✔ | [1] 𝒞𝒶𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓇𝓉𝒾𝒸 | ᴘᴇʀᴄʏ ᴊᴀᴄᴋꜱᴏɴ

𝓁𝒾. Tickle the toes like a dumbass

⋆༺𓆩⚔𓆪༻⋆

Sometimes we fly

Sometimes we fall

Sometimes, I feel like we're nothing at all

⋆༺𓆩⚔𓆪༻⋆

⚔ The silence was making him talk more.

Ethan was honestly close to tears; at this point, he would rather be rotting away in Hades' prison cells than standing next to Percy Jackson.

"Jackson," Ethan said. "If you don't shut up, I'll gouge out my other eye and tell Helena you did it."

Percy cuts his sentence about octopuses and their three hearts off.

"Sorry," Percy apologised. "The silence makes me anxious."

Ethan gives him a look that Percy translates to, I know.

Argus was waiting for them with his hundred eyes wide open. He didn't say anything. He never does. His face made it clear he was freaking out.

Percy told him what we'd learned in Olympus and how the gods would not be riding to the rescue. Argus rolled his eyes in disgust, which looked pretty psychedelic since it made his whole body swirl.

Ethan wondered if he had asked nicely enough for one of his eyes and if he would give it to him. Hey, one less eye for that guy, and Ethan got an eye back; it was a win-win, right? Then he shuddered, thinking about it. Yeah, maybe he won't ask.

"You'd better get back to camp," Ethan told him. "Guard it as best you can."

He pointed at Percy and Ethan and raised his eyebrow quizzically.

"We're all staying."

Argus nodded like this answer satisfied him. He looked at Annabeth and drew a circle in the air with his finger.

"Yes," Annabeth agreed. "I think it's time."

"For what?" Percy asked.

Argus rummaged around in the back of his van. He brought out a bronze shield and passed it to Annabeth. It looked pretty much standard issue—the same kind of round shield they always used in Capture the Flag. But when Annabeth set it on the ground, the reflection on the polished metal changed from sky and buildings to the Statue of Liberty—which wasn't anywhere close to them.

"Whoa," Percy said. "A video shield."

"One of Daedalus's ideas," Annabeth said. "I had Beckendorf make this before –" She glanced at Silena. "Um, anyway, the shield bends sunlight or moonlight from anywhere in the world to create a reflection. You can see any target under the sun or moon as long as natural light is touching it. Look."

They crowded around as Annabeth concentrated. The image zoomed and spun at first, then they were in the Central Park Zoo, then zooming down East Sixtieth past Bloomingdale's, then turning on Third Avenue.

"It's perfect for surveillance," Ethan noted.

"Whoa,' Connor Stoll said. "Back up. Zoom in right there."

"What?" Annabeth said nervously. "You see invaders?"

"No, right there—Dylan's Candy Bar." Connor grinned at his brother. "Dude, it's open. And everyone is asleep. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"