The Omnitrix holder and the lighting theif

Battle of Wars and Stars

DON'T BE A SILENT READER

Amara's pov 

A Coast Guard boat would have found us, but they were too busy to keep us for long or to wonder how three kids in street clothes had gotten out into the middle of the bay on a weird-looking speedboat. There was a disaster to mop up.

Their radios were jammed with distress calls.

We got off at the Santa Monica Pier with our clothes sopping wet. After reaching dry land, we stumbled down the beach, watching the city burn against a beautiful sunrise. I felt as if I'd just come back from the dead — which I had. Percy's backpack was heavy with Zeus's master bolt. My heart was lighter from seeing my grandpa and his proud look knowing I grew up well.

"I don't believe it,"  Luke said. "We went all that way — "

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

"Hey," He warned. " Don't let Annabeth hear that"

"You get it, don't you?"

He dropped her eyes, his anger rising. "Yeah. I get it."

"Well, I don't!" Grover complained. "Would somebody — "

"Percy . . ." Luke said. "I'm sorry about your mother. I'm so sorry. . . ."

I see him pretended not to hear Luke. If I talked about my mother, I was going to start crying like a little kid.

"The prophecy was right," Percy said. "'You shall go west and face the god who has turned.' But it wasn't Hades. Hades didn't want war among the Big Three. Someone else pulled off the theft. Someone stole Zeus's master bolt, and Hades's 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."

Grover shook his head, mystified. "But who would be that sneaky? Who would want a war that bad?"

I stopped in my tracks, looking down the beach. "Gee, let me think."

There he was, waiting for us, in his black leather duster and his sunglasses, an aluminum baseball bat propped on his shoulder. His motorcycle rumbled beside him, its headlight turning the sand red.

"Hey, kid," Ares said, seeming genuinely pleased to see me. "You were supposed to die."

"You tricked us," I said. "You stole the helm and the master bolt."

Ares grinned. "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 hero in the world who can run errands."

"Who did you use? Clarisse? She was there at the winter solstice." Percy said

The idea seemed to amuse him. "Doesn't matter. The point is, kid, you're impeding the war effort. See, you both have got to die in the Underworld. Then Old Seaweed will be mad at Hades for killing you both....might also those primo guys be extra mad for green jacket's death. Corpse Breath will have Zeus's master bolt, so Zeus'll be mad at him. And Hades is still looking for this" From his pocket he took out a ski cap — the kind bank robbers wear — and placed it between the handlebars of his bike. Immediately, the cap transformed into an elaborate bronze war helmet.

"The helm of darkness," Grover gasped.

"Exactly," Ares said. "Now where was I? Oh yeah, Hades will be mad at both Zeus and Poseidon, because he doesn't know who took this. Pretty soon, we got a nice little three-way slugfest going."

"But they're your family!" Percy protested.

Ares shrugged. "Best kind of war. Always the bloodiest. Nothing like watching your relatives fight, I always say."