Home Is Where The Heart(h) Is

Chapter 21: The Malice Within

A/N: just a quick one before the chapter. We've hit 5k views which is like, a lot. And like a 200+ votes? Which is also a lot. Thanks for supporting this story. :D

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"I must say I'm impressed." Minos admitted, "I never expected the two of you to defeat Tantalus. But here you are."

"And like the other two, we'll kill you as well." Percy replied.

"Granted, that's a possibility. You may defeat me. You may be able to defeat the other two. You may be able to find the key. You may be able to unlock the Doors. But at the end of the day, your efforts are fruitless. You cannot stop the Earth Mother. To her, you are another gnat for her to crush. Tell me, Perseus Jackson, how would you defeat the very thing you stand upon?"

"The same way we defeated the two spirits empowered by Tartarus. And the same way we'll defeat you." He shot back.

Minos threw back his head and roared with laughter. "Admirable courage, demigod. But no, you will not defeat me. You will defeat my creation."

"The Labyrinth?" Nico snorted. "Been there, done that."

"You confuse my creation with the cursed work of the wretched inventor, Daedalus." Minos spat.

"Don't you dare call Daedalus wretched!" Percy gripped his sword tightly. Minos smiled at Percy's anger.

"No, my Labyrinth is far more dangerous."

"It's not your Labyrinth. Daedalus made it. You forced him to." Percy shouted indignantly.

Minos ignored the accusation. "My spirit is tied to this. Try as you might, but you will not be able to kill me with physical contact. To defeat me, you must defeat the Labyrinth."

"So what, we tear it down brick by brick? I'd love that." Nico said.

"You can try, but your real objective lies in trickery and deception. You must fool the Labyrinth. It will guess and assume your decisions. Your job is to be as unpredictable as possible, but fail, and the Labyrinth will kill you."

"How do we know you're telling the truth?"

"I swear on the River Styx, my instructions and words are true."

Percy couldn't tell whether thunder rumbled. The shifting stone of the Labyrinth's walls might have drowned it out, or Minos' oath was false. Could a spirit blessed by Tartarus still hold to an oath on the Styx?

He looked at Minos cautiously, but was unable to look past his amiable expression.

"Well, demigods?" Minos prompted. "Do we have a deal?" 

Percy was silent. Nico took a step forward. "Fine, we'll play."

The king smiled broadly and extended his arms as though he were addressing his subjects. "Excellent! Let the games begin!"

At those words, the ghost of Minos faded, the walls of the Labyrinth groaned and rose, and the lava hardened into rock.

"Well, here goes nothing." Percy looked at Nico, who shrugged, and the two plunged into the darkness that lay ahead.

~

"Hestia?" Annabeth shook the sleeping form of the goddess.

She shook slightly, and stirred. "Annabeth?" She said drowsily. "Where are we?"

"Prison, sort of. I dropped from above into here, where you already were."

"How long was I out?"