𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐈𝐋¹ || 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐘 𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐎𝐍

𝐗𝐈𝐈

✦ 𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐀 𝐋𝐀𝐒 𝐕𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐒 ✦

THE WAR GOD WAS WAITING FOR THEM IN THE DINER PARKING LOT.

"Well, well," he said. "You didn't get yourself killed."

"You knew it was a trap," Percy said.

Ares gave him a wicked grin. "Bet that crippled blacksmith was surprised when he netted a couple of stupid kids. You looked good on TV."

Aurora couldn't help but glare at the god while Percy shoved his shield at him. "You're a jerk."

Annabeth and Grover caught their breaths.

Ares grabbed the shield and spun it in the air like pizza dough. It changed form, melting into a bulletproof vest. He slung it across his back.

"See that truck over there?" He pointed to an eighteen-wheeler parked across the street from the diner. "That's your ride. Take you straight to L.A., with one stop in Vegas."

The eighteen-wheeler had a sign on the back, which Percy could read only because it was reverse-printed white on black, a good combination for dyslexia: KINDNESS INTERNATIONAL: HUMANE ZOO TRANSPORT. WARNING: LIVE WILD ANIMALS.

Percy said, "You're kidding."

Ares snapped his fingers. The back door of the truck was unlatched. "Free ride west, punk. Stop complaining. And here's a little something for doing the job."

He slung a blue nylon backpack off his handlebars and tossed it to Percy. Inside were fresh clothes for all of them, twenty bucks in cash, a pouch full of golden drachmas, and a bag of Double Stuf Oreos.

Percy glared and said, "I don't want your lousy–"

"Thank you, Lord Ares," Grover interrupted, giving Percy his best red alert warning look.

"Thanks a lot." Percy gritted his teeth. It was probably a deadly insult to refuse something from a god, but he didn't want anything that Ares had touched.

Reluctantly, Percy slung the backpack over his shoulder. He knew his anger was being caused by the war god's presence, but he was still itching to punch him in the nose.

Ares reminded Percy of every bully he had ever faced: Nancy Bobofit, Clarisse, Smelly Gabe, sarcastic teachers– every jerk who'd called him stupid in school or laughed at him when he'd got expelled.

Meanwhile, Aurora looked back at the diner, which had only a couple of customers now.

The waitress who'd served them dinner was watching nervously out the window like she was afraid Ares might hurt them. She dragged the cook out from the kitchen to see. She said something to him. He nodded, held up a little disposable camera, and snapped a picture of them.

Great, Aurora thought. Percy will make the papers again tomorrow. Aurora imagined the headline: TWELVE-YEAR-OLD OUTLAW BEATS UP DEFENSELESS BIKER.