──── chapter four

{ 🔮 }  · magic is cool . ݁ ٬٬ ࣪

MRS. O'LEARY WAS THE ONLY ONE happy about the sleeping city. They found her pigging out at an overturned hot dog stand while the owner was curled up on the sidewalk, sucking his thumb. Argus was waiting for them with his hundred eyes wide open. He didn't say anything. He never does. But his face made it clear he was freaking out.

Percy told him what they'd learned in Olympus, and how the gods would not be riding to the rescue. Argus rolled his eyes in disgust, which looked pretty psychedelic since it made his whole body swirl.

"You'd better get back to camp," the boy told him. "Guard it as best you can."

He pointed at Percy and raised his eyebrow quizzically.

"I'm staying," Percy said.

Argus nodded, like this answer satisfied him. He looked at Endora and Annabeth and drew a circle in the air withhis finger.

"Yes," Annabeth agreed. "I think it's time."

"For what?" Percy asked.

Argus rummaged around in the back of his van. He brought out a bronze shield and passed it to Annabeth. It looked pretty much standard issue ─ the same kind of round shield they always used in capture the flag. But when the blonde set it on the ground, the reflection on the polished metal changed from sky and buildings to the Statue of Liberty ─ which wasn't anywhere close to us.

"Whoa," Percy said. "A video shield."

"One of Daedalus's ideas," Annabeth said. "Dora and I had Beckendorf make this before ─ " she glanced at Silena. "Um, anyway, the shield bends sunlight or moonlight from anywhere in the world to create are flection. You can literally see any target under the sun or moon, as long as natural light is touching it. Look." 

Everyone crowded around as Annabeth concentrated. The image spun and then zoomed to the Central Park Zoo, then zooming down East 60th, past Bloomingdale's, then turning on Third Avenue.

"Whoa," Connor Stoll said. "Back up. Zoom in right there."

"What?" Annabeth said nervously. "You see invaders?"

"No, right there ─ Dylan's Candy Bar." Connor grinned at his brother. "Dude, it's open. And everyone is asleep. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Connor!" Katie Gardner scolded. She sounded like her mother, Demeter. "This is serious. You are not going to loot a candy store in the middle of a war!"

"Sorry," Connor muttered, but he didn't sound very ashamed.

Annabeth passed her hand in front of the shield, and another scene popped up: FDR Drive, looking across the river at Lighthouse Park. "This will let us see what's going on across the city," she said. "Thank you, Argus. Hopefully we'll see you back at camp. . . someday."

Argus grunted. He gave Percy a look that clearly meant Good luck; you'll need it, then climbed into his van. He and the two harpy drivers swerved away, weaving around clusters of idle cars that littered the road.

Son of Poseidon whistled for Mrs. O'Leary, and she came bounding over. "Hey, girl," he said. "You remember Grover? The satyr we met in the park?"

"WOOF!"

"I need you to find him," Percy said. "Make sure he's still awake. We're going to need his help. You got that? Find Grover!"

Mrs. O'Leary gave the boy a sloppy wet kiss, which seemed kind of unnecessary. Then she raced off north. 

Pollux crouched next to a sleeping policeman. "I don't get it. Why didn't we fall asleep too? Why just the mortals?"

Before Endora, Lou Ellen or Basil open their mouths to answer, Silena said, "This is a huge spell. The bigger the spell, the easier it is to resist. If you want to sleep millions of mortals, you've got to cast a very thin layer of magic. Sleeping demigods is much harder." 

Everyone stared at her.

"When did you learn so much about magic?" Percy asked.

Silena blushed. "I don't spend all my time on my wardrobe."

"Guys," Annabeth called. She was still looking at the shield. "You'd better see this."

The bronze image showed Long Island Sound near La Guardia. A fleet of a dozen speedboats raced through the dark water toward Manhattan. Each boat was packed with demigods in full Greek armor. At the back of the lead boat, a purple banner emblazoned with a black scythe flapped m the night wind. Endora'd never seen that design before, but it wasn't hard to figure out: the battle flag of Kronos.

"Scan the perimeter of the island," Percy said. "Quick."

Annabeth shifted the scene south to the harbor.

A Staten Island Ferry was plowing through the waves near Ellis Island. The deck was crowded with dracaenae and a whole pack of hellhounds. Swimming in front of the ship was a pod of marine mammals. At first Endora thought they were dolphins. Then she saw their doglike faces and the swords strapped to their waists, and she realized they were telkhines ─ sea demons. 

The scene shifted again: the Jersey shore, right at the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel. A hundred assorted monsters were marching past the lanes of stopped traffic: giants with clubs, rogue Cyclopes, a few fire-spitting dragons, and just to rub it in, a World War II-era Sherman tank, pushing cars out of its way as it rumbled into the tunnel.

"What's happening with the mortals outside Manhattan?" Percy said. "Is the whole state asleep?" 

Endora shook her head, "I don't think so. Only Manhattan seems to be asleep. Then there's like a fifty-mile radius around the island where time is runningreally, really slow. The closer you get to Manhattan, the slower it is." 

Annabeth showed them another scene ─ a New Jersey highway. It was Saturday evening, so the traffic wasn't as bad as it might've been on a weekday. The drivers looked awake, but the cars were moving at about one mile per hour. Birds flew overhead in slow motion.

"Kronos," Percy said. "He's slowing time."

"Hecate might be helping," Katie Gardner said, everyone's eyes snapping towards three children of the said goddess. "Look how the cars are all veering away from the Manhattan exits, like they're getting a subconscious message to turn back."

The three siblings looked at each other, knowing it was their mother's doing. The black haired girl glared at the rest as they all glanced at them, but tore their eyes from the glare coming from the girl.

"They've surrounded Manhattan in layers of magic." Basil said, crouching down to look at the picture better, "The outside world won't even realize something is wrong. Any mortals coming toward Manhattan will slow down so much they won't know what's happening."

"Like flies in amber," Jake Mason murmured. 

"We shouldn't expect any help coming in." Annabeth said.

Percy turned towards the rest of demigods. They looked stunned and scared, and Endora couldn't blame them. The shield had shown them at least three hundred enemies on the way. There were forty of them. And they were alone.

"All right," Percy said. "We're going to hold Manhattan." 

Silena tugged at her armor. "Um, Percy, Manhattan is huge."

"We are going to hold it," Fredrick said with determination in his voice. "We have to."

"He's right," Annabeth said. "The gods of the wind should keep Kronos's forces away from Olympusby air, so he'll try a ground assault. We have to cut off the entrances to the island." 

"They have boats," Michael Yew pointed out.

An electric tingle went down Percy's back. Suddenly he understood Athena's advice: Remember the rivers.

"I'll take care of the boats," Percy said.

Michael frowned. "How?"

"Just leave it to me," the boy said. "We need to guard the bridges and tunnels. Let's assume they'll try a midtown or downtown assault, at least on their first try. That would be the most direct way to the Empire State Building. Michael, take Apollo's cabin to the Williamsburg Bridge. Katie, Demeter's cabin takes the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel. Grow thorn bushes and poison ivy in the tunnel. Do whatever you have to do, but keep them out of there! Conner, take half of Hermes cabin and cover the Manhattan Bridge. Travis, you take the other half and cover the Brooklyn Bridge. And no stopping for looting or pillaging!"

"Awwww!" the whole Hermes cabin complained.

"Silena, take the Aphrodite crew to the Queens-Midtown Tunnel."

"Oh my gods," one of her sisters said. "Fifth Avenue is so on our way! We could accessorize, andmonsters, like, totally hate the smell of Givenchy."

"No delays," Percy said. "Well. . . the perfume thing, if you think it'll work." Percy closed his eyes, trying to think of what he'd forgotten. "The Holland Tunnel. Jake, take the Hephaestus cabin there. Use Greek fire, set traps. Whatever you've got."

He grinned. "Gladly. We've got a score to settle. For Beckendorf!"

The whole cabin roared in approval.

"The 59th Street Bridge," the boy continued. "Clarisse ─ " Percy faltered. "Fuck."

Clarisse wasn't here. The whole Ares cabin, curse them, was sitting back at camp.

"We'll take that," Annabeth stepped in, saving the boy from an embarrassing silence. She turned to her siblings. "Malcolm, take the Athena cabin, activate plan twenty-three along the way, just like I showed you. Hold that position."

"You got it."

"Dora and I will go with Percy," she said. "Then we'll join you, or we'll go wherever we're needed."

Somebody in the back of the group said, and Endora was pretty sure it was Madeline, "Beth, make sure those two don't make any detours! There's just two much sexual ─ "

Endora made a pinching move with her hand and Madeline's voice was replaced with silence. "Finish it, I dare you." the brunette said.

"All right," Percy said, pulling Endora's hand down and grabbing it, "Keep in touch with cell phones."

"We don't have cell phones," Silena protested.

The boy reached down, picked up some snoring lady's BlackBerry with his free hand, and tossed it to Silena. "You do now. You all know Annabeth's number, right? If you need us, pick up a random phone and call us. Use it once, drop it, then borrow another one if you have to. That should make it harder for the monsters to zero in on you."  

Everyone grinned as though they liked this idea.

Travis cleared his throat. "Uh, if we find a really nice phone ─ "

"No, you can't keep it," Percy said.

"Aw, man."

"Hold it, Percy," Jake Mason said. "You forgot the Lincoln Tunnel." 

"Shit."

He was right. A Sherman tank and a hundred monsters were marching through that tunnel right now, and Percy'd positioned their forces everywhere else.

Then a girl's voice called from across the street: "How about you leave that to us?" 

Endora let out a squeal. A band of thirty adolescent girls crossed Fifth Avenue. They wore white shirts, silvery camouflage pants, and combat boots. They all had swords at their sides, quivers on their backs, and bows at the ready. A pack of white timber wolves milled around their feet, and many of the girls had hunting falcons on their arms. The girl in the lead had spiky black hair and a black leather jacket. She wore a silver circlet on her head like a princess's tiara, which didn't match her skull earrings or her Death to Barbie T-shirt showing a little Barbie doll with an arrow through its head.

"Thalia!" Annabeth cried.

The daughter of Zeus grinned. "The Hunters of Artemis, reporting for duty." 

There were hugs and greetings all around. . . or at least Thalia was friendly. The other Hunters didn't likebeing around campers, especially boys, but they didn't shoot any of them, which for them was a pretty warmwelcome.

"Where have you been the last year?" Percy asked Thalia. "You've got like twice as many Hunters now!"

She laughed. "Long, long story. I bet my adventures were more dangerous than yours, Jackson." she glanced down at Endora's and Percy's still interlocked hands, "Or maybe not."

"Thalia!" Endora said, pulling her hand away from the boy. 

"After this is over, you, Dora, Annabeth, and me: cheeseburgers and fries at that hotel on West 57th." Thalia said with a grin.

"Le Parker Meridien," Percy said. "You're on. And Thalia, thanks."

She shrugged. "Those monsters won't know what hit them. Hunters, move out!"

The black haired girl slapped her silver bracelet, and the shield Aegis spiraled into full form. The golden head of Medusa molded in the center was so horrible, the campers all backed away. The Hunters took off down the avenue, followed by their wolves and falcons, and Percy had a feeling the Lincoln Tunnel would be safe for now.

"Thank the gods," Annabeth said. "But if we don't blockade the rivers from those boats, guarding the bridges and tunnels will be pointless."

"You're right," Percy said. He looked at the campers, all of them grim and determined. He tried not to feel like this was the last time the boy'd ever see them all together. "You're the greatest heroes of this millennium," he told them. "It doesn't matter how many monsters come at you. Fight bravely, and we will win."

Percy raised Riptide and shouted, "FOR OLYMPUS!"

They shouted in response, and their forty voices echoed off the buildings of Midtown. For a moment itsounded brave, but it died quickly in the silence of ten million sleeping New Yorkers. 

Now this were moments why Endora loved magic. Percy tried to break into one of the cars for them to drive and Endora and Annabeth watched from the side, the brunette grinning and the blonde shaking her head.

"When do you think he's gonna realize I can just teleport us?" Endora muttered to her best friend.

"Give him five more minutes." Annabeth said, "You can teleport us to Madison Square Park first, then the rivers."

"Your mom's plan?"

The blonde nodded.

"Are you two gonna sit around and gossip or help me!" Percy said, giving up on trying to break into yet another car.

The two girls laughed. Endora crossed her arms over her chest and walked over to the boy, "Did you forget who I am?"

The boy's cheeks dusted pink, "What?"

"I can teleport us, silly," Endora said with a side smirk, "Just wanted to see how long it will take you to realize."

Percy opened his mouth but closed it quickly and letting out a laugh, suddenly his voice deeper, "Well played." he said, titling his head to the side ( that was her move! ).

Endora rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand, extending her other one towards Annabeth. The blonde took it without question.

"It might feel weird at first," Endora said, "But, you'll get used to it."

"Wait ─ What!"

Endora didn't let them question her before focusing on a place they needed to be at. Everything was fine for a moment and Percy thought it wouldn't be so bad, until everything went black; he was pressed very hard from all directions; he could not breathe, there were iron bands tightening around his chest; his eyeballs were being forced back into his head; his ear-drums were being pushed deeper into his skull.

And then he found himself in the middle of East 23rd. His legs shook as he tried to stand still, gripping Endora's hand who kept him standing.

"See? That wasn't so bad." Endora said, proud of herself, looking around.

"Never," Annabeth said; she looked like she would throw up any moment, letting go of the brunette's hand, her hands falling onto her knees, "Never again."

"Retweet." Percy muttered.

"Babies," Endora rolled her eyes, "Can't take a little bit of teleportation."

Annabeth glared at her and walked toward the park. She was staring at a bronze statue on a red marble pedestal. The dude was sitting in a chair with his legs crossed. He wore an old-fashioned suit ─ Abraham Lincoln style ─ with a bow tie and long coattails and stuff. A bunch of bronze books were piled under his chair. He held a writing quill in one hand and a big metal sheet of parchment in the other.

"Why do we care about . . ." Percy squinted at the name on the pedestal. "William H. Steward?" 

"Seward," Annabeth corrected. "He was a New York governor. Minor demigod ─ son of Hebe, I think. But that's not important. It's the statue I care about." 

She climbed on a park bench and examined the base of the statue.

"Don't tell me he's an automaton," Endora said.

Annabeth smiled. "Turns out most of the statues in the city are automatons. Daedalus planted them here just in case he needed an army."

"To attack Olympus or defend it?"

Annabeth shrugged. "Either one. That was plan twenty-three. He could activate one statue and it would start activating its brethren all over the city, until there was an army. It's dangerous, though. You know how unpredictable automatons are."

"Uh-huh," Percy said. They'd had their share of bad experiences with them. "You're seriously thinking about activating it?"

"I have Daedalus's notes," she said. "I think I can. . . Ah, here we go."

She pressed the tip of Seward's boot, and the statue stood up, its quill and paper ready.

"What's he going to do?" Percy muttered. "Take a memo?"

"Shh," Annabeth. "Hello, William."

"Bill," the boy suggested.

"Bill . . . Oh, shut up," Annabeth told Percy.

The statue tilted its head, looking at them with blank metal eyes.

Annabeth cleared her throat. "Hello, er, Governor Seward. Command sequence: Daedalus Twenty-three. Defend Manhattan. Begin Activation."

Seward jumped off his pedestal. He hit the ground so hard his shoes cracked the sidewalk. Then he went clanking off toward the east.

"He's probably going to wake up Confucius," Annabeth guessed.

"What?"

"Another statue, on Division. The point is, they'll keep waking each other up until they're all activated."

"And then?"

"Hopefully, they defend Manhattan."

"Do they know that we're not the enemy?"

". . . I think so."

"That's reassuring." Endora muttered.

Then a ball of green light exploded in the evening sky. Greek fire, somewhere over the East River. 

"We have to hurry," Percy said.

Endora grabbed their hands again and teleported them towards the rivers.

Endora teleported them outside Battery Park, at the lower tip of Manhattan where the Hudson and East Rivers came together and emptied into the bay.

"Wait here," Percy told the two girls.

"Percy, you shouldn't go alone." Endora argued.

"Well, unless you can breathe underwater. . ."

The brunette smirked at that.

Percy gaped at her with excited smile, "No way! Really?"

Endora laughed, "There are spells for everything." but her smirk disappeared quickly, "I'll stay with Beth, but just so you know, you are so annoying sometimes."

"But you still love me."

"Unfortunately,"

Percy's smile widened. "I'll be fine. I've got the curse of Achilles now. I'll all invincible and stuff." 

The brunette didn't look convinced. "Just be careful. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Back in a flash."

Percy clambered down the shoreline and waded into the water. Just for you non-sea-god types out there, don't go swimming in New York Harbor. It may not be as filthy as it was in my mom's day, but that water will still probably make you grow a third eye or have mutant children when you grow up.

The boy dove into the murk and sank to the bottom. He tried to find the spot where the two rivers' currents seemed equal ─ where they met to form the bay. He figured that was the best place to get their attention.

"HEY!" Percy shouted in his best underwater voice. The sound echoed in the darkness. "I heard you guys are so polluted you're embarrassed to show your faces. Is that true?"

A cold current rippled through the bay, churning up plumes of garbage and silt.

"I heard the East River is more toxic," Percy continued, "but the Hudson smells worse. Or is it the other way around?"

The water shimmered. Something powerful and angry was watching him now. He could sense its presence. . . or maybe two presences. Son of Poseidon was afraid he'd miscalculated with the insults. What if they just blasted his without showing themselves? But these were New York river gods. He figured their instinct would be to get in his face.

Sure enough, two giant forms appeared in front of him. At first they were just dark brown columns of silt, denser than the water around them. Then they grew legs, arms, and scowling faces.

The creature on the left looked disturbingly like a telkhine. His face was wolfish. His body was vaguely like a seal's ─ sleek black with flipper hands and feet. His eyes glowed radiation green. 

The dude on the right was more humanoid. He was dressed in rags and seaweed, with a chain-mail coat made of bottle caps and old plastic six-pack holders. His face was blotchy with algae, and his beard was overgrown. His deep blue eyes burned with anger.

The seal, who had to be the god of the East River, said, "Are you trying to get yourself killed, kid? Or are you just extra stupid?"

The bearded spirit of the Hudson scoffed. "You're the expert on stupid, East."

"Watch it, Hudson," East growled. "Stay on your side of the island and mind your business."

"Or what? You'll throw another garbage barge at me?"  

They floated toward each other, ready to fight.

"Hold it!" Percy yelled. "We've got a bigger problem."

"The kid's right," East snarled. "Let's both kill him, then we'll fight each other."

"Sounds good," Hudson said.

Before the boy could protest, a thousand scraps of garbage surged off the bottom and flew straight at him from both directions: broken glass, rocks, cans, tires. Percy was expecting it, though. The water in front of him thickened into a shield. The debris bounced off harmlessly. Only one piece got through ─ a big chunk of glass that hit his chest and probably should've killed him, but it shattered against his skin.

The two river gods stared at Percy.

"Son of Poseidon?" East asked.

The boy nodded.

"Took a dip in the Styx?" Hudson asked.

"Yep."

They both made disgusted sounds.

"Well, that's perfect," East said. "Now how do we kill him?"

"We could electrocute him," Hudson mused. "If I could just find some jumper cables ─ "

"Listen to me!" Percy said. "Kronos's army is invading Manhattan."

"Don't you think we know that?" East asked. "I can feel his boats right now. They're almost across."

"Yep," Hudson agreed. "I got some filthy monsters crossing my waters too."

"So stop them," the boy said. "Drown them. Sink their boats."

"Why should we?" Hudson grumbled. "So they invade Olympus. What do we care?"

"Because I can pay you." Percy took out the sand dollar his father had given him for his birthday. 

The river gods' eyes widened.

"It's mine!" East said. "Give it here, kid, and I promise none of Kronos's scum are getting across the East River."

"Forget that," Hudson said. "That sand dollar's mine, unless you want me to let all those ships cross the Hudson."

"We'll compromise."

Percy broke the sand dollar in half. A ripple of clean fresh water spread out from the break, as if all the pollution in the bay were being dissolved.

"You each get half," Percy said. "In exchange, you keep all of Kronos's forces away from Manhattan."

"Oh, man," Hudson whimpered, reaching out for the sand dollar. "It's been so long since I was clean."

"The power of Poseidon," East River murmured. "He's a jerk, but he sure knows how to sweep pollution away."

They looked at each other, then spoke as one: "It's a deal."

Percy gave them each a sand-dollar half, which they held reverently.

"Um, the invaders?" he prompted.

East flicked his hand. "They just got sunk."

Hudson snapped his fingers. "Bunch of hellhounds just took a dive."

"Thank you," Percy said. "Stay clean."

As the boy rose toward the surface, East called out, "Hey, kid, any time you got a sand dollar to spend, come on back. Assuming you live."

"Curse of Achilles," Hudson snorted. "They always think that'll save them, don't they?"

"If only he knew," East agreed.

They both laughed, dissolving into the water.

Back on the shore, Endora was following Annabeth who was talking on her cell phone, but she hung up as soon as she saw Percy. Endora stopped her pacing and looked at the boy. They both looked pretty shaken.

"It worked," Percy told them. "The rivers are safe."

"Good," Annabeth said. "Because we've got other problems. Michael Yew just called. Another army is marching over the Williamsburg Bridge. The Apollo cabin needs help. And Percy, the monster leading the enemy. . . it's the Minotaur." 

niki speaks!

sorry i haven't updated
school has been a lot
as well as preparing for college and
driving school but we're back
can't believe this is the last act
of this book it seems yesterday when
i started it but it's almost a year
wow...

have a nice day/night!
bye!