𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐈𝐀, 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧

twenty

YOU/EMBER ✦

"the chances of you three idiots hitchhiking the rest of the way to la without getting arrested, are slim to none." ares says, "okay.. then why are you wasting your time with us, if you're supposed to be out there looking for the master bolt too, shouldn't you be looking for it?" i snap, "hm, there's no fear in you, is there?"

now that was something he was definitely wrong about, i have a lot of fear— about a lot of things. but this? not so much, i have percy and grover. i shake my head slightly, "doesn't matter, whether the bolts retrieved or not, zeus is going to war with poseidon." he tells us and percy furrows his brows looking between grover and i, "no. the oracle said that if we returned the bolt there wouldn't be a war."

"is that what she said? or is that what chiron said she meant?" he asks us. my brows furrow, he's right. "yeah, you're new to the family young one, so let me fill you in on how we work."

here we go,

"see, years before i was born my grandpa kronos, ate my aunts and uncles. yeah, then my dad made him puke them back up then chopped him into a million pieces and chucked him into a bottomless pit so that kind of sent the tone right out of the gate." percy moved in his seat, "olympians fight. we betray, we backstab. we will push anyone down a flight of stairs to get ahead and that's why i love my family so much. my dad knows hes not getting this bolt back with quests or goose chases— he knows there's a war coming and in reality, i think he's okay with that. i think he feels it's just time for a war, so we're gonna have a war." he states and purses his lips,

"isn't that great?" well obviously he thinks its great.... "were completing this quest." percy spoke sternly. "were stopping this war. you said you can help, can you?"

"okay so here it is, there's an amusement park up the road, i left my shield there. you get me my shield back, and i'll get you to the underworld by lunch tomorrow with a plan to invade hades palace." he tells us, "you left your shield? like— forgot it on the merry-go-round?" i scoffed and he leans in closer to me, "okay, the chirping was funny to me for a minute, but its getting old so id appreciate it if you'd shut up!" he yells.

"don't talk to her like that." percy spoke sternly. "look— do we have a deal or am i killing all three of you so i can eat in piece!" he fumed.

"okay." percy answered quickly after looking between grover and i. "great!" ares smiled.

"and don't act smart ember, or ill tell your mom" he looks at me, "and we both know how that would end." i look down, "one catch, i really do need that shield back so i'm gonna keep the satyr here as collateral so you don't run off." he spoke,

"absolutely not!"

"okay," grover responded. "no way." percy told him, "we don't split up again."

"its okay." grover tells us, "if he wanted to kill us we'd be dead by now." he assured. percy eyes the god— with that look again. "can i just walk them to the door?" grover asks. he sighs and gestures for us to get up. we all walk towards the door, "be careful grover, he's a liar and a cheat. don't engage with him, don't fall for any of his tricks. he's a master manipulator— just be careful." i tell grover, "its okay, really. ill be fine. now go, get the shield. i'll be here when you get back."

we all exchange glances and percy and i both give grover a hug before leaving.

𝚿ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

by the time we reached the amusement park it was dark. we approach the gates, the sign ahead reading 'waterland'. "i haven't seen a lot of horror movies but, this seems like the exact place they would suggest to avoid." percy spoke."i haven't really seen a movie— not in a long time anyway... i'll have to take your word for it seaweed brain," i haven't seen one since i've been at camp.

"really? we oughta fix that if we get out of this alive." i laugh, "in the meantime, we should probably get this over with though."

"right." i bite my lip and percy starts walking ahead. he reaches the metal gate, turning it. the loud screeching made me uneasy, "wait percy, stop" i tell him. the top of the machine revealing some sort of trap, "w—what just happened?"

"just— hold still." i advised as he panicked. "give me a second," i start observing and analyzing the machine— not sure if i could figure this out. "in the mechanism there, that's celestial bronze."

"oh fascinating, em, what is happening right now?" he panics. "celestial bronze is what your sword is made of." i scratch the back of my brain,

'this would be so much easier if annabeth were here' i thought.

"if you're human, it'll pass right through you. if you're a monster, or a demigod..." i trail off with worry not wanting to finish my own sentence.

"well what's it doing there?" he questions. "good question.... i don't think this is just amusement park perc, a god built this." i explain, what kind of god builds amusement parks?" he lightly smiles at what i had called him.

"my mother's husband, hephaestus."

"why would hephaestus build an amusement park?" he questioned looking back at me. "maybe he finds them amusing....?" i joked, "that's really not funny, ember."

"it's a little funny," i shrugged. as i continued to analyze the machine when i noticed something, "okay um— i get it, just push through it." i tell him. "push?" his face of confusion right now makes him look like the cutest golden retriever puppy.

"yup." he turns around but then quickly turns back to face me, "cause weren't you the one this morning who was all worried that the fates say one of us is going to die and we should take it really seriously..?"

"perc— just push it!" i urge him. he lets out a breath and begins to do as i say. i smile as he gets to the other side unharmed. a ding from the other side was heard, "what was that?"

i start pushing through the metal gate just as he did. it all starts to make sense now: "the machine wasn't designed to hurt us, it was designed to scare us. it's a test" i explain safely making it to the other side as it dings again. we both look up at it,

"hephaestus wanted to know any time one of us came poking around his playground. i guess that means he knows were here." i sigh and we both continue walking.

"oh wow, look at that." i gleam in excitement, "have you ever seen anything so beautiful" percy looks as he was about to answer then stops himself and changes the subject. "if it belongs to the god of craftsmanship, what was the god of war doing here?" he asks me. i click my tongue swallowing hard, "ares kinda had a thing with my mom"

"aphrodite." i can tell his brain had a mini explosion, everything back at the diner now making sense to him, "she's hephaestus' wife? oh you're kidding. he met her here? in her husbands park?" he looks down at me, "that's so wrong," i nod. "yup. i guess that's my mom for ya... happy to live in that shadow." i tell him. "what do you mean?"

"nothing— one thing ares was telling the truth about though? this family is a mess." we approach what seems to be a broken down ride but as we get closer to it, it starts making noises and the sign lights up. "thrill ride o' love? this had to be where ares and my mother got caught. the shield must be in there. now we just.. have to go get it." percy looks at me,

"yeah, lets go check out the scary ghost ride, why not?" percy lets out. i laugh, "percy jackson entering the scary ghost ride 'thrill ride o' love' with the daughter of aphrodite. i mean how more on brand can this get?"

"what? you think i cant handle a ghost ride, lover girl?" he teases. i feel my cheeks heat up slightly and lightly shove his arm,  "hey, i never said you couldn't." lover girl? only he could think of the perfect nickname for the daughter of aphrodite.

a/n i know i keep saying this but the next chapter is going to be my favourite thing i've ever written. THE ANGST THAT IS ABOUT TO GO DOWN IS INSANE IM IN LOVE WITH THEM. the next chapter will be LONG and its so "prison for life" by olivia rodrigo coded. (unreleased) K BYE HOPE U ENJOYED STAY TUNEDD. im sick right now so hopefully i'll get to finishing it quick!!