¹𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐀. percy jackson

XLIV.

ｔｈｅ ｌａｓｔ ｏｌｙｍｐｉａｎ

PERCY DID HIS BEST TAXICAB WHISTLE, and within a few minutes, a dark shape circled out of the sky. It looked like a hawk at first, but as it descended Lucia could make out the long galloping legs of a Pegasus.

Blackjack landed at a trot.

"Thanks for coming," Percy told him. "Hey, why do pegasi gallop as they fly, anyway?"

Blackjack whinnied.

"What'd he say?" Lucia asked curiously

Percy shrugged "It just feels right."

Blackjack whinnied again

"No no.." Percy sighed "It's complicated."

He snorted

"We got a lot going on Blackjack!"

"What did he say now?" Lucia asked

Percy looked at her, he scratched the back of his neck, and gave her an awkward smile "Um he wants donuts."

"Oh." she knew he was lying

"We need to get to the Williamsburg Bridge," He told the pegasus.

Blackjack lowered his neck.

To her dismay, Percy had to help her get on. He climbed up behind her, which put them back in their previous position and Lucia once again felt a fragment of a memory surge back.

"I'm not leaving without you, Luz."

Then Together, they held the sky in their hands.

Blackjack snorted again

"She has handcuffs on!" He defended

Lucia shook out of her thoughts, she looked down at the Pegasus "Hey?! What'd he say?!"

Lucia didn't get her answer as the Pegasus ascended, she yelped. She did her best to hold on but pegasus riding should not be done with no hands. She was just glad Percy was there or she would have tipped off like Humpty Dumpty.

On the way to the bridge, Lucia thought about how Percy must be feeling. The Minotaur was one of the first monsters he'd ever defeated...he almost killed Sally 4 years ago. that had to have...

I hate Percy Jackson

right.

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 Lucia saw her siblings retreating. They would hide behind cars and snipe at the approaching army, setting off explosive arrows and dropping caltrops on 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 dracaena 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 one of Lucia's brothers and dragged him away. She didn't see what happened to him next. She didn't want to know.