Eleutheromania

26)

THINGS WENT WRONG IMMEDIATELY. The giants vanished in twin puffs of smoke. They reappeared halfway across the room, each in a different spot. Percy sprinted toward Ephialtes, but slots in the floor opened under his feet, and metal walls shot up on either side, separating him from us.

Jason and I charged at Otis, who pulled his spear and heaved a great sigh, as if he would much rather dance Swan Lake than kill another demigod.

"Wonderful!" Ephialtes cried. He stood at his control panel about sixty feet to Percy's left. "We'll consider this a dress rehearsal. Shall I unleash the hydra onto the Spanish Steps now?"

He pulled a lever, and I glanced behind me. The cage Percy had just been hanging from was now rising toward a hatch in the ceiling. In three seconds it would be gone. If Percy attacked the giant, the hydra would ravage the city.

Percy threw Riptide like a boomerang. The sword wasn't designed for that, but the Celestial bronze blade sliced through the chains suspending the hydra. The cage tumbled sideways. The door broke open, and the monster spilled out—right in front of Percy.

"I'm going over there!" I told Jason.

"Yup," was all he said.

I grabbed Percy pulling him behind me.

"Oh, you are a spoilsport, Jackson!" Ephialtes called. "Very well. Battle it here, if you must, but your death won't be nearly as good without the cheering crowds."

Percy stepped forward to confront the monster—then realized he'd just thrown his weapon away. A bit of bad planning on his part.

I shook my head. "Idiot, Percy."

I swung my sword heading towards the eight hydra. I took my dagger out and threw my sword to Percy. He caught it and started helping me fight the hydra.

"Alister, cannon years ago!"

I made a face not understanding Percy. "What?"

"Battleship helping us fight hydra cannons."

I frowned and hit a hydra. Then I remember, "ohh." I looked around. "Theres no cannons."

Percy gave a look, 'wait.'

The hydra lashed out. Percy ducked behind a giant hamster wheel and scanned the room. I blocked Percy getting all the hydra towards he so he can do whatever he is doing.

At the dais, Piper stood guard over Nico as the leopards advanced. She aimed her cornucopia and shot a pot roast over the cats' heads. It must have smelled pretty good, because the leopards raced after it.

About eighty feet to Piper's right, Jason battled Otis, sword against spear. Otis had lost his diamond tiara and looked angry about it. He probably could have impaled Jason several times, but the giant insisted on doing a pirouette with every attack, which slowed him down.

Meanwhile Ephialtes laughed as he pushed buttons on his control board, cranking the conveyor belts into high gear and opening random animal cages.

The hydra charged around the hamster wheel. I ran after them, I hate my life. I whistled and the hydra looked at me. I got in a stance position ready to fight. They ran towards me. Percy swung behind a column, grabbed a garbage bag full of Wonder bread, and threw it at the monster. The hydra spit acid, which was a mistake. The bag and wrappers dissolved in midair. The Wonder bread absorbed the acid like fire extinguisher foam and splattered against the hydra, covering it in a sticky, steaming layer of high-calorie poisonous goo.