𝕊𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕧𝕒𝕘𝕒𝕟𝕥 │ 𝑷. 𝑱𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒔𝒐𝒏¹

XVII

It's mostly the same shit as in the news paper that someone dropped by Percy's Cabin back in Camp Half Blood. 

Troubled kid, didn't think he was capable of this, Camaro in smithereens, loved that car, kid had something to do with my wife's disappearance.

"I'm gonna kill him", Percy says lowly, a grin almost jumping on to Morana's face but then Ares talks, "I knew I was gonna like you", looking like a proud dad. 

"But safe to say the chances of you four idiots hitchhiking your way to L.A without getting arrested are. . . slim to none", the God of War states out the obvious. 

"Why are you sitting here then?" Annabeth asks, tilting her head much like Morana. Guess the action has already stuck to her body language as well. 

"If you're supposed to be looking for the master bolt too, shouldn't you be out there looking for it?" Annabeth continues. Next to her, Morana is squished between her and Percy, keeping her eyes on the God of War, trying to read him like a book. 

"Hm", Ares tilts his head, then turning his head to Morana whose expression doesn't change. 

"There's no fear in you, is there?" Ares wonders out loud, turning to Annabeth again then locking eyes with Morana who grinds her teeth together. "And you", he states calmly. "I recognize an angry soul when I see one", he states a bit proudly, making Morana hate herself a little. He looks like he's seeing himself in the girl and it makes her want to go meet her dad in different terms that usually. 

"Doesn't matter. Whether the bolt is retrieved or not. Zeus is going to war with Poseidon", Ares drops the bomb, looking at the four children from under his eyebrows, sounding way too chill about the fact. 

Percy furrows his brows, looking down at the daughter of Thanatos who is deadly still. Ironically enough. "No?" His word sounds more like a question and he continues, "The Oracle said if we return the bolt, there wouldn't be a war".

"Is that what she said? Or is that what Chiron said she meant?"

Morana has to give that one to Ares. The Oracle, to Morana's knowledge, didn't say anything about stopping a war. There's a silence that tells Morana that all of them are realizing the same thing. 

"Yeah", Ares says a bit smugly. "You're new to the family, young one, so let me fill you in on how we work", Ares taunts, leaning back in his chair. 

"See, years before I was born. Kronos, my grandpa, ate my aunts and uncles", the man makes a face, the side of Morana's lip curling up at the thought. 

"Yeah", Ares snaps his fingers in Morana's direction as if agreeing with her reaction. "And then my dad made him puke 'em back up, then chopped him into a million pieces and chucked them into a bottomless pit. So that kinda set the tone right outta the gate!" 

There a pause where Ares takes a big gulp of air and then states, "Olympians fight, we betray we backstab. And we will push anyone down a flight of stairs to get ahead. And that's why I love my family so much!" He sounds like an excited kid. Over grown one but still. 

Morana looks down at her fingers in her lap and wonders if it'd always be like that. It's safe to say she'd give anything to have a normal family. A family that you can invite over for your birthday and bake the cake with. A family where you get to hug your grandma without fearing she'd stab you with a knife made of darkness.