It's been a while! Like, three years! Wilddd. Starting this fanfic, I was in high school. I feel so old already. Anyways, don't kill me, check out my bio, please. And, of course, enjoy!

"WE BREAK A BRIDGE," read Andrea.

Fortunately, Blackjack was on duty. I did my best taxicab whistle,

She paused already.

"Best taxicab whistle," she repeated, "Is that a thing?"

At once, Leo jumped out of his spot, inhaled sharply, puffing out his chest and let out a pathetic hiss with only a taste of a faint whistle. Piper started laughing so hard, soon, she was almost hyperventilating.

Jason dragged his friend down by his sleeve and then propped his girlfriend back up when she begun to fall off her seat. Not that she was alone in it.

"That was the worst whistle I've ever heard," grinned Frank.

"You dare call that a whistle?" gasped Piper.

The tension completely broken, Annabeth had to quiet people down again. And she did so with an impressive whistle.

"That was a taxicab whistle," Percy told Andrea, "and it is a thing."

He figured you don't catch a cab often in New Rome.

and within a few minutes two dark shapes circled out of the sky. They looked like hawks at first, but as they descended I could make out the long galloping legs of pegasi.

Murmurs, be it of excitement, anxiety, or awe, arised.

Yo, boss.

"Wazzaup – ouff! Not necessary!"

Blackjack landed at a trot, his friend Porkpie right behind him. Man, I thought those wind gods were gonna knock us to Pennsylvania until we said we were with you!

"Thanks for coming," I told him. "Hey, why do pegasi gallop as they fly, anyway?"

"Are you shitting me?"

A few giggle sprung up.

Blackjack whinnied. Why do humans swing their arms as they walk? I dunno, boss. It just feels right.

The giggles turned into snickering and quiet laughs.

"Suddenly, I'm sorry I can't speak horse."

"I never thought I'd hear that again."

A pause.

"Again?"

Where to?

"We need to get to the Williamsburg Bridge," I said.

Blackjack lowered his neck. You're darn right, boss. We flew over it on the way here, and it don't look good.

"Damn."

"Not good," muttered Piper.

Reyna silently agreed, a frown growing on her face.

Hop on!

On the way to the bridge, a knot formed in the pit of my stomach. The Minotaur was one of the first monsters I'd ever defeated.

"What the heck."

"Do you do anything the normal way?" sighed Ramona.

"I'd say I breathe, but that wouldn't count underwater."

"Minotaur. The fucking Minotaur," whispered a Roman. "I think I'm getting a crush."

"I didn't know you swing that way, Ross."

"I didn't either."

Four years ago he'd nearly killed my mother on Half-Blood Hill. I still had nightmares about that. I'd been hoping he would stay dead for a few centuries, but I should've known my luck wouldn't hold.

"You and luck don't belong in one sentence," Andrea interrupted herself.

"Bad luck," retorted Percy at once.

"He got you there."

We saw the battle before we were close enough to make out individual fighters. It was well after midnight now, but the bridge blazed with light. Cars were burning. Arcs of fire streamed in both directions as flaming arrows and spears sailed through the air.

"Imagine how much the insurance companies had to pay."

"I'm really curious how it was even explained in the first place."

We came in for a low pass, and I saw the Apollo campers retreating.

"Retreating?"

"Not good."

They would hide behind cars and snipe at the approaching army, setting off explosive arrows and dropping caltrops in the road, building fiery barricades wherever they could, dragging sleeping drivers out of their cars to get them out of harm's way.

"Too many civils," said Reyna under her breath. "This is bad. They can't even escape themselves."

But the enemy kept advancing. An entire phalanx of dracaenae marched in the lead, their shields locked together, spear tips bristling over the top. An occasional arrow would connect with their snaky trunks, or a neck, or a chink in their armor, and the unlucky snake woman would disintegrate, but most of the Apollo arrows glanced harmlessly off their shield wall. About a hundred more monsters marched behind them.

Hellhounds leaped ahead of the line from time to time. Most were destroyed with arrows, but one got hold of an Apollo camper and dragged him away.

"Oh, Gods."

As the description advanced, the forum grew more tranquil and laced with terror.

Leo and Hazel looked nauseous at the last sentence, more than one face drained of color.

I didn't see what happened to him next. I didn't want to know.

Hazel squeezed her eyes shut, fists clenched.

"There!" Annabeth called from the back of her pegasus.

Sure enough, in the middle of the invading legion was Old Beefhead himself.

No one had in themselves to work up a smile at the dumb nickname.

The last time I'd seen the Minotaur, he'd been wearing nothing but his tighty whities.

"What the fuck," mumbled someone without any emotion, too caught up in the heavy atmosphere.

I don't know why. Maybe he'd been shaken out of bed to chase me.

This time a faint snort followed.

This time, he was prepared for battle.

From the waist down, he wore standard Greek battle gear-a kiltlike apron of leather and metal flaps, bronze greaves covering his legs, and tightly wrapped leather sandals. His top was all bull-hair and hide and muscle leading to a head so large he should've toppled over just from the weight of his horns. He seemed larger than the last time I'd seen him-ten feet tall at least. A double-bladed axe was strapped to his back, but he was too impatient to use it. As soon as he saw me circling overhead or sniffed me, more likely, since his eyesight was bad, he bellowed and picked up a white limousine.

"Shit."

"Blackjack, dive!" I yelled.

What? The pegasus asked. No way could he . . . Holy horse feed!

"I'm gonna use that from now on."

We were at least a hundred feet up, but the limo came sailing toward us, flipping fender over fender like a two-ton boomerang. Annabeth and Porkpie swerved madly to the left, while Blackjack tucked in his wings and plunged. The limo sailed over my head, missing by maybe two inches.

"Damn."

"Holy horse feed!"

"No. No, don't."

It cleared the suspension lines of the bridge and fell toward the East River.

Monsters jeered and shouted, and the Minotaur picked up another car.

"Seriously, I'd hate to have an insurance company there and then."

"Drop us behind the lines with the Apollo cabin," I told Blackjack.

"Stay in earshot but get out of danger!"

I ain't gonna argue, boss!

Blackjack swooped down behind an overturned school bus, where a couple of campers were hiding. Annabeth and I leaped off as soon as our pegasi's hooves touched the pavement. Then Blackjack and Porkpie soared into the night sky.

Michael Yew ran up to us. He was definitely the shortest commando I'd ever seen. He had a bandaged cut on his arm. His ferrety face was smeared with soot and his quiver was almost empty, but he was smiling like he was having a great time.

"Is he mad?"

"That's Greeks for you," said Jason absentmindedly.

"Glad you could join us," he said. "Where are the other reinforcements?"

"For now, we're it," I said.

"Then we're dead," he said.

"Well, da – "

"Holy horse feeed!"

"Oh, shut up!"

"You still have your flying chariot?" Annabeth asked.

"Nah," Michael said. "Left it at camp.

"Yeah, I mean, how could that be useful?" snorted Leo.

I told Clarisse she could have it.

"Great moment for generosity," said Reyna dryly.

Whatever, you know?

"Yeah, whatever, guys!" continued Leo, growing more nervous.

Not worth fighting about anymore.

"Totally," he laughed loudly and anxiously. "Cool they settled it now!"

Many agreed it sounded completely ridiculous, just like that whole argument in the middle of a war.

But she said it was too late. We'd insulted her honor for the last time or some stupid thing."

"For Gods' sake!" bursted out a son of Vulcan, "It's a matter of end-of-the-world or not, how can you be this stupid?"

Something deep – very, very deep – down in Percy sparked up to defend Clarisse in front of the Romans, but admittedly, her and her siblings' pettiness could cost them the world. Literally.

"Least you tried," I said.

Michael shrugged. "Yeah, well, I called her some names when she said she still wouldn't fight. I doubt that helped.

"You think?"

Here come the uglies!"

He drew an arrow and launched it toward the enemy. The arrow made a screaming sound as it flew. When it landed, it unleashed a blast like a power chord on an electric guitar magnified through the world's largest speakers. The nearest cars exploded. Monsters dropped their weapons and clasped their ears in pain. Some ran. Others disintegrated on the spot.

"What was that?"

"That was my last sonic arrow," Michael said.

"A gift from your dad?" I asked. "God of music?"

The demigods who had never received anything from their parents, or hadn't even seen nor heard from them yet, squirmed in quiet jelousy.

Michael grinned wickedly. "Loud music can be bad for you. Unfortunately, it doesn't always kill."

"Still, insanely cool."

"Agreed," a sigh.

Sure enough, most monsters were regrouping, shaking off their confusion.

"We have to fall back," Michael said. "I've got Kayla and Austin setting traps farther down the bridge."

"No," I said. "Bring your campers forward to this position and wait for my signal. We're going to drive the enemy back to Brooklyn."

Michael laughed. "How do you plan to do that?"

I drew my sword.

"I don't like it."

Percy's Roman friends glanced at him worriedly, slowly beginning to expect the most insane, dangerous ideas from him.

"Percy," Annabeth said, "let me come with you."

"Too dangerous," I said. "Besides, I need you to help Michael coordinate the defensive line. I'll distract the monsters. You group up here. Move the sleeping mortals out of the way. Then you can start picking off monsters while I keep them focused on me. If anybody can do all that, you can."

Michael snorted. "Thanks a lot."

I kept my eyes on Annabeth.

She nodded reluctantly. "All right. Get moving."

Before I could lose my courage, I said, "Don't I get a kiss for luck? It's kind of a tradition, right?"

A wave of impressed gasps and whoops went through the crowd, many staring at Percy in surprise at his boldness.

I figured she would punch me.

Initial amazement melted into amusement.

Instead, she drew her knife and stared at the army marching toward us. "Come back alive, Seaweed Brain. Then we'll see."

"That's one way of flirting," said Piper.

I figured it was the best offer I would get, so I stepped out from behind the school bus. I walked up the bridge in plain sight, straight toward the enemy.

When the Minotaur saw me, his eyes burned with hate. He bellowed sound that was somewhere between a yell, a moo, and a really loud belch.

"Honestly, that doesn't sound very intimidating."

"It wasn't," Percy assured the Roman girl.

"Hey, Beef Boy," I shouted back. "Didn't I kill you already?"

"Do you ever keep your mouth shut?" sighed Jason in slight disbelieve.

"No," answered everyone.

He pounded his fist into the hood of a Lexus, and it crumpled like aluminum foil.

"That's… that – you're so lucky you have your little superpower now."

A few dracaenae threw flaming javelins at me. I knocked them aside. A hellhound lunged, and I sidestepped. I could have stabbed it, but I hesitated.

This is not Mrs. O'Leary, I reminded myself.

"Aww…"

Annabeth bit back a smirk at Percy's abashed expression, light red dusting his checks that he hid by ducking his head down.

This is an untamed monster. It will kill me and all my friends.

It pounced again. This time I brought Riptide up in a deadly arc. The hellhound disintegrated into dust and fur.

More monsters surged forward-snakes and giants and telkhines-but the Minotaur roared at them, and they backed off

"One on one?" I called. "Just like old times?"

The Minotaur's nostrils quivered. He seriously needed to keep a pack of Aloe Vera Kleenex in his armor pocket, because that nose was wet and red and pretty gross.

"How I wish," said wistfully Piper. "They could use some cleaning products, generally."

He unstrapped his axe and swung it around.

It was beautiful in a harsh I'm~going~to-gut~you~like~a~fish kind of way.

"Yeah," Annabeth wrinkled her nose. "Beautiful."

Her boyfriends shrugged.

Each of its twin blades was shaped like an omega: O-the last letter of the Greek alphabet. Maybe that was because the axe would be the last thing his victims ever saw. The shaft was about the same height as the Minotaur, bronze wrapped in leather. Tied around the base of each blade were lots of bead necklaces. I realized they were Camp Half-Blood beads-necklaces taken from defeated demigods.

"Oh, no…"

I was so mad, I imagined my eyes glowing just like the Minotaur's.

"There he goes!" announced Leo loudly, his arms raised as if to calm the crowd. "Everyone, pay attention. This is it. This is – "

"If I may," cut in Andrea, and continued with one sharp look at him. He shrunk a bit in his seat, a sheepish smile on his face.

I raised my sword. The monster army cheered for the Minotaur, but the sound died when I dodged his first swing and sliced his axe in half, right between the handholds.

"Moo?" he grunted.

"HAAA!"

At this, no one could keep it together, and Andrea's voice shook as she read, albeit amusement was laced with confusion.

I spun and kicked him in the snout. He staggered backward, trying to regain his footing, then lowered his head to charge.

He never got the chance. My sword flashed-slicing off one horn, then the other. He tried to grab me. I rolled away, picking up half of his broken axe. The other monsters backed up in stunned silence, making a circle around us. The Minotaur bellowed in rage. He was never very smart to begin with, but now his anger made him reckless.

"Very good," nodded Reyna without realizing.

He charged me, and I ran for the edge of the bridge, breaking through a line of dracaenae.

The Minotaur must've smelled victory. He thought I was trying to get away. His minions cheered. At the edge of the bridge, I turned and braced the axe against the railing to receive his charge. The Minotaur didn't even slow down.

CRUNCH.

He looked down in surprise at the axe handle sprouting from his breastplate.

"Thanks for playing," I told him.

"You had to," it wasn't a question on Hazel's part.

"Has to have the last word," Frank laughed.

I lifted him by his legs and tossed him over the side of the bridge.

"It sounds like it was a feather you picked up."

Even as he fell, he was disintegrating, turning back into dust, his essence returning to Tartarus.

"So dramatic."

I turned toward his army. It was now roughly one hundred and ninety-nine to one. I did the natural thing. I charged them.

You're going to ask how the "invincible" thing worked: if I magically dodged every weapon, or if the weapons hit me and just didn't harm me. Honestly, I don't remember. All I knew was that I wasn't going to let these monsters invade my hometown.

No one had anything to say to that. It sounded, simply put, impressive. You could see that on people's faces, you could notice the silent pride in Annabeth's body language. No words, though, could reflect that.

I sliced through armor like it was made of paper. Snake women exploded. Hellhounds melted to shadow. I slashed and stabbed and whirled, and I might have even laughed once or twice-a crazy laugh that scared me as much as it did my enemies.

That didn't sound so good.

I was aware of the Apollo campers behind me shooting arrows, disrupting every attempt by the enemy to rally. Finally, the monsters turned and fledabout twenty left alive out of two hundred.

I followed with the Apollo campers at my heels.

"Yes!" yelled Michael Yew. "That's what I'm talking about!"

We drove them back toward the Brooklyn side of the bridge. The sky was growing pale m the east. I could see the toll stations ahead.

"Percy!" Annabeth yelled. "You've already routed them. Pull back! We're overextended!"

Some part of me knew she was right, but I was doing so well, I wanted to destroy every last monster.

"No, no, no…" muttered Jason.

Tension raised again, the atmosphere quickly changing.

Then I saw the crowd at the base of the bridge. The retreating monsters were running straight toward their reinforcements. It was a small group, maybe thirty or forty demigods in battle armor, mounted on skeletal horses. One of them held a purple banner with the black scythe design.

The lead horseman trotted forward. He took off his helm, and I recognized Kronos himself, his eyes like molten gold.

Sharp intakes of breath were heard, and then everything stilled and a dropped pin would ring out.

Annabeth and the Apollo campers faltered. The monsters we'd been pursuing reached the Titan's line and were absorbed into the new force. Kronos gazed in our direction. He was a quarter mile away, but I swear I could see him smile.

"That's so creepy," someone whispered.

"Now," I said, "we pull back."

"Yes, yes, yes…" Jason mumbled this time.

The Titan lord's men drew their swords and charged. The hooves of their skeletal horses thundered against the pavement. Our archers shot a volley, bringing down several of the enemy, but they just kept riding.

"Retreat!" I told my friends. "I'll hold them.'"

In a matter of seconds they were on me.

"This is nerve-wreaking," said faintly Hazel, eyes glued to the book, despite the urge to check up on Percy every few seconds.

Michael and his archers tried to retreat, but Annabeth stayed right beside me, fighting with her knife and mirrored shield as we slowly backed up the bridge.

Kronos's cavalry swirled around us, slashing and yelling insults. The Titan himself advanced leisurely, like he had all the time in the world.

"Wellll…"

"I mean…"

Being the lord of time, I guess he did.

"Yeah."

I tried to wound his men, not kill.

"Oh, Percy," sighed Hazel, even though she'd do the same.

That slowed me down, but these weren't monsters. They were demigods who'd fallen under Kronos's spell. I couldn't see faces under l heir battle helmets, but some of them had probably been my friends.

Jason clenched his teeth, while Reyna and Frank frowned. Piper and Leo both stared at the ground grimly, their eyes reflecting what everyone else felt at that moment.

"They'd deserve it," came a whisper from somewhere.

Some opened their mouths, Percy took a breath to speak up, but no one quite knew how to excuse that, and Andrea took that as a cue to move on hastily.

I slashed the legs off their horses and made the skeletal mounts disintegrate. After the first few

demigods took a spill, the rest figured out they'd better dismount and fight me on foot.

"Traitors," said Diana almost soundlessly.

Annabeth and I stayed shoulder to shoulder, facing opposite directions. A dark shape passed over me, and I dared to glance up.

Blackjack and Porkpie were swooping in, kicking our enemies in the helmets and flying away like very large kamikaze pigeons.

We'd almost made it to the middle of the bridge when something strange happened. I felt a chill down my spine-like that old saying about someone walking on your grave. Behind me, Annabeth cried out in pain.

"Oh, no," breathed out Piper.

"Annabeth!" I turned in time to see her fall, clutching her arm. A demigod with a bloody knife stood over her.

Gasps were heard all around.

In a flash I understood what had happened. He'd been trying to stab me. Judging from the position of his blade, he would've taken me maybe by sheer luck-in the small of my back, my only weak point.

All blood drained from Hazel's face, and Frank stared at his friend wide-eyed.

Reyna had more and more trouble keeping herself composed. For once, Leo stayed quiet for longer.

"Gods," exhaled Jason this time.

Annabeth had intercepted the knife with her own body.

But why? She didn't know about my weak spot. No one did.

Reyna shook her head, as more people glanced towards the couple, just as confused as astounded.

I locked eyes with the enemy demigod. He wore an eye patch under his war helm: Ethan Nakamura, the son of Nemesis. Somehow he'd survived the explosion on the Princess Andromeda. I slammed him in the face with my sword hilt so hard I dented his helm.

"Still didn't hurt him," muttered Jason with an unreadable expression.

"Get back!" I slashed the air in a wide arc, driving the rest of the demigods away from Annabeth. "No one touches her!"

"Interesting," Kronos said.

"Oh, no," Reyna straightened in her seat.

He towered above me on his skeletal horse, his scythe in one hand.

He studied the scene with narrowed eyes as if he could sense that I'd just come close to death, the way a wolf can smell fear.

"You're so screwed."

"I can't believe it was possible to be more screwed."

"Bravely fought, Percy Jackson," he said. "But it's time to surrender... or the girl dies."

"Percy, don't," Annabeth groaned. Her shirt was soaked with blood. I had to get her out of here.

Many looked torn as they looked at Annabeth, probably unable to decide what they'd do, although many also looked away from her, fairly sure what they'd do.

"Blackjack!" I yelled.

As fast as light, the pegasus swooped down and clamped his teeth on the straps of Annabeth's armor. They soared away over the river before the enemy could even react.

"God bless the horses."

"I think he already did."

Kronos snarled. "Some day soon, I am going to make pegasus soup. But in the meantime . . ." He dismounted, his scythe glistening in the dawn light. "I'll settle for another dead demigod."

I met his first strike with Riptide. The impact shook the entire bridge, but I held my ground. Kronos's smile wavered.

"Ha," Leo sparked up a bit, "didn't expect that, did ya?"

With a yell, I kicked his legs out from under him. His scythe skittered across the pavement. I stabbed downward, but he rolled aside and regained his footing. His scythe flew back to his hands.

"So . . ." He studied me, looking mildly annoyed. "You had the courage to visit the Styx. I had to pressure Luke in many ways to convince him. If only you had supplied my host body instead . . .

"As if," huffed Annabeth.

But no matter. I am still more powerful. I am a TITAN."

He struck the bridge with the butt of his scythe, and a wave of pure force blasted me backward.

"I feel like it's been said already, but NOT GOOD."

Cars went careening. Demigods-even Luke's own men-were blown off the edge of the bridge.

"Well, that's just dumb."

Suspension cords whipped around, and I skidded halfway back to Manhattan.

I got unsteadily to my feet. The remaining Apollo campers had almost made it to the end of the bridge, except for Michael Yew, who was perched on one of the suspension cables a few yards away from me, His last arrow was notched in his bow.

"Michael, go!" I screamed.

"Percy, the bridge!" he called. "It's already weak!"

"What?"

Many fidgeted in uneasiness. Something bad was going to happen.

At first I didn't understand. Then I looked down and saw fissures in the pavement. Patches of the road were half melted from Greek fire.

"I still don't know what is this shit."

The bridge had taken a beating from Kronos's blast and the exploding arrows.

"Break it!" Michael yelled. "Use your powers!"

It was a desperate thought-no way it would work- but I stabbed Riptide into the bridge. The magic blade sank to its hilt m asphalt.

Salt water shot from the crack like I'd hit a geyser. I pulled out my blade and the fissure grew. The bridge shook and began to crumble.

Chunks the size of houses fell into the East River. Kronos's demigods cried out in alarm and scrambled backward. Some were knocked off their feet. Within a few seconds, a fifty-foot chasm opened in the Williamsburg Bridge between Kronos and me.

The vibrations died. Kronos's men crept to the edge and looked at the hundred-and-thirty-foot drop into the river.

I didn't feel safe, though. The suspension cables were still attached. The men could get across that way if they were brave enough. Or maybe Kronos had a magic way to span the gap.

The Titan lord studied the problem. He looked behind him at the rising sun, then smiled across the chasm. He raised his scythe in a mock salute. "Until this evening, Jackson."

Andrea paused for a longer breath, as she had rushed through, picking up speed along with the tension raising. Many leaned back or let out breaths, too. The situation wasn't looking pretty for a moment there. The chapter proved itself to be incredibly stressful, the tension barely ever lowering, and even if, it was slight and rapid.

He mounted his horse, whirled around, and galloped back to Brooklyn, followed by his warriors.

I turned to thank Michael Yew, but the words died in my throat.

The forum didn't still, but no one was moving either. Somehow, everyone sensed what was about to happen, and having experienced it a lot, grim acceptance hung in the air, waiting to settle in when the words would be spoken.

Twenty feet away, a bow lay in the street. Its owner was nowhere to be seen.

Percy laced his fingers with Annabeth's, neither able to even muster up enough energy to squeeze.

"No!" I searched the wreckage on my side of the bridge. I stared down at the river. Nothing.

I yelled in anger and frustration.

Many hung their heads, grief enclosing on them like a veil.

The sound carried forever in the morning stillness. I was about to whistle for Blackjack to help me search, when my mom's phone rang. The LCD display said I had a call from Finklestein & Associates-probably a demigod calling on a borrowed phone.

I picked up, hoping for good news. Of course I was wrong.

Piper bit her lips together, eyebrows furrowed in pity. She rested her palm on Leo's knee, whose leg wouldn't stop shaking.

"Percy?" Silena Beauregard sounded like she'd been crying. "Plaza Hotel. You'd better come quickly and bring a healer from Apollo's cabin. It's . . . it's Annabeth."

With those last words, Andrea slowly marked the page and closed the book, a long weary sigh escaping her lips as she sat up straight.

"At least it's not too terrible of cliffhanger," said Piper after a moment of silence. "We know you'll be okay."

She received a wan smile from Annabeth in response.

"Who – "Andrea cleared her throat. "Who's gonna read…?"

As a Roman girl was opening her mouth to volunteer, a new voice cut.

"Maybe I can?" Nico, who had barely finished materializing in front of them, started saying, his voice growing less sure, more inaudible with each letter, to transform into a mumble.

To be fair, Percy thought, he couldn't blame him with how some people were staring at him.