✔︎ PERFECT WORLD ━━━━━ p. jackson¹

005.

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. Vivi looked away and hugged the pegasus' neck she was saddled on.

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

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

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 was at least ten feet tall. A double-bladed axe was strapped to his back, but he was too impatient to use it.

As soon as he saw three demigods circling overhead, the monster bellowed and picked up a white limousine.

"Blackjack, dive!" Percy yelled. 

They were at least a hundred feet up, but the limo came sailing toward us, flipping fender over fender like a two-ton boomerang. Vivi ducked and her pegasus ( whose name was Poki, by the way ) took a sharp turn right. Annabeth and Porkpie swerved madly to the left, while Blackjack tucked in his wings and plunged.

Monsters jeered and shouted, and the Minotaur picked up another car. Poki, Porkpie and Blackjack swooped down behind an overturned school bus, where a couple of campers were hiding. Vivi, Annabeth and Percy leaped off as soon as their pegasi's hooves touched the pavement. Then the pegasi soared into the night sky.

Michael Yew ran up to them. He had a bandaged cut on his arm, face was smeared with soot and his quiver was almost empty, but he was smiling like he was having a great time. "Glad you could join us," he said. "Where are the other reinforcements?"

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

"Then we're dead," he said.

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

"Nah," Michael said. "Left it at camp. I told Clarisse she could have it. Whatever, you know? Not worth fighting about anymore. But she said it was too late. We'd insulted her honor for the last time or some stupid thing."

"Least you tried," Percy said.

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

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

"A gift from your dad?" Percy asked. 

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

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," Percy 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?"

Percy drew his sword.

"What the fuck do you think your doing?" Vivi shrilled, which was unexpected of her, "You're not going there alone. Let me come with you."