𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐎𝐖 ༄ ᴘercy ᴊᴀᴄᴋꜱᴏɴ

lions say no to space food

We tore across the mall, and I didn't stop until we reached the Air and Space museum. Percy tore the cap from his head, appearing next to me and breathing heavily. "You're a fast runner."

"Track team." Was all I replied with. We didn't have time for chat. I wasn't going to die in a aeroplane museum. We needed to find the others (Bianca) and get out of here.

I grabbed his arm and we took off running again, darting down halls and corridors for a sign of Percy's friends. Then he bumped into them.

Literally.

Well actually it was more of a crash, with Thalia being a casualty - she was knocked over and into an Apollo space capsule as Grover yelped and Zoë and Bianca immediately had out weapons.

Bianca saw me and lowered hers slightly. Zoë saw Percy and raised hers higher. "You! How dare you show thy face here?"

"Percy!" Grover said. "Thank goodness. Nailea, you're here too! This is great." He grinned dopily and I felt a newfound rush of affection for the satyr.

Zoë glared at him, and he blushed. "I mean, um, gosh! You're not supposed to be here.."

"Luke," Percy gasped, trying to catch his breath. "He's here."

Thalia's eye twitched. With what emotion it was, I didn't know. She put her hand on her silver bracelet."Where?"

We told them about the Natural History Museum, Dr. Thorn, Luke, and the General.

"The General is here?" Zoë looked stunned. "That is impossible! You lie."

"He's not lying! There was a guy who they called the general and - look I don't think we have time for this, he sent these skeletons after you. They're really creepy and look like they can fight too. We need to leave." I told her.

"What?" Thalia demanded. "How many are there?"

"Twelve," Percy said. "And that's not all. That guy, the General, he said he was sending something, a 'playmate,' to distract you over here. A monster."

Thalia and Grover exchanged looks.

"We were following Artemis's trail," Grover said. "I was pretty sure it led here. Some powerful monster scent... She must've stopped here looking for the mystery monster. But we haven't found anything yet."

I paused to try and imagine Artemis in a mall. Did she stop at Forever 21? Did she think how ironic it would be if the name was 'Forever 12' instead?

"Zoë," Bianca said nervously, "if it is the General-"

"It cannot be!" Zoë snapped. "Nailea and Percy must have seen an Iris-message or some other illusion."

"He cracked a literal marble floor," I told her. "I can promise you, it was not an illusion. Or that other thing you said. The dude's here."

Zoë took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. I knew Zoë and the general must have had some history between them, bad blood of some sort but I didn't know what.

"If Nailea is telling the truth about the skeleton warriors," she said, "we have no time to argue. They are the worst, the most horrible... We must leave now."

"Good idea," I said. It wasn't as if I had said the same thing already, multiple times.

"You may come. But I am not including thee, boy," Zoë turned to Percy. "You are not part of this quest."

"Hey, I'm trying to save your lives!" Percy protested.

"You shouldn't have come, Percy," Thalia said grimly. "Or you, Nailea. But you're here now. Come on. Let's get back to the van."