We set up a two-block perimeter, with a command tent at the Empire State Building. Chiron informed us that the Party Ponies had sent chapters from almost every state in the Union: forty from California, two from Rhode Island, thirty from Illinois... Roughly five hundred total had answered his call, but even with that many, we couldn't defend more than a few blocks.

"Dude," said a centaur named Larry. His T-shirt identified him as BIG CHIEF UBER GUY, NEW MEXICO CHAPTER. I had to look to Raph for a translation. My eyes were so blurry I couldn't focus on his mouth and try figure it out. 

"He said, that was more fun than their last convention in Vegas! The other one, Owen from South Dakota, said we totally wasted them!" I nodded sleepily, this party pony wore a black leather jacket and an old WWII army helmet.

Chiron patted Owen on the back, and signed as he spoke for my benefit alone.  "You did well, my friends, but don't get careless. Kronos should never be underestimated. Now why don't you visit the diner on West 33rd and get some breakfast? I hear the Delaware chapter found a stash of root beer." 

"Root beer!" I didn't need a translation for that one. They almost trampled each other as they galloped off. I watched blurry eyed as they galloped away. I leaned into Raph for a second. He wrapped his strong arm around me, I had no idea how he was still standing, but he was and he was now almost holding me up. I finally turned my head taking a deep inhale, and looking back to Chiron and the others.

"Chiron, thanks," Annabeth was saying, she glanced over and started signing now that I was paying attention. "Talk about saving the day."

He shrugged also talking with his fluent ASL. "I'm sorry it took so long. Centaurs travel fast. We can bend distance as we ride. Even so, getting all the centaurs together was no easy task. The Party Ponies are not exactly organized."

"How'd you get through the magic defenses around the city?" Annabeth asked.

"They slowed us down a bit," Chiron admitted, "but I think they're intended mostly to keep mortals out. Kronos doesn't want puny humans getting in the way of his great victory."

"So maybe other reinforcements can get through," I said hopefully, still hoping Nico was working on Hades and Selina had convinced Clarisse.

Chiron stroked his beard thinking for a moment before he continued signing. "Perhaps, though time is short. As soon as Kronos regroups, he will attack again. Without the element of surprise on our side..."

I understood what he meant. Kronos wasn't beaten. Not by a long shot. I half hoped Kronos had been squashed under that Hyperborean giant's butt, but I knew better. He'd be back, tonight at the latest.

"And Typhon?" Percy asked.

Chiron's face darkened. "The gods are tiring. Dionysus was incapacitated yesterday. Typhon smashed his chariot, and the wine god went down somewhere in the Appalachians. No one has seen him since. Hephaestus is out of action as well. He was thrown from the battle so hard he created a new lake in West Virginia. He will heal, but not soon enough to help. The others still fight. They've managed to slow Typhon's approach. But the monster can not be stopped. He will arrive in New York by this time tomorrow. Once he and Kronos combine forces-"

"Then what chance do we have?" I asked bitterly. "We can't hold out another day." I glanced around at the street and around the Empire State building. Across the street, the Apollo campers had set up a field hospital to tend the wounded- dozens of campers and almost as many Hunters. I was watching the medics work for a second, I knew I needed to go help. But I felt so miserable right now, thinking about our slim chances for holding Mount Olympus...

I was elbowed making me pay attention again. Thalia was talking.

"We'll have to hold," Thalia said. "I'll see about setting some new traps around the perimeter."

She looked exhausted. Her jacket was smeared in grime and monster dust, but she managed to get to her feet and stagger off. I watched her go.

"I will help her," Chiron decided. "I should make sure my brethren don't go too overboard with the root beer."

"I can to, Chiron." Raph volunteered. He looked down at me, his eyes softened. "You, need to get some food and rest, you've been going hard for too long." 

"I'm fine." I waved off his concern, but when he removed his arm I almost fell over my legs felt like jelly. He raised an eyebrow. I gave him a tight lipped smile. "We're all exhausted Raph. I love you." 

"Love you too Sunshine. I'll help Thalia and the Hephaestus cabin with their traps n come check on you." 

I nodded. He kissed my forehead and hurried off after Chiron and Thalia. I melted to the ground, sitting beside Annabeth. She glanced at me, chewed her lip for a moment before she signed, "Thank you. For the shield, it was really helpful." 

"No problem. Tyson and Beckendorf made it for me...before I swam in the Styx." 

She nodded and tried to take it off and hand the bracelet over, I shook my head, "Keep it. For now. I'll get it back if we win. You need it right now, not me." 

"Oh...well..th- thank you." She nodded and gave me a tight lipped smile. and went back to cleaning the monster slime off her knife. I'd seen her do that hundreds of times, but I'd never thought about why she cared so much about the blade.

"At least your parents are okay," Percy offered.

"If you call fighting Typhon okay." Annabeth signed and locked eyes with Percy. She paused, put the knife in her lap and signed, "Guys, even with the centaurs' help, I'm starting to think-"

"I know." Percy cut her off. I had a bad feeling this might be our last chance to talk, and I also felt like I should leave these two to talk things out. But as I started to struggle to my feet Percy started signing again, and it caught me off guard. "Listen, there were some...some visions Hestia showed Nora and me."

"You mean about Luke?" She asked, looking back and forth between us. I huffed, and sat back down. Maybe it was just a safe guess, but I got the feeling Annabeth knew what I'd been holding back. Maybe she'd been having dreams of her own.

"Yeah," I signed with a nod. "You and Thalia and Luke. The first time you met. And the time you met Hermes."

Annabeth slipped her knife back into its sheath. "Luke promised he'd never let me get hurt. He said... he said we'd be a new family, and it would turn out better than his."

Her eyes reminded me of that seven-year-old girl's in the alley—angry, scared, desperate for a friend.

"Thalia talked to us earlier," Percy said. "She's afraid-"

"That I can't face Luke," she signed. Her face looked miserable, and her body language was so dejected. Then she took a deep inhale and straightened up.

Percy nodded. "But there's something else you should know. Nora and I had the same dream- Ethan Nakamura seemed to think Luke was still alive inside his body, maybe even fighting Kronos for control."

Annabeth tried to hide it, but I could almost see her mind working on the possibilities, maybe starting to hope. I groaned, and shook my head, Percy shouldn't have said anything. 

"I didn't want to tell you," I admitted, glaring at Percy.

She looked up at the Empire State Building. "Guys..." She paused for a moment, and then her face hardened and continued,  "for so much of my life, I felt like everything was changing, all the time. I didn't have anyone I could rely on."

Percy nodded. I tried not to roll my eyes, that was something most demigods could understand. We all had sucky backstories. 

"I ran away when I was seven," she continued. "Then with Luke and Thalia, I thought I'd found a family, but it fell apart almost immediately. What I'm saying... I hate it when people let me down, when things are temporary. I think that's why I want to be an architect."

"To build something permanent," Percy said. "A monument to last a thousand years."

She held my eyes. "I guess that sounds like my fatal flaw again."

"Ya." I agreed. They both glared at me. I shrugged, "Sorry. But look at the damage he did. Look what's happening. Luke was angry- I get it. We're all angry. But He was the one who took it too far. And you want us to think there is still good in him and he can make this all right? How is he going to bring back Beckendorf... or Michael? No, He gave himself over to Kronos. He was willing. He had a choice and he chose. It's harsh, but get over it. I'm sorry." 

I got to my feet, my eyes narrowed at the two of them. Annabeth looked either like she was going to punch me or cry. Percy looked guilty, but he wasn't meeting Annabeth's eye. She turned to Percy. 

"I guess... I kinda understand how you feel," Percy said. "But Thalia's right. Nora's right, I'm sorry Annabeth, Luke has already betrayed you so many times. He betrayed us all too many times. He was evil even before Kronos. I don't want him to hurt you anymore."

Annabeth pursed her lips. I could tell she was trying not to get mad. "And you'll understand if I keep hoping there's a chance you're wrong." She signed angerly at us, her face was going red as she tried to keep it under control. I didn't care anymore. She already didn't like me, I almost felt sorry for her, I don't know why she kept holding onto Luke. Percy looked crushed. 

"And that's why you can't get over him, stop hoping for something that wont happen. You're holding out for a guy who wont think twice about killing you. Sorry, but to Kronos, you're just another obstacle in the way." I shook my head, " Oh. One other thing-" I signed. "Kronos wants me to surrender myself so he can use me to topple Olympus." 

Her mouth dropped open, and Percy took a step backwards in shock, he reached out and grabbed my elbow. I looked away. And suddenly: I wasn't there anymore.

🔆

I was standing in a long dingy bar with black walls, neon signs, and a bunch of partying adults. A banner across the bar read HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BOBBY EARL. Country music played on the speakers. Big guys in jeans and work shirts crowded the bar. Waitresses carried trays of drinks and shouted at each other. It was pretty much exactly the kind of place my dad would never let me go. 

"Where the heck are we?" 

I jumped, Percy was standing beside me. His green eyes were wide in surprise looking around. 

"I dunno, but I can hear and speak...so this is like a Sight vision or something...some god or Titan brought us here." 

We were stuck in the very back of the room, next to the bathrooms (which didn't smell so great) and a couple of antique arcade games.

"Oh good, you're here," said the man at the Pac-Man machine. "I'll have a Diet Coke."

He was a pudgy guy in a leopard-skin Hawaiian shirt, purple shorts, red running shoes, and black socks, which didn't exactly make him blend in with the crowd. His nose was bright red. A bandage was wrapped around his curly black hair like he was recovering from a concussion. He looked familiar and I couldn't place him right away. 

"Wait...You're the wine dude." 

"The wine dude?" He asked. 

"Yeah." I shrugged. "What do you want me to call you?" 

"Do you perhaps have a connection with a young son of hades?" 

"Yeah actually. Why?" 

"He also calls me the wine dude." 

"He's got good taste." 

"Indeed, Elizabeth Bilford, he does indeed."

"Eleanora Blofis." 

"Whatever." 

"Mr. D?" Percy asked. 

He sighed, not taking his eyes from the game. "Really, Peter Johnson, how long will it take for you to recognize me on sight? Emerson has an excuse, you do not."

"It's Eleanora...and About as long as it'll take for you to figure out my name," Percy muttered. 

I snorted and bit my lip to keep from laughing. "Where are we?" I asked.

"Why, Bobby Earl's birthday party," Dionysus said. "Somewhere in lovely rural America."

"I thought Typhon swatted you out of the sky." Percy asked, "They said you crash-landed."

"Your concern is touching. I did crash-land. Very painfully. In fact, part of me is still buried under a hundred feet of rubble in an abandoned coal mine. It will be several more hours before I have enough strength to mend. But in the meantime, part of my consciousness is here."

"At a bar, playing Pac-Man?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"Party time," Dionysus said. "Surely you've heard of it. Wherever there is a party, my presence is invoked. Because of this, I can exist in many different places at once. The only problem was finding a party. I don't know if you're aware how serious things are outside your safe little bubble of New York-"

"Safe little bubble?" I yelped, he elbowed me to shut up.

"-but believe me, the mortals out here in the heartland are panicking. Typhon has terrified them. Very few are throwing parties. Apparently Bobby Earl and his friends, bless them, are a little slow. They haven't yet figured out that the world is ending."

"So...we're not really here?"

"No. Your sister, Edith, already told you this. Does she not have a curse preventing her from talking and hearing? Anyways, in a moment I'll send you back to your normal insignificant life, and it will be as if nothing had happened."

"And why did you bring us here?"

Dionysus snorted. "Oh, I didn't want you particularly. Any of you silly heroes would do. That Annie girl-"

"Annabeth."

"Actually I was trying to get that one fiery daughter of Apollo, uhhh... what's her name, Edna Butler.-" 

Percy and I exchanged exasperated looks. I swear Mr. D did this on purpose refusing to use our names for whatever reason. He clearly knew who I was and that I had a curse, and he already referenced it, so why he was playing dumb. I didn't understand. 

"-The point is," he said, "I pulled you into party time to deliver a warning. We are in danger."

"Gee," I said. "Never would've figured that out. Thanks Wine Dude."

He glared at me and momentarily forgot his game. Pac-Man got eaten by the red ghost dude.

"Erre es korakas, Blinky!" Dionysus cursed. "I will have your soul!"

"Um, he's a video game character," Percy said.

"That's no excuse! And you're ruining my game, Jorgenson!"

"Jackson."

"Whichever! Now listen, the situation is graver than you imagine. If Olympus falls, not only will the gods fade, but everything that is connected to our legacy will also begin to unravel. The very fabric of your puny little civilization—"

The game played a song and Mr. D progressed to level 254.

"Ha!" he shouted. "Take that, you pixelated fiends!"

"Um, fabric of civilization," I prompted.

"Yes, yes. Your entire society will dissolve. Perhaps not right away, but mark my words, the chaos of the Titans will mean the end of Western civilization. Art, law, wine tastings, music, video games, silk shirts, black velvet paintings- all the things that make life worth living will disappear!"

"So why aren't the gods rushing back to help us?" Percy asked, his face pulled into a frown, his eyebrows pulled together. "We should combine forces at Olympus. Forget Typhon."

He snapped his fingers impatiently. "You forgot my Diet Coke."

"Gods, you're annoying." I got the attention of a waitress and ordered the stupid soda. "Hey Mr D can we eat in this dream? I'm starving and these cheeseburgers smell good. I can put it on Bobby Earl's tab. Percy? Want anything? "

"Unfortunately, you aren't actually here."

"Then how come you can drink it? No fare!" I pouted. 

"Such is life." Mr. D took a good long drink. His eyes never left the video game. "The truth is, Pierre and Erica-"

"Percy."

"Nora."

"—the other gods would never admit this, well, Apollo would. He's the only other cool god... but we actually need you mortals to rescue Olympus. You see, we are manifestations of your culture. If you don't care enough to save Olympus yourselves-"

"Like Pan," Percy said, "depending on the satyrs to save the Wild."

"Yes, quite. I will deny I ever said this, of course-"

"-Naturally-" I agreed with a nod.

"- but the gods need heroes. They always have. Otherwise we would not keep you annoying little brats around."

"I feel so wanted. Thanks."

"Me too, I feel very loved, only risking my life for them all."

"Use the training I have given you at camp."

"What training?" 

"Right? I seriously meet you like once."

"You know. All those hero techniques and . . . No!" Mr. D slapped the game console. "Na pari i eychi! The last level!"

He looked at us, and purple fire flickered in his eyes. He looked at Percy, "As I recall, I once predicted you would turn out to be as selfish as all the other human heroes. Well, here is your chance to prove me wrong."

"Yeah, making you proud is real high on my list." Percy rolled his eyes. 

"And you-" He turned to look at me, "You like to be in the thick of it. It's not always about you." 

"Whoa- what happened to picking on Perry Johnson? That was kinda personal!" 

Mr. D regarded me, I couldn't quite detect the emotion in his eyes, but it seemed oddly more affectionate then before. He finally huffed, and in his huffy exasperated tone said, "The prophecy isn't about you. Apollo is actually rather relieved about it...at least we think it's not about you...you never know with the Fates."

"Wow, that was not helpful at all." 

"Pedro, Naomi, You must save Olympus! Leave Typhon to the Olympians and save our own seats of power. It must be done!"

"Great. Nice little chat. Now, if you don't mind, our friends will be wondering-"

"There is more," Mr. D warned. "Kronos has not yet attained full power. The body of the mortal was only a temporary measure."

"We kind of guessed that. He wanted to use Nora..."

"And did you also guess that within a day at most, Kronos will burn away that mortal body and take on the true form of a Titan king? And then use your sister here?"

"Yes...well part of that..." I nodded but glanced nervously at Mr. D, "but just incase we missed something, that would mean..."

Dionysus inserted another quarter. "You know about the true forms of the gods."

"Yeah." Percy answered with a shrug, "You can't look at them without burning up."

"Kronos would be ten times more powerful. His very presence would incinerate you. And once he achieves this, he will empower the other Titans. They are weak now, compared to what they will soon become, unless you can stop them. The world will fall, the gods will die, and I will never achieve a perfect score on this stupid machine."

Maybe I should've been terrified, but honestly, I was already about as scared as I could get. Percy  looked about the same. We both were just tired. 

"Can we go now?" I asked.

"One last thing. My son Pollux. Is he alive?"

I blinked. "Yeah, last I saw him."

"I would very much appreciate it if you could keep him that way. I lost his brother Castor last year-"

"I remember." I stared at him, trying to wrap my mind around the idea that Dionysus could be a caring father. But he did see his kids everyday at camp. I wondered how many other Olympians were thinking about their demigod children right now. "I'll do my best."

"Your best," Dionysus muttered. "Well, isn't that reassuring. Go now. You have some nasty surprises to deal with, and I must defeat Blinky!" 

"Nasty surprises?"

He waved his hand, and the bar disappeared.

I was back on Fifth Avenue. Percy was holding my elbow. Annabeth hadn't moved. She didn't give any sign that I'd been gone or anything. My hearing was gone again and I hated it. 

She caught us staring and frowned. "What?" She signed.

"Um . . . nothing, I guess." Percy signed. 

I looked away, feeling frustrated and exhausted and emotional, and I needed Raph. I gazed down the avenue, wondering what Mr. D had meant by nasty surprises. How much worse could it get? My eyes rested on a beat-up blue car. The hood was badly dented, like somebody had tried to hammer out some huge craters. My skin tingled. Why did that car look so familiar? Then I realized it was a Prius. 

Dad's Prius. Paul's Prius.