Who the hell thought making me a Half-blood was a good idea? {ON HOLD}

Act Two- Crusty reminds me of Beetlejuice, actually

Disclaimer: The world of Percy Jackson, its characters and settings are the copyrighted works of Rick Riordan and his publishing companies and affiliates. No profit was made from the writing of this story nor was any malice intended in any way, shape or form to the author or the actors/actresses who so brilliantly have brought them to life.This author is not responsible for underage readers. Please observe the ratings, warnings, and age of legal consent for your country.

I'll admit that it probably wasn't the best use of money to reserve VIP treatment on a luxury train trip to LA, but since we're rich enough to fill Olympic grade swimming pools with diamonds, nobody said a word.

Before we left the hotel, we all managed to have a shower and get changed. Luke dragged us all to the nearest mall for good, sturdy clothes. I refused to remove Drew's gifts even in the face of Luke's long-suffering pleas, but I did get changed into a new top, pants, and running shoes. I even got a nice, bullet-proof jacket once I convinced Annabeth to let us splurge on modern armour. Hey, if you're rich and on a quest to stop World War 3, you get the good stuff.

We got to take a nap on the train and rack up the meal bill (Hmmm, professional-grade Lasagna). A couple of discreet bills and Luke smiling suavely at the lady serving us got us breaking the law by way of underage drinking. I tried to snatch his wine bottle several times but alas, his reflexes are much faster than mine. The sucker didn't see me swiping the vodka, so there's that.

As time wore on, Luke began kind of wallowing, kind of downing the entire wine bottle by himself. I told him to share it before he got himself drunk but Annabeth quickly scolded me and pointed out that a drunk Daughter of Poseidon was not a good idea. I only had one thing to say to that.

Swiping the bottle from an inebriated Luke was only mildly easier than a sober Luke, but I quickly glugged down the remainder as fast as I could before smacking my lips smugly in the face of a gobsmacked Annabeth.

"Daughter of Poseidon and purification powers for the win, bitches."

The look on her face when she realised that alcohol didn't have much of an effect on me unless I wanted it to was one for the scrapbook.

After barely refraining from getting out my vodka and chugging the whole thing right in front of them, I sagged a bit as the nervous atmosphere sank its claws in again. Annabeth once again repolished her knife, and Luke returned to silent brooding.

I was the only one mostly calm, and if you've been paying attention at all, you'd know how Twilight Zone it is.

Barely an hour later, Annabeth tried to boost our morale by suggesting clever strategies for getting into the Land of the Dead, but I didn't listen. I knew the plan; get to the DOA Studios, charm Charon, walk right in and talk to uncle. I have no idea what to say to uncle, but I'll burn that bridge when I get to it.

At sunset, the train dropped us at the beach in Santa Monica. It looked exactly the way L.A. beaches do in the movies, only it smelled worse. There were carnival rides lining the Pier, palm trees lining the sidewalks, homeless guys sleeping in the sand dunes, and surfer dudes waiting for the perfect wave.

Luke, Annabeth, and I walked down to the edge of the surf.

"What now?" Annabeth asked.

The Pacific was turning gold in the setting sun. I thought about how long it had been since I'd stood on the beach at Montauk, on the opposite side of the country, looking out at a different sea.

It was beautiful. My Pai had authority over a lot of things; oceans, seas, water, hurricanes, and earthquakes. Sea, land and air. Me being his daughter, the world may as well be my oyster. Here I am though- just chilling and slumming away on a quest.