Two days in a row bet you weren't expecting that. Yeah I wasn't either but this chapter just flowed. Must have been the waffle I had this morning. Before I forget CookiezOP thank you for the concern but I'm not letting them get me down. I promise I just like to hear what my viewers think is all. And seriously good questions from you and The Sorrowful Deity, all I can say for now is all will be revealed eventually. Also I finally got my hands on an actual lightning thief book so expect longer chapters. That's all for now so let's begin the next chapter. And at 10 we go BOOM
It didn't take long for Naruto and Percy to pack. Percy decided to take the Minotaur horn. He wasn't confident in his sword skills and he was positive the horn would come in handy for a surprise attack. They each only an extra change of clothes and a toothbrush to stuff in their backpacks Grover had found for them.
Naruto found the money he had won from Gabe and his buddies. Naruto was going to share with Percy until they heard a knock on the door. They opened it to find a few campers outside. They were on guard until they had realized who it was outside. Beckendorf, Hinata, The Stolls, Katie Silena and a few others. They had come to give supplies to them. Silena had given them some kind of spray. She said it would help mask their scent to monsters temporarily if they found themselves in a bind. Katie had given them a list of farms that monsters didn't enter do to Demeter's strong presence.
Beck gave Percy a stack of golden coins called drachmas. The coins were as big as Girl Scout cookies and had images of various Greek gods on one side and the Empire State Building on the other. The ancient mortal drachmas had been silver, Beck told them, but Olympians never used less than pure gold. He said the coins might come in handy for non-mortal transactions – whatever that meant.
Hinata had given them each some kind of healing ointment she said she had made herself as well as homemade Japanese charms Naruto noticed a heart on his. He asked Hinata if the heart was a different kind of charm because he had never seen one before which caused her to blush. When that information had gotten out all the other campers gained mischievous looks. When Hinata saw this she was internally panicking. She knew she was screwed.
The Stolls gift had been a bag of money. Percy was going to ask where they had gotten it but the wild grins on their faces told him he didn't want to know. They accepted it after all this was a cross-country trip. The more money they had the better. When they were done they thanked everyone and set out.
Naruto was wearing a red and black spidi textile motorcycle jacket and a bright neon orange shirt that said camp half-blood with a Pegasus on it, dark blue denim jeans and black combat military style boots. His goggles firmly on his forehead and his gauntlets in glove mode on his hands.
Percy was wearing the same shirt along with a black adidas adi firebird track jacket with blue lines going down the sleeves. He was wearing dark faded jeans and black and blue airmax 90's.
Chiron gave Annabeth, Percy, a canteen of nectar and a Ziploc bag full of ambrosia squares, to be used only for emergencies, if they were seriously hurt. Chiron reminded them it would cure us of almost any injury, but it was lethal to mortals. Too much of it would make a half-blood very, very feverish. An overdose would burn them up, literally. He didn't give any to Naruto or Grover since they weren't demigods.
Annabeth was bringing her magic Yankees cap, which she told them had been a twelfth-birthday present from her mom. She carried a book on famous classical architecture, written in Ancient Greek, to read when she got bored, and a long bronze knife, hidden in her shirt sleeve. Naruto was sure the knife would get them busted the first time they went through a detector.
Grover wore his fake feet and his pants to pass as human. He wore a green rasta-style cap, because when it rained his curly hair flattened and someone could just see the tips of his horns. His bright orange backpack was full of scrap metal and apples to snack on. In his pocket was a set of reed pipes his daddy goat had carved for him, even though he knew three songs: Mozart's Piano Concerto no. 12 Hilary Duff's "So Yesterday," and Fall out boys "Where did the party go," none of which sounded just plain awful on reed pipes.
They waved good-bye to the other campers that had come to see them off, took one last look at the strawberry fields, the ocean, and Big House, then hiked up Half-Blood Hill to the tall pine tree that used to be Thalia, daughter of Zeus.
Chiron was waiting for them in his wheelchair. Next to him stood a man who looked like a typical blond surfer dude, except he had a hundred eyeballs all over his body. According to Grover, the guy was the camp's head of security. He supposedly had eyes all over his body so he could never be surprised. Today, though, he was wearing a chauffeur's uniform, so they could only see extra peepers on his hands, face and neck.
"This is Argus," Chiron told Naruto and Percy. "He will drive you into the city, and, er, well, keep an eye on things."
Naruto chuckled at the inside joke. Then they heard footsteps coming up the hill.
Luke came running up the hill, carrying a pair of basketball shoes.
"Hey!" he panted. "Glad I caught you." Annabeth blushed, the way she always did when Luke was around. "Just wanted to say good luck," Luke told them. "And I thought . . . um, maybe you could use these."
He handed Percy the sneakers, which looked pretty normal. They even smelled kind of normal
Luke said, "Maia!"
White bird's wings sprouted out of the heels, Percy was so startled that he dropped the shoes. The shoes flapped around on the ground until the wings folded up disappeared.
"Cool!" Percy said.
"Awesome!" Grover said.
Luke smiled. "Those served me well when I was on my quest. Gift from Dad. Of course, I don't use them much these days. . ." His expression turned sad.
Percy blushed almost as hard as Annabeth.
Hey, man," Percy said. "Thanks."
"Listen, Percy . . ." Luke looked uncomfortable. "A lot of hopes are riding on you and Naruto. So just . . . kill some monsters for me, okay?"
Luke shook Percy's hand and then Naruto's. Luke patted Grover's head between his horns, then gave a good-bye hug to Annabeth, who looked like she might pass out any second now.
After Luke was gone, Percy told her, "You're hyperventilating." Naruto snickered.
"Am not." She said.
"You let him capture the flag instead of you, didn't you? Naruto was right you were sucking up to Luke" Naruto chuckling now.
"Oh . . . why do I want to go anywhere with you, Percy?" Annabeth then stomped down the other side of the hill, where a white SUV waited on the shoulder of the road. Argus followed, jingling his car keys.
"Because you want to suck up to him more," Percy yelled after her. Naruto was laughing all out now
Percy picked up the flying shoes and frowned. "We can't use those shoes, because wouldn't that just be asking Zeus to blast us."
He shook his head. "Luke meant well boys. But taking to the air . . . that would not be wise for both of you."
Percy nodded, disappointed, but then his expression brightened thinking of an idea. "Hey Grover. You want a magic item?"
His eyes lit up. "Me?"
Pretty soon they laced the sneakers over his fake feet, and the world's first flying goat boy was ready for launch.
"Maia!" he shouted.
He got off the ground okay, then fell over sideways so his backpack dragged through the grass. Naruto couldn't help but to let out a burst of laughter when they kept bucking up and down like tiny bulls.
"Practice," Chiron called after him. "You just need practice!"
"Aaaaa!" Grover went flying sideways down the hill like a possessed lawn mower, heading toward the van.
Naruto was just barking with laughter at Grover.
"Glad to see you feeling better," Percy said happily. Naruto looked at him. "I know your worried about the prophecy but don't worry about it,"
"Yeah but- But nothing," Percy interrupted him. "Naruto when have you ever listened to an authoritative figure." Naruto paused at that. "Now man up, your Naruto Uzu-fucking-maki right," Naruto chuckled at that. "Right," Percy persisted.
"Yeah," Naruto said full of confidence. Percy wrapped his arm around Naruto's shoulder and preceded to walk but before they got far, Chiron caught them. "I should have trained both of you better," he said. "If only I had more time. Hercules, Jason – they all got more training."
"That's okay I just wish – "
Percy stopped himself from finishing that sentence, but Naruto understood. Percy was the only one without a weapon. Annabeth had her knife and invisible cap, Grover had the shoes and his flute which Naruto assumed did something. Naruto had his gauntlets and his goggles. Percy had nothing to defend himself from monsters on the quest except the horn.
"What am I thinking?" Chiron cried. "I can't let you get away without this." He pulled a pen from his coat pocket and handed it to Percy. It was an ordinary disposable ballpoint, black ink, removable cap. He looked at it for a moment before realization hit him with what it was.
"Is this," Percy began. Chiron nodded. The smile on Percy's face grew. Until Naruto decided to speak up.
"Percy that is a pen," Naruto said.
"Yes I know Naruto,"
"…Percy that is a pen,"
"Yes I know Naruto,"
"Percy, that's a gift from your father. I've kept it for years, not knowing you were who I was waiting for. But the prophecy is clear to me now. You are the one." Chiron stated.
Naruto then remembered the field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, when Percy vaporized Mrs. Dodds to powder with a sword. He had looked confused when the sword had disappeared. 'It must have turned back into a pen in his hand which explains his confused face at the time,' Naruto thought.
Percy took of the cap, and the pen grew longer and heavier on Percy's hand. In half of a second , he held a shimmering bronze sword with a double-edged blade, a leather-wrapped grip and a flat hilt riveted with gold studs.
"The sword has a long and tragic history that we need not go into," Chiron told him. "Its name is Anaklusmos."
"Riptide." Percy translated; he looked surprise he translated so fast.
"Use it only for emergencies," Chiron said, "and only against monsters. No hero should harm mortals unless absolutely necessary, of course, but this sword wouldn't harm them in any case."
"What do you mean it wouldn't harm mortals? How could it not?" Percy asked, confused as he looked at the deadly looking blade.
"The sword is celestial bronze. Forged by the Cyclopes, tempered in the heart of Mount Etna, cooled in the River Lethe. It's deadly to monsters, to any creature from the Underworld, provided they don't kill you first. But the blade will pass through mortals like an illusion. They simply are not important enough for the blade to kill. And I should warn you two: as a demigod, you can be killed by either celestial or normal weapons. You are twice as vulnerable."
"Good to know." Percy replied, with me nodding in agreement.
"Now to recap the pen." Percy did so and it turned back into a pen. "And don't worry, you can't lose it. It will return to your pocket, try it." Percy threw the pen. He counted to tree and reached into his pocket. Sure enough it was there.
"Well off you go now," Chiron said. The companions looked towards each other and proceeded down the hill. Ready to start the adventure.
Argus drove them out of the countryside and into western Long Island. For Percy, it felt weird to be out on the highway again, Naruto was used to it. He had spent 2 weeks on a boat coming from japan the America as a stowaway after all. Annabeth and Grover next to them as if they were normal carpoolers. After spending two weeks at Half-Blood Hill, the real world seemed like a fantasy.
"So far so good," Percy told Annabeth. "Ten miles and not a single monster."
"Awesome." Naruto said slumping in my chair.
She gave Naruto an annoyed look. "Excluding whiskers of course."
"What was that fourth wheel," Naruto growled
"Enough," Percy said. They both shut their mouth. "Annabeth seriously what's your problem with us, do you hate us or something,"
"I don't you guys." Annabeth sighed.
"Could've fooled me." Naruto mumbled.
She folded her cap of invisibility, and looked at Percy. "Look . . . we're just not supposed to get along, okay? Our parents are rivals."
"Why?" Percy asked.
Annabeth sighed. "How many reasons do you want? One time my mom caught Poseidon with his girlfriend in Athena's temple, which is hugely disrespectful. Another time, Athena and Poseidon competed to be the patron god for the city of Athens. Your dad created some stupid saltwater spring for his gift. My mom created the olive tree. The people saw that her gift was better, so they named the city after her."
"They must really like olives." replied Percy.
"Oh, forget it."
"Now, if she'd invented pizza—that I could understand."
"I said, forget it!"
Naruto just snickered at her expense, which got her to glare at him.
"You on the other hand," she started.
In the front seat, Argus smiled. He didn't say anything, but one blue eye on the back of the neck winked at them.
Traffic slowed them down in Queens. By the time they got into Manhattan it was sunset and was starting to rain.
Argus dropped them off at the Greyhound Station on the Upper East Side, not far from Percy's apartment. Taped to a mailbox was a soggy flyer with Percy's picture on it: HAVE YOU SEEN THIS BOY?
Percy ripped it down before Annabeth and Grover could notice. Argus unloaded their bags, made sure they got their bus tickets, and then drove away, the eye on the back of his hand opening to watch them as he pulled out a parking lot.
Naruto saw Percy looked at his apartment. Naruto could tell he was thinking about his mother. Naruto put his hand on Percy's shoulder to reassure him.
Grover shouldered his backpack. He gazed down the street in the direction Percy and Naruto were looking. "You want to know why she married him, Percy?"
He stared at him, while stayed quiet. "Where you reading my mind or something?
"Just your emotions." Grover shrugged. "Guess I forgot to tell you satyrs can do that. You were thinking about your mom and your stepdad, right?"
"Your mom married Gabe for you," Grover told him "You called him 'Smelly,' but you've got no idea. The guy has this aura. . . . Yuck. I can smell him from here. I can smell traces of him on you and Naruto, and you haven't been near him for a week and Naruto was only around him for a few hours."
"Thanks," Percy said. "Where's the nearest shower?" Naruto in the meantime was smelling himself.
"You should be grateful, Percy. Your stepfather smells so repulsively human he could mask the presence of any demigod. As soon as I took a whiff inside his Camaro, I knew: Gabe has been covering your scent for years. If you hadn't lived with him every summer, you probably would've been found by monsters a long time ago. Your mom stayed with him to protect you. She was a smart lady. She must've loved you a lot to put up with that guy—if that makes you feel any better."
"Ugh, that still has to suck though. Just walking in front of him, made me want to gag." Naruto added. "Seriously can you smell him on me," Naruto asked getting worried.
Line Break
The rain kept coming down.
The group got restless waiting for the bus and decided to play some Hacky Sack with one of Grover's apples. Annabeth was unbelievable. She could bounce the apple off her knee, her elbow, and her shoulder, whatever. Naruto was ok though he tended to use his tail as well. Percy kept putting too much force
The game ended when Percy tossed the apple toward Grover and it got too close to his mouth. In one mega goat bite, their Hacky Sack disappeared—core, stem, and all.
Grover blushed. He tried to apologize, but Annabeth, Percy and I were too busy cracking up. But I couldn't help but to wonder how Grover was able to do that.
Finally, the bus came. As they stood in line to board, Grover started looking around, sniffing the air like he smelled his favorite school cafeteria delicacy—enchiladas.
"What is it?" Percy asked, curious.
"I don't know," he said. "Maybe it's nothing."
Percy was relieved when they finally got on board and found seats together in the back of the bus. They stowed their backpacks and sat down. Annabeth kept slapping her Yankees cap nervously against her thigh, Grover kept looking everywhere, Naruto was clenching and unclenching his fists, and Percy was flipping the minotaur horn in his right hand.
As the last passengers got on, Annabeth clamped her hand on Percy's knee. "Percy."
An old lady had just boarded the bus. She wore a crumpled velvet dress, lace gloves, and a shapeless orange-knit hat that shadowed her face, and she carried a big paisley purse. When she tilted her head up, her black eyes glittered, and made me forced a smile looking as innocent as possible, while Percy looked freaked out.
Behind her came two more old ladies: one in a green hat, one in a purple hat. Otherwise they looked exactly like Mrs. Dodds—same gnarled hands, paisley handbags, wrinkled velvet dresses. Triplet demon grandmothers.
They sat in the front row, right behind the driver. The two on the aisle crossed their legs over the walkway, making an X. It was casual enough, but it sent a clear message: nobody leaves.
The bus pulled out of the station, and they headed through the slick streets of Manhattan. "She didn't stay dead long," Percy said, trying to keep his voice from quivering. "I thought you said they could be dispelled for a lifetime."
I said if you're lucky," Annabeth said. "But you are obviously not."
"All three of them," Grover whimpered. "Di immortales!"
"It's okay," Annabeth said, obviously thinking hard. "The Furies. The three worst monsters from the Underworld. No problem. No problem. We'll just slip out the windows."
"They don't open," Grover moaned.
"A back exit?" she suggested.
There wasn't one. Even if there had been, it wouldn't have helped. By that time, we were on Ninth Avenue, heading for the Lincoln Tunnel.
Naruto growled, "I could always make one."
"No, we don't need to cause a scene and bring attention to ourselves." Annabeth replied.
"They won't attack us with witnesses around," Percy said. "Will they?"
"Mortals don't have good eyes," Annabeth reminded us. "Their brains can only process what they see through the Mist. Why do you think no one had questioned Naruto about his tail?"
"They'll see three old ladies killing us, won't they?"
She thought about it. "Hard to say. But we can't count on mortals for help. Maybe an emergency exit in the roof ...?"
They entered the Lincoln Tunnel, and the bus went dark except for the running lights down the aisle. It was eerily quiet without the sound of the rain.
Mrs. Dodds got up. In a flat voice, as if she'd rehearsed it, she announced to the whole bus: "I need to use the rest-room."
"So do I," said the second sister.
"So do I," said the third sister.
They all started coming down the aisle.
"I got an idea," Percy said. "Annabeth hand me your cap," Annabeth looked at him skeptically but gave him the cap. "Stall," he said as he put the cap on.
As they got closer their appearances were changing. The old ladies were not old ladies anymore. Their faces were still the same, which couldn't get any uglier if you asked anyone, but their bodies had shriveled into leathery brown hag bodies with bat's wings and hands and feet like gargoyle claws. Their handbags had turned into fiery whips.
The Furies surrounded them, lashing their whips, hissing: "Where is it? Where?"
The other people on the bus were screaming, cowering in their seats. They saw something, all right.
"He's not here!" Naruto yelled. "He's gone!"
"Silence traitor!" one of them hissed at Naruto. The Furies raised their whips ready to attack.
Annabeth drew her bronze knife. Grover grabbed a tin can from his snack bag and prepared to throw it. Naruto grabbed Percy's horn ready to stab.
Percy in the meantime was in front of the bus where the wheel man was. What he did next was so impulsive and dangerous that should be named as the ADHD poster child of the year. He grabbed the wheel of the bus and it slammed against the side of the tunnel, grinding metal, and throwing sparks a mile behind them.
Everybody howled as they were thrown to the right, and I saw the Furies smashing against the windows.
"Hey!" the driver yelled. "Hey – whoa!"
They careened out of the Lincoln Tunnel and back into the rainstorm, people and monsters were tossed around the bus, cars plowed aside like bowling pins.
Somehow the driver found an exit. The bus shot off the highway, through half a dozen traffic lights, and ended up barreling down one of those New Jersey rural roads where you can't believe there's so much nothing right across the river from New York. There were woods to the left, the Hudson River to the right, and the driver seemed to be veering toward the river.
Percy got another great idea and slammed on the emergency break.
The bus wailed, spun a full circle on the wet asphalt, and crashed into the trees. The emergency lights came on. The door flew open. The bus driver was the first one out, the passengers yelling as they stampeded after him.
Percy stepped into the driver's seat and let them pass.
The Furies regained their balance. They lashed their whips at Annabeth while she waved her knife and yelled in Ancient Greek, telling them to back off. Grover threw tin cans, which didn't look quite effective.
"Hey!" Percy yelled, taking off the hat and revealing himself. The Furies turned, baring their yellow fangs at the Son of Poseidon, and he instantly regretted it, which was easily seen thanks to his freaked out expression. Mrs. Dodds stalked up the aisle, just as she used to do in class, like she was about to give him another failed paper. Every time she flicked her whip, red flames danced along the barbed leather. Her two ugly sisters hopped on top of the seats on either side of her and crawled toward him like huge nasty lizards.
"Perseus Jackson," Mrs. Dodds said, in an accent that was definitely from somewhere farther south than Georgia. "You have offended the gods. You shall die."
"I liked you better as a math teacher," Percy told her.
"And even then you sucked" Naruto mocked.
"Silence!" She said to him.
"Make me!" Naruto said. "Percy," He shouted throwing the horn at Percy. Naruto then brought his knuckles together. The glove turned from cloth to metal and covered his entire hands. The plates appeared one by one on each arm. He closed his fist and aimed at the three furies. He held down the button on both gauntlets and six projectiles shot out towards the furies. Unfortunately only one got hit. Even more unfortunately it lived.
Percy went over his pocket; he took the ballpoint pen out and uncapped the pen. Riptide elongated into a shimmering double edged sword.
The furies hesitated.
Dodds had felt Riptide's blade before. She obviously didn't like seeing it again.
Submit now," she hissed. "And you will not suffer eternal torment."
"Nice try," Percy replied.
"Percy, look out!" Annabeth cried. Mrs. Dodds lashed her whip around his sword hand while the Furies on the either side lunged at him.
Percy grimaced at the pain that whip was causing, but he regained some composure to strike back. He used the hilt of his to knock away the fury on the left, sending her toppling backward into a seat. He turned and sliced the Fury on the right. As soon as the blade connected with her neck, she screamed and exploded into dust. Naruot slammed Mrs. Dodds with his fist which surprised her and caused her to slam to a window.
Annabeth grabbed our backpacks. While Grover grabbed Percy moving to the exit of the bus. The Fury he'd hilt-slammed came at him again, talons ready, but Naruto clawed her with his gauntlets causing her to succumb to her previous injuries from the projectiles. She exploded into golden dust. Then the smell hit Naruto's nose. There was a gas leak.
"Gas leak get out!" Naruto shouted. His companions couldn't get out any faster. They rushed outside and found the other passengers wandering around in a daze, arguing with the driver, or running around in circles yelling, "We're going to die!" A Hawaiian-shirted tourist with a camera snapped their photograph before they could put away their weapons. Naruto saw one guy with a lighter in his hands. Quickly he snatched it from the man, flicked it and threw it at the bus as soon as the fire lit.
BOOOOM!
The bus exploded and the passengers ran for cover. An angry wail from inside told them that Mrs. Dodds was not yet dead.
"Oh man!" Naruto complained.
"Run!" Annabeth said. "She's calling for reinforcements! We have to get out of here!"
They plunged into the nearby woods as the rain started to fall; the flaming bus behind them and nothing but darkness ahead.
'Go left,' a voice said in Naruto's head. He recognized it immediately. "Go left," He shouted over his shoulder. The group proceeded to listen to his instructions. It went on like that for a couple of minutes until finally the voice told him to stop in a clearing. 'You're welcome,' It grumbled before going silent.
"What did I say about not causing a scene!" Annabeth yelled.
"I was buying time alright!" I yelled.
"You could have killed someone!"
"It was spur of the moment,"
"Both of you shut up!" Percy shouted. "Annabeth lay off Naruto it was a spilt second decision that I support. Can you think of anything else we could have done?" Annabeth opened her mouth for a second but closed it soon after. "I thought so," Naruto was snickering at her but the look Percy was giving him made him stop immediately. "Naruto…try to be subtler from now on." He sighed out.
"Whatever," Naruto huffed.
'Dear gods I'm becoming the responsible one,' Percy thought mortified. They were so screwed.
"Well at least we went out with a bang" Naruto said wiggling his eyebrows.
Percy looked at him for a good second. Then he proceeded hit him. Hard.
"OW what the fuck Percy!"
Line Break
There they were, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover and Naruto, walking through the woods along the New Jersey riverbank, the glow of New York City making the night sky yellow behind them, and the smell of the Hudson reeking in their noses. Do to Naruto's now extra sensitive nose it was even worse for him.
Grover was shivering and braying, his big goat eyes turned slit-pupiled and full of terror. "Three Kindly Ones. All three at once."
Annabeth kept pulling them saying: "Come on! The farther away we get, the better."
They had lost everything. The money the gifts. Everything. Well except for Hinata's charms. Naruto had mourned over the loss of the money he had one.
"How could you think it would be bright idea to jump into a fight and – " Annabeth had started to rant.
"What did you want us to do? Let you get killed?" Percy countered.
"You didn't need to protect me, Percy. I would've been fine."
"Sliced like sandwich bread," Grover put in, "but fine."
"Shut up, goat boy," said Annabeth.
"Hey! He's right you would have gotten hurt alright," Naruto said. "I may not like you but I don't want you dead,"
"Gee Naruto you know how to make a girl feel special,"
"I try,"
They sloshed across mushy ground, through nasty twisted trees that smelled like sour laundry.
After a few minutes, Annabeth fell between Naruto and Percy.
"Look, I . . ." Her voice faltered. "I appreciate both of you coming back for us, okay? Yes you too Naruto. That was really brave."
"We're a team, right?"
"Damn straight." Naruto said gesturing to Annabeth.
She was silent for a few more steps. "It's just that Percy if you die . . . aside from the fact that it would really suck for you, it would mean the quest was over. This may be my only chance to see the real world."
Naruto looked at her in wander. 'How long has she been at that camp,'
The thunderstorm had finally let up. The city glow faded behind them, leaving them in almost total darkness.
"You haven't left Camp Half-Blood since you were seven?" Naruto asked Annabeth.
"No ... only short field trips. My dad—"
"The history professor." interrupted Percy.
"Yeah. It didn't work out for me living at home. I mean, Camp Half-Blood is my home." She was rushing her words out now, as if she were afraid somebody might try to stop her. "At camp you train and train. And that's all cool and everything, but the real world is where the monsters are. That's where you learn whether you're any good or not."
"You're pretty good with that knife,"
"You think so?"
"Standing up to them and getting ready to fight a Fury is okay by me."
Annabeth smiled at Percy's comment that he made about her.
"You know," she said, "maybe I should tell you . . . Something funny back on the bus. . ."
Whatever she wanted to say was interrupted by shrill toot-toot-toot, like the sound of an owl being tortured.
"Hey, my reed pipes still work!" Grover cried. "If I could just remember a 'find path' song, we could get out of these woods!"
'Oh no,' Naruto and Percy thought feeling the incoming notes, As Grover puffed, but the song still sounded suspiciously like Hilary Duff. Which didn't help. Then Percy slammed into a tree.
"HA!" Naruto laughed.
"Fuck you," Percy grimaced.
"Okay let's review," Annabeth spoke up. "We're broke, lost, and have nothing but the clothes on our backs, anything I'm missing." As if on cue Naruto's stomach growled. Everybody turned to stare at him.
"If any of you so much as giggle I will eat you," Naruto threatened.
Line Break
They kept walking until they came across a deserted two-lane road through the trees. On the other side was a closed-down gas station, a tattered billboard for 1990s movie, and one open business, which was the source of the neon light and tasty smell.
It was like one of those weird roadside curio shops that sell lawn flamingos and wooden Indians and cement grizzly bears and stuff. The main building was a long, low warehouse, surrounded by acres of statuary. The neon sign above the gate was impossible for Percy to read, because if there's anything worse his dyslexia than regular English, its red cursive neon English.
To him, it looked like: ATNYU MES GDERAN GOMEN MEPROUIM.
"What the heck does that say?" asked Percy.
"I don't know," Annabeth said.
"Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium." Naruto said.
Flanking the entrance, as advertised, were two cement garden gnomes, ugly bearded little runts, smiling and waving, as if they were about to get their picture taken. Creepy.
Percy crossed the street, following the smell of the hamburgers.
"Hey ..." Grover warned.
"The lights are on inside," Annabeth said. "Maybe it's open."
"Snack bar," Percy said wistfully.
"Snack bar," she agreed.
"Food," Naruto moaned.
"Are you guys crazy?" Grover said. "This place is weird."
They ignored him and went to fallow the heavenly smell that was food.
The front lot was a forest of statues: cement animals, cement children, even a cement satyr playing the pipes, which gave Grover the creeps.
"Bla-ha-ha!" he bleated. "Looks like my Uncle Ferdinand!"
They stopped at the warehouse door.
"Don't knock," Grover pleaded. "I smell monsters."
"Your nose is clogged up from the Furies," Annabeth told him. "All I smell is burgers. Aren't you hungry?"
"Meat!" he said scornfully. "I'm a vegetarian."
"You eat cheese enchiladas and aluminum cans," Percy reminded him.
"Those are vegetables. Come on. Let's leave. These statues are ... looking at me."
"Oh your just being paranoid," Naruto said. Though there was this itch in the back of his brain that agreed with his friend.
Wow ok then I don't know what the Fuck THAT was but... fixed it. Sorry about that. Now tell me how you really feel.