𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚘𝚠𝚗, 𝚔𝚒𝚍 - percy jackson x oc

030

XXX - RACHEL IS NOT SO BAD (UNFORTUNATELY)

THEY WERE RUNNING. Percy had managed to call Mrs. O'Leary with some whistle that Quintus had given to him and then they were off before they could die.

"This way!" Rachel yelled.

"Why should we follow you?" Annabeth demanded. "You led us straight into that death trap!"

"It was the way you needed to go," Rachel said. "And so is this. Come on!"

Unfortunately, the little demon was right. Rachel was a professional at navigating the Labyrinth. She even knew when to tell them to duck when an axe went flying over their heads.

They finally came to a stop in a colossal room with ancient marble columns holding up the roof. Valeria turned around and heard nothing. The monsters were gone.

Ethan Nakamura collapsed on the floor. "You people are crazy." He pulled off his helmet. His face gleamed with sweat.

Annabeth gasped. "I remember you! You were one of the undetermined kids in the Hermes cabin, years ago."

He glared at her. "Yeah, and you're Annabeth. I remember."

"What—what happened to your eye?"

Ethan looked away, as if that was a sore subject for him. Valeria could not blame him. Losing an eye would be a sore subject for her as well.

"You must be the half-blood from my dream," Percy said. "The one Luke's people cornered. It wasn't Nico after all."

Not Nico. Valeria could not have been happier to hear something. Nico was safe.

"Who's Nico?"

"None of your business," Valeria quickly said, not trusting this boy in the slightest. She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Why are you here, Ethan Nakamura?"

Ethan sneered. "None of your business," he said in the same tone that she did. "The gods never cared about us anyway. Why shouldn't I—"

"Sign up with an army that makes you fight to the death for entertainment?" Annabeth said. "Gee, I wonder."

Ethan struggled to his feet. "I'm not going to argue with you. Thanks for the help, but I'm out of here."

"We're going after Daedalus," Percy said. "Come with us. Once we get through, you'd be welcome back at camp."

"You really are crazy if you think Daedalus will help you."

"He has to," Annabeth said. "We'll make him listen."

Valeria was not too sure of that, but she stayed silent because voicing her opinion would surely not convince Ethan of anything.

Ethan snorted. "Yeah, well. Good luck with that."

Percy grabbed his arm. "You're just going to head off alone into the maze? That's suicide."

Valeria would not mind that. If he was going to be joining the enemy, then he was one more threat to the people that she cared about. Besides, Ethan and her were never friends anyway, despite sharing a cabin. If he wanted to go and die, let him.

Ethan looked at Percy with barely controlled anger. "You guys shouldn't have spared me. Mercy has no place in this war."

Then he ran off into the darkness, back the way they had come.