Update: 25/12/2021
Merry Christmas Everyone. I hope you all have a great and safe Christmas/holiday. Have fun and enjoy yourselves. But take time to think of those who can't be with you by distance, by illness, unable to travel or those that have past on. But also take time to think about the less fortunate.
Have Great Christmas or Holiday
and
A Happy New Year: And I hope it will be a good one!
And on a personal note to my Nan who passed this year. I'll miss you at Christmas the most. I love you and I hope you have quite the celebration in Heaven with the rest of our family and friends that have gone before you. I hope you know we will be thinking about you and everyone else at Christmas.
Love you guys and this Chapter is just as much for you as it is for everyone.
Chapter 17: THAT BLOODY CASINO!
The arguing happened for another 30minutes with Percy basically ignoring them. While all the Demigods watched in amusement. Annabeth decided to take the time to pull Percy into a corner.
"You alright Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth asks him.
"I am fine Wise Girl. But this is JUST the FIRST book. What of our others adventures has Apollo got for us to read?" Percy asks her.
Annabeth grimaces, "Your right. The more books we have will show what happened in the Titan War and the Giant War. And Gods knows how much else. Their reactions and going to be interesting"
"That is an understatement", Percy snorts.
Annabeth smirks at him, "Just imagine some of their faces when they know you BET Ares. Fought Atlas, navigated the labyrinth and fought Kronos and so much else"
Percy snickers quietly, "Oh those will be good. But then we have less pleasant memories. Maybe"
Annabeth kisses him, "Oh I know. But we have each other and the others. Thalia and Nico will defend you and so would the others"
"I will have to hid when Athena finds out a few things", Percy jokes kissing her lips.
She kisses him back passionately, "How long it has been since we…"
"A week at least. Not including this little detour", Percy replies looking at her lustfully, "Do you know you have been driving me crazy in these chapters with you teasing maybe I should pun…", he hints out.
Annabeth eyes widen in lust.
He pulls her into his arms and kisses her passionately. Annabeth moans into his mouth. Boy did she need this even if it was early in these so-called books.
And of course in the heat of the moment they heard voices clearing their throats trying to get their attention.
They break apart and look at those that had gathered looking at them with mixed expressions. Some of the Gods had looks of amusement on their faces. Two certain Gods had smirks on their faces. One disgust.
Poseidon and Athena looked like they couldn't make up their minds on what to think of their children's displays of affection.
"Did you have to break us up?" Percy asks them.
"YES!" Thalia and Nico exclaim.
"Like you and Will, Neeks are much better", Percy retorts, "As I saw last toilet break you and him…"
Nico yelps, "Don't you dare!"
Thalia laughs, "This is why I'm a hunter. No sexual blackmail on me"
"What about your first crush on…", Percy starts but doesn't finish as both Nico and Thalia pounce on him playfully.
The tumble to the ground and begin play wrestling.
"Are they always like this?" Apollo asks in amusement.
"Yes. But lucky for us this is just them bonding. The last fight they had went like Apollo said in that letter that sent us back here. But they don't truly fight often. They are as close as siblings", Annabeth replies smiling at her boyfriend and his cousins, "They each filled the void of siblings in each others lives. Percy doesn't have any siblings. Thalia did have a brother, like Nico had a sister. So they filled the void with each other"
They were still shocked by the love these three had for each other when their Fathers normally couldn't be in a room without killing each other.
Hades pondered Annabeth's words. She said Nico HAD a sibling. Did that mean?
Zeus's thoughts were along the same line as Hades not that either of them would admit it.
"We should continue", Hestia tries to get their attention.
Annabeth rolls her eyes and puts her fingers in her mouth and whistles loudly.
The trio wince.
"Really Annie?" Thalia asks her, looking annoyed, then yelps as Percy and Nico tackle her.
"Yes. We should carry on ready", Annabeth replies loudly.
Percy and Nico climb of the glaring Thalia. They knew they would pay for that later. Likely.
"Who's next?" Persephone asks.
"I'll go", Chris announces.
Persephone hands him the book and everyone sits down ready to hear the next chapter and how Ares dealt with Percy, or Percy dealt with Ares.
Chapter 16: We Take A Zebra To Vegas
"What the hell?" Apollo asks, "Who came up with these titles?"
"Since YOU sent us back in time the only logical answers is…YOU", Percy replies rolling his eyes.
"I would never…
"Yes you would", many call to the pouting Sun God.
The War God was waiting for us in the diner parking lot.
"Well, well", he says, "You didn't get yourself killed"
"You knew it was a trap", I say.
Ares gives me a wicked grin, "Bet that crippled blacksmith was surprised when he netted a couple of stupid kids. You looked good on TV"
"I bet we did", Percy mutters.
I shoved his shield at him, "You're a jerk"
"And you only just noticed?" Clarisse asks him.
"Not really. But I would use stronger language then that and you know that Clarisse", Percy replies.
"Yeh Percy swears like a sailor", Travis chuckles.
"A am a son of the Sea God so of course I do. But Thalia has more of a mouth on her. Nico too when he is really annoyed", Percy teases his cousins.
Thalia and Nico roll their eyes.
"I learnt those swear words from you", Nico tells him.
"I don't think so. Your sister would have killed me", Percy retorts.
Nico laughs, "I bet she would of"
Annabeth and Grover caught their breath.
Ares grabbed the shield and spun it in the air like pizza dough. It changed form, melting into a bulletproof vest. He slung it across his back.
"See that truck over there?" he points to an eighteen-wheeler parked across the street from the diner, "That's your ride. Take you straight to L.A, with one stop in Vegas"
"I hate Vegas", Percy mutters.
"Agreed", Grover, Annabeth and Nico agree to much confusion.
"You CAN'T hate Vegas! Everyone loves Vegas!" Apollo protests.
With Hermes and Aphrodite agreeing.
"Just watch us", Nico retorts.
"When this is over I'm going to show you four just how fun Vegas is!" Apollo declares.
"Over my dead body", Annabeth mutters.
"Son you shouldn't trust Ares", Poseidon states.
"I know Dad. But what choice did we have?" Percy asks rhetorically.
The eighteen-wheeler had a sign on the back, which I could read only because it was reverse-printed white on black, a good combination for dyslexia: KINDNESS INTERNATIONAL: HUMANE ZOO TRANSPORT. WARNING LIVE WILD ANIMALS.
"What!?" many yell.
"That's your transport?" Frank asks.
"Yeh that wasn't a pleasant journey", Grover tells them.
"With wild animals?" Will asks.
"Yes. But lets just say one or two good things come out of it", Percy replies.
I say, "You're kidding"
Ares snapped his fingers. The back door of the truck unlatched, "Free ride west. Stop complaining. And here's a little something for doing the job"
He slung a blue nylon backpack off his handlebars and tosses it to me.
Athena frowns that was slightly off. Why would Ares give them anything?
Poseidon and a few others also looking suspicious at the mention of what Ares gave to Percy.
"I swear Ares if you do anything to harm my kid even your Father won't be able to help you!"
Ares waves him off, "This is the past to them. So it really doesn't matter"
Inside were fresh clothes for all of us, twenty bucks in cash, a pouch full of golden drachmas and a bag of Double Stuf Oreos.
"Why? Give you that?" Calypso asks.
"Oh you'll see. It is Ares being well Ares God of War", Percy replies giving them a hint.
I say, "I don't want your lousy –"
"Brave or foolish you are and I don't know which", Zeus tells him.
"Thank you, Lord Ares", Grover interrupts, giving me his best red-alert warning look, "Thanks a lot"
I gritted my teeth. It was probably a deadly insult to refuse something from a God, but I didn't want anything that Ares had touched. Reluctantly, I slung the backpack over my shoulder. I knew my anger was being caused by the War God's presence, but I was still itching to punch him in the nose. He reminded me of every bully, I'd ever faced: Nancy Bobofit, Clarisse, Smelly Gabe, sarcastic teachers – every jerk who'd called me stupid in school or laughed at me when I'd got expelled.
Many grimace at getting a lot into Percy's mind. They felt bad for him he had it worse then most. Besides Thalia and Nico.
Thalia gives Percy a look of understanding and he gives his cousin a thankful smile.
I looed back at the diner, which had only a couple of customers now. The waitress who'd served us dinner was watching nervously out the window, like she was afraid Ares might hurry us. She dragged the cook out from the kitchen to see. She said something to him. He nodded, held up a little disposable camera and snapped a picture of us.
"You have to get out of there", Hermes states.
"We know and unfortunately the only way was with Ares transport", Percy replies.
Great, I thought. We'll make the papers again tomorrow.
"No doubt", Conner agrees.
I imagined the headline: TWELVE-YEAR-OLD OUTLAW BEATS UP DEFENCELESS BIKER.
"Hardly defenceless", Clarisse snickers.
"You owe me one more thing", I tell Ares, trying to keep my voice level, "You promised me information about my mother"
"Foolish thing to do boy", Artemis states.
"You sure you can handle the news?" he kick-started his motorcycle, "She's not dead"
Poseidon lets out a sigh of relief she wasn't dead. That was a good thing.
The ground seemed to spin beneath me, "What do you mean?"
"I mean she was taken away from the Minotaur before she could die. She was turning into a shower of gold, right? That's metamorphosis. Not death. She's being kept"
"Kept? For what purpose?" Poseidon asks.
"What would a god need a mortal for?" Hera sniffs.
Poseidon, Percy and all those that had met Sally glare at her.
"Kept. Why?"
"You need to study war, punk. Hostages. You take somebody to control somebody else"
"Nobody's controlling me"
Laughs come around the room.
"Isn't that right", Frank chuckles.
"Dad tried and failed", Thalia laughs.
Zeus himself doesn't look happy at that.
He laughs, "Oh yeah? See you around, kid"
I balled up my first, "You're pretty smug, Lord Ares, for a guy who runs from Cupid statues"
Laughs go around the room.
"Burn", Conner and Travis state.
Hephaestus had to chuckles at the words. It was try Ares did run away from his trap.
Behind his sunglasses, fire glowed. I felt a hot wind in my hair, "We'll meet again. Percy Jackson. Next time you're in a fight, watch your back:
He revved his Harley, then roared off down Delaney Street.
Annabeth says, "That was not smart, Percy"
"But it WAS awesome", Leo exclaims.
"I don't care"
"You don't want a God as your enemy. Especially not that God"
"Hey, Guys", Grover says, "I hate to interrupt, but . . ."
He pointed towards the diner. At the cash register, the last two customers were paying their bill, two men in identical black coveralls, with a white logo on their backs that matched the one on the KINDNESS INTERNATIONAL truck.
"If we're taking the zoo express", Grover says, "We need to hurry"
I didn't like it, but we had no better options. Besides, I'd seen enough of Denver.
We ran across the street and climbed in the back of the big lorry, closing the doors behind us.
"So what was inside?" Persephone asks.
The three grimace, "You'll see"
"Did Ares trick you?" Hades asks curiously.
"No really. He just wanted us to have such a pleasant journey", Percy grumbles.
The first thing that hit me was the smell. It was like the world's biggest pan of kitty litter.
The trailer was dark inside until I uncapped Anaklusmos. The blade cast a faint bronze light over a very sad scene. Sitting in a row of filthy metal cages were tree of the most pathetic zoo animals I'd ever beheld, a zebra, a male albino lion, and some weird antelope thing I didn't know the name for.
Someone had thrown the lion a sack of turnips, which he obviously didn't want to eat.
"How dare they?" Artemis growls.
"Animals those people are", Katie states looking angry.
The zebra and the antelope had each for a polystyrene tray of hamburger meat. The zebra's mane was matted with shewing gum, like somebody had been spitting on it in their spare time.
Artemis grindles her teeth at that.
"How can they be so humane?" Leila asks eyes flashing.
The antelope had stupid silver birthday balloon tried to one of his horns that read: OVER THE HILL!
Apparently, nobody had wanted to get close enough to the lion to mess with him, but the poor thing was pacing around on soiled blankets, in a space wat too small for him, panting from the stuffy heat of the trailer. He had flies buzzing around his pink eyes and his ribs slowed through his white fur.
"That is horrible", Demeter states horrified.
"Barbarians", Reyna growls.
"How can that be humane?" Hestia asks.
"Wasn't this meant to be humane?" Gwen asks.
"They just didn't care", Grover tells them.
"I hope you reported them", Piper states.
"We did much better"
"This is kindness?" Grover yells, "Humane zoo transport?"
He probably would've gone right back outside to beat up the truckers with his reed pipes, and I would've helped him, but just then the truck's engines roared to life, the trailer started shaking, and we were forced to sit down or fall down.
We huddled in the corned on some mildewed feed sacks, trying to ignore the smell and the heat and the flies.
"How would you stand that till you get to LA?" Pollux asks.
"We didn't exactly make it too LA. With the Demigod luck striking us", Percy replies.
Everyone groans at that. Yes demigod luck was so much fun. Hear the sarcasm there?
Grover talked to the animals in a series of goat bleats, but they just stared at him sadly. Annabeth was in favour of breaking the cages and freeing them on the spot, but I pointed out it wouldn't do much good until the truck stopped moving. Besides, I had a feeling we might look a lot better to the lion than those turnips.
I found a water jug and refilled their bowls, then used Anaklusmos to drag the mismatched food out of their cages. I gave the meat to the lion and the turnips to the zebra and the antelope.
"That was nice of you", Demeter states.
"They needed help and I was glad to do what little we could do for them"
Grover calmed the antelope down, while Annabeth used her knife to cut the balloon off his horn. She wanted to cut the gum out of the zebra's mane, too, but we decided that would be too risky with the truck bumping around. We told Grover to promise the animals we'd help them more in the morning,
"You all did a good deed to those poor animals. I am sure they would have appreciated it", Persephone states.
"They did", Grover confirms.
then we settled in for the night.
Grover curling up on the turnip sack; Annabeth opened our bag of Double Stuf Oreos and nibbled on one half-heartedly; I tried to cheer myself up by concentrating on the fact that we were halfway to Los Angeles. Halfway to out destination. It was only June Fourteenth. The solstice wasn't until the twenty-first. We could make it in plenty of time.
"Don't jink yourself", Hazel warns.
"I just think when it comes to things like this the Fates hate me", Percy replies.
"Could be true Prissy with your luck", Clarisse teases.
On the other hand, I had no idea what to expect next. The Gods kept toying with me. At least Hephaestus had the decency to be honest about it – he'd put up cameras and advertised me as entertainment. But even when the cameras weren't rolling, I had a feeling my quest was being watched. I was a source of amusement for the Gods.
"Most likely", Calypso states.
"They would likely want to see if you DO find my Dads toy", Thalia states.
"TOY!?"
Thalia waves him off, "The way you treat it. It mos of all be a toy"
Zeus grumbles at the snickering around the room.
"Hey", Annabeth says. "I'm sorry for freaking out back at the water pack, Percy"
"That's okay"
"It's just . . .", she shudders, "Spiders"
"Because of the Arachne story", I guess, "She got turned into a spider for challenging you Mum to a weaving contest, right?"
Annabeth nods, "Arachne's children have been taking revenge on the children of Athena ever since. If there's a spider within a mile of me, it'll find me. I hate the creepy little things. Anyway, I owe you"
"You would never owe me", Percy tells her kissing her.
Annabeth kisses him back, "I wouldn't say that. We both owe each other favours"
"Do you two keep score?" Meg asks curiously.
They both shrug.
"We lost count years ago", Percy replies.
"We wouldn't be here without the other", Annabeth adds.
"Now that is a scary thought", Thalia replies, not really wanting to admit that since she was partial immortal she would eventually loss Percy and Annabeth and Nico to death.
She wasn't sure how she would cope when the day comes that she would have to say goodbye to them permeantly.
"We're a team, remember?" I say, "Besides, Grover did the fancy flying"
I thought he was asleep, but he mumbled from the corner, "I was pretty amazing, wasn't I?"
Annabeth and I laugh.
She pulled apart an Oreo, handing me half, "In the Iris message . . . did Luke really say nothing?"
I munched my cookies and thought about how to answer. The conversation via rainbow had bothered me all evening.
"Luke said you and he go way back. He also said Grover wouldn't fail this time. Nobody would turn into a pine tree"
"Turning into tree wasn't HIS fault", Thalia grumbles.
In the dim bronze light of the sword blade, it was hard to read their expressions.
Grover let out a mournful bray.
"I should've told you the truth from the beginning", his voice trembling, "I thought if you knew what a failure I was, you wouldn't want me along.
"Never happen buddy", Percy replies firmly.
"Same", many say.
Grover blushes at the praise. It was nice how everyone stood up for him now.
"You were the satyr who tried to rescue Thalia, the daughter of Zeus"
He nods glumly.
"And the other two half-bloods Thalia befriended, the ones who got safely to camp . . .", I look at Annabeth, "That was you and Luke, wasn't it?"
She put down her Oreo, unneatened, "Like you said, Percy, a seven-year-old half-blood wouldn't have made it very far alone. Athena guided me towards help. Thalia was twelve. Luke was fourteen. They'd both run away from home, like me. They were happy to take me with them. They were . . . amazing monster-fighters, even without training. We travelled north from Virginia without any real plans, fending off monsters for about two weeks before Grover found us"
"Thank Gods he did", Hermes states.
"That does for me too", Athena states.
Grover looks at them in shock. Did they really mean that?
"I was supposed to escort Thalia to camp", he says sniffling, "Only Thalia. I had strict orders from Chiron: don't do anything that would slow down the rescue. We knew Hades was after her, see, but I couldn't just leave Luke and Annabeth by themselves. Thought . . . I thought I could lead all three of them to safety. It was my fault the Kindly Ones caught up with us. I froze. I got scared on the way back to camp and took some wrong turns. If I'd just been a little quicker . . ."
"You should have been and you should have followed orders", Zeus grumbles.
"What was that?" the Children of the Big Three growl.
Shadows loom, the earth trembles and lightning flashes.
All the Gods were shocked by the Trios protectiveness. And their ability to use those powers in sync.
"If only you three could learn that", Hestia states.
"Nothing", Zeus grumbles slouching on his throne.
The Trios powers easy off. Much to many of the Demigod's relief.
Percy, Thalia and Nico seemed satisfied by that. For now anyway.
"Stop it", Annabeth says, "No one blames you. Thalia didn't blame you either"
"She sacrificed herself to save us", he says miserably, "Her death was my fault. The Council of Cloven Elders said so"
"Because you wouldn't leave two other half-bloods behind?" I say, "That's not far"
"Life isn't fair brat", Dionysus grumbles.
"Why don't you just go back to sleep and leave these stories to those more intelligent then you", Percy retorts.
Dionysus glares at him.
"Not now Dionysus", Zeus sighs.
"Percy's right", Annabeth says, "I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for you, Grover. Neither would Luke. We don't care what the council says"
Grover kept sniffling in the dark, "It's just my luck. I'm the lamest satyr ever, and I find the two most powerful half-bloods of the century, Thalia and Percy"
"And you found Bianca and I", Nico tells everyone.
"So wait", Athena states, "Your saying Grover found ALL the children of the Big Three?"
"All but Jason and Hazel but their Romans", Annabeth confirms proudly.
"What are the odds of that?" she mutters trying to think of a reason why this satyr found those that nobody else did.
Nobody else would quite believe that either. How was that possible?
"You're not lame", Annabeth insists, "You've got more courage that any satyr I've even met. Name one other who would dare go to the Underworld. I bet Percy is really glad you're here right now"
She kicked me in the shin.
Chuckles come from around the room.
"You know Wise Girl I was going to agree with you without the kick", Percy tells her.
Annabeth shrugs, "It never hurts to be careful"
"Yeah", I say, which I would've done even without the kick, "It's not luck that you found Thalia and me, Grover. You've got the biggest heart of any satyr ever. You're a natural searcher. That's why you'll be the one who finds Pan"
"Unlikely", Ares snorts.
"Who knew you could see the future Kelp Head", Thalia whispers so the Gods wouldn't hear, "Are you sure your not Apollo's son?"
Percy splashes her with water drenching her. Earning himself a death-glare from his cousin.
"Pretty sure", Percy replies cheerfully.
Poseidon hides a laugh he was glad to see Percy having fun and teasing just like the rest of them are.
I heard a deep, satisfied sigh. I waited for Grover to say something, but his breathing only got heavier. When the sound turned to snoring, I realized he'd fallen asleep.
Grover looks sheepish, "Sorry Perce"
"How does he do that?" I marvel.
"I don't know", Annabeth says, "But that was really a nice thing you told him"
"I meant it"
We rode in silence for a few miles, bumping around on the feed sacks. The zebra munched a turnip. The lion licked the last of the hamburger meat off his lips and looked at me hopefully.
"You have admirer Percy", Pollux laughs.
"At least it was not as bad as being swamped when I step foot in an ocean", he replies.
Annabeth rubbed her necklace like she was thinking deep, strategic thoughts.
"Always", Annabeth replies.
"That pine-tree bead", I say. "It that from your first year?"
She looked. She hadn't realized what she was doing.
"Yeah", she says. "Every August, the councillors pick the most important event of the summer, and they paint it on that year's beads. I've got Thalia's pine tree, a Greek trireme on fire, a centaur in a prom dress – now that was a weird summer . . ."
Laughs come from around the room.
"Please tell us this story", Apollo begs.
"No"
"Come on you have too", Hermes whines.
"Nup. Not going to tell you", Annabeth replies mischief in her eyes.
"Have you got photos?" Leo asks eagerly.
"Wouldn't you like to know", Annabeth teases him.
Leo pouts and Calypso kisses him, "Baby stop that. You shouldn't be pouting over something so trivial"
"It is not""
"Is too. Now shut up and let Chris continue"
"And the collage ring I your father's?"
"That's none of your –", she stops herself, "Yeah. Yeah, it is"
"You don't have to tell me"
"No . . . it's okay", she takes a shaky breath, "My Dad sent it to me folded up in a letter, two summers ago. The ring was, like, his main keepsake from Athena. He wouldn't have got through his doctoral programme at Harvard without her . . . That's a long story. Anyway, he said he wanted me to have it. He apologized for being a jerk, and said he loved me and missed me. He wanted me to come home and live with him"
"Did you?" Athena asks her.
"Eventually yes", Annabeth confirms.
"That doesn't sound so bad"
"Yeah, well . . . the problem was, I believed him. I tried to go home for that school year, but my stepmom was the same as ever. She didn't want her kids put in danger by living with a freak. Monsters attacked. We argued. Monsters attached. We argued. I didn't even make it through winter break. I called Chiron and came right back to Camp Half-Blood"
Athena growls, "He WILL be getting a talking too"
"Mum it is not worth it and be this time. My time we get along. So please don't", Annabeth replies firmly.
Athena crosses her arms as she tried to calm down.
"You think you'll ever try living with your Dad again?"
She wouldn't meet my eyes, "Please, I'm not into self-inflicted pain"
"You shouldn't give up", I tell her, "You should write him a letter or something"
"Thanks for the advice", she says coldly, "but my Father's made his choice about who he wants to live with"
We passed another few miles of silence.
"So if the Gods fight", I say, "will things line up the way they did with the Trojan War? Will it be Athena versus Poseidon?"
She put her head against the backpack Ares had given us, and closed her eyes, "I don't know what my Mum will do. I just know I'll fight next to you"
Their eyes widen. The first children of Athena and Poseidon to stick up for the other.
It seemed like this generation of Demigods were breaking all the rules.
"Why?"
"Because you're my friend, Seaweed Brain. Any more stupid questions?"
I couldn't think of an answer for that. Fortunately I didn't have to. Annabeth was asleep.
I had trouble following her example, with Grover snoring and an albino lion staring hungrily at me, but eventually I closed my eyes.
"I bet it won't be a peaceful sleep", Katie states.
"Got it in one Katie", Percy replies smiling.
My nightmares started out as something I'd dreamed a million times before: I was being forced to take a standardized test
"What the hell?" Travis asks.
"Yeh THAT is your nightmare?" Conner laughs.
while wearing a straitjacket. All the other kids were going out to recess, and the teacher kept saying, 'Some on, Percy. You're not stupid are you? Pick up your pencil'
Then the dream strayed from the usual.
I looked over at the next desk and saw a girl sitting there, also wearing a straitjacket, She was my age, with unruly black, punk-style hair, dark eyeliner around her stormy green eyes, and freckles across her nose. Somehow, I know who she was. She was Thalia, daughter of Zeus.
Thalia jumps hearing that Percy had a dream about her. And had gotten her description down to a T, without ever have meeting her.
"How?" Thalia asks him.
"It's complicated"
She struggled against the straitjacket, glared at me in frustration and snapped, 'Well, Seaweed Brain? One of us has to get out of here'
She's right, my dream-self thought. I'm going back to that cavern. I'm going to give Hades a piece of my mind.
The straitjacket melted off me. I fell through the classroom floor. The Teachers voice changed until it was cold and evil, echoing from the depths of a great chasm.
Percy, Annabeth and Nico shudder at that and Thalia looks at them worried.
'Percy Jackson', it says, 'Yes, the exchange went well, I see'
I was back in the dark cavern, spirits of the dead drifting around me. Unseen in the pit, the monstrous thing was speaking, but this time it wasn't addressing me. The numbing power of its voice seemed directed somewhere else.
'And he suspects?' it asks.
Another voice, one I almost recognized, answered at me shoulder.
'Nothing, my Lord. He is as ignorant as the rest'
I looked over, but no one was there. The speaker was invisible.
'Deception upon deception', the thing in the pit mused aloud, 'Excellent'
'Truly, my Lord', said the voice next to me, 'you are well-named the Crooked One. But was it really necessary? I could have brought you what I stole directly –'
'You?' the monster says in scorn, 'You have already shown your limits. You would have failed me completely had I not intervened'
'But, my Lord –'
'Peace, little servant. Our six months have bought us much. Zeus's anger had grown. Poseidon had played his most desperate card. Now we shall use it against him. Shortly you shall have the reward you wish, and your revenge. As soon as both items
"Both?" Hera asks.
"You mean something else was stolen with the Bolt?" Poseidon asks.
"Yes", Percy and some others admit.
"Which symbol?" Athena asks.
"Think about it Mum. Really think about it"
are delivered into my hands . . . but wait. He is here'
'What?" the invisible servant suddenly sounded tense, 'You summoned him, my Lord?'
'No', the full force of the Monsters attention was now pouring over me, freezing me in place, 'Blast his Father's blood – he is too changeable, too unpredictable. The boy brought himself bither'
'Impossible!' the servant cries.
'For a weakling such as you, perhaps', the voice snarls. Then its cold power turned back on me. 'So . . . you wish to dream of your quest, young half-blood? Then I will oblige'
"That is NOT going to be good", Hestia declares with a shiver.
Her siblings weren't much better.
The scene changed.
I was standing in a vast throne room with black marble walls and bronze floors. The empty, horrid throne was made from human bones fused together. Standing at the food of the dais was my mother, frozen in shimmering golden light, her arms outstretched.
Poseidon was gripping his throne so tightly there may have been cracks appearing in it.
I tired to step towards her, but my legs wouldn't move. I reached for her, only to realize that my hands were withering to bones. Grinning skeletons in Greek armour crowded around me, draping me with silk robes, wreathing my head with laurels that smoked with Chimera poison, burning into my scalp.
The evil voice began to laugh, 'Hail, the conquering hero!'
"Where you alright?" Poseidon ask looking near frantic.
"Dad I am fine. Remember this is the past for me. I survive and came out on top. With a lot of help", Percy tells him looking at the Greeks in the room.
"I just can't believe this", Poseidon admits.
"Welcome to my world"
I woke with a start.
Grover was shaking my shoulder, "The truck's stopped", he says, "We think they're coming to check on the animals"
"Hide!" Annabeth hisses.
She had it easy. She just put on her magic cap and disappeared. Grover and I had to dive behind fee sacks and hope we looked like turnips.
"Like that would be hard", Dionysus mutters.
But nobody really was paying attention to him.
The trailer doors creaked open. Sunlight and heat poured in.
"Man!" one of the truckers says, waving his hand in front of his ugly nose, "I wish I hauled appliances", he climbs inside and poured some water from a jug into the animals' dishes.
"You hot, big boy?" he asks the lion, then splashed the rest of the bucket right in the lion's face.
Nearly all growl at that.
"Bastard. I wish I could teach him a lesson", Reyna growls.
"I would be more then happy to join you", Meg replies her eyes flashing.
The lion roared in indignation.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah", the man says.
Next to me, under the turnip sacks, Grover tensed. For a peace-loving herbivore, he looked downright murderous.
The trucker threw the antelope a squash-looking Happy Meal bag. He smirked at the Zebra, "How ya doin', Stripes? Least we'll be getting rid of you this stop. You like magic shows? You're gonna love this one. They're gonna saw you in half!"
"I want to kill him", Will growls.
"And I'll send him to the Fields of Punishment", Nico adds.
The zebra, wild-eyed with fear, looked straight at me.
There was no sound, but as clear as day, I heard it say: Free me, Lord. Please.
Poseidon smiles, "It seems that gift has kicked in for you"
"Yeh thanks for that Dad. Now besides Blackjacks attitude, I sometimes have to deal with a horse the makes Thalia's swearing seem tame"
Thalia glares at him.
Hazel looks sheepish, "I guess he always had a foul mouth"
"Who?" Hades asks his daughter.
"You'll find out a lot later Dad"
I was too stunned to react.
There was a loud knock, knock, knock on the side of the trailer.
The trucker inside with us yells. "What do you want, Eddie?"
A voice outside – it must've been Eddie's – shouted back, "Maurice? What'd ya say?"
"What are you banging for?"
Knock, knock, knock.
Outside, Eddie yells, "What banging?"
Our guy Maurice rolled his eyes and went back outside. Cursing at Eddie for being an idiot.
A second later, Annabeth appeared next to me. She must've done the banging to get Maurice out of the trailer. She said, "This transport business can't be legal"
"No it wouldn't be", Athena confirms.
"No kidding", Grover says. He paused, as if listening, "The Lion says those guys are animal smugglers!"
Artemis growls at that, "When I find them…"
"Light the bastards on fire with lightning", Thalia grumbles.
'That's right', the Zebra's voice says in my mind.
"We've got to free them!" Grover says. He and Annabeth both looked at me, waiting for my lead.
I'd heard the zebra talk, but not the lion. Why? Maybe it was another disability . . . I could only understand zebras?
Laughter goes again around the room. Percy doesn't take it too heart as he hears this it sounded ridiculous too.
Then I thought: horses. What had Annabeth said about Poseidon creating horses? Was a zebra close enough to a horse? Was that why I could understand it?
The Zebra says, "Open my cage, Lord. Please. I'll be fine after that"
Outside, Eddie and Maurice were still yelling at each other, but I knew they'd be coming inside to torment the animals again any minute. I grabbed Riptide and slashed the lock off the zebra's cage.
The zebra burst out. It turned to me and bowed, "Thank you, Lord"
Grover held up his hands and said something to the zebra in goat talk, like a blessing.
"Well planned", Athena nods in approval.
They smile.
Just as Maurice was poking his head back inside to check out the noise, the zebra leaped over him and into the street. There was yelling and screaming and cars honking. We rushed to the doors of the trailer in time to see the zebra galloping down a wide boulevard lined with hotels and casinos and neon sighs. We'd just released a Zebra in Las Vegas.
"Maybe we should try that!" Leo, Travis and Conner say.
"NO!" Calypso, Katie and Piper says and whack their heads.
"OW!"
"HEY!"
"Don't even think about it", Piper orders them.
"Spoil sport", Travis mutters.
Maurice and Eddie ran after it, with a few policemen running after them, shouting, "Hey! You need a permit for that!"
"Now would be a good time to leave", Annabeth says.
"The other animals first", Grover says.
I cut the locks with my sword. Grover raises his hands and spoke the same goat-blessing he'd used for the zebra.
"Good luck", I tell the animals.
The antelope and the lion burst out of their cages and went off together into the streets.
"I can't believe you did that!" Apollo laughs.
"Letting a lion on the streets of Las Vegas has to be a new one", Hermes laughs.
"But then again people have seen stranger sights", Apollo points out.
"Too true. Too true", Hermes agrees.
Some tourists screamed. Most just backed off and took pictures, probably thinking it was some kind of stunt by one of the casinos.
"Will the animals be okay?" I ask Grover, "I mean, the desert and all –"
"Don't worry", he says, "I placed a satyr's sanctuary on them"
"What?" The Romans and Leo ask confused.
"Meaning?"
"Meaning they'll reach the wild safely", he says, "they'll find water, food, shade, whatever they need until they find a safe place to live"
"Why can't you place a blessing like that on us?" I ask.
"It only works on wild animals"
"So it would only affect Percy", Annabeth reasons.
His cousins snicker at him.
"Hey!" I protest.
"Kidding", she says, "Come on. Let's get out of this filthy truck"
We stumbled out into the desert afternoon. It was forty degrees, easy, and we must've looked like deep-fired vagrants, but everybody was too interested in the wild animals to pay us much attention.
We passed the Monte Carlo and the MGM. We passed pyramids, a pirate ship and the Statue of Liberty, which was a pretty small replica, but still make me homesick.
"So what are you going to do now?" Piper asks them.
"Here's were things get out of control", Annabeth replies cryptically.
I wasn't sure what we were looking for. Maybe just a place to get out of the heat for a few minutes, find a sandwich and a glass of lemonade, make a new plan for getting west
We must have taken a wrong turn, because we found ourselves at a dead end, standing in frond of the Lotus Hotel and Casino.
"NO!" The Gods shout.
Poseidon quickly turns to his son, "Please tell me you didn't go into that bloody casino?" he begs.
"Ahhh…honestly not going to lie on that one", Percy replies rubbing his neck sheepishly.
"Then how pray tell did you get out?" Zeus asks them.
"I would like to know for obvious reasons", Hades tells them after looking at Nico.
"Just listen", Annabeth replies.
The entrance was a huge neon flower, the petals lighting up and blinking. No one was going in or out but the glittering chrome doors were open, spilling out air conditioning that smelled like flowers – lotus blossom, maybe. I'd never smelled one, so I wasn't sure.
"Your done for now boy", Artemis tells him.
"You should count us out Lady Artemis. As we ARE in front of you so you can see we escaped", Percy tells her logically.
Artemis crosses her arms bot liking how the boy had out manoeuvred her.
The doorman smiles at us, "Hey, kids. You look tired. You want to come in and sit down?"
"Don't!" Poseidon and Athena shout.
Again not realising their children were safe in front of them.
I'd learned to be suspicious, the last week or so. I figured anybody might be a monster or a God. You just couldn't tell. But this guy was normal. One look at him, and I could see. Besides, I was so relieved to hear somebody who wounded sympathetic that I nodded and said we'd love to come in.
Inside, we took one look around, and Grover said, "Whoa"
The whole lobby was a giant game room. And I'm not talking about cheesy old Pac-Man games or slot machines. There was an indoor water slide snaking around the glass elevator, which went straight up at least forty floors. There was a climbing wall on the side of one building, and an indoor bungee-jumping bridge. There were virtual-reality suits with working laser guns. And hundreds of video games, each one the size of a widescreen TV. Basically, you name it, this place had it. There were a few other kids playing, but not that many. No waiting for any of the games. There were waitresses and snack bars all around, serving every kind of food you can imagine.
"What is do bad about this place?" Leo asks confused.
"Everything", Hephaestus states.
"It does sound cool", Meg admits.
With the Romans too agreeing.
"Just you wait", Grover tells them.
"Hey!" the bellhop says. At least I guessed he was a bellhop. He wore a white-and-yellow Hawaiian shirt with lotus designs, shits and flip-flops
"That is a monstrosity of an outfit", Aphrodite huffs.
"Who cares about that woman?!" Hephaestus asks her, "When you put that issue against what this hotel is"
"What is this hotel?" Frank asks.
"A trap"
"Welcome to the Lotus Casino. Here's your room key"
"That isn't creepy at all", Thalia says sarcastically.
I stammer, "Um, but . . ."
"No, no", he says laughing, "The bill's taken care of. No extra charges, no tips. Just go on up to the top floors, rooms 4001. If you need anything, like extra bubbles for the hot tub, or skeet targets for the shooting range, or whatever. Just call the front desk. Here are your LotusCash cards. They world in all the restaurants and on all the games and rides"
He handed us each a green plastic credit card.
I knew there must be some mistake. Obviously he thought we were some millionaire's kids. But I took the card and said, "How much is on here?"
His eyebrows knit together, "What do you mean?"
"What do you think he means?" Clarisse asks sarcastically.
"I mean, when does it run out of cash?"
He laughs, "Oh, you're making a joke. Hey, that's cool. Enjoy your stay:
We took the elevator upstairs and checked out our room. It was a suite with three separate bedrooms and a bar stocked with candy, sodas and crisps. A hotline to room service. Fluffy towels and waterbeds with feather pillows. A big-screen television with satellite and high-speed internet. The balcony had its own hot tub and, sure enough, there was a skeet-shooting machine and a shotgun, so you could launch clay pigeons right out over the Las Vegas skyline and plug them with your gun. I didn't see how that could be legal, but I thought it was pretty cool. The view over the Strip and this desert was amazing, though I doubted we'd ever have time to look at the view with a room like this.
"Oh, goodness", Annabeth says, "This place is . . ."
"Sweet". Grover says, "Absolutely sweet"
"No it is a nightmare. Get out of that bloody hotel", Athena says glaring at the book in Chris's hand.
"I swear that hotel won't be standing much longer", Poseidon growls.
"When should we try again to tell them this already happened?" Percy whispers to Annabeth.
"I think there will be no getting through to them till they hear our escape", Annabeth whispers back.
There were clothes in the closet, and they fitted me. I frowned, thinking that this was a little strange.
"Just a little?" Leila asks.
I throw Ares's backpack in the trash can. Wouldn't need that any more. When we left, I would just charge a new one at the hotel store.
I took a shower, which felt awesome after a week of grimy travel. I changed clothes, ate a bag of crips, drank three Cokes and came out feeling better than I had in a long time, In the back of my mind, some small problem kept nagging me. I'd had a dream or something . . . I needed to talk to my friends. But I was sure it could wait.
"No it can't", Pollux states.
"What is that place?" Reyna asks.
I came out of the bedroom and found that Annabeth and Grover had also showered and changed clothes. Grover was eating crisps to his heart's content, while Annabeth cranked up the National Geographic Channel.
"All those stations", I tell her, "and you turn on National Geographic. Are you insane?"
"It's interesting"
"I feel good", Grover says, "I love this place"
Without his even realizing it, the wing sprouted out of his shoes and lifted him a foot off the ground, then back down again.
"So what now?" Annabeth asks, "Sleep?"
Grover and I looked at each other and grinned. We both held up out green plastic LotusCash cards.
"Play time", I say.
I couldn't remember the last time I had so much fun. I came from a relatively poor family. Our idea of a splurge was eating out at Burger King and renting a video. A five-star Vegas hotel? Forget it.
I bungee-jumped the lobby five or six times, did the waterslide, snowboarded the artificial ski slope and played virtual reality laser tag and FBI sharpshooters. I saw Grover a few times, going from game to game. He really liked the reverse hunter thing - where the deer go out and shoot the rednecks.
"WHAT?"
I saw Annabeth playing trivia games and other brainiac stuff. They had this huge 3-D sim game where you build your own city, and you could actually see the holographic buildings rise on the display board. I didn't think much of it, but Annabeth loved it.
"Of course Annabeth would. But you NEED to get out of there", Thalia states.
I'm not sure when I first realised something was wrong. Probably, it was when I noticed this guy standing next to me at VR sharpshooters. He was about thirteen, I guess, but his clothes were weird. I thought he was some Elvis impersonator's son. He wore bell-bottoms and a red T-shirt with black piping, and his hair was permed and gelled like a New Jersey girl's on homecoming night.
We played a game of sharpshooters together and he said, "Groovy, Man. Been here two weeks, and the games keep getting better and better"
"Finally your starting to notice", Katie exclaims.
"And it is Percy instead of Annabeth", Calypso states.
Annabeth blushes at that. She would admit Percy saved them that day.
Groovy?
Later, while we were talking, I said something "Rocking", and he looked at me kind of puzzled, as if he'd never heard the word used that way before.
He said his name was Darrin, but as soon as I started asking him questions he got bored with me and started to go back to the computer screen.
I say, "Hey, Darrin:
"What?"
"What year is it?"
He frowns at me, "In the game?"
"No. In real life"
He had to think about it, "1977"
"Shit!" many exclaim.
"So how long have you been in there?" Reyna asks.
"No", I say, getting a little scared, "Really:
"Hey, man. Bad vibes. I got a game happening"
After that he totally ignored me.
I started talking to people, and I found it wasn't easy. They were glued to the TV screen, or the video game, or their food, or whatever. I found a guy who told me it was 1985. Another guy told me it was 1993. They all claimed they hadn't been in here very long, a few days, a few weeks at most. They didn't really know and they didn't care.
Then it occurred to me: how long had I been here? It seemed like only a couple of hours, but was it?
"Double shit"
I tried to remember why we were here. We were going to Los Angeles. We were supposed to find the entrance to the Underworld. My mother . . . for a scary second. I had trouble remembering her name. Sally. Sally Jackson. I had to find her. I had to stop Hades from causing World War III.
"Why do you keep thinking I'm the bad guy!?" Hades complains.
I found Annabeth still building her city.
"Come on", I tell her, "We've got to get out of here"
No response.
I shook her, "Annabeth?"
She looked up, annoyed, "What?"
"We need to leave"
"Leave? What are you talking about? I've just got the towers –"
"Annabeth just listen to him and get out of there", Athena states.
"This place is a trap"
She didn't respond until I shook her again, "What?"
"Listen. The Underworld. Our quest!"
"Oh, come on, Percy. Just a few more minutes"
"Annabeth, there are people here from 1977. Kids who have never aged. You check in, and you stay forever"
"So?" she asks, "Can you imagine a better place?"
"Great the Owl Head picks now to be stubborn", Clarisse states.
"And not use her wisdom", Travis states.
"Or brains", Conner adds.
"Basically the same thing"
I grabbed her wrist and yanked her away from the game.
"Hey!" she screams and hit me, but nobody else even bothered looking at us. They were too busy.
I made her look directly in my eyes. I say, "Spiders. Large, hairy spiders"
"You say THAT to get her to snap out of it?" Thalia asks amused.
"Whatever works", Percy shrugs.
That jarred her. Her visons cleared, "Oh my Gods", she says, "How long have we –"
"I don't know, but we've got to find Grover"
We went searching, and found him still playing Virtual Deer Hunting.
"Grover!" we both shout.
He says, "Die, Human! Die, silly polluting nasty person!"
"Now that is totally disturbing", Leo mutters.
Grover blushes again.
"Still have homicidal urges Grover?" Clarisse teases.
"Only when it comes too…"
Chris quickly states reading again.
"Grover!"
He turned the plastic gun on me and started clicking, as if I were just another image from the screen.
Everyone looks at Grover who buries his head in his hands.
"Can we skip this?"
I look at Annabeth, and together we took Grover by the arms and dragged him away. His flying shoes sprang to life and started tugging his legs in the other direction as he shouted, "No! I just got a new level! No!"
The Lotus bellhop hurried up to us, "Well, now, are you ready for your platinum cards?"
"We're leaving", I tell him.
"Careful son", Poseidon mutters gripping his Throne tightly.
"Such a shame", he says, and I got the feeling that he really meant it, that we'd breaking his heart it we went, "We just added an entire new floor full of games for platinum-card members"
"Just whack him one", Meg suggest.
"Or just drown him with your powers", Will suggests.
He held out the card, and I wanted one. I knew that if I took one, I'd never leave. I'd stay here, happy forever, playing games forever, and soon I'd forget my Mum, and my quest and maybe even my own name. I'd be playing virtual rifleman with groovy Disco Darrin forever.
Grover reached for the card, but Annabeth yanked back his arm and says, "No, thanks"
We walked towards the door, and as we did, the smell of the food and the sounds of the games seemed to get more and more inviting. I thought about our room upstairs. We could just stay the night, sleep in a real bed for once . . .
"DON'T do it!" Poseidon shouts.
Many were now watching him and Athena in amusement. But none more so then Percy and Annabeth.
Then we burst through the doors of the Lotus Casino and ran down the sidewalk.
"What about your things?" Demeter asks.
"You would be without everything. Including that weird backpack", Persephone adds.
It felt like afternoon, about the same time of day we'd gone into the casino, but something was wrong. The weather had completely changed. It was stormy, with heat lightning flashing out in the desert.
"How long has it been?" Hestia asks.
"Long enough", Percy tells her.
Ares's backpack was slung over my shoulder, which was odd, because I was sure I had thrown it in the trash can in room 4001,
"Ok. That is not good", Hermes states.
"Ares what did you do?" Zeus asks him.
"How am I meant to know my future self?"
but at the moment I had other problems to worry about.
I ran to the nearest newspaper stand and read the year first. Thank the Gods, it was the same year it had been when we went in. Then I noticed the date: June Twentieth.
"Shit", many swear.
"What?" Leo asks confused.
"Can't you count?" Piper teases.
We had been in the Lotus Casino for Five Days.
We had only one day left until the Summer Solstice. One day to complete our quest.
"That's the end of that chapter", Chris announces.
Silence happens. Many questions were going around the group.
But the main one was how did they complete the quest in ONE DAY!?
And how the hell did Percy break their control over him?
"THAT BLOODY CASINO! I AM GOING TO DESTORY IT! RAZE IT TO THE GROUND ONCE AND FOR ALL. IT HAS CLAIMED ITS LAST VICTIMS. NOT MY SON!" Poseidon roars.
A earthquake shakes the floor.
Percy curses and does the one thing that just might get his Dad's attention. It wouldn't really hurt him. So he summons all the water he could and flings it at his raging Father…
Author's Note: What do you think? Please Review:)