──★ Chapter eleven

Now, Adira hadn't met Ares before, and she was glad, because he seemed to be a huge dick. She thought that he wouldn't be any different from his insufferable kids.

Now, seated across from Adira and Percy, Ares lounged with a casual arrogance that was almost impressive.

The god 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 towards the kitchen.

Ares then turned his attention to Percy and Adira, his eyes glinting with amusement. Adira's irritation flared, but it was Percy who held his gaze the longest. Ares's grin widened. "So you're old Seaweed Brain's kid, huh?" he taunted.

Every other demigod would have been intimidated by the god of war talking to them. But Percy being Percy, snapped back, "What's it to you?"

Adira's eyes widened at his audacity. This was going to be a disaster.

Annabeth's eyes narrowed, flashing Percy a warning. "Percy, this is–"

Ares raised his hand, silencing her.

"S'okay," he said, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "I don't mind a little attitude. Long as you remember who's the boss. You know who I am, little cousin?"

Adira noticed Percy's posture stiffen even further. "You're Clarisse's dad," Percy said. "Ares, god of war."

Ares grinned wider, taking 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."

"Well, if your kids weren't unbearable assholes, maybe her spear would still be fine. But I guess they take after their dad," Adira said, a sarcastic smile playing on her lips as she looked Ares in the eye.

Ares' eyes narrowed, his jaw clenching. He let out a low, rumbling scoff. "And you're the infamous daughter of Nike? Heard a lot about you from my son. But hey, I don't fight my kids' fights, you know?" he told her.

Adira scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. "Why is your son talking about –"

"What are you here for, Ares?" Percy cut her off, his annoyance evident in the tight set of his jaw, as if he couldn't stand hearing about a certain son of Ares.

Adira turned her head sharply to glare at Percy, her eyes burning with irritation. Without missing a beat, she kicked him in the leg, earning a small grunt from him.

"What I'm here for – I heard you were in town. I got a little proposition for you," Ares continued, his voice dripping with a casual menace as he leaned back.

The waitress returned, balancing heaping trays of food – cheeseburgers, fries, onion rings, and chocolate shakes. Her hands shook slightly as she set the plates down, her eyes darting nervously between Ares and the other demigods.

Ares handed her a few gold drachmas.

She stared at the coins, her brow furrowing in confusion. "But, these aren't..."

Ares pulled out his huge knife and started cleaning his fingernails. "Problem, sweetheart?" Adira's face scrunched up in disgust.

The waitress swallowed, then left with the gold.

Percy's irritation boiled over, his fists clenching at his sides. "You can't do that. You can't just threaten people with a knife."

Ares laughed at him. "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."

Adira raised her eyebrows. "What kind of favor?" she questioned, clearly annoyed by the 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?" Percy snarled.

The fire in Ares' eye sockets flared 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," Ares said, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "A god is giving you an opportunity to prove yourself, Percy Jackson. Will you prove yourself a coward?" His gaze intensified, pinning Percy in place. "Or maybe you only fight when there's a river to dive into, so your daddy can protect you."

Adira saw the fury igniting in Percy's eyes, his whole body tensing as if ready to lunge at Ares. She nudged his shoulder, her eyes locking onto his with a silent plea for calm. Her expression said 'Calm down'

It worked.

"We're not interested," Percy snapped, though he fought to keep his temper in check now. "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 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 a 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?"

"Damn right. Starting a war by framing someone? Oldest trick in the book. I recognized it immediately. In a way, you got me to thank for your little quest."

"Oh, wow, we're so grateful," Adira said, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she rolled her eyes.

Ares shrugged, unfazed. "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 don't need your 'help,'" Adira shot back, her stubbornness getting the best out of her.

"Yeah, we're doing fine on our own." Percy agreed, though knowing it wasn't completely true.

Ares chuckled, his laughter low and mocking. "Sure, sure. No money, no ride, no clue what you're up against. Help me out, and maybe I'll let you in on something you actually need to know. Something about your mom."

"My mom?" Percy's defiance wavered, his expression shifting at the mention of his mother. Ares saw the change and grinned, knowing he had Percy's attention now.

"Thought that might get you thinking. The water park's a mile west on Delancey. You can't miss it. Look for the Tunnel of Love ride."

"Oh, vomit," the brunette girl muttered under her breath.

Percy couldn't resist the urge to needle the god, "What interrupted your date?" He asked. "Something scare you off?"

Ares bared his teeth, It was the same menacing look she'd seen on Clarisse before. 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."

Without another word, Ares vanished. Adira exhaled sharply, thinking it was just typical of a god to demand favors from demigods who clearly had enough on their plates already.

"Not good," Grover muttered, his voice tinged with anxiety. "Ares sought you out, Percy. This is not good."

Percy tried to brush it off and said, "It's probably some kind of trick. Forget Ares. Let's just go."

Adira shook her head, her expression serious. "We shouldn't," she warned, her tone firm as she met Percy's gaze, her eyes searching his for some sign of understanding. Percy stared back, his look practically shouting, 'Are you crazy?'

"Look, I'm not Ares' biggest fan either, but ignoring him would be like signing our own bad luck contract," Adira explained, crossing her arms defiantly. "But seeing you getting turned into a rodent, now that's something I'd like to see."

"Ha-ha, that still doesn't explain why he needs us." Percy said.

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

Adira spoke up, "Ares looked nervous, almost scared when he talked about that waterpark. What would make a war god run away like that?"

They all exchanged nervous looks. Annabeth said, "I'm afraid we'll have to find out."

․ ⁺ ⊹ 🏹 ⁀₊➷ ⋄⚜️

By the time the four arrived at the water park, the sun was already sinking behind the mountains, its last rays stretching across the sky in a fading tapestry of deep oranges and purples. The sign of the park read WAT R A D, it once had been called WATERLAND.

The main gate loomed before them, padlocked with heavy chains and topped with twisted barbed wire. Beyond it, the water park sprawled in eerie silence—huge, dry water slides and tangled tubes snaked through the park, leading to gaping, empty pools. Faded tickets and crumpled advertisements fluttered across the cracked tarmac, caught in the breeze like forgotten memories. With nightfall creeping in, the place took on a ghostly, abandoned feel.

"If Ares brings his girlfriend here for a date," Percy started, staring up at the barbed wire. "I'd hate to see what she looks like."

"Uhhhmm, if I were you, I'd be a little more respectful, Jackson," she warned, her tone laced with caution.

Percy raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "Why? I thought you hated Ares."

"I do," Adira admitted, she gestured vaguely, searching for the right words. "But his girlfriend is very... temperamental."

"Like you."

"Excuse me–"

Before the tension could escalate, Grover chimed in, his voice carrying a note of urgency. "You really don't want to insult her looks."

Percy shrugged. "Who is she? Echidna?"

Adira glanced at him. How does he not know? She wondered to herself.

Grover sighed dreamily, his expression softening as he answered. "No, Aphrodite—Goddess of Love."

Percy's face twisted into confusion. "But I thought she was married to Hephaestus."

"What's your point?" Grover asked.

"Oh. So how do we get in?" Percy changed the subject.

Before anyone could reply, Grover was already in the air, "Maia!" he spoke before his shoes sprouted wings. He flew over the fence, did an unintended somersault in midair, then stumbled to a landing on the opposite side. He dusted off his jeans, as if he'd planned the whole thing. "You guys coming?"

Adira, Annabeth, and Percy exchanged glances before tackling the climb the old-fashioned way. They took turns holding down the barbed wire, carefully crawling over the top to avoid the sharp edges. Adira was the first to get to the other side.

When Percy finally joined her on the other side, he couldn't hide his curiosity. "How were you so fast?" he asked, slightly out of breath.

"Perks of being a child of Nike," Adira replied, a hint of pride in her voice as she showed off "Heightened speed."

Percy grinned, teasing. "What else? Can you randomly summon new shoes whenever you want?"

Adira rolled her eyes. "Very funny. But no, I'll let you be surprised," she said, as they continued deeper into the park.

The shadows grew long as they walked through the park, checking out the attractions. They passed by crumbling signs for rides like Ankle Biter Island, Head Over Wedgie, and Dude, Where's My Swimsuit?.

There was a souvenir shop that had been left open. Merchandise still lined the shelves: snow globes, pencils, postcards and rack of clothes.

Adira's eyes lit up with a mischievous gleam as she caught Annabeth's gaze. They shared a look of unspoken understanding, a grin spreading across both their faces. "You're thinking what I'm thinking?" Adira asked, her voice low with excitement.

"Yep, definitely," Annabeth replied, her eyes sparkling. Without another word, the two of them headed straight for the clothing aisle.

"You can't just–" Percy started.

"Watch us." Annabeth cut him off.

They snatched an entire row of stuff off the racks and disappeared into the changing room. A few minutes later they came out in Waterland flower-print shorts, and oversized Waterland T-shirts, which Adira tied into a side-knot. Annabeth had a Waterland backpack slung over her shoulder, stuffed with more stuff.

Percy and Grover exchanged skeptical glances, their disapproval evident, but it didn't take long before they, too, were decked out like walking billboards for the defunct theme park. Percy adjusted his own ill-fitting Waterland cap with a resigned sigh, while Grover fiddled with the too-bright T-shirt that hung awkwardly on his frame.

"We look like someone shook us out of munchkin land." Adira said as she looked at the group.

"Was that a Wizard of Oz reference?" Percy asked her.

"Duh, what else?" Adira replied. "Wicked is better, though." She turned on her heel and started walking, her eyes scanning the park as they continued their search for the Tunnel of Love.

"I've never heard it," Percy shrugged, nonchalant.

Adira came to an abrupt stop, spinning around to face him with a look of utter disbelief. "You've never listened to Wicked? Like not one song?"

"Uhm... no," Percy admitted, scratching the back of his head.

"Wow. You must hate yourself more than I hate you."

"You know what, I don't actually think you hate me."

Adira raised an eyebrow, her expression shifting to mock skepticism. "Oh, do you, now? Since when did you start thinking?"

Before Percy could fire back, Annabeth cut in with an exasperated sigh, her patience clearly wearing thin. "Guys, come on. Let's just find the ride and get out of here."

They moved on, the banter momentarily set aside as they combed through the park's eerie silence. After a while, Percy spoke up again, his curiosity piqued. "So, Ares and Aphrodite—they have a thing going?"

"That's old gossip, Percy," Annabeth answered. "Three thousand-year-old gossip."

"What about Aphrodite's husband?"

"Well, you know," Annabeth said, her tone matter-of-fact as she explained. "Hephaestus. The blacksmith. He was crippled when he was a baby, thrown off Mount Olympus by Zeus. So he isn't exactly handsome. Clever with his hands and all, but Aphrodite isn't into brains and talent, you know?"

Percy nodded. "She liked bikers."

"Whatever."

"Hephaestus knows?"

"Oh, everyone knows." Adira piped up. "He caught them together once. Like, literally, in a golden net and invited all the gods to come and laugh at them. But Hephaestus is always trying to embarrass them. That's probably why they meet in messed-up places like..." Her voice trailed off as her eyes locked onto something ahead. Her expression shifted to one of disbelief. "Like that."

Percy followed her gaze and in front of them was an empty pool, it was at least fifty meters across and shaped like a bowl. Around the rim, a dozen bronze statues of Cupid stood guard with wings spread and bows ready to fire.

On the opposite side, a dark tunnel yawned open, likely where water once flowed when the pool was in use. Above it, a sign loomed, its letters bold and garish:

THRILL RIDE O'LOVE: THIS IS NOT YOUR PARENT'S TUNNEL OF LOVE!

"Guys, look." Grover muttered and crept towards the edge.

Marooned at the bottom of the pool was a pink-and-white two-seater boat with a canopy over the top and little hearts painted all over it. In the left seat, glinting in the fading light, was Ares's shield, a polished circle of bronze.

"Great, so we just walk down there and get it?" Percy asked.

"This is too easy, there must be a catch." Adira muttered, running her fingers along the base of the nearest Cupid statue. The cold metal sent a shiver through her, but she paused as her fingertips brushed over something engraved into the surface—a letter.

"Annie, come here, there's a letter carved here." The brunette girl called out to Annabeth.

Annabeth walked over, her brow furrowed as she examined the marking. "Eta," she murmured, her mind already racing through possibilities. "I wonder..."

"Grover," Percy said, "you smell any monsters?"

Grover sniffed the wind. "Nothing."

"Nothing – like, in-the-Arch-and-you-didn't-smell-Echidna-nothing, or really nothing?"

Grover's expression faltered, his shoulders slumping slightly. "I told you that was underground."

"Okay, I'm sorry." Percy took a deep breath. "I'm going down there."

"Have fun," Adira said dryly, crossing her arms as she watched him.

"I'll go with you." Grover stuttered out, he didn't sound too enthusiastic, but Adira got the feeling that he was trying to make up for what happened at the Arch.

"No," Percy protested. "I want you to stay up top with the flying shoes. You're the Red Baron, remember? I'll be counting on you for backup, in case something goes wrong."

Grover straightened up, puffing out his chest in an attempt to hide his nerves. "Sure. But what could go wrong?"

"I don't know," Percy admitted, his caution evident as he carefully chose his next words. His eyes flicked to Adira. "Uhm, Adira, come with me—"

"Uhm, cosa?" Adira's eyebrows shot up, and she let out a disbelieving laugh. "Are you serious?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm, but the faint blush coloring her cheeks betrayed her.

"What's your problem?" Percy demanded.

"You want me to go with you to the "Thrill Ride Of Love"? I'd rather puke, I could be seen, you know?"

"Who's going to see you?" Percy shot back, his voice rising in exasperation as his face matched Adira's blush. "Fine, I guess if you're too scared..." he said.

Scared? Adira thought. Her, scared? Oh hell, no.

Adira groaned, her reluctance evident, before sliding down the side of the pool. Percy trailed after her, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth, his eagerness almost puppy-like as he followed her lead.

They reached the boat. "Never use my ego against me again." Adira told him and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Alright," Percy replied, his tone teasing.

Inside the boat, the shield was propped up on one seat, gleaming with the faint light filtering in from above. Next to it lay Aphrodite's scarf, its shimmering pink fabric catching the light and releasing a sweet, intoxicating scent. Percy couldn't resist; he picked up the scarf, a smile creeping across his face as he lifted it to his cheek.

Adira noticed his dreamy expression and acted quickly. She ripped the scarf out of his hands, stuffing it into her pocket with a huff.

"Oh, no way. No love magic for you, Anchorhead."

"What?"

"Get the shield, and let's get out of here. It's dirty here." She wrinkled her nose in disgust, her eyes darting around the grimy surroundings.

"OCD..." Percy mumbled under his breath.

Adira's head snapped around. "What was that?" Her voice was a challenge, daring him to push her further.

"Nothing."

He reached for the shield, but as soon as his fingers touched it, he felt a strange resistance. His hand broke through an invisible connection to the dashboard, and a chill ran down his spine. Adira's eyes caught something else—another Greek letter etched into the side of the boat. Another Eta.

"This is a trap, guys!" she shouted.

Noise erupted all around the boat, of a million gears grinding, as if the whole pool were turning into one giant machine.

Grover yelled, "Guys, look!"

Up on the rim, the Cupid statues were drawing their bows into firing position. Then they started firing at each other, across the rim of the pool. Silky cables trailed from the arrows, arcing over the pool and anchoring where they landed to form a huge golden asterisk- Then smaller metallic threads started weaving together magically between the main strands, making a net.

"We have to get out," Percy said.

"Yeah, no shit!" Adira shot back.

Percy snatched up the shield, and they bolted, their footsteps echoing off the sides of the pool. Grover, desperate to help, tried to hold open a section of the net, but as soon as his hands touched it, the golden threads began wrapping around his fingers, tightening with each movement.

The Cupid's heads popped open. Out came video cameras. Spotlights rose up all around the pool, blinding the area with illumination, and a loudspeaker voice boomed: "Live to Olympus in one minute...Fifty-nine seconds, Fifty-eight..."

"Hephaestus!" Annabeth screamed, her voice shrill with panic. "Dira! Eta is H! This is a trap he set to catch Aphrodite with Ares—and now you're going to be broadcast live to Olympus!"

Adira and Percy were nearly at the rim of the pool when the mirrors embedded in the walls opened like hatches, releasing a swarm of tiny metallic spiders that cascaded out in a silver flood.

Annabeth screamed, scrambling away from the pool. "Spiders!"

Adira grabbed Percy's wrist and dragged him back towards the boat. They tried to kick away the spiders as they swarmed aboard. The loudspeaker's voice called out "Thirty, twenty-nine,"

The spiders began spitting out strands of metal thread, attempting to bind their limbs. At first, the strands were easy to snap, but as more and more of them spun around their legs and arms, breaking free became a desperate struggle.

Grover hovered above the pool in his flying trainers, trying to pull the net loose, but it wouldn't budge.

Adira got an idea, water.

"Wait, there must be water pipes here somewhere, right?" Adira asked Percy.

"Yes, I guess! Why?" Percy grunted, still fighting off the relentless spiders.

Then Adira saw huge water pipes behind the mirrors, where the spiders had come from. And up above the net, next to one of the Cupids, a glass-windowed booth that must be the controller's station.

"Grover or Annabeth!" Adira shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos. She knew Annabeth was likely too paralyzed by fear to move. "Get into that booth! Find the 'on' switch!"

"What are you doing?!" Percy yelled.

"Use your brain for once, Jackson!" Adira snapped back. "You can use the water to get us out of here!" Her eyes followed Grover as he zipped toward the booth, slamming at the buttons inside with frantic urgency.

"Five, four–"

Grover raised his hands, letting Adira know that he'd pushed every button, but still nothing was happening. "Okay, uhm, your cue, Jackson!"

Oddly enough, Percy seemed to understand. He closed his eyes, his face scrunching up in concentration. Adira held her breath, praying her plan would work.

"Two, one, zero!"

Suddenly, water exploded out of the pipes with a deafening roar, filling the pool in a torrent that swept away the spiders—and nearly took Adira with them. Percy caught her hand and pulled her into the seat next to him while fastening her seatbelt.

The tidal wave slammed into the boat, whisking the spiders away and dousing Adira and Percy completely, but not capsizing them. The boat turned, lifted in the flood, and spun in circles around the whirlpool.

The water was full of short-circuiting spiders, some of them smashing against the pool's concrete wall with such force they burst. Spotlights glared down at both of them. The Cupid-cams were rolling, live to Olympus.

The boat spun around one last time, the water now almost high enough to smash it against the net. Then, with a sharp turn, the boat's nose pointed towards the tunnel, and they rocketed forward, plunging into the darkness.

Adira and Percy held tight, both of them screaming as the boat shot curls and hugged corners and took forty-five degree plunges past pictures of Romeo and Juliet and a bunch of other Valentine's Day stuff.

When they were out of the tunnel, the night air whistled through their hair as the boat barrelled straight towards the exit.

Thank the gods, Adira thought.

Percy's eyes locked onto the Gates of Love, the path their boat should have taken. But instead of a clear passage, the gates were chained shut. Two boats that had been washed out of the tunnel before them were now piled against the barricade – one submerged, the other split in half.

"Unfasten your seat belt," he yelled to Adira.

Adira whipped her head towards him, eyes wide with disbelief. "Have you lost your mind? I'm getting serious déjà vu from St. Louis!" She had no idea where his plan was headed, and the memory of their last near-death experience was still fresh.

"Okay, you gotta let that go! We're gonna get smashed to death." Percy strapped Ares's shield to his arm. "We're going to have to jump for it."

Adira understood his plan and gripped onto his arm as the gates got closer.

"When I say go," Percy said.

"Nuh-uh! When I say go!"

"What?"

"It's simple physics, I thought you went to school?" Adira yelled and looked at him. "You have to multiply the force with-"

"Fine!" Percy cut her off, clearly out of his depth with the math. "When you say go!"

The brunette girl next to him waited...waited, then yelled, "Now!"

And she was right.

If they jumped when Percy would've said 'go', they would've crashed into the gates, instead, Adira's timing gave them the perfect lift—almost too perfect.

Their boat smashed into the pileup, and they were thrown into the air, straight over the gates, over the pool, and down towards solid tarmac.

Adira felt something grab her from behind. "Ouch!"It was Grover.

In midair, he had grabbed Percy by his shirt and Adira by her arm, and was trying to pull them out of a crash landing.

"You're too heavy!" Grover said. "We're going down!"

They spiraled towards the ground, Grover doing his best to slow the fall.

They smashed into a photo-board, and Annabeth came sprinting over, her eyes wide with concern. "Oh shit, are you okay?" she gasped, reaching down to help Adira to her feet.

"Yeah, don't worry," Adira grunted, but as she cradled her wrist, a sharp pain shot through her. She wondered if she'd sprained it.

Once everyone caught their breath, Annabeth and Percy got Grover out of the photo-board he crashed into.

Adira glanced back at the Thrill Ride of Love, watching as the water subsided, leaving only the remains of their shattered boat smashed against the gates.

A hundred meters away, at the entrance pool, the Cupids were still filming. The statues had swiveled so that their cameras were trained straight at the four of them, the spotlights in their faces.

"Show's over!" Percy yelled. "Thank you! Goodnight!"

The Cupids remained unmoving, their cameras still locked on them.

Adira's patience snapped. "Are you deaf?!" she shouted at the statues, her voice echoing through the now-still park.

Finally, the Cupids turned back to their original positions, their cameras swiveling away. The spotlights shut off, and the park went quiet and dark again. The only sound was the gentle trickle of water into the Thrill Ride of Love's exit pool.

Adira turned to look at Percy, his jaw was clenched, and she could see the anger simmering just beneath the surface. His hands tightened around the shield strapped to his arm.

"We need to have a little talk with Ares."

──★ ˙ ̟🎀 !! author's note!

This was so fun to write, I love the waterland scene! Also a small Malachi mention and Ares getting gagged by Adira.

We're getting Wicked the movie in November y'all, who's excited and who's going straight to the movies when it comes out? ME!

That's all, thank you for reading and don't forget to vote 🤍

Kisses, Keke 💋