Author's Note:

Okayyyy, first of all sorry for the delay, and the incredibly long author's note that's about to follow, but I have to get all of it out there.

I haven't been able to use my computer as much as I'd like to, and when I did get on, I only had enough time for homework, and messages. But, all should be running smoothly again for the time being.

Anyway, while I was writing this chapter, I spent a little bit searching for stories. I came across one that wasn't actually a story, but a request for someone else to write one. A conversation started, one or two ideas were thrown around, and a conclusion was quickly reached.

No, I haven't taken on a story if that's what you're wondering.

Anyway, back on point, let me ask you a question.

Have you been reading PJO FanFics for a while? Do you want to try your hand at writing them, but don't have any ideas? Well, the conclusion we reached, is this. This person in our little fandom here, has a 'story' where they post story ideas for other people to use, to adapt and build from if they wish to.

If this sounds like it interests you, go to the search bar, change to 'Writer', and type in the user name, 'PercyjacksonRxs'

The only story they have there is where they post their ideas.

Another thing. Guess what? FanFiction was half-down when I went to post this. I would've been up earlier, but I couldn't access my profile, settings or anything. It was seriously annoying. You know what else is annoying? Writing author's notes in a different tense. Because you guys seeing this means everything is hunky dory again, but as I'm writing these very words, in the past. For you. It's actually the present for me. Or something.

Parts of FanFiction are down, basically. Or they were… or uhhhhhHHHHHHHHHHGGGHHGH*BRAIN EXPLODES*.

One last thing. This happened after I wrote everything here, it isn't a reason for the late update. Chances are you've heard of Imagine Dragons. How many of you like their music too? Well on their Smoke + Mirrors tour, they came to Melbourne, here in Australia, which isn't too far from where I live. I went to the concert! ARGGHH, absolutely incredible. Their delivery on I'm So Sorry was absolutely astounding, and don't even get me started on Radioactive. They did a cover of Midnight Oil too, fantastic.

Anyway, enough dawdling, you want the story don't you? Well here it is.

Disclaimer: I don't own PJO.

Chapter 9

Army of the Dammed

The naiads took them upstream, true to their word, but could take them no further when they came across a giant dam, and Percy had to crane his head completely vertically just to see the top.

The naiads left them by the river's edge, and were gone fast as lightning.

Ye Olde Hunter-Girl pointed to a road leading to the top of the dam. "That is the only way forward from here. Let's go."

Percy started noticing that she only used old English words when she was angry, or emotional. She always spoke in a regal way, but the words were dependant on her mood it seemed.

The others set off, but Ye Olde Hunter-Girl walked at slower pace. When Percy went to pass her, her hand shot out and gripped his arm.

"Wait."

He looked to her, frowning.

"Back in the junk yard… I believe if thee hadn't given Bianca the lion pelt, she wouldn't have survived."

"I'm not sure it did anything. She seems in pretty bad shape."

"Yes, but if it weren't for the pelt, she would've been crushed completely." She sighed. "But yes, unfortunately, thee has a point about her condition. I suspect broken ribs, and I'm afraid that her leg wound will become infected despite my best efforts. Celestial Bronze is never good for Demigods…

"Well, okay then, but we need to catch up with-"

"Just one more thing."

She hesitantly lifted up her hand, and held it out to Percy.

"I know, you are introduced to the others. So… I am, Zoë. Zoë Nightshade."

He shook her hand. "Perseus. Percy for short."

"Come. We'll catch up with the others."

Catching up to the others wasn't a problem, as it still took an hour to find the right path up to the top.

Once up there, Grover started sniffing the air, looking around nervously. Percy couldn't stand it anymore.

"Why do you do that?" He asked.

Grover looked turned around, and frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, why do you keep smelling things? It's been bugging me."

"Oh. I'm a satyr, simple."

"A what now?"

"I'm not a demigod, I'm half-goat." To prove it, he stopped for a second and removed his shoe… and his foot, which came off with it. Underneath the false foot, was a cloven hoof.

Percy stared for a few second, and sighed. "How weird are things going to get on this trip?"

Grover thought for second. "For you? About six times weirder. For us, this is mostly your average experience. You know, minus one or two near death experiences. Anyway, I was smelling for monsters, but the wind, the desert… it makes it hard to be accurate, but I can smell something."

"Really? Can you tell from which direction?"

"All of them."

Percy paled a little. "Oh, well that's brilliant. A giant robot with a sword wasn't enough was it?"

"Automaton." Grover corrected.

"Oh whatever."

Thalia spoke to everyone. "Okay, it's been a bit since we had a chance for proper food. There's a snack bar in the visitor centre. Who votes we go there?"

Everyone put their hand up.

"Yes, a good idea. We should eat while we can." Zoë said, "Let us find the dam snack bar."

Percy tried to hold back a smirk.

Grover had the same idea by the looks of it. "The dam snack bar?" He said, smiling.

Zoë frowned. "Yes… what is so amusing?"

"Nothing, but I could use some dam French fries."

Percy tried to repress a laugh. Even Thalia and Bianca had started grinning.

"And I need to use the dam restroom." Thalia said.

Can't. Hold. Back. Giggles.

"Is there a dam doctor around here?" Bianca said

ARGHHHHHHHH!

When Percy let loose the laughter, if was infectious, and everyone doubled over. Except Zoë of course, who was standing there, looking mildly annoyed and very confused.

When finally the laughter died down, Zoë was practically giving everyone the death glare.

"So? The snack bar?" She said, crossing her arms.

They got to the café, and the moment they saw the place that did burritos and enchiladas, Grover was adamant they have lunch there. Eventually, the others couldn't be bothered arguing anymore, and agreed.

Everyone only had enough money for themselves, so Percy had to liberate a wallet from the pocket of a passing businessman with a grumpy look on his face.

His day is about to be a whole lot grumpier.

Percy rejoined the others at the enchilada queue.

Bianca turned to him. "I thought you didn't have any money on you?"

Percy took the wallet out of his pocket for a second. "Problem solved."

Zoë, standing a bit to the side of him, also saw.

She glared at him, "Percy, I know habits can be hard to shake, but no more stealing for the rest of the journey, ok? I will not have this quest become a crime spree. Promise me that." She said in a hushed tone, so they weren't overheard.

Percy faked a sigh, and said "Sure, whatever."

Inside his left pocket, his fingers were crossed.

Percy being Percy, his luck never held out.

They had just sat down, and Grover was lifting his food to his mouth. But he froze mid bite, and it fell out of his hand.

Percy frowned. "What's wrong Grover?"

He followed where his line of sight, behind him and he saw-

Oh.

The windows of the café wrapped around the observation floor, which provided a wonderful view of the surrounding desert, dam, and a small army of skeletons who'd come here to kill them.

There were about two skeletons standing on the east side of the dam, and three on the west. All of them had batons and handguns strapped to their sides.

"Uh, guys…" Percy tapped the arms of Thalia and Bianca, who were sitting either side of him.

Everyone looked out the window.

"We can't catch a break can we?" Bianca said.

But, they weren't the threat. Another three skeletons appeared on the stairs, each of them clattering their teeth, hands on the guns in their holsters.

"I hear anywhere that's not here is great this time of year." Percy suggested.

"The elevator in particular." Grover said.

They took one step towards it when the doors opened, and another three skeletons walked out.

"Damn skeletons…" Percy said.

"Percy! Now's not the time for dam puns!" Thalia berated.

Percy cringed. "It wasn't intended."

"Everyone, I have a plan." Grover said.

That lifted Percy's spirits a little. Would the plan involve some diversion? Maybe a surprise attack. Maybe he even had a ninja smoke bomb. It wouldn't completely surprise him.

Except the 'plan', was none of these things. Instead, the 'plan', was for Grover to pick up his Guacamole Grande, yell "BURRITO FIGHT!", and hurl it at the nearest skeleton.

Apparently Burritos are deadlier than they look. The food-based projectile flew through the air, hit the skeleton in the face and knocked its skull clean off.

The other kids in the cafeteria absolutely lost their minds, and started hurling their food, drinks and trays everywhere.

A tray flew out of nowhere like a frisbee, and somehow decapitated one the skeletons on the stairs. The other was tackled down them by a hyperactive six year old.

All of a sudden, the way was clear.

"Let's go!" Bianca said, ducking for a moment to dodge a stray burrito.

"What now?" Grover asked after they burst through the doors, to outside.

The skeletons on either side of the dam were closing in, and there were still three in the building behind them. That left forward, to a plaza with two winged bronze statues.

As they ran forward, Percy couldn't tear his eyes from them.

Because they weren't statues.

Like Fred the god, back on the train, these also emitted their own aura. It wasn't anywhere near as powerful, but… there were two parts to it.

The first thing he felt, was wind, lightning. The smell of ozone. The second thing was the sounds, whirs and clanks of a machine.

What did Grover call Talos?

An automaton. These statues are automatons.

"Somebody, get those up and running!" Percy yelled as they reached the plaza.

"What?" Grover replied.

"Trust me! Does anyone here have anything to do with the sky?!"

Then Thalia turned to Percy. "Yeah, why?"

"You gotta get those working…" Percy said, pointing to the winged automatons.

"Yeah? And how know this how?"

"I'm not actually sure. But come one, just try something, anything!"

"Oh damn it! Fine." She said, turning to them.

When Percy turned back towards the way they came from, he panicked.

Bianca, being badly injured, couldn't keep up. She was limping across the road. But at least, Zoë did remember, and was helping her, slinging her arm over her shoulder.

The five skeletons from either side of the dam where closing in.

As if they weren't enough, behind them, three skeletons walked out the doors from the cafeteria. They drew the guns from their side, and took aim, along with the rest.

Bianca still had the lion pelt, but her head was vulnerable, and Zoë was completely unprotected.

Percy went to run forward, "BEHIND YOU!"

Just as Zoë went to turn around, the skeletons opened fire.

That was also when the winged automatons landed in front of them, spreading their metallic wings to shield them from the coming gunfire.

I knew it. I don't know how I knew it, but I did.

The automaton statues turned to the skeletons, their wings crashing into them, shattering and sweeping them away in the process.

They kicked away any that remained standing like they were little more than bugs.

Zoë and Bianca reached the rest of the group, staring at the statues in awe, along with the others. Thalia seemed the most surprised of all of them.

The statues turned to the group.

"Ahh. Thanks for waking us up, haven't stretched in a long time." One automaton said.

"Oh man, Hank, look at your toes!" The other said.

"Yeah… oh Hades! What in the name of Olympus were all those tourists thinking? Hank said. "Uh, Chuck, they did it to you too-"

Percy saw the scattered skeletons over on the road. The different pieces were rolling towards each other, reforming.

"Uh, winged automaton dudes? There's a situation…" Percy said, motioning to the reforming skeletal army of the dam.

"Get us outta here!" Thalia yelled.

The one called Hank looked to her. "Ah, you're the one who woke us? Zeus's kid, right?"

"That's me!"

The automatons looked to each other, and shrugged. "Eh, why not, could stretch out our wings." The one called Chuck said.

Then the one called Hank picked up Percy and Thalia in each hand. Chuck picked up Grover in one hand, and scooped up Zoë and Bianca in the other.

With one great beat of their wings, they lifted up off the dam, already the skeletons looked like specks on the ground.