thirteen.
( the lightning thief. )
❛ the lions den. ❜

ARES STOOD IMPATIENTLY staring at the four of them as they strolled closer to him at the location where they'd since parted. Even from the distance which they walked to meet the man, the overwhelming taste of bitterness and awakening frustration grew prominent in their curling scowls and looks of foolery. his presence seemed to be still plagued with crimson glory, a desire to walk through fire or to poke at a bear in hopes of devouring the sense of exhilaration that was doomed to follow. "Well, well," his voice was rough and bruised, like the thumping of drums or the battlecry of war, almost sickeningly taunting as he glowered at them with dangerous amusement. "You didn't get yourself killed."

"You knew it was a trap, didn't you?" questioning a god was foreshadowed with consequence, or rather, that had always been what was taught into the minds of demigods. so when the daughter of Artemis started at the deity with controlled frustration yet knowing annoyance, Percy could've pat her on the back as a symbol of impressiveness.

Ares, however, only seemed to take her tone as a challenge as he smirked back and cocked his head down to her level, glaring back at her distasteful expression. "Well, of course I did pipsqueak. Bet that fuckin' blacksmith was surprised when he netted a couple of stupid kids." he barked out a rough laugh, "You two looked real cute on tv." His smirk only increased tenfold when he got the reaction he wanted, two deep snarls from the two.

The remark was pointed, aimed with the chilling steel of daggers that was bound to ultimately wound Colette's pride, that was visible to percy through her look of dejection. wether Artemis cared for the joke, that didn't seem to matter as percy watched the girl beside him tense in belittled embarrassment. "You're a jerk." And for once, Colette didn't reprimand Percy for insulting the god. Not when that was exactly what she wanted to do. Ares grabbed the shield and spun it in the air like pizza dough, as though it weighed nothing more than a feather. It changed form, sizzling and melting down into a bulletproof vest that he slung lazily across his back.

Ignoring the insult, Ares nodded his head to a nearby truck. "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."

The eighteen-wheeler had a sign on the back, which Percy 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. at the sight of the word animals, both Colette and Grover strained their necks for a better look at their mode of transport in curiosity.

"You're kidding." Percy nearly spat in disbelief, only sparing a single glance to the truck before turning back to the pleased God.

Ares snapped his fingers and instantly the doors to the back of truck suddenly rattled open, as though a furious force was pushing against them impatiently and desperate to be liberated. "Free ride west, punk. Stop complaining. And here's a little something for doing the job." He slung a blue nylon backpack off his handlebars and tossed it to the son of Poseidon. Inside were fresh clothes for all of them, twenty bucks in cash, a pouch full of golden drachmas, and a bag of Double Stuffed Oreos.

As though the bag was riddled with disease and poison that was bound to kill at a single touch, Percy recoiled immediately. His gaze was pure with distrust as he snarled at the older man, "I don't want your lousy—"

"Thank you, Lord Ares," Grover stammered out in replace of whatever sharp and quick-witted insults Percy would've been sure to throw. he plastered on a grateful yet somewhat fearful look of appreciation. "Thanks a lot."

Percy grit his teeth, biting his tongue to restrain from snapping. It was more than destined to be a lethal insult to refuse something from a god, especially the god of war, but he didn't want anything that Ares had touched, had let his bloodstained and calloused hands burn before being left in Percy's hold. Reluctantly, he slung the backpack over his shoulder. The frustration in his mind was a result of being in the God's presence, but he was still itching to punch the deity in the face. And to the son of Poseidon's utter disgust, Ares shifted with a glint of every bully Percy had ever faced: Nancy Bobofit, Clarisse, Smelly Gabe, sarcastic teachers—every jerk who'd called him stupid in school or laughed at him when he'd gotten expelled. They followed him, tormented him and mocked him through the form of one man's sneer.

He glanced back to the diner, seeing the waitress who'd served them before staring at them through the window, her brows knit together in concern as though she thought Ares would hurt them. She dragged the fry cook out from the kitchen to see and she leaned forward to whisper something urgently to him. He nodded, held up a little disposable camera and snapped a picture of them and Colette blinked at the small flash.

"You owe me one more thing," Percy declared to Ares, forcefully keeping his voice levelled and secure as he rounded upon the older male. "You promised me information about my mother."

The god raised an eyebrow, and just under the tops of his darkened sunglasses, Percy could've sworn he saw the residence of flames that made home in his eye sockets. "You sure you can handle the news?" He kick-started his motorcycle. "She's not dead."

There was a dizziness under Percy's skin and he trembled as he looked at the god, a newfound sense of relieved nausea taking hold of his complexion as he held his breath momentarily. Taking a breath to collect himself, he narrowed his eyes at the older god. "What do you mean?"

The god released an agitated sigh, "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." He explained with disinterest, like a teacher who cared much too little for their job

"Kept. Why?"

Ares was getting noticeably bored of the conversation and he let out a sigh through his nose as he rolled his eyes. "You need to study war, punk. Hostages. You take somebody to control somebody else." his tone was mocking, speaking tauntingly and slowly as thought he were speaking to a toddler. and in his amusement, Percy grew more infuriated.

Percy scrunched his eyebrows together, scowling and shaking his head stubbornly at the God. "Nobody's controlling me."

Ares laughed like Percy had just told the joke of the year. "Oh yeah? See you around, kid."

From the growing, crescent-mooned shapes carved into the boy's palms from the grip of his tightening hands, Percy took a subtle step back to regain his balance and self-control. "You're pretty smug, Lord Ares," he renamed, "for a guy who runs from Cupid statues."

Behind Ares' sunglasses, burning embers of gold and amber hues suddenly fused as though a heap of wood had just been added to a bustling fire. There was a humidity in the air, gaining and uncomfortable. "We'll meet again, Percy Jackson. Next time you're in a fight, watch your back." He revved his Harley, then roared off down Delancy Street, leaving a cartoonish trail of smoke in his wake as he disappeared in a gleam of orange flames.

Annabeth looked troubled as she spoke, her voice heavily flushed with a sense of unease that was no doubt the fault of the God of War, "That was not smart, Percy."

His voice was sour, engraved with bitterness as he shrugged her off. "I don't care."

"You don't want a god as your enemy." The blonde remarked, shifting her weight from one foot to the other whilst the boy continued to sneer in the direction the god had sped off into. "Especially not that god."

Glancing to the diner, Colette's gaze narrowed upon two men stood at the counter, mumbling to themselves. She nudged Grover, elbowing him and causing him to give her a look of (slightly pained) confusion. "Hey, guys," Grover warned. "I hate to interrupt, but ..." He pointed toward 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 gonna get in there, we need to now." Colette ordered, already walking across the street by the time her statement was finished. Denver was a mouthful of tar that was poisoning her thoughts—she'd seen enough and now it was time to draw their quest to a close.

It was like plunging into darkness as the four were engulfed in the blackness of the truck. Unfortunately, Colette was too shook to allow any light to brew from her skin. Inside, a pungent and volatile smell polluted the atmosphere with a scent so sickening that it sent streams of disgust through her skin. Pulling out her sword, she glanced through the reflective gleam to a sight so horrific that her grip on her dagger loosened so drastically that the weapon slipped through her fingers.

Locked in a row of rusted cages, three of the most melancholic animals the four had ever seen were stored, their eyes wild with sadness and their movements short of Liberty. There was a zebra—it's usually clean mane having been matted and ruined with the remnants of chewing gum, like it had been spit on. Beside it, there was a lion—pacing on soiled blankets due to its lack of exercise. There was a stack of rotten turnips growing older with every passing second beside it, eternally untouched by the creature. And then finally—an antelope resided, a stack of meat on a styrofoam tray beside it. It carried a stupid silver birthday balloon tied to one of his horns that read OVER THE HILL!

"What the fuck!" Percy jumped at the foreign hue of uncovered and blatant horror piercing through Colette's voice as she stalked forward. He could see the Violet of her eyes in the reflection of his sword, they were stormy and pouring with unfiltered vexation. She was seething, her lips snarled in a sinister, animalistic snarl. "This is inhumane! I-it's fucking despicable!" She could barely get her words out through her disgust.

Beside her, Grover harboured a look of similar nauseated terror and violation. "This is kindness?" His voice was shaded with mortification. "Humane zoo transport?" For a minute, Percy would've regarded the almost sibling-like bond that connected the two as they shared twin looks of acrimony.

Colette was in the midst of storming towards the door, her eyes seething in an infuriated haze. For a second, Percy could've sworn there was a silvery mist emitting around her, consumed by her wrathfulness. But, like of trick of the light, it was gone quicker than it had begun. Her feet thudded heavily against the ground and having shared a look of surprise, Percy and Annabeth reached out to restrict her arms in an attempt at stopping her from slamming the door open and slaughtering the men. "Get off me!" She snatched her arms from their grips, but before she could leave, the car engine revved and caused them to stumble backwards.

They were huddled in the corner as the vehicle rode along, trying to ignore the flies and the scent of the humidity. Regardless of the disease or grim on the animals, Colette was persistent in aiding them to the best of her abilities. Percy watched as she mumbled to them, her voice so soft and smooth that he'd never think she were capable of the anger she'd expressed only minutes before. She started with the lion and Grover started with the Zebra.

The lion was cautious at first, unused to such gentleness and kindness that it could only assume her tenderness to be a trap. With a glare, Colette narrowed her eyes upon the buzzing flies, watching as they fell to the floor one by one and let the lion gain a sense of privacy. Soon enough, she was able to reach out a trusting hand inside the metal cage, allowing the lion to inhale the air around her hand before nudging it's nose into her palm. It was her effect, Percy presumed, animals seemed to navigate towards her.

She didn't want to overstep the lion's comfort, and decided to simply pet him from the outside of the cage. He was nameless, just another creature damned to be a source of entertainment for those above to laugh and smirk at. like the demigods themselves were to the Gods. And so, Colette had internally named all of the animals. Leo the lion, basic but she didn't care, and Domino the zebra and Caramel the antelope. They weren't the best names but they were the most she could thing of in the moment.

She moved to the Zebra and the antelope next, swapping with Grover. They were both timid creatures, too fearful of the pain that would be inflicted later if they weren't liberated. Finding a jug of water, Percy crept closer to their watering bowls and refilled them carefully, and once Colette had helped Percy gain their trust, he swapped around their food. Trading the lion's turnips for the meat and giving them to the antelope and the zebra.

Having calmed down the antelope, Colette helped nurture the animal as annabeth gently cut off the balloon from it's horns. And as the remaining three knew she would be, the brunette was desperate to help the zebra too, removing the gum from its mane before Percy spoke of his concerns about how wildly the truck was moving. "We'll help them more in the morning." He told her, "I promise."

Grover curled up on the turnip sack, choosing to be close to the animals as Colette, Percy and Annabeth huddled closer to share a more comfortable warmth. They nibbled on the pack of Oreos, diverting their attention to a more optimistic subject. They were halfway to Los Angeles now and it was only the fourteen of June—the solstice was the twenty-first. Time seemed to be a friend, a gift that they had securely on their side. She tried not to focus on the negatives to their quest. To their role as pawns in a game of ever-evolving chess, the rules switching with the cracks of thunder and the crash of waves. They were pawns—spectacles in a bigger field of victory. Amusement, thats what they were.

"Hey," Annabeth's voice was a husk of sound in the darkness, "I'm sorry for freaking out back at the water park. I-i should've helped out... I'm sorry." She whispered from where she sat, her tone bleeding with apologetic weeps.

"That's okay."

She licked her lips in thought, "It's just..." She shuddered in trepidation, her skin alive with goosebumps and shivers that left her trembling faintly. "Spiders." her tone hovered over a whisper, engulfed in noticeable terror that made her voice seem so much smaller than it was.

"Because of the Arachne story," guessed Percy, staring forward into Riptide's bronze glow, turning the weapon and silently admiring the engraved indents on the sword's design. "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." She murmured, "both of you."

Colette was still keeping her gaze upon the shadow of the pained animals, but she glimpsed to the blonde momentarily. "We're a team, aren't we?" She nudged Annabeth's shoulder with sisterly affection. Her eyes were heavy and itching with sleepiness though she fought against it.

Percy shrugged. "Besides, Grover did the fancy flying." he added almost playfully, glancing to the curled up satyr across from him.

Riddled with exhaustion, Grover yawned out a soft response, his voice rich with drowsiness as he strained to be more comfortable. "I was pretty amazing, wasn't I?" across from him, the three let out small chuckles of amusement.

Annabeth pulled out an Oreo, splitting it and handing some to the girl beside her. "In the Iris message," her voice halted for a second, her tone high with curiosity, "did Luke really say nothing?"

Percy paused for a brief second before moistening his lips and stating, "Luke said you and he go way back. He also said Grover wouldn't fail this time. Nobody would turn into a pine tree." in the pause after he spoke, the air grew stiff and lacking the soft entertainment that had previously been there.

Colette glanced to the blonde, watching Annabeth's frozen reflection as she assessed his words. It was of course a sensitive subject, and though Colette hadn't actually met Thalia, she felt a sense of appreciation for the older girl. They were, ultimately, drawn from the same thread of unbridled destiny. as all demigods were. fated for differentiating vines that in the end, were still birthed from the same root. so even if thalia would never know Colette, Colette would always know thalia.

She reflected the daughter of zeus in all of her actions, as did Annabeth in her speech and Percy in his impulses.

Grover let out a mournful bray. "I should've told you the truth from the beginning." His voice was trembling and, if they listened close enough, racked with guilt. "I thought if you knew what a failure I was, you wouldn't want me along." Colette frowned in his direction, sparing him a look of sympathy. it stirred a pit of melancholic emotion in her stomach.

"You were the satyr who tried to rescue Thalia, the daughter of Zeus." Percy commented then turned to Annie. "And the other two half-bloods Thalia befriended, the ones who got safely to camp. That was you and Luke, wasn't it?"

She put down her Oreo, uneaten. "Like you said, Percy, 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."

Grover was pale, curling into himself with insecure sadness, "I was supposed to escort Thalia to camp," he whined, 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's voice was strict but not cruel. "No one blames you. Thalia didn't blame you either."

"She sacrificed herself to save us," he shivered miserably, "Her death was my fault. The Council of Cloven Elders said so."

Colette shook her head, looking over at him with sympathy, "Grover, don't believe anything they say. It's a lot more complex than to place the blame on you solely." She spoke softly, her voice radiating through the trailer.

Percy nodded in agreement, "and, what, because you wouldn't leave two other half-bloods behind?" He scowled, clearly displeased at how unfairly his best friend was treated. "That's not fair."

"They're right," Annabeth affirmed. "I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for you, Grover. Neither would Luke. We don't care what the council says."

Despite the comfort from his friends, the satyr 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."

"You're not lame, grove." Colette dismissed, "would somebody lame have the courage to venture down into the underworld? Or face Medusa head on? If anybody is the opposite of lame, it's you." she hoped her words had some impact on him, big or small. "We're all glad you're here, especially percy."

The Jackson boy scowled at a sharp whack was sent to his shin. "Yeah!" His voice was louder than need be, "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." There was a deep sigh in response, followed by slow and heavy breathes intercepted by faint snores. Grover had fallen asleep. "How does he do that?" Percy marvelled.

"I don't know," Annabeth laughed faintly. "But that was really a nice thing you told him."

"I meant it."

The trailer rode in silence for a few miles, bumping around occasionally over unsteady gravel as it traversed along. inside, the zebra munched a turnip and the lion licked the last of the hamburger meat off his lips and looked at at Colette with hopefulness that made her heart ache. It was quiet, the only sound being the occasional jolt of the vehicle.

"That pine-tree bead," Percy noted after a moment, hearing the tap of Annabeth's finger against the clay bead. "Is that from your first year?" She looked as if hadn't realized what she was doing.

"Yeah," she responded. "Every August, the counselors 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--"

"--that was a weird summer." Interjected Colette, chuckling to herself quietly.

Percy gave a small smile before glancing to the ring that was in the center of Annabeth's necklace. "And the college ring is your father's?"

Annabeth's gaze grew defensive for a second, her eyes filling with a glint of protection. "That's none of your--" She stopped herself. "Yeah. Yeah, it is."

"You don't have to tell me."

She dampened her lips, "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."

"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 attacked. We argued. I didn't even make it through winter break. I called Colette and came right back to Camp half-Blood."

Colette was of course aware of the conflict Annabeth faced back at her 'home'. She could remember how Chiron had called her into the big house only a fortnight or so after Annabeth had left, and she'd been surprised when he'd handed her the phone as stated that somebody had to speak to her. On the other side of the phone, Annabeth was speaking through angry tears.

She pursed her lips. "Annie," she tapped a finger against her leg thoughtfully. "Do you... ever want to go back to your dad?"

The blonde was looking downwards, shaking her head with a bittersweetness. "Please. I'm not into self-inflicted pain."

"you shouldn't give up," the son of poseidon said. "Maybe you could write him a letter or something."

"Thanks for the advice," her voice was filled with a breeze of coldness, "but my father's made his choice about who he wants to live with."

Another few miles passed in silence. Soon enough a soft weight fell on Colette's shoulder and she felt the loll of Annie's head as it fell towards her side, soft snores emitting from the blonde. Absentmindedly, Colette's hand twisted as the bracelet at her wrist, tracing the cool outline of the stars. There was a heaviness in her eyelids, fighting to drift shut as she slumped back in her position.

"You mess around with that bracelet a lot." Percy stated matter of fact-ly, watching as she paused her fiddling. It was just something he'd noticed over the course of the quest.

She sighed with hazy tiredness, glancing down to it. "It was my mothers." She responded quietly. "My mortal mother's, i mean, not Artemis."

Percy pursed his lips in thought. "I know Artemis has that whole virgin goddess ideal and all, so romance is off the table," he began, "but what've you got against love?"

"what do you mean?"

"well," percy paused momentarily, "you talk about it like it's some sort of ... parasite or something. you know, something to be avoided." he was leaning back against the wall that jolted every so often, and he sunk into his jacket in an attempt to relax. "you act like the thought of it makes you sick."

Colette frowned, "I don't think it's fair to say that." She outstretched her legs in front of her, pulling her knees up to her chest. "Love's more complex to be given one singular name over a million different descriptions. There's friendship—like, how I love Annie and you love Grover. Then familial love, like how you love your mother. Then there's romance," her voice hardened and she practically spat the word, "it's obsessive and controlling. all it does is make people selfish."

"I don't know think that's true."

"No?" She rose an eyebrow, but her voice wasn't narrowed to strive for an argument. "Romance has never done anybody any favours, Perce. Look at Orpheus and Eurydice, alone and dead. eros and psyche, dishonest and abandoned. Theseus and Ariadne, cruel and betrayed. I don't want you to get angry at me for saying this Percy, and i know it's not my place, but Poseidon and your mother too." He glanced up when she spoke, "romance is dangerous, scary even. It leads to deceit and war and heartbreak. It's a facade for pain and I don't see why anybody would indulge in it."

Love was terrifying—a force so intense that it would influence the thoughts of those effected by it. Aphrodite wasn't to be underestimated, that much was blatantly clear. It was powerfully fabricated to entice almost everybody with a fleeting wave of adoration and devotion. It twisted like the roads to the unknown, ending in death or heartbreak, never determined for happiness. You either loved until your heart was broken, or part when the other half of your soul was ripped away and buried under a bundle of decaying flowers.

Percy nodded, swallowing her words. There was truth behind it, he supposed. "That seems like a lonely life."

"How so?"

He shrugged, tracing the carvings on riptide. "I don't know. I just think everybody should have somebody." He smiled playfully, "I mean, you could watch the whole world carry on around you, your friends could fall in love and your cousins could get married, and you'd still be in the same place for years to come. When you have a companion to laugh with and to share your excitement and accomplishments with, I guess its a life less alone. A life without it just seems like a pretty lonely life. but what would I know?" he gave her a cheeky smile, "I'm just a starfish."

she blinked at his words, listening to them carefully. It didn't change her views, and from the knowing look in his eyes, he knew that too. However, she couldn't undermine the points he made, the same way he couldn't to hers. love was a spectrum—and they were obviously plunged on different sides.

She gave him a glance, "I never knew you could be so wise. Annabeth would be impressed." She tapped the side of the blonde's cheek lightly, watching her nose twitch.

He smiled in response. There was a quietness once again, much shorter than the last before Percy broke it by saying. "If the gods fight... do you think Artemis would side with Poseidon or Zeus? Luke said Apollo was siding with my dad."

"I'm not sure." hummed Colette truthfully, "I hope, if it does come to that, she sides with Poseidon. Even if she weren't to do so," she paused, almost reluctant to say, "I guess I'd side with you."

His eyes grew wide for a second. "Really?"

"Don't get too excited." She rolled her eyes harmlessly, "I just don't believe it's right to falsely excuse someone of something. And I guess we're friends now. Anymore questions, starfish?"

"None at all, Bambi."

"THE TRUCK'S STOPPED." Grover's voice was hushed as he shook Percy's shoulder, successfully waking the boy up who groaned at the uncomfortableness between his shoulders from where he had slept. The boy blinked groggily, his eyes hazily focusing on uncanny stillness of the vehicle. There was footsteps outside, no doubt the men coming to check upon the animals.

Pulling him up, Annabeth pushed him towards a series of boxes. "Hide!" She whispered quickly. She had it easy. She just put on her magic cap and disappeared as though she was never there in the first place. The boys had to dive behind feed sacks and hope they looked like turnips. Percy couldn't tell where Colette had gone, but from the barely visible hue of violet irises hidden in the dust behind the lion's cage, it didn't take him long to guess.

The trailer doors creaked open with a hefty churn and a fountain of golden sunlight poured into the small room, allowing kisses of honeycomb light and heat to flood the room. "Man!" one of the truckers grumbled, waving his hand in front of his unattractively-shaped nose. "I wish I hauled appliances." He climbed inside and poured some water from a jug into the animals' dishes.

"You hot, big boy?" he asked the lion, then splashed the rest of the bucket right in the lion's face. As expected, the lion let out a fierce roar of indignation, it's large and dangerous canines put on for show. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," the man taunted.

From under the turnip sacks, Grover tensed. For a peace-loving herbivore, he looked downright murderous. And Percy cringed at the thought of the look no doubt displayed upon the brunette's face as she hid in the remains of the shadows. The trucker threw the antelope a squashed-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!"

Faster than Percy could blink, there was a flash of pale brown and the man let out an agonised wail as he was knocked off his feet. There was a thud as his head collided with the flooring but he couldn't move his arms in fear of the snarling brown doe that stood over him. Percy could see the seething stare of Colette's eyes, the way she pressed further down onto the man's chest, limiting his breathing as she narrowed down on him.

An invisible force, annabeth, had to restrict Percy as he grabbed his sword, a quiet shush sound resounding nearby and reluctantly, Percy stayed put.

"E-e-eddie," wheezed the man, his face draining of colour and his eyes blown wide in trepidation. Over his attacker's shoulder, he could see the way the other three animals watched on, their eyes gleaming with satisfaction and mockery. He'd abused them with no consequences, and now it was he who was tormented by an animal. the irony was almost sickening.

Eddie, outside the vehicle, responded with a half-assed yell, "Maurice? That you?" He turned at the sound of knocking on the side of the door. "Alright man, stop messaging around. You're pissing me the fuck off."

When colette glanced up, Percy flinched at the sight of her abnormally cold eyes. They were fully enveloped in violet, erasing her pupil and the white of her eyes completely as her eyes met his. 'Move back,' he mouthed with exaggerated hand gestures, 'let him go and we'll help the animals.' He did wild gestures to make sure she understand what he was saying. He couldn't tell if she did—did does know how to interact with people?

After a moment, she pressed the strangely sharp hooves of her feet into his chest before moving off, stalking backwards into the dark. For an animal normally labelled as prey, the doe was certainly the most terrifying animal in the room. All that was left were the violet eyes that glowed so vividly. "Eddie!" The man let out a girlish scream, sprinting out of the vehicle and returning seconds later, the mentioned Eddie in tow. "Eddie, there's a fucking crazy-ass deer in there, man! You gotta see—i-it had violet fuckin' eyes and all."

Eddie glanced around unimpressed. There was no such thing as a crazy violet-eyed deer and he gave his partner a look of annoyance. "All that booze's gettin' to your head." Scolded Eddie with a roll of his eyes. Together, they started in a argument of yelling outside the truck. whilst they did, Percy leaned up, looking for the brunette only to be met with the air. No sign of a doe or a girl.

"What're we waiting for?" Percy jolted as a voice hit the shell of his ear. Leaning between him and Grover, Colette was kneeled down and staring ahead with ambition. "They're distracted, let's go." She was already pulling them both up towards the cages, not giving them time to adjust to the surprise of her presence.

Outside, Eddie and Maurice were still yelling at each other, but it was obvious they'd be coming inside to torment the animals again any minute soon. Percy grabbed riptide, slashing at the lock of the Zebra's cage and releasing the striped animal. It turned, it's large eyes wide with appreciation. "Thank you," it nodded, bowing between Colette and Percy before turning to the door.

Grover held up his hands and said something to the zebra in goat talk, like a blessing. 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. The four 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 signs. They'd just released a literal zebra in Las Vegas.

Maurice and Eddie ran after it, with a few policemen running after them, shouting, "Hey! You need a permit for that!" And then, in the middle of running, the two men shrunk into small, rabbit-like creatures with the horns of a deer. Jackelopes. They'd been turned into jackelopes.

"Now would be a good time to leave," Annabeth stated, leaning her head out of the doorway and nodding her head to it.

"The other animals first," Colette and Grover said in unison, their expressions full of determination as they stood before the antelope and the lion. After Percy cut the locks with his sword, Grover raised his hands and spoke the same goat-blessing he'd used for the zebra.

Percy have a nod to the creatures, "Good luck," he wished to the animals. The antelope and the lion burst out of their cages and paused before the daughter of Artemis.

The antelope, as the zebra had done, bowed in gratitude to the brunette before bounding off into the near distance and she smiled as it went off. Suddenly, there was an affectionate nudge into her neck and when the turned, the lion nuzzled its head towards her. 'Thank you.' He repeated, and she brushed her hand through it's matted mane in response. Before he departed, she leant her forehead against it's own, mumbling a prayer to her mother before leaning back, stroking its pale fur once more before letting it bound off into the distance. Some tourists screamed, but 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?" Percy asked, and Colette respected the concern in his voice. "I mean, the desert and all—"

Grover gave him a smile of satisfaction. "Don't worry," he comforted. "With the satyr sanctuary I placed on them and Colette's prayer to Artemis, I'm sure they'll be okay."

"Satyr sanctuary," Percy repeated, "why cant you place that on us?"

"It only works on wild animals."

"So it would only affect Percy," Annabeth reasoned, hiding a smile as Colette let out a loud snicker.

Percy pouted, letting out an offended, "Hey!"

"learn to take a joke, Starfish." Colette continued to snicker, elbowing him in the ribs a little too hard and causing him to rub at it soothingly. He rolled his eyes playfully in response, and watched as she linked her arm with Annabeth's.

The blonde smiled, "Come on. Let's get out of this filthy truck."

With a shrug, the four stumbled out into the desert afternoon. The sun was tempered and beating, leaking energy-draining waves of heat over miles of land and leaving the four in a dehydrated state. It was a hundred and ten degrees, easy, and the sun above was radiating that of a deep-fryer—practically cooking them alive, but everybody was too interested in the wild animals to pay the guardian-less kids much attention. They passed the Monte Carlo and the MGM, soon followed with replicas of Egyptian pyramids, a pirate ship, and the Statue of Liberty.

Percy wasn't sure at what turn they had taken to lead them to a dead end, but he didn't seem to care as he gaped at the hotel before them.

It was sparkling under the waves of sunlight and in huge neon letters it read, 'Lotus Hotel and Casino!' The entrance was a huge luminous flower, it's pink petals blinking in welcome as it's green surface twitched. 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.

The doorman smiled, a friendly and honest smile that the four wanted to trust so badly. "Hey, kids. You look tired. You want to come in and sit down?" His voice was normal. He was normal. Being a demigod basically provided a cautious nature to anything that twinkled with malice or suspicion, and the last few days had proven so. but this man seemed so painfully normal. And so, tired and in need of a cleanse, the four entered the lotus hotel.

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( authors note : )

sorry for not updating in a hot minute i know many people don't like commenting and i'm okay with that but i just wanna know would y'all rather me publish the remaining 5 chapters of the lightning thief in one go (probably within the next few days) or just publish them in twos like i've been doing already <3