Chapter 11 the fourth member
Natalie and Percy were jolted awake when the truck came to a screeching halt.
"I think we are here." Nico said.
"Really?" Percy asked sarcastically.
"We better get out of here." Natalie said.
They found their way to the door and opened the door. Luckily the drivers were busy and nobody saw them. "Percy you know the way to the hotel?" Natalie asked.
"If I remember right, it's this way." Percy said.
Percy led Nico and Natalie, down the streets of Los Vegas. There was so many different casinos but that didn't help, they needed to find the Lotus Hotel and Casino.
All of the sudden Nico stopped.
"Nico is something wrong?" Percy asked.
"I remember, I remember everything. About here anyways." Nico said.
"Really, yeah I remember the kindly one bring me and Bianca here. The time we spent here. It is this way." Nico said. We started down the street at top speed, Natalie and Percy had to fun to catch up. They eventually came upon a huge building. This building was big for a hotel, at least 50 stories. The name was on the roof, but with her dyslexia Natalie couldn't read what it said. But in the bottom window was a neon lotus flower.
"Okay guys remember, no matter what, don't get roped into their con. We go in, find the fourth member drag him or her out and continue on the quest." Percy said.
"The problem, how do we know who we are looking for?" Natalie asked.
"I am sure we will figure it out." Nico said.
As they walked in Natalie's jaw dropped. The whole bottom 5 floors were a kids paradise. There were so many games, and indoor ski slope, water slide, and bungee jump. The place seemed so fun, Natalie wanted to stay forever. She was about to go over to the food court then she figured, this is part of the magic.
"I think the fourth member has to be a demigod." Nico said.
"Okay, so walk around and try to find someone who could be a demigod. Split up but don't play anything or get distracted." Percy said.
"Okay." Nico and Natalie said at the same time. The three of them turned and went off in different directions.
Natalie saw about three people, all seemed completely mortal, the way they were acting didn't seem like they were the fourth. As she walked by a game, the girl playing accidentally turned and tripped Natalie. Natalie fell to the ground.
"Oh, I am sorry." the girl said.
"It's fine." Natalie said. She looked up, the girl had short sort of choppy black hair. Her eyes were a really dark brown, almost black. Her clothes were the strangest, really old fashioned like WWI.
"My name s Rachel." the girl introduced, she reached her hand down and helped Natalie up. (A/N: Not Rachel E. Dare. Completely different.)
"How long have you been here?" Natalie asked.
"Oh, about three or four months. I love it here." Rachel said.
"Okay, hey I might sound crazy but have you heard of the Greek Myths?" Natalie asked.
"Yeah." Rachel said.
"Well they are real and still around." Natalie said.
"I know that, I am a demigod." Rachel said.
"Okay, I am one too. But you need to get out of here." Natalie said.
"Why, this place is great?" Rachel asked.
"Rachel who is the president right now?" Natalie asked.
"Wilson, he is great! He is keeping us out of the Great War." Rachel said.
"What year is it?" Natalie asked.
"1915." Rachel said.
"Oh gods. Listen Rachel you have been in here for 100 years. It is 2015. (A/N Since Nico is 14 in MoA [2013] and he is now 16, I am making the year 2015)" Natalie said.
"Can you prove it?" Rachel asked.
Natalie remembered the prophecy, the fourth shall be bought with a dime. She dug in her back pocket and pulled out a dime. She looked at it, it was a brand new dime, made in the year 2015. "Look at this dime." Natalie said handing Rachel the dime.
"This is real?" Rachel asked.
"Yes." Natalie said.
"I need to get out of here." Rachel said.
"We need to get my friends first." Natalie asked.
Natalie ran with Rachel closely on her heels. They found Percy quick.
"Percy I found her. Where is Nico?" Natalie said.
"I don't know. I will take um…" Percy said.
"Rachel." Rachel provided.
"Rachel and head out, be quick about getting out." Percy said.
Percy and Rachel headed out the door of the hotel.
Natalie looked around and found Nico.
"Nico come on." Natalie said
"So…much…fun." Nico said.
"Nico we got the fourth member we need to get to the Gulf of Mexico now." Natalie said.
"What?" Nico asked. "I am not leaving. I am going to stay here forever." Nico said. He seemed to be in a trance.
Natalie needed to figure out how to snap him out of it.
Nico turned around to walk away, but Natalie stopped him, and turned him around. She brought him close and kissed him, right on the lips. The kiss lasted for five seconds and for those five seconds nothing else mattered.
When they broke away, Nico seemed to be snapped out of his trance.
"Oh my gods, we need to get out of here." Nico said.
"Agreed." Natalie said. They turned and ran for the door.
Percy and Rachel were waiting for them outside the hotel.
"Good we all made it." Percy said.
"Will you please explain what is going on?" Rachel asked.
Percy quickly checked the newspaper stand, "Good it is still 2015. But we were in there for two days."
"Two days!" Natalie said. They were barely in there for twenty minutes, at least it felt like that.
"Okay Rachel, you want explanations." Natalie said. Then she started explaining the whole quest starting with her and Percy's dream.
"Wow." Rachel said.
"So you are a demigod." Nico said.
"Yeah, my father is Hades." Rachel said.
Nico's face was priceless. Percy busted out laughing at it, while Natalie tried to stifle hers.
"I'm Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon." Percy introduced.
"Natalie Cox, daughter of Hermes." Natalie said. Nico was still in a state of shock so Natalie decided to introduce him to his new sister. "And this is Nico di' Angelo, son of Hades."
"Okay so we have to get to the Gulf of Mexico by when?" Rachel said.
"I don't think there is a dead line." Percy said.
Just then a note fell from the sky. It was in ancient Greek so Natalie could read it. "If we don't receive our items of power by 7:00 p.m. tomorrow we will start WW3! Signed the Olympians."
"WW3? There was another world war?" Rachel asked.
"Yeah about 30 years after the first one ended." Percy said.
"So we have about," Natalie looked at her watch. 8:00 p.m., "23 hours until the gods unleash WW3."
"Sooner than that, the time difference, it is 11 in New York. We have 20 hours." Percy said.
"Oh Styx." Nico said.
Styx was right, the only way to travel that fast would be by plane, and the three out the four of them couldn't get on a plane.
"I know a way to get to Mexico real fast." Rachel said.
"How?" Percy asked.
"Shadow Travel, Nico can you do it too?" Rachel asked.
"Yeah." Nico said.
"I'll take Natalie and you take Percy, shadow travel to the Gulf of Mexico." Rachel said.
"I'm not so sure, I have never taken somebody else with me." Nico said.
"Are you concerned about it?" Percy asked.
"Yeah!" Nico said.
"Perfect!" Natalie said.
"What?" Nico said.
"The line in the prophecy, 'Four shall return, one full of concern.' You need to be concerned to fulfill the prophecy." Natalie said.
"Okay let's do this." Nico said.
Rachel grabbed Natalie's hand, and Nico, Percy's. First Nico and Percy disappeared into shadows, the Rachel and Natalie.
Shadow travel was scary and awesome at the same time. It was creepy, shadows, darkness, and weird screams, but the sensation felt amazing.
When they popped out of the shadows Nico and Rachel nearly passed out. Natalie and Percy had to catch them.
"Maybe we should rent a hotel and find the thief in the morning." Natalie said.
"Yeah." Percy said.
They found a hotel rather quick, but they forgot one thing, they were in Mexico, so the clergyman was speaking Spanish. (A/N: better get google translate open.) Percy was busy trying to hold up Rachel and Nico, trying to keep them off the dirty floor.
"Hola." Mr. Garcia, as his name plate stated, said.
"Um, hola." Natalie said.
"¿No tienes cuatro un poco tarde?" Mr. Garcia asked.
"um, si?" Natalie said. She wasn't sure of what he asked.
"Número de habitaciones?" Mr. Garcia asked.
Natalie quickly deciphered what he said, number, and something that sounded like habitats, which was probably rooms.
"Uno." Natalie said, she knew that much.
"¿Tipo de pago?" Mr. Garcia asked.
Natalie just stared at him, hoping he would realize she didn't understand.
"Usted no entiende español?" Mr. Garcia asked.
"I don't understand." Natalie said.
Mr. Garcia sighed, apparently he knew enough English to understand what Natalie said. He rubbed his fingers together like he wanted money.
"Oh, payment." Natalie said. She fiddled though her bag and picked out all the remaining money.
"Dinero americano? Dado que usted es los niños voy a aceptar esto y cambiarlo más tarde. Aquí está la clave. Sala de veintitrés años." Mr. Garcia said. Taking the money and handing Natalie a room key.
Natalie grabbed the key and smiled. Luckily there was the number 23 was on the top.
Natalie led the way with Percy behind her, dragging the two passed out children of Hades.
The room was pretty disgusting. There were two beds, so we figured boys on one girls on the other. Percy set Nico on bed and Rachel on the other. Natalie quickly joined Rachel and Percy, Nico.
Rachel's sleep was full of weird dreams.