I realized I probably shouldn't give Percy a Pov because his is already in the book so ONWARD ANNABETH...!

Annabeth's POV

We get back to the diner where Ares is waiting for us.

"Well, well," he said. "You didn't get yourself killed."

"You're just a big jerk sending us off to a trap you knew about already and could avoid!" Percy said angrily, ignoring what Grover said.

"Percy!" Grover and Baxie said at once.

After he does his little trick of turning his shield to a bullet proof vest and putting it on this is what he says.

"See that truck over there?" He pointed 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."

It read: Kindness International: Humane Zoo Transport. Warning: Live Animals. Apparently we where riding with animals. I guess it didn't matter we might crash because of a monster and kill the animals.

Ares gives us a backpack full of clothes, double stuffed Oreos, and some drachmas and money. Baxie and me were thinking the same thing, Baxie had over heard Percy say don't trust gift earlier and told me, another reason he wasn't using the shoes Luke gave him. Even if it seemed safe then again it was from Ares. Someone inside the diner takes a picture of Percy and Ares. On I knew this would be on the paper, not he was starting to get popular.

"I don't want your lousy-" Percy started.

"Percy! You should stop insulting him and thank him since he is being nice, and I am. Before you make another enemy, adding to your collection, including Zeus!" Baxie said a split second before Grover could say anything.

Percy tells Ares that he owes him one more thing: the news of his mother that Ares promised. Ares tells Percy that his mom isn't dead; she's being kept as a hostage. He says that someone is using Sally Jackson to control Percy.

Percy balled up his fists. "You're pretty smug, Lord Ares, for a guy who runs from Cupid statues."

Behind his sunglasses, fire glowed. "We'll meet again, Percy Jackson. Next time you're in a fight, watch your back." He revved his Harley, then roared off down the street.

"That was not smart, Percy." I said.

"I'm not very good at being smart, but I don't care anyways." He says

"You don't want a god as your enemy. Especially not that god."

"Those truck drivers are getting ready to leave in there. We should get in the back of the truck quick." Grover says.

Grover's Pov

When we get in we find three of the saddest and loneliest looking animals you've ever seen: an antelope-looking animal, a zebra, and an albino lion. They are in cages, and the antelope and zebra have meat in their bowls, while the lion has turnips. Their cages are a mess. It's clear no one has treated them humanely or kindly. Everyone is really upset by this scene, but I think I was especially sad. Since, I can talk to animals.

Once the truck gets going, we rearranges the food, giving the lion the meat and the zebra and the antelope turnips. We refill their water bowls. I tells them that we will help them even more in the morning. I guess I looked really mad - murder mad even - because Baxie said "she would help" and we had to hold her down so she wouldn't murder our ride and be on the headline.

"Hey, sorry for freaking our about the spiders." Annabeth said to Percy.

"Because of the arachne story?" Percy asks.

"Yeah ever since they've been out for the children of Athena." She said.

"What?! I've been scared of spiders because their legs creep me out...WHY DID THE CONVERSATION TURN INTO SPIDERS GRRRR! Now I'm thinking about what they look like! THANKS!" Baxie said in a kind of loud whisper.

We settle down for good night's sleep, but then the subject of Thalia's death comes up, again after the third time this trip. I was hoping Baxie and Percy would just give it a rest, but no that's not what they had in mind.

"Luke, Annabeth, and Thalia had all ran away and when they all ended up near half-blood hill I was assigned to help Thalia get to safety. I thought it was only Thalia but I leaded them all, but the one I was sent for...I failed to help, I failed big time. She died because of me." I said sadly.

"I wouldn't be alive without you." Annabeth said.

"You have the biggest heart in the universe, and that's why you will find Pan." Percy said.

"And...ugh, you guys took the good stuff." Baxie said.

I thought it was nice to have friends like them. I fall asleep soon after.

Baxie's Pov

"Aye, you guys are never alone with me around. Maybe I should just sleep while you Lovebirds talk." I said.

"Lovebirds? We just met!" Percy protested.

"Oh come on! My step...mom I think is Aphrodite so I know true love when I see it. I probably can even manipulate it but I won't." I said.

Annabeth scoffs as if that was the most ridiculous thing ever and we dropped the subject.

Percy asks Annabeth about the ring she wears around her neck.

She's reluctant to tell him about it at first, but then she opens up. The ring belongs to her mortal father, the professor at West Point (the one who didn't want to raise her when Athena sent her down to earth in a golden cradle). Two summers ago he sent her his ring, asking her to come home and telling her he missed her. Annabeth went home, but it was miserable. Her stepmom was mean and still wouldn't let her hang out with the family. Monsters smelled her and attacked, putting the family at risk again. That winter, she went back to Camp Half-Blood for good.

"You shouldn't give up on your dad-" Percy started.

"Don't wanna hear it." Annabeth said and she laid down and closed her eyes.

"Well I guess that settles it." Percy said.

"Nope." I said but we fall asleep anyways. Everyone usually had dreams. All I get is an image and a voice, the image is usually a place we journeying to and a very deep cold scratchy voice telling me I will die soon. I never know what he means by soon but it's almost always the same thing every time. It was weird this time he told me to do as he said and his commands weren't good things. Ideas of telling me a story like Percy describes, the voice says random death sentences, near death things to my friends and me, meaning my friends might die because of me. Yet, I get a forced invitation to all quests, and I don't even count as a person in it, just a "plus one."

I woke up mid-conversation. Everyone else woke up at the same time. The truck made an abrupt stop, we were in Las Vegas. The truckers see coming to check on the animals. Grover, Percy and me hide, and Annabeth puts on her magic hat. Percy was staring at the zebra like it talked to him. Then the truckers left and he told us the zebra talked to him, since his father is the creator of horses.

"How come I don't understand?" I asked.

"Maybe Chiron knows." Annabeth said.

We help free the animals and Grover blesses them before they leave. And it looked very cute when the zebra bowed to Percy. And then the animals run off to the streets and cause a commotion.

"Can't you do that for us?" Percy asks.

"It only works on animals." Grover said.

"So it works on you, Grover?" I asked.

"Uh, never tried it, never will..."Grover said.

"So only Percy then?" Annabeth said.

"Ha ha." Percy said half heartedly.

Annabeth's Pov

We get to a hotel called Lotus Hotel and Casino and the door man invites us in. The inside was a huge lobby/game room with every kind of game and every kind of snack you can imagine. A bellhop approaches us and gives us credit cards telling us "The bill was taken care of. No extra charges, no tips." We can use these anywhere in the casino.

We have a room on the top floor where we can go up to shower, eat, watch TV, luxuriate. It has been a long time since we had been treated like this, I'm not even sure if we have been treated this way. We decide to go play in the game room. There, everyone finds a game that is just right for them: I find an architecture game; Grover finds a kill-the-hunter game; Percy plays all kinds of sports games and sharpshooter games; Baxie finds a dancing arcade game. Percy stopped playing after a while so did I but I was sitting drinking a fruit smoothie and Percy goes to a bunch of guests asking them questions. Baxie loses after the 42th level in her game then starts walking towards Percy, her legs still shaking, then she spots a strawberry-kiwi smoothie and runs faster than she would ever even to escape somewhere. Like Grover with enchiladas.

Percy makes a really big effort to try to get us out of the hotel, and he succeeds after a while only he had to take Baxie's smoothie away for her to pay attention and had to drag Grover out. On the way out, the bellhop offers us Platinum cards, saying that they are opening a whole new floor full of new games for Platinum members. We leave quickly and it was very stormy outside. We check a paper and it says June 20th, we had been in the Casino for five days. Only one day left before the quest deadline.