HURRICANE

.016

Brooklyn quietly tapped her heel against the ground as she finished the last of her fries.  Her, Grover, and Ares just sat in silence as she and Grover ate.  While Ares occasionally laughed at his phone.

"We've met before," Grover said suddenly, looking at Ares.  Brooklyn furrowed her eyebrows at Grover.  Was he seriously just casually starting a conversation with the war god while their friends were on a mission?

Ares didn't look up from his phone, "Been around a long time, little boy.  I've met a lot of people."

"I'm twenty-four." Grover clarified.

"Good for you," Ares said with a scoff.

"We met at the solstice.  On Olympus?" Grover prompted.  Brooklyn remembered that.  The whole camp took place as an audience at the winter solstice.  It was a "field trip."  But really it was just the gods arguing with each other. 

Ares huffed, "Ugh, a protester."

Grover thought that was about him, "Oh, I wasn't one of the protestors.  I'm a fan." He said. Brooklyn was impressed by how easily the lie slipped off his tongue.

That finally got Ares's attention.  He slowly looked up from his phone, " I think you got me mixed up with someone else, kid." He said dryly before going back to Twitter.

"No, I don't."

Brooklyn stared at Grover.  Where in the world was this conversation going?  She would love to know.

Ares sighed and put down his phone. "Satyrs eat tofu.  Satyrs worship flowers. Satyrs sing songs about their feelings.  Satyrs are not fans of mine." Ares wasn't wrong.  One time Brooklyn accidently dropped a gum wrapped while sparring in the forest with Luke... one of the older satyrs stomped over to her and gave her a very... very long lecture.

"Satyrs are children of nature." Grover started. "Nature is brutal.  Red in tooth and claw, right?" He continued as Ares eyed him suspiciously. "Maybe unpleasant.  But that doesn't make it untrue." That statement had both Ares and Brooklyn thinking. 

Brooklyn was mainly concerned about where all of this was coming from.  Is this why Grover was so eager to stay back?  To feed Ares's ego?

"You are the champion of all that," Grover stated. "I respect it."

Ares leaned back, "So what are you?  A casual World War II buff?  You've seen Saving Private Ryan, have you?"

"I prefer the Turbot war." Grover shrugged.  "The Lobster War?  The Three Hundred and Thirty-Five Years' War?  Your deep cuts." Brooklyn was impressed as she saw Ares's face.  He looked like he was about to shed a tear.

"Those are wars were hardly anyone died..." Ares said quietly.

"I like your mellower stuff." Grover concluded. "There's something cool about overwhelming force and a quick surrender."

"No one talks about those anymore," Ares mumbled, his eyes drifting off as if reminiscing.

While he was looking away, Grover looked at Brooklyn and nudged her.  Giving her a small wink.  Realization finally dawned on her.  Grover was channeling his inner Annabeth and Brooklyn couldn't be prouder.

"They should." Grover agreed.

Ares tilted his head and finally seemed interested in the conversation, "So tell me where we met again?"

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The conversation dragged on with Grover recalling facts about Ares's smaller wars.  Brooklyn even chimed in now and then, riling up Ares even more with excitement.  It was funny... how passionate he got about war like a puppy dog.