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I Go Toe-to-Toe with the God of War

He snapped his fingers. The sand exploded at his feet and out charged a wild boar, even larger and uglier than the one whose head hung above the door of cabin seven at Camp Half-Blood. The beast pawed the sand, glaring at me with beady eyes as it lowered its razor-sharp tusks and waited for the command to kill.

I stepped into the surf.

Percy: Fight me yourself, Ares!

He laughed, but I heard a little edge to his laughter...an uneasiness.

Ares: You've only got one talent, kid, running away. You ran from the Chimera. You ran from the Underworld. You don't have what it takes.

Percy: Scared?

Ares: In your adolescent dreams.

But his sunglasses were starting to melt from the heat of his eyes.

Ares: No direct involvement. Sorry, kid. You're not at my level.

Annabeth: PERCY, RUN!

The giant boar charged.

But I was done running from monsters. Or Hades, or Ares, or anybody.

As the boar rushed me, I uncapped my pen and sidestepped. Riptide appeared in my hands.

Theo: SELAS!

A glowing silver arrow flew past me and hit the ground underneath the boar. It created silver sparks and a powerful concussive blast that sent the boar flying over us and into the sea.

I glanced at Theo, who had his bow in his right hand, which was glowing silver, then I focused on the boar.

Percy: WAVE!

Immediately, a wave surged up from nowhere and engulfed the boar, wrapping around it like a blanket. The beast squealed once in terror. Then it was gone, swallowed by the sea.

Percy: (to Ares) Are you going to fight me now? Or are you going to hide behind another pet pig?

Ares: Watch it, kid. I could turn you into—

Theo: A cockroach. Or a tapeworm. Yeah, I'm sure. That'd save you from getting your godly ass kicked, wouldn't it?

Ares: Oh, man, you two are really asking to be smashed into a grease spot.

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

Ares sneered as he swung the baseball bat off his shoulder.

Ares: How would you like to get smashed: classic or modern?

I showed him my sword while Theo took out his sword and shield.

Ares: That's cool, dead boys. Classic it is.

The baseball bat changed into a huge, two-handed sword. The hilt was a large silver skull with a ruby in its mouth.

Theo's POV

Annabeth: Percy, Theo, don't do this...He's a god.

Theo: He's a pussy.

Annabeth: Well...Wear this, at least. For luck.

She took off her necklace, with her five years' worth of camp beads and the ring from her father, and tied it around my neck.

Annabeth: A show of friendship. Artemis and Athena.

Theo: (smiles) Thanks.

Grover: And take this.