Ella Jackson- Apollos legacy

7

We were walking for what felt like miles.

We were doing good at first! We were racing each other, skipping, making it fun! But after a while, Grover's stomach growled. We all looked at each other without saying anything and then we all put our hands on our stomachs.

"It feels like I haven't ate in days.." Grover whined.
"Even though my dad saved me, which I didn't think he would do, he could have at least gave me food too.." Percy also whined.
"How much farther until.. whatever??" I say while slowing down. Annabeth groans.
"Come on, guys! We were chosen for a quest by the gods! We can go -" she pauses and puts her hand on her stomach now. "Well, food might not be a horrible idea.."

Just then the quiet highway beside our stomachs had a new noise on it. A bike.
We hid behind the wall of the highway to let the bike pass. It felt good to sit.
"Why are you being weird?" Percy said while he looked at Annabeth. "Is it because you hugged me? .. you know it's not all that bad that you hugged me. I mean Ella does it a lot." He gestures to me and I make a face at him. "Rude!" I say. "Why would that be a bad thing?"
"I'm just saying, that Annabeth might have found it odd to hug me after I almost died." He responded.
"I'm not being weird and it wasn't that, okay?" Annabeth added before we could continue. Right before me and Percy were going to go back and forth again, a man's voice stopped us.
"If you kids are done talking about useless stuff, do you need some help?"
We all peaked over the cement wall. The guy on the bike was stopped before us. He had on a leather coat with matching black boots.
"We're good, sir." Grover chimed and then we all sat back down.
"Well it looks like you could use it since you're way behind schedule." He laughed.
We all stood up.
"You know the summer solstice is only a week away now" he looks at his watch, " and with you kids arguing about hugs, which don't get me wrong I find very entertaining, looks like you could get some help." He laughs and winks at us. We all look at each other.
"Ares?" Annabeth says.
"The one and only!" The man says. He smiles wide and shows a gold tooth while still sitting on his bike.
"Now, there's a diner just up the road. Meet me there if you change your little minds about getting help." He smirks and revs his bike. Then he's gone.
"He could have asked if we wanted a ride." Percy said while we were all still too stunned on what god we just met with.

At the diner, Ares the god of war was sitting at a table towards the back. He leans back in his chair.
"Wondered what was taking you so long!  Come sit! What do you want to eat?" He says while the chair creaks from under him.

As we all now sit while eating cheeseburgers and Annabeth staring into his soul, he talks again.
"So. I will help you, if you help me. I need you to get my shield." He points at Percy.
"Now. Back to the whole "quest thing".. you're going to fail. There's going to be war between my father and your father. So, because I have a really good black heart, I will help you if you get me my shield."
"We won't fail!" Percy says almost angry.
"Listen. If you get my shield at that stupid amusement park, you idiots could be in the underworld by tomorrow. Sounds nice, doesn't it?" He smiles. Percy looks at me.
"Okay. We will get your shield."
"Perfect! Now you leave the little kid here and the saytr and go get my shield." He waves his hand to shoo Percy and Annabeth away.
"No!" Me and Annabeth say at the same time.
"I'm not going to stay with a wannabe gangster of a god to babysit me while my brother goes somewhere without me."
Ares laughs. "I like you. And don't worry I'm an amazing babysitter!"
I glare at him.
"He's right." Percy says to me. "You stay with Grover and me and Annabeth will get the shield. I want you to be safe."
Then Grover chimes in, "and if he was going to kill us, he would have already. So we will be safe. Kind of."

I glare at Percy. I open my mouth but he stops me.
"We will go now. But if you hurt my sister.."
Ares smiles, "don't worry, kid. She's safe with me."
He puts his huge hand on my shoulder and I push him off. I try and go for a puppy like approach next but Percy and Annabeth are already up.
Percy shakes his head in a reassuring way and then he's out the door with Annabeth.
After I see them leave the diner from watching through the windows, I get up to go to the door.
"No you don't." Ares says as he almost magically appears in front of me.
"I'm going with Percy." I say while seeing the height difference me and Ares have.
"You're feisty and I appreciate it. But singing or resisting angry poetry like your dad isn't going to work on me tiny Demigod."
If fire could come out of me it would have. I sit back down at the table.
"I think you're right." Grover says while he looks at the tall, intimidating god.
"I'm always right." Ares says in response while he stuffs his face of cheeseburger.

Grover and Ares talk for about 15 minutes until I'm ready to explode. "I'm going to the bathroom." I say and get up.
Ares was going to stop me again.
"I have to go." I say and look up at his face. His beard is full of condiments.
He rolls his eyes and shoos me away while he is now talking with his new friend, Grover.
I go to the bathroom and try to find an exit. There's a window but it's up pretty high.
I climb the sink and push on the window parallel to the stalls. It opens, but only a little. I start to squeeze through!
Even though I don't know how I fit, I'm in the grass. I smile triumphantly and start running to the amusement park.
Getting into the amusement park wasn't so bad but looking around was like a horror film. It looked abandoned and echos of music was playing while some lights were still light up.
I go behind the ride, which looked like a boat ride, and find a door with a lock that says "Gods Only".
I find a piece of a rock and hit it over and over again. I'm have a god, so it's not like I was breaking all the rules.
I went in and shut the door behind me. I run down a hallway until a reach a staircase. I climb up the metal stairs and find another door. But this one was unlocked. I enter and find a huge room in the shape of a circle with bookshelves full of anything you could think of with a desk full of papers in the middle of the room. There's a huge red velvet chair up to the desk. I go to the desk to look at the papers wondering if one of them would help me find Percy and Annabeth and show them I could lead them to the shield. Then I hear a creak in the door and turn around super fast.
"I'm not a baby!" I yell but instantly regret it.
A man comes in with a coat over a pare of overalls. He has a grey beard and a mustache to match that curls at the ends. He's wearing glasses too.
"Hello." He says while his hands are behind his back. "You're clearly not a "baby" if you could find your way back here, Ella."
"How do you know my name?" I say while now holding  a statue as a weapon.
"Because I know your father, and you. I also know that you would risk everything for your family." He smiles kindly.
"I'm Hephaestus."
"You're the god of forging or blacksmith."
He smiles again.
"Yes, that I am. Now. Why is the child of Apollo in my park?"
"I'm here to help my brother and my friend..sir." I say shyly.
"Well your brother and your friend already found the shield. And I'm waiting to see what they do. It seems as if your brother sacrificed himself. But, don't worry, I'm waiting to see what comes of the test I left for them. For your friend, Annabeth."
"Is Percy okay?" I say quickly.
"Yes, your brother is fine. And since I see your bravery as well as his, I will help make sure everything works as it should. Now, I'm going to check on Annabeth and see what she has to say. You wait here. Until I come back, I will lead you to them."
I smile and hug him tightly. I don't think he was expecting the hug either.
"Thank you!" I say.

I hear a whistle and a small echo of what Annabeth and the god we're saying. Hephaestus comes back and winks at me. I smile large. I run out and end up in a room of a huge gold statue with a gold chair in front. Percy and Annabeth are wet but have the shield.
"Percy! Annabeth!" I say while waving. "I met Hephaestus and gave him a hug!"
Percy waves back and both him and Annabeth smile and laugh.

Percy drops the shield on the table in front of Ares. Annabeth crosses her arms and looks over at Grover. I walk in behind them.
"I liked your bathroom trick, kid." Ares smiles at me but then goes back to a serious face to Percy and Annabeth. "I'm surprised you did it. There's a truck out back that will take you to L.A."
we hop into the back of a truck full of animals. Ares has his shield on his back and looks down on all of us.
"Thanks for the cheeseburgers and emotional abuse." Grover says. And then the god of war shuts the back of the truck.
We all smile at each other and think the same thing. We slouch and laugh, then we all lay on each other's shoulders and fall asleep. I can't wait to meet more gods and see what's in L.A!!