𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 [𝐏𝐉𝐎 𝐗 𝐇𝐏]

x: the first battle

chapter ten , act two 

the first battle 

Ariana had a terrible feeling in her stomach, but it got ten times worse when she saw the tiny little elevator car they were going to ride to the top of the Arch.

They got shoehorned into the car with this big lady and her dog, a Chihuahua with a rhinestone collar. Ariana frowned at the dog, unsure whether it was a guide dog, or something much worse as non of the guards batted an eye nor said a word about it.

"No parents?" the lady asked. She had beady eyes; pointy, coffee-stained teeth; a floppy denim hat, and a denim dress that bulged so much, she looked like a blue-jean blimp.

"They're below," Annabeth told her. "Scared of heights."

"Oh, the poor darlings."

The Chihuahua growled. The woman said, "Now, now, sonny. Behave." The dog had beady eyes like its owner, intelligent and vicious.

Percy said, "Sonny. Is that his name?"

"No," the lady told me.

She smiled, as if that cleared everything up.

At the top of the Arch, the observation deck reminded Ariana of a tin can with carpeting. Rows of tiny windows looked out over the city on one side and the river on the other. The view was amazing, but Ariana was too worried to care.

Annabeth kept talking about structural supports, and how she would've made the windows bigger, anddesigned a see-through floor. She probably could've stayed up there for hours, but luckily for me the park ranger announced that the observation deck would be closing in a few minutes.

Percy steered A Grover and Annabeth toward the exit, loaded them into the elevator, and he was about to get in himself when they realized there were already two other tourists inside. No room for him or Ariana.

The park ranger said, "Next car, sir, ma'am."

"We'll get out," Annabeth said. "We'll wait with you."