Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

As good as it felt to free the animals, Grover was getting tired of walking.

It shouldn't be possible, considering that he was part goat and practically built for walking. And although he couldn't deny that he was happy to be closer to completing his goals, from the bus to Medusa to the Gateway Arch and now what felt like 140 degrees heat, Grover was sure that his Styrofoam feet were on the verge of crumbling apart.

“Are we far enough away?” Annabeth said as she hunched over, shoulders heaving as she regained her breath.

“Guys…” Percy pointed at the building in front of them, “Look.”

At the entrance was a high neon flower, its pale pink glow reflected across the trio's faces, inviting them in. The bright letters read Lotus Hotel and Casino. The doors were open, letting cool air conditioning break upon Grover's sweaty face.

The smell of lotus flowers went straight through Grover's nose and into his brain. Urging him, closer closer. His hoofs inched towards the doors, seemingly having a mind of their own.

He felt Percy's hand on his shoulder and jumped back. Percy's brows were furrowed, eyes narrowing at the hotel. “Something feels… off here.” Percy said.

Grover looked back at Annabeth to garner her reaction, but she was instead focused on Percy, even seeming to agree with him. Grover sighed, he was friends with both of them for longer than they even knew each other, for the gods’ sake! But lately their trio dynamic felt unbalanced. They had tried to hide it, but Grover could see how Percy and Annabeth exchanged information with subtle looks and eyebrow raises. There's a part of him that feels betrayed, he’s supposed to be their satyr protector after all. Isn't he supposed to share this connection as well?

The doorman smiled at them and said, “It's really hot out today. You kids wanna come in and rest?”

Perhaps he should've been more cautious, but at this point, Grover's brain, and his defenses, felt fried. The man didn't look like an obvious monster, and that was good enough for him.

“Let's just rest for a bit,” Grover said, “Sit inside with the aircon while we figure out how to get further west.”

Percy and Annabeth hesitated for a moment, but ultimately the promise of sweet, sweet air conditioning won over. “Alright,” Annabeth said, “We can take a moment to gather our bearings and figure out how we're gonna move from here.”

They stepped inside and were greeted by bright LEDs and purple-tinted glass that sparkled and reflected every which way; and the walls were plastered with large TVs, all of which were set to different channels: sports, reality TV, cooking, documentaries; and rows of slot machines, arcade games, VR experiences lined the walls; and in the center held drink stations, bar counters and foosball tables.

Over all of the luxuries presented was the intoxicating scent that Grover smelled from outside the casino. Only now, it was 10 times stronger. His brain felt mushy from all the heat and this smell was not helping.

Looking over at Percy and Annabeth, Grover could see that they weren't holding up any better. Percy’s mouth was wide open, Grover resisted the urge to close it, as his eyes darted between all the different areas. Annabeth was peeling the strands of hair that was stuck to her face back while blinking furiously, as if the interior of the hotel was some illusion that could disappear at any moment.

A busy woman in the same uniform that the doorman was wearing earlier bustled over to them. “Oh good!” She said, pressing three silver cards into Percy's hand, “Your room is 739 on the seventh floor. Everything has already been paid for so simply swipe your card if you'd like to play. Anything else, just call the front desk with your provided landline.” And as quickly as she came, she left.

“Wait but-” Annabeth stammered as the woman seemed to disappear into the crowds within seconds.

“Thank you!” Percy called after her, tugging Annabeth and Grover over to the elevators. Stuffing the cards in his pocket, Percy quickly used his free hand to punch in the 7th floor.

“They must think we're some rich guy's kids,” Percy said, looking giddy. “Whatever it is, I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth.” As the elevator carried them up.

—-----------------------

Anything Grover fantasized of in his head was incomparable to their room.

The first thing that caught Grover’s eye was the view, it was a gorgeous skyline view of the strip down below. Day drinkers, out-of-place families, and poorly dressed scammers all looked the same from his view; small, like ants. Brightly colored lights decorated the various casinos and shopping centers that lined the streets. Looking directly down had Grover feeling dizzy so he decided to give the interior of their room a better look.

On the inside it felt more like a mini apartment. There was a large master bedroom and one smaller bedroom beside it; the bathroom had a Jacuzzi already stocked with bubbles and bath bombs; and the couch, which could be pulled out, was lined with throw pillows; and the shelves were stocked with snacks: chips, cookies, drinks; and the TV was set to a random reality show which Annabeth quickly changed to the History channel.

Besides her, Percy was grabbing snacks from the shelves and stuffing them into the backpack that Ares gave them. When he saw Grover he grinned. “I was just stocking up for when we leave… to…” He paused. “Uh…” Percy stood there with the various chips and drinks still in his hands, stuttering as he tried to remember their goal in the first place.

Grover gently took the snacks out of his hand and placed them back. “We have enough time man. Let's refresh first.”

“Yeah, sorry I just got ahead of myself I guess.” Percy blushed, staring down at his ratty sneakers.

“Hey if you guys won't shower first then I'll go.” Annabeth said, her voice cutting through the conversation. Her eyes flitted over them briefly before locking back in on the TV screen.

Percy grinned, “Wouldn't dream of it.” He slung the backpack onto the ground and then disappeared into the bathroom.

Grover took this moment to actually look at what Annabeth was watching.

“Loom weaving?”

“It's interesting.” Annabeth said, shrugging, “Athena kid.”

They fell into comfortable silence as Annabeth’s eyes glazed over with the steady, repetitive motion of the loom.

—-----------------------

Grover stepped out of the bathroom, no longer smelling like the streets. He sat down next to Percy and Annabeth, whose conversation had begun to die down once they saw Grover come out of the shower.

They sat in silence for a while, staring at the TV. The woman on the History channel had long stopped talking about loom weaving and was now blabbering about ancient pottery.

“So,” Annabeth said, yawning. “Sleep?”

Percy and Grover looked at each other and grinned.

“Nah,” Percy said as he held up his silver card. “It's playtime.”

Chapter Text

As soon as they got to the arcade floor, the trio split up.

Annabeth stuck herself to a strange, 3-D building game while Percy bounced all over, from shooting games to VR simulations and so on.

Grover found himself wandering for the most part; none of the games looked quite appealing enough to play. He spent a few minutes at a strange shooting game, but quickly got bored and left. As he turned away, he noticed something in the corner of his eye. Past the bright rainbow lights and rows of multicolored arcade machines was a door left wide open, leading to what Grover assumed was another game or activity. As he got closer, Grover could smell fresh fruit and the salty breeze of the ocean, lifting him from the haze that the sweet Lotus Hotel scent kept him under.

He stepped in and was greeted by palm trees, rocks, and cheerful people sitting around campfires. Men and women alike passed strange fruit around and told jokes, their laughter floating away in the wind. Nearby, children raced around, throwing stones and sticks at each other. Grover could hardly believe that a place like this was just mere footsteps from the chaos of the casino. The area felt less like a small garden spot and more like an island.

How could a place like this exist within the Lotus Hotel?

Grover approached a small group sitting on the white powder sand and huddling around a strange pile of fruit. They turned to Grover and smiled.

“Hey! We're glad you're back, no one really comes in here anymore.” A man said. He was slim and tanned, evident from his time on the island, and he had an off-white chiton on. [1] He looked cheerful and relaxed, like he had no cares in the world.

“I’m- I'm sorry, is this the employee section?” Grover stammered, still looking around at the island.

They laughed, Grover felt his ears turning red. “No,” the man said. “Everyone is welcome here!”

“Really? But this place seems so…”

“Empty? Void of tourists? Sure, but that doesn't mean it's restricted.” The man said, shrugging.

The man pushed one of the fruits into Grover’s hands. “Here.” He patted the spot beside him. “Sit with us.”

Grover accepted the fruit and took a seat next to the man. The man called a woman over and gestured at him, “New visitor!”

The woman was of similar statue and skin colour, she kneeled down next to him and smiled, “Make yourself at home, Grover. It's been a while since we've had visitors.”

He took a deep breath in and sighed, this place smelt… fresh, clean. A place away from pollution, like something from a long time ago, still untouched.

“How come no one comes here anymore?” Grover asked.

The man shrugged, “Times have changed,” he said. “People are more interested in games and playing, so we expanded. We built arcade floors, indoor laser tag, gambling machines, infinite drinks and food, and eventually people stopped coming here.”

“That's stupid.” Grover said, huffing. Leave it to humans to give up a paradise like this.

The man chuckled and said, “I suppose it is.”

They sat in silence for a while, letting the cool, tropical breeze wash over them. It felt like something Grover had lost a long, long time ago.

He could stay. He wanted to stay.

Grover looked at the fruit in his hands once more. He had never seen it before; but somehow, it felt familiar to him. He turned it round and round in his hands, feeling its weight and swallowing a lump in his throat. He had, he had forgotten something hadn't he?

“I can't- I need… I need to go.” Grover stuttered. “My friends- I can't.” He shook his head, standing up.

The conversation completely died down and they stared at Grover. He began to feel an uncomfortable prickling sensation at the back of his neck, like eyes. Perhaps he was too hasty in calling this group peaceful?

The man turned back to the woman and whispered two short words and then called a child over. The child looked away from his two friends, and bounced over to them. The two began whispering to each other in ancient Greek. Grover strained his ears to hear, but the only words he could make out were, “doesn't know” and “friend.” The child nodded and then quickly ran off.

The man turned back to Grover and cleared his throat. “We're sad to see you go,” he said. “Feel free to come back again.”

Grover blinked in surprise, they were just letting him go? Just like that? It was… nice, a nice break from all of the monsters that had tormented him so far.

There was the sound of crunching sand and the child had returned, in his arms was a long thin package, wrapped with a brown paper.

“Oh, and before you go…” The man took a wrapped package from the child and held it out to Grover. “I believe your friend lost this on your last visit.”

Grover took it wordlessly from the man, peeling back the paper to reveal the object inside. It was a beautiful sword, looking somewhat a cross between dagger and sword in terms of length. It was silver-studded, sleek and shiny, bronze with an intricate wooden handle. [2] On the blade itself was engraved a name in elaborate ivory, Ὀδῠσσεύς.

Odysseus.

“Your friends are calling for you outside.” The woman said, her gentle gaze washing over him. “You should hurry back.”

Grover quickly pasted the paper back, tucking the package under his arm. “Thank you.” He said, to which the group only nodded.

As he hurried back into the casino, Grover realized he had never given them his name.

Chapter Text

It wasn't hard to find Percy and Annabeth.

The woman was right, they were right outside of the door when Grover exited. They both looked panicked and sweaty, as if they just ran a thousand miles outside in the desert heat.

“Grover!” They sprung onto him and immediately grabbed onto both his arms, dragging Grover away; Grover yelped as he got dragged. Meanwhile his flying shoes sprung to life, tugging them into the opposite direction.

“Grover, we need to get out of here!” Percy said, frustrated. “It's a trap!”

“It's not me! My shoes-” Grover yelped as the flying sneakers practically lifted up his hooves. “Help me get them off!”

Percy shifted Grover so he was holding Grover under their arms while Annabeth rushed over to their feet to try and get the sneakers off.

“Why would you tie them like this?!” she said in despair, her hands flitting desperately over the laces of Grover’s shoes as she tried to undo the mess he had made them.

Grover yelped as his shoe nearly kicked Annabeth in the face. “I didn’t want them to fall off!” He cried, “Wait- no you have to get them out like- like-” Grover grunted as he tried to curl up and untie the shoes himself.

“Is everything alright here?” The Lotus bellhop had caught up to them. In his hands was another set of Lotus cards, this time with a shiny exterior. “I have your platinum cards right here.”

Percy glared at the man and tugged Grover along. “We’re leaving,” he spat, daring the bellhop to come and physically stop them.

The man’s eyes glinted something dangerous, “That’s a shame…” he said, “We just opened up a new floor with the latest games and experiences, platinum members only!” He held out the cards and shook them a little, letting their holographic material catch the light.

Grover's eyes widened as he let out a tiny gasp at the sight. He wanted one, really wanted one. Grover knew that all it took was one swipe. One swipe to use and never look back. What glory and satisfaction could the Gods offer him that he couldn’t forget about here?

Annabeth, as if sensing his thoughts, smacked the cards out of the bellhop's hands, letting the cheap pieces of plastic fall to the ground. “Thanks, but no thanks,” she said.

As the trio walked towards the door, the lotus scent only got stronger. The sounds of games and people chatting only got louder and louder. Grover’s shoes began acting up even more, practically dragging him back inside the casino as the trio fought against its power. They neared the door and Grover could sense all of it, the palm trees, the salty scent of the ocean, the sounds of the islanders, the fruit as he tossed it over and over again…

They burst through the Lotus Hotel and Casino doors, the scent of lotus all but leaving their nostrils. But there was something new, the smell of rain. Grover frantically looked around as Percy released his arms from his tight grip. Overhead stormy clouds rumbled and completely covered the skies. Around him, Grover could see the regular mortals looking up as well.

Annabeth rushed over to a random stranger reading the newspaper and snatched it out of his hands.

“Hey!” The man yelled as Annabeth turned to the front, eyes scanning for the date. Grover could see her jaw tick. Annabeth trembled and her eyes looked glossy as she handed the newspaper back to the man, who had begun to ramble something about “kids these days.”

Percy and Grover looked at each other hesitantly, hearts pounding. They couldn’t have spent too long there, could they?

“Annabeth?”

“June twentieth,” she said, “We have one more day until the summer solstice ends.”

And although his shoes were no longer acting up, Grover could feel them dragging his stomach down to the underworld.

Chapter Text

Annabeth took charge.

After taking a quick “brain break” she eventually stood up, dusted off her jeans, and said, “We need to go.”

Grover and Percy, who had been sitting on the concrete with their heads in their hands, looked up at her. “Where?” Percy asked.

“To Los Angeles,” She said, “We have time. We can’t just… wait around. We have time.” She said, looking like she was partly convincing herself.

Annabeth quickly waved a taxi over, shoved Grover and Percy in, and slapped the Lotus hotel card into the cabbie’s hand. The cabbie looked at the card and back at Annabeth, who only raised her eyebrow at him and made a swiping motion. The cabbie swiped the card and watched as his meter machine lit up and flashed with dollar signs, his cigar practically falling out of his mouth.

“Santa Monica Pier,” Annabeth said, looking especially proud of herself. “Make it quick and keep the change.”

Grover barely had time to buckle himself in as the cabbie sped off.

-----------------------

“I had… a dream. Like, a weird one.” Percy said in a low voice. He glanced back up at the cabbie, making sure he wasn’t listening.

“There was like, a pit? And a throne room that was all black and shadowy. And there was some guy calling the pit something weird.” He scrunched up his face, trying to remember. Percy fiddled with the straps of his backpack, which Grover was pretty sure had been left on the hotel room floor.

“Was it a name or an epithet?” Annabeth asked. It left Percy looking even more confused.

“A what?” he asked.

“An epithet.” Annabeth repeated, frustrated, “You know like in the Greek tales? The Bright-eyed, the Laughter-loving… Ugh, forget it. Just- did they call it the Silent One? Or the Rich one? Something along those lines.”

“I… I don’t know. Maybe…” Percy said, still looking unconvinced. “But the pit, it responded. And it was weird, not a god’s voice. Something- something older.”

Grover gulped and he could sense the nervous energy coming from Annabeth as well. The only thing that could be older than a god, and live in a pit…

“Well- It has to be Hades.” Annabeth said firmly, “He sent this thief to get the master bolt and… and something went wrong. So he failed, and that’s why the Furies thought we had it and came after us.”

“But the voice,” Percy interrupted her, “It said it was waiting for two items. The lightning bolt and something else. That thing in the pit? It’s something different.”

Annabeth huffed. “It has to be Hades. If we- if we somehow guessed wrong and… it has to be Hades.”

“That’s not all,” Percy continued, “It- it told me I spent all of my lives tormented by the gods. It told me this life was no different. It told me it could-” Percy suddenly shut his mouth, looking like he had said too much, and refused to speak further.

Grover looked back at Percy, waiting for him to continue, but Annabeth caught his eye. She shook her head, Let him be. He slumped back in his seat.

But deep inside, Grover knew that there was something more sinister going on. Something bigger than him, than the quest, than the gods and even the pit itself. And it had something to do with the three of them.

-----------------------

It was close to sunset when the cab arrived in Santa Monica.

Grover sniffed the air and found himself missing that island back in the Lotus Hotel and Casino. The place was a trap, sure, but that small section hidden within its walls? That felt real. The sand at the pier was littered with plastic, broken glass, and needles while the sand back there, at the hotel, was pure and clean.

He felt the brown package, still hidden within his coat. Why would the Lotus-eaters have given that to him? Grover had never been there before, he was sure of it. But then why did the island, the fruits, feel so familiar? The sword didn’t feel like a cheap replica either, it felt real. And the name, Ὀδῠσσεύς. …

“Percy?” Annabeth’s voice took Grover back into the present. “What are you doing?” She said, squinting at the boy who had now begun walking into the ocean.

“That water looks really toxic.” Grover bleated nervously, “Percy?” But Percy had already disappeared beneath the waves.

They stood in stunned silence for a while. “Will he… be alright?” Grover asked, chewing on his fingernails.

“I-” Annabeth looked nervous, “He’ll be fine. He’s the son of the sea god.” She sat down in the sand. “We just have to wait for him.”

Grover sat down next to her. They sat there for a while, listening to the water lap at the shores and watching the sun slowly go down.

“You know something,” Grover said, flinching when Annabeth turned her head back at him in question, “About- about Percy. Back in the cab, and what he said about the voice.”

She shook her head. “I… have my guesses,” Annabeth said hesitantly, “About what it meant.”

“Care to share?”

Annabeth huffed and looked back out at the ocean, “When people drink from the river Lethe, it’s supposed to wipe all of their memories. We drink until we forget. But the immortals remember who we used to be, even if we don’t.”

“You’re saying that Percy used to be someone else.”

“We all were.” [3] Annabeth said, “That’s why we’re here today. But Percy could be someone who was… very wronged by the gods in the past. And the voice, well- Hades, he’s trying to take advantage of that.”

Grover touched the package still hidden in his coat. Wronged by the gods…

The sword only stayed silent.

-----------------------

As soon as they saw Percy emerge, Grover and Annabeth stood up and hurried over to him. Clutched in his hands were pearls, which Annabeth closely examined.

“They were a gift,” Percy said, after explaining what had happened, “They’re not- they’re free.”

Annabeth shook her head. “Nothing in this world is free. We’ll have to pay a price for this, sooner or later.”

Percy was trembling, his eyes were blown wide open and he was shivering despite having instantly dried off.

“You alright man?” Grover put a hand on his shoulder.

“Yeah, just… thinking.”

Percy hesitated, and Grover could tell he wanted to say more, but he tucked the pearls back into his pocket. Percy then turned his back on the ocean and walked to the boardwalk, with Grover and Annabeth following suit.

Chapter Text

With the change they had scrounged up from around the pier, the trio had just enough money for a bus ride into West Hollywood.

They wandered around, searching for the entrance to the underworld, but nothing looked quite right and the various people they had asked didn’t seem to know either.

The only clue they had was a billing slip that Percy had kept from Aunty Em’s. But DOA studios didn't even seem to exist.

Before they knew it, it was getting dark, and they were still nowhere near finding the entrance to the underworld. Grover shivered and tried to walk a bit faster.

Grover heard the sound of footsteps behind him and whipped his head around. A white kid in expensive clothes was smirking down on him.

“Grover-” Percy tugged on his arm but paused. More and more kids emerged from the shadows and before they knew it, they were surrounded.

“We don’t have any money.” Annabeth said, eyes darting between the gang members.

The white kid laughed, “Oh yeah?” He stepped forward.

“Stay back!”

It felt like instinct, natural, for Grover to pull out his weapon. He took out the brown package and aimed it at the gang members. Their faces went pale as they stepped back.

“Hey man,” The kid chuckled, “That’s not-”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Grover interrupted him, his arms were shaking and he could barely keep a good grip, “But trust me, I’ve come prepared."

The gang members looked more nervous as they took in Grover’s words, shifting back and forth and muttering amongst each other as they eyed Grover’s weapon. One brave member lunged forward as if striking and Grover quickly turned the sword on him, with the gang member’s friends hurriedly pulling him away.

Grover’s palms felt sweaty and he could feel all of their eyes watching him. Grover’s heart felt like it was beating right in his ears; he tried to not let it show.

Besides him, Percy and Annabeth had also drawn their weapons. Percy steadied himself with Riptide firmly in his hands, the glow of the sword seemingly repelling the other gang members. Annabeth spun her dagger around letting the blade catch the street lights.

The gang member, realizing that these kids with crazy weapons were probably not worth it, tried to puff up his chest. “Whatever man,” he finally said as he stalked away, the other gang members quickly following behind him.

Grover watched until they got out of sight and then felt his shoulders slump, lowering the brown package. Annabeth exhaled slowly while Percy stared at Grover, clutching Riptide like a lifeline.

“Is that really…” Percy peered over Annabeth’s shoulder to get a better look.

Grover shook his head. “No,” He said, peeling back the paper to prove it. “It was a gift from the Lotus-eaters.”

Percy and Annabeth glanced at each other. “Grover…” Annabeth hesitantly said, “We can’t- we can’t trust this. We can’t trust them.”

“It's not-” he sighed. “It's good. They didn't curse it or anything.”

“Grover, do you seriously think that it's safe? After the Lotus-eaters tried to trap us?” Annabeth's voice was gradually getting louder and Grover could see curious passersby glancing their way.

Grover paused, “I… I don't know. Let's just go. We only have 1 more day until the summer solstice and we aren’t any closer to getting into the underworld.” He tried to turn away but was pulled back by Percy, who had a strange look of determination on his face.

“Wait. Let me see it, just once.” He said.

Grover hesitated.

“Percy.” Annabeth hissed, using her hand to block and stop him from reaching forward. Percy turned to her and shook his head, then nodded towards the sword. Sighing, Annabeth relented.

Percy held out his hands expectantly to which Grover passed him the parcel. He was halfway to unfolding the paper when he paused, his hand curled across the unwrapped paper.

A beat passed, then two; Grover and Annabeth looked at each other worriedly.

“What’s wrong? Percy?” Annabeth reached out only for Percy to flinch away from her touch. Annabeth took her hand back, looking confused and hurt by Percy’s reaction. Percy ignored her and slammed his hands onto Grover’s shoulders, practically shaking him back and forth.

“Where did you find this?” he demanded. Grover only looked confused.

“I told you,” Grover said, “The Lotus-eaters! Percy?”

“I can’t- I don’t-” Percy released his grip from Grover’s shoulders. His eyes looked glassy and the brown paper crinkled and teared under his grip. Grover could see Percy’s nails digging into the thin paper, leaving behind creases.

Suddenly, Grover heard a crunching sound behind them.

He and Annabeth whipped their heads around to check, only to be met with a luminous pair of red eyes. Grover could barely breathe, the eyes seemed to look right through him.

“Is that-”

“Hellhound.” Annabeth said grimly, “We need to go now!”

She tugged on Percy’s arm but he wouldn’t budge, his eyes still transfixed on the sword. “Percy! We need to go now!” Annabeth tugged on Percy’s arm once more, whose knees had begun to buckle.

The hellhound snarled and gnashed its teeth at Percy and Grover had the startling realization that it was going to pounce.

No.

“Grover!” Annabeth screamed as he wrenched his arm back from the jaws of the hellhound. It was bloodied, with deep punctures where the fangs had sunken into Grover's skin. His arm burned like something awful but Grover couldn't find it in himself to care. That hellhound would've gone for Percy's face, he was sure of it.

Grover shook his head. “We need to move now!”

Annabeth cussed in ancient Greek and locked her arm with Percy’s as she began dragging him away from the hellhound. Grover quickly took hold of the other arm and the pair began racing down the street, away from the monster.

“Where are we going?!” Grover shouted. He could see curious passersby staring and muttering at the trio as they ran.

“I don’t know!” Annabeth panted, “Somewhere inside! Where they can’t get us!” She jerked her head back at the hellhounds, who had now increased from one to three.

Grover nodded and urged himself to go faster, his shoes slammed down on the concrete with every step.

Gangs of rowdy teenagers looked at them and snickered. “You lost?” One said, as they stuck out their feet to trip him. Grover stumbled over his leg and glared back at the teen, who had already gone back to talking with his buddies.

They don’t know. He tried to remind himself. They don't see what we see.

Behind them, the eyes of the hellhounds shone like flashlights, creating bright red beams that spotlighted the trio, marking them as a target. From a certain angle, they could be mistaken for police sirens; its light left Grover glowing red against the dark street.

“Hey kids!”

Grover looked up to see a man down the street calling out from inside a store; he was holding the door open.

“In here!”

Grover looked up at the sign above the store.

Crusty’s Waterbed Palace?

The hellhounds behind him snapped at his heels as Grover was once again reminded of how little options he seemed to have in his life.

Annabeth practically barreled into the store, with Grover following suit, as the man shut the door behind them.

Chapter Text

Grover practically keeled over as Annabeth shook Percy’s shoulder.

“Percy?” she asked, still trembling from the ordeal, “What happened back there?”

“I don’t know.” Percy said, “I just- The sword it…”

Percy stumbled as he tried to get up, Grover and Annabeth quickly supported him. There was a faint click sound to Grover’s right but he decided to ignore it for the time being.

“Your arm…” Percy said, reaching out towards Grover.

Grover looked down startled, the adrenaline completely having wiped his injury from his mind.

“We need to stop the blood flow.” Annabeth said, “There should be-”

The man coughed, interrupting her.

Grover took the time to truly see who had saved them. The man was several heads taller than him, with scaly grey skin and a yellowed smile. Grover shivered as the man towered over them.

“Ah, uhm. Thank you for saving us sir,” Annabeth said, shifting uncomfortably.

“It's nothing.” The man waved her off, “Those damn hounds are always causing a ruckus near my store. Bad for business.”

He eyed the trio. “Say, you wouldn't be interested in a water bed would you?”

“We don't… we don't have any money,” Annabeth said, still holding onto Percy's arm.

The man waved her off once more. “Eh, I don't care about that,” he said. “Just test it out for me.”

The trio looked at each other nervously. Grover stepped forward.

“Grover!” Percy hissed, but Grover only shook his head.

“I'll be fine.”

He saved us. It's the least I could do.

Grover sat on the edge of bed, cradling his arm so that it wouldn't jostle.

In a flash, the man shoved Grover into the center of the bed. Grover felt the wind getting knocked out of him as he was thrown onto the mattress.

The man snapped his fingers, “Ergo!”

Ropes sprang out from the sides and snaked themselves around Grover, holding him down. Grover screamed as they whipped around his injured arm.

“Almost there,” the man grinned.

Annabeth and Percy could only look on in horror. “Procrustes. The stretcher,” Percy said, looking sick to his stomach.

The man laughed. “I haven't heard that name in years. It's much easier for the customers to call me Crusty,” he said, tapping on his name tag.

“Oh I wouldn't do that.”

Annabeth, who had been creeping up behind him with her dagger, froze.

“Not if you want me to take my time making sure your friend over here fits,” he said.

He jerked his head over at Grover, whose arms had begun to burn at the feel of ropes stretching them out.

“Come,” Crusty grabbed onto Annabeth's shoulders, dragging her away. “I can show you one of my latest models.”

Percy snarled. “Don't touch her!”

The man only brushed him off. “You can wait your turn. Ladies first, after all.”

“Wait,” Annabeth said. “Let me choose.”

Crusty raised his brow. “Choose?”

“You want good customer satisfaction right? Then let me choose which bed I get.” Annabeth held her head up high, staring Crusty down.

Moments passed and for a second Grover worried that Crusty would refuse and force Annabeth to a bed anyways when Crusty laughed.

“Of course! I want to make sure that the bed you choose is the right one for you,” he said, still holding onto her shoulders. “Go on.”

Annabeth swallowed and marched forward, head still held up high as Crusty followed behind her.

Percy's head darted between them and Grover before rushing over to Grover's side.

He tugged on the ropes. “How do I get these off?” Percy whispered.

Grover whimpered. “I don't think you can,” he said. “Just cut them off.”

Percy eyed his injury. “Your arm…”

“I'll be fine, just cut them off.”

Percy nodded and uncapped Riptide, cutting the ropes but going slow so as to not hurt him. When he was done Grover stood back up, rubbing his arm.

He jerked his head back towards where Annabeth had just left. “We need to go after them.”

Percy hesitated. ”Shouldn't we bandage your arm first?”

Grover shook his head. “I'll be fine. We need to stop Crusty before he kills Annabeth.”

At the mention of Annabeth, Percy's eyes hardened, his mouth pressing into a thin, grim line. “Right,” he said. “Let's go.”

Grover paused at seeing Percy still clutching onto the sword given by the Lotus-eaters but decided to not comment on it. Annabeth was still trapped with Crusty, and the longer they took the less time she'd have to stall him.

-----------------------

“This one's alright, except for the length. It's a bit short for my liking.”

“And this one?”

“Hmm…the storage is nice but the mattress itself is too firm.”

Crusty gritted his teeth. “Of course,” he said, voice sounding tight. “However, we've been through almost my entire stock. Surely there must be one you're at least partial to.”

“Of course they all have their good traits,” Annabeth said. “However, I'm looking for the perfect bed. You wouldn't want a customer to walk away unhappy would you?”

Crusty's grin grew tighter. “Of course not! I was just hoping that you could give me a hint as to what type of bed you're looking for in particular.”

Annabeth felt her heart pounding in her chest but she steeled her resolve and continued holding her head up. “I'll know it when I see it,” she said smoothly.

But as she walked, Annabeth could feel Crusty's presence behind her. Sure he was polite now, but that was just it, politeness. And soon enough that act would drop and Annabeth didn't know what she would do when that happened.

“What about this one?” Crusty's voice broke her away from her thoughts, as Annabeth realized that he had been trying to talk to her.

“It's alright,” she shrugged. “Except for…”

“What?” Crusty demanded, turning so that they were directly facing each other. “Pray tell.”

Annabeth felt her heart racing as she tried desperately to think of another excuse.

Think, Annabeth. Think!

She looked back at the bed. It was a simple white mattress with an elaborately carved mahogany wood frame. Odd choice for a waterbed.

“The wood,” she blurted out.

Crusty blinked in surprise. “The wood?”

Annabeth nodded. “Yes. I think it should be replaced with another type.”

“And what would that be?” Crusty sighed, unimpressed.

“Olive.”

“Olive!” Crusty barked out a laugh. “Right,” he grabbed Annabeth by the neck and began dragging her away. “Since you seem so eager to waste my time, I'll just pick for you.”

Annabeth wheezed as she clawed at Crusty's unrelenting grip, dark spots dancing in her vision.

“Wait!” she wheezed out. “I've picked! I've picked!”

Crusty paused. “Which one? Point to it.”

Annabeth swallowed, pointing to a bed far to the left. “That one.”

Crusty nodded and made a move to grab Annabeth once more when she held her hands up. “Wait!” she said. “Before I… gain ownership over it, test it out first. Using yourself.”

His eyes narrowed at Annabeth. “Do you think I'm an idiot?”

“No,” she said. “But this one says it has dynamic stabilizers to stop wave motion. Does it really?”

“Absolutely. What kind of salesman would I be if I lied?”

“Even for big guys like you?”

“Guaranteed.”

“Then show me.”

Crusty paused, looking at Annabeth with suspicion, but ultimately decided that one tiny demigod wouldn't be able to do much against him anyways. “Alright. Just for a moment.”

-----------------------

“Now!”

Percy leapt from the shadows and, with Annabeth, shoved Crusty onto the bed.

“Ergo!” He snapped his fingers and the same snake-like ropes coiled themselves around Crusty’s struggling form.

“Hey!” Crusty yelled as he pulled and strained against the ropes.

Annabeth stepped forward. “Center him,” she said coolly.

“No wait! Hold on-”

Meanwhile, Percy had fully unwrapped the sword, letting the sleek blade shine over Crusty's head.

Crusty's pupils dilated as he began struggling more furiously. “Mercy. Please-”

Percy paused, smirking down on him.

“No.”

Grover barely could barely close his eyes in time as Percy swung the sword down. The sound of crunching bones, however, was clear as day.