A/N: I don't own the rights to any of the Percy Jackson series or it's characters. That right goes to Rick Riordan. I also don't own the rights to Animorph including it's title.

I am, however, the person who posted 'The Tales of...' series.

This is not a crossover of the Percy Jackson series with the book/tv series Animorph, despite what you might think from the title. I just thought it be a proper name for the ability to turn into animals since that's why the tv/book series 'Animorph' was called that in the first place.

If you haven't read this yet, read:

Animorph Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Animorph Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters

Even the Nemean Lion Cannot Stand Skunks

The moment I broke through the doors of the Natural History Museum, I shapeshifted back to human form, but did not stop running even after I burst into the Air and Space Museum and took off Annabeth's invisibility cap after I was through the admissions area.

The main part of the museum was one huge room with rockets and airplanes, hanging from the ceiling. Three levels of balconies curled around so you could look at the exhibits from all different heights. The place was not crowded, just a few families and a couple of tour groups of kids, probably doing one of those holiday school trips. I wanted to yell at them all to leave, but I figured that would only get me arrested. I had to find Thalia and Grover and the Hunters. I might have got the scarf, but there was still that surprise to worry about.

I literally ran into Thalia. I was barreling up the ramp to the top-floor balcony and slammed into her, knocking her into an Apollo space capsule.

Grover yelped in surprise.

Before I could regain my balance, Zoë and Bianca had arrows notched, aimed at my chest. Their bows had just appeared out of nowhere.

When Zoë realized who I was, she did not seem anxious to lower her bow. "You! How dare you show thy face here?"

"Percy!" Grover said. "Thank goodness."

Zoë glared at him, and he blushed. "I mean, um, gosh. You're not supposed to be here!"

"Luke," I said, trying to catch my breath. "He's here."

The anger in Thalia's eyes immediately melted. She put her hand on her silver bracelet. "Where?"

I told them about the Natural History Museum, Dr. Thorn, Luke, and the General.

"The General is here?" Zoë looked stunned. "That is impossible! You lie."

"I'm not lying. Look, I bought us time with the skeleton warriors—"

"What?" Thalia demanded. "How many?"

"Twelve, but I bought us time by taking this"—I showed the silver scar— "before they could memorized the scent. But we got another problem. The General said he was sending a 'playmate,' to distract you over here. A monster."

Thalia and Grover exchange looks.

"We were following Artemis' trail," Grover said. "I was pretty sure it led here. Some powerful monster scent… She must have stopped here looking for the mystery monster. But we haven't found anything yet."

"Zoë," Bianca said nervously, "if it is the General—"

"It cannot be!" Zoë snapped. "Percy must have seen an Iris-message or some other illusion."

"Illusions don't crack marble floors," I told her.

Zoë took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. I did not know why she was taking it so personally, or how she knew this General guy, but I figured now was not the time to ask.

"If Percy is telling the truth about the skeleton warriors," she said, "we have no time to argue. I have no doubt they have a backup to use to track us. They are the worst, most horrible… We must leave now."

"Good idea," I said.

"I was not including thee, boy," Zoë said. "You are not part of this quest."

Thalia scowled. "He just risked a lot helping us, Zoë."

"You never had any wisdom when it came to boys," Zoë growled. "You never could leave them behind."

Thalia looked like she was about to hit Zoë. Then everyone froze. I heard a growl so loud I thought one of the rocket engines was starting up.

Below us, a few adults screamed. A little kid's voice screeched with delight: "Kitty!"

Something enormous bounded up the ramp. It was the size of a pick-up truck, with silver claws and golden glittering fur. I had seen this monster once before. Two years ago, I had glimpsed it briefly from a train. Now, up close, and personal, it looked even bigger.

"The Nemean Lion," Thalia said. "Don't move."

The lion roared so loud it parted my hair. Its fangs gleamed like stainless steel.

"Separate on my mark," Zoë said. "Try to keep it distracted."

"Until when?" Grover asked.

"Until I think of a way to kill it. Go!"

I uncapped Riptide and rolled to the left. Arrows whistled past me, and Grover played a sharp tweet-tweet cadence on his reed pipes. I turned and saw Zoë and Bianca climbing the Apollo capsule. They were firing arrows, one after another, all shattering harmlessly against the lion's metallic fur. The lion swiped the capsule and tipped it on its side, spilling the Hunters off the back. Grover played a frantic, horrible tune, and the lion turned toward him, but Thalia stepped into its path, holding up Aegis, and the lion recoiled. "ROOOAAAR!"

"Hi-yah!" Thalia said. "Back!"

The lion growled and clawed the air, but it retreated as if the shield were a blazing fire. But then the lion started crouching as it is leg muscles tensing. I had seen enough shows on Animal Planet to know many big cats does to pounce.

I drop on all four as fur sprout all over my body, my teeth sharpened as my mouth pushout in a snout and hair grew around my head into a mane. I turned into an African Lion.

I let out a mighty roar, and sprang at the lion. I raked my claws at it, only for my claws to break against its metallic fur.

I manage to shape shift back to human form as the lion raked me with its own claws, taking a chunk out of my coat.

I drop down to all four as fur covered my body and tail sprang from my hind in as I took form of a spider monkey.

The lion sprang at me, but I turned and jump with ease.

I landed on the wing of an old-fashion silver airplane.

An arrow whizzed past my head. The lion jumped onto the aircraft, and the cords holding the plane began to groan.

I jumped down to the next exhibit, a weird-looking spacecraft with blades like a helicopter, before the lion could take another swipe at me. I looked up and saw the lion roar—inside its maw, a pink tongue and throat. The inside of its mouth is vulnerable.

The problem is the lion moves too quickly. Between its claws and fangs, it be difficult. I just got the animal form that might slow it down, but I cannot use it up here.

I jumped down from the spaceship onto the top of a floor exhibit, a huge model of the earth. From there I jumped down to the floor and shapeshifted back to human.

The Nemean Lion growled and steadied itself on the spacecraft, but its weight was too much. One of the cords snapped. As the display swung down like a pendulum, the lion leaped off onto the model earth's North Pole.

"Zoë, when you have the shot, aim for it's mouth!" I shouted.

I dropped down on all four as black and white fur sprouted all over my body. I shapeshifted into a skunk.

Thalia jumped down across from me as I started stomping my front paws. The lion jumped down. I turned around and did a head stand as the lion leaped at me. Then I released skunk spray right at the lion's face.

The lion's eyes got wide and it gagged and swatted it is face as if trying to get rid of the smell. But I was not done as I shot more skunk spray at it just as the lion opened its mouth again.

The lion's eyes bugged. It reared up on its back paws, trying to get away from me.

Then six arrows pierced the lion's maw. The lion thrashed wildly, turned, and fell backward. And then it was still.

Alarms were now wailing through out the museum. People were flocking to the exits. Security guards were trying to calm down the situation.

Grover Zoë and Bianca jumped down but kept their distance from the lion as I turn back into human form.

Zoë eyed me cautiously. "That was… an interesting strategy."

I shrugged. "I skunk sprayed both Scylla and Polyphemus last summer, so I knew it would work on the Nemean Lion."

She did not argue.

The lion seemed to be melting, the dead monsters do sometimes, until there was nothing left but its glittering fur coat, and even that seemed to be shrinking to the size of a normal lion's pelt. Fortunately, the skunk spray seemed to vanish with the rest.

"Take it," Zoë told me. "It's a spoil of war. It is rightly thine."

"You killed it," I said.

She shook her head, almost smiling. "Not without thy skunk spray. Fair is fair, Percy Jackson. Take the fur."

I lifted it up; it was surprisingly light. The fur was smooth and soft. It did not feel at all like something that could stop a blade. As I watched, the pelt shifted and changed into a coat-a full-length golden-brown duster.

"Not exactly my style," I murmured.

"Uh, guys, the guards are eyeing us," Grover said.

Sure, enough the guards were watching us.

"Let me handle them." Thalia stepped toward the guards and snapped her fingers. There was that familiar breeze from Westover, and she started talking to the guards.

"I really need to learn how to do that," I grumbled.

"We got something else to worry about," Zoë said. "Look."

Through the glass walls of the museum, I could see a group of men walking across the lawn. Gray men in gray camouflage outfits. They were too far away for us to see their eyes, but I could feel their gaze aiming at us.

"Go," I said. "I'll distract them."

"No," Zoë said. "We go together."

I stared at her. "But you said—"

"You are part of this quest now," Zoë said grudgingly. "I do not like it, but there is no changing fate. You are the fifth quest member. And we are not leaving anyone behind."

A/N: Happy Halloween Everyone!

Also sorry about the technical issues you may of had when I first posted this chapter. I tried everything to fix it myself, but I still had issues so I send an email to the person in charge of the fanfiction site. If you're reading this, it means they finally fix it.