VIDEO GAMES! (p. jackson) (#1)

- eighteen

BY THE TIME THEY GOT BACK TO TIMES SQUARE, ROSE'S LEGS WERE NUMB (AGAIN).

she couldn't decide what felt less real— new york city or the crystal gave where she watched an ancient god die.

percy led the way into an alley, where he could get a nice echo. then he whistled as loud as he could, six times.

a minute later, rachel gasped. "they're beautiful!"

a flock of pegasi descended from the sky, swooping between the skyscrapers. percy's pegasus blackjack was in the lead, followed by four of his friends.

percy explained that they needed a ride to camp, and blackjack whinnied.

everybody started saddling up—except rachel.

"well," she said, "i guess this is it."

"thank god," annabeth muttered. rose elbowed her.

"see you later, percy jackson. go save the world for me, okay?"

she walked off down seventh avenue and disappeared into the crowds.

nico was having trouble with his pegasi.

"go without me!" he said as percy walked back. "i don't want to go back to that camp anyway."

"nico," percy said, "we need your help."

he folded his arms and scowled. then rose put her hand on his shoulder.

"nico," she said. "please."

slowly, his expression softened. "all right," he said reluctantly. "for you. but I'm not staying."

percy raised an eyebrow at rose, like, how come all of a sudden nico listens to you? she shrugged.

at last they got everybody on a pegasus. they shot into the air, and soon they were over the east river with long island spread out before them.

they landed in the middle of the cabin area and were immediately met by chiron, the potbellied satyr silenus, and a couple of apollo kids. chiron raised an eyebrow when he saw nico, but said nothing. percy told him their news about quintus being daedalus, or kronos rising.

"i feared as much," chiron said. "we must hurry. hopefully, you have slowed down the titan lord, but his vanguard will still be coming through. they will be anxious for blood. most of our defenders are already in place. come!"

"wait a minute," silenus demanded. "what of the search for pan? you are almost three weeks overdue, grover underwood! your searcher's license is revoked!"

grover took a deep breath. he stood up straight and looked silenus in the eye. "searcher's licenses don't matter any more. the great god pan is dead. he has passed on and left us his spirit."

"what?" silenus's face turned bright red. "sacrilege and lies! grover underwood, i will have you exiled for speaking thus!"

"it's true," rose said. "we were there when he died. all of us."

"impossible! you are all liars! nature-destroyers!"

chiron studied grover's face. "we will speak of this later."

"we will speak of it now!" silenus said. "we must deal with this—"

"silenus," chiron cut in, annoyed. "my camp is under attack. the matter of pan has waited two thousand years. i fear it will have to wait a bit longer. assuming we are still here this evening."

and on that happy note, he readied his bow and galloped toward the woods, leaving them to follow as best they could.

it was the biggest military operation rose had ever seen at camp. everyone was at the clearing, dressed in full battle armor, but this time it wasn't for capture the flag. the hephaestus cabin had set up traps around the entrance to the labyrinth—razor wire, pits filled with pots of greek fire, rows of sharpened sticks to deflect a charge. beckendorf was manning two catapults the size of pickup trucks, already primed and aimed at zeus's fist. he gave rose a wave when he saw her. the ares cabin was on the front line, drilling in phalanx formation with clarisse calling orders. daphne, michael, and the stoll brothers could be seen in the trees. even the dryads were armed with bows, and the satyrs trotted around with wooden cudgels and shields made of rough tree bark.