riley doesn't like the inventor

i had a dream.

a few monsters were walking in front. they were being led by a shimmery spirit. in the middle there was a smaller person bound in chains.

"i shall be the one to take my revenge on the old inventor's soul," the spirit was saying to one of the monsters.

"yes, yes, minos. you'll get your revenge," one of the monsters was saying to him.

i scowled. minos was the annoying spirit that was bothering nico. if he hurt my child i swear, i'm gonna make his dead ass wish he died again.

"now that the little child is here with us, aphrodite's spawn will do anything to save him. and that sea child," minos sneered, "well, he'll listen to her in an instant."

i felt my heart beat faster, even though i was dreaming. i hoped i wouldn't wake myself up. not yet.

"you tricked me."

the small voice was like a punch in the gut to me. there, bound in chains, was nico. he looked paler than i remembered, and i physically felt my heart hurt. 

minos had the audacity to laugh, "you actually thought they were in trouble. and you blindly followed a spirit. didn't your mother warn you?"

nico bore holes into the shimmery form of minos, "yeah, riley did warn me. i was stupid enough to go against her."

even though i wanted to murder minos all over again, i smiled a little. the fact that nico basically referred to me as his mother was enough to almost make me cry happy tears.

before i could, i heard an obnoxious voice.

"wake up!"

groaning, i sat up slowly. 

"shhh!" ethan began packing frantically.

"what's yeh probluhm, man?" i asked rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

he looked up at me, and his eyes (sorry, eye) showed fear. "something's coming."

those were the two words that sent me in a frenzy. completely ignoring everything else, i helped ethan shove some supplies in my pack.

footsteps were definitely coming closer now, along with the hissing laugh of a dracanae.

ethan looked at me, "i have an idea, but you're gonna have to trust me on this."

if he asked me this even a few hours ago, i would probably have laughed in his face. but after he saved my life, i realized that he probably doesn't want me dead. or he's waiting to kill me himself.

i hoped it was the former.

"okay," i decided.

"rope?"

i pulled out some from a hidden pocket in my bag.

"what don't you have in here?" he asked incredulously.

"peanut butter. or pickles. that's disgusting."

ethan let out a small snort, before we heard a voice, "this way. follow me."

ethan grabbed my hands and began tying them with the rope like handcuffs behind my back.

"hey!"

"trust me on this one. please."

he didn't have any malice lingering in his emotions, so i let him. he hoisted me up to my feet and slipped my backpack on his back.

no sooner had he gotten the last strap on, did an annoyingly familiar voice cry out, "hey! stop right there!"

ethan patted my hands reassuringly and we turned to face the spirit of minos and his posse. 

"minos," i said, malice lacing my tone.

"aha," he laughed, "well what do you know, boy? turns out she is in trouble."

nico's face was barely visible behind his guards. "riley." his voice was filled with a bunch of different emotions, and i just wanted to get him out of here.

"jussst one sssecond," one of the dracaenae hissed. "how do we know he is faithful to lord kronosss?"

she pointed a scaly finger to ethan. ethan looked unfazed. 

"because i have a prisoner for him," he shoved me forward. 

it wasn't that hard of a shove, but i put in a little bit of acting from my end too.

"you ran away from the fight," she hissed.

"so i could gather intel. i had a chance to take down percy, i took it. ended up with this one, but it's good enough. lord kronos won't be pleased if he finds out you're not allowing me to take her to him."

"very well," an empousa in a cheerleading outfit — ugh, kelli — stepped forward. "hand her over. i will deliver to lord kronos to avoid... hinderances."

ethan clenched his jaw. "no way. i got her, i'll take her myself."

kelli hummed, "well then, you should come along with the rest of us. we're on our way to the lord himself."

ethan opened his mouth to argue, but he couldn't. there was nothing he could do to get out of this now.

"i got this," he continued to argue.

kelli showed off her fangs, "what was that?"

ethan tapped the bracelet on my wrist. the familiar celestial bronze blade appeared in my hands. my hands were tied behind my back, and the monsters couldn't see it.

before i could even grip the hilt, it was embedded hilt-deep into one of the dracaenae's thighs (courtesy of ethan). she exploded in a flurry of gold dust. 

"run!" ethan yelled to me.

i threw my ring at him, and it transformed into a bow and quiver. he pulled arrow after arrow, shooting at the monsters. a lot of the arrows missed, but some of them hit the monsters. in general, there was a lot of chaos.

"riley, catch!"

nico threw me my dagger, and i picked it up. i quickly cut through as much rope as i could, then ran to nico. he held out his hands, and he was shaking. i wasn't sure if he was angry or scared.

"faster," nico mumbled.

"i'm trying!"

i was on the last rope when something happened. a sharp pain shot up my right leg, and my world turned upside down. 

i heard a few people call my name, but it was all a distant buzz in my ears. a hissing laugh filled my ears and the last thing i saw before passing out were the blood-dripping fangs of kelli the empousa.

"uhhh."

"will someone shut her up?"

something clamped over my mouth and i shot up, immediately in defense mode. i elbowed them in the gut behind me, but, it wasn't their gut. it was their leg.

"stop struggling," kelli said from in front.

my eyes adjusted to the dark, and i looked around. a laistrygonian was carrying me (emphasis on was, he dropped me once i woke up). nico was bound in chains next to me. 

they didn't bind me, but they must've known i wouldn't do anything as long as nico was captive.

"riley," nico hissed.

"hey, you okay?"

"fine, i'm fine. but..." he trailed off.

"what's wrong? wher — where's ethan?" 

nico lowered his voice, "they took him away. he fought, killed all the dracaenae... then kelli bit you." his gaze travelled to my leg.

i looked at it. it seemed fine, didn't hurt unless i put too much pressure on it.

nico noticed my confusion, "they gave you ambrosia. didn't want you to die. she," he jutted his chin towards kelli, "said you were too important or something."

"and ethan?"

"she... uh... she said that he needs to pick his side. and that he better choose wisely because her poison kills."

"he... joined the titans, to save my life?" my voice felt far away.

nico nodded solemnly.

a wave of guilt crashed over me, and i felt horrible. ethan, who had already saved my life, saved my life again. 

"here, he shoved this in my hands before he was taken." nico pushed something into my arms. i looked at the infinity bracelet in my hands. 

i didn't know if it was possible, but i felt even worse. my ring and backpack were still with him, but that was the least of my worries.

"faster, i shall not have you stalling my greatest feat," minos' ghost sneered from in front.

i scowled at him. he was looking more solid, as if he'd been feeding off the souls of the living. mist coiled off of his robes, and i wondered if i could strangle him with it.

before i could try, my visions decided to make themselves knows.

"i can make him bend to your will," a familiar voice said.

"even with the super soldier serum running through his veins?" another older voice asked.

"even with the super soldier serum," the first voice confirmed.

"how?" the second voice seemed to genuinely curious. "he's been rejecting every single thing we've tried. his mental state is quite strong. his loyalty isn't letting us break through to him."

"electroconvulsive shocks," the familiar voice said. "it'll cause brain damage, but we can wipe his memory. not permanently, but it'll be enough to make his change his loyalty from his family to HYDRA."

"but without his arm, he's not as useful," the second voice said.

the scene became clearer to me. laying unconscious on a table, without an arm, was none other than buck. rebecca's brother. on one side of the table was a short, round man, wearing spectacles. he reminded me of aunty edna, without the wig. the second person was tall. he had grey hair, and a clipped beard. probably in his forties, fifties. i couldn't see his face properly.

the man pulled out an arm from a bag. but it wasn't a regular arm. it was a metal arm. and a red star shone on the shoulder. the arm of the winter soldier.

"i already thought of that," the first man said.

i gasped as i recognized him. his voice was familiar. he looked familiar. because the man who turned buck into a pawn, who helped turn buck into the 'winter soldier', he was none other than quintus.

i shook my head as one of the giants pushed me along.

one thing i didn't understand was why quintus hadn't aged. and how did he know about ecvs? their side effects? and the arm, how did he make that?

he was just an old demigod, right?

my blood boiled with a kind of anger i hadn't felt in awhile. i wasn't sure what my connection was to rebecca and buck and steve, but there was something. and i felt protective over them. the fact that quintus was apart of buck losing his free will made me want to strangle him with the mist coiling off of minos's robes.

we reached a large set of doors with the ancient delta engraved in it. 

"open the door demigod," kellie held a talon at nico's neck to make sure i wouldn't run away.

i held a shaky hand towards the door, and pressed the mark. the door had been opened recently and i hoped percy and annabeth (and little red, i guess) made it.

lines etched out from the mark and the doors slid open with a hiss.

before i could take a step, i was pushed in by kelli. 

"ugh."

nico landed with a thud next to me.

"there you are my old friend," i heard minos' voice.

i looked up to see none other than quintus. a billion questions flew through my brain, and i couldn't help but wonder why he called him 'old friend.' i wanted to hit quintus too, but nico groaned, and my attention diverted.

i helped nico sit up. "you okay?" he nodded.

quintus looked at kelli, "what is the meaning of this?"

"luke sends his compliments," kelli said. "he thought you might like to see your old employer minos." 

employer? but then... quintus was none other than daedalus.

"you're daedalus?" i asked in a bland tone.

quintus/daedalus nodded solemnly.

".... so you're telling me that you could've just fucking helped us from the start, but you chose to watch us enter the maze. you just, just, stood there, when you could've helped us? saved us all of this trouble?"

daedalus looked down as if he were ashamed, "i couldn't have helped you even if i wanted t—"

"bullshit," i scoffed. "ethan helped save my life two damn times, and we're on opposing sides of the war. if he could've done that, you could've helped us."

"i am truly sorr—"

"shut up!" i finally exploded. "you're not sorry, you're not sorry at all. what you did to buck, i'll never forget that."

"buck?"

"HYDRA," i told him. "he lost his left arm. remember the replacement you made? remember the electroconvulsive shocks? how you basically turned him a pawn?"

daedalus turned pale, but i was just getting started.

"oh yeah," i muttered. "i know all about that. you made him a killer. that's on you. he was happy before. he had a sister. her name was rebecca. did you know that? or did your greed for whatever the hell HYDRA was offering prevent you from asking?"

"riley," percy started. "what are you ta—"

"he knows exactly what i'm talking about," i kept my eyes trained on daedalus. "don't you?"

"i — i —," he shook his head, "that was a long time ago."

"doesn't make it any better!"

with difficulty he turned his attention to kelli, "this was not part of our agreement." 

"no indeed," kelli said. "but we already have what we want from you, and we have other agreements to honor. minos required something else from us, in order to turn over this fine young demigod." she ran a finger under nico's chin and i smacked her talons.

"don't touch him."

she laughed, "he'll be quite useful. and all minos asked in return was your head, old man." 

daedalus paled. "treachery." 

"get used to it," kelli said. 

"riley, nico," percy said. "are you okay?" 

we nodded. 

nico looked up. "i — i'm sorry, percy. minos told me you guys were in danger. he convinced me to go back into the maze."

"you were trying to help us?" 

"i was tricked," he said. "he tricked all of us." 

"riley?"

i nodded a little, "fine. just a little bruised. and angry."

"ethan—"

"saved my life two times. and now he's going to do something stupid because he'd rather have me alive."

percy glared at kelli. "where's luke? why isn't he here?"

she smiled, as if there was some sort of joke that we missed. "luke is... busy. he is preparing for the assault. but don't worry. we have more friends on the way. and in the meantime, i think i'll have a wonderful snack!" her hands changed into claws. her hair burst into flame and her legs turned to their true form — one donkey leg, one bronze.

"hideous," i muttered under my breath.

she was so invested in trying to eat someone, she didn't hear me.

she lunged, and all hades broke loose. i whipped out my dagger, and broke nico free from his shackles. 

i found myself fighting kelli along with percy. annabeth and mrs. o'leary were fighting the laistrygonians. 

minos' spirit wailed, "kill the inventor! kill the inventor!"

i agreed with him, even if i didn't say it out loud.

i tried to get a hit, but she was too fast. i conjured energy knives, and platforms for me to walk over. she flipped over tables and created a giant mess.

i noticed annabeth stab a giant, and a jar of greek fire was thrown onto the other one.

"spirits! come to me!"

i groaned internally as minos continued his dramatic screeches. the air began to hum and his figure seemed to get even more solid.

"no!" nico cried. he jumped to his feet, and he didn't look like he was being held captive for a few days.

"you do not control me, young fool," minos sneered. "all this time, i have been controlling you! a soul for a soul, yes. but it is not your sister who will return from the dead. it is i, as soon as i slay the inventor!" 

spirits began to appear around minos — shimmering forms that slowly multiplied, solidifying into cretan soldiers. 

"i am the son of hades," nico announced. "be gone!" 

minos laughed. "you have no power over me. i am the lord of spirits! the ghost king!" 

"no." nico drew his sword. "i am." 

he stabbed his midnight black blade into the floor, and it cleaved through the stone like butter. 

"never!" minos's form rippled. "i will not—" 

the ground rumbled. the windows cracked and shattered to pieces, letting in a blast of fresh air. a fissure opened in the stone floor of the workshop, and minos and all his spirits were sucked into the void with a horrible wail. 

i let out a sigh of relief too soon. 

percy let himself get distracted and kelli pounced on him. his sword skittered away, and he smacked a worktable as he fell. 

kelli laughed, "you will taste wonderful."

and without another thought, i stabbed my dagger into the small of her back.

"no... school... spirit..." she gasped out. i pulled out my dagger and with a horrible screech the demon-cheerleader burst into gold dust.

i looked down at percy. he was breathing heavily and his eyes seemed glossy.

"c'mon, up ya go." i helped percy up.

daedalus was still fighting the laistrygonians. on the other side little red, and annabeth had fitted themselves with wings. they were finishing up the straps on nico.

"we have to help daedalus!" percy said.

"no time!" little red called. "there's too many coming!"

i dragged percy to the wings and within seconds we had fitted them to ourselves. the wind from the smashed windows was already making me feel lighter. i grabbed nico to keep him from flying away.

"daedalus!" percy yelled. "come on!" 

he was cut in a hundred places — but he was bleeding golden oil instead of blood. he'd found his sword and was using part of a smashed table as a shield against the giants. 

"i won't leave mrs. o'leary!" he said. "go!" 

there was no time to argue (not that i wanted to). as a last resort, i'd thrown a shield of energy up at the door, blocking other monsters from entering.

"none of us know how to fly!" nico protested. 

"great time to find out," percy said. 

and together, the five of us jumped out the window into open sky.

it felt incredible.

i levelled my arms and glided against the wind. it was like skateboarding through air. that was the moment i realized why my dad insisted on flying everywhere in the ironman suit.

i looked down only to see percy flapping his arms like a duck. "spread your arms out! you're gliding against the wind, not flapping like a bird!"

it took half a second for percy to respond, and he immediately had a softer flight.

i flapped my arms a little, arcing out. i kept an eye out for nico, but he seemed excited. his eyes shone and he looked like he was ready to take on anything.

he smiled brightly at me and i let out a laugh. 

a shadow flew over me and i looked up to see rachel flying above us. annabeth was a little behind, flying slower. percy was whooping from in front of us.

"land!" i called, taking everyone's attention off of flying. "these wings won't land forever."

"how long?" little red asked.

"don't wanna find out!" annabeth called back.

we flew down to the terrace of the visitor center and landed. despite percy's protests, he was quite ungraceful in his landing.

we quickly shed off our wings and stuffed them in the bin outside the cafeteria.

percy tried to find daedalus' workshop through tourist binoculars, but everything disappeared. no smoke, no building. 

"the workshop moved," annabeth guessed. "there's no telling where." 

"so what do we do now?" percy asked. "how do we get back in the maze?" 

annabeth gazed at the summit of pikes peak in the distance. "maybe we can't. if daedalus died... he said his life force was tied into the labyrinth. the whole thing might've been destroyed. maybe that will stop luke's invasion." 

for some reason, my thoughts flew to ethan, and i felt guilty. if ethan was still in there...

"no," nico said. "he isn't dead."

nico was looking right at me, as if he was reading my thoughts. i think he felt a little guilty about ethan as well. 

"how can you be sure?" percy asked. 

"i know when people die. it's this feeling i get, like a buzzing in my ears." 

"what about tyson and grover, then?" 

nico shook his head. "that's harder. they're not humans or half-bloods. they don't have mortal souls." 

everyone looked at me, and i suddenly remembered this was my quest. i was supposed to lead this.

"we have to get into town," i decided. "our chances will be better of finding an entrance to the labyrinth. we have to make it back to camp before luke and his army." 

"we could just take a plane," little red said. 

percy shuddered. "i don't fly." 

"but you just did." 

"that was low flying," percy said, "and even that's risky. flying up really high — that's zeus's territory. i can't do it. besides, we don't even have time for a flight. i doubt riley can even get her private jet here in time. the labyrinth is the quickest way back." 

"we need a car," annabeth looked at me, "to take us into the city."

"i'll take care of it."

annabeth and i both whipped our heads over to rachel. usually, i would be the one to get a car or find transportation.

annabeth narrowed her eyes, "are you sure, 'cause riley can—"

"she can do it," i shrugged. "besides, i... i gotta try and make an iris-message."

"gift shop," annabeth said. "maybe we can find a prism. i'll tell chiron if you want."

"sounds good. nico?"

"i'm coming with you guys. i'm starving," he groaned.

"i'll stick with rachel then," percy said. "meet you guys in the parking lot."

i pursed my lips, but didn't argue. i did not have the energy to.

instead, i turned around and followed the signs to the gift shop. nico followed me eagerly and annabeth stayed a few paces to my right.

we entered a gift shop, and there were only like three people there. 

"okay, i'll find a few prisms. you and nico can search for some food," annabeth began walking towards the left.

"sounds good."

i grabbed nico's hand and we went towards the food court on the other side.

"do i have to hold your hand?" nico groaned trying to wriggle out of my grip.

"yes, yes you do. otherwise someone's going to snatch you," i gripped his hand tighter.

"oh, of course. and your hand's going to stop them," he retorted sarcastically.

"don't sass me, boy. i'm paying for your food."

nico, wisely, remained silent after that.

"chiron at camp half-blood."

annabeth decided that she would make the call to chiron, and i could try connecting the message to whoever i needed to.

i was grateful that she didn't bombard me with questions on first-sight. that would've been tiring.

i looked back at nico, who was content on eating a grilled chicken sandwich from the food court. i took a sip of my coffee, and fixed the prism.

i was standing in the other corner behind the alley. that way, annabeth and i could connect our iris-messages easily, and it would reduce the risk of overlapping.

i fished a drachma out of my bag, and hesitated. nico looked over at me, and i think he knew who i was going to try and contact.

he jumped down from the little ledge he was dangling his feet over and made his way towards me.

he looked at the rainbow, the drachma in my hand, then back at me. "we'll never know unless we try."

i sighed. he was right. i owed ethan my life. i would have to try.

"o iris, goddess of the rainbow, accept my offering and show me ethan. please."

the rainbow shimmered a little before turning darker. the colors began bleeding through one another, and i realized the message was being blocked.

i groaned and swiped the rainbow in front of me.

"it's not working."

nico narrowed his eyes at the prism and concentrated, then looked up at me. "he's not dead."

i nodded. "but is he injured? i mean, kronos would definitely punish him for helping me, and killing some of his monsters."

"he'll make it. ethan's stronger than you think. the way he shot down those monsters left and right, if only you saw all of it."

"i believe you." 

REY WRITES !

shoutout to thatvongirl for giving me the idea to have daedalus involved in bucky's turning to the winter soldier. he didn't turn bucky into a supersoldier, but he helped with the mind control 

so apparently, y'all loved last chapter. i can't stop laughing at your comments. 

thanks for reading !