Percy Jackson Champion of the Primordials

Chapter 19

It was a New Jersey highway. It was a Saturday evening, so the traffic wasn't as bad as it might've been on a weekday. The drivers looked awake, but the cars were moving at about one mile per hour. Birds flew overhead in slow motion. "Kronos," I said. "He's slowing down time." "Hecate might be helping," Katie said. "Look how the cars all veering away from the Manhattan exits, like their getting a subconscious message to turn back." "I don't know," Annabeth said frustrated. She hated not knowing something.

"But somehow they've surrounded Manhattan in a layer of magic. The outside world might not even realize something is wrong. Any mortals coming towards will slow down so much they won't know what's happening." "Like flies in amber," Jake murmured while she nodded. "We shouldn't expect any help.

I looked towards my friends. They looked stunned and scared and I couldn't blame them. The shield had shown at least three hundred enemies on the way. They were forty of us. And we were alone.

"All right," I said. "We're going to hold Manhattan." "Um Percy," Silena tugged on her armor. "Manhattan is huge." "We are going to hold it," I said. "We have to." "He's right," Annabeth said surprising me since she never agrees with me. "Don't act so surprised Seaweed Brain." She said turning towards the campers. "The gods of the wind should keep Kronos's forces away from Olympus by air, so he'll try a ground assault. We have to cut the entrances to the island."

"They have boats," Michael pointed out as a electric tingle went down my back. Suddenly I understood Athena's advice: Remember the rivers. "I'll take care of the boats," I said while Michael frowned. "How?" "Just leave it to me," I said. "We need to guard the bridges and tunnels. Let's assume they'll try a midtown or downtown assault, at least on their first try. That would be the most direct way to the Empire State Building." I said grabbing a map and setting it on the ground.

"Michael, take Apollo's cabin to the Williamsburg Bridge. Katie, take Demeter's cabin to the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel. Do whatever you have to do, but keep them out of there! Connor, take half of the Hermes Cabin and cover the Manhattan Bridge. Travis, you take the other half and cover the Brooklyn Bridge. And no stopping for looting or pillaging!" "Awww!" The whole Hermes cabin complained.

"Silena, take Aphrodite's cabin to the Queens-Midtown Tunnel." "Oh my gods," one of her sisters said. "Fifth Avenue is so on our way! We could accessorize, and monsters, like, totally hate the smell of Givenchy." "No delays," I said. "Well...the perfume thing, if you'll think it'll work."

Six Aphrodite girls kissed me on the cheek in excitement. "Alright enough!" I closed my eyes, trying to think of what I'd forgotten. "The Holland Tunnel. Jake, take the Hephaestus cabin there. Use Greek Fire, set traps. Whatever you've got." I said while he grinned. "Gladly. We've got a score to settle. For Beckendorf!" The whole cabin roared in approval.

"The 59th Street Bridge," I said. "Clarisse-" I faltered. Clarisse wasn't here. The whole Ares cabin, curse them, were sitting back at camp. "We'll take that," Annabeth stepped in, saving me from an embarrassing silence. She turned towards her siblings, "Malcolm, take the Athena cabin, activate plan twenty-three along the way, just like I showed you. Hold that position." "You got it." "I'll go with Tyler," she said. "Then we'll join you, or go wherever we're needed."

"No detours, you too." Someone said from the back of the group. There were some giggles but I ignored it. "Alright," I said. "Keep in touch with cell phones." "We don't have cell phones." Siilena protested as I reached down and picked up a snoring lady's blackberry and tossed it to her. "You do now. You all know Annabeth's phone number, right? If you need us, pick up a random phone and call us. Use it once, drop it, then borrow another one if you have to. That should make it harder for the monsters to zero in on you." Everyone grinned, as if they like this idea.