The Path Of Glory (Annabeth Chase x Male Reader)

50. Lion Riding

Y/N, Ethan and Percy tore across the Mall without any glance back. They burst into the Air and Space Museum and jumped through the admissions area. The employees were so surprised they didn't try and stop them. Only then did Y/N take off the invisibility cap.

The main part of the museum was one huge room with rockets and airplanes hanging from the ceiling. Three levels of balconies curled around, so you could look at the exhibits from all different heights. The place wasn't crowded, just a few families and a couple of tour groups of kids, probably doing one of those holiday school trips. Maybe he should have yelled at them all to leave, but he figured that would only get him arrested. They had to find Thalia and Grover and the Hunters. Any minute, the skeleton dudes were going to invade the museum, and he didn't think they would settle for an audio tour.

He was barreling up the ramp to the top-floor balcony with Ethan and Percy, when Percy slammed into Thalia, knocking her into an Apollo space capsule.

Grover yelped in surprise.

Before they could do anything, Zoë and Bianca had arrows notched. Their bows had just appeared out of nowhere.

Y/N raised his hands. "Calm down. It's just us."

Clearly, Zoë had realized that, yet she didn't seem anxious to lower her bow. "You! How dare you show your faces here?"

"Percy!" Grover said. "Thank goodness."

Zoë glared at him, and he blushed. "I mean, um, gosh. You're not supposed to be here!"

Everything seemed about to get absolutely out of hand. Thalia was straightening up, and anger bolted in her eyes as she glared at Percy; Y/N was growing uncomfortably aware of Bianca's arrow aimed at him. One word from Zoë and they would be all fighting when the real danger was coming.

Luckily, Ethan was too panicked to realize that, and he blurted, "What're you doing? Luke's here! Thorn and the General too!"

"The General is here?" Zoë looked stunned. No. She was stunned. "That is impossible! You lie."

Ethan looked offended. "Me, a liar?" Now, he was about to start up a fight.

"Why would he lie?" Y/N said, glancing nervously at the entrance. "Look, there's no time. Skeleton warriors—"

"What?" Thalia demanded. "How many?"

The interruption almost forced Y/N—he would have taken no pleasure whatsoever doing it—to punch her. He controlled himself. "Twelve," he said. "And that's not all. The General said he was sending something, a 'playmate,' to distract you over here. A monster."

Thalia and Grover exchanged looks.

"We were following Artemis's trail," Grover said. "I was pretty sure it led here. Some powerful monster scent. . . . She must've stopped here looking for the mystery monster. But we haven't found anything yet."

"Zoë," Bianca said worriedly, "if it is the General—"

"It cannot be!" Zoë snapped. "They must have seen an Iris-message or some other illusion."

"Because you often see illusions cracking marble floors?" Ethan retorted.

Zoë took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "If they are telling the truth about the skeleton warriors," she said to Bianca, Thalia, and Grover, "we have no time to argue. They are the worst, the most horrible. . . . We must leave now."

"Good idea," Percy said.

"I was not including you, boy," Zoë said. "You are not part of this quest."