craving |PERCY JACKSON| [book 1] UNDER EDITING

XXIII

A FEW MINUTES LATER, Percy and the others were sitting at a booth in a gleaming chrome diner. All around them, families were eating burgers and drinking malts and sodas. Finally, the waitress came over. She raised her eyebrow skeptically. "Well?"

Percy cleared his throat, "We, um, want to order dinner. "

"You kids have money to pay for it?"

Grover's lower lip quivered. Selena was afraid he would start bleating, or worse, start eating the linoleum. Annabeth looked ready to pass out from hunger, "Yes, ma'am." Selena smiled,

They were about to order when a rumble shook the whole building; a motorcycle the size of a baby elephant had pulled up to the curb.

All conversation in the diner stopped. The motorcycle's headlight glared red. Its gas tank had flames painted on it, and a shotgun holster riveted to either side, complete with shotguns. The seat was leather-but leather that looked like ... Well, Caucasian human skin.

The guy on the bike would've made pro wrestlers run for Mama. He was dressed in a red muscle shirt and black jeans and a black leather duster, with a hunting knife strapped to his thigh. He wore red wraparound shades, and he had the cruelest, most brutal face Percy has ever seen with an oily black crew cut and cheeks that were scarred from many, many fights. 

As he walked into the diner, a hot, dry wind blew through the place. All the people rose as if they were hypnotized, but the biker waved his hand dismissively and they all sat down again. Everybody went back to their conversations. The waitress blinked as if somebody had just pressed the rewind button on her brain. She asked them again, "You kids have money to pay for it?"

The biker said, "It's on me. " He slid into their booth, which was way too small for him, and crowded Annabeth against the window.

He looked up at the waitress, who was gaping at him, and said, "Are you still here?"

He pointed at her, and she stiffened. She turned as if she'd been spun around, then marched back toward the kitchen.

The biker looked at Percy and Selena could tell he was getting angry. She could feel it too. He gave Percy a wicked grin. "So you're old Seaweed's kid, huh?"

"What's it to you?"

Annabeth's eyes flashed Percy a warning. "Percy, this is-"

The biker raised his hand. "S'okay," he said. "I don't mind a little attitude. Long as you remember who's the boss. You know who I am, little cousin?"

"You're Clarisse's dad," Percy answered, "Ares, God of War. "

Ares grinned and took off his shades. Where his eyes should've been, there was only fire, empty sockets glowing with miniature nuclear explosions. "That's right, punk. I heard you broke Clarisse's spear."

"She was asking for it."

"Probably. That's cool. I don't fight my kids' fights, you know? What I'm here for-I heard you were in town. I got a little proposition for you."

The waitress came back with heaping trays of food. Cheeseburgers, fries, onion rings, and chocolate shakes.

Ares handed her a few gold drachmas. She looked nervously at the coins. "But, these aren't..."

He pulled out his huge knife and started cleaning his fingernails. "Problem, sweetheart?" The waitress swallowed, then left with the gold.

"You can't do that," Percy told Ares. "You can't just threaten people with a knife."

Ares laughed. "Are you kidding? I love this country. Best place since Sparta. Don't you carry a weapon, punk? You should. Dangerous world out there. Which brings me to my proposition. I need you to do me a favor."

"What favor could I do for a God?"

"Something a God doesn't have time to do himself. It's nothing much. I left my shield at an abandoned water park here in town. I was going on a little... Date with my girlfriend. We were interrupted. I left my shield behind. I want you to fetch it for me."

"Why don't you go back and get it yourself?"

The fire in his eye sockets glowed a little hotter. "Why don't I turn you into a prairie dog and run you over with my Harley? Because I don't feel like it. A God is giving you an opportunity to prove yourself, Percy Jackson. Will you prove yourself a coward?" He leaned forward. "Or maybe you only fight when there's a river to dive into, so your daddy can protect you."

"We're not interested," Percy replied, "We've already got a quest. "

"I know all about your quest, punk. When that item was first stolen, Zeus sent his best out looking for it: Apollo, Athena, Artemis, and me, naturally. If I couldn't sniff out a weapon that powerful ... " He licked his lips as if the very thought of the master bolt made him hungry. "Well ... If I couldn't find it, you got no hope. Nevertheless, I'm trying to give you the benefit of the doubt. Your dad and I go way back. After all, I'm the one who told him my suspicions about old Corpse Breath."

"You told him Hades stole the bolt?"

"Sure. Framing somebody to start a war. Oldest trick in the book. I recognized it immediately. In a way, you got me to thank for your little quest."

"Thanks," Percy grumbled.

"Hey, I'm a generous guy. Just do my little job, and I'll help you on your way. I'll arrange a ride west for you and your friends."

"We're doing fine on our own."

"Yeah, right. No money. No wheels. No clue what you're up against. Help me out, and maybe I'll tell you something you need to know. Something about your mom."

"My mom?"

He grinned. "That got your attention. The water park is a mile west on Delancy. You can't miss it. Look for the Tunnel of Love ride."

"What interrupted your date?" Percy asked. "Something scare you off?"

Ares bared his teeth like Clarisse would do when she was angry. But there was something false about it, almost like he was nervous, "You're lucky you met me, punk, and not one of the other Olympians. They're not as forgiving of rudeness as I am. I'll meet you back here when you're done. Don't disappoint me. "

After that Ares disappeared from the booth and Grover groaned, "Not good. Ares sought you out, Percy. This is not good. "

"It's probably some kind of trick," Percy stated,  "Forget Ares. Let's just go."

"We can't," Annabeth said. "Look, I hate Ares as much as anybody, but you don't ignore the Gods unless you want serious bad fortune. He wasn't kidding about turning you into a rodent."

"Why does he need us?"

"Maybe it's a problem that requires brains," Selena said. "Ares has strength. That's all he has. Even strength has to bow to wisdom sometimes."

"But this water park ... He acted almost scared. What would make a War God run away like that?"

Annabeth, Selena, and Grover glanced nervously at each other, "I'm afraid we'll have to find out."