•as the world caves in•

•percy battles a god•

"Scared?"

"In your adolescent dreams. No direct involvement. Sorry, kid. You're not at my level."

"Percy, run!" I shouted as the wild boar charged.

He uncapped his sword and stepped to the side before he slashed upwards. The boar's right tusk fell to the ground as the animal went to the sea.

"Wave!" Shouted Percy.

Immediately, a huge wave surged up and engulfed the boar, and it disappeared.

Since when could he do that?

Percy turned to Ares. "Are you going to fight me now? Or are you going to hide behind another pet pig?"

Ares was red with rage. "Watch it, kid. I could turn you into—"

"A cockroach or a tapeworm. Yeah, I'm sure. That'd save you from getting your godly hide whipped, wouldn't it?"

Flames danced on Ares's sunglasses. "Oh, man, you are really asking to get smashed into a grease spot."

"If I lose, turn me into anything you want. Take the bolt. If I win, the helm and the bolt are mine and you have to go away."

Ares swung the baseball bat off his shoulder. "How would you like to get smashed: classic or modern?" Percy only showed him his sword. "That's cool, dead boy. Classic it is."

The bat changed into a large two handed sword, with a ruby on the hilt, which happened to be a skull.

"Percy," I warned, fear rising in me. "Don't do this. He's a god."

"He's a coward," Percy said back.

"Wear this, at least," I said and took off my necklace. "For luck."

I tied it around his neck. "Aphrodite and Poseidon have worked together before, I'm sure they'll do it again."

Percy's cheeks turned red and he smiled. "Thanks."

Annabeth gave him an awkward hug. "Good luck, you'll need it."

"And take this," Grover smiled, handing him a tin can. "The satyrs stand behind you."

"Grover... I don't know what to say." Percy half smiled.

"You all done saying goodbye?" Ares sneered as he stalked towards Percy. "I've been fighting for eternity, kid. My strength is unlimited and I cannot die. What have you got?"

Percy went back in the water and missed a shot Ares had tried at him. It almost seemed like the water launched him over the god, and he slashed down, but Ares deflected it.

Percy stepped closer, but Ares knocked his sword out and launched him in the air.

I turned when I heard sirens behind us. "Percy! Cops!"

"There, officer! See?"

"Looks like that kid on TV... and that's the girl? What the heck..."

"That guys armed, call for backup."

I held my head down as Annabeth tried to block me from view.

"Annabeth, we're so dead after this. I think Chiron and Luke will literally have a heart attack."

A crowd started to gather as more cops came, and a strange flapping circled above.

A cop held a megaphone and shouted, "Drop the guns! Set them on the ground. Now!"

Guns?

Is this what the Mist was making the mortals see?

When I checked, Ares was holding his sword, but it would flicker to a shotgun. I couldn't tell what Percy's was, but I think it was a rifle of some sort.

"This is a private matter!" Ares bellowed. "Be gone!"

His hand swept, bringing a line of fire across the cars, causing them to explode and send the city into even more chaos.

Percy and Ares went in the water, and Percy looked like he gave up. He lowered his sword and simply looked at Ares as he raised his.

Until a huge wave crashed on the god of war and left him disoriented. Percy jumped up and started to slash at him before landing on the ground and stabbing his heel.

A loud roar came from Ares and the sea was shook away from us.

Ichor, the Golden blood of the gods, came from his boot.

He limped towards Percy, muttering under his breath and he stopped.

I was stunned as Ares lowered his sword and snapped something to Percy.

Ares then started to glow.

"Percy!" Annabeth and I cried. "Don't watch!"

We all turned away and closed our eyes. Ares was turning into his true form, and if we looked, we would surely turn to ashes.

When we looked back, he was gone, and in his place was the helm of darkness.

Suddenly, the Furies came from the sky and landed in front of Percy. The middle one looked at him.

"We saw the whole thing," she hissed at him. "So... it truly was not you?"

"Return that to Lord Hades. Tell him the truth. Tell him to call of the war."

She hesitated. "Live well, Percy Jackson. Become a true hero. Because if you do not, if you ever come into my clutches again..." she cackled.

They flew in the sky and disappeared.

Percy walked over to us.

"Percy... that was..." Grover said.

"Terrifying," Annabeth suggested.

"The worst moment of my life?" I asked.

"What?" Grover looked at us. "No! It was cool!"

Percy smiled and grabbed his bag.

"We have to get back to New York," Percy said. "By tonight."

"Percy... that's impossible." I sighed.

Annabeth frowned. "Not exactly. There's one way but..."

"That's flying," Percy nodded.

I stared at him. "Flying, as in, airplane, which you were warned never to do lest Zeus strike you out of the sky, and carrying a weapon that has more destructive power than a nuclear bomb?"

"Yeah," Percy said slowly. "Pretty much exactly like that. Come on."