Running the Gauntlet

I don't like LA

(Hey there will be some gore in this chapter I'll let you know when it will happen)

Garden

Las Vegas summer heat was a very big noticeable difference from inside the Lotus Casino. All of us walked down the strip thinking of what to do next. Percy and Grover were in front of me and Annabeth.

"Flowers?" Annabeth asked

"Hmm."

"I saw a video game in there called something like 'Resident Evil' and the character had a similar haircut to you."

"Oh Leon? Yeah I based my hair off of his, mine isn't exactly as straight as his but I did pretty well." I explained.

Annabeth laughed. "That's kinda cool that you like that character so much."

I smiled a little, the only other person to like it was my mom.

"Thanks Brains. You have any idea on what we should do next?"

She made her usual thinking face, looking up at nothing.

"I've got it!" She exclaimed.

A few minutes later we were in a taxi, I had to sit in the front seat because I don't think we would fit in the back, besides someone sitting on someone else and I don't think that'd be comfortable.

"Los Angeles, please." Annabeth said.

The cabbie chewed his cigar and switched from looking at me to the other three. "That's three hundred miles. For that, you gotta pay up front."

"You accept casino debit cards?" Annabeth asked. I looked at her like she was crazy.

He shrugged. "Some of 'em. Same as credit cards. I gotta swipe 'em through first."

Annabeth handed him her green LotusCash card.

He looked at it skeptically.

"Swipe it," Annabeth invited.

He did.

His meter machine started rattling. The lights flashed. Finally an infinity symbol came up next to the dollar sign.

The cigar fell out of the driver's mouth. He switched his look again between me and the others, his eyes wide. "Where to in Los Angeles... uh, Your Highness?"

"The Santa Monica Pier." Annabeth sat up a little straighter. I could tell she liked the "Your Highness" thing. "Get us there fast, and you can keep the change."

I'm glad she told him that I enjoyed how fast we were going. I don't think we dropped below ninety the whole way through the Mojave Desert.

I zoned out for a bit till I heard my voice talk to me.

"Get ready."

"Huh?" And I felt a familiar shock and as my head landed on the window I was in a courtyard looking at another memory from older me and someone else. A guy maybe the same age as older Garden. He had brown hair and blue eyes, with a splatter of freckles. He was dressed in a t-shirt and jeans with black tennis shoes.

Looking at the guy made me absolutely furious, more angry than when I was around Ares. And I had no idea why.

"WHY! WHY DID YOU KILL THEM!? I WAS YOUR ENEMY NOT THEM! WHY DID YOU KILL ????"

That was weird. I'm looking at his mouth moving but there was no sound. I couldn't even read his lips, like something was holding back my ability to comprehend the last part of that sentence.

The other guy just laughed in older Garden's face. "I did it because you'll never be the same again. It will take over. You will lose everything because of yourself."