𝙰𝚗𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚙𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎 [𝙿𝙹𝙾 𝚡 𝙷𝙿] (𝟷)

18

OLYMPUS, TRUTH AND A... WALRUS?

"A walrus?" Blaise stared at the screen in confusion with many others.

"The heck does a walrus have to be there?" Harry raised a brow. "Is it a human-like walrus or animal-like one?"

Percy and (Name) exchanged a knowing glance that quickly shifted as they avoided bursting into laughter at the thought of how they used to humorously compare people like Gabe to animals, all while consciously refraining from demeaning others in such a manner.

"You'll know when you see," Percy shook his head, leaning back into the seat. (Name) nodded in agreement while Grover looked amused at the word walrus as the title, but kept quiet about it. Annabeth understood what they meant since her friends had told her about it after a few years.

Many others were confused, but some caught on that someone there looked like a walrus in human skin.

According to the detailed account provided by L.A. news [which embellished (Name)'s narrative to fabricate a more sensational story], the catastrophic explosion that rocked Santa Monica beach was attributed to a deranged kidnapper. This individual, who went by the alias Ares, was identified as a burgeoning Mafia Boss with ties to an elusive cartel operating from an undisclosed location. It was revealed that Ares had orchestrated the kidnapping of Percy and three other teenagers in New York, forcing them into a harrowing ten-day journey across the country. Throughout this ordeal, Ares subjected the captive youths to a cycle of abuse, exploiting them as forced child laborers to aid in the distribution of illegal narcotics.

The group's laughter bubbled up once more, filling the room with mirth, as they reminisced about the events from the prior chapter, recalling the moment when (Name) unfolded the story to the press and watch as the media eagerly spread the tale far and wide, adding a new layer of excitement to their interactions.

Poor little Percy Jackson wasn't an international criminal after all.

He'd caused a commotion on that Greyhound bus in New Jersey trying to get away from his captor (and afterwards, witnesses would even swear they had seen the leather-clad man on the bus – 'Why didn't I remember him before?') The crazy man had caused the explosion in the St Louis Arch. After all, no kid could've done that. A concerned waitress in Denver had seen the man threatening his abductees outside her diner, gotten a friend to take a photo and notified the police. Finally, brave Percy Jackson had stolen a gun from his captor in Los Angeles and battled him shotgun-to-rifle on the beach.

Police had arrived just in time.

But in the spectacular explosion, five police cars had been destroyed and the captor had fled. No fatalities had occurred. Percy Jackson and his three friends were safely in police custody. The reporters fed them the dramatic version of the whole story as if (Name) had blurted out the craziest one. The four kids just nodded and acted tearful and exhausted [which wasn't hard], and played as victimized kids for the cameras.