Y/n's POV

"This way!" Rachel yelled and gestured towards a tunnel.

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

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

Annabeth hesitated, but followed Rachel down the tunnel, who seemed to know exactly where she was going. Around the next corner, Rachel ordered we all duck, and we all crouched as a huge axe swung over our heads. Then we kept going as if nothing had happened. We continued making turns and running through tunnels until we came to a rest in a large room with old marble columns holding up the roof. Along the way, we'd lost Mrs. O'Leary, but I had no doubt she could get back to camp safely. We'd also lost Luke and his army of monsters too, so that was good news.

"You people are crazy," Ethan commented and pulled off his helmet to reveal his face which gleamed with sweat. It was at that moment something clicked.

"Wait a minute," I interrupt. "Ethan, I remember you. You were one of the undetermined kids in the Hermes cabin years ago. We trained together."

"How do you think I knew that your right side was your weakness?" Ethan posed. "As soon as Antaeus mentioned me fighting a child of Poseidon, well, I could only remember the one I'd met years ago. And I remember you too, Annabeth."

"W-what happened to your eye?" Annabeth stammered. 

"I don't want to talk about it," Ethan responded.

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

"Who's Nico?" Ethan quizzed.

"Never mind," Annabeth said. "Why were you trying to join up with the wrong side?" 

Ethan sneered. "There's no right side. 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 finish for him. "You know, that's a hard question to answer." 

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

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

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

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

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

"You're just going to head off alone into the maze? Ethan....that's suicide," I note.

"You shouldn't have spared me, Y/n. Mercy has no place in this war," Ethan stated and ran back into the darkness. 

The four of us were so tired that we decided to make camp in the huge room. Percy found some scrap wood, and we were able to start a fire. We all sat around it to warm up, taking turns putting our hands over the flames. Well, I was trying to, but Percy was busy fussing over my eye.

"Just take some ambrosia, please," Percy begged as he tried to examine my eye.

"Percy, I'm fine," I assure him. "Really. And I kind of like the black eye. It makes me look more intimidating."

"It's hurting you," Percy corrected and touched the edge of the bruise, causing me to wince. "See?"

"I will take a sip of nectar, but that's it," I bargain and grab the bottle from my bag.

"Something was wrong with Luke," Annabeth asserted. "Did you notice the way he was acting?" 

"He looked pretty pleased to me. Like he'd spent a nice day torturing heroes," Percy joked. 

"That's not true!" Annabeth argued. "There was something wrong with him. He looked nervous. He told his monsters to spare me. He wanted to tell me something." 

"Probably, 'Hi, Annabeth! Sit here with me and watch while I tear your friends apart. It'll be fun!'" Percy quoted. 

"You're impossible," Annabeth grumbled and turned to Rachel. "Which way now?"

"We'll follow the path. The brightness on the floor," Rachel announced. 

"The brightness that led us straight into a trap," Annabeth mentioned. 

"Lay off her, Annabeth," Percy instructed. "She's doing the best she can." 

Annabeth stood up. "The fire's getting low. I'll go look for some more scraps while you guys talk strategy." 

"Sorry about her," I apologized to Rachel. "Annabeth's usually not like this." 

"Yeah. I don't know what her problem is," Percy confessed. 

Rachel raised her eyebrows at me. "How does he not know the problem? It's so obvious!"

"I know," I agree. "Boys are just totally blind I guess."

"Hey!" Percy exclaimed. "What are you guys....whatever. Look, Rachel, I'm sorry I got you involved in this." 

"No, you were right. I can see the path," Rachel shared. "I can't explain it, but it's really clear. The workshop is just down that tunnel over there in the heart of the maze. We're very close now. I don't know why the path led through that arena. I'm sorry about that. I thought you two were going to die." 

"We're usually about to die," Percy told her. "So don't feel bad."

"So you do this every summer? Fight monsters? Save the world? Don't you ever get to do just, you know, normal stuff?" Rachel questioned.

I shrugged. "Half-bloods get used to it. Sort of. I've been doing this stuff for practically my whole life, and I never really thought about it until these past few years. I had the chance last fall to go to a normal school, and while it's weird to say, I loved every second of it. Of course though, duty called, and I had to abandon everything. Sometimes I miss living a normal life. Some days, I'd give anything to be a normal kid. But then I remind myself that everything happens for a reason. I wouldn't have met Percy, Annabeth, Grover, Tyson, or Nate. I wouldn't have found out that I'm amazing at archery and sword fighting. I wouldn't be the person I am today if I wasn't a demigod. So while it sucks, it does lead to some good things, and I wouldn't give it up for the world."

"Except for when the Hermes kids prank you," Percy pointed out. "Then I bet the answer is different."

"Oh yeah. Definitely," I concur. "If I get covered in paint or have my armor stolen from the cabin one more time, I might just start a camp prank war."

"Percy, I'm liking your sister more and more every minute," Rachel admitted.

Percy smiled at me. "She tends to have that effect on people. Except when she's being stubborn and won't listen to me."

"Oh my gods. Enough about the eye," I laugh. "If you say one more thing I'll poke it out myself and turn into Ethan with an eye patch."

"Oh you'd like that, wouldn't you?" Percy retorted and nudged me playfully.

"I would. But what I'd like better is some sleep," I reveal. "It hasn't come easily these past few weeks, and after today, I'm exhausted. Good luck with him, Rachel. You could use it."

"Y/n! Wake up!" Annabeth commanded and shook me awake. "We have to go. There's an earthquake."

"Earthquake?" I mumble sleepily. "What are you talking abo-" I was cut off as the room rumbled, and the whole ground shook. "Earthquake. Got it. Lets move."

"This way," Rachel directed and led us towards the exit as one of the large marble pillars crashed down behind us. It wasn't long before we saw light up ahead. There was a stainless steel hallway with glowing fluorescent lights on the ceiling. "This way. We're close."

"This is so wrong!" Annabeth opposed. "The workshop should be in the oldest section of the maze." 

"Except its not. Its right here," Rachel claimed and gestured to a set of metal double doors inscribed with the blue delta symbol. "This is it. Daedalus' workshop." 

After pressing the symbol on the door, we all walked inside. Rays of sun shot through the open giant open windows illuminating the workshop. The place was more like an artist's studio than a workshop, but each to their own I guess. The room had a high ceiling and a polished stone floor littered with a bunch of work benches. Unlike Hephaestus' workshop though, this one was relatively neat. Half a dozen easels displayed hand-drawn diagrams for buildings and machines, and several computers were scattered on the tables with designs. On one of the walls was a shelf lined with jars of Greek fire. Then there were the inventions: a bronze chair with electrical wires attached to it, a giant metal egg, a glass grandfather clock, and several pairs of bronze and silver wings. 

"Where are we?" Percy wondered. 

"Colorado Springs. The Garden of the Gods," a voice disclosed from behind us. 

Standing on the spiral staircase above us, with his weapon drawn, was our missing sword master, Quintus.

"You," Annabeth growled. "What have you done with Daedalus?" 

"Trust me, my dear. You don't want to meet him," Quintus persuaded.

"Look, Mr. Traitor. I didn't fight a dragon woman and a three bodied man and a psychotic Sphinx to see you. Now where is Daedalus?" Annabeth demanded. 

"You think I'm an agent of Kronos. That I work for Luke," Quintus figured. "You're an intelligent girl, Annabeth. But you're wrong. I work only for myself." 

"Luke mentioned you," Percy brought up. "Geryon knew about you, too. You've been tohis ranch." 

"Of course. I've been almost everywhere. Even here. The view changes from day to day," Quintus professed. "It's always some place high up. Yesterday it was from a skyscraper overlooking Manhattan. The day before that, there was a beautiful view of Lake Michigan. But it keeps coming back to the Garden of the Gods. I think the Labyrinth likes it here. A fitting name, I suppose." 

"That's an illusion out there," Percy insisted. "A projection or something?" 

Rachel shook her head. "No. It's real. We're really in Colorado." 

"You have clear vision, don't you? You remind me of another mortal girl I once knew. Another princess who came to grief," Quintus reminisced. 

"Enough games!" Percy shouted. "What have you done with Daedalus?" 

"My boy, you need lessons from your friend on seeing clearly. I am Daedalus," Quintus divulged. 

"But you don't even look like Daedalus," Percy protested. "I saw him in a dream, and...you're an automaton. You made yourself a new body." 

"Percy, that's not possible," Annabeth disagreed. "That can't be an automaton." 

Quintus chuckled. "Do you know what Quintus means, my dear? The fifth. And this is my fifth body. I'm still very much Daedalus. Our mother, Athena, makes sure I never forget that." 

"A murderer's brand," Annabeth noticed as Quintus pulled down the collar of his shirt to reveal the shape of a dark bird grafted to his skin. 

"For your nephew, Perdix," Percy guessed. "The boy you pushed off the tower." 

"I did not push him," Quintus declined. "I regret what I did, Percy. I was angry and bitter. But I cannot take it back, and Athena never lets me forget. As Perdix died, she turned him into a small bird – a partridge. She branded the bird's shape on my neck as a reminder. No matter what body I take, the brand appears on my skin."

"Quintus I..." I trailed off, unsure of where to start. "You helped me train. You taught me all sorts of new tricks and strategies. You let me teach sword fighting classes. Why would you do all of that if you were just spying on us?"

"I needed to learn some things, and I observed quite a lot. For instance, you often leave your right side unprotected when fighting," Quintus informed me.

"Yeah. I'm well aware," I say. "But that doesn't answer my question."

"In the short time I was at camp, I learned a lot about you, Y/n. After all, the reason we spent so much time together is because you were afraid of your powers, correct? And still are. You insisted that Chiron take you off lake watch duty. When capture the flag is played, you abandoned your usual position as a border defender and switched to being an offensive player."

"So you were telling Luke everything," I assume. "That way he'd be one step ahead when it came down to battle."

"I fear you've misunderstood me, Y/n. I spied on you to see if your camp was worth saving. Luke had given me one story. I preferred to come to my own conclusions. And what I have learned is that you are perhaps the most trustworthy person I have met in my last few lifetimes. That is why I've been trying to help. The reason I trained you one on one and let you instruct some of the younger kids was to help with your confidence. I had also planned for you to win the war games so that you'd gain back the confidence you need to face the fear you have over your powers. While you may not believe it, I think you are ready. Ready to be yourself again."

"This isn't about me, Quintus. This is about the camp. You've seen it. You trust me, right? So help the place I call home. Help Camp Half Blood," I persist. "You can't let Luke through the maze!" 

"The maze is no longer mine to control. I created it, yes. In fact, it is tied to my life force. But I have allowed it to live and grow on its own. That is the price I paid for privacy. Privacy from the gods," Quintus clarified. "And death. I have been alive for two millennia, my dear, hiding from death. A clever man can hide quite along time, and I have buried myself very deep. Only my greatest enemy has kept after me, and even him I have thwarted. Minos hunts for me relentlessly. Now that he is a judge of the dead, he would like nothing better than for me to come before him so he can punish me for my crimes. After the daughters of Cocalus killed him, Minos' ghost began torturing me in my dreams. He promised that he would hunt me down. I did the only thing I could. I retreated from the world completely. I descended into my Labyrinth. I decided this would be my ultimate accomplishment: I would cheat death." 

"And you did," Annabeth marveled, "for two thousand years." 

"Woof!" Mrs. O'Leary barked and appeared out of nowhere, almost knocking Quintus over.

"There is my old friend!" Daedalus chirped and scratched Mrs. O'Leary behind the ears. "My only companion all these long lonely years." 

"You let her save me. That whistle actually worked," Percy stated. 

Daedalus nodded. "Of course it did, Percy. You have a good heart. And I knew Mrs. O'Leary liked you. I wanted to help you. Just like I wanted to help Y/n. Perhaps I felt guilty, as well. That your quest would be in vain." 

"But you can still help us," Annabeth countered. "You have to! Give us Ariadne's string so Luke can't get it." 

"Yes. The string," Quintus mumbled. "I told Luke that the eyes of a clear-sighted mortal are the best guide, but he did not trust me. He was so focused on the idea of a magic item. And the string works. It's not as accurate as your mortal friend here, perhaps. But good enough. And I'm sorry, children, but you are several hours too late. Luke already has the string. Kronos promised me freedom. Once Hades is overthrown, he will set me over the Underworld. I will reclaim my son Icarus. I will make things right with poor young Perdix. I will see Minos' soul cast into Tartarus, where it cannot bother me again. And I will no longer have to run from death." 

"That's your brilliant idea?" Annabeth yelled. "You're going to let Luke destroy our camp, kill hundreds of demigods and then attack Olympus? You're going to bring down the entire world so you can get what you want?" 

"Your cause is doomed, my dear. I saw that as soon as I began to work at your camp. There is no way you can hold back the might of Kronos."

"That's not true!" I cry out. "Most of us have been training for years. We have dozens of excellent archers and sword fighters. There has to be a chance."

"I'm sorry," Quintus apologized. "The offer was too sweet to refuse." 

"I used to respect you. You were my hero! You built amazing things. You solved problems. Now I don't know what you are. Children of Athena are supposed to be wise, not just clever. Maybe you are just a machine. You should have died two thousand years ago!" Annabeth spit at him. 

"You should go warn your camp. Now that Luke has the string–" Quintus stopped talking when Mrs. O'Leary pricked up her ears. 

"Someone's coming!" Rachel warned. 

Suddenly, the doors of the workshop burst open, and Nico was pushed inside. His hands were in chains, keeping him from using his sword and his powers. Kelli and two Laistrygonians marched in behind him, followed by the ghost of Minos. He looked almost solid now, and I could make him out fully. A pale, bearded king with cold eyes and Mist dripping off his robes in coils. 

Minos fixed his gaze on Daedalus and smirked. "There you are, my old friend."