16 Chapter 16

I guided Clarisse and Annabeth toward the exit, helping them into the elevator, and was about to join them when I realized there were already two other tourists inside. There was no room for me.

The park ranger said, "Next car, sir."

"We'll get out," Annabeth offered. "We'll wait with you."

But disrupting everyone's plans and further delaying the process didn't seem like a good idea, so I replied, "Nah, it's okay. I'll catch up with you guys at the bottom."

Clarisse and Annabeth both looked uneasy, but they allowed the elevator doors to close, and their car descended down the ramp.

Now, the only individuals remaining on the observation deck were me, a young boy with his parents, the park ranger, and the plump lady with her Chihuahua.

I winked at the plump lady, and she returned the gesture, her forked tongue flickering between her teeth. Her Chihuahua hopped down and began yapping at me.

"Now, now, sonny," the lady admonished the dog. "Is this really the time? We have all these nice people here."

"Doggie!" the young boy exclaimed. "Look, a doggie!"

His parents quickly pulled him away.

The Chihuahua bared its teeth at me, with foam dripping from its black lips.

"Well, my son," the plump lady sighed, "if you insist." She rolled up her denim sleeves, revealing scaly, green skin on her arms. When she smiled, I noticed her fangs. The pupils of her eyes were slits, like those of a reptile.

The Chihuahua's barking grew louder, and with each bark, it transformed. It grew to the size of a Doberman and then to that of a lion. Its barks turned into roars.

The young boy screamed, and his parents pulled him toward the exit, right into the park ranger, who stood frozen, staring at the monstrous creature.

The Chimera now towered so high that its back scraped the roof. It had the head of a lion with a blood-soaked mane, the body and hooves of a colossal goat, and a serpent for a tail—a ten-foot-long diamondback emerging from its shaggy rear. The rhinestone dog collar still hung around its neck, and the plate-sized dog tag was now legible: CHIMERA—RABID, FIRE-BREATHING, POISONOUS—IF FOUND, PLEASE CALL TARTARUS—EXT. 954.

The snake-like lady emitted a hissing sound, which might have been laughter. "Be honored, Percy Jackson. Lord Zeus rarely allows me to test a hero with one of my broods. For I am the Mother of Monsters, the terrible Echidna!"

"I am greatly honored, don't worry," I retorted, grinning as I summoned Morningstar, the black blade gleaming with a fierce light. "And you should be honored to be the next to fall by my blade!"

The Chimera lunged, gnashing its lion teeth. But before it could reach me, I spun, and with a lightning-fast strike, I sent a shockwave of water crashing into the beast, pushing it back with a roar. The ground shook as I displayed my control over water, forming a protective barrier around the innocent bystanders.

I found myself next to the family and the park ranger, all of whom were now screaming, attempting to pry open the emergency exit doors.

I couldn't let them get harmed. I kicked open the exit door just as the next elevator car ascended, shoving them all inside and closing the door. The Chimera unleashed a column of fire straight at me as I turned around.

I dived through the ensuing explosion, Really glad I had fire immunity. The carpet ignited into ash, and where I had stood a moment ago, there was now a ragged hole in the side of the Arch, surrounded by molten metal.

Fantastic, I thought. They've just blowtorched a national monument.

Morningstar hummed in my hands as I lunged at the Chimera, dodging its fire as I slashed at its neck with all my might. To the Chimera's astonishment and Echidna's horror, the blade sliced through the collar, and I beheaded the monster in one fatal stroke. The creature disintegrated into dust, and I absorbed it, growing stronger with each passing second. Echidna screamed in rage.

Mimicry of "Chimera" accquired

Skill "Enhanced Roar" accquired

Skill "Fire Breath" accquired

Skill "Toxic Gas Generation" accquired

Before I could react, Echidna stabbed me with a dagger, plunging it into my arm. Instantly, I felt the poison coursing through my veins. Gritting my teeth, I yanked the dagger out and tossed it outside.

"You're going to die, Son of Poseidon," Echidna hissed. "You've just been poisoned by a—wait, what are you doing?" She looked in shock as I moved my arms around my body, making the motion of raising something up to my mouth. I opened my mouth and spat a nasty green glob to the floor.

"Gods, that tasted horrible," I grimaced. "Some advice: don't poison a son of Poseidon who has learned to manipulate poison and blood. And another thing you forgot..."

"What did I forget?" Echidna asked, glaring at the green glob.

"I am also the son of Hades," I responded as I raised my hand like a finger gun, shooting a fireball right at her face. She screamed and clutched her face, and I vanished into the shadows. Echidna looked around, trying to find me, only to gasp when Morningstar ran through her heart.

"You truly are as strong as they say," Echidna grinned, blood trickling from her mouth. "Well done, boy. One day you will become a great hero." She burst into golden dust and I exited the shadows, victorious and unscathed.

"That makes exactly 13 monsters that I beat," I whistled. I walked to the hole on the floor and I jumped off the Arch and plummeted over a hundred feet as I used the winds to push me towards te river.

The river rushed toward me at the speed of a truck. The wind stole my breath away, and steeples, skyscrapers, and bridges whizzed by in a blur.

And then: Flaaa-boooom!

A whiteout of bubbles enveloped me. I sank through the murk, swimming down through the river, and eventually surfaced among the crowd. Swiftly, I located Annabeth and Clarisse standing apart from the crowd. As I approached them, I subtly manipulated the mist, causing everyone to forget they were ever there.

"First things first," I told them. "We've got to get out of town!"

Somehow, we managed to make it back to the Amtrak station without getting spotted. Boarding the train just before it pulled out for Denver, we watched as the St. Louis skyline, with its lingering police lights, faded into the distance as darkness fell.

The next afternoon, on June 14, just seven days before the solstice, our train pulled into Denver. We hadn't eaten since the previous night on the train somewhere in Kansas.

"Let's try to contact Chiron," Annabeth suggested as we wandered through downtown Denver. I wasn't sure what she was looking for, but the dry and hot air felt strange after the humidity of St. Louis. The imposing Rocky Mountains loomed in every direction, like an impending tidal wave about to crash into the city.

After about half an hour, we stumbled upon an empty do-it-yourself car wash. We decided to use the farthest stall from the street, keeping an eye out for any police cars. Three teenagers hanging out at a car wash without a car would surely look suspicious.

"You two go ahead. I need to figure out our next move," I told them, handing over my coin pouch. I walked a little way off, watching as they created a rainbow to contact Chiron. I knew I had to keep things running smoothly, if Kronos decided to get rid of Luke, all my plans would be for not.

As I stood there, a large Lincoln Continental pulled into the car wash, blaring hip-hop music at maximum volume. The bass was so intense that it vibrated the pavement. Clarisse stormed over to the guy getting out of the car, clearly upset.

Annabeth and Clarisse eventually finished their rainbow contact, and we regrouped.

"Let's find some dinner," I suggested.

A few minutes later, we were seated in a booth at a shiny chrome diner. Families all around us were enjoying burgers, malts, and sodas.

Finally, the waitress approached, raising an eyebrow skeptically. "Well?"

I mirrored her raised eyebrow. "We're here to eat, of course."

She eyed us suspiciously. "You kids have money to pay for it?"

Just as I was about to respond, a motorcycle the size of a baby elephant roared up to the curb outside. The headlight glared red, flames were painted on the gas tank, and it had shotguns holstered on either side. The seat appeared to be made of leather, and not just any leather but what looked like human skin.

The rider, a formidable man in a red muscle shirt and black jeans with a black leather duster, stepped off the bike. He had a hunting knife strapped to his thigh and wore red wraparound shades. His face was strikingly handsome but held a wickedness to it, marked by scars from countless fights. I felt like I had seen him somewhere before.

As he entered the diner, a hot, dry wind blew through, and everyone in the place froze as if they were hypnotized. The biker waved his hand, and they all resumed their activities as if nothing had happened. He turned his attention to our waitress, who seemed to snap back to reality.

"What are you still doing here?" he asked, pointing at her.

She turned and marched toward the kitchen.

The biker looked at me, revealing his eyes, which were filled with fiery explosions in place of pupils.

The biker then focused his attention on me. "So, you're the son of Poseidon and Hades, You know kid, you are the talk of Olympus."

I leaned back in my seat, unimpressed. "Yeah, and what's it to you?"

Annabeth shot me a warning glance, but I ignored it.

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

I raised an eyebrow. "You're Ares, the God of War, and Clarisse's dad. Not that it matters to me."

Ares grinned, removing his shades to reveal fiery sockets instead of eyes. "That's right, punk. I heard you broke Clarisse's spear."

"I was asking for it, father." Clarisse finally spoke up. Ares gave her a look and she hung her head in shame.

"You are my child, learn your place girl."

"Yes Father." Clarisse muttered looking away. The waitress came back with heaping trays of food—cheeseburgers, fries, onion rings, and chocolate shakes.

Ares handed a few gold drachmas to the waitress, who looked at them nervously. "But these aren't..."

The biker pulled out his knife and started cleaning his fingernails. "Problem, sweetheart?"

The waitress swallowed hard and left with the gold.

I returned to eating, keeping an eye on the god. After years in the army you get good at reading people and I could tell that he was nervous about something.

"Just like I expected from you, threatening others," I remarked.

Ares chuckled. "Are you kidding? I love this country. It's the best place since Sparta. Don't you carry a weapon, punk? You should. The world out there is dangerous. Which brings me to my proposition. I need you to do me a favor."

"What favor could I do for a god?" I asked.

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

"Why don't you go back and get it yourself?" The fiery glow in his eye sockets intensified.

"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," I replied, sipping my milkshake. "We've already got a quest."

Ares's fiery eyes conjured disturbing images—blood, smoke, and corpses on the battlefield. "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've 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 your old man, 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've got me to thank for your little quest."

"Ah, no wonder I want to punch you in the face," I smirked.

"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."

"The water park is a mile west on Delancey. You can't miss it. Look for the Tunnel of Love ride." Ares grabbed some fries.

"What interrupted your date?" I smirked. "Something scared you off?"

Ares bared his teeth, but he'd seen worse. "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."

Ares stood and left the diner. I returned to my meal, noticing the scared expressions on Annabeth and Clarisse's faces.

"Not good," Annabeth said. "Ares sought you out, Percy. This is not good."

I stared out the window. drinking my shake as I thought over everything.

"Welp, our quest is almost over." I laughed, banging my fist on the table a little too loud. The sound made many people jump in their seats.

"What do you mean?" Clarisse asked, Annabeth was looking confused.

"Your father has Thundercock's Thunderbolt. I know it," I grinned.