After All This Time...

Chapter 2

Williamsburg Bridge was a feat of architecture.

It wasn't Annabeth's personal favorite. The style was almost purely functional and there was very little beauty too it, but even she couldn't deny the elegance of the engineering that went into mile long suspension bridge.

If she had been flying over the bridge in any other circumstances, Annabeth would've taken the time to appreciate the architecture, maybe ask her pegasus to let her get a closer look at the suspension cables. But she was busy scanning her eyes over the battle, trying to cook up strategies to help the Apollo campers hold their position. It should've been impossible to see anything in the dark, but the bridge blazed with light. Cars were burning. Arcs of fire streamed in both directions as flaming arrows and spears sailed through the air.

She and Percy came in for a low pass, and saw the Apollo campers retreating. They would hide behind cars and snipe at the approaching army, setting off explosive arrows and dropping caltrops in the road, building fiery barricades wherever they could, dragging sleeping drivers out of their cars to get them out of harm's way. But the enemy kept advancing.

An entire phalanx of dracaenae marched in the lead, their shields locked together, spear tips bristling over the top. An occasional arrow would connect with their snaky trunks, or a neck, or a chink in their armor, and the unlucky snake woman would disintegrate, but most of the Apollo arrows glanced harmlessly off their shield wall. About a hundred more monsters marched behind them.

Hellhounds leaped ahead of the line from time to time. Most were destroyed with arrows, but one got hold of an Apollo camper and dragged him away. She didn't see what happened to him next. Annabeth quickly offered up a prayer to the gods for his safety. She doubted they were listening.

She glanced back at the invading legion, and in the swarm of monsters she spotted the Minotaur. It was decked out in standard Greek battle gear waist down—pteruges, bronze greaves, and wrapped leather sandals that Annabeth wasn't sure how he was wearing with his hooves.

"There!" Annabeth called pointing the monster out to Percy.

She could she him grimace at the sight. He had once told Annabeth that he still had nightmares about fighting the Minotaur on Half-Blood Hill. It seemed a little silly, considering all the horrifying monsters they had fought since then, but Annabeth understood. They had fought all those monsters together. The enemies she feared the most were the ones she faced alone.

Apparently the Minotaur still harbored a grudge against Percy, because when he spotted them circling overhead he bellowed and picked up a white limousine.

"Blackjack, dive!" Percy yelled.

Annabeth tugged the reigns of her pegasus, causing them to swerve madly to the left. The limo cleared the suspension lines of the bridge and fell toward the East River, only narrowly missing Percy.

Annabeth wanted to be relieved, but the Minotaur just picked up another car.

"Drop us behind the lines with the Apollo cabin," Percy told Blackjack. "Stay in earshot but get out of danger!"

She didn't need to urge her pegasus to follow Percy's instructions, he swooped down behind an overturned school bus, where a couple of campers were hiding. Annabeth dismounted off as soon as our pegasi's hooves touched the pavement. Percy was faster, practically jumping off his mount before they landed.

Michael Yew ran up to them. He was a short guy, but Annabeth knew better than to underestimate him. He was an invaluable ally in capture the flag, and now in war. A cut on his arm was bleeding through the white bandage expertly wrapped around it. His face was smeared with soot and his quiver was almost empty, but he was smiling like he was having a great time.