RED ¹ / Percy Jackson !

74

THE CAFE WAS PACKED WITH KIDS ENJOYING THE BEST PART OF THE TOUR-  THE DAM LUNCH. Thalia, Zoe, and Grover were just sitting down with their food. 

"We need to leave,"  Viviene gasped. "Now!" 

"But we just got our burritos!" Thalia said. 

Zoe stood up, muttering an Ancient Greek curse. "She's right! Look." 

The cafe windows wrapped all the way around the observation floor, which gave them a beautiful panoramic view of the skeletal army that had come to kill them.

Viviene counted two on the east side of the dam road, blocking the way to Arizona. Three more on the west side, guarding Nevada. All of them were armed with batons and pistols. 

But their immediate problem was a lot closer. The three skeletal warriors who'd been chasing Percy and Viviene in the turbine room now appeared on the stairs. They saw Percy and her from across the cafeteria and clattered their teeth.

"Elevator!" Grover said. They bolted that direction, but the doors opened with a pleasant ding, and three more warriors stepped out. Every warrior was accounted for, minus the one Bianca had blasted to flames in New Mexico. 

They were completely surrounded.

Then Grover had a brilliant, totally Grover-like idea. 

 "Burrito fight!" he yelled, and flung his Guacamole Grande at the nearest skeleton. 

Now, if you have never been hit by a flying burrito, count yourself lucky. In terms of deadly projectiles, it's right up there with grenades and cannonballs. Grover's lunch hit the skeleton and knocked his skull clean off his shoulders.Viviene was not sure what the other kids in the cafe saw, but they went crazy and started throwing their burritos and baskets of chips and sodas at each other, shrieking and screaming.  

The skeletons tried to aim their guns, but it was hopeless. Bodies and food and drinks were flying everywhere.

In the chaos, Thalia and Percy tackled the other two skeletons on the stairs and sent them flying into the condiment table. Then they all raced downstairs, Guacamole Grandes whizzing past their heads.

"What now?" Grover asked as they burst outside.

Viviene didn't have an answer. The warriors on the road were closing in from either direction. They ran across the street to the pavilion with the winged bronze statues, but that just put their backs to the mountain. 

The skeletons moved forward, forming a crescent around us. Their brethren from the cafe were running up to join them. One was still putting its skull back on its shoulders. Another was covered in ketchup and mustard. Two more had burritos lodged in their rib cages. They didn't look happy about it. They drew batons and advanced. 

"Five against eleven," Zoe muttered. "And they cannot die." 

 "It's been nice adventuring with you guys," Grover said, his voice trembling.

Something shiny caught the corner of Percy's eye. He glanced behind him at the statue's feet. 

 "Whoa," Pecry said. "Their toes really are bright."