A Dark Cloud Over the Future[]
Chapter 6: Welcome Home[]
“This wasn’t part of the deal,” Daedalus said turning to Kelly. She looked back at him and simply waved her hand as if brushing off a fly.
“Sorry, but the deal has changed. We are no longer in need of your services. Plus, we are under orders to bring that little demigod back to the Arena master,” Kelly said pointing toward Nico who had drawn his black blade from its’ sheath. “Now that we know what he can do, we’ve made the proper preparations.”
She wasn’t kidding as the room was filled with monsters dressed in full battle armor ready to attack as soon as they were given the order.
“I will have my revenge at long last,” Minos said from a corner of the room before turning to Daedalus. “And I’ll have my body back as soon as I sacrifice your soul.”
Annabeth looked at the walls and nodded to Thalia hoping she would get the message. She did and she launched her arrows at several monsters while Annabeth ran for the wings on the walls. Midas shouted for the enemy forces to attack while telling them to kill the inventor. He raised his hand and the ghostly calls of hundreds of ghosts started to collect in his body.
“I am the ghost king,” he called. Nico didn’t take to kindly to this and drove his sword into Minos’ body, absorbing his very essence. The monsters were still attacking and several work tables were knocked over, covering the floor in Greek fire. A few giants entered the room and started smashing the supports for the room. Daedalus who was having problems walking thanks to Thalia’s arrow, was slashing at monsters with his sword and opened a hidden door along the wall.
“Wait!” Nico yelled and followed him into the hall.
“Nico!” Thalia yelled as the door closed behind him and several bolts locked the door. No one was getting in or out of that door. Annabeth grabbed Thalia’s arm causing her to turn around; Annabeth handed her a pair of metal wings and as the Greek fire started to spread, the three were forced to take flight out one of the windows. The wings were easy enough to use except Thalia was flapping her arms around like a duck, as she was afraid of heights and couldn’t think straight.
“Spread your arms,” Annabeth called to her and she seemed to hear her as she extended her arms and glided to the ground. As they watched the workshop sink beneath the Earth and fade from view, the three landed a good distance away and ditched the wings in a dumpster behind a convenience store.
“Now what?!” Thalia shouted, punching a wall next to the dumpster. They had lost not only their best hope for stopping Luke’s army, but they also lost Nico in the endless maze. Any second the armies would march inside the borders of camp and they had no way of making it back in time.
“We get back to camp and prepare for battle,” Annabeth said in a stern voice.
“But how we will get all the way to Long Island? We’re in Colorado!” Thalia said angrily as sparks started to become visible around her body.
“I can help,” Rachel said in a small voice. “Just give me a second.”
Rachel walked out of hearing range of the two demigods and took out her cell phone. She talked on the phone for a few minutes and hung up. Within minutes, a limo pulled around to the front of the store and a man walked out holding a quickly written sign saying Miss Dare and Friends. They climbed into the care and when asked how she did it, Rachel told the two that she was tired and most likely faked sleep as she laid down on the leather seats. Before long they reached a small airport and the driver opened the door to a runway where a small private jet was waiting for them. Rachel continued her silence as they flew to the closest airport to Long Island. Thalia used the sink on the jet to send an Iris message to her hunters while Annabeth was busy drawing up battle plans for the upcoming battle, stopping only to rip up pages of paper or scratch her head in frustration. As soon as they landed, Argus was waiting for them with the camp van. He watched with all his eyes as Thalia and Annabeth exited the plane and he opened a door for them.
“Are you going to be ok?” Rachel asked before they entered the van.
“Don’t worry,” Thalia said pulling out her bow. “We’re demigods, we can handle anything.”
This seemed to at least give Rachel some hope and the two set off toward camp. What they arrived to however was not the happy camp they knew; in its’ place was a battle ground. Demigods were running around laying traps at the entrance to the labyrinth while others were sharpening weapons or setting up barricades. Torches were lit and large catapults were being assembled most likely for larger monsters. The Athena campers were directing the other campers alongside the hunters. The Ares cabin was standing on the front lines ready at any moment to drive their blades into whatever came through the labyrinth door. Annabeth ran to the front lines to give her plans to the Ares campers while Thalia rejoined her hunters. As Annabeth talked to Clarisse, the door of the Labyrinth opened and everyone froze in place not knowing what to expect. What came out of the door however no one could have expected; out of the door came a boy around fifteen or sixteen with dark hair, black eyes, and olive skin.
“Who are you?” one of the Ares campers asked pointing a sword at the boy’s neck. However, in an instant it was batted away by the boy's own black sword and the camper was on the ground in less than a second with a sword to his own neck. Annabeth watched the quick fight and noticed the sword.
“Nico, is that you?” she asked.
“It has been awhile Annabeth,” Nico said as he sheathed his sword and extended his hand to help the camper on the ground.
Darkcloud1111~Fastest Hero Alive 09:25, July 21, 2011 (UTC)