Bewitched || P. Jackson

𝕎ar plans

Mrs O'Leary was the only one happy about the sleeping city.

They found her pigging out at an overturned hot dog stand while the owner was curled up on the sidewalk, sucking his thumb.

Mrs O'Leary almost knocked Nicki to the dirty sidewalk in excitement. Percy caught Nicki as the hellhound barrelled into her.

"Hey girl!" Nicki spoke through Mrs O'Leary's thick fur. Percy pushed the hellhound with a snigger. Nicki rolled her eyes. "Y'know if I had two working arms, I'd hit you so hard."

"Oh, but you don't!" Percy ducked to avoid getting hit by the cluster of things in Nicki's good hand.

Argus was waiting for them with his hundred eyes wide open. He didn't say anything. He never does. Nicki guessed that's because he supposedly has an eyeball on his tongue. But his face made it clear he was freaking out.

Percy told him what they'd learned in Olympus, and how the gods would not be riding to the rescue. Argus rolled his eyes in disgust, which looked pretty psychedelic since it made his whole body swirl.

"You'd better get back to camp," Percy told him. "Guard it as best you can." He pointed at the demigod and raised his eyebrow quizzically. "I'm staying," Percy said.

Argus nodded like this answer satisfied him. He looked at Annabeth and drew a circle in the air with his finger.

"Yes," Annabeth agreed. "I think it's time."

"For what?" Nicki asked, trying to peer around Percy's unkempt hair.

Argus rummaged around in the back of his van. He brought out a bronze shield and passed it to Annabeth. It looked pretty much standard issue—the same kind of round shield they always used in capture the flag. But when Annabeth set it on the ground, the reflection on the polished metal changed from sky and buildings to the Statue of Liberty—which wasn't anywhere close to the demigods.

"Whoa," Percy said. "A video shield."

Nicki nudged Percy to move out of the way so she could see. "Cool!"

"One of Daedalus's ideas," Annabeth said. "I had Beckendorf make this before—" She glanced at Silena. "Um, anyway, the shield bends sunlight or moonlight from anywhere in the world to create a reflection. You can literally see any target under the sun or moon, as long as natural light is touching it. Look."

The demigods crowded around as Annabeth concentrated. The image zoomed and spun at first, so Nicki got motion sickness just watching it. They were in the Central Park Zoo, then zooming down East 60th, past Bloomingdale's, then turning on Third Avenue.

"Whoa," Connor Stoll said. "Back up. Zoom in right there."

"What?" Annabeth said nervously. "You see invaders?"

"No, right there—Dylan's Candy Bar." Connor grinned at his brother. "Dude, it's open. And everyone is asleep. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Nicki's eyes shone as she looked back at her uncle. "Oh, get me some chips!"

"Connor!" Katie Gardner scolded. She sounded like her mother, Demeter. "This is serious. You are not going to loot a candy store in the middle of a war!"

"Sorry," Connor muttered, but he didn't sound very ashamed.

Annabeth passed her hand in front of the shield, and another scene popped up: FDR Drive, looking across the river at Lighthouse Park.

"This will let us see what's going on across the city," she said. "Thank you, Argus. Hopefully, we'll see you back at camp... someday."

Argus grunted. He gave Percy a look that clearly meant Good luck; you'll need it, then climbed into his van. He and the two harpy drivers swerved away, weaving around clusters of idle cars that littered the road.