14| We Take a Zebra To Vegas
I wait for a good hour. I see they come back, and walk towards Ares, who is by his bike. I speed run out and behind a tree nearby in a split second. The tree is near the parking lot, where Ares is.
Ares: 'Well, well. You didn't get yourself killed.'
Percy: 'You knew it was a trap.'
Ares: *wicked grin* 'Bet that crippled blacksmith was surprised when he netted a couple of stupid kids. You looked good on TV.'
Percy: *shoves the shield at Ares* 'You're a jerk.'
Ares grabbed the shield and spun it in the air like pizza dough. Wait... where's my master bolt? I open my palm and I see my bolt flying at me from the car wash. I grab it and I smile. Then I look at my friends and their looking at me.
Y/N: 'What?'
Percy: 'Let's go.'
Grover: 'If we're taking the zoo express, we need to hurry.'
We ran across the street and climbed in the back of the big lorry, closing the doors behind us. I hated the stick but we sat down sacks of hay. Grover talked to the animals and they looked at him with sadness. Percy and I moved the mismatched food out of their cages. I gave the meat to the lion, and Percy gave the zebra and antelope the turnips.
Percy, Annabeth, Grover and I started to talk about Grover being the one who tried to rescue Thalia, my sister. And that the other three half-bloods were me, Annabeth and Luke. Grover fell asleep and so did I. Then I woke up to Grover shaking both mine and Percy's shoulder.
Grover: The truck's stopped, we think they're coming to check on the animals.'
Annabeth: 'Hide!'
She put her cap on and disappeared, while I started to vibrate so quick making my body invisible and Grover and Percy dive behind feed bags. The trailer doors creaked open.
Trucker 1: 'Man! I wish I hauled appliances.'
He climbed inside and poured some water from a jug into the animal's dishes.
Trucker 1: 'You hot, big guy?'
He splashed the rest of the bucket in the lion's face. The lion roared in indignation.
Trucker 1: 'Yeah, yeah, yeah.'
Then he threw the antelope a squashed-looking Happy Meal bag. He smirked at the zebra.
Trucker 1: '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!'
The zebra, wild-eye with fear, looked straight at Percy. Then there is a loud knock, knock, knock on the side of the trailer.
Trucker 1: 'What do you want, Eddie?'
Eddie: 'Maurice? What'd ya say?'
Maurice: 'What are you banging for?'
Knock, knock, knock.
Eddie: 'What banging?'
Maurice rolled his eyes and went back outside, cursing at Eddie for being an idiot.
Annabeth appeared next to me, while I became visible.
Annabeth: 'This transport business can't be legal.'
Grover: 'No kidding, the lion says these guys are animal smugglers! We've got to free them!'
Percy grabbed Riptide and slashed the lock off the zebra's cage. The zebra burst out and bowed to Percy and Grover giving the zebra a blessing, before jumping out. There was yelling and screaming and cars honking. I heard a police siren.
Policeman: 'Hey! You need a permit for that!'
We got the other animals out and we stumbled out into the desert afternoon. It is forty degrees, easy, and we must've looked like deep-fried vagrants, but everybody is too interested in the wild animals to pay us much attention. We passed the Monte Carlo and the MGM. We passed a pyramid, a pirate ship and the Statue of Liberty, which is a pretty small replica. We found ourselves standing in front of the Lotus Hotel and Casino.
Y/N: 'We're leaving.'
Percy: 'Why?'
Y/N: 'I've been here before, this place is like drugs and alcohol. Time slows down drastically. I spent five minutes in there, when I came out of there I was in there for ten days.'
I turn around and walk away, but I heard they didn't follow I turn back and I see they walked in. I run to get them, but I hit an invisible wall. And I fall on my ass, I glare at the door. I lift my master bolt and I throw it at the barrier, and as it hit the barrier, and explosion is made, making me jump back ten metres away. I see the dust clear and I call my master bolt and it flies into my palm. I see the barrier still standing.
Y/N: 'Shit! I lost them! I lost... her...'
In the first time in years, I break down. I start crying. I can't break the barrier, even with my bolt. I can't use it at full power here otherwise I destroy half the continent. I sit and lay my back against the wall, I lift my legs up and rap my arms around them, with my head lying down on my forearms, crying. I get up and I walk to the nearest hotel and I booked in for... I don't care anymore. I need rest, I used some of the money I have been saving, for a gift, not just any gift... a golden bracelet with diamonds all over it. It costed at least one thousand eight hundred and sixty four dollars. I was planning on giving it to Annabeth, if I have the guts to ask her out.
I walk into my room and I fall asleep. After five days, I have been living in this hotel, buying food every night. I walk out of the shop and I walk on the sidewalk, I look at the train ticket, I have one more day before I can go back to Half-Blood Hill.
Y/N: *sigh* 'I am so dead. I am so bored.'
I turn the corner, and someone runs into me. I close my eyes and I growl in anger.
Y/N: 'Listen, punk! I am angry right now so piss off!'
I open my eyes and I see Annabeth, hugging me while she is crying. I look up to see Percy looking down in shame.
Percy: 'I'm sorry, for not listening to you. Well, us.'
Grover: 'Yea, we're sorry.'
I hug Annabeth, and I smile. I guess they figured out how to get out of that damned place.
Percy: 'Wait, how long have we been away?'
Y/N: 'Five days, that's how long you've been gone.'
Grover: 'So what did you do, when we went in?'
Y/N: '... Nothing... nothing, at all.'
