Disclaimer: I do NOT own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or its characters.

It didn't take me long to pack. I decided I would take a change of clothes, my Yankees cap, my celestial bronze knife, and a book on famous classical architecture for when I got bored.

Chiron gave Percy and I each a canteen of nectar and a Ziploc bag full of ambrosia squares, to be used only in emergencies, if we were seriously hurt.

Grover wore his fake feet and his pants to pass as human. He wore a green rasta-style cap, because when it rained you could see his horns. In his backpack he has scrap metal and apples for him to snack on. And finally, in his pocket was a set of reed pipes.

Percy just had a set of spare clothes and a toothbrush, along with some ambrosia and nectar, in his backpack.

We waved good-bye to the other campers, took one last look at the strawberry fields, the ocean, and the Big House, then hiked up Half-Blood Hill to the tall pine tree that used to be my best friend, Thalia, daughter of Zeus.

Chiron was waiting for us in his wheelchair. Next to him stood the camp's head of security, Argus.

"This is Argus," Chiron told Percy. "He will drive you into the city, and, er, well, keep an eye on things."

I heard footsteps behind us.

Luke came running up the hill, carrying a pair of basketball sneakers.

"Hey!" he panted. "Glad I caught you."

I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks.

"Just wanted to say good luck," Luke told Percy. "And I thought…um, maybe you could use these."

He handed Percy the sneakers, which looked pretty normal.

Luke said, "Maia!"

White bird's wings sprouted out of the heels, startling Percy so much, he dropped them. The shoes flapped around on the ground until the wings folded up and disappeared.

"Awesome!" Grover said.

Luke smiled. "Those served me well when I was on my quest. Gift from Dad. Of course, I don't use them much these days…" his expression turned sad.

"Hey, man," Percy said. "Thanks."

"Listen, Percy…" Luke looked uncomfortable. "A lot of hopes are riding on you. So just…kill some monsters for me, okay?"

They shook hands. Luke patted Grover's head between his horns,then he gave a good-bye hug to me.

After Luke was gone, Percy told me, "You're hyperventilating."

"Am not."

"You let him capture the flag instead of you, didn't you?"

"Oh…why do I want to go anywhere with you, Percy?"

I stomped down the other side of the hill, where a white SUV waited on the shoulder of the road. Argus followed me, jiggling his car keys.

Soon after, Grover came by, looking like a possessed lawn mower coming towards the van.

Percy, finally, caught up with us and got in the van.

A couple minutes later Argus drove us out of the countryside and into western Long Island.

"So far so good," Percy told me. "Ten miles and not a single monster."

I'm pretty sure I looked just as irritated as I felt. "It's bad luck to talk that way, seaweed brain."

"Remind me again-why do you hate me so much?"

"I don't hate you."

"Could've fooled me."

I folded my cap of invisibility. "Look…we're just not supposed to get along, okay? Our parents are rivals."

"Why?"

I sighed. This is going to be a long quest, I thought. "How many reasons do you want? One time my mom caught Poseidon with his girlfriend in Athena's temple, which is hugely disrespectful. Another time, Athena and Poseidon competed to be the patron god for the city of Athens. Your dad created some stupid saltwater spring for his gift. My mom created the olive tree. The people saw that her gift was better, so they named the city after her."

"They must really like olives."

"Oh, forget it."

"Now, if she'd invented pizza--that I could understand."

"I said, forget it!"

Traffic slowed us down in Queens. By the time we got into Manhattan it was sunset and starting to rain.

Argus dropped us at the Greyhound Station on the Upper East Side.

Argus unloaded our bags, made sure we got our bus tickets, then drove away, the eye on the back of his hand opening to watch us as he pulled out of the parking lot.

Grover started talking with Percy while I stayed back and followed them.

The rain kept coming down.

We got restless waiting for the bus and decided to play some Hacky Sack with one of Grover's apples. I was unbelievable! I could bounce the apple off my knee, my elbow, my shoulder, whatever. Percy wasn't too bad himself.

The game ended when Percy tossed the apple toward Grover and it got too close to his mouth. In one mega goat bite, our Hacky Sack disappeared--core, stem, and all.

Grover blushed. He tried to apologize, but Percy and I were to busy cracking up.

Finally the bus came. As we stood in line to board, Grover started looking around, sniffing the air like he smelled his favorite food--enchiladas.

"What is it?" Percy asked.

"I don't know," he said tensely. "Maybe it's nothing."

But I could tell it wasn't nothing.

I was relieved when we finally got onboard and found seats together in the back of the bus. We stowed our backpacks. I kept slapping my Yankees cap nervously against my thigh.

"Percy." I said as the last passengers got on.

I recognized them easily as the Kindly Ones. I could tell Percy recognized them to because he scrunched down in his seat.

They sat in the front row, right behind the driver. The two on the aisle crossed their legs over the walkway, making an X. it was casual enough, but it sent a clear message: nobody leaves.

The bus pulled out of the station, and we headed through the slick streets of Manhattan.

"She didn't stay dead long," Percy said. "I thought you said they could be dispelled for a lifetime."

"I said if you're lucky," I said. "You're obviously not."

"All three of them," Grover whimpered. "Di immortales!"

"It's okay," I said. "The Furies. The three worst monsters from the Underworld. No problem. No problem. We'll just slip out the windows."

"They don't open," Grover moaned.

"A back exit?" I suggested.

There wasn't one. Even if there had been, it wouldn't have helped much.

"They won't attack us with witnesses around," Percy said. "Will they?"

"Mortals don't have good eyes," I reminded him. "Their brains only process what they see through the Mist."

"They'll see three old ladies killing us, won't they?"

They probably would, but the Mist could manipulate it. "It's hard to say. But we can't count on mortals for help. Maybe an emergency exit in the roof…?"

We hit the Lincoln Tunnel, and the bus went dark except for the running lights down the aisle. It was eerily quiet without the sound of the rain.

The first Fury got up. In a flat voice she announced to the whole bus: "I need to use the restroom."

"So do I," said the second Fury.

"So do I," said the third Fury.

They all started coming toward the aisle. They probably came here for Percy…

"I've got it," I said. "Percy, take my hat."

"What?"

"You're the one they want. Turn invisible and go up the aisle. Let them pass you. Maybe you can get to the front and get away."

"But you guys--"

"There's an outside chance they might not notice us," I said. "You're a son of the Big Three. Your smell might be overpowering."

"I can't just leave you."

"Don't worry about us," Grover said. "Go!"

He took the Yankees cap and put it on.

The Furies continued coming toward us.

One stopped, sniffing, and looked straight at an empty row.

Percy's probably there.

Apparently she didn't see anything. She and her sisters kept going.

We were almost through the Lincoln Tunnel now.

The Furies surrounded us, lashing their whips, hissing: "Where is it? Where?" It?

"He's not here!" I yelled. "He's gone!"

The Furies raised there whips.

I drew my bronze knife. Grover grabbed a tin can from his snack bag and prepared to throw it.

Suddenly, the bus jerked to the left. Everybody howled as they were thrown to the right.

"Hey!" the driver yelled. "Hey--whoa!"

Wait a minute. If the bus driver didn't do that, then who did? Percy.

We careened out of the Lincoln Tunnel and back into the rainstorm.

Somehow, the driver found an exit. We shot off the highway, through half a dozen traffic lights, and ended up barreling down one of those New Jersey rural roads where you can't believe there's so much nothing right across the river from New York.

Then, somebody hit the emergency brake.

The bus wailed, spun a full circle on the wet asphalt, and crashed into the trees. The emergency lights came on. The door flew open. The bus driver was the first one out, the passengers yelling as they stampeded after him.

The Furies regained their balance. They lashed whips at me while I waved my knife and yelled in Ancient Greek, telling them to back off. Grover threw tin cans.

Percy, being the idiot he is, took off the invisible hat.

"Hey!" he yelled.

The Furies turned. The middle one stalked up the aisle while her two sisters hopped on top of the seats on either side of her and crawled toward him.

"Perseus Jackson," she said. "You have offended the gods. You shall die."

"I liked you better as a math teacher," he told her.

She growled.

Grover and I moved up behind the Furies cautiously, looking for an opening.

Percy took a ballpoint pen out of his pocket and uncapped it. It elongated into a shimmering double-edge sword.

The Furies hesitated.

"Submit now," she hissed. "And you will not suffer eternal torment."

"Nice try," he told her.

"Percy, look out!" I shouted.

The Fury lashed her whip around his sword hand while the Furies on either side lunged at him.

He hit the Fury on the left with the sword's hilt, sending her toppling back into a seat. He turned and sliced the one on the right. As soon as the blade connected with her neck, she screamed and exploded into dust. I got the middle one in a wrestler's hold and yanked her backward while Grover ripped the whip out of her hands.

"Ow!" he yelled. "Ow! Hot! Hot!"

The Fury Percy hilt-slammed came at him again, talons ready, but he swung his sword and she exploded into dust.

The one I had was trying to get me off her back. She kicked, clawed, hissed and bit, but I held on while Grover got her legs tied up in her own whip. Finally we both shoved her backward into the aisle. She tried to get up, but she didn't have room to flap her wings, so she kept falling down.

"Zeus will destroy you!" she promised. "Hades will have your soul!"

"Braccas meas vescimini!" Percy yelled.

Eat my pants?

Thunder shook the bus.

"Get out!" I yelled at Percy. "Now!"

We rushed outside and found the other passengers wandering around in a daze, arguing with the driver, or running around in circles yelling, "We're going to die!"

"Our bags!" Grover realized. "We left our--"

BOOOOOM!

The windows of the bus exploded as the passengers ran for cover. Lightning shredded a huge crater in the roof, but an angry wail from inside told me the Fury was not yet dead.

"Run!" I said. "She's calling for reinforcements! We have to get out of here!"

We plunged into the woods as the rain poured down, the bus in flames behind us, and nothing but darkness ahead.