The Son Of Asclepius, Doctor of Divinity

The Battle of the Labyrinth

Distance was shorter in the Labyrinth. Still, by the time Rachel got them back to Times Square, it felt like they had fought a pankration. The weight on their shoulders after witnessing Pan's fading was equal to that of the sky itself. Too much was going on. What did Pan mean when he told him about replacing gods? What was Zeus hiding from him after the arena? They climbed out of the Marriott basement and stood on the sidewalk in the bright summer daylight, squinting at the traffic and crowds. Jackson led the way into an alley, where there was a nice echo. Then he whistled as loud as he could, five times. A minute later, Rachel gasped. 

"They're beautiful!" 

A flock of pegasi descended from the sky, swooping between the skyscrapers. Percy's personal companion, Blackjack was in the lead, followed by four of his white friends. Percy engaged them in conversation that for obvious reasons (Y/N) couldn't understand, but he got the gist of it. The others started saddling up—except for Rachel. 

"Well," she said, "I guess this is it." 

Percy nodded, visually uncomfortable. The mortal couldn't come to camp, they'd just have to leave her here. Nonetheless, he began to fiddle with something inside his pocket, a gift for her troubles. 

 "Thanks, Rachel," Percy said. "We couldn't have done it without you." 

"I wouldn't have missed it. I mean, except for almost dying, and Pan..." Her voice faltered. 

"He said something about your father," Jackson remembered. "What did he mean?" 

Rachel twisted the strap on her backpack. "My dad...My dad's job. He's kind of a famous businessman." 

"You mean...you're rich?" 

"Well, yeah." 

"So that's how you got the chauffeur to help us? You just said your dad's name and—" 

"Yes," Rachel cut him off. "Percy...my dad's a land developer. He flies all over the world, looking for tracts of undeveloped land." She took a shaky breath. "The wild. He—he buys it up. I hate it, but he plows it down and builds ugly subdivisions and shopping centres. And now that I've seen Pan...Pan's death—" 

"Hey, you can't blame yourself for that." 

"You don't know the worst of it. I—I don't like to talk about my family. I didn't want you to know. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything." 

"No," Percy said. "It's cool. Look, Rachel, you did awesome. You led us through the maze. You were so brave. That's the only thing I'm going to judge you on. I don't care what your dad does." 

"It's not our parents who define us, Rachel," said (Y/N), "I've had to put up with a horrible father for almost three thousand years now. But we all have the ability to change for the better." 

He gently tossed her a small, fluorescent red vial. 

"What is this?" 

"A little something that I probably shouldn't be giving you. Next time you want to raise money or support a cause, see what it does by taking a little sip." 

She clutched the vial tightly and pocketed it. "Thanks, (Y/N)," she said. 

"You've been a wonderful guide, Rachel. If anything I wish I had more to give, but I can only pass on my most sincere wishes for your future." 

She took his outstretched hand and shook it firmly, before turning once more to Percy. It wasn't his conversation to have, so he walked back to the pegasi. He cautiously approached Annabeth. 

"Are you alright?" 

She wiped her nose with her arm, and the son of Asclepius wiped off the mucus with a rag in his pocket, the same rag he used with Nico. Hygeia would be throwing a fit.