Blood Of Poseidon

VII. The Lion Attack

Percy tore across the Mall and burst into the Air and Space Museum. The main part of the museum was one huge room with rockets and airplanes hanging from the ceiling. Three levels of balconies curled around, so you could look at the exhibits from all different heights. The place wasn't crowded, just a few families and a couple of groups of kids, probably doing one of those holiday school trips. Percy had no time to waste, He needed to warn the quest. And just as he wished he ran into Thalia—literally, knocking her into an Apollo space capsule. Megan yelped in surprise. Within the moment Zoe and Bianca had their arrows notched, and aimed at his chest. Even When they realized who the guest was, they didn't seem anxious to lower her bow. "You! How dare you show thy face here?" "Percy!" Megan said. "Thank goodness." Zoe glared at her, "You're not supposed to be here!" Thalia said getting up. "Luke," Percy said. "He's here." The anger in Thalia's eyes immediately melted. She put her hand on her silver bracelet. "Where?" He told them about the Natural History Museum, Dr. Thorn, Luke, and the General. "The General is here?" Zoe looked stunned. "That is impossible! You lie." "Why would I lie? Look, there's no time. Skeleton warriors—" "What?" Thalia demanded. "How many?" Zoe asked "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," Megan 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." "Zoe," Bianca said nervously, "if it is the General—" "It cannot be!" Zoe snapped. "Percy must have seen an Iris-message or some other illusion." "Illusions don't crack marble floors," Percy told firmly. Zoe took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "If Percy 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," Percy said. "I was not including thee, boy," Zoe said. "You are not part of this quest." "Hey, I'm trying to save your lives!" "You shouldn't have come, Percy," Thalia said grimly. "But you're here now. Come on. Let's get back to the van." "That is not thy decision!" Zoe snapped. Thalia scowled at her. "You're not the boss here, Zoe. I don't care how old you are! You're still a conceited little brat!" "You never had any wisdom when it came to boys," Zoe growled. "You never could leave them behind!" Thalia looked like she was about to hit Zoe. Then everyone froze, As they heard a growl. A little kid's voice screeched with delight: "Kitty!" 

Something enormous bounded up the ramp. It was the size of a pick-up truck, with silver claws and golden glittering fur. "The Nemean Lion," Thalia said. "Don't move." The lion roared so loud it blew their hair. Its fangs gleamed like stainless steel. "Separate on my mark," Zoe said. "Try to keep it distracted." "Until when?" Megan asked. "Until I think of a way to kill it. Go!" Percy uncapped Riptide and rolled to the left. Arrows whistled past him. He turned and saw Zoe and Bianca climbing the Apollo capsule. They were firing arrows, one after another, all shattering harmlessly against the lions metallic fur. The lion swiped the capsule and tipped it on its side, spilling the Hunters off the back. Megan blew fire at the monster and the lion turned toward her, but Thalia stepped into its path, holding up Aegis, and the lion recoiled. "ROOOAAAR!" "Hi-yah!" Thalia said. "Back!" The lion growled and clawed the air, but it retreated as if the shield were a blazing fire. For a second, Percy thought Thalia had it under control. Then he saw the lion crouching, its leg muscles tensing, And He knew the lion was going to pounce. "Hey!" He yelled and charged at the beast. He summoned his Trident, the sacred weapon of Aurias, Titan of Storms, The Storm, mid run and threw it towards the Lion. As expected the trident bounced of its invisible pelt. But Percy had successfully got the attention of the monster. The lion jumped at him. He slashed Riptide in front of him, but the blade just clanged against its fur in a burst of sparks. The lion raked him with its claws. Percy backed against the railing. It sprang at him, one thousand pounds of monster, and He caught its legs. Percy struggled a bit to overwhelm the monster's weight and power. But he wrestled the monster. The monster roared onto his face. "You smell." Percy said as he used his legs to kick the monster abdomen and use the momentum to throw the monster away. The lion was thrown to a few feet away and crashed onto a Apollo program exhibit. It struggled onto its feet. It jumped on to a spacecraft, hanged from the ceiling, and balanced itself in the exhibit "Zoe!" He shouted. "Target the mouth!" The monster lunged. An arrow zipped past it, missing completely, The Nemean Lion growled and steadied itself on the spacecraft, but its weight was too much. One of the cords snapped. As the display swung down like a pendulum, the lion leaped off onto the model earth's North Pole. "Megan" Percy yelled. "Clear the area!" Groups of kids were running around screaming. Megan immediately had some orb made out of smoke in her hand, Incantation on her lips, she smashed the orb onto the ground. Immediately all the civilians' eyes dilated and they without any commotion left the area. As the last one of them left, the other cords snapped.  Zoe and Bianca from above us, had their bows ready, but they kept having to move around to geta good angle. "No clear shot!" Zoe yelled. "Get it to open its mouth more!" The lion snarled from the top of the globe. Percy looked around, For Options. Suddenly, he remembered the gift shop. He had a vague memory from his trip there as a little kid. Something he'd made his mom buy him, and regretted it. If they still sold that stuff... "Thalia," He said, "keep it occupied." She nodded grimly. "Hi-yah!" She pointed her spear and a spidery arc of blue electricity shot out, zapping the lion in the tail. "ROOOOOOOAR!" The lion turned and pounced. Thalia rolled out of its way, holding up Aegis to keep the monster at bay, and Percy ran for the gift shop.