DAISY || P. Jackson x Fem O/C

1.8 | 𝐍𝐚𝐡, 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐀 𝐆𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐨𝐠 𝐀𝐧 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞?

 ~⚡~{[CHAPTER EIGHT]}~⚡~

[Since When Was A Giant Dog An Obstacle?]

THEY STOOD IN the shadows of Valencia Boulevard, looking up at gold letters etched in black marble: DOA RECORDING STUDIOS. Underneath, stencilled on the glass doors: NO SOLICITORS. NO LOITERING. NO LIVING.

It was almost midnight, but the lobby was brightly lit and full of people. Behind the security desk sat a tough-looking guard with sunglasses and an earpiece. Percy turned to them.

"Okay. You remember the plan."

"The plan," Grover gulped. "Yeah. I love the plan."

Annabeth said, "What happens if the plan doesn't work?"

"Don't think negative."

"Right," she said. "We're entering the Land of the Dead, and I shouldn't think negative."

Percy took the pearls out of his pocket, the four milky spheres the Nereid had given him in Santa Monica. They didn't seem like much of a backup in case something went wrong. Annabeth put her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Percy. You're right, we'll make it. It'll be fine." She gave Grover a nudge.

"Oh, right!" he chimed in. "We got this far. Well find the master bolt and save your mom. No problem."

"There might be a-" 

"No problem," Grover repeated, interrupting Daisy with a withering look.

Percy looked at the three, and gave them a grateful smile. Only a few minutes before, he'd almost got them stretched to death on deluxe waterbeds, and now they were trying to be brave for his sake, trying to make him feel better. He slipped the pearls back in his pocket

"Let's whip some Underworld butt." They walked inside the DOA lobby. Muzak played softly on hidden speakers. The carpet and walls were steel grey. Pencil cactuses grew in the corners like skeleton hands. The furniture was black leather, and every seat was taken. There were people sitting on couches, people standing up, people staring out the windows or waiting for the elevator. Nobody moved, or talked, or did much of anything. Out of the corner of Daisy's eye, she could see them all just fine, but if she focused on any one of them in particular, they started looking... transparent. She could see right through their bodies. The security guard's desk was a raised podium, so they had to look up at him. He was tall and elegant, with chocolate-coloured skin and bleached-blond hair shaved military style. He wore tortoiseshell shades and a silk Italian suit that matched his hair. A black rose was pinned to his lapel under a silver name tag. She read the name tag, then looked at him in bewilderment.

"Your name is Chiron?" Percy voiced her thoughts. The fake Chiron leaned across the desk.

Daisy couldn't see anything in his glasses except her own reflection, but his smile was sweet and cold, like a pythons, right before it eats you.

"What a precious young lad." He told Percy. He had a strange accent British, maybe, but also as if he had learned English as a second language. "Tell me, mate, do I look like a centaur?"

Daisy bit her lips to stop herself from laughing.

"N-no." Percy stuttered.

"Sir," he added smoothly.