σɾɳιƚԋαʂ (ρʝσ x ɱαʅҽ σƈ)

I Hitch a Ride to Vegas

Percy's POV

After giving Theo some ambrosia for his ribs, we left the water park and went back to the diner. We saw the god of war waiting for us in the parking lot.

Ares: Well, well. You didn't get yourself killed.

Percy: You knew it was a trap.

Ares: (grins) Bet that crippled blacksmith was surprised when he netted a couple of stupid kids. (turns to Theo) You looked good on TV.

Theo unstraps the shield from his arm and shoves it into Ares' chest.

Theo: Here's your fucking frisbee, asshole.

Annabeth and Grover held 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.

Ares: See that truck over there?

He pointed to an eighteen-wheeler parked across the street from the diner.

Ares: 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 I 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: You're kidding.

Ares snapped his fingers. The back door of the truck unlatched.

Ares: 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 me. Inside were fresh clothes for all of us, twenty bucks in cash, a pouch full of golden drachmas, and a bag of Double Stuf Oreos.

Percy: We don't want your lousy fu—

Grover: Thank you, Lord Ares. Thanks a lot.

I gritted my teeth. It was probably a deadly insult to refuse something from a god, but I didn't want anything that Ares had touched. Reluctantly, I slung the backpack over my shoulder. I knew my anger was being caused by the war god's presence, but I was still itching to punch him in the nose. He reminded me of every bully I'd ever faced: Nancy Bobofit, Clarisse, Smelly Gabe, sarcastic teachers— every jerk who'd called me stupid in school or laughed at me when I'd gotten expelled.

I looked back at the diner, which had only a couple of customers now. The waitress who'd served us dinner was watching nervously out the window like she was afraid Ares might hurt us. She dragged the fry cookout from the kitchen to see. She said something to him. He nodded, held up a little disposable camera and snapped a picture of us.

Great. We'll make the papers again tomorrow.

I imagined the headline: TWELVE-YEAR-OLD OUTLAW BEATS UP DEFENSELESS BIKER.

Theo: (to Ares) You forgetting something, prick?

Ares looked at Theo with a look that could kill, but Theo remained unfazed.

Theo: You promised Percy some information about his mother.

Ares snarled at Theo, then he looked at me.

Ares: You sure you can handle the news?

He kick-started his motorcycle.

Ares: She's not dead.