I 013. I

𝑮𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑮𝒐𝒓𝒆

❝ danced ❞

     ARIADNE TRIED TO FIGHT HER SMILE. Percy and her were relaxing on the Great Lawn in Central Park when she ambushed him with a question.

"You forgot, didn't you?"

Percy went into red alert mode. It was easy to panic when you're a new boyfriend. Sure, he'd fought monsters with Ariadne for years. Together they'd faced the wrath of the gods. They'd battled Titans and calmly faced death a dozen times. But now that they were dating, one frown from her and he freaked. Well, more than he had done before, that is. What had he done wrong?

He mentally reviewed the picnic list: Comfy blanket? Check. Ariadne's favorite pizza with extra sausage? Check. Chocolate chip cookies from his mom? Check. Coca-Cola? Check. Weapons in case of sudden Greek mythological apocalypse? Check.

So what had he forgotten?

He did what he did best. He stared at her blankly and acted dumb.

Ariadne rolled her eyes, Perc, today is September eighteenth. What happened exactly one month ago?"

"It was my birthday," Percy said.

Judging from Ariadne's expression, that wasn't the answer she's been hoping for.

It didn't help his concentration that Ariadne looked so good that day. Of course, she looked great every day, but there was something about that moment. She was wearing an old AC/DC t-shirt that she had found at the store and shorts, but her tan arms and legs seemed to glow in the sunlight. Her brunette curls swept over her shoulders. Around her neck hung a leather cord with colorful beads from their demigod training camp—Camp Half-Blood. Her amethyst eyes were as dazzling as ever. He just wished that her hard look wasn't directed at him.

"Our first kiss, Kelp Head," she said. "It's our one-month anniversary."

"Well...yeah!"

Percy tried for a smile. "That's what we're having this great picnic, right?"

Ariadne tucked her legs underneath her. "Percy...I love the picnic. Really. But you promised to take me out for a special dinner tonight. Remember? It's not that I expect it, but you said you had something planned. So..."

He could hear the hopefulness in her voice, but also doubt. He was definitely screwed.

Time to fess up. He cleared his throat. "Well—"

A sudden streak of light made them blink, as if someone had flashed a mirror in their faces. Ariadne looked around and saw brown delivery truck parked in the middle of the Great Lawn where no cars were allowed. Lettered on the side were the words:

HERNIAS ARE US

Wait... they were dyslexic. She squinted and decided it probably read:

HERMES EXPRESS

"Oh, good," Percy muttered. "We've got mail."

"I didn't order anything," Ariadne grumbled. She furrowed her eyebrows, which he found extremely adorable.

The driver was climbing out. He wore a brown uniform shirt and knee length shorts along with stylish black socks and cleats. His curly salt and pepper hair stuck out around the edges of his brown cap. He looked like a guy in his mid thirties, but they knew from experience he was actually in his mid five thousands.

Hermès. Messenger of the gods. Personal friend, dispenser of heroic quests, and frequent cause of migraine headaches.

He looked upset. He kept patting his pockets and wringing his hands. Either he'd lost something important or he'd had too many espressos at the Mount Olympus Starbucks. Finally he spotted Percy and beckoned.

"Bummer." Percy tried to sound regretful, but she narrowed her eyes on him. "We'd better see what he wants."

They walked over, and Percy decided to start simple. "Hi."

Hermès scanned the park as if he was afraid of being watched. Nobody else on the Great Lawn was paying attention to the delivery van.

Hermes glanced at Ariadne, then back at Percy. "I didn't know the girl would be here. She'll have to swear to keep her mouth shut."

Ariadne crossed her arms. "The girl can hear you. And before I swear to anything, maybe you'd better tell us what's wrong."

Hermes tucked a curl of gray hair behind his ear. He patted his pockets again. His hands didn't seem to know what to do.

He leaned in and lowered his voice. "I mean it, girl. If word gets back to Athena, she'll never stop teasing me. She already things she's so much more cleverer than I am."

"She is," Ariadne said. Of course, she's prejudiced. Athena, is her best friend's mom.

Hermes glared at her. "Promise. Before I explain the problem, both of you must promise to keep silent."

Suddenly, it dawned on Percy. "Where's your staff?"

Hermes's eye twitched. He looked like he was about to cry.

"Oh, gods," Ariadne said. She didn't even try to hide the fact that she was amused. "You lost your staff?"

"I didn't lose it!" Hermes snapped. "It was stolen. And I wasn't asking for your help, girl!"

"Fine," she said. "Solve your own problem then. Percy, let's get out of here."

Hermes snarled. Percy realized he might have to break up a fight between an immortal god and his girlfriend, and he didn't want to have to carry a god to the infirmary.

A little background: Ariadne and Luke, Hermes's son, used to be close—brother and sister type thing. Luke turned evil. Hermes blamed Ariadne and her best friend Annabeth for not preventing Luke from turning evil. Ariadne blamed Hermes for being a terrible father and doing nothing to stop Luke from becoming evil in the first place. Luke died in war. Hermes and Ariadne blamed each other.

Anyway, Percy figured things would go badly if these two went nuclear, so he risked stepping between them. "Aidan, tell you what. This sounds important. Let me hear him out, and I'll meet you back at the picnic blanket, okay?"

Percy gave her a smile that he hoped conveyed understanding, she clenched her jaw and grit her teeth.

Before she could protest or cause him bodily harm, Percy grabbed Hermes's arm. "Let's step into your office."

Ariadne waited for her boyfriend by their picnic site with her arms folded. One Percy rejoined her, Hermes's delivery truck had disappeared in a flash of light.

"Well?" she demanded.

"Good news." Percy told her what they had to do.

She didn't slap him, but deep down she wanted to. "How is tracking down a fire breathing giant good news? And why do you think I want to help out Hermes?"

"He's not so bad," Percy said. "Besides, two innocent snakes are in trouble. You told me you liked them. George and Martha must be terrified—"

"Is this an elaborate joke?" she asked. "Please tell me you planned this with Hermes, and we're actually going to a surprise party for our anniversary.

"Um...well, no. But afterward, I promise—"

Ariadne raised her hand. Her eyes shined sadly, as if she was hiding disappointment behind them. "You are cute and sweet, Perc. But please—no more promises. Let's just find this giant."

She stepped their blanket in her backpack and put away the food. The only thing she kept out was the shield.

Annabeth had let them borrow it for their picnic, but they had to promise to keep it safe and return it the following day. Of course, they had promised, and weren't about to lose such an important magical item.

Ariadne brushed off the crumbs and tossed the plate into the air. It expanded as it spun. When it landed in the grass it was a fully sized bronze shield, it's highly polished surface reflecting the sky.

"That thing only shows aerial images, right?" Percy asked. "Cacus is supposed to be underground."

Ariadne shrugged. "Worth a try. Shield, I want to see Cacus."

Light rippled across the bronze surface.

Instead of a reflection, they were looking down at a landscape of dilapidated warehouses and crumbling roads. A rusty water tower rose above the urban blight.

She snorted. "This stupid shield has a sense of humor."

What do you mean?" Percy asked.

"That's Secacus, New Jersey. Read the sign on the water tower." She rapped her knuckles on the bronze surface. "Okay, you may do that with Annabeth, shield, but I don't find it that funny. Now I want to see—I mean, show me the location of the fire-breathing giant Cacus."

The image changed.

Renovated warehouses, brick-paved streets, a glass hotel, and an elevated train track that had been turned into a park with trees and wildflowers.

"That's the High Line Park," Percy said. "In the Meat Packing District."

"Yeah," Ariadne agreed. "But where's the giant?"

She frowned in concentration. The shield zoomed in on an intersection blocked off with orange barricades and detour signs. Construction equipment sat idle in the shadow of the High Line. Chiseled in the street was a big square hole, cordoned off with yellow police tape. Steak billowed from the pit.

Percy scratched his head. "Why would the police seal off a hole in the street?"

"Annie told me about this," Ariadne said. "Apparently, it was on the news yesterday."

"I don't watch the news."

"A construction worker got hurt. Some freak accident way below the surface. They were digging a new service tunnel or something, and a fire broke out."

"A fire," he said. "As in, maybe a fire breathing giant?"

"That would make sense," she agreed. "The mortals wouldn't understand what was happening. The Mist would obscure what they really saw. They'd think the giant was just like—I don't know—a gas explosion or something."

"So let's catch a cab."

Ariadne gazed wistfully across the Great Lawn. "First sunny day in weeks, and I can finally walk outside without rain, and my boyfriend wants to take me to a dangerous cave to fight a fire breathing giant."

"You're awesome," Percy said.

"I know," she said. "You better have something good planned for dinner, mister."

***

     THE CAB DROPPED THEM OF ON WEST 15TH. The streets were bustling with a mix of sidewalk vendors, workers, shoppers, and tourists.

They made their way to the construction site. Two police officers stood at the intersection, but they didn't pay them any attention as they turned up the sidewalk and then doubled back, ducking behind the barricades.

The hole in the street was about the size of a garage door. Piper scaffolding hung over it with a sort of winch system, and metal climbing rings had been fastened into the side of the pit, leading down.

"Ideas?" Percy asked Ariadne.

"We climb down," she said. "We find the giant. We get the caduceus."

"Wow," he said. "You have this really planned out."

"Shut up."

They climbed over the barricade, ducked under the police tape, and crept toward the hole. Sneaking into a dangerous steaming pit in the middle of a New York intersection proved disturbingly easy.

They descended. And descended.

The rings seemed to go down forever. The square of daylight above them got smaller and smaller until it was the size of a postage stamp. She couldn't hear traffic anymore, just the echo of trickling water. Every twenty feet or so, a dim light flickered next to the ladder, but the descent was still gloomy and creepy.

"Holy Hephaestus," Ariadne said. "Percy, look."

He dropped next to her in a shallow puddle of kick. He turned and found that they were standing in a factory sized cavern. They tunnel emptied into it like a narrow chimney. The rock walls bristled with old cables, pipe, and lines of brickwork—maybe the foundations of old buildings. Busted water pipes, possibly old sewer lines, sent a steady drizzle of water down the halls, turning the floor muddy.

There wasn't much light, but the cavern looked like a cross between a construction zone and a flea market. Scattered around the cave were crates, toolboxes, pallets of timber, and stacks of steel pipe. There was even a bulldozer half-sunken in the mud.

Even stranger: several old cars had somehow been brought from the surface, each filled with suitcases and mounds of purses. Racks of clothing had been carelessly tossed around like somebody had cleaned out a department store. Worst of all, hanging from meat hooks on stainless steel scaffold was a row of cow carcasses—skinned, gutted, and ready for butchering. Judging from the smell and flies, they weren't very fresh.

No sign of a giant. Then Ariadne pointed to the far end of the cave. "Maybe down there."

Leasing into the darkness was a twenty foot diameter tunnel, perfectly round, as if made by a huge snake.

"How did all this stuff get down here?" Percy felt the need to whisper, but his voice echoed anyway.

Ariadne scanned the scene. She obviously didn't like what she saw. "They must've lowered the bulldozer in pieces and assembled it down here," she decided. "I thing that's how they dug the subway system a long time ago. I'm not sure I was really paying attention when Annabeth told me about it."

"What about the other junk?" he asked. "The cars and, um, meat products?"

She furrowed her eyebrows. "Some of it looks like street vendor merchandise. Those purses and coats...the giants must've brought them down here for some reason. "She gestured toward the bulldozer. "That thing looks like you after you tried to spar me last summer."

The machine's caterpillar treads were busted. The driver's seat was charred to a crisp. In the front of the rig, the big shovel blade was dented as if it had run into something...or been punched. All in all, it looked like it had gone through a whole beating.

Percy shoved her shoulder while she snorted.

The silence was eerie.

Percy glanced at Ariadne, hoping she had a great idea—like running away. Instead, she started toward the bulldozer.

They'd just reached the middle of the cave when a groan echoed from the far tunnel. They ducked behind the bulldozer just as the giant appeared from the darkness, stretching his massive arms.

"Breakfast," he rumbled.

As Hermes had said, the giant was about teen feet tall, which made him small compared to the other giants Ariadne had seen. But Cacus made up for it by being bright and gaudy. He had curly orange hair, pale skin, and orange freckles. His face was smeared upward with a permanent pout, upturned nose, wide eyes, and arched eyebrows, so he appeared both startled and unhappy. He wore a red velour housecoat with matching slippers. The housecoat was open, revealing silky Valentine patterned boxer shorts and luxurious chest hair of a red/pink/orange color not found in nature.

Ariadne gagged. "Ugh. It's a ginger giant."

Unfortunately, the giant had extremely good hearing. He frowned and scanned the cavern, zeroing in on their hiding place.

"Who's there?" he bellowed. "You—behind the bulldozer."

Ariadne and Percy looked at each other. She mouth, Oops.

"Come on!" the giant said. "I don't appreciate sneaking about! Show yourself."

That sounded like a really terrible idea. Then again, they were pretty much busted anyway.

Percy took out his ballpoint lent and uncapped it. His bronze sword Riptide sprang to life. Ariadne twisted her gold ring into her own sword, Lunacy.  Both swords seemed to glisten without any light, thanks to them be near the other. Together they stepped into the open.

The giant grinned. "Well! Demigods, are you? I call for breakfast, and you two appear? That's quite accommodating."

"We're not breakfast," Ariadne said.

"No?" The giant stretched lazily. Twin wisps of smoke escaped his nostrils. I imagine you'd taste wonderful with tortillas, salsa, and eggs. Huevos semidiós. Just think about it makes me hungry!"

He sauntered over to the row of fly specked cow carcasses.

Percy muttered, "Oh, he's not really gonna—"

Cacus snatched one of the carcasses off a hook. He blew fire over it—a red hot torrent of flame that cooked the meat in seconds but didn't seem to hurt the giant's hands at all. Once the cow was crispy and sizzling, Cacus unhinged his jaw, opening his mouth impossibly wide, and downed the carcass in three massive bites, bones and all.

"Yep," Ariadne said weakly. "He really did."

The giant belched. He wiped his steaming greasy hands on his robe and grinned at them. "So, if you're not breakfast, you must be customers. What can I interest you in?"

He sounded relaxed and friendly, like he was happy to talk with us. Between that and the red velour housecoat, he almost didn't seem dangerous.

Percy stepped forward. He wanted to keep his focus on him and not Ariadne. He thought it's polite for a guy to protect his girlfriend from instant incineration.

"Um, yeah," Percy said. "We might be customers. What do you sell?"

Cacus laughed. "What do I sell? Everything, demigod! At bargain basement prices, and you can't find a basement lower than this?" He gestured around the cavern. "I've got designer handbags, Italian suits, um...some construction equipment, apparently, and if you're in the market for a Rolex..."

He opened his robe. Pinned to the inside was a glittering array of gold and silver watches.

Ariadne snapped her fingers. "Fakes! That's why those looked so familiar. You got all this from street merchants, didn't you? They're designer knockoffs."

The giant looked offended. "Not just any knockoffs, young lady. I steal only the best! I'm a son of Hephaestus. I know quality fakes when I see them."

Percy frowned. "A son of Hephaestus? Then shouldn't you be making things rather than stealing them?"

Cacus snorted. "Too much work! Oh, sometimes if I find a high-quality item, I'll make my own copies. But mostly it's easier to steal things. I started with cattle thieving, you know, back in the old days. Love cattle! That's why I settled in the Meatpacking District. Then I discovered they have more than meat here!"

He grinned as if this was an amazing discovery. "Street vendors, high-end boutiques—this is a wonderful city, even better than Ancient Rome! And the workers were very nice to make me this cave."

"You mean before you ran them off," Ariadne said, "and almost killed them."

Cacus stifled a yawn. "Are you sure you're not breakfast? Because you're beginning to bore me. If you don't want to buy something, I'll go get the salsa and tortillas—"

"We were looking for something special," Percy interrupted. "Something real. And magic. But I guess you don't have anything like that."

"Ha!" Cacus clapped his hands. "A high-end shopper. If I haven't got what you need in stock, I can steal it, for the right price, of course."

"Hermes's staff," Percy said. "The caduceus."

The giant's face turned as red as his hair. His eyes narrowed. "I see. I should've known Hermes would send someone. Who are you two? Children of the thief god?"

Ariadne looked ticked. She raised her sword. "Did he just call me Hermes's kid? When I get my hands on him I'll shove a vine in the—"

"I'm Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon," Percy told the giant. He put out his arm to hold Ariadne back. "This is Ariadne Phoenix, daughter of Dionysus. We help out the gods sometimes with little stuff, like—oh, killing Titans, saving Mount Olympus, things like that. Perhaps you've heard the stories. So about that caduceus...it would be easier just to hand it over before things get unpleasant."

Cacus threw his head back and laughed. "Oh, I see! That was supposed to scare me! But, alas, the only demigod who ever defeated me was Hercules himself."

Percy turned to Ariadne and shook his head in exasperation. "Always Hercules. What is it with Hercules?"

Ariadne shrugged. "Must've had a great publicist. But he's no Zoe Nightshade."

The giant kept boasting. "For centuries, I was the terror of Italy! I stole many cows—more than any other giant. Mothers used to care their children with my name. They would say, 'Mind your manners, child, or Cacus will come and steal your cows!'"

"I'm shaking," Ariadne said.

The giant grinned. "I know! Right? So you may as well give up, demigods. You'll never get the caduceus. I have plans for that!"

He raised his hand and the staff of Hermes appeared in his grip. It sent a shiver down her spine. Godly items just radiated power. The staff was smooth white wood about three feet long, topped with a silver sphere and dove's wings that fluttered nervously. Intertwined around the staff were two live, very agitated serpents.

"Martha, George," Percy said. "Are you guys all right?"

They must've responded.

Cacus looked back and forth from him to the snakes. "Wait...you can speak with the snakes, Percy Jackson? That's excellent! Tell them they'd better start cooperating. I'm their new master, and they'll only get fed when they start taking orders."

"Hold it," Ariadne said. "Cacus, the snakes will never obey you. They only work for Hermes. Since you can't use the staff, if doesn't do you any good. Just give it back and we'll pretend this never happened.

"Great idea," Percy said.

The giant snarled. "Oh, I'll figure out the staff's powers, girl. I'll make the snakes cooperate!"

Cacus shook the caduceus. George and Martha wriggled and hissed, but they seemed stuck to the staff.

Finally the giant growled in frustration. He slammed the staff against the nearest cow carcass and instantly the meat turned to stone. A wave of petrification spread from carcass to carcass until the rack became so heavy it collapsed. Half a dozen granite cows broke to pieces.

"Now, that's interesting!" Cacus beamed.

"Uh-oh." Annabeth took a step back.

The giant swung the staff in their direction. "Yes! Soon I will master this thing and be as powerful as Hermes. I'll be able to go anywhere! I'll steal anything I want, make high-quality knockoffs, and sell them around the world. I will be the lord of traveling salesmen!"

"That," Percy said, "is truly evil."

"Ha-ha!" Cacus raised the caduceus in triumph. "I had my doubts, but now I'm convinced. Stealing this staff was an excellent idea! Now let's see how I can kill you with it."

"Wait!" Ariadne said. "You mean it wasn't your idea to steal the staff?"

"Kill them!" Cacus ordered the snakes. He pointed the caduceus at them, but the silver top only spewed slips of paper. Ariadne picked up one and read it.

"You're trying to kill us with Groupons," she announced. "Eighty-five percent off piano lessons."

"Gah!" Cacus glared at the snakes and breathed a fiery warning shot over their heads. "Obey me!"

George and Martha squirmed in alarm.

"Hey, Cacus!" Percy shouted, trying to get back his attention. "Answer our question. Who told you to steal the staff?"

The giant sneered. "Foolish demigod. When you defeated Kronos, do you think you eliminated all the enemies of the gods? You only delayed the fall of Olympus for a little while longer. Without the staff, Hermes will be unable to carry messages. Olympian communication lines will be disrupted, and that's only the first big of chaos my friends have planned."

"Your friends?" Ariadne asked.

Cacus waved off the question. "Doesn't matter. You won't live that long, and I'm only in it for the money. With this staff, I'll make millions! Maybe even thousands! Now hold still. Perhaps I can get a good price on two demigod statues."

Percy looked at Ariadne. "Time to fight?"

She gave him a brilliant grin. "Smartest thing you've said all morning.

Ariadne and Percy had been fighting together for years. They knew each other's abilities. They could anticipate each other's moves.

Ariadne veered to the giant's left. Percy charged him head on. He was still out of sword reach when Cacus unhinged his jaw and blew fire.

Percy managed to leap to one side, but he could feel his arms starting to warm up and his clothes igniting. He rolled through the mud to douse the flames and knocked over a rack of women's coats.

The giant roared. "Look at what you've done! Those are genuine fake Prada!"

Ariadne used the distraction to strike. She lunged at Cacus from behind and slashed him in the back of the knee—usually a nice soft spot on monsters. She leaped away as Cacus swung the caduceus, barely missing her. The silver tip slammed into the bulldozer and the entire machine turned to stone.

"I'll kill you!" Cacus stumbled, Golden ichor pouring from his wounded leg.

He blew fire at Ariadne, but she dodged the blast. Percy lunged with Riptide and slashed his blade across the giant's other leg.

Cacus bellowed in pain. He turned with surprising speed, smacking Percy with the back of his hand. He went flying and crashed into a pile of broken stone cows. His vision blurred. Ariadne yelled, "Percy!"

Percy rolled left as the caduceus smashed into the pile of stone where he'd been laying.

He heard a CLANG! And the giant screamed, "Gah!"

Percy staggered to his feet. Ariadne had grabbed a heavy piece of the bulldozer that had broken off. With a little bit of effort, she surprised her own boyfriend with her strength, using the metal rod like a baseball back and slammed it across the giant's backside.

She dropped the rod and grabbed the celestial brine shield from her backpack. She smacked him again, causing him to yell out once more.

Cacus staggered, but before Ariadne could hit him again, he turned around and snatched the shield from her. He crumpled the Celestial bronze like paper and tossed it over his shoulder.

They were so gonna hear it from Annabeth later.

"Enough!" Cacus leveled the staff at Ariadne.

Before Percy could stumble over, the caduceus changed form. It became a cell phone and rang to the tune of 'Macarena.' George and Martha, now the size of earthworms, curled around the screen.

"Stupid snakes!" Cacus shook the cell phone violently.

The phone grew back into a staff.

"Now, behave!" Cacus warned the snakes. "Or I'll turn you two into a fake Gucci handbag!"

Ariadne ran to Percy's side. Together they backed up until they were next to the ladder.

"Tag team strategy isn't working," she noticed. She was breathing heavily. The left sleeve of her t-shirt was smoldering, but otherwise she looked okay. "I would try to grow vines, but that would probably cause this whole place to cave in on us. Madness wouldn't be such a good idea since he still had the caduceus. Any suggestions?"

Percy's ears were ringing.

He looked up the tunnel—some crazy idea struck his eyes.

"I don't like you!" Cacus yelled. He stalked toward them, smoke pouring from his nostrils. "It's time to end this."

"Hold on," Percy told Ariadne. He wrapped his free hand around her waist.

Cacus towered over them, his mouth glowing like a furnace. "Any last words, demigod?"

"Look up," Percy told him.

He did.

The whole cavern rumbled as a thousand water pipes burst overhead. A not-so-clean waterfall slammed Cacus in the face. Percy yanked Ariadne out the way, then leaped back into the edge of the torrent, carrying her with him.

"What are you—?" She made a strangled sound.

Far below she heard Cacus bellowing as millions, maybe even thousands of filthy gallons of water slammed into him. Meanwhile Ariadne alternately shouted, gagged, hit Percy, and called him endearing pet names like "Idiot! Stupid—dirty—moron—" and topped it all off with "Kill you!"

Finally they shout out of the ground atop a disgusting geyser and landed safely on the pavement.

Pedestrians and cops backed away, yelling in alarm at their sewage version of Old Faithful.

Brakes screeched and cars rear-ended each other as drivers stopped to watch the chaos.

Percy willed himself dry but he still smelled pretty bad. Ariadne had old cotton balls stuck in her hair and a wet candy wrapper plastered to her face.

"That," she said, "was horrible!"

"On the bright side," Percy said, "we're alive."

"Without the caduceus!"

He grimaced.

The geyser receded, followed by the horrendous sound of water draining down the tunnel, like somebody up on Olympus had flushed the godly toilet.

An explosion shook the street. A beam of blue light shot out of the tunnel, carving a trench up the side of a glass office building, melting windows and vaporizing concrete. The giant climbed from the pit, his velour housecoat steaming, and his face spattered with slime.

He didn't not look happy. In his hands, the caduceus now resembled a bazooka with snakes wrapped around the barrel and a glowing blue muzzle.

"Um," Ariadne said faintly. "What is that?"

"That," Percy guessed, "would be laser mode."

"Oh, goody."

Ariadne and Percy fled as another laser bolt gouged a ditch through the street to their left. Chunks of asphalt rained down like confetti.

Behind them, Cacus yelled, "You ruined my fake Rolexes! They aren't waterproof, you know! For that, you die!"

They kept running. Traffic clogged the streets. Pedestrians screamed and ran in every direction. The two police officers they'd seen earlier were nowhere in sight, maybe swept away by the mob.

"The park!" Ariadne pointed to the elevated tracks of the High Line. "If we can get him off street level—"

"BOOM! The laser cut through a nearby food truck. The vendor dove out his service window with a fistful of shish kebabs.

Ariadne and Percy sprinted for the park stairs. Sirens screamed in the distance, but she didn't want more police involved. Mortal law enforcement would only make things more complicated, and through the Mist, the police might even think her and Percy were the problem. That had happened more than once.

They climbed up to the park. Ariadne tried to get her bearings. Under different circumstances, she would've enjoyed the view of the glittering Hudson River and the rooftops of the surrounding neighborhood. The weather was nice. The park's flower beds were bursting with color.

The High Line was empty, though—maybe because it was a workday, or maybe because the visitors were smart and ran when they heard the explosions.

Somewhere below them, Cacus was roaring, cursing, and offering panicked mortals deep discounts on slightly damp Rolexes.

Percy looked at Ariadne. "Your turn for a brilliant idea."

"I'm working on it." She was beautiful in combat. He knew it was a crazy thing to say, especially after they'd just climbed a sewage waterfall, but her purple eyes sparkled when she was fighting for her life. Her face shine like a goddess's. The way her Camp Half-Blood beads rested against her throat, and how her lips seemed to be the perfect shade—he got a little distracted.

She pointed. "There!"

A hundred feet away, the old railroad tracks split and the elevated platform formed a Y. The shorter piece of the Y was a dead end—part of the park that was still under construction. Stacks of potting soil bags and plant flats sat on the gravel. Jutting over the edge of the railing was the arm of a crane that must've been sitting down at ground level. Far above them, a big metal claw hung from the crane's arm—probably what they'd been using to hoist garden supplies.

"No," Percy said. "Too dangerous."

Ariadne raised her eyebrow. "You know I'm awesome at those strongman strike games."

That was true. He'd taken her to the arcade at Coney Island, and they'd come back with a sackful of animals and a huge dolphin Percy hadn't let go of.

"Don't worry," she promised. "I've dealt with worse."

His girlfriend: sophomore honors student, demigod, and—oh, yeah—best fighter in the last couple hundred years, as so declared by the gods themselves.

"But can you hold it?" he asked.

"Duh. Just lure him over there. Keep him occupied while I hit him."

"And then what?"

She smiled in a way that made him glad he wasn't the giant.

"You'll see. If you can grab the caduceus while he's distracted, that would be great."

"Anything else?" Percy asked.

"Oh, yeah. If we die, I'm blaming you. It'll be all your fault."

He smirked. "Just my fault?"

She grinned. "You dragged me out here."

"DEATH!" Cacus stormed up the steps and onto the High Line. He spotted them and lumbered over with slow, grim determination.

Ariadne ran. She reached the crane and leaped over the side of the railing, shimmying down the metal arm like it was a tree branch. She disappeared from view.

Percy raised his sword and faced the giant. His red velour robe was in tatters. He'd lost his slippers. His ginger hair was plastered to his head like a greasy shower cap. He aimed his glowing bazooka.

"George, Martha," Percy called. "Please change out of laser mode."

Ariadne waited for a moment where a loud noise appeared. Anything to hide whatever she was doing.

Percy backed up slowly down the dead end tracks, edging toward the crane. Cacus followed. How that he had trapped him, he seemed in no hurry to kill Percy. He stopped twenty feet away, just beyond the shadow of the crane's hook.

"So," Cacus growled. "Any last words?"

"Help?" Percy said. "Yikes. Ouch. How are those? Oh, and Hermes is a way better salesmen than you."

"Gah!" Cacus lowered the caduceus laser.

Ariadne was quick with her work and cut the crane arm off with one move. Vines caught it, preventing an echo from reaching the giant. She smiled at her boyfriend and his comebacks.

Cacus pulled the trigger, and suddenly the caduceus changed form. The giant tried to zap him with a credit-card swiping machine, but the only thing that came out was a paper receipt.

"Stupid staff!" Cacus threw down the caduceus in disgust, which was now the chance Percy had been waiting for. He launched forward, snatched the staff, and rolled under the giant's legs.

When he got to his feet, they'd changed positions. Cacus has his be an to the crane. It's arm was right behind him, and a spout of vines was growing perfectly positioned above his head.

Unfortunately, they weren't making any sudden moves. And Cacus still wanted to kill Percy.

"You put out my fire with that cursed sewage," he growled. "Now you steal my staff."

"Which you wrongfully stole," Percy said.

"It doesn't matter." Cacus cracked his knuckles. "You can't use the stage either. I'll simply kill you with my bare hands."

The vines shifted, slowly and almost silently. Percy realized there were mirrors fixed along the side of the arm—like rear view mirrors. And reflected in one of those mirrors were Ariadne's purple eyes.

The vines began to drop.

Percy smiled at the giant. "Actually, Cacus, I have another secret weapon."

The giant's eyes lit up with greed. "Another weapon? I will steal it! I will copy it and sell the knockoffs for a profit! What is this secret weapon?"

"Her name is Ariadne," Percy said. "And there will never be another one like her."

The vines dropped, slamming Cacus on the head and knocking him to the ground. While the giant was dazed, the vines wrapped around his chest and arms and lifted him into the air.

"Wh—what is this?" The giant came to his sense twenty feet up. "Put me down!"

He squirmed uselessly and tried to blow out fire, but only managed to cough up some mud.

Ariadne gave him an evil grin. "Hey, Cacus, I'm the secret weapon!"

She blinked and the vines sent him skyrocketing straight up—thirty, fourth, fifty feet before he began descending back toward earth. Ariadne smirked. She readied another set of vines with the crane claw like a baseball bat, and SMACK! It was a home run.

"Aahhhhhhhhh!" The giant sailed over the rooftops, straight over Chelsea Piers, and began falling toward the Hudson River.

"George, Martha," Percy said. "Do you think you could manage laser mode just once more for me?"

The caduceus turned into a wicked high tech bazooka.

Percy took aim at the falling giant and yelled, "Pull!"

The caduceus blasted its beam of blue light, and the giant disintegrated into a beautiful starburst.

Ariadne met Percy at the steps of the park, grinning like crazy.

"Was that amazing of what?" she demanded.

"That was amazing," Percy agreed. It was hard to pull off a romantic kiss when you're both drenched in much, but they gave it their best shot.

When he finally came up for air, Percy said, "Rats."

"Rats?" she asked.

"For the snakes," Percy said. "And then—"

"Oh, gods. It's almost five. We have to get the caduceus back to Hermes!"

***

     SHE SMELLED AWFUL. Ariadne had lectured Percy against using sewage water next time, but he only laughed, as if she didn't look like she had taken a dip in the Hudson River.

The surface streets were clogged with emergency vehicles and minor accidents, so they took the subway back. Besides, the subways had rats. George and Martha helped out with the vermin problem. As they traveled north, they curled around the caduceus and dozed contentedly with bulging bellies.

They met Hermes by the Atlas statue at Rockefeller Center. ( The statue, by the way, looked nothing like the real Atlas ).

"Thank the Fates!" Hermes cried. "I'd just give up hope!"

He took the caduceus and patted the heads of his sleepy snakes. "There, there, my friends. You're home now."

Hermes sighed in relief. "Thank you, Percy."

Ariadne cleared her throat.

"Oh, yes," the god added, "and you, too, girl. I just have time to finish my deliveries! But what happened with Cacus?"

They told him the story. When Percy related what Cacus had said about someone else giving him the idea to steal the caduceus, and about the gods having other enemies, Hermes's face darkened.

"Cacus wanted to cut off the gods' communication lines, did he?" Hermes mused. "That's ironic, considering Zeus has been threatening..."

His voice trailed off.

"What?" Ariadne asked. "Zeus had been threatening what?"

"Nothing," Hermes said.

It was obviously a lie. But neither demigod wanted to become a small fuzzy mammal or potted plant, so they let it be.

"Okay..." Percy said. "Any idea what Cacus meant about other enemies, or who would want him to steal your caduceus?"

Hermes fidgeted. "Oh, could be a number of enemies. We gods do have many."

"Not something to brag about," Ariadne said.

Hermes nodded. Apparently he didn't catch her last words, or he had other things on his mind.

The goddess managed a smile. "At any rate, well done, both of you! Now, I must be going. So many stops—"

"There's the small matter of my reward," Percy  reminded him.

Ariadne frowned. "What reward?"

"It's our one month anniversary," Percy said. "Surely you didn't forget."

She narrowed her eyebrows, asking him what he was up to with her expression. He smiled coyly.

"Ah, yes, your reward." Hermes looked them up and down. "I think we'll have to start with new clothes. Manhattan sewage is not a look you can pull off. Obviously something Aphrodite would approve of, or else sheWoukd be yapping for the next few thousand years. Then the rest should be easy. God of travel, at your service."

"What is he talking about?" Ariadne asked.

"A special surprise dinner," Percy said. "I did promise."

Hermes rubbed his hands together. "Say goodbye, George and Martha."

"I may not see you for a while, Percy," Hermes warned. "But...well, enjoy tonight."

Then he snapped his fingers, and the world dissolved around them.

***

     THEIR TABLE WAS READY. The maître d' seated them on a rooftop terrace with a view of the lights of Paris and the boats on the River Seine. The Eiffel Tower glowed in the distance.

Percy was wearing a suit. Thankfully, Hermes had magically arranged this. Otherwise he couldn't have tied the tie. Hopefully he looked okay, because Ariadne looked stunning. She wore a dark red sleeveless dress that showed off her brunette hair and her slim athletic figure. Her camp necklace had left only the gold hoop and pearl chain hanging around her neck.

The waiter brought fresh baked bread and cheese, and a Cokes with ice for them ( because they're barbarians ). They dined on a bunch of stuff neither could even pronounce—but all of it was great. It was almost half an hour before Ariadne got over her shock and spoke.

"This is...incredible."

"Only he best for you," Percy said. "And you thought I forgot."

"You did forget, Kelp Head." But her smile was so wide he could tell she wasn't mad. "Nice save, by the way."

"I have my moments."

She laughed. "I'm glad you do." She reached across the table and took his hand, their fingers interlocking. Her expression turned serious. "Any idea why Hermes acted so nervous? I got the feeling something bad was happening on Olympus."

Percy shook his head.

"Let's just enjoy tonight," Percy said. "Hermes will be teleporting us back at midnight."

"Time for a walk along the river," Ariadne suggested. "And Percy...feel free to start planning our two month anniversary."

"Oh, gods." He pulled out the credit card Hermes had tucked in his pocket—a black metal Olympus express—and set it on the table. "I want to explore Paris with a beautiful girl."

And they were off.

Ariadne tucked her arm into his, keeping a hand on him while he smiled down at her. They laughed and talked for ten minutes, mainly about camp moments and life itself, not bothering to worry about the gods or what would happen when they went back home. It was just them.

Lights glowed on the edge of the river, lighting the water, reflecting their faces in rippling pools of orange and faint yellows. Percy watched as Ariadne kneeled down toward a duck, laughing while she tried to wave.

Unfortunately, the duck had chicks, and it was a mother duck who was overprotective of its young. Percy felt his chest start to give up on him as he watched his girlfriend run away from a duck that began flying after her, almost tripping in her heels.

Ariadne had removed her shoes afterward and threw them at him. People stopped and stared at the couple, or rather, Ariadne. With Aphrodite's blessing her beauty was enhanced, but even without the blessing, she would've been that gorgeous and stunning.

In Percy's eyes, Ariadne was the most beautiful girl in the world.

Her heels dangled from her hand while they made it to the bridge. Percy leaned against against the edge, surveying the water below. He seemed lost in thought.

Ariadne noticed how his eyes became dark, mimicking the depths of the River Seine. The moon bounced off the water like a mirror, showing his dimples and his tousled hair that never seemed to lay flat, no matter how much magic was out into it. He was perfect in her eyes.

She leaned her cheek against his shoulder, careful not to get lipstick on his suit. "You know, now that I've seen you in a suit, I'm kind of digging it," she said.

Percy glanced down at her. "What? You don't prefer my skater boy appearance?"

"Of course I do," Ariadne scoffed. "But, I'm just saying, you look very good right now. That's all."

He cracked a smile. "And you look beautiful, Curly Fry."

Percy brushed a stray curl behind her ear, tucking the gray piece away from view, running his thumb over her cheek. She closed her eyes at his touch.

"Would you like a picture and a rose?"

They spun around to see an old woman carrying a basket, her voice heavy with a thick French accent, but she spoke English well. Something about her eyes seemed oddly familiar. In the basket rested over a dozen red roses, all looking as fresh as ever. Around her neck hung a Polaroid camera.

Ariadne smiled. "Yes, thank you."

Percy wasn't a big fan of pictures, but he did it just for her. She knew he would, too. Because later on, he would appreciate it, and so would Sally.

The woman handed Ariadne a rose, which she held in her hand, careful of the the petals. Percy wrapped his arms around her waist, letting her back rest against his chest while they grinned, both feeling happier than ever.

Once the picture was taken, the older woman bid them farewell, and they watched as she hobbled down the bridge and out of sight.

Suddenly, there was a distant sound of violen, most likely from one of the balconies. Percy took that moment to stare at her. His tan hands gripped the rose. He placed it behind her ear, mixing it with her dark curls, igniting butterflies in her stomach.

"So," he said, "who's going to explain to Annabeth that her shield's gone?"

Ariadne sighed heavily. "I guess I will. Since you did this all for me."

Percy smiled. "Of course I would. You're my girlfriend, and I wanted this to be special."

"Even if you forgot."

The boy rolled his eyes while she giggled. The sound was a sweet melody in his ear, one he wish he could hear over and over again.

It was silent between them for a moment. Just them. No monsters, no problems, they were almost regular teens out on a date, enjoying their time together. Ariadne couldn't have asked for a better boy to date. Percy Jackson was too good for the world. But damn, was she glad he chose her in the end.

Percy gripped her hand and spun her around. There, they began to sway, waltzing across the bridge as if they were in some sort of musical. But, nothing else mattered except for them, and only them.

Their lips met in a sweet kiss. Both were intoxicating. They smiled into it. For the moment all was perfect.

So for the rest of the night they danced away. Moon high above the clouds, a rose in her hair, and a grin on his face.

For just that moment—everything was perfect.

authors note:

STOP! READ TGE FOLLOWING

- You've read this chapter.
- Now, that last dance part, read the last word, and then close your eyes while listening to 'the night we met' by lord Huron
- imagine Percy and Ariadne dancing to this with Paris in the background. Imagine you're in a tv moment and this happens or in general. A montage of all Percy and Ariadne moments plays
- that last note plays. Then Ariadne opens her eyes and she's awake in the sewers on the quest

Did you do it? Please do it I wanna know your thoughts! It made me cry

How was it?

Honest thoughts right here:

I swear. The reads in the last chapter went down and have been and I'm so sorry if this is crap. I feel like it is.

Honestly, I feel like people are not reading anymore because I'm shut at writing so

This is also almost eight-thousand words so enjoy that!

Also, tell me why I'm so sensitive to the point where writing about an old lady with a rose basket and a camera was about to make me break down just PLEASE IT LOOKS SO SWEET AND SAD INJUST WANNA HUGB YHIS MADE UO WOMAN

My permit test is tomorrow so wish me luck!!

I'll let y'all know if I pass, which honestly I feel pretty good so

Please let me know what I could do better about. Like I said before, I feel like I'm annoying with these and my complaining about my writing, but the last chapter reads and lack thereof made me so sad. I just wanna give y'all a good chapter

Q: What is your favorite Percy Jackson book? (Can be from any of the series)
A: Either Last Olympian or The Lightning Thief

Gotta love the classics

Love you guys!