Percy's anger simmered as he glared at Ares. "We need to have a little talk with Ares."
The war god was waiting for us in the diner parking lot, his presence exuding a dangerous aura.
"Well, well," he said with a sly grin. "You didn't get yourself killed."
"You knew it was a trap," Percy growled, his frustration evident. Ares chuckled darkly.
"Bet that crippled blacksmith was surprised when he netted a couple of stupid kids. You looked good on TV."
Percy took a threatening step towards him, but before the he could do anything, I stepped forward, swiftly removing the shield from my arm.
"Your shield, Lord Ares," I said politely, holding it out to him. Ares raised an eyebrow and accepted the bronze shield. With a casual motion, he transformed it into a bulletproof vest and slung it across his back.
"At least Y/N knows how to respect a god," he remarked, a smirk playing on his lips. "See that truck over there?" He pointed to an eighteen-wheeler parked across the street. "That's your ride. It'll take you straight to L.A., with one stop in Vegas."
The truck bore a sign that read: KINDNESS INTERNATIONAL: HUMANE ZOO TRANSPORT. WARNING: LIVE WILD ANIMALS.
"You're kidding," Percy muttered.
"Free ride west, punk. Stop complaining. And here's a little something for doing the job." Ares then pulled a blue nylon backpack off his motorcycle's handlebars and tossed it to me. Inside, we found fresh clothes for all of us, twenty bucks in cash, a pouch full of golden drachmas, and a bag of Double Stuf Oreos.
Percy, still upset, peered into the bag and turned back to Ares. "We don't want your lousy—"
"Thank you, Lord Ares," I interjected, giving him a pointed look. "Thanks a lot."
I glanced back at the diner, where a few curious onlookers, including the waitress who had served us dinner, were gawking at us. The fry cook had even emerged with a disposable camera, snapping a picture of us.
"You owe me one more thing," Percy pressed, his voice tense. "You promised me information about my mother."
"You sure you can handle the news?" Ares revved his motorcycle. "She's not dead."
Percy's anger quickly gave way to shock and disbelief. "What do you mean?"
"I mean she was taken away from the Minotaur before she could die. She was turned into a shower of gold, right? That's metamorphosis. Not death. She's being kept." Ares grinned wickedly.
"Kept. Why?" I inquired.
"You need to study war, bud. Hostages. You take somebody to control somebody else."
"Nobody's controlling me," Percy retorted. Ares laughed.
"Oh yeah? See you around, kid." He revved his Harley and roared off down Delancy Street.
"That was not smart, Percy," Annabeth sighed.
"I don't care," Percy grumbled.
"You don't want a god as your enemy." I cautioned, running a hand through my hair. "Especially a war god."
"Hey, guys," Grover interjected, his tone urgent. "I hate to interrupt, but..." He pointed towards the diner. At the register, the last two customers were paying their check, 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 said, "we need to hurry."
The first thing that hit me was the smell, an overwhelming odor like the world's biggest pan of kitty litter. The trailer was dark inside, with only a faint glow emanating from my bangle, casting a dim bronze light over a disheartening scene.
Inside the trailer, three of the saddest zoo animals I'd ever seen were locked in filthy metal cages. A zebra, a male albino lion, and a strange antelope-like creature that I couldn't identify sat in a row of cages.
The lion, given a sack of turnips, showed no interest in eating them. The zebra and the antelope were given Styrofoam trays of hamburger meat. The zebra's mane was matted with chewing gum, as if someone had been spitting on it. The antelope had a silver birthday balloon tied to one of its horns that read "OVER THE HILL!" It seemed nobody had dared to approach the lion, but it was pacing in a space far too small for its size, panting in the stifling heat of the trailer. Flies buzzed around its pink eyes, and its ribs protruded through its white fur.
"This is kindness?" Grover exclaimed in anger. "Humane zoo transport?"
He would have probably stormed out to confront the truckers with his reed pipes, but just then, the truck's engine roared to life, shaking the trailer, forcing us to sit down to avoid falling.
Thinking quickly, I focused on my bracelet, drawing heat from the surroundings. With a sound like a sucking of air, the heat was absorbed into my bangle.
Grover attempted to communicate with the animals with goat bleats, but they only stared at him with sorrowful eyes. Annabeth suggested breaking the cages and freeing them right away, but Percy wisely pointed out that it wouldn't make much of a difference until the truck stopped moving. Besides, I had a feeling we were a more appealing sight than turnips to the lion.
Percy found a water jug and refilled their bowls, then used Anaklusmos to pull the food out of their cages. He gave the meat to the lion and the turnips to the zebra and the antelope. Grover managed to calm the antelope, while Annabeth carefully removed the balloon from its horn. She wanted to cut the gum out of the zebra's mane, but we decided it would be too risky with the truck's constant jostling.
We promised the animals we would do more to help them in the morning and settled down for the night. Grover made a makeshift bed out of a turnip sack, while Percy lay on an old blanket beside him. Annabeth opened our bag of Double Stuf Oreos and nibbled on one half-heartedly, and I tried to lift our spirits by reminding everyone that we were halfway to Los Angeles. Halfway to our destination. It was only June fourteenth, and the solstice wasn't until the twenty-first. We had plenty of time.
Annabeth turned to me, breaking the silence. "Hey," she said, "I'm sorry for freaking out back at the water park, Y/N."
"That's okay," I whispered back, offering her a reassuring smile.
"It's just . . ." She shuddered. "Spiders."
"Because of the Arachne story," I guessed. "She got turned into a spider for challenging your mom to a weaving contest, right?"
Annabeth nodded. "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 don't owe me a thing," I said. "Besides, Grover did the fancy flying."
"I was pretty amazing, wasn't I?" Grover mumbled from the corner, and Annabeth and I couldn't help but chuckle.
In the midst of our laughter, Percy stirred, rubbing his eyes and stretching. Annabeth turned her attention to him, deep in thought.
"In the Iris message . . . did Luke really say nothing?" Annabeth asked, breaking the quiet once more.
"Luke said you and he go way back," Percy continued. "He also said Grover wouldn't fail this time. Nobody would turn into a pine tree."
In the dim bronze light of the bracelet, it was hard to read their expressions. Grover let out a mournful bray.
"I should've told you the truth from the beginning," he admitted, his voice trembling. "I thought if you knew what a failure I was, you wouldn't want me along."
"You were the satyr who tried to rescue Thalia, the daughter of Zeus," I realized. He nodded, looking glum.
"And the other two half-bloods Thalia befriended, the ones who got safely to camp . . ." I looked at Annabeth. "That was you and Luke, wasn't it?"
She put down her Oreo, uneaten. "Like you said, Y/N, a seven-year-old half-blood wouldn't have made it very far alone. Athena guided me toward 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 traveled north from Virginia without any real plans, fending off monsters for about two weeks before Grover found us."
"I was supposed to escort Thalia to camp," Grover added, 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. I 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 . . ."
"Stop it," Annabeth interrupted, her voice firm. "No one blames you. Thalia didn't blame you either."
"She sacrificed herself to save us," he said miserably. "Her death was my fault. The Council of Cloven Elders said so."
"Because you wouldn't leave two other half-bloods behind?" Percy chimed in. "That's not fair."
"Percy's right," Annabeth added. "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 continued 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."
"You're not lame," I insisted. "You've got more courage than any satyr I've ever met. Name one other who would dare go to the Underworld. I bet Percy is really glad you're here right now." I shot Percy a look.
"Yeah," Percy said, his gaze fixed on me. "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." A deep, satisfied sigh escaped Grover, and we knew he had drifted off to sleep.
"How does he do that?" I marvelled.
"I don't know," Annabeth said. "But we meant every word we said to him."
"We meant it," Percy reiterated. 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 its lips and gazed at me hopefully, and Annabeth rubbed her necklace as if deep in thought.
"That pine-tree bead," I began. "Is that from your first year?"
Annabeth glanced at the bead on her necklace, seemingly lost in thought. "Yeah," she said. "Every August, the counsellors pick the most important event of the summer and 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. . . ."
"And the college ring is your father's?" Percy chimed in. I winced at his timing.
"That's none of your—" Annabeth stopped herself. "Yeah. Yeah, it is."
"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to," I reassured her.
"No . . . it's okay." She took 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 gotten through his doctoral program at Harvard without her. . . . That's a long story. Anyway, he said he wanted me to have it. He apologized for being a jerk, said he loved me and missed me. He wanted me to come home and live with him."
"That doesn't sound so bad," Percy commented.
"Yeah, well . . . the problem was, I believed him," Annabeth said bitterly. "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 attacked. We argued. I didn't even make it through winter break. I called Chiron and came right back to Camp Half-Blood."
"You think you'll ever try living with your dad again?" I asked, noticing a change in her demeanour.
She hesitated and avoided eye contact, seeming to stiffen at my touch. "Please. I'm not into self-inflicted pain."
"You shouldn't give up," I told her gently, my hand still on her shoulder. "You should write him a letter or something."
"Thanks for the advice," she whispered. "But my father's made his choice about who he wants to live with." We passed another few miles in silence, but Percy, being Percy, decided to break it again.
"So if the gods fight," he said, "will things line up the way they did with the Trojan War? Will it be Athena versus Poseidon?"
Annabeth rested her head against the backpack Ares had given us and closed her eyes. "I don't know what my mom will do. I just know I'll fight next to you."
"Why?" Percy asked, his confusion evident.
"Because you're my friend, Seaweed Brain. Any more stupid questions?" I chuckled softly before lying down on the same bag. Eventually, exhaustion overcame me, and I fell asleep.
My nightmare started out as something I'd dreamed a million times before. I was sitting in the Orphanage cafeteria, covered head to toe in mustard and mayonnaise. All the other kids were laughing hysterically, including Jeremy. Then the dream strayed from the usual. I looked over to the seat beside me, seeing a girl covered in Ketchup. She was my age, with unruly black, punk-style hair, dark eyeliner around her stormy green eyes, and freckles across her nose. Somehow, I knew who she was. She was Thalia, daughter of Zeus.
She attempted to shake off the sauce, glaring at me in frustration. 'Well, Firecracker? 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 get my Dad back. The Mustard slid off me. I fell through the floor. The laughter changed until it was cold and evil, echoing from the depths of a great chasm.
Y/N, it said. 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 nothing?" it inquired. Another voice, one I almost recognized, responded by my side.
"Nothing, my lord. He is as ignorant as the rest," said the voice, even though I couldn't see anyone there. The speaker remained invisible.
The creature in the pit mused aloud, delighted by the layers of deception. "Excellent."
The voice by my side continued, "Truly, my lord, you are well-named the Crooked One. But was it really necessary? I could have brought you what I stole directly—"
"You?" the monster interrupted with scorn. "You have already shown your limits. You would have failed me completely had I not intervened."
"But, my lord—"
"Peace, little servant," the monster commanded. "Our six months have bought us much. Zeus's anger has grown. Poseidon has 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 are delivered into my hands... but wait. He is here."
"What?" The invisible servant sounded tense. "You summoned him, my lord?"
"No," the monster responded. "Another one has heard! Blast his mother's blood— he is too quick, too unnoticeable. A boy has brought himself hither."
"Impossible!" the servant cried.
"For a weakling such as you, perhaps," the monster snarled, its cold voice turning back on me. "So... you wish to dream of your quest, young half-blood? Then I will oblige."
The scene shifted, and I found myself in a vast throne room with black marble walls and bronze floors. The empty, horrid throne was constructed from fused human bones. At the foot of the dais stood my Percy, Annabeth, and Grover, frozen in shimmering golden light, their arms outstretched. I tried to move towards them, but my legs wouldn't obey. Reaching for them, I realized my hands were withering into bones.
Grinning skeletons in Greek armor surrounded me, adorning me with silk robes and laurels that smoked with Chimera poison, burning into my scalp. The evil voice erupted in laughter. "Hail, the conquering hero!"
I jolted awake, my heart racing as Percy shook my shoulder.
"The truck's stopped," he whispered urgently. "We think they're coming to check on the animals."
"Hide!" Annabeth hissed, and with a simple gesture, she vanished beneath her magic cap. Grover, Percy, and I didn't have that luxury. We scrambled behind stacks of feed sacks, doing our best to resemble turnips. The trailer doors creaked open, flooding the interior with blinding sunlight and scorching heat.
"One of those magical appliances would be nice right about now," grumbled one of the truckers as he stepped inside. He poured water from a jug into the animals' dishes, making a remark to the lion. His careless splash of water in the lion's face earned him an indignant roar.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," the man muttered, clearly unfazed. Next to me, hidden beneath the turnip sacks, Grover tensed, his usually peaceful demeanour momentarily replaced by a murderous glare.
The trucker tossed a squashed Happy Meal bag to the antelope and smirked at the zebra. "How ya doin', Stripes? At 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!" The zebra, wide-eyed with fear, locked its gaze onto Percy, as if seeking salvation.
Suddenly, a loud series of knocks echoed on the side of the trailer. The trucker with us yelled, "What do you want, Eddie?"
A voice from outside, presumably Eddie's, shouted back, "Maurice? What'd ya say?"
"What are you banging for?" more knocks resounded.
Eddie's voice grew exasperated as he replied, "What banging?" Our companion, Maurice, rolled his eyes and exited the trailer, cursing at Eddie for being a nuisance. A moment later, Annabeth materialized next to me. She had used her clever ploy of banging to lure Maurice outside.
"This transport business can't be legal," Annabeth remarked, her voice filled with disgust.
"No kidding," Grover chimed in. He paused, as if listening intently. "The lion says these guys are animal smugglers! We've got to free them!" Grover declared with urgency. I swiftly stood up, my eyes darting to the thick locks securing the cages. There was no conventional way to break them open. However, I focused my thoughts, hoping the enchantment on my bracelet extended to tools. With a warm glow, my bracelet transformed into a pair of large, menacing bolt cutters. I wasted no time in slicing off the lock on the zebra's cage, setting it free.
Grover raised his hands and muttered something to the zebra in goat talk, like a blessing. Just as Maurice was poking his head back inside to investigate the noise, the zebra leaped over him and into the street.
Chaos erupted. There was yelling, screaming, and cars honking as we rushed to the trailer doors. We witnessed the zebra galloping down a wide boulevard, flanked by hotels, casinos, and neon signs. We had just unleashed a zebra in Las Vegas. Maurice and Eddie chased after it, with a few policemen hot on their heels, shouting about permits.
"Now would be a good time to leave," Annabeth suggested.
Grover nodded in agreement. "But first, let's free the other animals." Percy deftly cut the locks with his sword, and Grover raised his hands, bestowing the same goat blessing he had on the zebra.
"Good luck," I wished the animals well. The antelope and the lion bounded out of their cages and headed into the streets together. Some tourists screamed, while others snapped photos, likely assuming it was a casino stunt.
Percy looked concerned. "Will the animals be okay, Grover? I mean, the desert and all—"
"Don't worry," Grover reassured him. "I placed a satyr's sanctuary on them."
Percy raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?"
"Meaning they'll safely find their way to the wild," Grover explained. "They'll discover water, food, shade—everything they need until they find a safe place to live."
Percy seemed confused. "Why can't you place a blessing like that on us?"
"It only works on wild animals," Grover replied, and I couldn't resist a teasing comment. "So it would only affect Percy."
Percy protested, "Hey!"
"Kidding," I chuckled. "Let's get out of this filthy truck." We stumbled into the scorching desert afternoon, the temperature easily hitting a hundred and ten degrees. We must have looked like deep-fried vagabonds, but luckily, everyone around us was too preoccupied with the wild animals to pay us much attention. We passed by the Monte Carlo and the MGM.
At that point, we weren't entirely sure what we were searching for. Perhaps just a respite from the searing heat, a sandwich, and a glass of lemonade, and a chance to devise a new plan for heading west. However, it seemed we had taken a wrong turn, and we found ourselves at a dead end, standing in front of the Lotus Hotel and Casino.
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.
The doorman smiled at us. "Hey, kids. You look tired. You want to come in and sit down?" 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 sounded 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 waterslide 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. "Hey!" exclaimed a bellhop, or at least that's what I presumed he was. He sported a white-and-yellow Hawaiian shirt adorned with lotus patterns, casual shorts, and flip-flops. "Welcome to the Lotus Casino. Here's your room key."
I hesitated, confusion muddling my thoughts. "Wait... but..."
He interrupted with a friendly laugh, dismissing my concerns. "No need to worry. The bill's already taken care of—no extra charges, no tips. Just head up to the top floor, room 4001. If you need anything, whether it's extra bubbles for the hot tub or skeet targets for the shooting range, just give the front desk a call. And here are your LotusCash cards. They work in the restaurants and on all the games and rides." He handed each of us a green plastic credit card.
I couldn't shake the feeling that there must be some kind of mistake. It seemed like he thought we were the children of some wealthy millionaire.
"How much is loaded onto these cards?" Percy inquired.
The bellhop's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, when does the cash run out?" Percy clarified.
With a chuckle, the bellhop replied, "Oh, you're making a joke. That's cool. Enjoy your stay."
We took the elevator to our suite, which turned out to be luxurious beyond belief. Three separate bedrooms, a bar stocked with candies, sodas, and chips, a direct line to room service, plush towels, and water beds with feather pillows awaited us. A massive big-screen television with satellite and high-speed Internet beckoned for our attention. The balcony boasted its own hot tub, and, to our surprise, there was even a skeet-shooting machine and a shotgun, allowing us to launch clay pigeons over the Las Vegas skyline and take aim with our guns. I couldn't fathom how this could be legal, but Percy seemed interested.
"Oh, my goodness," Annabeth gasped in amazement. "This place is..."
"Amazing" Grover finished for her, his eyes shining with excitement.
The suite came complete with a wardrobe filled with clothes that somehow fit me perfectly, which struck me as a little weird. I tossed Ares's backpack into the trash can, convinced that I wouldn't be needing it anymore. After all, I could easily charge a new one at the hotel store when we left.
I indulged in a shower, basking in the sensation of cleanliness after a week of grueling travel. After changing into fresh clothes, I snacked on a bag of chips and brewed a warm cup of cocoa. Somewhere in the back of my mind, a nagging feeling persisted—I had a dream or a memory that demanded my attention. But I convinced myself that it could wait.
Emerging from the bedroom, I found that Annabeth, Grover, and Percy had also showered and changed into clean clothes. Grover was happily munching on potato chips, while Percy and Annabeth had opted for the National Geographic Channel on the massive television.
"All those channels, and you choose National Geographic?" I raised an eyebrow in amusement.
Percy joined in on the jest, saying, "I thought the same thing."
Grover, still enjoying his chips, chimed in, "I'm loving this place."
"So what now?" Annabeth asked. "Sleep?" With a mischievous glint in their eyes, Percy and Grover held up the green plastic LotusCash cards in unison.
"It's playtime," they declared, before darting off with gleeful smiles. I rolled my eyes at their enthusiasm and opted for a more laid-back approach, collapsing onto the soft mattress with a contented sigh.
"You feeling tired, Firecracker?" Annabeth asked. I merely nodded.
"Very tired, Wise girl." I smiled warmly at her. Her expression stiffened, and she turned away sharply.
"You good?" I said.
"Yep." She replied, still not looking at me. I shrugged before getting off the bed to join Percy and Grover.
.
.
.
I couldn't remember the last time I had so much fun. I mean, I was an orphan, for gods sake. I hadn't even seen a five-star Vegas hotel before. I bungee-jumped the lobby with Percy five or six times, did the waterslide, snowboarded the artificial ski slope, and played virtual-reality laser tag and FBI sharpshooter. 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. 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.
I'm not sure when I first realized something was wrong. Probably, it was when I noticed the guy standing next to me at VR sharpshooters. He was about ten, I guess, nothing looked wrong, but his clothes weren't . . . right. He was wearing a green long sleeved shirt, a black vest, a tie, and short trousers. Well dressed, sure, but for the forties.
"Hey." I said to the small kid next to me. He turned to face me, his jet-black hair and dark eyes piercing into mine.
"What?" He replied.
"What year is it?" I questioned feeling a little confused. The boy frowned, thinking about it. "Uh, 1935?"
"No," I said, a little panicked. "Really."
"You know what? My sister is probably looking for me." The boy jogged off, leaving me in shock. 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? I tried to remember why we were here. We were going to Los Angeles. We were supposed to find the entrance to the Underworld. I whipped my head around, searching for anyone I knew. Sprinting around a corner where I had last seen them, I slammed into someone, sending them straight to the floor. I groaned, opening my eyes before - "Percy!"
"You noticed, too?" he asked as he helped me up.
I nodded, still panicked. "I— yes. the quest— how long—"
"I don't know," he muttered. "But we need to look for Grover and Annabeth."
We found Annabeth still building her city. "Come on," I told her. "We've got to get out of here." No response. I shook her. "Annabeth?"
She looked up, annoyed. "What?"
"We need to leave." Percy said, looking around nervously.
"Leave? What are you talking about?" She muttered in a daze. "I've just got the towers—"
"This place is a trap." I hissed. She didn't respond until I shook her again.
"What?" She mumbled.
"Listen. The Underworld. Our quest!" I insisted.
She sighed robotically. "Oh, come on, Y/N. Just a few more minutes."
"Annabeth, there are people here from 1977." I added. "Kids who have never aged. You check in, and you stay forever."
"So?" she asked. "Can you imagine a better place?"
"Sorry about this." Percy gritted his teeth. He grabbed her wrist and yanked her away from the game.
"Hey!" She screamed and hit him, but nobody else even bothered looking at us. They were too busy. I made her look directly in my eyes.
"Spiders. Large, hairy spiders." I whispered into her ear. That jarred her. Her vision cleared.
"Oh my gods," she said. "How long have we—"
"I don't know, but we've got to find Grover." Percy said. We went searching, and found him still playing Virtual Deer Hunter.
"Grover!" We shouted.
"Die, human!" He exclaimed. "Die, silly polluting nasty person!"
"Grover!"
He turned the plastic gun on me and started clicking, as if I were just another image from the screen. I looked at Percy, 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 to a new level! No!"
The Lotus bellhop hurried up to us. "Well, now, are you ready for your platinum cards?"
"We're leaving," Percy told him firmly.
"Such a shame," he said, and I got the feeling that he really meant it, that we'd be breaking his heart if we went. "We just added an entire new floor full of games for platinum-card members." He held out the cards, 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 mom, and my quest, and maybe even my own name.
I'd be playing virtual rifleman with that 1940s kid forever. Grover reached for the card, but Annabeth yanked back his arm and said, "No, thanks." We walked toward 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. . . .
Then we burst through the doors of the Lotus Casino and ran down the sidewalk. 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.
Ares's backpack was slung over Percy's shoulder, which was odd, because I was sure I had thrown it in the trash can in room 4001, 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. 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.
(A/N: I like to think that Y/N has extreme rizz but hes completely oblivious to it and is way too nice for his own good.)