chapter 26-A Wall Of Fur

Having Annabeth and Grover berate me while we left Crusty's shop was getting old. Nothing went wrong and I now have a semi-job, I'm a living walking ad for Crusty.

Not telling Annabeth and Grover about the whole him being Procrustes wasn't fair, especially to Grover as he believed in me but I didn't want to let Kronos know about my plan. If he can get into her head once he can get into her head again.

After they finished berating me, after what felt like hours but only minutes they didn't speak to me unless it was about the quest.

"Now no more detours, we are going to Hades domain and that's final," said Annabeth in a huff.

Grover just nodded followed along by a pout. The sad thing is Grover isn't mad at me. Oh no, it's worse. He's disappointed in me.

A disappointed Grover is a sad Grover. There are a lot of reasons for a sad Grover, and today I am that reason; now he's going to start thinking depressing thoughts all over again. All because he thinks I don't trust him enough, which is sort of true but still I can't tell him everything.

"Okay, I promise no more detours. To the DOA recording studio," I exclaimed loudly. I wanted to lighten up the mood, but something told me I made the wrong decision.

Looking across the street I saw a sports store, with a bunch of balls in the window.

I gained an idea.

"Maybe just one," I said with a smirk.

I heard groans the moment I said that.

Finally arriving at the recording studio, I parked the car and we entered. Entering I saw a few people staring aimlessly.

At the front desk was a tall man, handsome, with chocolate-colored skin and bleached-blond hair, shaved. He was wearing a silk Italian suit that was similarly colored to his hair. He had tortoise-shell shades and a black rose was pinned to his lapel under a silver name tag.

A name tag that said, Charon.

I felt it would be a better idea to be respectful to someone of his status than to go with the same strategy as Crusty. I walked up to him to say something but instead, Annabeth walked right past me, told me she could handle this, and started talking to him.

"Sir, we just died recently. Can you bring us to the underworld please," she said with a glare.

I mean her words work with my original idea, but that glare and tone do not help her one bit.

"You know kid, I think it would do you better to watch your tone, and how did you even know about this? You don't feel like a spirit. How did you even die."

Seems she was unprepared so I stepped in before things went too far.

"We were run over, this asshole in a Humvee thought it would be fun to drift but he lost control of his car and drove right into us. We were one step off the curb and boom we're dead. It all happened so fast. It took a while for me to notice what happened. Then we came here," I said politely.

He just stared at me and rubbed his chin in silence, now if only he had a beard to make him look like a wise old man.

"Well, that's a sad way to die, since you guys are too young you probably won't be able to pay for a fare into the underworld. So you're going to have to stay here for a few centuries until I feel like sending you down there," he said bored.

That's where you're wrong, good sir, we do have the money for this. I do believe two drachmas was the toll," I said, holding them out in between my fingers. Don't ask how I pulled them out of thin air. It was magic.

"Sorry, inflation has been crazy these past few centuries. You're going to have to increase the money," he said while putting his palm out.

I then started drachma after drachma. Until he finally said yes to 10.

"This is enough for me to let you leave without me telling my boss that a bunch of kids on a quest want to see him. This will be enough for me to get a new Italian suit. Now scram, before I change my mind," he said with a smile on his face.

I knew this was going to happen so I didn't complain. I mean I would get more money in the future with this business of mine. Having a business at my age feels insane. Especially compared to the new normal. At least Annabeth and Grover haven't asked me about getting some of the profits.

"I expected you to find out about us, and how greedy you are. So I came prepared. "

I grabbed into Annabeth's backpack which looked like she was about to protest but seemed to have some sort of realization and let me.

I took out the bag of drachmas we got from Medusa's place. It was a good thing we grabbed this because then we wouldn't have had enough money to sway his mind.

I held the bag in the air but didn't give it to him immediately.

"What are you waiting for, kid, give me the rest," he said.

"I'll give you half now and the rest later, for insurance. I'm sure you understand," I said with a cheeky smirk.

He grumbled under his breath but just nodded. I'm pretty sure I heard 'all for the suits'. If that's true then I can understand why he's trying to cheat us out of our money. I'm a suit man myself.

"Alright follow me, the ride was getting too full anyway so may as well do this now," he then turned to everyone else in the building yelling out, " Anyone who wants to get down there follows after me now."

Grover smiled at me instead of a frown now, and Annabeth had a neutral look on her face. I suppose that I did well from their Point Of View.

We followed him into a cramped elevator then smoke enveloped us all. I know that I wouldn't be in too much danger but I took Riptide out of my pocket in pen form, just in case something happened. I could have taken it out before but I didn't feel a tingle on the back of my neck so there wasn't a reason, but here my tingle is overloading.

Once the smoke dissipated we were in a boat on a river, the River Styx specifically. Charon had changed from a man in a business suit to a grim reaper-looking fellow without the scythe.

Grover was shivering in fear but tried putting on a brave face. Annabeth was stoic but looked like she was on the edge. I on the other hand just thought this whole place was suffering, like a certain adorable murder beast.

We eventually got to the bay and he pointed to a castle in the distance.

"That's the place you want to go. Now give me my money kid," I handed him the money and he chuckled, which made him, and I swear to the gods, rattle. It was a bit funny to see.

"Pleasure doing business kid, good luck. Not like there's much around here," he said as he left with even more rattles.

"That was overwhelming," said Grover.

"Really? This all felt whelming," I said with a smirk.

"Whelming? What does that even mean?" Asked Annabeth.

"Just take away from overwhelming and you get whelming or whelmed if you're overwhelmed," I responded.

"So you're happy being here?" Asked Annabeth.

For the rest of the walk to Hades Castle, me and Annabeth spent talking back and forth over the word whelmed. It was fun. It made Grover less scared and more amused.

Once we got there, there was one big furry wall in front of us. Wait a minute, that's no furry wall that's the adorable murder beast.

The three heads turned towards me with a growl. This feels like a fun fact moment, did you know that Cerberus can be translated to spot? Hades named his adorable little murder beast Spot. He's such a softy.

"Well hello there you adorable little guy. Would you like something I got for you, yes you do, yes you do," I said in a baby voice.

Grover and Annabeth looked incredulously at me. As if asking if I had gone insane. Spot over here looked mad and confused but his tail was starting to move from the left to the right and his growl was lessening. Except for the one on the right, he just looked grumpy; I put my backpack on the ground and took out three balls, a soccer ball, a basketball, and a ball that looked like the one they use in school, a dodgeball.

That just made Spot even more excited, even the grumpy one wanted to get in the action.

I threw the ball in the air and they reached and snatched the ball. The grumpy one put his ball on the floor and looked at me expectantly. The other heads did the same.

"Okay get ready to catch it, three, two, one, go."

I threw the ball away and they started chasing after them.

"Quick this is our chance to leave," said Annabeth.

"What? But adorable murder best," I said in a saddened tone.

"What, no, we have to go now," she grabbed my sweater and started pulling me away.

I reluctantly let her drag me away otherwise she would hurt herself, she didn't even let me say goodbye. When it comes to the adorable, my heart takes over the operation.

It took us a few minutes to get to the main entrance but when we did we found a group of skeleton guards waiting for us there. Instead of attacking us, they made a follow-up motion and so we did. I made sure to have Riptide at the ready. I know that's unfair but it would be suspicious if I didn't look like I was getting ready for battle.

The guards lead us to what I believe to be a throne room. Once the doors opened we entered.

Sitting on the throne was a long-haired, pale, muscular, really good-looking guy.

"Welcome children, I've been expecting you," he said in an ominous and mysterious tone.

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