FAVOURITE IDIOT || P.J

12

❛ underworld ❜

PERCY STOPPED IN FRONT OF AN APPLIANCE STORE WINDOW, WATCHING AN INTERVIEW OF SOMEONE FAMILIAR.

His stepfather Gabe,"Honest, Ms. Walters, if it wasn't for Sugar here, my grief counselor, I'd be a wreck. My stepson took everything I cared about. My wife..my Camaro..I-I'm sorry. I have trouble talking about it."

"There you have it America," the woman turned to the camera, "A man torn apart. An adolescent boy with some serious issues. Let me show you again, the last known photo of this troubled fugitive with his friends, taken a week ago in Denver."

The screen cut to a grainy shot of Y/n, Percy, Annabeth and Grover at the diner talking to Ares.

"Who are the other children besides Y/n Evans?" Barbara asked dramatically, "Who is the man with them? What are they doing? Stay tuned America."

Y/n clenched her jaw before hauling Percy away, "C'mon."

As they hurried passed the entrance of an alley, a voice from the darkness said, "Hey, you."

Before they knew it, they were surrounded. A gang of kids had circled them.

Percy uncapped Riptide and made the mistake of swinging. The leader yelped, as the blade passed harmlessly right through his chest, "What the.." His shock turned to anger.

"Run!" Percy yelled. They pushed the two kids out of the way and raced down the street, turning a sharp corner.

"There!" Annabeth pointed. Only one store on the block looked open.

"Crusty's Water Bed Palace?" Grover translated. They burst through the doors and ran behind a bed. A split second later, the kids had passed.

"I think we lost them." Grover panted

A voice boomed behind them, "Lost who?"

Standing behind them was a guy who looked like a raptor in a suit. He was about seven feet tall with no hair. He had gray, leathery skin and a cold reptilian smile.

The guy walked towards them, "I'm Crusty." he said with a yellow smile.

"Sorry to barge in" Percy told him "We were just..browsing."

"You mean hiding from those no-good kids? They hang around every night. I get a lot of people in here, thanks to them. Say, you want to look at a water bed?"

Not waiting for an answer, Crusty steered them deeper in the shop, "This is my most popular model." he spread his hands proudly over a bed covered with black satin sheets and built-in Lava Lamps on the headboard.

"Million-hand massage. Go on, try it out. Shoot, take a nap. I don't care. No business today, anyway."

Percy hesitated, "Um. I don't think..."

"Million-hand massage!" Grover cried and dove in,
"Oh, you guys! This is cool."

Y/n, who saw Grover's face, looked for a bed and lied down. She hums, feeling comfortable and cozy, "This is nice! Grover's right you guys!"

"Hmm" Crusty stroke his leathery chin, "Almost, almost."

"Almost what?" Percy asked.

Crusty looked at Annabeth, "Do me a favour and try this one over here honey. Might fit."

He pushed her onto the Safari Deluxe model.

"Hey!" She protested.

Crusty snapped his fingers, "Ergo!"