WAIT FOR ME [ nico di angelo ]

Time to cower in fear

LOUIS HAD NO idea what to expect. He hadn't expected to ever be in this type of situation ever in his life.

Campers drew weapons. Hannibal trumpeted nervously. Scipio reared, almost throwing Reyna.

"I know that voice," Percy said. He didn't sound pleased.

In the midst of the legion, a column of fire blasted into the air. Campers who had been soaked by the cannons found their clothes instantly steam-dried. Everyone scrambled backward as a huge soldier stepped out of the explosion.

Nico jabbed Louis in the side. 

"Close your mouth. You look ridiculous." Hissed Nico.

Louis' jaw must've been hanging open from pure shock. He quickly closed his mouth, muttered a quick and not very sincere sorry to Nico, then focused back.

The soldier was ten feet tall, dressed in Canadian Forces desert camouflage. He radiated confidence and power. His black hair was cut in a flat-topped wedge. His face was angular and brutal, marked with old knife scars. His eyes were covered with infrared goggles that glowed from inside. He wore a utility belt with a sidearm, a knife holster, and several grenades. In his hands was an oversized M16 rifle.

Frankly, Louis was slightly jealous of the soldier's style.

 As everyone else stepped back, Frank stepped forward.

When Louis noticed this, he didn't turn in annoyance. He didn't mutter something to Nico. He just stayed silent. Something told him this very moment would effect Frank for the rest of his life, and he couldn't mess it up for him.

Frank took three more steps. Then he sank to one knee.

The other campers followed his example and knelt. Even Reyna dismounted.

"That's good," the soldier said. "Kneeling is good. It's been a long time since I've visited Camp Jupiter."

Louis noticed that one person wasn't kneeling. Percy Jackson, his sword still in hand, was glaring at the giant soldier.

"You're Ares," Percy said. "What do you want?"

Louis let out a small gasp, causing Nico to jab him in the side again. Signalling for him to shut up.

No one would ever address a god this rudely. Especially if that god was Mars! But Percy had called him Ares, his greek name. That was the moment, right then and there, that Louis decided. He decided that he didn't care if it killed him. Percy was mysterious. And Louis intended to understand why.

After Louis, a collective gasp went up from two hundred campers and an elephant. Frank looked as if he wanted to say something to excuse Percy and placate the god, but it seemed that he didn't know what. For the first time, Frank looked genuinely afraid.

The god bared his brilliant white teeth. "You've got spunk, demigod," he said. "Ares is my Greek form. But to these followers, to the children of Rome, I am Mars—patron of the empire, divine father of Romulus and Remus."

"We've met," Percy said. "We...we had a fight...."

The god scratched his chin, as if trying to recall. "I fight a lot of people. But I assure you—you've never fought me as Mars. If you had, you'd be dead. Now, kneel, as befits a child of Rome, before you try my patience."

Around Mars's feet, the ground boiled in a circle of flame.

Louis smiled, wiggling his shoulder's ever so slightly into Nico's once he saw the flames. "Ooh, chilly."

Nico gave him a look that said 'do that one more time and your dead'. Instead, he muttered a "shut up," to which Louis obayed.

"Percy," Frank said, "please."