XV

PANDA

Before, I hated sitting down for incredibly long lengths of time; to the point my butt would go numb. But now, that's all I wished for. I'd choose the temporary loss of feeling in my buttocks over what we've been through in the last few hours.

"Run!" I yelled as I jumped over the cement dividers in the middle of a highway. We had already switched three buses, but Laelaps kept finding us. Which I suppose shouldn't be so surprising if it's destined unavoidable. I was breathing hard. I screamed as cars almost run me over, leaning on their horns. I frantically yelled sorry, but it wasn't like it was going to do any good.

"Percy! Nico! Right!" I yelled as I turned running down the sidewalk.

"Gotcha!" Percy yelled as he rolled over the hood of a car, with Nico sliding over the trunk. Over the honking cars, the all too familiar howl of Laelaps sounded. I spared a glance behind me, to see him about twenty yards away. Nico summoned a few warriors, but they barely delayed him before he munched on them with his giant slobbery jaws. I had a feeling I was only running for a few seconds, but it felt like forever, when the thundering of Laelaps paws came to a halt and it whimpered. I looked back, wondering what could've caused this huge dog to cower when something hit me. And I do mean, something literally hit me.

I fell back with a grunt as my hands scraped the cement floor trying to catch my fall. I looked up and squatting on a lamppost was the ugliest harpie I'd ever seen. Wait…

"Hello honey," she sneered. I began pushing back, but she stood up.

"Not. So. Fast." I froze and I heard Percy and Nico behind me, not moving. She hopped off the post and landed in front of us. Her wings were still open and she was almost in her complete Fury form, besides a raggedy old dress and a leather jacket.

"You've been avoiding us, Pandora," my old algebra teacher said sweetly. You'd think I wouldn't be scared of her when I've faced so many monsters much worse, but I was. She was the first monster I had encountered, and I still had nightmares.

"Panda," I heard Percy barely whisper. Mrs. Dodds's head snapped up and she wheeled around me and grabbed Percy by the throat. That snapped me out of my fear. I jumped up and yanked Planaxis off my necklace.

"Stop!" I said.

"Or what?" she spat. I shook Planaxis and it grew to full size; six feet, and pointed it straight at her ugly face.

"Or this trident is the last thing you'll see for a long while," I said menacingly. Percy's eyes darted between us and Mrs. Dodds let go. But instead of the panicked look I'd hoped she would have, she smiled; her terrible toothy smile.

"I'll cut you a deal," she said, taking a step forward, making me take a step back to keep my trident at her throat.

"I don't make deals with Furies," I said coolly.

"I bet this time you will," she said. "See, everything is so much bigger than you think. These few weaklings you've encountered," she said, gesturing towards Laelaps who still cowered behind a toy shop. "Oh honey, they are the least of your worries."

"What are you talking about?!" I asked, trying to keep desperation out of my voice. Weaklings? They freaking sent the unavoidable dog after us! What else could they do?

"Do you think this is the doing of Athena?" she said, holding her hands up. In the back, I saw Percy pull out Riptide, but I gave him the look that said "not yet". I wanted to hear what this whack job had to say. I stayed silent. She smiled.

"Not completely anyways. Laelaps… yes, that one was hers. But most of the others? Just confused and angry gods who don't think before unleashing their monstrosities," she said disgusted. "I can help you."

"Oh really?" I scoffed. "How do you propose that?"

"By making your death easier," she sneered, baring her teeth in an ugly, evil smile.

"Well, that offer is easy to turn down," I said, holding up the trident as she tried to take another step.

"It's your choice. You're going to die either way. Why not make it better for yourself?"

"I'd rather die on my own terms!" She tried to take another step, but I stopped stalling and lunged, but she whirled passed me and I almost stabbed Percy who jumped out of the way with wide eyes. I didn't have time to say sorry. I spun and shrunk Planaxis to fit the distance between us. I managed to slash her arm, before she kicked me in my side and knocked me down.

She leaned down, but I kicked upward and her face made a loud crack! She hissed as she stumbled backward. I stood up and pointed Planaxis towards her. Her nose was bent a funny way, but I didn't have time to giggle as she jumped towards me, talons out.

"Duck!" Nico yelled; but not soon enough. Her talons caught my shoulders and I felt a surge of pain travel through my body. I glanced at Percy.

"Now!" I said, as I threw Planaxis, ignoring the searing pain in my shoulders. Planaxis dug into her back before she had time to swoop out of way and she dropped. A second before she hit the ground, Percy slashed with Riptide and her body made a satisfying hisss as she dissolved and Planaxis clattered to the floor. Percy picked up my trident as Nico ran towards me, taking out a square of ambrosia. I swallowed, but I didn't have time to savor its impossible chocolatetiness before a howl burst my ear drums. Percy spun and Laelaps was towering over us. Now that Mrs. Dodds was gone, Laelaps was all out of fear. We were sunk.

"Now a good time to run?" Nico whispered as he stared at the slobbering mess in front of us. I nodded. We all took a few slow steps backward, before Percy and Nico spun and ran.

"Oh!" I said, as I stumbled around and ran after them. I heard a loud bark and suddenly, my feet were off the ground.

"PERCY!" I yelled, as I was shaken side to side like a ragdoll.

"PER-ER-ER-ER-CYYYYYYYY!" I said, as I fumbled with the backpack I had been wearing. I could feel the hot breath and saliva all over me as the dog held on to me.

"PANDA!" I heard someone yell, then I was thrown about twenty five feet into the air. Normally I don't scream, but I don't have many experiences with falling. So yeah, I screamed like a baby.

"AHHH!" I yelled as I fell towards the sidewalk. I was sure I was going to break a bone or two.

"Panda, I got you!" I heard Nico yelled as I whooshed through the air.

"Oh shi –" followed by a loud muffled grunt as I landed on Nico.

"Sorry!" I said, as I rolled off him. He stared up.

"You way so much more than you look," he wheezed. Despite the chaos, I couldn't help but laugh. We stood up and when I looked at Laelaps, he had a smart car sized paw on Percy, who struggled helplessly. I grabbed Planaxis from the floor and ran towards the giant dog, with Nico right next to me.

The first thing I did was plunge Planaxis into his paw. He yelped and drew his paw back, knocking me down. Percy scrambled up and readied Riptide. I jumped up while Nico ran by its right side and slashed its forearm with his sword. It swung its paw, throwing Nico into oncoming traffic. He landed on a car, breaking its windshield and rolled off as it came to a stop. I gasped. Years of practice told Percy and I what to do. He lunged towards Laelaps, while I ran and skidded to a halt next to Nico. I looped my arms under his and dragged him to the sidewalk.

"Come on," I said, as I held his drooping head. Fear started to crawl up my spine. He could barely keep his eyes open and I was scared the inevitable was going to come way too soon.

"Come on," I repeated, shaking his shoulder. But his eyes finally closed and he was out cold. I cursed under my breath as I looked for safety. What could we do? We had barely survived the Fox with Thalia and a diversion. But she wasn't here and there was no deceiving this dog. Percy weaved through his legs, slashing and cutting, leaving Laelaps's legs crusted with dried blood and open wounds. He was fluid, but this dog was immortal; he couldn't last forever.

I took a leap of faith, and trusted in the human society. I stepped out onto the road and silver subaru came to a screeching halt in front of me. I ran to the driver's window and a blonde woman lowered her window.

"Are you crazy?! I could've killed you!" she yelled. I shook my head.

"We need to get to a hospital! My friend's been badly hurt! Please help us!" I pleaded frantically and I pointed over to Nico's unconscious body. Her eyes opened wide.

"All right, come on!" she said as she unlocked the doors. Okay, that was one solution, but how could I get Percy to safety as well? I opened the backseat and hauled Nico into the seat, accidentally knocking his head against a seat buckle.

"Oops." I left the door open as I slid into the passenger's seat.

"PERCY!" I yelled and waved my arms. Percy looked at me, stabbed the beast one more time and darted out from under him. Jaws almost crunched on him, which made my throat close up, but he jumped and dove into the backseat.

"GO!" I yelled and the woman slammed on the gas as Percy closed the door. The dog howled a sorry goodbye, but instead of chasing after us, he began licking his wounds.

"What happened?" the woman asked, looking in the review mirror at a bloody Percy. He had a scratch above his eyebrow and the front of his shirt was ripped open by some massive claws and blood slowly streamed down his chest.

"He fell," I said quickly. The woman looked suspicious, but she didn't say anything else. I rummaged through my torn backpack and passed some nectar and ambrosia to Percy who swallowed it eagerly.

"Can you drop us off a few blocks from the hospital?" I said, trying hard not to sound like I was hiding something.

"Are you crazy? He needs help," she said, stealing another glance at Percy.

"Our parents live a few blocks down the road. Our mom's a nurse, she can help him. She'll be worried sick about us," I said, trying to sound convincing. The woman didn't say anything.

"Please." She looked at me and then, reluctantly, nodded.

So, I'm not too sure about this chapter, so let me know what you think! And if Nico seems weaker in this chapter, that wasn't my intention! I was thinking: Who can really catch someone falling without falling themselves? (So, it was more for reality, then making him look weak, lol) So hopefully, I didn't make him seem that way :( Let me know guys :)