[1] 𝐼𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑢𝑠 - 𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑦 𝐽𝑎𝑐𝑘𝑠𝑜𝑛

3.11

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YOU KNOW WHAT ISN'T FUN: flying a pegasus toward an out-of-control helicopter.

If Guido had been any less of a fancy flier, they would've been chopped to confetti. Percy could hear Rachel screaming inside. For some reason, she hadn't fallen asleep, but he could see the pilot slumped over the controls, pitching back and forth as the helicopter wobbled toward the side of an office building.

"Ideas?" Percy asked Annabeth.

"You're going to have to take Guido and get out," she said.

"What are you going to do?"

In response, she said, "Hyah!" and Guido went into a nosedive.

"Duck!" Annabeth yelled.

They passed so close to the rotors Percy felt the force of the blades ripping at his hair. They zipped along the side of the helicopter, and Annabeth grabbed the door.

That's when things went wrong.

Guido's wing slammed against the helicopter. He plummeted straight down with Percy on his back, leaving Annabeth dangling from the side of the aircraft. Percy was so terrified he could barely think, but as Guido spiraled he caught a glimpse of Rachel pulling Annabeth inside the copter.

"Hang in there!" He yelled at Guido.

My wing, he moaned. It's busted.

"You can do it!" He desperately tried to remember what Silena used to tell them in pegasus-riding lessons. "Just relax the wing. Extend it and glide."

They fell like a rock—straight toward the pavement three hundred feet below. At the last moment Guido extended his wings. Percy saw the faces of centaurs gaping up at them. Then they pulled out of our dive, sailed fifty feet, and tumbled onto the pavement—pegasus over demigod.

Ow! Guido moaned. My legs. My head. My wings.

Chiron galloped over with his medical pouch and began working on the pegasus.

Percy got to his feet. When he looked up, his heart crawled into his throat. The helicopter was only a few seconds away from slamming into the side of the building.

Then miraculously the helicopter righted itself. It spun in a circle and hovered. Very slowly, it began to descend.

It seemed to take forever, but finally the helicopter thudded to a landing in the middle of Fifth Avenue. Percy looked through the windshield and couldn't believe what he was seeing. Annabeth was at the controls.

He ran forward as the rotors spun to a stop. Rachel opened the side door and dragged out the pilot.

Rachel was still dressed like she was on vacation, in beach shorts, a T-shirt, and sandals. Her hair was tangled and her face was green from the helicopter ride. Annabeth climbed out last.