Son of Death and Home

Chapter 10 : The Casino

Hey guys. Chapter 10 is here.
Hope you enjoy.
New story will be released in a week or I might focus entirely on this.
//Las Vegas//
Percy's POV
We were about to reach Las Vegas when I woke up Annabeth.
I said, "Annabeth we need to help these animals escape. This is an illegal truck. When we stop use your cap to confuse the two drivers. Just do it." I added the last part on her questioning gaze. After a few minutes we came to a stop. I woke up Brendan and told him to hide behind the cages and I watched Annabeth putting on her cap.
A person opened the door to check inside. When he did a banging was heard by the side. "What do you want Eddie?"
The banging continued. He growled then went to the front with the door open. I heard him shouting,
"What do you want Eddie?"
"What? I didn't call you." I took their moment of confusion to my advantage. I opened the zebra's cage.
Go run away from here. Tell your friend not to attack as we freed him.
Of course my lord.
With that said the animals in the cage ran away. The two people saw it and started running behind them. I could only imagine the headlines for this. Animals running in the streets of Las Vegas.
We moved out of the truck and went on our way. So many casinos were there.
"Let's go to a casino." Brendan said.
"If you didn't realize we are on a time bound quest."
"I know but we have seven days we can relax here for a bit." I nodded my head in hopes that he wouldn't win anything and quit soon enough. We stopped in front of a posh looking casino. The Lotus Casino.
We went and I could sense something bad about to happen when few waiters came with flowers on their trays.
"Please have a Lotus Flower. It's a special dish of our hotel and Casino." Annabeth and Brendan took one but I didn't I said, "After check in please." With that I moved to the reception. Before he said anything he gave me a card, "This is your room key. Feel free to use the gaming area and whatnot. Enjoy!"
"Wouldn't you take payment?"
"You're a funny boy. Now shoo! I have work to do."
Strange. No hotel gave such expensive rooms for free. Yeah I know it was expensive when I entered it. A 50 inch TV and 2 king sized beds. A mini fridge filled with goodies. I threw the bag into the dustbin. I didn't need it that's why. Annabeth sat on the bed, "What are you guys going to do?"
"To the games area." Brendan shrieked like a little kid.
"I'll go with him."
We went to the games area and when I saw it my jaw dropped to the floor. It was filled with so many games but I didn't play them. I walked around and interacted with people.
I reached a game that was based on a movie . "Must have seen it on CD."
"What's a CD?"
"Seriously dude? You don't know what's a CD?"
"Yes. Anyways the only new thing I've heard of is a mobile phone."
I shrugged and was about to move away when I realized what he had said. A mobile phone?
"What's the year now?" I asked the boy.
"1975." Okay something was really wrong with me, this boy or this place. I went for the third one.
"How long have you been here?"
"A few weeks." Oh shit. That means if I've been here for some hours days must have passed outside.
Who could do this? Think Percy think. Suddenly the name of the hotel came to my mind. Lotus Casino. Lotus. That means the Lotus eaters (that's what their called right?). I hurried over to Annabeth who was staring at a piece of 3D architecture. I grabbed her and she shouted at me, "What are you doing Percy?"
"Annabeth what do you know about the Lotus Eaters?" I used the knowledge tactic. This was the only way I could get her attention. Realization dawned on her face, "We need to find Brendan fast." She said. I nodded and we searched for him all over the hotel. Deep down I knew that my siblings were here as well. I decided to take them some time later on. We found Brendan in an intense game of God of War. We dragged him ignoring his protests. The workers had noticed us so I explained the situation to my idiot half brother, "We are in the lair of the Lotus Eaters. We've spent hours here but in the real world we may have spent days. Our deadline could be over by now. We need to hurry because the workers have noticed us." We rushed outside as the workers had started chasing us. We jumped into a prize car outside the doors of the hotel. I took out the keys and started driving. I looked around and found that it was 20 June. One day before our deadline. I looked through the rear view mirror and saw the backpack that I had thrown into the dustbin. Wired. Oh well I'll carry it. Guessing from the Annabeth's expression after we arrived I guessed that it was quite a boring ride for her. Brendan had just fallen asleep. The nerve of that jerk. Anyways we reached Charon. "Charon I need an audience with my father."
"Be careful Percy. Lord Hades is in a bad mood due to that son of Poseidon behind you."
"Don't worry Charon, just take us there." He nodded and we hit in to the boat. He dropped us near the lines and we saw Cerberus. I looked at Brendan and he looked so pale that he could pass as one of the dead souls. Anyways I just waved at Cerberus to sit down and continued our walk towards the palace. We entered without any resistance in our way. Technically because no one could stop me. That would be treason against father. Anyways I saw Mother and Dad sitting in their thrones. "What brings you here Percy?"
"I'm on a quest dad. I want to know who is the god who turned."
"You think it's me?"
"Never dad."
"Then why have you come here? My Helm is lost due to that insolent brat of Poseidon." He said his anger rising.
"Dad calm down. He knows nothing. We just need to find Zeus's bolt." When I said this his expression turned grim.
"You carry it with you as we speak. The backpack is a modified version of the bolt. And I assume you know who did it?"
"I know who did it, but gods can't directly take each other's symbols of powers."
"That part even I haven't figured out yet. I trust you will take care of this Brendan otherwise he will face my wrath." I nodded.
"I'll teleport you to the Santa Monica Beach from there you can fly to New York."
"Won't Zeus shoot me out of the sky?"
"Not when you have his symbol of power." With that said we were covered by shadows and we appeared at the Santa Monica beach. We walked each of us scrutinizing the events. Well not Brendan he was staring blankly into space. After a while we saw Ares sitting in his motorcycle.
"You weren't supposed to come out alive punk." He said directly to Brendan.
"Why?" Brendan stupidly asked.
"Because if Hades killed you Poseidon would declare war on Hades. Hades would accuse either Zeus or Hades for stealing his Helm and then we would have a three way war."
"But they're your family." Annabeth sternly said.
"Best kind of war. Anyways now I'll have to kill all three of you and take the bolt and vile away my time."
"Oh, but Lord Ares you didn't figure it out on your own did you? Let me guess, some other stronger being sent a traitor demigod to Olympus on the solstice meeting to take away the items. When Zeus discovered his bolt missing, he sent his sons and daughters to search for it. No one found the traitor except you. You took away the items and threatened to tell the whole council. The traitor prayed to his master and the master whispered in your ears that it would be a nice idea to start a three way war."
"No one's been guiding me. No one has visited me in my dreams!"
"Who said anything about dreams?" I said with a victorious smile. I could see his frustrated expression,
"Ugh. Less talk and more fight." He drew his sword and charged. He thought that  I was at a disadvantage being a demigod and all but what he didn't know was my training and my whole arsenal of weapons. He would curse me in the end if I won so I decided I'll use only Riptide. I drew Riptide and blocked his strike. The momentum was so much that I was pushed away. I was about to fall but regained my balance. I got ready and he delivered many slashed. I blocked them all but one got me on the shoulder. It was a little cut.
"Drop your gun and free the kids." A voice boomed on my left. I turned to look at several policemen there. Wait they said gun. I looked at Ares's sword no it flickered into a gun for a moment. The Mist. Ares just created a wall of fire and continued the fight. I realized I had an advantage in size. I ducked under his blade and rolled through his legs and slashed at his ankle. He stumbled and golden ichor started pouring through the wound.
"You will pay for this punk." With that he revealed his godly form and vanished. All three of us closing our eyes obviously. The Helm was on the shore. I threw it in the air and Alecto caught it. She was watching the fight. She bowed and went away. Before the police could recover we ran away from there and went to the airport.
After the flight
Luckily Zeus did not blast us out of the sky. We were under the Empire State Building. We entered and got to the doorman there.
"Key to the six hundredth floor please."
"There is no 600th floor kid. Now shoo."
"I have the master bolt in this bag so it will be advisable that you let me go." He looked shock then handed us the key.
We entered the elevator and inserted the key. On our ride to 600th floor some very boring music played.
Olympus was breathtaking. We had no time to wander so we went straight to the throne room. All the olympians except Ares were gathered there. I bowed to Mom who was in the corner, then to Artemis, then Apollo, then Hera and finally to Zeus. "You dare not bow to me when you entered?"
"I mean no disrespect Lord Zeus but I bowed to Lady Hestia as she is my mother, Lady Artemis as she is my patron, Lord Apollo as he is like my brother and Lady Hera because she hasn't tried to break her marriage even though you've cheated on her." Apollo snickered when I called him Lord.
"Why have you come here?" Zeus asked.
"Lord Zeus, I have come to return your bolt. I also want to inform you about the events that conspired." I gave him his bolt and told all I could about the quest except the prophecy because of the last line. Maybe it could be Ares? I was lost in my thoughts when Zeus spoke, "This is not Ares's nature."
"My lord, I have something to say." He gestured go on,"A higher being was involved in this as Ares mentioned he was having dreams. I assume that it might be the Crooked One."
"How do you assume that child?" Athena asked.
"Well I thought about it. Ares wanted the bolt to reach the underworld. What two things reside in the underworld? My father and the pit. Inside the pit lies the Crooked One. He has been gone for many years and he might be ready to wake up and take his revenge on Olympus." The olympians grimly nodded, "You have done well Percy take your companions with you to Camp Half Blood the olympians need to discuss important matters." Mom said. I turned grabbed my companions and went straight to the lift. I hope my assumption was wrong because if it were true we are in deep shit. On the other hand I am happy on going to camp. I can't wait to tell Luke about the quest.

Sorry, sorry, sorry guys. I'm really sorry for the late update but I was caught up in my schoolwork.
Chapter 11 will be out faster as I have a few holidays coming. Although it will not come out on Friday or Saturday.
Hope you enjoyed.
Vote and comment.
Words : 2135 (excluding A/N)
Published : 1 November 2018
MasterChaos1