About two in the morning,were dropped off by Argus in New York and we were all sitting in Central Park.Zoè glared a Grover,"Took you long enough.Hiw had dis it to find acorns?"Grover later about ten acorns out,"Pretty hard actually."Thalia glared at Zoè,"Yeah Zoè.At least Grover did something."I rubbed my temples under my hood,"Do you guys do anything but argue?"Grover played a quick song with his reed pipes.The acorns started to move around,five in a cluster and rest going in a trail.Grover pointed at the cluster,"That is us," he then pointed at the trail,"And this where we need to go.New Jersey."Bianca frowned,"How do we get there?We don't have a car."I stood up,"Not for long."Zoè frowned,"What are you planing?"I smiled,"You will see.Follow me."

I lead into a huge parking lot and stopped by a Volkswagen Golf and patted it on the hood,"This is are ride."Thalia frowned at me,"Do you have the keys."I didn't respond,I just walked over to the window and punched through the glass.The car alarm started beeping,and I cursed.I quickly unlocked the doors,"Everybody get in!"Bianca,Grover,and Thalia squeezed in the back and Zoè went into shotgun.I activated my knife,cut open the dashboard,and hot-wired the car.The car alarm stopped and the engines roared.I slapped the wheel,"Darn right!Everybody out your seatbelt on."I drove out of the parking lot and Grover grumbled,"Can't believe we just stole a car."I frowned at him,"It wasn't stolen.It was borrowed.And I got you a ride."Thalia shrugged,"He is right.You know how to drive?"I took off my hood and rolled my eyes,"Of course I do."I glanced at Grover,"Grover,you are our GPS.Tell me when to stop and turn."Grover wrinkled his nose,"GPS?"

"Yeah.Goat positioning system."

This earned me a glare from Grover and a chuckle from Bianca.I stopped due to a red light and ruffled through the cupboard.I found a wallet,some candy bars,and a pair of sunglasses.I checked a road sign and signed.This was going to be a long ride to New Jersey.

After about an hour of driving,Grover suddenly spoke up,"Stop here.At the donut shop."Zoè frowned,"Why?"I rolled my eyes at her,"What she means to say is good idea Grover."Zoè glared at me and Bianca frowned,"Well I could stretch my legs."I grabbed the wallet and pulled out two hundred dollars,"Who wants donuts?"We parked at the donut place,and while everybody else talked strategy,I got myself some donuts.I walked over to the cashier and pulled out a ten,"A donut and some coffee please."The cashier worked on getting it when I heard the wind bristle beside me.I turned around and fixed my eyes on where the wind moved.Of course.I smiled at Percy before turning around and getting my food.I sat down where everybody else is.Thalia frowned,"That is where we are going?"Bianca rubbed her head,"Can't believe a bunch of acorns are doing this."Grover looked offended,"Hey,this is powerful magic.But yes,that is the most powerful monster trail here."I took a bit out of my donut and frowned at Grover,"I missed all the important parts.Where are we going."Zoè stood up,"This is wasting time.I will drive,since Paul was too busy getting food."I slammed my coffee in one go before leaving it on the table.Zoè went to the drivers seat,I went to shotgun,and we went on the road.

After another ten minutes on the road,we arrived at the Smithsonian Museum.I put up my hood and payed for are entry,which was all the cash we had left.I grumbled,"There is no way we had to pay little south of 200 dollars to get in.Money grubbing corporations."Thalia frowned,"Isn't this how you got into places when you were on the run?"I snorted,"No.I snuck in.I think a burned down a Smithsonian building in Charleston."Grover looked interested,"Really."Zoè glared at us,"Shut up.We are here to find this monster."I rolled my eyes,"We won't be able to find it if we keep browsing the exhibits."Bianca shifted on one foot,"He has point."I heard footsteps coming toward Thalia,so I shoved her out the way.And caught the person by his neck.I lifted him up and recognized him as Percy.I grunted,"Just be glad I didn't accidentally kill you."I dropped him and motioned for Zoè and Bianca to stand down.Grover stared at him,"Percy!"He then realized he wasn't supposed to be here,"I mean,why are you here."Percy was running his neck,"Dr.Thorn and the General is here."I frowned,"Who is Dr.Thorn?"Thalia rolled her eyes,"The manticore."Zoè realized what he said and shook her head,"No!The General can't be here.It must have been an illusion!"

"Illusions don't crack marble floors."

Zoè looked like she was about to start shooting everybody,so I grabbed her shoulder,"Zoè.Calm down.He isn't going to come at us personally."Zoè sighed,"I guess."Bianca was looking back and forth between us,"Wait,how do you know?"Percy interrupted,"A few more things.About a dozen skeleton warriors on are tail,and a surprise for us,"Now everybody looked mad.Thalia snarled,"How are we going to kill skeleton warriors?"I shrugged and pulled out my gun,"I pulled three of them before.Dropped them in a volcano."Percy drew his sword,"Little short on volcanos."Before I could respond,a huge lion pounced on me and knocked me flat.I tried to stab it with my blade but it bounced off its hide.It tried to bite my face off,but I managed to hold it off just long enough to throw the lion off of me.I pulled out my gun and shot it.Again,nothing happened.I put away my weapons and cursed,"That thing is the Nemean Lion!Don't bother with your weapons!"Thalia grunted,"How are we suppose to kill it?"Zoè shot an arrow at it,"The weak point it the maw!Get it to open it."Grover started to play some music with his pan pipes,and all the guards suddenly looked confused.I glanced at Percy,"Percy!Food."Thankfully he understood and bolted toward the gift shop."Bianca glance at him,"What is he doing?"I rolled my neck,"A plan.I will distract the cat."Then I charged at the Nemean Lion.It growled at me and tried to slice me,but I ducked under it and went on top of him.I put it a chokehold and hanged on for dear life as it trashed around.The Lion was about to lunge at Thalia,but Riptide suddenly came flying and hit the Lion.The flat of the blade hit me hard,and I tumbled off of the Lion.The Lion turned toward Percy and growled at him,before getting a mouth full of astronaut food.I stumbled and cursed as I grabbed my nose,which was obviously broken.I walked over to the front of the Lion,which was now choking on spaghetti,and shot him in the mouth.I wiped the blood off of my nose,"Everybody ok?"Everyone nodded.Percy walked over to me,"I think you broke your nose."I put my hood back on,which was thrown off when I went flying,"Real observant."Thalia cursed,"Skeleton warriors!To the left!"We all turned around as they stared at us through the mirror.Or really staring at Percy.Percy stepped forward,"I will hold them off."I shoved him out the way and pulled out my weapons,"No.I will.You got a lot to lose.I got nothing."Zoè glanced at me,"You sure?"I rolled my eyes,"Am I ever not?"Zoè glanced at the warriors before turning to me,"Just stay safe."The five of them hustled out as I started to fire away at the warriors.The good thing about unlimited ammo is that I can just keep firing away at them.After about a minute the warriors were finally on top of me,and I activated my blade.They had no weapons,some just kept slashing and shooting.I was killing warrior after warrior,but I can't keep this pace forever.Not to mention they can't die.After about five minutes,I got punched in the gut before getting hit again in my already broken nose.I stumbled backwards and tried to defend myself against the onslaught.I think I gave everybody enough time to escape,so I decided to go run.I ran right through the pack of Skeleton Warriors,and grabbed two of there head.They snapped off and they started to wander around,blind.I grabbed the skulls by the socket and ran out of the museum.The two headless skeletons were bumping into each other,but the other skeletons were right in my tail.I ran a little longer until I saw a guy getting off his motorcycle,key in hand.I charged into him and bowled the guy over,snatching the keys before it hit the ground.I jumped on the motorcycle,put the skulls on the handles via the sockets,and drove away.

After a little bit of driving,I found the airport.I grabbed the skulls and threw them in a river,watching them flow downstream.I walked over to the airport and sneaked into the security room.There were only two guards in there,plus a technician.I snuck behind one and smashed his face against the wall,before spinning my gun and shooting the other guard in the face.They both collapsed on the floor,unconscious.The technician was about to hit the intruder button,but stopped when I pulled out my silver knife and threw it inch's from his hand.I walked over to him and grabbed my knife,"Listen to me very closely."He just stared at me,so I continued,"Hit the evacuation button.Now."The technician hesitated,so I pulled out my gun,"You know 10,000 volts to the head hurt,right?"He gulped and hit the button.I smiled at him,before tasing him in the head.He collapsed in the floor.And I looked at the screens.The flight that was going through farthest distance was going to Moscow,so that is the plane I am going to steal.I waited until everybody left,then walked over to the plane.I do know how to fly a fighter jet and a helicopter,but not a commercial plane this size.So I winged it.I managed it to go forward and left up,and after a few mistakes,I managed to turn the plane around.I hit the autopilot button,and direct it to fly toward San Francisco.I am nearly there.