(Charlie POV)
Charlie decided he quite liked Esther. She was a tiny, sweet old lady that reminded him of those Grandmas that was surrounded by grandkids all the time. Of course, his grandmother was Sally Jackson and he adored her.
She was the one who got him hooked on blue food and insisted on throwing him and his cousins amazing birthday parties. She had even been okay with becoming everyone's grandma, it seemed like.
Esther reminded him of her with her insistence on calling him 'sweetie'. It also made him a little nostalgic. Though he knew that if they succeeded in their quest he would get to spend a lot more time with his beloved grandma.
Esther was nice enough to drop the four of them off and give them money for a taxi ride back to the Carter Center despite them telling her to keep.
As she drove away Frank asked. "Are all people in Atlanta that nice?"
Hedge didn't look pleased. "I hope not. I can't fight them if they're nice. Let's go beat up some whale sharks. They sound dangerous!"
Charlie exchanged an exasperated look with his father as they walked behind him. He saw Percy glance at the elementary schoolers in line for admission with a brief look of sadness. Charlie bit his lip and nudged him, giving his dad an understanding half smile when he looked at Charlie. Percy sent a faint smile back and ruffled his son's hair before getting back to the task at hand.
"Well, I guess we wait in line. Anybody have money?" Percy asked.
Charlie patted down his pockets and pulled out two twenty dollar bills. He showed them to his dad with a shrug. Percy gave an approving nod before looking at the other two.
Frank checked his pockets as well. "Four denarii from Camp Jupiter. Five dollars Canadian."
Hedge pulled out what he found in his gym short pockets. "Three quarters, two dimes, a rubber band and- score! A piece of celery."
The satyr chewed the celery, much to Charlie's disgust. 'How long has been there?' Charlie thought horrified as he watched Hedge eye the rubber band and change like he was debating on eating them as well.
"Great," Percy deadpanned, a similar expression on his face.
Charlie glanced around wondering how they were going to get in since he was positive twenty dollars and ninety five cents was not going to get them in. He snapped his attention to a woman coming up to them wearing an employee's shirt that had name tag that said 'Kate' on it.
"Ah, VIP visitors!" She said excitedly before snatching the four denarii from Frank's hand. "You have your payment, I see! Excellent!"
"What?" Percy said, shifting slightly in front of Charlie.
Kate glanced at the coins and nodded. "Yes, that's fine. Right this way!"
Percy glanced at the other two. "A trap?"
"Probably." Frank agreed.
Charlie nodded. "Definitely."
"She's not mortal," Hedge said after sniffing the air. "Probably some sort of goat-eating, demigod-destroying fiend from Tartarus."
"No doubt." Percy said, resigned.
"Awesome," Hedge grinned manically making Charlie feel somewhat on edge. "Let's go."
They followed after Kate, Percy leaning over to Charlie and telling him to 'Stay out of trouble; otherwise your mother will kill me.' Charlie simply gave him an innocent smile that Percy eyed distrustfully as Kate led them into the aquarium.
"Right this way," Kate grinned at the father/son duo. "It's a wonderful exhibit. You won't be disappointed. So rare we get VIPs."
Frank fidgeted as he asked. "Uh, you mean demigods?"
Kate winked and put a finger to her lips. "So over here is the cold water experience, with your penguins and beluga whales and whatnot. And over there…well, those are some fish."
Kate did not seem to like the smaller, less dangerous fish. When Frank pointed to fish and asked what it was, Kate replied. "Oh, those are the yellow ones."
Charlie gave a questioning look at Percy, who shrugged in response. They passed the gift shop and Frank stopped to check out the clearance table.
"Take what you want," Kate said.
Frank gave a shocked blink. "Really?"
"Of course! You're a VIP!"
Frank hesitated for a second before stuffing T-Shirts in his backpack. Charlie gave a raised eyebrow as Percy questioned him.
"Dude, what are you doing?" Percy said.
"She said I could," Frank whispered, putting one more T-Shirt in. "Besides, I need more clothes. I didn't pack for a long trip!"
He picked up a snow globe and threw it in. Charlie was startled to realize that it was the same snow globe that had sat on the Zhang's fireplace mantle since before Charlie was born. Frank then picked up a braided cylinder about the size of a candy bar. Again Charlie was startled by this, since those Chinese handcuffs were usually sat next to the snow globe. It was a little freaky.
Frank squinted at what he had in his hand. "What is- ?"
Percy answered. "Chinese handcuffs."
Frank took on an offended look. "How is this Chinese?"
"I don't know," Percy said while Charlie snickered in the background. "That's just what it's called. It's like a gag gift."
Kate called for them. "Come along, boys!"
"I'll show you later," Percy said, clapping a hand on Frank's shoulder as they continued walking.
They walked further into the aquarium, through an acrylic tunnel. Charlie felt his dad shift anxiously next to him and hoped he would calm down.
They emerged in a viewing room awash with blue light. On the other side of a glass wall was a giant aquarium tank, bigger than anything Charlie had ever seen. Dozens of huge fish, including two spotted sharks, each one twice the size of Charlie. They were fat and slow, mouths open that showed no teeth.
"Whale sharks," Hedge cracked his knuckles. "Now we fight to the death!"
Kate giggled. "Silly satyr. Whale sharks are peaceful. They only eat plankton."
Percy and Charlie shared a mutual scowl. How had Kate known about Hedge being a satyr? The nicer Kate acted the more wary Charlie became of her. He could tell his father felt the same way. Hedge sadly seemed unaware and continued with his rant.
"Peaceful sharks?" the coach scowled. "What's the point of that?"
Frank was peering at a plaque next to the tank. "The only whale sharks in captivity in the world. That's kind of amazing."
"Yes, and these are small," Kate smiled. "You should see some of my other babies out in the wild."
"Your babies?" Frank asked warily.
Kate's smile turned sharp causing a chill to go down Charlie's spine. He really didn't want to meet this lady's 'babies'. Percy seemed to agree as he hastened to move the conversation along.
"So, Kate," Percy said. "we're looking for a guy…I mean a god, named Phorcys. Would you happen to know him?"
Charlie hadn't expected Kate to snort and say. "Know him? He's my brother. That's where we're going sillies. The real exhibits are right through here."
She waved a hand at the far wall. It began to ripple, and another tunnel came into view, leading through a purple lit tank.
Kate strolled inside. Charlie and Percy gave reluctant looks but followed at a sedated pace, Frank and Coach Hedge bringing up the rear.
The moment they entered, Hedge whistled. "Now that's interesting."
Swimming overhead was multicolored jellyfish the size of trash cans, every single one with hundreds of tentacles that looked like barbed wire. One jellyfish had a limp looking ten-foot-long swordfish in its grasp, slowly wrapping its tendrils tighter and tighter around its prey.
Kate beamed happily at the coach. "You see? Forget the whale sharks! And there's much more."
Charlie didn't want to see what 'more' looked like, but he didn't get a choice. Kate led them into a larger chamber, lined with more aquariums. On one wall, a glowing red sign depicted a sentence: DEATH IN THE DEEP SEAS! Sponsored by Monster Donut.
Charlie watched Percy squint at the sign. "Monster Donut?"
"Oh, yes," Kate said pleasantly. "One of our corporate sponsors."
Percy didn't look happy. Charlie didn't either; he had heard things about that corporation. His dad had fought a Hydra once because of them.
Percy glanced at a tank filled with hippocampi lethargically drifting around and muttered. "This isn't right."
Charlie nodded in agreement. It was horrifying to see, the poor creatures looked so drugged up they probably couldn't even feel anything.
Then he felt his father shudder in anger next to him and growl at Kate. "How can you keep them here?"
Charlie curiously turned to look at what had set his father off and felt sucker punched by what he saw. At the bottom of a much smaller tank, two Nereids sat cross-legged, facing each other, playing a game of Go Fish. They looked incredibly bored. Their long green hair drifted around their faces with their eyes half closed.
White hot anger shot through him and he whipped around to glare at Kate along with his father as she responded to the question.
"I know," She sighed, much to the green eyed boy's ire. "They aren't very interesting. We tried to teach them, but with no luck, I'm afraid. I think you'll like this tank over here much better."
Percy protested but Kate ignored him.
"Holy mother of goats!" Coach shouted. "Look at these beauties!"
He was staring in awe at two thirty foot long sea serpents, with glowing blue scales and powerful jaws. In tank right beside it, a squid the size of an eighteen wheeler, with a beak like a huge bolt cutter, was peeking at the from its cement cave.
A third tank held a dozen humanoid creatures with smooth seal bodies, canine like faces and human hands. They sat on the sand at the bottom of the tank, building things out of Legos, seeming as loopy as the Nereids.
"Are thoses-?" Percy choked on the question.
"Telkhines?" Kate finished. "Yes! The only ones in captivity."
Percy looked as horrified as Charlie felt. "But they fought for Kronos in the last war! They're dangerous!"
Kate rolled her eyes as if he was stupid. "Well, we couldn't call it 'Death in the Deep Seas' if these exhibits weren't dangerous. Don't worry. We keep them well sedated."
Charlie continued to worry.
As did Frank as he asked. "Sedated? Is that legal?"
Kate ignored him. She kept walking through the room, pointing at other exhibits. Charlie wanted to stop the tour and get out of Atlanta. He had an uneasy feeling about this whole building.
"And these sea monsters," Kate narrated in front of them. "can grow five hundred feet long in the deep ocean. They have thousands of teeth. And these? Their favorite food is demigod-?"
"Demigod?" Frank sounded alarmed.
Charlie just thought it was so typical that its favorite food was demigod, because why not?
Kate continued. "But they eat whales or small boats, too." Kate turned to Percy and blushed. "Sorry…I'm such a monster nerd! I'm sure you know all this being the son of Poseidon, and all."
Charlie's dad simply eyed her with suspicion.
"Who are you?" Percy demanded. "Does Kate stand for something?"
"Kate?" She looked slightly confused. "Oh…no, it's-"
"Hello!" A new voice said, bouncing around the room.
Charlie whipped around and stared at the new person. He was a small man wearing a wet suit in several, eye burning shades of green. Glittery silver words printed down the side read: PORKY'S FOLLIES. A headset microphone was clamped over his greasy hair. His eyes were milky blue, one set higher than the other, and though he smiled, he didn't seem friendly.
Charlie's spidey-senses were tingling as he stared at this individual. He was fairly certain shit was about to hit the fan. Charlie hoped he ducked quickly enough.
"Visitors," 'Porky' said. "Welcome to Phorcys's Follies!"
Charlie decided he did not like Phorcys's Follies. He was pretty sure his dad agreed.
The dude swept his arms through the air, as if directing their attention. Nothing happened.
"Curse it," He grumbled. "Telkhines, that's your cue! I wave my hands, and you leap energetically in your tank, do a synchronized double spin, and land in pyramid formation. We practiced this!"
The sea demons ignored him, to Porky's annoyance. Charlie felt no sympathy for the wet-suit wearing man. He also decided to mentally call him glitter boy.
Coach Hedge moved closer and sniffed his glittery outfit. "Nice outfit."
Sadly, the satyr said it genuinely instead of sarcastically. Charlie didn't trust the goat's fashion sense anyway.
"Thank you!" Porky said happily. "I am Phorcys."
Frank shifted his weight. "Why does your suit say Porky?"
Glitter Boy snarled. "Stupid uniform company! They can't anything right."
Kate gestured to her name tag. "I told them my name was Keto. They misspelled it as Kate. My brother…well, now he's Porky."
"I am not!" He snapped. "I'm not even a little porky. The name doesn't work with Follies, either. What kind of show is called Porky's Follies? But you folks don't want to hear us complain. Behold the wondrous majesty of the killer squid."
He gestured dramatically toward the tank. This time, fireworks went off in front of it, sending geysers of golden sparkles. Music sounded from the speakers. The lights got turned all the way up to ten and revealed…an empty tank.
Charlie wasn't sure whether to be happy about that or not. Porky certainly wasn't.
"Curse it!" He yelled again.
He then turned to his sister. "Keto, training the squid was your job. Juggling, like I said. Maybe a little bit of flesh-rendering for the finale. Is that too much to ask?"
"He's shy," Keto defended the missing squid. "Besides, each of his tentacles has sixty-two razorlike barbs."
She looked at Frank. "Did you know the monstrous squid is the only beast known to eat demigods whole, armor and all, without getting indigestion? It's true!"
Charlie wasn't sure he liked how she talked about these creatures, he felt like he was watching Animal Planet: Terrifying Monster Addition. It sounded like a terrible show to him.
"Keto!" Glitter Boy glared. "You'll bore our guests with so much information. Less education, more entertainment! We've discussed this."
"But- "
"No buts! We're here to present 'Death in the Deep Seas!' Sponsored by Monster Donut!"
The words reverberated through the room. Lights flashed, nearly blinding Charlie. Smoke rolled up from the floor, making donut-shaped rings that smelled faintly like actual donuts.
Charlie blinked rapidly to get rid of the spots in his eyes as Porky directed them out of the room.
"Hold it." Percy said firmly, glancing at Charlie worriedly.
Glitter Boy's smile fell. "Yes?"
"You're a sea god, aren't you? Son of Gaea?" Percy asked.
Phorcys sighed dramatically. "Five thousand years, and I'm still known as Gaea's little boy. Never mind that I'm one of the oldest sea gods in existence. Far older than your upstart father, by the way. I'm the god of hidden depths! Lord of watery terrors! Father of a thousand monsters! But, no…nobody knows me. I make one little mistake, supporting the Titans in their war, and I'm exiled from the ocean. To Atlanta, of all places!"
"We thought the Olympians meant Atlantis," Keto said. "Their idea of a joke, I guess, sending us here."
Charlie looked at her. "And you? You're a goddess?"
"Keto, yes," She smiled at him. Charlie didn't smile back.
Keto then explained that sea was the goddess of sea monsters and giant sea life before telling them about sea serpents and their eating habits. Poor Frank looked sick to his stomach. Coach however chatted with the goddess until Phorcys interrupted them.
"Stop!" He yelled. "You're ruining the show! Now, witness our Nereid gladiators fight to the death!"
A disco ball descended into the Nereid tank, making the water light up with multiple colors. Two swords fell to the bottom and laid in the sand, The Nereid simply ignored them and continued playing Go Fish.
"Curse it!" came from Porky a fourth time.
Charlie decided now would be a good time to slink off and do some detective work as Keto took Coach Hedge on his own tour.
Percy and Frank didn't notice him vanish back down the way they came. Charlie walked through the first room and ducked into a door he had noticed earlier. The only reason he had was because there was a small sign, barely noticeable, that read: SUPPLY CLOSET, EMPOYEES ONLY.
Charlie strives to break rules and go places he didn't belong, which meant he had to at least see the room. It was just a supply closet, right? Wrong.
Charlie stared in shock at the room as he registered what was in front of him. An entire wall covered with pictures of him and his cousins, siblings included. Pictures that he didn't remember being taken.
One showed him at ten sitting cross-legged on the ground with his dad in front of him, teaching him sword fighting from the looks of it.
Another was of Ethan walking down the street, pushing a stroller in front of him, the twins most likely inside it.
A third caught his attention though and he stared at it in horror. It showed the Zoe, Louis, Gabby and Gemma with gags in their mouths sitting on a stone floor, hands and feet bound as Andre and Alejandro were caught mid cry, fat tears streaming down their faces.
Charlie snapped a hand out, ripping the photograph from the wall and sprinted out the room, retracing his steps, headed back to his father.
Murderous rage writhed through him as he tore through the hallways, thinking one thing and one thing only.
Someone was going to pay for this.
Ooooo I wonder who did it? How's Charlie going to change the rest of the Atlanta trip? How is the family as a whole going to react to the picture?
Find out next time on Fated to Save! Comic out!
RosettaQueen20- Thank you! That's okay; I figured you would review at some point. I can't wait to get to that point too! I have so many plot bunnies, it's hard to keep track of. I don't mind the excitement at all! It gets me hyped! And I spend most of my time seated at my laptop, writing this story. I don't get out much, trust me.
Didi – Thanks! I think Percy would be proud that his son took a game that had caused Percy and Sally great pain and turned it into a family game that they all had a good time playing or watching. And I'm totally going to include the 'dad tax' later on. You just watch out for it. I love that you share things with me! It makes me happy! I had a great weekend too! I hope you had one.
EspeonAuraGirl55- Yeah, it was fun to write it. I probably should have explained Zack earlier, huh? *Rubs neck in embarrassment* you know now though, right? Heh. It would have been hilarious if Hedge had found the two of them. And Charlie does get to see the Koi Fish Fiasco, don't worry. That's my favorite scene involving Frank, ever.