This chapter has parts copied directly from The Last Olympian and some is paraphrased because it takes place when Percy is giving orders to where the campers will be stationed at the beginning of The Battle of Manhattan. It also gives a little background to the Hunters of Artemis who will be in the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own PJO!

Ariella's POV

I woke with a gasp as I couldn't recognize where I was, I'm moving. Why am I moving?

"Where am I?" I ask those around me

"You're awake! You've been asleep for 5 hours, we're on our way to Manhattan to protect Olympus from Kronos." Will answers from the passenger seat of the van. We got to the Empire State building and all the demigods went up to Olympus. I stayed at the bottom, because I would have no use up there. Also since Hades wasn't allowed on Olympus, I wasn't sure if I would be as the daughter of Thanatos, a servant of Hades. So I hid in the shadows until they back down and started discussing a battle strategy.

I joined I just as Percy said, "I'll take care of the boats,"

Michael frowned. "How?"

"Just leave it to me," he 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. Michael, take Apollo's cabin to the Williamsburg Bridge. Katie, Demeter's cabin takes the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel. Grow thorn bushes and poison ivy in the tunnel. Do whatever you have to do, but keep them out of there! Conner, take half of 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!"

"Awwww!" the whole Hermes cabin complained.

"Silena, take the Aphrodite crew 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 think it'll work."

Six Aphrodite girls kissed me on the cheek in excitement.

"All right, 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."

He grinned. "Gladly. We've got a score to settle. For Beckendorf!"

The whole cabin roared in approval.

"The 59th Street Bridge," he said. "Clarisse—"

Percy faltered. Clarisse wasn't here. The whole Ares cabin, curse them, was sitting back at camp, because the Apollo cabin had wounded their pride.

"We'll take that," Annabeth stepped in, saving him from an embarrassing silence. She turned to 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 Percy," she said. "Then we'll join you, or we'll go wherever we're needed."

Somebody in the back of the group said, "No detours, you two."

There were some giggles, but he ignored them.

"All right," Percy said. "Keep in touch with cell phones."

"We don't have cell phones," Silena protested.

He reached down, picked up some snoring lady's BlackBerry, and tossed it to Silena. "You do now. You all know Annabeth's 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 though they liked this idea.

Travis cleared his throat. "Uh, if we find a really nice phone—"

"No, you can't keep it," He said.

"Aw, man."

"Hold it, Percy," Jake Mason said. "You forgot the Lincoln Tunnel."

Then a girl's voice called from across the street: "How about you leave that to us?"

A band of thirty adolescent girls crossed Fifth Avenue. They wore white shirts, silvery camouflage pants, and combat boots. They all had swords at their sides, quivers on their backs, and bows at the ready. A pack of white timber wolves milled around their feet, and many of the girls had hunting falcons on their arms.

The girl in the lead had spiky black hair and a black leather jacket. She wore a silver circlet on her head like a princess's tiara, which didn't match her skull earrings or her Death to Barbie T-shirt showing a little Barbie doll with an arrow through its head.

"Thalia!" Annabeth cried.

The daughter of Zeus grinned. "The Hunters of Artemis, reporting for duty."

There were hugs and greetings all around . . . or at least Thalia was friendly. The other Hunters didn't like being around campers, especially boys, but they didn't shoot any of us, which for them was a pretty warm welcome.

"Where have you been the last year?" Percy asked Thalia. "You've got like twice as many Hunters now!"

She laughed. "Long, long story. I bet my adventures were more dangerous than yours, Jackson."

"Complete lie," He said.

"We'll see," she promised. "After this is over, you, Annabeth, and me: cheeseburgers and fries at that hotel on West 57th."

"Le Parker Meridien," He said. "You're on. And Thalia, thanks."

She shrugged. "Those monsters won't know what hit them. Hunters, move out!"

"I'll go with them, just in case." I say as I step out of the shadows.

Thalia nods to me. "Let's go," she says as the hunters leave.

I turn and step into a shadow to meet them at Lincoln Tunnel.

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