Annabeth Chase and the Battle of the Labyrinth

Chapter 39 - I don't make friends

Rachel immediately took charge, which just served to remind me that I didn't like her. 

"This way!" she yelled, running to the front of our ragged group. We were back to four, but definitely not the four I would have chosen. 

"Why should we follow you?" I demanded as I chased after her, wanting to get as much distance between us and the monster army as possible. "You led us straight into that death trap!"

"It was the way you needed to go," she said, not looking back at me as we pounded along the dark tunnels. "And so is this. Come on!"

I glanced back at Percy, but he merely nodded and followed her blindly. He looked exhausted and his hands were red from the chain climbing he'd done, but he was keeping up with our mad rush. And I didn't have time to worry about him at the moment, as I was more concerned with following Rachel. 

I had to admit, it seemed like she knew where she was going. She didn't hesitate every time we came to a cross roads, like she was following a set path. We skidded around corners and obeyed Rachel when she yelled 'Duck!,' narrowly missing the axe that swept over our heads. 

I had no idea how long we ran for, but when we finally paused in a large room with marble columns holding up the roof, my legs felt like jelly and my breathing was heavy. Percy listened for sounds of pursuit from the doorway we had come through, shaking his head when he couldn't hear any. 

"You people are crazy," Ethan Nakamura said, collapsing on the floor and taking off his helmet. He looked more tired than the rest of us, although I suppose that was fair as he was more heavily armoured than we were. 

Looking at him now, without the imminent threat of death hanging over our heads, the familiar feeling returned. I tried to picture what he would have looked like with two eyes, and a memory popped into my head. 

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

He scowled at me, like he didn't like being reminded of that. "Yeah, and you're Annabeth. I remember." 

I wondered why he didn't say he knew me before. "What - what happened to your eye?" I usually didn't ask people about missing body parts, but this time, I felt like I could make an exception. Also, I was curious. 

He merely looked away and pressed his lips tightly together, like that would help him keep his secrets. 

"You must be the halfblood from my dream," Percy said, also looking at him curiously. "The one Luke's people cornered. It wasn't Nico after all." 

Ethan looked up at that. "Who's Nico?"

"Never mind," I interjected quickly, shooting a look at Percy. "Why were you trying to join up with the wrong side?"

He sneered at me. I got the distinct feeling that he didn't like me, although I couldn't recall ever speaking with him. "There's no right side," he said angrily. "The gods never cared about us. Why shouldn't I -"

"Sign up with an army that makes you fight to the death for entertainment?" I snapped, matching his anger with my own. "Gee, I wonder."

He struggled to his feet, his legs looking shakier than mine felt. He fixed his one eye on me and I felt heavily scrutinised. 

"I'm not going to argue with you," he said, picking up his helmet. "Thanks for the help, but I'm out of here."

"We're going after Daedalus," Percy said, always too willing to help a demigod in need, even if they were a real jerk. "Come with us. Once we get through, you'd be welcome back at camp."