Battle of the Labyrinth

Chapter 19

Well, I started my new job as a credit union teller and I have to say that it is not bad. A little boring at times because the branch I am training at is one of the slow ones but it is a good job. Still, there is A LOT of training. Hopefully when I get good at this job they put me at a busier branch because I will hate doing nothing most of the day.

XXXXX

Naruto just didn't understand the Labyrinth at all because apparently, distance was far shorter there then up top. This was because they made it back to Times Square in New York in a very short time thanks to Rachel's guidance.

The situation still felt surreal mostly because a few hours ago, they were in an ancient cave where a God faded and now they were back in the modern world. However, the journey was a bit boring and he decided the read the scroll while walking with the others. A trait he had picked up from his old teacher, Kakashi.

"Ok, now we need to get to camp as soon as possible." Naruto declared.

"And I have a perfect way to do that….but I think we should head down that ally over there so we don't cause a scene." Percy offered.

"Nice, using that brain of yours for once, has some of the sea salt dissipated?" Naruto teased with a smirk, making Percy pout and the others to laugh as they walked down that ally.

Afterwards, when Percy was sure they were in a secure place and no one would see them and freak out, he whistled loudly five times. A minute later, Rachel gasped. "They're beautiful!"

A flock of pegasi descended from the sky, swooping between the skyscrapers. Blackjack was in the lead, followed by five of his white friends.

Yo, boss! He spoke in Percy's mind. You lived!

"Yeah," I told him. "I'm lucky that way. Listen, we need a ride to camp quick."

That's my specialty! Oh man, you got that Cyclops with you? Yo, Guido! How's your back holding up?

The Pegasus Guido groaned and complained, but eventually he agreed to carry Tyson. Everybody started saddling up—except Rachel.

"Well," Rachel said sadly to Percy, "I guess this is it."

Percy nodded uncomfortably. They both knew she couldn't go to camp. Percy glanced at Annabeth, who was pretending to be very busy with her Pegasus. And Naruto was smirking while shaking his head. "Thanks, Rachel," Percy said. "We couldn't have done it without you."

"I wouldn't have missed it. I mean, except for almost dying, and Pan…" Her voice faltered.

"He said something about your father," Percy remembered. "What did he mean?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Naruto replied with a smirk, making Rachel shift around nervously. "Red's dad is obviously some rich dude who thinks he can do what he wants." The red had actually flinched at that.

"Hmm, that does make sense now." Silena replied. "That also explains how we got the limo ride so easily."

"Even still, it doesn't matter what your dad does." Naruto stated. "All that matters is what you do Red. Don't let him define who you are."

"Naruto is right, you were really amazing in the maze. We probably couldn't have done it without you." Percy declared, making the red head blush and making Annabeth angry.

Rachel saw this and smile gently, but that didn't mean she was going to lose. Who knows, she might see Percy again someday. "Well, if you ever feel like hanging out with a mortal again, call me."

"That could be cool." Percy replied a bit unsure, but the red head wasn't going to lose.

"You know, my number isn't listed." Rachel stated with a frown.

"I've got it."

"Still on your hand? No way."

"No. I kinda…memorized it."

Her smile came back slowly, but a lot happier. "See you later, Percy Jackson. Go save the world for me, okay?" She then turned to Naruto and said, "Thanks for the help as well blondie, but wait…you don't have pegasus!"

"Oh I don't need one. Being the prince of the underworld and a ninja from another world comes with a perks." Naruto smiled a Cheshire like grin as his black flame wing appeared and to add to the affect with some light hearted goofiness, he added a black flaming halo. "One of those perks is the title of Angel of Death."

Rachel glanced at Percy and then to his companions and then back to Percy. "Only you would have the craziest friends, but I like that about you." That just made Percy chuckle uncomfortable and Annabeth growl in annoyance.

Silena eyed Naruto with an annoyed smirk since he was kind of making it difficult for Percy and Annabeth now. The blond noticed this and chuckled nervously. "Well on that note….to infinite and beyond!" he shouted as he shot off into the sky.

"What the-? Wait!" Percy shouted as he and Black Jack shot after the blond along with and panicking Nico as he tried to catch up to his brother.

Silena sighed, "Well, we better go after them." Annabeth and Grover nodded before they left the Red Head by herself, shaking her head as she walked off in the New York crowds on Seventh Avenue.

XXXX

Nico sighed as he caught up to Naruto on his own pegasus, who was honestly a little freaked out to have a son of Hades on his back. Still, Naruto had proven not to be like the other kids of Hades, so maybe this kid was like his brother? Might as well try, plus if Silena like the guy, that was proof enough.

They were almost to camp and Nico was worried that the others wouldn't like him very much, but Naruto assured him that things would be ok. Still, Nico did like to be alone and he wasn't sure if he was going to stay after all things were said and done. But for now, he was stay with his brother.

Still, he was nervous as they landed in camp, more like the cabin area and as soon as they landed, they were immediately greeted by Chiron, the potbellied satyr Silenus, and a couple of Apollo cabin archers. When Chiron saw Nico, he smiled at both him and Naruto and said, "So I see you have found your brother finally. That is good, I am sure a certain someone would love to see him."

"Who?" Nico asked, not remembering anyone he interacted that much from camp that was already with him.

"Me, dummy." A female voice said as she hugged him from behind.

He knew that voice anywhere. She had been with him all his life and was the whole reason he left, thinking that she actually died. "Bianca!" Nico shouted as he moved in the hug to face her and hug her himself.

Bianca looked the same as she did when he last saw her…facial wise anyway. Now she wore a black shirt with white wave like designs on it and a black cords that stopper at her ankle to show off her midnight black shoes. That was odd to Nico since he thought she didn't like that color all that much.

"Yep, I told you I wasn't dead, just chilling in the underworld." Bianca replied like it was nothing. "For the reason I am here is because dad though having three of his kids in camp to protect it was a good idea. I mean, I got some good combat experience from both Aunt Kushina and Persephone…..even if she didn't like me at first."

"That's good. I feel that we will also need it." Naruto replied as he too hugged her. "What with the Prince of the Underworld and the King of Ghosts, we have a good force. Now we just need a nickname for you."

Bianca smile widely at that. It seemed that all children of Hades had a special taste for high standing nicknames. She was no different. "Oh I have one, just call me the Queen of the Shadows. You will see why soon."

"I have no doubt." Naruto replied with a laugh.

While that was going on, Annabeth and Percy were informing Chiron of recent events with Quintus being Daedalus and Kronos' rising. However, the trainer of heroes didn't seem all that surprised as he had a grim look.

"I feared as much," Chiron said. "We must hurry. Hopefully you have slowed down the Titan lord, but his vanguard will still be coming through. They will be anxious for blood. Most of our defenders are already in place. Come!"

"Wait a moment," Silenus demanded. "What of the search for Pan? You are almost three weeks overdue, Grover Underwood! Your searcher's license is revoked!"

Grover took a deep breath. He stood up straight and looked Silenus in the eye. "Searcher's licenses don't matter anymore. The great god Pan is dead. He has passed on and left us his spirit."

"What?" Silenus's face turned bright red. "Sacrilege and lies! Grover Underwood, I will have you exiled for speaking thus!"

"It's true," Percy said, defending his friend. "We were there when he died. All of us."

"Impossible! You are all liars! Nature-destroyers!" the elder raved.

Naruto frowned. "Believe what you will, but even you can sense it in us? The blessing of the wild. You are so stubborn though that you just don't want to believe it." The elder satyr rounded on Naruto in rage and was about to scream at him until the blond held up the scroll of the faded God. Even he felt its power and the saw the ancient writing. So he would back off…for now. It still infuriated the elder that a human possessed secrets of the Wild God.

Chiron studied Grover's face and then carefully looked at the scroll. "We will speak of this later."

"We will speak of it now!" Silenus said, red faced. Ok, maybe he wanted answers now. "We must deal with this—"

"Silenus," Chiron cut in. "My camp is under attack. The matter of Pan has waited two thousand years. I fear it will have to wait a bit longer. Assuming we are still here this evening."

And on that happy note, he readied his bow and galloped toward the woods, leaving the group to catch up to him, not that the resident ninja had any problems with.

XXX

It was the biggest military operation that they had ever seen at camp. That included Naruto when been in the Sand And Sound invasion back home. Of course, he hadn't been in much of the front line fighting since he was saving his old teammate, Sasuke and Sakura from a giant tanuki monster made of sand while on top of a giant talking toad.

Everyone was at the clearing, dressed in full battle armor, but this time it wasn't for capture the flag. The Hephaestus cabin had set up traps around the entrance to the Labyrinth—razor wire, pits filled with pots of Greek fire, rows of sharpened sticks to deflect a charge. Beckendorf was manning two catapults the size of pickup trucks, already primed and aimed at Zeus's Fist. The Ares cabin was on the front line, drilling in phalanx formation with Clarisse calling orders. Apollo's and Hermes's cabins were scattered in the woods with bows ready. Many had taken up positions in the trees. Even the dryads were armed with bows, and the satyrs trotted around with wooden cudgels and shields made of rough tree bark.

Annabeth went to join her brethren from the Athena cabin, who had set up a command tent and were directing operations. A gray banner with an owl fluttered outside the tent. The camp's security chief, Argus, stood guard at the door. Aphrodite's children were running around straightening everybody's armor and offering to comb the tangles out of the helmets' horsehair plumes. Even Dionysus's kids had found something to do. The god himself was still nowhere to be seen, but his two blond twin sons were running around providing all the sweaty warriors with water bottles and juice boxes.

Silena nodded grimly to herself and gave Naruto a hug. "I am going to see how my cabin mates are doing and then I will see how Clarisse is hold up."

"That is a good idea. Making sure you cabin mates are ok before joining the fight as the infamous camp duo, Love and War." Naruto replied in kind as her hugged her back. "Always has been a deadly combination."

"You know it." Silena winked at him before leaving.

Naruto looked back at the military operation and saw a certain punk girl run at them…will more like him before punching him in the shoulder. "Glad to see that you didn't die!" She replied.

"Glad to be back." Naruto smiled as he hugged her, making her blush.

Chiron smiled at the scene somewhat, before looking at the assembled military operation. "It is still not enough, even with children of the big three to help us."

Percy looked unnerved when he heard that statement as he thought about the army they had seen back in the labyrinth. There was also the power of Kronos. Things did look grim.

"Done worry too much Percy." Naruto said seriously. "I have already survived one miniature war back home…which was full of high power ninjas. I am sure was can survive whatever Luke….or Kronos throws at us."

"You think so?" Percy asked hopefully.

"Yes, all you need to do is stuck by us, and we will have your back." Naruto said, gesturing to himself, Nico, Bianca, Thalia, and even Chiron. "You just need to believe in yourself. In your own power. And don't worry, I won't let you die."

Percy smiled at that. "Thanks man."

Chiron smiled at the scene of two warriors bonding. It was like seeing the past again. He just hoped their endings were happy. He then eyed Tyson going over to help the Hephaestus kids prepare the defenses. He picked up boulders and piled them next to the catapults for firing. The he saw Grover talking with Juniper about what had happened to the old god Pan before they ran off to help their friends. Still, the new clearly distressed Juniper. "Stick close though, I feel you could turn the tide for anyone in need."

Suddenly, the ground underneath them began trembling. Naruto growled at this, "Tsk, so they managed to find a way through the labyrinth without the string….great."

Everyone in the clearing stopped what they were doing. Clarisse barked a single order: "Lock shields!"

Then the Titan lord's army exploded from the Labyrinth.

XXX

Chaos. That is what war truly is in a sense. Ares might say different and say it is all about the fight and the carnage one sees and experiences. But it is truly chaos. Everyone is happening all at once and there is little one person can do to stop all the bloodshed.

It makes a lone person feel helpless, but when many are fighting for the same purpose, they become strong and can shift things their way. Be it for a small about of time, or a large. That is why the ninja's of the Elemental world usually worked together so well. They were all working toward the same goal.

Camp Half-Blood was doing its best to emulate that as they fought off monsters of all kind. From the Laistrygonian giants, who came out the labyrinth was a thunderous roar, to the small telekhines, yelling and raving about their master Kronos. They fought with all they had for this was their home and they needed it and each other.

Many demi gods fought with their unique skills and others fought with the skill hey had acquired over time in camp. The children of Ares, children of war, fought with all their might against a few of those giants who had flattened cars as shields and large trees as clubs. Of course, for a time, the giants just batted them all away like ragdolls, but that didn't keep the children of war itself down for long as they charged at the giant and took a few down before moving on to their next target.

Silena, on the other hand, was a daughter of Aphrodite, was not known for her prowess in battle, was handling herself rather well. One because she was taught how to fight better thanks to bother her ninja of a boyfriend and her best friend Clarisse, who was fighting with her back to back. She may be a slim girl, but she managed to use her throwing knives to cut at the giants' weaknesses and then crack her whip around their necks to pull them down to their deaths in the form of Clarisse's new spear, the Spear of Destiny, which pierced their heads while adding electrocution to the mix. Not a fun way to die.

"Fire!" Beckendorf yelled. The catapults swung into action. Two boulders hurtled toward the giants. One deflected off a car shield with hardly a dent, but the other caught a Laistrygonian in the chest, and the giant went down. Apollo's archers fired a volley, dozens of arrows sticking in the thick armor of the giants like porcupine quills. Several found chinks in armor, and some of the giants vaporized at the touch of celestial bronze.

But just when it looked like the Laistrygonians were about to get overwhelmed, the next wave surged out of the maze: thirty, maybe forty dracaenae in full battle armor, wielding spears and nets. They dispersed in all directions. Some hit the traps the Hephaestus cabin had laid. One got struck on the spikes and became an easy target for archers. Another triggered a trip wire, and pots of Greek fire exploded into green flames, engulfing several of the snake women. But many more kept coming. Argus and Athena's warriors rushed forward to meet them. Annabeth drew a sword and engage one of them. Nearby, Tyson was riding a giant. Somehow he'd managed to climb onto the giant's back and was hitting him on the head with a bronze shield—BONG! BONG! BONG!

A few hellhounds rushed out the maze along with a few enemy half bloods. Percy and charge with fighting a hellhound or two while Chiron fought off a few himself.

Thalia eyed the dracaenae she had just killed with a strike of lightning she managed to make with her weapon the Raijin. It was of course just a replica of the original, but this one, Naruto made it into something special. Thalia then noticed the enemy half bloods and hellhounds that were charging at her and grimaced. Killing monsters was one thing, but fellow half bloods was a bit much. Still, this was war and she would question her choices later before charging in, slicing down a few enemy demi gods. Some with incapacitating wounds while other had fatal ones.

Soon she was surrounded by hellhounds and while it brought back memories of her first time being struck down by monsters of all kinds, she held her ground and raised the Raijin into the air and felt a familiar cackle. "Be gone with the thunder clap!" she shouted as she swung downward. In that moment, a beam of lightning struck down where she and the hellhounds were. When the lightning dissipated, Thalia stood unharmed as the lightning crackled along her body. The same could not be said for the hellhounds who were dead and extra crispy. Thalia managed a smirk at that before she rushed off to help her fellow campers.

In another theatre of war, the trio of Hades' children was holding their own very well. Bianca was showing why she was the Queen of Shadows, showing off the skills she learned from Naruto's mother. She managed to use her enemy's shadow to either get behind them and take them out that way or to blind them with it as she use her skills to take them down.

Nico noticed that a few of her enemies that had been pulled into their own shadows came out with earth spikes piercing their bodies or the shadows formed into razor thin chains that sliced into them painfully. That made him shiver since his sister had always been rather shy. What kind of training did Naruto's mom put her through?!

However, he didn't get much time to think on that as a few telekhines rushed him, but he didn't have much to worry about as he used misdirection to easily take them out and with his black Stygian blade absorbed each monster's essence. It was rather easy.

"Nico, Bianca!" Naruto shouted, his sibling's attention and making them notice something different about the little dog that had accompanied Naruto back home. She was now larger and surrounded in pure darkness. It red menacing eyes unnerving them "Follow those dracaenae! They are heading into camp, stop them!"

The two nodded before saying at the same time. "Serve me." But for Bianca, she added, "Ninjas of Japan." Soon, the earth trembled. A fissure opened in front of the dracaenae, and a dozen undead warriors crawled from the earth—horrible corpses in military uniforms from all different time periods—U.S. Revolutionaries, Roman centurions, Napoleonic cavalry on skeletal horses. Even the old ninjas of Japan's history headed the call. As one, they drew their weapons and engaged the dracaenae. Nico and Bianca leaned on to one another, having not summoned that many to add them before. Biance then wrapped the shadows around them and disappeared, intent on helping their summons and keep themselves safe, but the whole ordeal was tiring.

Naruto sliced a telekhine in half before eying his surroundings to see parts of the forest on fire, Juniper and other Dryads freaking out and trying to stop the fires, Grover trying his best to help them. "Percy! Bring us the water. Grover and his friends need help!"

Percy, after slaying his own hellhound, whipped his head to look at his old friend and rushed over to help, using his connection with the water to bring it out of the air to put said fires out with little trouble.

He then charged back into the fray with Grover and Juniper, who looked very pissed, at his sides. He even managed to take out a few large monsters with the water pulled out the air itself but the area was left a little dryer.

Naruto smirked at that, glad that his friend was learning how better use his powers. Looking back over at Tear, whose darkness enhanced form was now the size of a horse, he saw that she was having little problems as she tore into the surrounding enemies. Looking around, he saw that a good portion of the camp was hold up very well. Of course there would be a few casualties, but they would have to be accounted for after the battle.

However, one casualty seemed like it was about to be averted Naruto managed to see one of the sons of Mr. D about to get stabbed. Naruto black flashed over to the boy just as he got stabbed in the arm, but managed to save him before he got clubbed in the head and possibly died. The enemy demi god wasn't so lucky as Naruto stabbed him in the chest, killing him swiftly.

However, before a thank you could even be said, an unearthly shriek echoed out of the Labyrinth and it was one that Naruto already knew.

Kampe shot into the sky, her bat wings fully extended. She landed on the top of Zeus's Fist and surveyed the carnage. Her face was filled with evil glee. The mutant animal heads growled at her waist. Snakes hissed and swirled around her legs. In her hand was a strange compass like device that also looked a bit like a clock. It must have been the way she found her way here, but that would mean that Kronos had a way of his own to get around the Labyrinth. That….wasn't too surprising.

Kampe smirked at the carnage in front of her before pocketing the strange device into the lion's mouth at her waist and drew her curved swords. The blades glowed green with poison. Kampê screeched in triumph, and some of the campers screamed. Others tried to run and got trampled by hellhounds or giants.

"Damn." Naruto replied and kneeled on the ground and then address the boy he saved. "Go now Castor, get yourself to a medic before she sees you. I think I can take her if I play this right." The boy just nodded and ran off while trying to stop the bleeding in his arm.

As Castor ran away for his own safety, Naruto tried to tune out the noise but still heard Chiron engage the horrifying monster and Tyson trying to rally everyone's moral back up from seeing suck a horrible sight. Naruto though back to the scroll of Pan he read on the way here.

There was still far more that needed to be read but he had learned just enough to be of some use in a fight with this monster. Sage Mode in this world was akin to being on par with that of a powerful minor god. First, one must be still and block out most of everything else and tune yourself with your surroundings and with yourself. Let the power of yourself interact with the power all around you and change you. This was the old way of turning from a demi-god into a God or Minor God. Now Zeus just gives you godhood and it was done.

However, there was a reason for that. This method usually created a stronger God.

This situation for the transformation was not ideal for this though because a lot of negative energy was filtering into Naruto. Fear and Rage being prominent because of the ongoing battle. A lot of that power already belonged to one god and that was Ares.

But soon, the transformation happened. A pulse was felt and Kampe's attention was torn from Chiron to Naruto. Naruto's form burst into black flames and darkness as he tried to sort through the negativity and try to find the true power he was receiving. That form then shifted from black to a pale blue as the energy seemed to bond with his body, but that darkness was still there and that formed into a single black flaming wing on his back.

Despite the power he had received, this form was incomplete as Naruto was unsure what to truly do with the power once he got it. But desperate times came with desperate measures.

The two stared at one another and Kampe narrowed her eyes. She remembered this one from the prison….from that group that got away with the hundred handed one. The one that called her ugly!

He must die!

That was her single thought as she leaped towards him in fury. Kampe's curved swords met with Naruto's own blades, Fear and Destruction. Only, Naruto's blades and changed somewhat. They were overflowing with energy. Fear was overflowing with red energy and Destruction with black.

She was relentless with each strike at the blond hero. Each more powerful than the last. Naruto trie4d his best to keep his attention on her and his own fluctuating power and she noticed this.

Sure, the blond had power behind his own strikes and made her arms rattle from the force, but he had little to no control. She also figured out in their little dance of death what this form actually was since she knew he didn't look like that before. After all, she had killed off a few people trying to ascend to Godhood in the past.

"Fool! No control and you are fighting me! The beautiful Kampe!?" She roared. "Don't make me laugh! I will kill you like the others." Seeing the blond's power fluctuate once more and as he tried to regain control, she kicked him back towards the rock formation called Zeus' Fist with enough force to rattle it. "Say hello to your father for me!" she roared once more and prepared to strike him down before he could get back up.

Damnit, I was too hasty in using this. I should have read more and practiced in using this before I fought a creature like her. And to think, I could have beaten her using just jutsu, but I got greedy….sorry, everyone. Naruto thought grimly as he tried to get back up. If he was going to die, then he would die fighting!

But, it turned out that he didn't have to do much as something howled in fury. Make that two somethings in the form of a darkness enhanced Tear and the large form of Mrs. O'Leary keeping her at bay.

"Good girl!" said a familiar voice. Daedalus was fighting his way out of the Labyrinth, slashing down enemies left and right as he made his way towards Naruto and the rest of the fighting. Next to him was someone else—a familiar giant, much taller than the Laistrygonians, with a hundred rippling arms, each holding a huge chunk of rock.

"Briares!" Tyson cried in wonder.

"Hail, little brother!" Briares bellowed. "Stand firm!"

And as Mrs. O'Leary leaped out of the way, the Hundred-Handed One launched a volley of boulders at Kampê. The rocks seemed to enlarge as they left Briares's hands. There were so many, it looked like half the earth had learned to fly.

But Kampe was having none of that. "I will not be denied my prey!" She screamed. "I will kill the one who dares to be a God the old way and then I will take you back you fool!"

With that, she weaved around a few of the enlarged rocks before slicing one in half but they kept coming. Braires was acting out of fear and rage that kampe would dare kill one of the people who believed in him and fear for going back the way he was under her….care.

A rock then sped up thank to Naruto kicking it, which managed to knock her of guard and stunning her for a moment. That was all he needed and he activated a certain pair of shoes that he had been neglecting to use. After all, why use them when you have ninja speed. However, at a time like this when your body is failing you thanks to the stupid use of an untested method, you can take what you get.

Naruto rushed over to Kampe with the Shoes of the Uncatchable Fox, gained control over the power for a short amount of time to transfer all the energy into his blades, and struck as hard and as swiftly as he could.

To Kampe, it looked like two figures were trailing Naruto's arms. The first being that of a giant nine tailed fox and the other of a large black scaled dragon. She didn't even have time to scream before the blades cleaved her in two. As her remains dissolved in the yellow dust, her own swords disappeared, only to reappear on Naruto's wrist bands.

The entire battlefield was eerily quiet as they had all stopped to watch the spectacle of Naruto's fight, but once Kampe was confirmed dead and Naruto had dropped out of his Minor God Mode and fell to his knees, a cheer went up from the campers, but their enemies weren't done yet. One of the dracaenae yelled, "Ssssslay them! Kill them all or Kronossss will flay you alive!"

Apparently, that threat was more terrifying than what had just transpired. The giants surged forward in a last desperate attempt. One surprised Chiron with a glancing blow to the back legs, and he stumbled and fell. Six giants cried in glee and rushed forward.

Percy panicked at seeing his mentor fall but he was currently too far from him to help.

Then it happened. Grover opened his mouth, and the most horrible sound came out. It was like a brass trumpet magnified a thousand times—the sound of pure fear.

As one, the forces of Kronos dropped their weapons and ran for their lives. The giants trampled the dracaenae trying to get into the Labyrinth first. Telekhines and hellhounds and enemy half-bloods scrambled after them. The tunnel rumbled shut, and the battle was over. The clearing was quiet except for the fires burning in the woods, and the cries of the wounded.

Percy and Annabeth rushed to Chiron's side while Thalia and Clarisse supported Naruto by the shoulder and brought him over to the downed centaur, helping Naruto in his moment of weakness because he felt incredibly weak right now. But that didn't matter to him and he want to make her the old centaur was alright.

"Are you ok?" Percy asked the trainer of heros.

Chiron was lying on his side, trying in vain to get up. "How embarrassing," he muttered. "I think I will be fine. Fortunately, we do not shoot centaurs with

broken… Ow! …broken legs."

"You need help," Annabeth said. "I'll get a medic from Apollo's cabin."

"No," Chiron insisted. "There are more serious injuries to attend to. Go! I am fine. But, Grover…later we must talk about how you did that. You too as well Naruto, what you attempted was brash and stupid. I had hoped that you would have waited to even attempt that."

"I still have no idea what I did." Grover replied but his girlfriend smirked and said that she did. The satyr then turn to Naruto and asked, "Are you alright? You look like you're in really bad shape."

Chiron grunted at that. "That is what happens to people who attempt to become Gods without the proper knowledge. Naruto, you are lucky to still be alive."

"Ugh, I feel like I am being ripped apart to be honest." Naruto groaned.

Chiron nodded at that. "A natural feeling of having one's natural structure being forcibly changed like that."

"Some older brother you are. Having me worry about you as well." Bianca replied as she and Nico appeared out of the blond's shadow before softly hugging him. Her and Nico looked wore out from such use of their powers, but with sharing them, they managed to not to overdo things…unlike their older brother.

"Ow…thanks." Naruto replied as he returned the hug. One of the Ares campers hobbled over and handed him a canteen of nectar to help in the healing and it was working a little bit. "So, what are you doing here old man?" Naruto asked of none other than Daedalus himself, who actually had come in the nick of time in saving his sorry ass.

"I made a very bad mistake. I came to correct it." The old inventor replied with a sad smile.

Daedalus had a few scratches that were bleeding golden oil, but he looked better than most of the fighters. Apparently his automaton body healed itself quickly. Mrs. O'Leary loomed behind him, licking the wounds on her master's head so Daedalus's hair stood up funny. Briares stood next to him, surrounded by a group of awed campers and satyrs. He looked kind of bashful, but he was signing autographs on armor, shields, and T-shirts. After all, it is not every day you see a hundred handed one that aided in killing Kampe. "I found the Hundred-Handed One as I came through the maze," Daedalus explained. "It seems he had the same idea, to come help, but he was lost. And so we fell in together. We both came to make amends."

"I did not know," the Hundred-Handed One said. "But you and your friends reminded me who I am, Cyclops. You are the hero."

Tyson blushed, making Percy smile and pat his back. "I knew that a long time ago," he said. "But, Daedalus…the Titan army is still down there. Even without the string, they'll be back. They'll find a way sooner or later, with Kronos leading them."

"Especially with that clock like compass think I saw Kampe have…but I am not sure where it is…" Naruto replied weakly.

Daedalus sheathed his sword. "You are right. As long as the Labyrinth is here, your enemies can use it. Which is why the Labyrinth cannot continue."

Annabeth stared at him. "But you said the Labyrinth is tied to your life force! As long as you're alive—"

"Yes, my young architect," Daedalus agreed. "When I die, the Labyrinth will die as well. And so I have a present for you." He slung a leather satchel off his back, unzipped it, and produced a sleek silver laptop computer—one of the ones I'd seen in the workshop. On the lid was the blue symbol delta

"My work is here," he said. "It's all I managed to save from the fire. Notes on projects I never started. Some of my favorite designs. I couldn't develop these over the last few millennia. I did not dare reveal my work to the mortal world. But perhaps you will find it interesting."

He handed the computer to Annabeth, who stared at it like it was solid gold. "You're giving me this? But this is priceless! This is worth…I don't even know how much!"

"Small compensation for the way I have acted," Daedalus said. "You were right, Annabeth, about children of Athena. We should be wise, and I was not. Someday you will be a greater architect than I ever was. Take my ideas and improve them. It is the least I can do before I pass on."

"Whoa," Percy said. "Pass on? But you can't just kill yourself. That's wrong."

The old inventor shook his head. "Not as wrong as hiding from my crimes for two thousand years. Genius does not excuse evil, Percy. My time has come. I must face my punishment."

"You won't get a fair trial," Annabeth said. "The spirit of Minos sits in judgment—"

"I will take what comes," he said. "And trust in the justice of the Underworld, such as it is. That is all we can do, isn't it?"

Naruto looked at his siblings as they looked at him. "That's true." They said at once.

Daedalus smiled at that before turning towards Percy, "One last favor, Percy Jackson. I cannot leave Mrs. O'Leary alone. And she has no desire to return to the Underworld. Will you care for her?"

Percy looked at the giant whimpering dog with a sweatdrop. He highly doubted a dog that was bigger than his mom's apartment would be allowed there, but the least he could do was keep her with him at camp. Plus, she would have Tear to keep her company…who was now the normal small size again. He still had no idea how Naruto managed to do that to her.

"Yeah. Of course I will."

"Then I am ready to see my son…and Perdix," Daedalus said. "I must tell them how sorry I am."

Annabeth had tears in her eyes.

The old man then turned to the trio of Hades' children before smiling and nodding. As one, they put a hand on him and stated, "Your time is long since come. Be released and rest."

A smile of relief spread across Daedalus's face. He froze like a statue. His skin turned transparent, revealing the bronze gears and machinery whirring inside his body. Then the statue turned to gray ash and disintegrated.

Mrs. O'Leary howled and Percy patted her head, trying to comfort her as best he could. The earth rumbled—an earthquake that could probably be felt in every major city across the country—as the ancient Labyrinth collapsed. It was a high possibility…and wishful thinking that the titan army disappeared along with it.

"Come on," Percy replied as he looked everyone over. Naruto smiled at his friend for taking charge this time. "We have work to do."

XXXXX

And there we go! Sorry it took so freaking long. But damn, life sucks and this was hard to type in some places. Anyway, I nerfed Sage/Minor God Mode for a reason. Naruto is not yet ready for such a thing. That form is also incomplete. I feel there will be two more forms…one for his fight with Sasuke and then for his fight against Typhoon.

Review!