A Trip You're Going to Regret
On the way back, Harry couldn't shake the feeling that Percy and Annabeth weren't telling him something. Whatever it was, they were holding onto it like they'd take it to the grave. And no matter how many times he asked, all he got in return was the same answer; nothing had happened.
Harry kept his eyes on Percy for a moment… like he knew something was off. Especially when Percy kept avoiding his gaze, which only made his suspicions grow.
But it didn't look like he'd get anything out of them today. So he just walked alongside them, heading back to the same fast food place.
And the moment they arrived, they saw Ares waiting for them; leaning against his bike like he'd been there the whole time.
"Well, well," he said as soon as he spotted them. "Looks like you kept all your… limbs intact."
"You knew it was a trap," Percy snapped the second he saw him; the anger came back instantly.
Ares smirked, full of mockery. "I bet that crippled blacksmith was surprised when his fancy little trap ended up catching a bunch of idiot kids. And as always, he's too weak to show what he really is. A god. Yeah… no one walks out of his territory unless they pass his little test. Still blaming himself for the Pandora thing, even though he was just following orders. Some people think he's the least cruel out of all of us. Me? He's just a pathetic fool."
Percy didn't hesitate. He hurled the shield straight at Ares' face with everything he had.
"You're a jerk."
Annabeth and Grover froze, holding their breath.
Harry just watched.
Ares caught the shield effortlessly, like Percy's throw was nothing more than a breeze. He spun it in the air like a frisbee, then tossed it upward; and with a faint shimmer, the old, battered thing shifted into what looked like a bulletproof vest. He caught it one-handed and slung it over his shoulder like it was just another piece of gear.
He didn't even seem to care about Percy's anger.
"Whatever you say," Ares replied lazily. "See that truck over there?" he added, pointing at an eighteen-wheeler parked along the street next to the restaurant. "That's your ride. Headed to Los Angeles. Stops in Las Vegas on the way. The Lotus Casino, to be exact."
Harry frowned slightly as all four of them looked at the truck. The words on the side read: Kindness International. Warning: Live Animals.
"What about the Floo connectors? Wouldn't it be easier to just turn them back on?" Harry asked, unable to hold it in.
Ares looked at him, a grin spreading across his face; clearly amused that Harry had figured out who "turned them off" in the first place.
"No. It wouldn't be easier. I'm good at breaking things, not fixing them… especially when magic's involved," he said with a shrug, implying more than enough.
Specifically, that he'd wrecked them just to slow them down.
That only made Percy more annoyed.
Ares snapped his fingers. The back doors of the truck swung open, and a horrible stench poured out along with the sound of something moving inside. All four of them made the same face. Even from a distance, it was bad enough to give them a pretty clear idea of what it would be like in there.
"Get in," Ares ordered. "Or don't. I don't really care. Oh, and take this; payment for the job," he added, pulling out a nylon backpack and tossing it straight at Percy. "Clothes, cash, drachmas… and a few other things," he said, the bag clearly stuffed. "I'd wish you luck, but… what would be the point?" he finished with a mocking laugh.
"We're not going to fail," Percy shot back instantly.
"Yeah, sure," Ares replied, amused. "Don't worry. Your dad's had plenty of kids. He stopped caring about most of them a long time ago. You'll have lots of company where you're going," he added, his tone dripping with contempt.
"We're not going to fail," Percy repeated, this time more sharply, like he was reaching his limit. "And I'm getting really tired of you saying that," he added, tossing the backpack aside.
For a brief second, Ares' smile faded; replaced by something colder. His gaze dropped to the bag on the ground… then slowly lifted back to Percy.
"Percy," Harry said, trying to stop his brother before he did something stupid; like picking a fight with a god.
But Percy looked too angry to listen this time.
"You think you know who I am. You don't know anything. And if you're not careful… you're going to find out," he said, stepping right up in front of him.
Compared to Ares, Percy looked small.
But even so, he met the god's gaze head-on.
Without a trace of fear.
Annabeth and Grover went pale the moment they saw that, almost shaking as they stared at Ares in complete panic.
Luckily, Harry grabbed Percy and pulled him back, just enough to put some distance between him and the god.
"So… thanks for the emotional abuse, the cheeseburgers, and everything else… and the ride," Harry said. He sounded just as annoyed as Percy, maybe, but he still had enough control not to push things too far; not when Ares had already threatened to turn them into squirrels.
"Y-yeah, very grateful, really. And he's not being sarcastic, that's just how they talk. Thank you. Seriously," Grover added quickly, picking up the backpack from the ground while grabbing Percy with his other hand, practically dragging him away from Ares, still in full panic mode.
Even then, Percy didn't stop staring at him. Not until Harry and Grover practically forced him up into the back of the trailer. Grover kept shooting him warning looks the whole time, silently begging him to just keep his mouth shut for once.
Percy knew part of his anger came from being in the presence of the god of war.
Didn't mean he didn't still want to punch his nose in and find out what color a god's blood was.
Especially when Ares felt like every bully Percy and his brother had ever dealt with rolled into one. Dudley and his gang of idiots. Vernon. Marge. Draco Malfoy and his Slytherin crew. Even Clarisse and her cabin back at Camp Half-Blood.
Ares let out one last mocking snort as he watched them climb into the trailer. Then, without another word, he kicked his Harley to life and took off at full speed. The roar of the engine echoed like a beast, rattling the windows of the diner as he disappeared down the road.
"That… wasn't very smart, Percy," Annabeth said finally, breaking the silence. Out of all of them, she seemed the most uneasy around Ares; maybe because she knew more about him than the rest, or maybe just because standing in front of a god carried its own weight. "You don't want a god as an enemy. Especially not him."
"I think it's already too late for that," Harry added, with a faint, forced smile.
"Don't care," Percy muttered, still irritated.
"Uh… guys, hate to interrupt, but…" Grover said suddenly, pointing toward the fast food place.
All four of them turned to see two men paying their bill before getting up. Both wore identical overalls, with the same logo printed on their backs; the same one on the truck.
"If we're riding in that… we should hurry," Grover said, glancing toward the foul-smelling trailer.
None of them liked it. Not even a little. But they didn't really have a choice. Not this late. The buses heading their way were already done for the day; next ones wouldn't be until morning. And honestly, they'd had enough of Denver for one day. Thanks to Ares, it hadn't exactly been a great visit.
"Alright… we can deal with the smell until… what did he say? The Lotus Casino?" Harry said, thinking it through. "After that, we use the next connectors," he added quickly.
The others nodded. There was no way they were staying in there any longer than necessary; not if they didn't want that smell stuck to them for weeks.
The four of them rushed toward the trailer and climbed inside, trying not to make any noise. Each of them hesitated for a second before stepping in.
Harry was the last one. He made a face, clearly regretting his life choices already, then raised his wand and pointed it at the doors.
They slammed shut behind them.
The last bit of light from the street disappeared as the inside of the truck went dark.
And just like that…
They all started regretting accepting that "ride."