1: The Son of Ares

Tunnel of Love

    We head into the water park looking for the right attraction. When we have to stop for resupplies when Annabeth has the need to get herself fresh clothes which I can understand.

   That's when I caught sight of something hilarious and adorable at the same time. Medusa even though she's constantly wearing her sleep mask I can tell she's staring hard at the window of a souvenir shop with a big teddy bear at the center display.

   Medusa a millennia old woman is being captivated by a big teddy bear. Although it seems she has gone back to a younger mindset when she does talk it's almost always using old english. So I decide to do something nice for her I go inside and just grab the bear of the stand as I cut off the tag I hand it to her.

  She looks shocked that I would give her anything "Thank you master." She says bowing her head slightly and smiling a bit with a blush.

  I guess she hasn't known kindness in quite a while she likely didn't have many happy memories either if she sat alone with stone statues all the time. We continue our search and I swear this place is giving me some bad vibes.

   In front of us was an empty pool that would've been awesome for skateboarding if I knew how to. It was at least fifty yards across and shaped like a bowl.

    Around the rim, a dozen bronze statues of Cupid stood guard with wings spread and bows ready to fire. On the opposite side from us, a tunnel opened up, probably where the water flowed into when the pool was full. The sign above it read, THRILL RIDE O' LOVE: THIS IS NOT YOUR PARENTS' TUNNEL OF LOVE!

  "Guys, look." Grover says as he crept to the edge.

Stuck at the bottom of the pool was a pink-and-white two-seater boat with a canopy over the top and little hearts painted all over it. In the left seat, glinting in the fading light, was Ares war helmet made of celestial bronze with a dim red glow and a red plume over the top.

"This is too easy. So we just walk down there and get it?" Percy asks suspicious.

Annabeth runs her hand along a Cupid statue and says "There's a Greek letter carved here. Eta. I wonder ..."

"Grover you smell any monsters?" Percy asks.

"Nothing." Grover replies sniffing the wind.

"Nothing—like, in-the-Arch-and-you-didn't-smell-Echidna nothing, or really nothing?" Percy asks and honestly he's right to ask Grover about that, he hasn't been very reliable on that whole monster sniffer business.

  "I told you that was underground." Grover replies seemingly hurt, but it wasn't uncalled for.

  "Okay, I'm sorry. I'm going down there." Percy says.

  "I'll go with you." Grover says not all too enthusiastic about it.

  I don't mention how I could get down grab it and be right back in two or three steps thanks to my shoes since I'm curious to see how this goes. "No I want you to stay up top with the flying shoes. You're the Red Baron, a flying ace, remember? I'll be counting on you for backup, in case something goes wrong." Percy tells him.

  Grover recovers puffing you his chest a bit asking "Sure. But what could go wrong?" Oh Grover you really shouldn't tempt the fates.

  "I don't know. Just a feeling. Annabeth, come with me." Percy says.

   "Are you kidding?" She looks at Percy like he's insane.

   "What's the problem now?" Percy asks annoyed.

  "Me, go with you to the... the 'Thrill Ride of Love'? How embarrassing is that? What if somebody saw me?" Annabeth asks being ridiculous since this park is closed and abandoned.