and I trip into a ditch.
"Aiden?! Aiden are you okay?!"
I hear an inhuman growl, and immediately stand up, climbing out of the five feet ditch that's almost too tall more me to get out of.
Pandora grabs my hand, pulling me backwards.
"Oh my god..." we both say at the same time.
There, in front of us, is a ginormous footprint that seems to be almost a mile long.
An animal print.
"What the—"
"Shh!"
Pandora grabs my arm, pulling me into a vine filled crevice when a creature growls again, and the floor shakes with its steps.
I turn my head in fear towards Pandora, who only shakes slightly.
"What the hell is that?! It's bloody and horrifying!"
"Aiden...that's the wendigo."
*******