One Strange Maze

Two

Percy's POV

My side was killing me, thanks to that giant robot spider. And these alarms were still going off, making my ears ring. Tyson was holding his huge hands over his ears and whimpering. "It's okay!" I yelled over the alarm, "It seems like a normal thing." Tyson nodded but kept whimpering. I searched the crowd of people gathered around the square hole in the ground for Annabeth. I saw her next to the Thomas kid.

I pushed through the boys until I reached her. She was asking him a bunch of questions, and he was asking her a lot too, but she just kept shaking her head saying, "I'll explain later." Eventually the alarm stopped, and a big, metal box took the place of the hole in the ground. We all stood silently, waiting for I'm not sure what.

There were a bunch of clicks and the metal box opened, revealing a girl with a bow and arrow, who looked about sixteen, with brown hair. There was also a guy, also about a year older than me, with blond hair. The girl immediately cocked the bow and aimed at the boys. There were 'whoas' and 'watch outs' all around as everyone backed up instinctively, except me, Annabeth, and Grover. Annabeth pulled out her dagger and Grover pulled out his pipes and started to play a lullaby. I uncapped Riptide. I heard one of the boys say, "Why does he keep pulling out a pen?"

I held back a laugh. Annabeth flashed me a smile. I noticed that Grover's lullaby seemed to be working, because the girl lowered her bow, her eyes droopy. The boy was already asleep. Once she was finally asleep I hopped into the box with Annabeth, and together we picked up the girl, and hoisted her out. Some boys grabbed the guy and dragged him out.

Grover stopped playing the pipes, and we shook them awake. The girl stumbled back, looking at each of us with vicious eyes, like one of us was about to pounce. "Who are you?" she asked, helping the boy to his feet.
"We could ask you the same thing," I stated, putting the cap on Riptide.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," he cut in, holding his hands up, "Neither one of you should be asking questions." He turned to some boys, "Take them to the Pit."

The boys hesitated, "Alby, but-" Thomas started to protest, but Alby cut him off, "No, take them now, we need to have a Gathering." The boys came over, Thomas to me, Newt to Annabeth, the Minho kid we met in the Labyrinth was holding Grover, but no one seemed to want to go to Tyson, but he followed me anyways.

"Sorry about this," Thomas whispered as he pushed me not so gently towards a building. "It's okay, I think they like me." Thomas snickered, "You'd better hope they do." What's that supposed to mean? We reached the building and we were pushed into a cell with nothing but a broken chair. "We'll come get you shanks after the Gathering." Me and Annabeth looked at each other, "Shanks?" she mouthed from across the room. I just shrugged my shoulders. They started to walk away but Newt turned back, "Oh, and if you gotta take a klunk," he said, and pointed to who seemed like the youngest kid, "Tell him. He'll take ya." We all nodded and muttered some yeses even though we had no idea what 'klunk' was, and they left to go to the Gathering.

"So." I said, looking at the girl in the corner, "What's your name?" She glared at me with her dark eyes and mumbled something that sounded like Catnip. "Did you say Catnip?" If her eyes could get any darker, they would've. She looked at me like she might strangle me, "Kat-niss," she said, pausing between the variables for effect. "Oh." I said nodding, "That's nice."

We sat there for a few awkward minutes before Annabeth asked, "What's your name?" Her question was directed to the guy. "Peeta," he mumbled. "Well, your parents must have a very creative baby names book," I laughed, in an attempt to make a joke. I saw Annabeth hide a smile, Grover too, in his "sleep." I thought I saw the girls eyes lighten, but it was hard to tell. "What're yours?" Peeta asked. He seemed the more polite of the two. "Annabeth," Annabeth said.
Percy," I said before pointing at Grover and Tyson, "And he's Grover, and he's Tyson."

Katniss leaned in close to us and asked, "Why does he only have one eye?"
"What're you talking about? He has two like every other human," Annabeth laughed nervously.
"Yeah," I said, joining in on her laughter. Katniss stared at me, "You're lying." I sighed, "Alright he's a Cyclopes."
"Percy!" Annabeth hissed, "They aren't-" but she stopped talking when a light lit up the room. It was coming from over Katniss' head, when I looked I saw a glowing, blue lyre. Katniss was swatting at it, like a cat. "What is that?" she asked. When we didn't answer she grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me close, "What. Is. That?" she growled. I gulped, "That would be a lyre," I told her.

She narrowed her eyes, "What does this lyre mean?"
"Umm, Annabeth would you like to explain?" I asked, looking at Annabeth in desperation. Katniss whipped her head in Annabeth's direction, her braid whacked me in the face. And even though Katniss wasn't looking at me she still held onto my shirt. Except she slammed me into the wall, as if telling me she wasn't done with me yet. Annabeth shot a worried glance towards me and then answered Katniss, "Umm, congratulations! You're a half-blood!"
Katniss pushed me into the wall again, "What is that?"

But before Annabeth could explain Thomas walked back in "Gathering's over, Alby needs to speak with you."