𝙇𝙮𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙨 (𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙮 𝙅𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙭 𝙁𝙚𝙢! 𝙊𝘾) 𝙏𝙏𝘾

Percy Becomes Homeless?

The cafe was packed with kids enjoying the tour's best feature--the dam lunch. When Sylvia and Percy ran into the area, the others had just sat down with their food.

"We need to leave," Percy gasped, leaning his hands on his knees.

"Now!" Sylvia added, for once in agreement with him.

"B-but we jus-just got our dam f-food!" Lux objected.

Zoe stood up, muttering a curse in Ancient Greek. "They're right. Look."

The cafe's windows wrapped all around the observation floor, giving Sylvia a panoramic view any artist would be glad to witness--other than the quickly-approaching skeletal army.

Sylvia counted three on the east side of the dam road, blocking the way to Arizona. Four more were on the west side, guarding Nevada. As if they couldn't be more intimidating, they were all armed with batons and pistols.

Fawkes exited her pocket and flew up to get a better scope of the situation. From her quick report, they were surrounded.

The immediate problem was a lot closer, though. The skeleton warriors who'd been chasing Sylvia and Percy earlier now appeared on the stars. They saw the group from across the cafeteria and clattered their teeth.

"Elevator!" Grover said. Everyone bolted that direction, but the doors opened with an ironic ding, and three more warriors stepped out. 

As I said: completely surrounded, Fawkes said.

What are we supposed to do? Sylvia stepped closer to Lux and raised her--Bianca's--bow, though it most likely wouldn't be effective against the near-immortal undead.

Then Grover had a crazy, totally insane idea.

"Burrito fight!" he yelled, flinging his Guacamole Grande at the nearest skeleton. It knocked the pale skull right off its shoulders.

The kids in the cafe went into war mode, throwing burritos and baskets of chips and sodas at each other while shrieking and screaming. Sylvia found time even in such a dire moment to thank Hera for never bestowing a child on her. They were possibly more monstrous than the actual monsters.

In the chaos, Lux managed to burn another skeleton and Thalia and Percy tackled the other two on the stairs, sending them flying into a mess of condiments and lettuce. Then they all raced downstairs, burritos whizzing past their heads.

"What now," Grover asked as they burst outside, Fawkes rejoining their group in the midst of the chaos.

Sylvia didn't have an answer. The road-warriors were closing in from either direction, and Lux looked too tired to use their photokinesis so soon after destroying the other skeleton. They all ran across the street to the pavilion with the winged bronze statues, but that just put their backs to the mountain.

The skeletons moved forward, forming a semi-circle firing squad. Their brethren from the cafe had already almost caught up, reattaching stray limbs and brushing off food from their bones as they approached.

"Four against eleven," Zoe muttered. "And they can't die."

I already used my rebirth power to stop two from killing innocents in the cafe, Fawkes unfortunately informed Sylvia. I can't do that again until next sunrise. 

"Lux?" Sylvia turned to her sibling with a hopeful expression, but they shook their head.

"I used all of my energy with that other skeleton."

"It's been nice adventuring with you guys." Grover's voice trembled.

"Except Percy," Sylvia added, tensing her muscles and preparing for the end.