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chapter ten ˏˋ°•*⁀➷
010. What's Black and White and Free in Vegas

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ARES WAS WAITING FOR THEM, LEANING AGAINST HIS MOTORCYCLE.

"Well, well. You didn't get yourself killed."

"You knew it was a trap." Percy accused.

"It was meant for you, punk not Cassandra." Ares said before grinning smugly. "Bet that crippled blacksmith was surprised when he netted a couple of stupid kids. You looked good on TV."

"If you're calling me stupid, it's a genetic trait." Cassie replied. "You're a jerk."

She shoved his shield into his arms. Annabeth and Grover held their breaths.

Ares threw the shield in the air and it spun, molding into a bulletproof vest.

"See that truck over there? That's your ride. Take you straight to L.A., with one stop in Vegas."

He pointed to the zoo transport van.

"You're kidding." Percy said.

The latch on the back of the trunk was undone with a snap of the war god's fingers.

"Free ride west, punk. Stop complaining. And here's a little something for doing the job." Ares tossed him a blue backpack.

Inside was fresh clothes, drachmas, 20 bucks, and a pack of Double Stuf Oreos.

"I don't want your lousy-" Percy went to protest.

"Thank you, Lord Ares. Thanks a lot." Grover shot Percy a warning look.

The son of Poseidon gritted his teeth but slung the back pack onto his shoulders.

Inside the diner, the waitress who had served them was watching through the window. She dragged the fry cook over, gesturing to them and he nodded, taking a photo.

They were definitely going to be on the newspaper tomorrow.

"You owe me one more thing. You promised me information about my mother." Percy demanded.

"You sure you can handle the news? She's not dead." Ares started his motorcycle.

"What do you mean?" Percy mumbled, waves of emotions rolling over him.

"I mean she was taken away from the Minotaur before she could die. She was turned into a shower of gold right? That's metamorphosis. Not death. She's being kept." Ares explained.

Percy wasn't getting it, but maybe Cassie understood because it was her dad.

"Kept. Why?"

"You need to study war, punk. Hostages. You take somebody to control somebody else."

"Nobody's controlling me." Percy denied.

"Oh yeah? See you around, kid." Ares laughed out.

"You're pretty smug, Lord Ares, for a guy who runs from Cupid statues." Percy taunted, fists clenching in anger.

"We'll meet again, Percy Jackson. Sooner or later if you don't keep her alive." Ares threatened, gesturing to Cassie. There was no joking in his tone. "Next time you're in a fight, watch your back."

He drove off on his Harley.

"I don't need your protection!" Cassie yelled and his retreating figure.

'Stupid fathers.' She thought to herself and maybe it was her imagination but she swore something replied: 'I'm sorry.'

"That was not smart, Percy, Carter." Annabeth said.

"I don't care." Percy retorted.

"You say that about everything I do, Chase." Cassie shrugged still shaken up as it set in that she actually talked to her father.

"You don't want a god as your enemy. Especially not that god." Annabeth informed.

"He's my dad." Cassie deadpanned.

"Hey guys, I hate to interrupt, but . . ." The satyr pointed to the diner.

Two men in a black uniform were paying for their dinner. The logo on their backs matched the one on the truck.

"If we're taking the zoo express, we need to hurry." Grover urged.

They ran across the road, Cassie almost getting hit by a car as Annabeth shouted insults/warnings. Getting in the back of the vehicle, they closed the doors behind them.

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It smelled disgusting. Like there was left over animal poop everywhere. Cassie shuddered at the thought.

Percy took out Anaklusmos and the sword gave off a faint light. Cassie got the idea and summoned her sword. Soon the entire area was lit up red.

In front of them was one of the saddest scenes Cassie had ever saw and she had watched many kids struggling against her sister Clarisse, so that was saying something.

The animals were in cages. A zebra, a albino lion, and some type of antelope.

The lion had an untouched bag of turnips in its cage. The zebra and antelope each got hamburger meat on a styrofoam box.

They didn't look much better either. The zebra's hair was coated in chewed gum. The antelope had a balloon tied to one horn. The lion's cage was way to small and flies buzzed around his head.

"This is kindness? Humane zoo transport?" Grover shouted, aghast by how terrible mortals could be.

He shook with anger and if he had gone out to fight the zoo workers, Cassie would've cheered him on. Annabeth would probably try to hold him back and Percy would whip out Riptide and go at it.

None of that happened though because the truck's engine rumbled. The trailer shook and the group sat down. Well . . . fell down if we're talking about Cassie.

They huddled in a corner as Grover bleated at the animals. They just stared back sadly. Annabeth was on board with freeing them right then and there, but Percy and Cassie pointed out that it wouldn't be any good while the truck was moving.

Percy used Riptide to swap the animals' food and refilled their water bowls. Grover calmed the antelope as Annabeth cut the balloon off.

The three stopped Cassie when she offered to cut the gum out too. The road was bumpy and the daughter of Ares wasn't the most careful person.

Grover promised the animals that they would be freed in the morning and he settled in for the night.

Annabeth was munching on an oreo, Percy was lost in thought, and Cassie was playing catch with her sword. She didn't know what to call it. Something like 'deathtrap' sounded cool.

Annabeth grabbed the sword before it landed, stopping the brunette. Cassie turned to her with a scowl, but didn't say anything.

"Hey, I-" Annabeth hesitated, struggling or debating to say whatever she was thinking.

Cassie raised an eyebrow, stealing her sword back and making it vanish.

Annabeth let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry for freaking out back at the waterpark, Carter."

Cassie's response surprised her. "It's cool."

The daughter of Ares was too tired to start any bickering at the moment.

"It's just. . ." Annabeth started.

"Spiders?" Cassie assumed. "It makes sense with the whole Arachne story. Turned into a spider for challenging a god, especially the goddess of weaving, to a weaving contest."

Annabeth nodded. "Yeah, Arachne's children have been taking revenge on the children of Athena ever since. If there's a spider withing a mile, it'll find me. I hate the creepy little things."

She explained the hatred thing because Percy was listening. Cassie already knew the whole deal.

She and Stolls twins had put spider plushies all over Annabeth's bed once. Added to their rivalry.

"Anyway . . . I guess I owe you." Annabeth admitted.

Cassie shrugged. "I don't want anything. We're a team, you could say. And I didn't do much. Grover flew in to save us and Percy controlled the water."

They thought the satyr was asleep, but were proved wrong when he murmured, "I was pretty amazing, wasn't I?"

Annabeth and Cassie laughed before the latter pointed at the blonde. "This doesn't mean I like you though. I just don't feel like being mean . . . right now. You're still a know-it-all brainiac."

Annabeth playfully scoffed. "Better than a careless warpath."

Cassie rolled her eyes, but bid them good night. She was tired from dealing with the waterpark and her father.

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Cassie napped through Annabeth and Grover explaining their journey to camp with Thalia and Luke. Though she had heard that story a few times before whenever she had asked about the annoying little blonde girl who hated Ares' kids.

The truck jolted a couple times and as a result, Cassie woke up.

"That pine-tree bead. Is that from your first year?" Percy asked.

Cassie rubbed her eyes and grabbed her own necklace. The son of Poseidon was asking about the one bead she didn't have.

"Yeah. Every August, the counselors pick the most important event of the summer, and they paint it on that year's beads. I've got Thalia's pine tree, a Greek trireme on fire, a centaur in a prom dress-now that was a weird summer. . ."

Cassie yawned as Annabeth explained.

She spoke up. "That was one of my favorites. Oh, and if anybody says anything, I didn't think the trireme was actually made of wood." Cassie told Percy.

"What did you think it was made of?! The sign literally said, 'no flammable liquids'." Annabeth exclaimed.

"In my defense, who reads signs? And how was I supposed to know gasoline was flammable!" Cassie whisper-shouted back.

Percy stared in concern. "You're the reason for that bead?"

"Not if nobody's said anything."

That worsened his concern but he let it slide.

"Is the college ring your father's?" Percy asked Annabeth.

"That's none of your-" Annabeth paused. "Yeah. Yeah, it is."

"You don't have to tell me." Percy said.

"No . . . it's okay. I guess you can listen too, Carter." Annabeth waited, gathering her thoughts. "My dad sent it to me folded up in a letter, two summers ago. The ring was, like, his main keepsake from Athena. He wouldn't have gotten through his doctoral program at Harvard without her. . . That's a long story."

"Wait . . . so you're dad's, Dr. Chase?" Cassie blurted out.

Annabeth nodded, brows furrowing in confusion.

"I'm gonna remember that for the future." Cassie grinned, the grin the told you she was up to something. Annabeth never liked that grin.

"Anyway, he said he wanted me to have it. He apologized for being a jerk, said he loved me and missed me. He wanted me to come home and live with him." Annabeth continued.

"That doesn't sound so bad." Percy observed.

"How come I've never heard this before?" Cassie muttered.

Annabeth sent her a look. It read, 'Why would I ever tell you? It's not like I tried to be around you in my free time.' At least that's what Cassie thought it said.

"Yeah, well . . . the problem was, I believed him. I tried to go home for that school year, but my stepmom was the same as ever. She didn't want her kids put in danger by living with a freak. Monsters attacked. We argued. Monsters attacked. We argued. I didn't even make it through winter break. I called Chiron and came right back to Camp Half-Blood."

"Oh, that's why you were gone for a quarter of the year. Real good time then Percy. If you came then it would've been a ten out of ten." Cassie remarked.

Annabeth hit her lightly. "Shut up."

"You think you'll ever try living with your dad again?" Percy questioned, but not before snickering at what Cassie had said.

Annabeth scoffed. "Please. I'm not into self-inflicted pain."

"Yeah, well your'self' is 'inflicting pain' by staying at Camp Half-Blood year round with me." Cassie joked.

It was her way of trying to convince Annabeth to try again. Emotions weren't really her thing, if you couldn't tell by now.

Percy was more straight forward for once. "You shouldn't give up. You should write him a letter of something."

"Thanks for the advice, but my father's made his choice about who he wants to live with." Annabeth replied, heartlessly.

"You never know, Chase." Cassie mumbled, not going any farther. She didn't want to upset Annabeth that way. Parents were always a sensitive topic and Cassie wasn't mean enough to tease about that.

They stayed silent until Percy found ANOTHER topic. Cassie didn't understand how he always found things to talk about.

"So if the gods fight, will things line up the way they did with the Trojan War? Will it be Athena vs. Poseidon. And with Ares now . . . annoyed with me you could say . . ."

Annabeth closed her eyes leaning against the backpack still strapped on Cassie's back.

"I don't know what my mom will do. I just know I'll fight next to you. And Carter, maybe I won't let you die."

"Ehh. I'd rather die then know that you saved me." Cassie smirked.

"Why?" Percy inquired.

"Because your my friend and she's my frenemy." Annabeth gestured to Cassie at the last part. "Now I'm gonna sleep before Warpath asks any stupid questions or makes some cocky jokes."

"Hey!" Cassie yelled in offense. 'and since when were we frenemies? I didn't agree to this.' She thought.

She didn't get a reply as Annabeth was true to her word and fell sound asleep.

Percy followed afterwards while Cassie remained wide awake the rest of the night.

Maybe it was the pretty . . . wait no, annoying blonde who was technically leaning on her back. Or maybe it was the fact that she never fell asleep after waking up during the night.

Cassie didn't know, but she was awfully tired next morning.

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Percy woke up, very alarmed as Grover shook his shoulder.

"The truck's stopped. We think they're coming to check on the animals." Grover informed.

"Hide!" Annabeth ordered.

She put on her cap and easily disappeared. Percy and Grover hid behind the feeding sacks. Cassie was no where to be found.

The doors opened and light shone in. One of the workers grabbed his nose.

"Man! I wish I hauled appliances."

He got inside to poor water in the animals' bowls.

"You hot, big boy?"

The man threw the remaining water into the lion's face. The lion roared in anger.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

If looks could kill, Grover would have the men six feet under. The guy threw a squashed Happy Meal bad to the antelope.

He turned to the zebra. "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 looked at Percy in panic. The son of Poseidon thought he was crazy, but the animals said: Free me, lord. Please.

Percy couldn't respond and probably wouldn't have. There came a knock, knock, knock from the . . . trailer's roof. But that didn't make sense.

The guy inside shouted. "What do you want, Eddie?"

Eddie didn't understand him. "Maurice? What'd ya say?"

"What are you banging for?"

Then came the knocking. Knock, knock, knock.

Eddie yelled back. "What banging?"

Maurice sighed, rolling his eyes and leaving to go tell Eddie off.

Annabeth appeared next to Percy, so she couldn't have been the one banging.

"This transport business can't be legal."

"Duh!" Cassie appeared, hanging from the rim of the trailer's roof by the door. She got down, hiding with the group.

Her sunglasses were on and Percy realized that she must've been the one banging to get Maurice to go away.

Cassie had unlocked the back door and climbed onto the roof, sometime at night to star gaze. She didn't tell the others that, too not Cassie you could say.

When the sun came up, she had placed on her shades and relaxed until the trailer came to a stop.

No one said anything about her mysterious appearance.

"Yeah, no kidding." Grover agreed. "The lion said these guys are animal smugglers!"

"That's right," said the Zebra in Percy's mind.

"We've got to free them!"

Annabeth and Grover looked to Percy expectantly. He was the 'leader' of this quest. Cassie was already prepared to free them without his permission.

Percy thought for awhile but took out Riptide and broke the lock on the zebra's cage. The zebra escaped and bowed to Percy.

Grover said something to it in his goat talk just as Maurice appeared to check on the noise.

The zebra leapt out and screaming was heard from the street. Cars blared their horns.

The gang got to the back doors in time to watch the zebra escape. Maurice and Eddie followed it with some policemen chasing them.

The cops yelled, "Hey! You need a permit for that!"

"Now would be a good time to leave." Annabeth announced.

"The other animals first." Grover demanded.

Percy listened and broke the other locks. Grover gave the animals the same goat talk.

"Good luck." Percy wished them as the lion and antelope escaped away into the streets.

Tourists shrieked and some took photos.

"Will the animals be okay? I mean, the desert and all-" Percy was interrupted.

"Don't worry. I place a satyr's sanctuary on them." Grover reassured.

"Meaning?" Percy urged.

"Meaning they'll reach the wild safely. They'll find water, food, shade, whatever they need until they find a safe place to live."

"Why can't you place a blessing like that on us?" Percy stated.

"It only works on wild animals." Grover reasoned.

"So it would only affect Carter . . . maybe Percy." Annabeth quipped.

"Hey!" Percy yelled.

"And here I thought you were being nice for once." Cassie replied.

"Kidding. Come on. Let's get out of this filthy truck." Annabeth said.

They wandered around for a bit, passing smaller versions of world monuments. Cassie liked the pyramids.

Somehow, they found themselves at a dead end, now in front of the Lotus Hotel and Casino.

The entrance looked like a huge pink flower with flashing petals. Cassie shuttered at the brightness.

No one was entering or leaving. Sign number one. But the doors were open and the doorman sent them a friendly smile.

"Hey, kids. You look tired. You want to come in and sit down?"

Cassie was alert, but Percy deemed the guy normal and agreed.

They got inside and . . . "Whoa," Grover said.

That about sums it up. The place was awesome. It was full of all the things a kid (or a Cassie) could wish for.

Waterslide? Check, they had that.

Climbing wall? Another check.

Bungee jumping? Yep, Cassie was in heaven.

"Hey!" A guy greeted. He certainly looked like a bellhop if he wasn't one. "Welcome to the Lotus Casino. Here's your room key."

Percy stuttered. "Um, but . . ."

The man chuckled. "No, no. The bill's taken care of. No extra charges, not tips. Just go up to the top floor, loom 4001. If you need anything, like extra bubbles for the hot tub, or skeet targets for the shooting range, or whatever, just call the front desk. Here are your LotusCash cards. They work in the restaurants and on all the games and rides."

Sign number two.

He gave them the green credit cards. Percy thought there was some mistake, but didn't protest.

"How much is on here?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, when does it run out of cash?"

The guy laughed. "Oh, you're making a joke. Hey, that's cool. Enjoy your stay."

"Wait!" Cassie called. "Do you guys have guns?"

Annabeth started dragging her away before the guy could answer.

"Swords? Spears?" She sounded desperate.

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They got to the elevator, Annabeth still tugging a resistant Cassie behind her.

Entering their room, it was like a mansion. There was all the candy and sodas you could need.

The four beds were the most comfortable things they would've slept on in a week. The balcony had a hot tub but that wasn't what caught Cassie's eye.

She immediately saw the skeet shooting machine and the shot gun and rushed outside.

Annabeth had followed right after, pulling her away from the gun. She could shoot right across the Las Vegas skyline and Annabeth had no doubt that Cassie would hit people down below.

"Oh, goodness. This place is . . . " Annabeth trailed off.

"Sweet. Absolutely sweet." Grover finished.

They raided the closet and took showers. Cassie got a fresh red flannel and black tank top, without a hole in it. She put some jean shorts on and kept her dirty red converse. The red flame glasses adorned her head.

When Percy came out of the bathroom, he saw the rest of the group already finished.

Grover sat on a bed, eating potato chips, Annabeth was watching National Geographic and Cassie was sat at the foot of the bed Annabeth was on. No doubt she was forced there to stay away from the shotgun.

Cassie drank some Dr. Pepper staring half-heartedly at the TV.

"All those stations and you turn on National Geographic. Are you insane?" Percy said.

"That's what I told her." Cassie piped up.

"It's interesting." Annabeth defended.

"I feel good. I love this place." Grover sighed contently, hovering in the air on accident.

"So what now? Sleep?" Annabeth questioned.

The other three shared grins.

"Get with the times, Chase." Cassie replied.

Percy and Grover held up their green credit cards.

"Play time," The former announced.

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They all went their separate ways.

Cassie found herself sliding down the thousands of floors tall waterslide. She bungee jumped, sometimes seeing Percy.

Her favorite game was a survival one. She put on the head set and played for hours.

Sometime during all the chaos, Percy had figured it out. They were in a trap. He was able to get Annabeth, snapping her out of it by talking about spiders.

"Oh my gods. How long have we-" Annabeth spoke as her vision cleared.

"I don't know, but we've got to find Cassie and Grover." Percy interrupted.

They rushed off, easily finding Cassie at the virtual survival game. Annabeth had seen her there a few minutes . . . possibly hours ago.

"Carter!" Annabeth called as the brunette sliced something in the game.

Cassie didn't have to turn around to reply. "What, Chase? I'm kind of busy here. Go back to your city building."

Annabeth just pulled the top of the headset off.

"Hey!"

"Shut up! We have to go. This is a trap."

"What do you mean? Give me back my headset."

"Cassie! Listen to me! Uh . . . what freaks her out!?" Annabeth questioned Percy, not realizing she had just said the girl's first name.

"Did you just call me Cassie?" The daughter of Ares spoke, eyes clear and back to their normal emerald green.

"I meant Carter. And why did that snap you out of it?"

Cassie shrugged.

"Come on! We have to get Grover." Percy yelled as he already ran off in the satyr's direction.

The girls followed behind and they quickly found the satyr still playing the Virtual Deer Hunter. Dragging Grover away, they ran into the bellhop.

"Well now, are you ready for you platinum cards?"

"We're leaving." Percy denied.

"Such a shame. We just added an entire new floor full of games for platinum-card members." Something about his voice made Cassie want to give in. Like it actually hurt him that they would be leaving.

She almost took one, but shook off the weird feeling. Grover went to grab one, but Annabeth pulled his arm back.

"No, thanks."

They passed the bellhop and headed towards the exit. Each almost swayed by the thoughts of the games and comfortable beds, but they pushed threw and found themselves outside the Lotus Casino.

The time looked the same, afternoon. But the sky was thundering as lightning flashed above them.

Percy found Ares' backpack on his back, though he was sure he'd thrown it away in their room trash. He ran to the nearest newspaper stand and read the year.

It was the same, but the date was June twentieth. It had been five days. Now they were just one day away from their quest's due date, the summer solstice.

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ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ author's note

If Annabeth hadn't stopped Cassie from using the skeet shooting machine and shotgun:

—Just Another Overthinker