━━━━HURRICANE!
❝ it's all we know,
the hurricane. ❞
( the mark of athena & the house of hades )
( l. valdez x fem!oc )
( p. mclean x male!oc )
( heroes of o...
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━chapter twelve, ❝breathing isn't totally necessary!❞ 『R O M E O』
☆
━━━The tunnel runs along the floor of a gymnasium-sized tank. Except for water and some cheap decorations, it seems mostly empty. There are probably fifty thousand gallons of water over their heads.
Phorycs stops in the middle of the tunnel and spreads his arms proudly. "Beautiful exhibit, isn't it?"
Romeo concentrates on the details. In one corner of the tank, snuggled into a forest of fake kelp, is a life-sized plastic gingerbread cottage with bubbles coming out of the chimney. In the opposite corner, a plastic sculpture of a guy in an old-fashioned diving suit knelt beside a treasure chest, which pops open every few seconds, spews bubbles, and shuts again. Littered across the white sand floor are glass marbles the size of bowling balls, and a strange assortment of weapons like tridents and spearguns. Outside the tank's display is an amphitheater with seating for several hundred.
"What do you keep in here?" Frank asks. "Giant killer goldfish?"
Phorycs raises his eyebrows. "Oh, that would be good! But, no, Frank Zhang, descendant of Poseidon. This tank is not for goldfish."
At that, Frank flinches. He steps back, gripping his backpack as though it's a mace he's prepared to swing.
"How do you know Frank's last name?" demands Percy. "How do you know he's descended from Poseidon?"
"Well." Phorycs shrugs, trying to look modest. "It was probably in the descriptions Gaea provided. You know, for the bounty, Percy Jackson." He nods his head respectfully at Romeo. "Romeo Maximus."
Percy's hand reaches into his pocket and pulls out a pen. With his thumb, he uncaps it, and a sword appears in his hand. "Don't double-cross me, Phorycs," he snaps. "You promised me answers."
"After the VIP treatment, yes," he agrees. "I promised to tell you everything you need to know. The thing is, however, you don't really need to know anything." His grotesque smile grows. "You see, even if you made it to Rome, which is quite unlikely, you'd never defeat my giant brothers without a god fighting at your side. And what gif would help you? I have a better plan. You're not leaving. You're VIPs━Very Important Prisoners!"
Romeo unsheathes his sword as Percy lunges. Frank hurls his backpack at the sea god's head. Phorycs simply disappears.
The god's voice reverberates through the aquarium's sound system, echoing down the tunnel. "Yes, good! Fighting is good! You see, Mother trusted me with big assignments, but she did agree I could keep anything caught. You three will make an excellent exhibit━the only spawn of Poseidon in captivity. A Maximus in captivity. 'Demigod Terrors'━yes, I like that. We already have sponsorship lined up with Bargain Mart. You three can fight each other every day at eleven a.m. and one p.m. with an evening show at seven p.m."
