I Do Not Own Percy Jackson.

Chapter IX

Percy Stabs a Mortal

"Hoover Dam." Thalia said. "It's huge." I looked up at the dam and saw people walking on the top. The naiads left grumbling and muttering, I can't blame them. I would be mad too if someone built a wall in my house.

"Seven hundred feet tall." Percy said. "Built in the 1930's."

"Five million cubic acres of water." Thalia added.

"Largest construction project in the United States." Grover sighed. I guess our education system isn't failing us after all.

"How do you know all that?" Zoë asked.

"Annabeth." Percy sounded wistful. "She liked architecture."

"She was nuts about monuments." Thalia said.

"Spouted facts all the time." Grover sniffed. "So annoying."

"I wish she was here." Percy looked down at his feet. I patted him on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile.

"She sounds like an awesome person. I know it's not my place to say this, but… I'm sorry for your loss." I said. Percy, Thalia, and Grover looked at me with wide eyes.

"Oh gods, she's not dead you idiot." Thalia said. "She was captured."

"Oh… oops. Well uh… I'm just gonna pretend I never said that then." My face was bright red from embarrassment. I looked over the canoe; it was so tempting to jump off and swim away.

"We should go up there." Percy pointed up at the dam, ignoring my embarrassing moment. "For her sake. Just to say we've been here."

"You are mad." Zoë replied. "But that's where the road leads. And so sightseeing it is."

It took us nearly an hour to find the road to the top of the dam. When we finally reached it, I was not impressed. The dam was what I expected it to be. A giant wall reaching seven hundred feet, with a giant lake on one side and barren deserts on the other.

"There's a snack bar in the visitor center." Thalia pointed out. Oh good, I was getting hungry.

"You've been here before?" Percy asked.

"Once. To see the guardians." Thalia pointed at the two statues on the far end of the dam. They were angels sitting down, with their wings stretched above their heads. "They were dedicated to Zeus when the dam was built. A gift from Athena."

"Athena built a dam?" I asked. Thalia rolled her eyes and ignored my question.

Idiot. Arcene chided. Hey in my defense that was a perfectly reasonable question to ask. Who knows, maybe Athena got bored one day and decided to build a dam.

Tourists clustered around the statues and huddled around their feet.

"What are they doing?" Percy asked.

"Rubbing the toes. They think it's good luck." Thalia replied.

"Why?" Percy asked with a confused face.

"Mortals get crazy ideas. They don't know the statues are sacred to Zeus, but they know there's something special about them." Thalia shrugged.

"So they do something?" I asked Thalia.

Thalia's face darkened. Oops… I forgot. Daddy issues. "No. They don't do anything. They're just big metal statues."

"Let us find the dam snack bar." Zoë said. "We should eat while we can."

Grover cracked a smile. "The dam snack bar?"

Zoë looked at Grover with a confused face. "Yes. What is so funny?"

"Nothing." Grover said, trying to keep a straight face. "I could use some dam french fries."

"And I need to use the dam restroom." Thalia smiled.

Grover, Percy, and Thalia started cracking up. Zoë blinked her eyes in confusion. "I do not understand."

"Really? It's not that hard to understand. Maybe you need a dam dictionary." I smiled. Percy laughed harder, he was holding his stomach in pain.

Seriously? It's not even that funny. Arcene buzzkilled.

Let them have their fun. They're tired, laughter keeps their mind off of the things they've been through so far. I said.

"Moooo." I picked up a cow's voice from nearby. Percy must've heard it too because his smile slid off his face.

"Did I just hear a cow?" Percy asked while looking around.

"A dam cow?" Thalia laughed. Grover stopped laughing too, and looked just as confused as Percy.

"No." Grover said. "It was definitely a cow."

"I heard it." I raised my hand in the air.

"I hear nothing." Zoë listened.

"Percy you okay?" Thalia asked. Percy looked around in confusion, then turned and faced us.

"Yeah. You guys go ahead. I'll be right in." Percy said.

"What's wrong?" Grover asked.

"Nothing. I… I just need a minute. To think." Percy said. Someone is hiding something, and I'm going to find out what. The others hesitated but eventually turned around and left. I trailed behind them, then hid myself in the crowd of tourists. I saw Percy jogging toward the north edge of the dam, and looked over. It looked like Percy was talking to someone or something. I slowly creeped up and peeked over his shoulders. A half cow, half fish monster looked up at me. It was kinda cute.

"So who's your friend Percy?" I asked. Percy jumped back from shock and nearly hit my face.

"Arcene? Gods, don't scare me like that." I chuckled at Percy's response.

"So?" I asked while looking at the cow monster. The cowfish looked up at me and tilted its head in an adoring way.

"Mooo?" It said.

"Her name is Bessie." Percy sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "I kinda saved her at camp and I guess she somehow swam her way here."

"What are you doing here Bessie?" I asked. Bessie looked up at me and mooed, loudly. It sounded like she was trying to warn us. Bessie did a flip and dived back down into the water.

"Hey!" I turned around and saw a bunch of kids screaming as two burly men blew by them. The men's grey clothes flickered showing skeleton then switching back to clothes.

"We should go." Percy said. I nodded in approval. We bolted to the visitation center, and nearly went up the stairs, but we stopped when we heard tires screeching. A black van stopped on the west side of the dam. The doors slid open and more skeleton warriors poured out of it.

"Well dam." I said.

"Now's now the time!" Percy shouted as he grabbed my arm, dragging me down the stairs. We ran past the metal detectors causing the security guards to yell at us, but we didn't stop. We ran through the exhibit while the guards chased after us, yelling at us to stop. Percy pushed me into an elevator, both of us got in just in time.

"We'll be going down seven hundred feet." The tour guide said. She was a park ranger who had dark hair tied back in a ponytail. "Don't worry ladies and gentlemen, the elevator hardly ever breaks."

"Does this go to the snack bar?" Percy asked her. A few of the tourists started to giggle. The woman turned towards Percy. I could see slight muscle twitches from Percy's body.

"To the turbines, young man." The lady said. "Weren't you listening to my fascinating presentation upstairs?"

"Sorry ma'am, we were probably spacing out." I said while grabbing Percy's arm. The people in the elevator laughed. The lady turned her gaze at me, staring at me through glasses lens; her cold, calculating grey eyes bore into mine. Her eyes widened, as she started at me. I shifted my foot uncomfortably, it felt like she was studying me, as if I was some special science project.

"Is there another way out of the dam?" Percy asked, interrupting the lady's scrutinizing stare.

"It's a dead end. The only way out is the other elevator." A tourist said from the back. The doors to the elevator blinked open.

"Go right ahead folks. Another ranger is waiting for you at the end of the corridor." The lady said. We both walked with the crowd of tourists. "And young man," Percy stopped and turned around; I did the same. The lady took off her glasses showing off her stormy grey eyes. "There is always a way out of those clever enough to find it." The second elevator opened, and I heard the unmistakable clicking noise of the creepy skeletons.

"We need to go." I said to Percy. We both ran to catch up with the group of tourists, through a tunnel carved out of solid rock. The walls of the tunnel was moist, and the air hummed with electricity and running water. We came out on a U-shaped balcony, overlooking running turbines. The tour guide was talking about water supplies in Nevada. I walked behind Percy who was navigating his way through the crowd. He reached down his pocket and pulled out a bronze pen.

"Nice Barnacle boy, a pen should scare the scary monsters away." I said.

"Barnacle Boy?" Percy asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You know, that one show with a sponge living in the sea. Mermaidman and Barnacleboy, UNITE!" I shouted while bumping his fist with mine. Percy rolled his eyes and uncapped his pen. The pen changed forms and soon elongated itself into a bronze bladed sword. That was pretty sick.

"At least you're not calling me seaweed brain, that was getting old. C'mon Mermaid Man, we need to find the others."

We walked towards the end of the balcony. Percy kept looking around, his eyes darting around nervously.

"Be cool man, you look pretty shady." I whispered.

"Sorry." Percy whispered back. "Why are we whispering? My nerves are kinda out of control." I was about to retort with something witty but was cut off from a loud, Chhh! Percy whipped around and stabbed his sword through a girl with red frizzy hair.

"Oh my god!" The girl shouted while dropping her kleenex in surprise. "Do you always kill people when they blow their nose?" The sword passed through her cleanly, as if it was a hologram. She looked pretty ridiculous with a bronze sword impaled through her abdomen.

"You're mortal!" Percy shouted. I facepalmed.

"What's that supposed to mean? Of course I'm mortal! How did you get that sword past security?" She said in disbelief.

"I didn't-wait you can see the sword?"

"Oh gods, I can see why people call you seaweed brain." I grumbled. The girl rolled her green eyes.

"Well it's either a sword, or the biggest toothpick in the world." She said. "And why didn't it hurt me? I mean, not that I'm complaining. Who are you guys? And whoa, what is that you're wearing? Is that made of lion fur?" I looked at Percy's jacket and noticed that it changed to a pelt of fur, then back to a winter coat.

"Huh, I didn't see the fur, now I do." I said. Percy looked at me with a confused face. "You have pretty good vision. It's a lot better than most demigods." I said to the girl.

"Demi-what?" The girl looked bewildered. Percy snapped his fingers in the girl's face, making her scowl. I don't blame her, that was pretty rude.

"You don't see a sword. It's just a ballpoint pen." Percy said.

"Um… no. It's a sword, weirdo." She blinked.

"Gods, was that you trying to use the Mist?" I asked while facepalming. Percy looked at me helplessly.

"Who are you?" Percy demanded, ignoring his embarrassing blunder.

The girl huffed indignantly. "Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Now, are you guys going to answer my questions or should I scream for security?"

"No!" Percy shouted. "I mean, I'm kind of in a hurry. I'm in trouble."

"In a hurry or in trouble?" The girl asked.

"Um, sort of both." The girl looked over Percy's shoulders, and her eyes widened.

"Bathroom!"

"What?" I asked.

"Bathroom! Behind me! Now!" Percy grabbed my arm and pulled me into the boy's bathroom, leaving Rachel Elizabeth Dare outside. Apparently Percy forgot that I was a girl. I got strange looks from men walking past me.

I heard clattering noises and hisses coming closer. Percy gripped his sword, and my arm. He looked like he was about to charge out and take on the skeletons.

"Oh my god! Did you see that kid? It's about time you got here. He tried to kill me! He had a sword, for god's sake. You security guys let a sword-swinging lunatic inside a national landmark? I mean jeez! He ran that way towards those turbine things. I think he went over the side or something. Maybe he fell." Rachel was talking in rapid speed. I was pretty impressed. The skeletons clattered in excitement and soon walked off.

Rachel opened the door. "All clear. But you'd better hurry." Her face was pale, and I noticed that her hands were shaking.

"We owe you one, Rachel Elizabeth Dare." Percy said as he peeked out to see if the coast was clear.

"What are those things." Rachel asked. "They looked like-"

"Skeletons?" I asked. Rachel nodded her head.

"Do yourself a favor." Percy said. "Forget it. Forget you ever saw us."

"Forget you tried to kill me?"

"Yeah that too."

"But who are you?"

"Arcene Chanel." I said while shaking her hand. "I like you. Don't die on me mortal. It would be a waste to see you gone."

"You talk as if you weren't a mortal." I shrugged my shoulders.

"I'm Percy-" Percy started to say, but then paled at the sight of the skeletons turning around. "Gotta go!"

"What kind of name is Percy Gotta-go?" Rachel asked. Percy didn't answer, as he grabbed my arm again and bolted for the exit.

We ran towards the packed cafe, where Thalia, Grover and Zoë sat eating food.

"We need to leave." Percy gasped. "Now!"

"But we just got our burritos." Thalia whined.

Zoë cursed in ancient Greek and stood up. "He's right. Look!" The skeletons were closing in on the cafe. There were two on the east side, three on the west, and all of them were carrying batons and pistols. However our biggest problem were the three skeletons who climbed up the stairs. They saw us across the cafe, and clattered the teeth in excitement.

"Elevator!" Grover yelled. We ran towards the elevator but stopped when the doors opened revealing three more skeletons. We were completely surrounded. But that's when Grover won MVP of the day.

"Burrito fight!" Grover yelled while throwing his burrito at the nearest skeleton. The burrito smacked the skeleton's skull, knocking it clean off it's shoulders. The kids in the cafe started going crazy, and threw their tacos, burritos, and chips. The skeletons were bombarded with food, and crazy kids, throwing them off course. In the chaos Thalia and Percy tackled two skeletons, flying into the condiment table. We all raced down to the stairs, dodging flying burritos, and avoiding insane kids.

"What now?" Grover asked as we burst outside. No one answered. The skeletons were closing in from either direction. We ran towards the mountains where the winged bronze statues were. The skeletons formed a crescent around us. Some of them were covered in ketchup and mustard, while a few had some burritos stuck in their ribcages.

"Four against eleven." Zoë muttered. "And they cannot die."

"Thanks for pointing that out Zoë." I said.

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

"Whoa," Percy said. "Their toes really are bright." I looked back to see Percy staring at the statue's feet.

"Percy!" Thalia said. "This isn't the time." Percy ignored Thalia's comment and kept staring at the statue.

"Thalia, pray to your dad." Percy said.

"He never answers." Thalia glared at Percy.

"Do it!" Percy yelled. The skeletons were slowly creeping up on us.

"No! He won't answer me!" Thalia shouted back.

"Uh, guys? Skeletons? Did you forget?" I asked. Percy ignored me, typical.

"This time is different!" Percy insisted.

"Who says?"

Percy hesitated. "Athena, I think." What? When did barnacle breath meet Athena?

Gods you're dense. The tour guide lady was Athena. Arcene said.

"Try it." Grover pleaded. Thalia looked at Grover, then gave in. She closed her eyes, and started to silently mutter a prayer. The skeletons started to close in. I summoned my bow and readied my arrow. I was about to shoot, but then a giant shadow loomed over my head. I looked up to see a giant wing coming down shielding us from the skeleton's attacks. The statues slashed outward blowing the skeletons aside.

"Man it feels good to stand up!" The angel on the left said.

"Will you look at my toes?" The other said. "Holy Zeus, what were those tourists thinking?"

"Get us out of here!" Thalia yelled. Both angels looked down at her.

"Zeus's kid?"

"Yes!"

"Could I get a please, miss Zeus's kid?" The angel said.

"Please!" Thalia shouted. The angels looked at each other, then shrugged. The statue on the left grabbed me, Zoë, and Grover; while the other grabbed Thalia and Percy. With a huge flap of their wings, we soared off into the sky, leaving behind angry skeletons, and some confused mortals.