Poseidon's Daughter; A Percy Jackson Fanfiction

Holding the City

Y/n's POV

"Argus, you'd better get back to camp," Percy advised. "Guard it as best you can." 

"Oh, and I think it's time," Annabeth added. Argue nodded and rummaged around in the back of his van, pulling out a bronze shield. It looked like a standard issue, one we used in capture the flag all the time, but when it was set on the ground, the reflection on the metal changed to show downtown Manhattan. "This was one of Daedalus' ideas. I had Beckendorf make it. 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. This will let us see what's going on across the city. Thank you, Argus. Hopefully, we'll see you back at camp." 

"Oh, before you go, did you bring the other things?" I ask. Argus nodded and produced my bow and quiver from the back of the van. The celestial bronze shimmered in the sunlight, and the sea glass tips glowed a brilliant teal. Argus also pulled out my bronze chest plate and handcrafted helmet, which I put on quickly. Then, I slung both over my back and smiled at the hundred eyed man. "Thank you, Argus. And good luck back at camp."

"Mrs. O'Leary," Percy summoned and waved our hellhound friend over. "You remember Grover? The satyr we met in the park? I need you to find him. Make sure he's still awake. We're going to need his help. You got that? Find Grover!" 

"I don't get it," Pollux muttered and crouched down next to a sleeping policeman. "Why didn't we fall asleep too? Why just the mortals?" 

"This is a huge spell," Silena Beauregard noted. "The bigger the spell, the easier it is to resist. If you want to sleep millions of mortals, you've got to cast a very thin layer of magic. Sleeping demigods is much harder." 

"Guys, you'd better see this," Annabeth urged. 

The bronze image showed Long Island Sound near La Guardia where a fleet of a dozen speedboats raced through the dark water towards Manhattan. Each boat was packed with demigods in full Greek armor, and at the back of the lead boat, a purple banner emblazoned with a black scythe flapped in the night wind. 

"Scan the perimeter of the island," Percy instructed. 

Annabeth shifted the scene south to the harbor where a Staten Island ferry was ploughing through the waves near Ellis Island. The deck was crowded with dracaenae and a whole pack of hellhounds, and swimming in front of the ship was a pod of telkhines. The scene shifted again to the the Jersey shore, right at the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel. A hundred assorted monsters were marching past the lanes of stopped traffic: giants with clubs, rogue Cyclopes, a few fire-spitting dragons, and a World War II-era Sherman tank. 

"What's happening with the mortals outside Manhattan?" Percy quizzed. "Is the whole state asleep?" 

"I don't think so," Annabeth answered. "But it's strange. As far as I can tell from these pictures, Manhattan is totally asleep. Then there's, like, a fifty-mile radius around the island where time is running really, really slow. The closer you get to Manhattan, the slower it is." 

"Kronos, he's slowing time," I realize. 

"Hecate might be helping. Look how the cars are all veering away from the Manhattan exits, like they're getting a subconscious message to turn back," Katie pointed out. 

"We shouldn't expect any help coming in. So we're going to hold Manhattan," Percy declared. 

Silena tugged at her armor. "Um, Percy, Manhattan is huge." 

"We are going to hold it," Percy insisted. "We have to." 

"He's right," Annabeth agreed. "The gods of the wind should keep Kronos's forces away from Olympus by air, so he'll try a ground assault. We have to cutoff the entrances to the island."