SERENDIPITY ~ a. chase

xiv ~ Warpath's Dad Gets a Shower

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chapter fourteen ˏˋ°•*⁀➷
014. Warpath's Dad Gets a Shower

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CASSIE WASN'T SURPRISED WHEN THE COAST GUARD RESCUED THEM WITHOUT ANY QUESTIONS.

There were too many other people to save, for them to interrogate the four kids stuck in the middle of the ocean.

The Guard dropped them off on the shore with towels and water bottes. All of them were soaked, even Percy. Probably, because he told the sea to drench him to avoid suspicion.

The son of Poseidon was also barefoot as he had given Grover his shoes.

They stumbled on the beach. It felt like they had come back from the dead. Which technically, they did.

"I can't believe it. We went all that way-" Annabeth was cut off.

"It was a trick. A strategy worthy of Athena." Percy said.

Cassie snickered and Annabeth sent him a warning look.

"Hey."

"You get it, don't you?" Percy asked.

"Yeah. I get it." Annabeth assured, anger diminishing.

"Well, I don't! Would somebody-" Grover was interrupted.

"You gotta keep up, Gro." Cassie scolded playfully.

"Percy . . . I'm sorry about your mother. I'm so sorry . . ." Annabeth apologized.

Percy ignored her, not wanting to let any tears fall. Cassie wanted to tell him it was okay to cry. To state his feelings, but that would be hypocritical.

"The prophecy was right. You shall go west and face the god who has turned." He spoke lightly, not knowing how Cassie felt right now. "But it wasn't Hades. Hades didn't want war among the Big Three. Someone else pulled off the theft. Someone stole Zeus' master bolt, and Hades' helm, and framed me because I'm Poseidon's kid. Poseidon will get blamed by both sides. By sundown today, there will be a three-way war. And I'll have caused it." Percy explained.

"But who would be that sneaky? Who would want war that bad."

Grover still didn't understand fully. Cassie rolled her eyes, head low.

Her dad sucked. So much for possibly bonding with him. She didn't want to make him proud anymore.

"Isn't it obvious, Grover." Cassie spoke dejectedly. Her gazed stayed trained on the floor.

There in front of them stood just the god they were looking for. His sunglasses perched on his nose, baseball bat in hand. He leaned against his motorcycle.

"Hey, kid." Ares seemed happy to see them. Well, maybe not all of them. Maybe just a certain stubborn brunette who wanted to kill him right now. "You were supposed to die."

"You tricked me. You stole the helm and the master bolt." Percy accused.

"Well, now, I didn't steal them personally. Gods taking each other's symbols of power-that's a big no-no. But you're not the only her in the world who can run errands." Ares denied.

"Who did you use? Clarisse? She was there at the winter solstice." Percy suggested, he knew Cassie wouldn't have done it.

Cassie glared at his back. Sure, her siblings sucked most of the time, but it didn't mean they would steal powerful weapons for their dad.