Stay Right Here

xxvi

anger management for statues

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They were, without a doubt, the strangest reinforcements in Roman military history. Hazel rode Arion, who had recovered enough to carry one person at normal horse speed. Frank transformed into a bald eagle and soared above them. Tyson ran down the hill, waving his club and yelling, "Bad pony-men! BOO!" while Ella fluttered around him, reciting facts from the Old Farmer's Almanac.

Percy rode Mrs. O'Leary into battle with a chariot full of Imperial gold equipment clanking and clinking behind, the golden eagle standard of the Twelfth Legion raised high above him. Hadley stood in the chariot, making sure they didn't lose any gold along the way.

They skirted the perimeter of the camp and took the northernmost bridge over the Little Tiber, charging onto the Field of Mars at the western edge of the battle. A horde of Cyclopes was hammering away at the campers of the Fifth Cohort, who were trying to keep their shields locked to stay alive.

Percy shouted, "Fifth Cohort!" and slammed into the nearest Cyclops. The last thing the poor monster saw was Mrs. O'Leary's teeth.

After the Cyclops disintegrated- and stayed disintegrated, thanks to Death- Percy lept off the hellhound and slashed wildly through the monsters. Hadley stayed with the chariot, fending off any monster who came running at the sight of the gold.

Tyson charged at the Cyclops leader, Ma Gasket, her chain-mail dress spattered with mud and decorated with broken spears.

She gawked at Tyson and started to say, "Who-?"

Tyson hit her on the head so hard, she spun in a circle and landed on her rump.

"Bad Cylcops Lady!" he bellowed. "General Tyson says GO AWAY!"

He hit her again, and Ma Gasket broke into dust.

Meanwhile, Hazel charged around on Arion, slicing her spatha through one Cylops after another, while Frank blinded the enemies with his talons.

Once every Cyclops within fifty yards had been reduced to ashes, Frank landed in front of his troops and transformed into a human. His centurion's badge and Mural Crown gleamed in the winter jacket.

"Fifth Cohort!" he bellowed. "Get your Imperial gold weapons right here!"

Hadley held her sword above her head and it shone in the sunlight, directing their attention to her. The campers recovered from their shock and mobbed the chariot. Percy and Hadley did their best to hand out equipment quickly.

"Let's go, let's go!" Dakota urged, grinning like a madman as he swigged red Kool-Aid from his flask. "Our comrades need help!"

Soon the Fifth Cohort was equipped with new weapons, shields, and helmets. They weren't exactly consistent. In fact, they looked like they'd been shopping at a King Midas clearance sale. But they'd suddenly become the most powerful cohort in the legion.

"Follow the eagle!" Frank ordered. "To battle."

For a moment the battle around them seemed to vanish as the only noise to be heard was the cheering campers. Percy and Hadley stared out at the fight around them, then turned to face each other.

Percy gave Hadley a crooked smile. "If I almost die, do I get to kiss you again?"

Hadley raised her eyebrows at him. "You can kiss my fist as I punch you in the face."

"I'll take those odds."

Then Percy and Mrs. O'Leary charged onward, and the entire cohort followed- forty extremely shiny gold-plated warriors screaming for blood.