Finally, off the train, buildings seem to stretch into the sky and never stop. Everyone is clean and completely dressed up. Annabeth and I were separated and taken to different rooms. A team of people take me to a room with a pedestal in the center, nothing else. They strip me completely naked and spray me with a very strong hose and dumped so sort of very strong and kinda nice smelling soap and blasted me again. They stare at my body and hold up tape measures around parts of me.
"Ok I think he's done." One person said.
"I don't know... maybe spray him one more time." Another person says making an uncomfortable face.
"The stylist can decide." Another chimes in.
The door slides open and in walks a tall pale man, just a simple t shirt and pants on, not dolled up like every other clown in the Capitol. Black hair slicked back, his eyes study me.
"I'm Hades... Your stylist." He says with a flat voice.
"I'm Percy... currently naked." I smile looking at him. he seems so out of place here, kinda like me. "Were you born here?" I ask him.
"Yes, were you?" he replies.
"Uh... no, I'm from District 3." I say.
"I have a perfect idea!" he gets exited, life fills his eyes. "You will ware that!" he points to me.
I look behind me to see nothing there. "Wait... You mean I'd be naked!" I snap my head at him, with a big grin on his face.
"Ah I couldn't hold it back!" he laughs. "I'm just messing with you kid, I saw the pics of you butt naked when you arrived and thought I'd have a laugh." He chuckles and tosses me a robe.
"Oh, thank god..." I sigh and put the robe on.
"I get to design yours and your partners looks for all the festivities from now to the games." He smiles still looking me over. "How do you feel about water?"
"Well... I feel like I was born in it... does that make sense?" I ask.
"Nope!" he smiles and Aphrodite walks in, his smile instantly fades and goes back to his mindless drone state.
"Ah, Percy! I see that you met Hades." She smiles wide. "Come, we are going to the Training Center."
"How long are we staying?" I ask her.
"Just a week, during that time you will train and do an interview with Apollo, how exiting!" she claps her hands.
"Do I have to?" I ask. She scoffs and grabs my arm and pulls me out.
At the Training Center we reach our floor.
"Here you will stay, then you two will go to the Training room to... train." She waves her hands. "In a couple days Hades will finish you clothes and you do the Tribute Parade, then the show with Apollo." She says without taking a breath.
"Do we get to rest at all?" Annabeth asks, as she tightens my robe.
"Yes in-between everything." Aphrodite walks away.
I try loosening my robe, but Annabeth swats my hands away. "I though you would like it being loose." I smirk whispering to her.
"Yeah I do, but your head is filled with seaweed and you flashed all of the Capital." She scoffs.
