Max's entourage were visiting each display and exhibit peering in to see whether the animals would do something interesting for change, rather than sitting on their asses all day. Meanwhile Maximus slipped out from the when they were rather fascinated by the penguins.
He was on his way to the polar bear exhibit when he saw a figure that raised the hair on his back. A women with chalk white skin was walking around sniffing the air, as if trying to find something. She was carrying a ball of greenish white flames, which Maximus could feel from where he stood. It gave a cold damp but at the same time he felt his brain was on fire from looming into it. It was freaking Lampade! 'Sent here probably by the bitch Hecate to hunt me down', Maximus thought to himself, he was furious but also a bit nervous.
Max quickly turned and started walking fast to his group but stopped, he couldn't get the kids in danger. He mentally bade them farewell and thanked the matrons for looking after him for so long. He turned back to see the lampade still sniffing the although inching towards his direction.
Max started walking faster and he was about to exit the arctic exhibit when he saw a solitary polar bear behind the reinforced glass wall having a nice meal of fish and guts of some animal. He went around the exhibit, sweating and swearing had to knockout a security guy to enter the staff entrance and entered the polar bear exhibit's side entrance for the zoo keepers to feed the bear.
Before even taking a step inside the bear 'Charles' noticed him. Max quickly take a bucket of fish from the entrance and steps inside slowly as to not spook 'Charles'. Charles walked towards Maximus and sniffed him, as if asking, "Where's my food at?"
Max quickly took a fish out of the bucket and made Charles look into his eyes by keeping the fish eye level and reached inside his 'gut' to pull out his shepherd's crook. Charles got slightly spooked as he snorted and back away a bit. Max gave a look outside and saw the Lampade making her/its way to his position still smelling the air furiously, her eyes glowing white.
He turned back to see Charles chewing on the fish nonchalantly which he quietly took from Max's hands when he was distracted. Seeing Charles busy, he quickly placed his staff on his head and made eye contact.
He finished drifting with Charles- the polar bear, muttering under his breath, "Arkoúda" and confirming the familiar sensation of the itch on his left shoulder blade he broke contact to see the Lamparde staring right at him from the other side of the glass.
Max was a bit scared as he has not yet fought with magical creatures much less a nymph from the underworld, sent here by the woman/goddess who tricked his father and technically imprisoned him.
His anger and fury of the injustice his father had suffered; who Max had come to accept rather quickly and completely, as he had no family to speak of in this life or the previous one, took over his fear and gripped his staff. With a call for blood, and a promise of pain his eyes glowed with bloodlust, seeing this the Lampade subconsciously took a step back, her eyes wide.
Max popped his neck, and loosened his shoulders ready for a fight, but before he could take a step she vanished in a flash of light.
"Well that was anti-climatic..., wonder if I should go ahead with the previous plan. Meh...I'll just go with it."
Max had decided not to drift with cheetahs. He was gonna focus all his attention on brute strength rather than speed. 'Who knows one day I might come close to becoming One Punch Man.' chuckling at the thought he found himself walking towards his orphanage out of habit.
He just shrugged and changed direction walking inbetween alleys connecting main roads and reached his first destination- a pet store. He went through the back after checking if anybody was there. Seeing that there was no one, he broke the lock and entered the room were they keep all the animals. He went to the reptile section and put his hand inside an empty glass aquarium and pulled out a small chameleon.
Max took out his staff drifted with the chameleon and and read the information card out loud, "Chamailéontas" and the itching sensation indicated there was a newly formed tattoo on his left forearm(Jason Momoa's tattoo). He then took another card and read it out loud, "Fídi", another tattoo appeared in the form of a miniature roaring dragon on the nape of his neck.
Finishing what he came to do he removed his shirt to check his back tattoos, showing Scylla and Charybdis facing esch other, on either sides on Max's shoulder blades.
Giving an amazed whistle he back his shirt and made his way to the next destination, Camp Half-blood. He stopped walking realizing he didn't know which way he was going and also realized he didn't have extra clothes. He went back to the now empty orphanage, the matrons nowhere to be seen 'Probably searching for me in the zoo.' he gave a wry smile and packed his clothes, which consisted of three oversized hoodies and four grey shirts which was what every kid got there and a few pants. He grabbed a pouch full of money that he stole from the gang a few days back. This was the same gang he totally demolished 3 months ago.
Ready with all his things packed he set of to a bus stop- his destination, Montauk.
sorry!! changing barbed wire tattoo to dragon tattoo.....it seemed a bit edge lord. And I rushed that chapter.....so yeah. ✌cheers guys✌