𝒎𝒊𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒍 - 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒚 𝒋𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒙 𝒐𝒄

✯¸.•'*¨'*• 𝑻𝑯𝑹𝑬𝑬 •*'¨*'•.¸✯

Mythologically speaking, if there's anything half-bloods hate worse than trios of old ladies, it's bulls. 

Last summer, Percy and Phoenix fought the Minotaur on top of Half-Blood Hill. This time what they saw up there was even worse: two bulls. And not just regular bulls –bronze ones the size of elephants. And even that wasn't bad enough. Naturally they had to breathe fire, too.

As soon as the four exited the taxi, the Grey Sisters peeled out, heading back to New York, where life was safer. They didn't even wait for their extra three drachma payment. They just left the four kids on the side of the road, Annabeth and Phoenix with nothing but a backpack, Annabeth's knife and Ardere, Phoenix's bow.

Percy and Tyson still in their burned-up tie-dyed gym clothes.

"Oh, shit," said Phoenix, looking at the battle raging on the hill.

What worried Phoenix most weren't the bulls themselves. Or the ten heroes in full battle armor who were getting their bronze-plated booties whooped. What worried Phoenix was that the bulls were ranging all over the hill, even around the back side of the pine tree. That shouldn't have been possible. The camp's magic boundaries didn't allow monsters to cross past Thalia's tree. But the metal bulls were doing it anyway.

One of the heroes shouted, "Border patrol, to me!"

A girl's voice – gruff and familiar.

"It's Clarisse," Annabeth said. 

"Come on, we have to help her," Phoenix nodded.

Normally, rushing to Clarisse's aid would not have been high on Percy's 'to do' list. She was one of the biggest bullies at camp. The first time Percy and Clarisse met she tried to introduce his head to a toilet. She was also a daughter of Ares, and Percy had a very serious disagreement with her father last summer, so now the god of war and all his children basically hated Percy's guts.

Still, Clarisse was in trouble. Her fellow warriors were scattering, running in panic as the bulls charged.  And Phoenix was already at her side shooting blazing arrows at the bulls.

The grass was burning in huge swathes around the pine tree. One hero screamed and waved his arms as he ran in circles, the horsehair plume on his helmet blazing like a fiery Mohawk. Clarisse's own armor was charred. She was fighting with a broken spear shaft, the other end embedded uselessly in the metal joint of one bull's shoulder.

Percy uncapped his ballpoint pen. It shimmered, growing longer and heavier until he held the bronze sword Anaklusmos in his hands. "Tyson, stay here. I don't want you taking any more chances."

Phoenix listened into the conversation as she missed the bull by a centimeter because it jerked its head in the direction of a screaming camper.

"No!" Annabeth said. "We need him."

Percy stared at Annabeth. "He's mortal. He got lucky with the dodgeballs but he can't –"

"Percy, do you know what those are up there? The Colchis bulls, made by Hephaestus himself. We can't fight them without Medea's Sunscreen SPF 50,000. We'll get burned to a crisp.'

"Medea's what?"

Annabeth rummaged through her backpack and cursed. "I had a jar of tropical coconut scent sitting on my nightstand at home. Why didn't I bring it?"

Percy'd learned a long time ago not to question Annabeth too much. It just made him more confused. "Look, I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm not going to let Tyson get fried."

"Percy –"

"Tyson, stay back." Percy raised his sword. "I'm going in."

Tyson tried to protest, but Percy was already running up the hill towards Clarisse, who was yelling at her patrol, trying to get them into phalanx formation. It was a good idea. The few who were listening lined up shoulder to shoulder, locking their shields to form an ox-hide-and-bronze wall, their spears bristling over the top like porcupine quills. Unfortunately, Clarisse could only muster six campers. The other four were still running around with their helmets on fire. And Phoenix was ignoring everyone as she shoot her blazing arrows at the creatures.