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

- five

FORTUNATELY, BLACKJACK WAS ON DUTY.

percy did his best taxicab whistle, and within a few minutes two dark shapes circled out of the sky. they looked like hawks at first, but as they descended rose could make out the long galloping legs of pegasi.

"thanks for coming," percy told him. "hey, why do pegasi gallop as they fly, anyway?"

blackjack whinnied.

"we need to get to the williamsburg bridge," he said.

they saw the battle before they were close enough to make out individual fighters. it was well after midnight now, 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.

they came in for a low pass, and rose 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 dracanae 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. rose didn't see what happened to him next. she didn't want to know.

"there!" rose called from her pegasus.

she'd never seen the minotaur before. god, he was hideous.

from the waist down, he wore standard greek battle gear—a kiltlike apron of leather and metal flaps, bronze greaves covering his legs, and tightly wrapped leather sandals. his top was all bull—hair and hide and muscle leading to a head so large he should've toppled over just from the weight of his horns. he was at least ten feet tall. a double-bladed axe was strapped to his back, but he was too impatient to use it. as soon as he saw percy circling overhead, he bellowed and picked up a white limousine.

they were at least a hundred feet up, but the limo came sailing toward them, flipping fender over fender like a two-ton boomerang. rose and porkpie swerved madly to the left, while blackjack tucked in his wings and plunged. the limo sailed over percy's head, missing by maybe two inches. it cleared the suspension lines of the bridge and fell toward the east river.

monsters jeered and shouted, and the minotaur picked up another car.

rose and percy leaped off as soon as their pegasi's hooves touched the pavement. then blackjack and porkpie soared into the night sky.

michael yew ran up to them. he had a bandaged cut on his arm. his face was smeared with soot and his quiver was almost empty, but he was smiling like he was having a great time. crouched behind the bus were annabeth, daphne, and a couple other apollo kids.

"glad you could join us," he said. "where are the other reinforcements?"

"for now, we're it," percy said.

"then we're dead," he said.

"you still have the chariot?" rose asked.

"nah," michael said. "left it at camp. i told clarisse she could have it. whatever, you know? not worth fighting about anymore. but she said it was too late. we'd insulted her honor for the last time or some stupid shit."

"least you tried," percy said.

michael shrugged. "yeah, well, i called her some names when she said she still wouldn't fight. i doubt that helped. here come the uglies!"