DISCLAIMER - Only the Monster and the Lake are mine. Percy Jackson isn't, sadly, and Death belongs to everyone. And technically, I guess I was lying about the slug. He's not mine either, really.
The slug dissolved into a pillar of mist and rematerialized as Nico di Angelo, who was laughing his butt off.
"I can't believe you fell for that! Turning into a physics-bending slug is like the oldest trick in the book!" laughed Nico.
Percy launched himself at Nico, intent on destroying his face, but crashed into a brick wall. Pulling a pick from the shadows, he broke through the wall and pinched Nico's nose off.
"Got your nose," Percy said. "Just kidding, dude. Here's your nose."
Nico put his nose back on with a scowl. "Well, there's the signpost, let's go to the Lake of Gross and Terrifying Goo." So the trio walked off into the sunset.
As they walked, another post appeared before them. It said, "Sorry, the Lake is still another three days of walking. Please pardon the inconvenience."
"Oh no", said Death "Now we need to walk more... and I'm soooo huungryyyyy!"
"He's not going to eat us, is he?" whispered Nico to Percy.
"No way!" said Percy. "He's really nice."
Nico looked dubiously at Death, with his black cloak and clattering bones. "What's his name?"
"Death," said said Percy, smiling. "Cool name, huh?"
Nico nodded, but didn't take his eyes off Death.
After another day or so of walking, Nico had come to the conclusion that anyone with a name like "Death" couldn't really be so different from his father. So Nico had learned to put up with him.
Finally they passed a sign saying they were less than half a mile from the lake, but unfortunately the Rainbow Road they had been on ended and all that was ahead of them was empty space. Percy, of course, immediately jumped over the edge, because the lake was half a mile away and the only way they could go was down, so the lake had to be down.
Nico and Death jumped after him, assuming Percy would scream if anything truly terrible were below, at which point Nico would shadow-travel away and Death would do nothing, since he was already dead.
Will our heroes find the Lake at the bottom of the chasm, or are they royally screwed? Continue on to the next chapter of "Percy Jackson and the Lake of Gross and Scary Goo"!
If you review mine, I can review yours in exchange! Just tell me which story you want me to read, and I'll do it. Because I love you more than Percy loves Monster Goo.