"Not the time." Hermes grinned

"Party ponies." Tyson grinned

Chiron chuckled.

Midtown was a war zone. We flew over little skirmishes everywhere… squad of dracaenae in the middle of Rockefeller Center.

Hephaestus looked worried.

I was tempted to stop and help, but I could tell from the smoke… A few more minutes and we'd be totally surrounded.

The gods sat forward in worry.

"We have to land where they need us most," I muttered. That's everywhere, boss.

The demigods chuckled.

I spotted a familiar silver owl banner in the southeast corner…blue blood trickling from his nostrils.

"Nice one!" Leo grinned

I hit the pavement running…I hoped she was talking to the giant, not me.

"I was talking to the giant." Annabeth chuckled.

"That's a relief." Percy grinned

Blue Boy bellowed and turned toward her…wider until the giant crumbled in a mountain of blue shards.

The demigods cheered.

"These guys are unbeatable together." Frank laughed

"Thanks." Annabeth winced, trying to catch her breath. "The pig?" "Pork chops," I said.

Everybody laughed.

"Oh yeah baby." Connor grinned

"Good." She flexed her shoulder. Obviously, the wound was still bothering her…Too many were missing.

The gods and demigods looked down.

As the night wore on and the moon got higher…invisibility cap to sneak behind the enemy lines.

"Whoa." Piper said

The Elder Greek demigods nodded.

Whenever a monster disintegrated for no apparent reason with a surprised look on his face, I knew Annabeth had been there.

Annabeth grinned.

But it still wasn't enough. "Hold your lines!" Katie Gardner shouted, somewhere off to my left

Demeter smiled at Katie.

The problem was there were too few of us to hold anything…I couldn't be everywhere at once.

Chiron sighed. He knew how Percy felt above his friends as well.

Behind the enemy troops, a few blocks to the east…He was taking his time advancing, letting me wear myself down.

Poseidon groaned.

"I hate that time power." Chris grumbled

Annabeth appeared next to me. "We have to fall back to the doorway…Even Kronos's honor guard looked uneasy.

The demigods smirked.

"Chiron's party just hit them." Percy smirked.

Then, to our left, a hundred monsters cried out at once…"Yeah, baby!" a voice wailed. "PARTY!"

Everybody laughed. Chiron shook his head.

"They have a different idea of party than us." Silena chuckled.

A shower of arrows arced over our heads and slammed…HORSEZ PWN or KRONOS SUX.

The demigods cheered.

"That he does." Travis laughed

Hundreds of them filled the entire block…his bow in his hand, and he was grinning in satisfaction. "Sorry we're late!"

"Chiron was grinning huh?" Thalia asked

Chiron chuckled.

"Yep." Percy said

"DUDE!" Another centaur yelled. "Talk later…The centaurs trampled everything in their path.

Everybody cheered and laughed.

"Go Party Ponies!" The Stolls whooped.

"Stop running, you fools!" Kronos yelled…The lord of time disappeared under a giant blue butt.

Everybody roared with laughter. The elder six gods looked very amused at the mental image.

We pushed them for several blocks until Chiron yelled…but even with that many, we couldn't defend more than a few blocks.

"You should focus on the present. What you have right now is pretty good." Reyna said

Percy nodded.

"Dude, imagine if we had wolves and all." Connor said

"Connor, could you get anymore random?" Katie sighed

"Hey, I just remembered a movie." Connor defended

"Which one?"

"Blood and Chocolate." Connor grinned

"I like that movie but it's different from the book and they are kind of like shapeshifters. Like werewolves." Percy said

Connor nodded.

"Dude," said a centaur named Larry…"Root beer!" They almost trampled each other as they galloped off.

The demigods snickered and chuckled.

Chiron smiled. Annabeth gave him a big hug…Yes, I'm glad to see you too."

Everybody laughed and chuckled.

Annabeth and Chiron smiled at each other.

"Chiron, thanks," I said. "Talk about saving the day."… He'd be back, tonight at the latest.

"Oh great." Hazel said

"And Typhon?" I asked. Chiron's face darkened…He will heal, but not soon enough to help.

Beckendorf, Leo, Castor, Pollux and Dakota winced and flinched. Dionysus and Hephaestus smiled at their children.

"Well at least they have accelerated healing." Will said. The demigods nodded.

The others still fight. They've managed to slow Typhon's approach…but she managed to get to her feet and stagger off.

Artemis and Zoe looked worriedly at Thalia. Zeus looked tired and exhausted.

Jason frowned.

"Were you okay?" he asked

"I was tired." Thalia said

Jason nodded and sighed.

"I will help her," Chiron decided…but Chiron cantered off, leaving Annabeth and me alone.

Everybody chuckled.

She cleaned the monster slime off her knife…He said…he said we'd be a new family, and it would turn out better than his."

Thalia and Annabeth winced.

Her eyes reminded me of that seven-year-old girl's in the alley…but I could almost see her mind working on the possibilities, maybe starting to hope.

Hermes nodded.

Annabeth sighed.

"You know me well." She smiled at Percy who gave a small smile.

"I didn't want to tell you," I admitted…That was something most demigods could understand.

"Well, we have each other now." Grover smiled

Annabeth nodded and so did the demigods.

"I ran away when I was seven," she said…She held my eyes. "I guess that sounds like my fatal flaw again."

"That's depressing." Rachel said.

The demigods sighed.

Years ago in the Sea of Monsters, Annabeth had told me…"And you'll understand if I keep hoping there's a chance you're wrong."

Triton's jaw tightened. Percy noticed that and kept a hand on his shoulder.

I looked away. I felt like I'd done my best…black hair like he was recovering from a concussion.

"Dad?" Castor asked

Dionysus nodded.

I blinked. "Mr. D?" He sighed, not taking his eyes…"About as long as it'll take for you to figure out my name," I muttered.

Everybody chuckled. Percy shook his head fondly.

"Where are we?" "Why, Bobby Earl's birthday party," Dionysus said. "…But in the meantime, part of my consciousness is here."

Dionysus' kids grimaced.

"At a bar, playing Pac-Man." "Party time," Dionysus said…"Safe little bubble?"

"It is far from a safe little bubble." Travis said

Dionysus nodded.

"No, it wasn't a safe little bubble." He sighed.

"—but believe me, the mortals out here in the heartland are panicking…insignificant life, and it will be as if nothing had happened."

"Insignificant?" Poseidon asked angrily.

"Let it be dad." Percy said

Dionysus grimaced.

"And why did you bring me here?"… "Gee," I said. "Never would've figured that out. Thanks."

Everybody chuckled.

He glared at me and momentarily forgot his game…"Erre es korakas, Blinky!" Dionysus cursed. "I will have your soul!"

Everybody burst out laughing.

"That's my thing. Kind of." Hades grinned at his nephew. Dionysus chuckled.

"Um, he's a video game character," I said…And you're ruining my game, Jorgenson!"

The demigods' laughter increased.

"New nickname!" Thalia announced.

"Hey, only Mr.D is allowed to call me that." Percy grinned. Dionysus chuckled lightly.

Jackson." "Whichever! Now listen, the situation is graver than you imagine…"Ha!" he shouted. "Take that, you pixelated fiends!"

Everybody snickered.

"Um, fabric of civilization," I prompted…I put it on Bobby Earl's tab.

Everybody laughed.

Mr. D took a good long drink. His eyes never left the video game…Otherwise we would not keep you annoying little brats around."

Zeus and Hera grumbled about Dionysus telling him that.

"I feel so wanted. Thanks." "Use the training I have given you at camp.

"What training?" Poseidon asked

"What training?"

Poseidon and Percy smiled at each other.

"You know. All those hero techniques and…No!"… "Yeah, making you proud is real high on my list."

Everybody snickered.

"Your prediction was wrong." Beckendorf said. Dionysus tilted his head.

"Maybe." He said

Percy choked on air.

"What? That almost sounded like a compliment." He said dramatically. Dionysus rolled his eyes.

"You must save Olympus, Pedro! ... I will never achieve a perfect score on this stupid machine."

The demigods and Hermes shuddered at the thought of Luke's body burning away.

Maybe I should've been terrified…wrap my mind around the idea that Dionysus could be a caring father.

Dionysus glared at Percy.

"Sorry." Percy grimaced.

I wondered how many other Olympians were thinking about their demigod children right now.

"Dad was." Triton said.

Percy looked at his dad and smiled. Poseidon gave him, Tyson and Triton a side hug.

"I'll do my best."… "Well, isn't that reassuring

"It actually is. Percy's best means him jumping in front of the danger threatening the person he's supposed to be protecting." Nico said.

Percy smiled at Nico and Pollux smiled at Percy.

Go now. You have some nasty surprises to deal with…"I have to move them. I have to—"

Poseidon felt such panic inside him that he felt that it was an unhealthy for him as well. Then he realized that it was Percy's panic. Percy shouldn't have had to feel such panic at such a young age.

My hands trembled. After all I'd been through over the last few days, I felt so stupid and weak, but the sight of my parents made me want to break down.

"It's understandable, Percy." Chiron said gently.

Percy gave a small smile.

Chiron galloped over. "What's…Oh dear. I see."… And take that stupid jar to Olympus."

"Giving up would certainly make Percy angry especially through that kind of manipulation." Thalia nodded.

Percy sighed.

Chiron nodded. "A good plan. But, Percy…"…but I knew what they said: DARE ENTERPRISES.

Everybody looked at Rachel in worry.

My throat closed up. I looked at Annabeth…swat it out of the sky for coming near the Empire State Building.

"Oh crap." Travis said

Rachel nodded.

"It was very scary." She said

I was too paralyzed to move, but Annabeth whistled…"Come on, Percy," Annabeth growled. "We have to save your friend."

"Thank you." Rachel said

Annabeth smiled and waved it away.

"I'll read." Ares said

Michael gave him the book.