Prophesied Powder, PJO

5.5

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Chapter 50
Dead Men Tell No Tales

Volume 5: The Last Olympian

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Mrs. O'Leary was the only one happy about the sleeping city. When the demigods returned to the ground, she was vandalizing an overturned hot dog stand as the owner was passed out on the sidewalk. Pat's walking stick tapped rhythmically on the sidewalk, attempting to avoid the bodies. 

Argus was still wide awake, and Percy told him what they had learned on Olympus, how the gods refused to help them. Since Argus never spoke, Pat wasn't sure how he had reacted until Silena told him that he had rolled all of his eyes.

"You'd better get back to camp," Percy told him. "Guard it as best you can. I'm staying."

Silena had to keep looping Pat in, and she explained as Argus pointed at Annabeth and drew a circle in the air with his finger. Annabeth then said, "Yes, I think it's time."

"For what?" Percy and Pat asked at the same time. Pat would have fist-bumped him under other circumstances.

Argus rummaged around in the back of his van, and when he brought something out, Pat could tell it was heavy metal before Silena told him. It was a bronze shield, loud-sounding as Annabeth set it on the sidewalk. Then, Silena gasped.

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

"One of Daedalus's ideas," Annabeth said. "I had Beckendorf make this before—" She paused. "Um, anyway, the shield bends sunlight or moonlight from anywhere in the world to create a reflection. You can literally see any target under the sun or moon, as long as natural light is touching it. Look."

A lot of people rushed to crowd around Annabeth, but Pat hung back, bored. Someone would explain it later, he figured. Then, Pallas snuck to his side quietly, making him jump as his French voice greeted, "Not interested?"

"No point," Pat laughed crudely, "What is it?"

Pallas seemed like he was squinting to see over the crowd, though with how tall he was getting, it didn't seem like a problem. "Nothing, really," Pallas admitted, "Bickering."

Pat tilted his head and listened in. Bickering was right. Gathering all of the demigods of Camp Half-Blood and expecting them to be productive was a disaster waiting to happen.

"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.

"This will let us see what's going on across the city," Annabeth said. "Thank you, Argus. Hopefully we'll see you back at camp...someday."

Argus grunted, and he left. Hopefully, that wasn't the last time they met.

Percy 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!"