My story | PJO x male reader

Chpter 30: Animals gone wild

I woke up gasping for air. My shirt was drenched with sweat, as well as my face. I tried catching my breath but nothing seemed to calm me down. I ended up closing my eyes with my hands on my head just repeating words trying to calm myself. I tried to focus on anything other than the dream. The snoring of Percy and Grover or the feeling of the metal on my back but nothing worked.

"Y/N." I heard Annabeth's voice ring out.

I opened my eyes to see Annabeth kneeling in front of me. Without even thinking I hugged her. She stiffened as I did so as if her first reaction was to punt me to another dimension but she eventually relaxed. Right now, I just needed to know she was alright.

I just started sobbing uncontrollably. I don't know why. Maybe everything from the past few days had hit me or maybe I'm just weak.

After a few minutes of me just sobbing in silence I moved back to my original position of leaning against the truck wall.

Annabeth followed and sat next to me leaning against the wall with her undivided attention pointed toward me. "What happened?" She said.

I proceeded to tell her everything about the dreams. She didn't say anything once. She only returned with an understanding or questioning gaze.

As soon as I was halfway done telling her about the final dream the truck completely stopped.

"What's that all about?" I asked.

"They're coming to check the animals." She said as she rushed over to Grover and shook him awake. I did the same with Percy.

"We think they're coming to check on the animals," I told them.

Annabeth hissed behind me.
"Hide." She put her cap on and vanished.

That's not fair.

I went and practically dove behind the zebra cage.

"Hey, can you lay in front of me, please?" I asked the zebra.

The zebra returned with an African accent. "Yes, my lord."

As soon as the zebra lay in front of me blocking the view from the rest of the room the trailer doors creaked open spilling sunlight and heat into the room.

"Man!" I heard a gruff male voice ring in the cabin. "I wish I hauled appliances." I heard him climb inside and then the sound of water pouring.

"You hot, big boy?" The trucker said

I heard the lion frantically talking "Please don-" I heard the sound of water splashing and then the lion roared in distress.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." The man said.

I heard something hit the floor and then the man's footsteps got closer to me.

"How ya' doin', Stripes? Least we'll be getting rid of you this stop. Do you like magic shows? You're gonna love this one. They're gonna saw you in half!"

The zebra didn't move but over the quiet atmosphere I heard him say:
Free me, lord. Please.

Out of nowhere, there was a loud knock, knock, knock on the side of the trailer.

The man yelled, "What do you want, Eddie?"

A voice outside which belonged to Eddie shouted back, "Maurice? What'd ya say?"
"What are you banging for?"
Knock, knock, knock.
Outside, Eddie yelled, "What banging?"
Maurice rolled his eyes and went back outside, probably to curse at Eddie.

A few moments later I heard Annabeth's voice. "This transport business can't be legal." I took that as a sign that I could get up.

"No kidding," I said dusting myself off and moving right next to Percy.

They are animal smugglers. I turned around to see the lion staring at us.

"The lion says these guys are animal smugglers."

That's right, the zebra's voice said.

"We've got to free them!" Grover said. He and Annabeth both looked at us, waiting for our input.

Me and Percy looked at each other and nodded. We made our way over to the zebra's cage.

Thank you, lords.
Lords?
"Wait, Percy can understand you?"
The zebra nodded.

I looked down at my necklace and saw that it was an eagle. Perfect.
"μετέωρο" The blade showed itself and fit into my hands. I cut the lock and the zebra sprang out of the cage, turned to us, and bowed.

Grover held up his hands and said something in a language I didn't understand. Magic?

Just as Maurice was poking his head back inside to check out the noise, the zebra leaped over him and into the street. Outside of the truck, I heard yelling, screaming and cars honking. We rushed towards the doors of the trailer in time to see the zebra galloping down a boulevard lined with hotels and casinos and neon signs. Oh! We just released a zebra into Las Vegas.

I started laughing as I watched Maurice and Eddie run after the zebras, with a few policemen running after them, shouting, "Hey! You need a permit for that!"

"Now would be a good time to leave," Annabeth said.
"Let's get the other," I said.
Percy and I turned back towards the cages.

We cut the locks with our swords. Grover raised his hands and spoke the same goat magic that he used for the zebra.

"Good luck," Percy told the animals.
"Find greener pastures." The lion turned to me.
"And fuller hunting grounds," I said in a panic.

Taking that the two animals jumped out of the truck and ran off into the distance with the crowd screaming and taking pictures.