PERCY

"NO!" I shouted as Rachel tried to hold me back. All we could do was watch from just outside the pier. Nearby someone was laughing. I looked up and saw Akheilos walking towards us, sneering.

"So much for his last stand." He jeered. "He may not have been the one that killed my mother, but I'll take it." The skolopendra let out a roar of triumph. But it was cut off as the monster started gagging. Akheilos's smile began to falter. It disappeared completely as the serpent's belly burst open in a fiery explosion.

He still had the detonator, I thought. One by one the warehouses began to explode, starting closest to the fallen monster. Akheilos was so shocked he didn't even try to move as the warehouse next to him blew.

As the smoke cleared, we could see that the mission was a success. No building was left standing. "Every now and then the fool saves the day," I muttered. I had only known him a few hours, but I had liked him.

"Too bad he won't save you," A voice cried out. Akheilos emerged from the rubble. His fin had broken off, his suit was reduced to charred rags, and many of his teeth had broken off. Yet somehow he was alive. By now I was so sick of this guy. Without thinking I charged at him with Riptide. Despite his injuries, the monster still matched me blow for blow, but I could tell he was tiring. "You think this changes anything?" He was half-crazed. "This is just a setback. Kronos will destroy you. Then he will crush Olympus. To think this helped you win the war is a fairy tale!"

"Good thing I'm a great story teller," came a familiar voice from behind him. Akheilos whirled around, dumbstruck. I took advantage of his distraction and stabbed him in the back.

"Say hello to your mom for me," Andrew taunted as he disintegrated. Once the shark was gone I saw Andrew standing in front of me. He was dressed in Greek armor that was covered with spikes. Each of the arm bracers had wicked hooks on them.

"Nice suit," Rachel said. She didn't seem the least bit surprised he was still alive.

"You can see it?" I asked. I assumed the armor was another product of his mask. "But I thought-"

"She can see through my illusions." Andrew explained. "But this is a fully functioning construct. They're harder to whip up and maintain, but they come in quite handy." As he was talking the armor started melting away and his mask reappeared on his face.

"Where'd you come up with that?"

"Thespia," he replied. Then I remembered the last line of the prophecy. "That's right." he said, seeing my look of understanding. "There was once a drakon that terrorized the city in ancient times. It was only defeated when the hero, Menostratus, sacrificed himself to it while wearing spiked armor. I simply modified the plan. The skolopendra was too large to simply choke on me. So I latched onto its throat on the way down, then dropped the last charges I had into its gullet."

"Nice work," I said, patting him on the back. It was all I could think to say. I had never heard a crazier, more brilliant plan. There's no way it should have worked, but it did. Fireball started nuzzling him, delighted that his new friend had survived.

We took a moment to appreciate what we just accomplished. Then Rachel broke the silence by asking, "So shall I call the limo?"

"you guys go ahead." Andrew said, mounting Fireball. "I'd better get this big fella settled at camp. Then it's back to Chicago, I've got a paper due Monday and haven't even gotten started." With that he took off.

"Well," Rachel said later as we rode back to New York. "That was an interesting afternoon." I was about to apologize for getting her into all this. Then I saw her expression, and knew that she was happy she came along.

"I have a feeling that's part of what Andrew does." I said. "The fool provides entertainment. So you're never bored when he's around."