Once again, thanks for your reviews. They were a lot more positive than I expected. I'll be kind of busy this next week until at least Friday, but I'll try and update as often as I can. For now, here's chapter 3.

Chapter Three- We Blow Up A Couple of Old Friends

I've fought a lot of monsters before, but none have made quite as big an entrance as these two.

With a mighty roar, two gleaming creatures charged through the field, taking down at least three cars in the process. They were huge bronze bulls with silver horns and rubies for eyes. Oh, no, I thought. I'd fought these bulls two years ago, on top of Half-Blood Hill, and I was not excited to see them again.

"Oh, joy," muttered Annabeth next to me. She had drawn her bronze knife and was gripping it tightly, her expression grim. I uncapped Riptide, and together we charged.

The bulls were raging around the field now, running off all the people and destroying the band's stage. One of them spotted us. It growled and charged toward us, and a burst of flame exploded from its snout. Apparently it remembered us from last time.

"Out of the way!" screamed Annabeth. She pulled her magic Yankees cap out of her back pocket, then she put it on and vanished. I was forced to jump for my life as the bull shot by like a fiery missile.

"Bad cow!" I heard a voice yell in surprise, and Tyson came running towards us. He tackled the bull, and they went rolling away on the grass.

Before I could go help Tyson, Annabeth yelled, "Percy, look out!" from somewhere next to me. I turned around just in time to see the second bull running at me. I jumped out of the way, then turned and slashed with Riptide; the bull roared in agony as I cut a good-sized gash in its side. It turned and spat a huge wave of fire at me.

I barely got out of the way. I felt my skin burn as the fire raged past me, and then the bull was charging again. I was already exhausted, and I wasn't sure how long I could go on like this.

"Percy!" called Tyson from behind me. I dodged the bull again and looked at him. He had managed to pin the first bull down on its side, but I knew even he couldn't hold that for long. He threw something to me. I caught it. It was a wristwatch, similar to the one Tyson had made for me a long time ago. I'd damaged it fighting a manticore once, and after Tyson had repaired it I had lost it in the Labyrinth. Surely this wasn't the same one…?

"It is for you!" said Tyson, struggling to keep the bull down. "Press the button!"

I put it on my wrist and automatically hit the side button on the watch. Immediately, it began expanding rapidly on my hand until it was a large, round bronze shield.

Not a moment to soon. Bad Cow Number Two came charging back at me and spat some more fire at me. I raised the shield right as the fire hit me. I expected to get fried, or at least for the metal of the shield to melt, but I couldn't feel anything. It wasn't even warm.

The shield was fireproof. How convenient.

I raised my sword and leapt in the air as the bull came towards me. One slash from Riptide and the bull's head went rolling away in the grass. The rest of its body kept running and crashed into the food tables. Then it fell over, smoking and twitching, and finally exploded altogether.

I was feeling pretty good about myself when Annabeth yelled, "Percy! We need help!"

I looked over. Tyson, somehow, still had the bull pinned to the ground. Annabeth's knife was sticking out of its neck, and she was trying to help Tyson without touching the bull's white-hot skin.

Suddenly the bull let out an explosion of flames and threw Tyson off of him. It turned and slammed Annabeth with one of its horns before she could react, and she went flying back into the grass and did not get up.

The bull rose slowly and lowered its head, preparing to charge her. I knew I had to do something. In an instant, I felt my legs moving and then I was between Annabeth and the bull. I dropped my sword, cried, "No!" and raised my arms.

A huge, powerful jet of water burst out of the air around my palms. It hit the bull so hard it took its feet out from under it. I continued to direct the jet of water at it as it flailed helplessly on the ground. I was torturing it, but I wasn't done yet. Keeping the jet going with my shield arm, I raised Riptide, which had returned to my hand and, focusing all my strength, I jumped back and hurled the sword into the jet of water.

Riptide shot through the jet like a bullet, going at least a hundred miles an hour. It drove itself through Bad Cow Number Two's mechanical heart, and with a final wail, the bull's insides burst and its outer skin went flying everywhere. It was dead.

Gradually, the jet of water receded, and I was standing in the middle of charred field full of pieces of melted bronze armor. Tyson came running over. He looked okay, and I figured the blast hadn't hurt him too badly, since Cyclops were immune to fire. He glanced around and said, "Bad cow…?"

I pointed to the place where the bull had exploded. "He went boom," I said. Tyson clapped happily. Then he looked at the shield. "Did it help?" he asked.

"Yeah, it did," I said. "But Tyson, how did you…"

"It is a new shield," he replied. "I made it…while I was at forges."

I looked at the shield. The old one had been decorated with pictures from our adventures in the Sea of Monsters. This one was covered in beautiful carvings of our journey through the Labyrinth. I saw me shooting an arrow through Geryon's chests (he had three- long story), Tyson throwing the sphinx's grading machine at her, and Tyson and Grover, my other best friend, getting chased by a giant snake.

"You rock, Tyson," I said, and Tyson blushed again. "Seriously, I owe…"

"Percy!" called a sudden voice. I turned. Rachel had come out of her hiding place, and was kneeling next Annabeth's unmoving figure.

"Oh, no," I said. Tyson and I rushed over.

She didn't look good. She was bruised in several places, and she had a huge, deep gash where the bull's horn had torn into her. Her skin was chalky white, and her breathing was quick and strained.

"We have to get her some nectar," I said. "But…"

Suddenly I hear the flapping of wings behind me. I saw a pure black horse with wings gently come to a landing next to me. Along with him were three others, one brown and two white.

Yo, boss! spoke a voice in my mind. Heard ya got in a little trouble, huh?

"Blackjack!" I cried. "But…how did you…."

No time to explain, said Blackjack. We gotta get to camp, and fast.

"Wait, Blackjack, we have to go to my house. Annabeth's hurt. She needs medicine."

The pegasus glanced at Annabeth and nodded. Hop on.

I hoisted up the unconscious Annabeth and placed her on one pegasus. Tyson and I were about to get on ours, when suddenly I remembered Rachel. "Oh," I said. "Um…"

She's coming too, boss, said Blackjack.

"What?" I said, surprised.

Yep. I got strict orders to deliver all you kids to Camp Half-Blood, pronto.

"Um, okay, I guess," I said. "Rachel, you're coming with us."

She glanced up. "What?" she said. "Why?"

I shrugged. "Just get on," I said. "We gotta go."

She still looked suspicious, but in the end she jumped on the brown pegasus. Then, with a whinny from Blackjack, the pegasi launched themselves into the air, and soon we were soaring over Manhattan.

I gave Blackjack quick directions to my apartment, and soon we were tearing up to the front door, Tyson carrying Annabeth.

I burst inside to find my worst nightmare: Paul was sitting at the table, his clothes torn, telling something to my mom, who looked terrified. When he saw us he cried, "Percy! Rachel, what's going on?"

I didn't have time to explain things to him. "Rachel, go to my room and get that canteen of nectar under my bed." She ran up the stairs while Tyson and I set Annabeth down on the couch."

Paul walked in, with my mom behind. They both gasped when they saw Annabeth, but they didn't say anything. Rachel came down a minute later with the nectar. Paul raised his eyebrows when he saw the canteen, but he still said nothing.

I poured some of the drink into Annabeth's mouth. She swallowed, then her eyes fluttered open. "What…what happened?" she asked.

"You got hit by a bull," I replied with a grin. "Nice going, Wise Girl."

She smirked, but then she winced with pain. I gave her some more nectar and then turned around to look at Paul. My mom was looking at me expectantly, and I rolled my eyes on the inside. "Um, Paul," I began, "I know this might seem strange, but…"

He held up his hand. "It's all right, Percy," he said. "I suspected this for a long time, although I must say, I didn't think you had so many friends who were demigods and monsters too."

I stared at him in shock. "What…you know about demigods?"

He nodded, looked at me gravely, and then gave a little bow. "Paul Blowfis," he said, "son of Morpheus."

For a second, I didn't comprehend what he was saying. "What…?"

"Morpheus," said Annabeth. She still looked pained, but she was looking at Paul with respect. "God of dreams. Percy, Paul is a half-blood."