Chapter 40: Many Musical Instruments Die for Science

Percy leaned back, crossing his arms, and surveyed the group around him. The campfire flickered, casting long shadows over their faces, all of them staring at him in a mix of horror, amusement, and morbid curiosity.

"So," he started casually, "after the whole… banjolele abomination incident, I decided I simply had to do a little more science."

Annabeth groaned. "Percy. No."

Percy ignored her.

"I had to know," he continued, "if it was the banjo strings themselves on a stringed instrument that set him off… or if it was anything that even sounded like a banjo that made Apollo lose his Divine mind."

Travis was already wheezing. "Oh gods, what did you do?"

Percy grinned. "Oh, I did science."

The Apollo kids all collectively shuddered.

"Over the next three days," Percy said, "I proceeded to run many, many stupid tests. I found every stringed instrument I could get my hands on—guitars, harps, violins, you name it—and I replaced all their strings with banjo strings."

The group winced.

"Then," Percy continued, eyes gleaming, "I decided to take it a step further. I tried other things."

Annabeth looked personally offended. "Other things?!"

Percy held up his fingers, counting off. "A radio program that played nothing but banjo music? Check.
A banjo-shaped wood carving? Check.
A life-sized banjo statue? Double check.
A gold-plated banjo replica? Oh yeah.
Banjo everything for three. Whole. Days."

Will Solace had his head in his hands. "Dad must have been losing it."

"Oh," Percy said gleefully, "he went absolutely mad. Like, full solar apocalypse mode. I actually think he broke a little."

Travis and Connor were openly laughing now. "Was it just more explosions and screaming?"

Percy shook his head. "Oh no. It was worse."

The campers leaned in.

"There was fire. There was screaming. There was a lot of smashing. And—most importantly—there was a massive increase in the number of things being yeeted straight into Tartarus."

The Apollo kids all groaned in unison.

"Why does he keep doing that?!" Kayla wailed.

"I don't know!" Percy said, throwing up his hands. "Apparently, if he hates it enough, it must die in the deepest depths of hell."

There was a pause.

"And I'm pretty sure a lot of it got cursed before it died," Percy added thoughtfully.

Everyone collectively winced.

"So, yeah," he finished, cracking open another Coke. "Many, many stupid science experiments. Many explosions. And a lot of unholy banjo-related objects got obliterated beyond mortal comprehension."

He took a sip.

Mostly, though?" He sighed dramatically. "Most of it just got Yeeted."

Silence.

Then—

"And there was lots and lots of screaming!"

The entire Apollo cabin groaned again. Connor fell off his log laughing. Annabeth looked two seconds away from strangling him.

And Percy?

Percy just grinned.