𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 | 𝐩. 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧

Percy becomes Katniss Everdeen's cheap knockoff

There was no morning in the Labyrinth, but once everyone was awake and had some breakfast, they kept traveling. The old stone tunnels changed to dirt with cedar beams, like a gold mine or something. Annabeth started getting agitated.

"This isn't right," Annabeth mumbled under her breath. "It should still be stone."

They came to a cave where stalactites hung low from the ceiling. In the center of the dirt floor was a rectangular pit, like a grave.

Grover shivered. "It smells like the Underworld in here."

Evangeline was about to say something when she saw something glinting at the edge of the pit—it was a foil wrapper. She shone her flashlight into the hole and saw a half-chewed cheeseburger floating in brown carbonated muck.

"Nico..." she breathed. The son of Hades had been summoning the dead again. And it was recent. They were close.

Tyson whimpered. "Ghosts were here. I don't like ghosts."

"We've got to find him," Percy said, trailing after the brunette, who was walking over the edge of the summoning pit.

Evangeline ran.

"Evangeline!" Percy shouted after her.

By the time the other four caught up with her, Evangeline was staring at some daylight streaming through a set of bars above her head. They were under a steel gate made out of metal pipes. She could see trees and a blue sky.

"Where are we?" Percy wondered.

"We have to get up there," Evangeline said.

Then a shadow fell across the gate and a cow stared at them. It looked like a normal cow except for the fact it was bright cherry red.

The cow mooed, put one hoof tentatively on the bars, then backed away.

"It's a cattle guard," Grover said.

"A what?"

"They put them at the gates of ranches so cows can't get out. They can't walk on them."

"How do you know that?"

The satyr huffed indignantly. "Believe me, if you had hooves, you'd know about cattle guards. They're annoying!"

Evangeline turned to the daughter of Athena. "Hera said something about a ranch, Nico might be here."

The blonde hesitated. "All right. But how do we get out?"

Tyson solved the problem by hitting the cattle grid with both hands. It popped off and went flying out of sight. There was a loud sound which was quickly followed by a startled cow.

Tyson blushed. "Sorry, cow!" He called.

Evangeline was the first one to climb up without waiting for Tyson to boost her up. After her, Tyson gave the other three a boost out of the tunnel.

Rolling hills stretched to the horizon, dotted with oak trees, cacti, and boulders. A barbed-wire fence ran from the gate in either direction. Cherry-cloured cows roamed around, grazing on clumps of grass.

"Red cattle," Annabeth said. "The cattle of the sun."

"What?" Percy asked.

"The cows that are sacred to Apollo," Evangeline answered.

"Holy cows?" Percy asked, raising his eyebrows.

Annabeth considered his answer. "Sure, I guess. But what are they doing-"

"Wait," Grover said. "Listen."

At first, everything seemed quiet, but then Evangeline heard it: The distant baying of dogs got louder. Then the underbrush rustled, and two dogs broke through. Except it wasn't two dogs. It was one dog with two heads. It looked like a greyhound, long and snaky and sleek brown, but its neck V'ed into two heads, generally not very glad to see the five.