I'd seen Percy fight before, but never like this.
As Ares cleaved down, Percy vaulted over the top of him, slashing back at him. Ares managed to deflect the blow though, surprising me with such a display of speed in such a big and ugly man.
"Not bad, not bad," he said, slashing again.
Percy had to jump out of the water to dodge the strike and Ares managed to keep him away from it, preventing him from returning to his strength. I felt helpless as I stood and watched them, feeling more nervous watching than I would have actually fighting. I couldn't stand watching a friend in danger and not being able to help. It was worse knowing that there was nothing I could do.
Sirens suddenly filled the air and I spun around to see several police cars roar up, skidding to a stop along the shoreline boulevard. Officers were scrambling out, slamming doors behind them, but they remained about the beach, watching the fight with awe.
Some mortal must have alerted them. I couldn't believe that they'd wasted time on this when there was so much damage done by the earthquake.
When I turned back to the fight, I was in time to see Percy disarmed and kicked in the chest, sent sprawling into a sand dune. He looked stunned, struggling to breathe. My heart went out to him, but I had to get him up.
"Percy!" I yelled. "Cops!"
He looked dizzily around. It didn't look like he'd be able to get up, much less fight.
The police were getting more active, scrambling around as if to find the best vantage point.
"There, officer!" a mortal yelled. "See?"
"Looks like that kid on TV . . . " an officer said. "What the heck . . ."
"That guy's armed," another yelled. "Call for backup."
Ares didn't seem fazed by the audience. He slashed at Percy and I felt that the son of Poseidon was gone for sure. But he'd recovered faster than I thought, rolling to the side and scooping up his sword in one smooth move. He went to strike back at Ares, but the god deflected it with ease.
"Admit it, kid," he said. "You got no hope. I'm just toying with you."
Percy backed off into the surf, looking desperate.
My attention was split, partly on Percy and partly on the crowd appearing around us. The cops were keeping everyone back for now, but how long until they lost control? People could get hurt.
More and more like cars were racing in, more sirens and more people yelling. It was hectic, especially with Percy fighting for his life barely metres away. And yet, through all that, I could still feel that horribly familiar presence, those eyes watching us. I looked around everywhere, but I couldn't find them. Where could they be?
Then I spotted them. Three hideous hags circling above us. The Furies. Like vultures waiting to attack, they followed the battle attentively, but didn't look like they wanted to intervene. What were they up to?
I didn't have time to wonder much as I saw Ares slash forward, slicing open Percy's forearm. He gasped, scrambling further into the sea. The cut would be healed in moments, but that wouldn't do him any good if he died in the meantime.
"Drop the guns!" a police officer's voice suddenly boomed out on a megaphone. "Set them on the ground! Now!"
I frowned, looking at the swords that Ares and Percy helped. Guns? Was that how the Mist was working? I knew it covered a lot of the mess monsters and demigods made, but I didn't see how it could morph swords into guns.
Ares turned to look at the police, all lined up behind their cars with their pistols trained on us. He didn't seem that scared, although I doubted you would be knowing that those guns wouldn't be able to kill you. It would be nice, not having to fear for you life every day.
"This is a private matter!" he bellowed. "Begone!"
He swept his hand and a wall of fire roared towards the crowd. I watched, horrified, as it hit the cars, causing them to explode. I couldn't see if any one got hurt, but I couldn't believe at the absolute careless approach Ares had to life.
He roared with laughter, proving my point. "Now, little hero. Let's add you to the barbecue."
He slashed, but Percy managed to deflect and followed up with his own strike. They were moving further info the surf now, Percy up to his waist in water. I could see the waves hitting him in the back, when suddenly they shrunk, becoming only small, weak waves.
I thought it must have been Poseidon intervening to save his son, but then I saw the extreme strain and concentration on Percy's face and knew it was him. How powerful could he be if he could tame the sea?
Grover seemed to realise what I did. His eyes were wide and he was chewing on the hem of his shirt. If he ate any more, he'd have no shirt left.
I saw Percy pause, Ares coming steadily in for the kill when everything broke. All the built up pressure of the sea lurched in one massive two-metre high wave, carrying Percy above like a surfer but smashing Ares in the face. He lurched back, disorientated as Percy landed behind him and struck at his head. Ares went to block, but Percy changed direction abruptly, stabbing straight down into the surf.
I haven't never heard a scream worse in my entire life. The sea was knocked back by the force of it, repelled several metres. In its absence, I saw that Percy had somehow managed to cut straight through the god's heel, spilling ichor, the golden blood of the gods.
Ares looked more shocked than any one else. Then anger washed over him and he started for Percy, muttering Ancient Greek curses to himself.
I was sure that he would pulverize Percy when a sudden evil presence washed over the beach. It was worse than the Furies, whom seemed to cower before it. It washed all the color from the landscape, all hearing dimmed and time seemed to slow down. Even the fires from the police cars seemed to pause momentarily. It seemed to rob the world of all hope and meaning, leaving me empty and sad inside.
And as it quick as it came, it passed, waking me up from the melancholy slum I'd been in. Nothing seemed to have changed. There were still people screaming, police cars burning and Percy and Ares facing each other off. The only difference was that Ares no longer looked so sure of himself, almost hesitant.
"You have made an enemy, godling," he told Percy as he lowered his sword. "You have sealed your fate. Every time you raise your blade in battle, every time you hope for success, you will feel my curse. Beware, Perseus Jackson. Beware."
I saw the telltale signs of him about to reveal his true immortal form.
"Percy!" I yelled. "Don't watch!"
He turned away in time as Ares burst into pure light, searing my eyes even through the closed eyelids. It would have been worse if I'd actually watched rather than close my eyes. I would have disintegrated on the spot.
When I opened my eyes, I saw that Ares had gone and Percy stood all alone, only the last remains of the ichor gradually being washed away to reveal that the god had been there at all. I saw Percy bend down and pick up the helmet of darkness, which had washed into the surf.
He went to come to Grover and I but the Furies beat him to it, landing between him and us. They no longer looked and scary and furious, a hesitant and confused air to them.
"We saw the whole thing," Alecto hissed, sounding disappointed. "So . . . it truly was not you?"
Percy tossed her the helmet almost casually. "Return that to Lord Hades. Tell him the truth. Tell him to call off the war."
Alecto looked almost impressed, an expression I didn't think was possible for a Fury. I thought their emotions ranged from furious to evil.
"Live well, Percy Jackson," she said grudgingly. "Become a true hero. Because if you do not, if you ever come into my clutches again . . ."
She cackled in a true psychotic way. Then she and her sisters flew up, making me feel relieved to see the backs of them.
Percy came to us, looking completely exhausted. I didn't blame him. He'd done the impossible.
"Percy . . ." Grover said. "That was so incredibly . . ."
"Terrifying," I supplied.
"Cool!" Grover corrected.
Percy didn't even smile. He looked too worried and drained. It looked like he was being bugged by the same thing I was.
"Did you guys feel that . . . whatever it was?" he asked.
I nodded, Grover copying me.
"Must've been the Furies overhead," Grover suggested.
I knew it wasn't. I'd had plenty of experience with them by now and I knew their presence well. This was something different, something more powerful. It had to be, especially when it stopped Ares, a god no less.
Percy looked at me and I saw he was thinking the same thing as me. He knew that that presence just then was identical to the one in the pit. And as I saw the fear in his green eyes, I knew that he knew who it was too. I didn't exactly make me feel as good as I usually did when I was proven correct.
Grover returned the backpack to Percy, who checked to make sure the bolt was still inside.
"We have to get back to New York," he said. "By tonight."
"That's impossible," I said, "unless we -"
"Fly," he agreed.
I stared at him. I still wasn't sure whether he was stupid or reckless. I was leaning toward the latter though.
"Fly, like, in an aeroplane, 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," he said. "Pretty much exactly like that. Come on."