Percy talking

Percy thoughts

Adamos talking

Adamos thoughts

Characters are owned by Rick

(Except Adamos he's mine)

Chapter 17

The Warring Seas

A few months ago, if anyone had told me that I was going to walk through the Underworld, talk with my uncle who is the lord of the dead and then leave via magic pearl, I would have walked away from them as fast as I could. But apparently that was my life now as I rode the magical pearl out of the Underworld and to who knows where. It wasn't the most comfortable ride as I went through layers of earth. Darkness was all around me before light seemed to flood the sphere. It forced me to blink away the brightness and when I was finally able to open them again, I saw that we had broken through the ocean floor. Up above me I saw two spheres burst at the surface, and two bodies appeared floating on the waves.

My sphere rocketed upwards until it exploded as soon as it hit the air. The blast was enough to blow some surfer off his board and into the water, but i didn't pay him any mind. I looked around to see where we were to find that I was in the middle of Santa Monica Bay. I looked at the sky and knew that it was June 20th, by the sun that was now coming over the horizon. We had spent an entire night in the Underworld.

"Percy!" I heard from behind me, making me turn. Behind me, Annabeth and Grover were treading water a couple a few meters away from me.

"What happened? How did we end up in the ocean?" Annabeth asked as she looked around.

"Yeah. Weren't we just in the Underworld?" Grove added.

Both of then looked at me expectantly as I was the last one to arrive. "You guys don't remember what happened?" I asked trying to play dumb. They both shook their heads no, and it was the response that I was hoping for.

"We should probably head to shore. It would be better than a drowning out here." I said, hoping to extend the time so that I could come up with a story. Both of them agreed as drowning didn't seem like a fun idea at the moment.

As we swam to the shore, I did use a bit of my powers to help them along, well mostly Grover because swimming with hooves seemed hard for him.

"So, what am I supposed to say to them?"

"Make something up. Improve is kinda your thing now. Maybe you should join an improv group?" Adamos mused that last part.

"But I don't know what they remember."

"I think its before we actually started talking to Uncle Hades."

"You know I never asked but is wiping their memories going to hurt them in any way."

"I don't think so?" Adamos said but it sounded unsure.

"Well will it hurt them or not?" I pressed.

"Probably not. I mean I never really had to wipe some one's mind so many times in such a short amount of time. The only side effects that I can think of will be some forgetfulness over the next couple weeks." I feel Adamos shrug.

"I really hope they don't find out about this." I mentally groan.

"You know you're coming up to the shore and you really should be thinking of a cover story." Adamos interjects.

"Oh, gods damn it."

"Relax I always say you'll be fine, and you usually are, but just remember the best lies are the ones with a bit of the truth mixed in." Adamos says trying to console me.

At that point the tree of us had made it to the shore and were climbing out of the ocean. I then gave Grover my shoes as he lost his in the Underworld. Best not to chance anyone seeing his hooves.

"All right Percy. You remember what happened." Annabeth asked.

I was still trying to get a story together but at that point I just followed Adamos's advice and decided on a half-truth.

"We made it to Lord Hades palace," They nodded along. "But when we went in he didn't have the bolt, but he said that we did." At this their faces became confused.

"Wait if he doesn't have the bolt than why would we have it?" Grover asked.

I internally grimace. This was the point where I hoped that they trusted me. "Because we do." I said and I slid my back pack off and opened it, showing them the bolt. They gasped at the object as it glowed within its confines. "But I didn't steal it." I quickly said, cutting them off before they could say anything. "Hades also said that his helm was missing."

"The helm is missing!" They both all but shouted. I flinched from the volume.

"Yeah like I was saying he said that the helm was missing, and then demanded we hand over the bolt, but we never had it. And I don't know about you but this thing but screams power." I said, since the bolt was making the hair on my arms raise due to closeness.

"Then who could have taken it?" Grover asked.

"The one person in this entire quest who helped us." I said.

Annabeth let out a gasp in realization as the answer seemed to hit her. "Ares."

I just nod at her realization.

"He was the only one to help us and gave us the backpack. Maybe he has a connection to the thief. Someone stole the bolt and the helm and framed you as Poseidon's son and with him with the only symbol of power it would start a three-way war as they start pointing fingers. Which in turn benefits Ares and…" She starts vomiting words as she comes up with theories and other things.

I snap a few times in front of Annabeth's face to get her attention. "What?"

"You were mumbling." I said. She blushes at that. "And besides," I turn to look over my shoulder. "We've got company." My eyes narrow on the figure in the distance.

There he was, in his black leather duster and sunglasses, an aluminum baseball bat propped on his shoulder. His motor cycle rumbled behind him, the headlights glaring a bright red. "Hey kid." He said with a wide grin on his face. "you were supposed to die."

"You used us." I said. "You and the thief stole the bolt."

Ares smile broke into a smirk. "Now, now, I had nothing to do with the whole stealing bit. Gods taking each other's symbols of power—that's a big no. I just held on to the bolt and helm. Took them for safe keeping until you came along."

"Is he actually monologuing?" Adamos asked.

"I…think he is." I thought.

"But now it seems that you couldn't even do the simple task of dying in the Underworld. Now you're just impeding the war effort and I can't have that. Once ole Barnacle beard finds out that you died in the Underworld, then he will be mad at Hades for killing you. And once Corpse Breath has the Masterbolt than Zeus'll be mad at him."

"And with the helm missing than Hades will be dragged into the conflict." I said. "And am I right in thinking that you have the Helm of Darkness as well."

"Huh," Ares reached into the pocket and pulled out a ski cap and placed it on one of the handle bars of his bike. The cap turned into a bronze war helmet that seemed to suck the light out of the space around it. "Seems as if you actually have some smarts punk."

"The Helm of Darkness." Grover gasped.

"Exactly," Ares said. "And with this it will just be a three-way slug fest of the gods." Ares grin grew wider as he spoke.

"But they're your family!" Annabeth protested.

Ares shrugged. "Best kind of war. Always the bloodiest. Nothing like watching relatives fight, I always say."

"But if you wanted to start a war, why give the bolt to Hades? Why not keep it for yourself?" I ask. "The other gods would never have known you had it."

Ares jaw twitched. For a moment it he had a far away look to him, like he was listening to someone else in his head. I was kind hoping that I didn't look like that when Adamos talked to me.

"Why didn't I…yeah…with that kind of fire power…" Ares said dreamily. He held this trance for a few seconds.

I exchanged a glance with Annabeth. Neither of us seemed comfortable with the god in front of us.

Ares face then clears. "I didn't want the trouble. Better to have you caught red handed, holding the evidence."

"Somethings off with him." Adamos says.

Internally I agree. "You're lying," I say. "Sending the bolt to the Underworld wasn't your idea, was it?"

"Of course, it was!" Ares yelled, smoke emitted from his sun glasses.

"You're not the one to come up with the idea. You're just a lackey like the thief, only some a glorified delivery boy to hand off the bolt to me. Just another servant following orders." I said.

"I am the god of war! I take orders from no one!" Ares roared. "I don't have dreams!"

I hesitated but I felt Adamos focus on that one line. "Who said anything about dreams?"

Ares looked like he was completely on edge, but he tried to hide it with a smirk. "Lets get back to the problem at hand kid. You're alive and I can't let you bring that bolt back to Olympus. You might just get those hard-headed fools to listen to you. So, I've got to kill you. Nothing personal."

"What are the odds of us escaping him?" I ask Adamos.

"Ares is still a god even if he is being manipulated. Even if he's bound by ancient laws, there are always loopholes to exploit." Adamos says seriously.

As if just to prove a point, Ares snapped his fingers and the sand exploded in front of him. A massive wild boar crawled out and pawed the sand. This thing was glaring at me with beady eyes as it lowered its razor-sharp tusks and waited for the command to kill.

I moved away from Grover and Annabeth and the boar's gaze followed me and on instinct I stepped back into the surf. "What? Can't fight me yourself?" I mocked, hoping that no one could see my nervousness.

Ares let out a laugh at my attempt at mocking but there was a tone of unease to it. "Please, all you are is a bunch of cheap tricks and gimmicks. You stabbed Medusa in the back and used some necklace to beat the chimera. You never actually beat them yourself. You just don't have what it takes."

"You scared?"

"In your dreams punk." Ares said but I could see his sunglasses start to melt. "No direct involvement. Face it kid, you're not on my level."

"Percy, run!" Annabeth shouted.

The massive boar charged, and I took out Riptide. As the boar was about to gore me, I quickly sidestepped and swung upwards. The boar squealed as its right tusk fell to the sand, at my feet. In its pained panic the boar kept charging until it ran straight into the sea.

I raised my hand towards the water and felt a pull in my gut. A wave surged from the water and engulfed the boar. It let out squeals of terror as it was dragged out to sea by the water until it disappeared beneath the water.

I turned back to Ares, my confidence was a bit higher. "You going to fight me now?" I asked. "Or are you going to hide behind another pet?"

Ares face turned purple with rage. "Watch it, kid. I could turn you into—"

"A cockroach," I interrupted. "Or a rat, or a worm. Yeah, I'm sure. That'd save you from getting your godly but whooped, wouldn't it?" If Adamos said that I couldn't escape from him than the only possible action left would be to beat him… somehow.

Flames burst from behind the sunglasses. "Oh, man, you are really asking for a beating, aren't you punk?"

"Are you sure you're prepared for this?" Adamos asked. His voice didn't show his concern for the most part but there were still some traces of it. Overall it was more like a coach asking if their player was prepared to go onto the field.

"Not really, but this was going to happen, well either this or we all get turned into mice." I responded.

Internally I felt Adamos nod in confirmation. "This is your fight Percy. I can't do it for you, or Ares might notice somethings amiss. Hard to explain how a twelve-year-old novice swordsman out skilled a god of war." Adamos chuckled. "Other than advice and some strengthening you're on your own."

"Alright." I reluctantly acknowledge. "Anything else that I need to know to win?"

"Hmm. Ares is a god of war." Adamos explains. "But he represents destructive war. He is skilled but he relies on brute force rather than actual tactics. Also, even though you're challenging him he has to limit what he can do due to ancient laws. In other words, try not to take a direct hit or block. Focus on evasion and you should survive."

"Dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge. Got it."

I focus on Ares once more. "If I lose you can turn me into anything you want. But if I win, I get the helm and the bolt, and you have to leave." I challenged.

Ares's face turned into a sneer. He swung the baseball bat that he had on his shoulder. "How you wanna die: Classic or Modern?"

I just twirled Riptide in my hand.

"Classic it is then." He said, and then the baseball bat began to morph. It changed until it turned into a two-handed sword. The hilt was a large silver skull with a ruby in its mouth. His weapon was easily larger than Riptide was by a good foot.

"Percy." Annabeth pleaded. "Don't do this. He's a god."

"I don't have a choice." I told her.

She swallowed. Wear this, at least for luck." She took off her beaded necklace with the ring on it and tied it around my neck.

My face felt a bit warm at how close she was when she tied it around my neck, but I smiled at her once she was finished. "Thanks."

"And take this." Grover said. He handed me a flattened tin can that he'd probably been carrying for who knows how long. "The satyrs stand behind you."

"Grover… I don't know what to say." I said, because I really didn't know what to say. I mean, the sentiment was there but it was just a tin can. I was kinda hoping that it wouldn't stab me through my pockets as I slid it into my back one. I felt Adamos scoff at Grover's gift.

"You all done saying goodbye?" Ares said as he walked over, his sword glinting menacingly, and the ruby seemed to glow like fire in the sunlight. "I've been fighting for eternity kid. My strength is unlimited, and I can't die. What have you got?"

"A kick ass god that's been fighting since before you've been born." Adamos directed at Ares, but since he was in my head only, I could hear him.

I however said nothing as I stayed in the surf, the water was at my ankles. I grabbed the backpack that I had always been wearing and threw it onto the beach. It would only weigh me down in the fight.

"QUEN." I muttered, feeling a slight pull and the flare of the protection spell cover me. Ares just smirked at the spell, as if it didn't bother him at all.

Ares got close enough and swung downwards with his sword.

I felt Adamos flood me with power and combined with the water I felt much more powerful. I watched as Ares's attack came down and the water seemed to help move me along as I side stepped and launched a counter slash at him. But Ares was a lot faster than I had thought he would be and brought his sword up with one hand and deflected the attack. The force was enough to make me take a few steps back.

"Not bad, not bad." He said with a grin on his face. He gave a one-handed slash and I raised my sword to block it, but an image of my bones breaking in the attempt filled my mind. So I gave up on that idea and ducked out of the way of the slash. Nut in the process I had jumped out of the water and felt my strength start to fade.

I tried to sidestep and make my way back to the ocean but with each attempt Ares got in my way and I was forced to back further into dry land.

Ares then began to press this advantage and was swiping his sword at me. I was barely hanging on; my concentration was fully on avoiding Ares's sword, so I didn't have a moment to spare to plan with Adamos. Then I felt the same sensations as when I was sparing with Luke and I knew that Adamos was using his war domains to lessen the skill gap at least a bit.

Then Ares thrust his sword and using Riptide I redirected the blade and got closer to him. I remembered being told by Luke and Adamos that when using a smaller weapon that you needed to get closer to your opponents. But as I got closer, I saw Ares smirk as I got ready to attack.

It was then that I realized that it was actually a feint. I was already in the motion of a slash with Riptide, but Ares let go of his sword with one of his hands and used it to grab me by the shirt. He violently tugged me forward. The next thing I knew was a sound like crashing glass and the feel of his massive boot on my chest.

I was immediately airborne, flying who knows how many feet before landing in a sand dune. Adamos's earth blessing made the impact much softer. I managed to cling onto Riptide during the entire time.

I heard Annabeth yelling something, but I couldn't hear her over the blood pounding in my ears. I focused on Ares as he casually walked over.

I struggled to get to my feet, my chest was burning life fire from that kick, as it seemed to go straight through the spell shield. I didn't want to imagine what would have been like if I took it head on. Then the pain began to soothe away as warmth filled the injured areas, meaning that Adamos was working on healing me.

The pounding in my ears was now fading away and my senses were working overtime. Out of the corner of my eyes I could see Annabeth and Grover. I could see Ares taking his time as he menacingly walked to me with a murderous grin. I could hear the sound of sirens in the distance and then someone shouting over a speaker.

"—the guns. Put them on the ground. Now!"

Wait guns?

I quickly looked over to see what it was when I saw Ares look to the city. There were a half a dozen police cars lined up at the edge of the beach. A line of officers were behind their cars, weapons trained on us.

Ares let out a growl. "This is a private matter! Begone!" Then with a sweep of his hand a wall of flames rolled across the patrol cars, causing them to explode, and the officers to scatter away screaming.

While all of this was happening, I finally had a moment to talk with Adamos. "Do you have any ideas? Cause I don't know how much longer I can keep this up." I said mentally as I heard my labored breath in my ears.

"An out right fight will get you know where. You need something to even the odds."

Even the odds, he said. I can't beat Ares with my skills alone even with Adamos's blessings. I'm to far away from the water for it to work. I can try to use the earth, but this is sand, any solid ground is to far below for me to use. So, that leaves…That's it! Out of the corner of my eye I see exactly what I need that I could help. I run the plan by Adamos to see if that could work, and if he was out here the grin, he had on would only be described as devilish as he modifies the plan for a better chance at success.

I fully stand up and grip my sword using it as a crutch. I shield myself once again and feel a slight bit of exhaustion from the casting.

"All right punk." Ares said. "Let's see if we can add you to the barbecue."

"How about no." I said and then I flicked the tip of Riptide up, spraying sand in Ares's face.

"Grah!" Ares shouted as the sand got into his eyes. He used one of his hands to try to rub it out. I took this opportunity to run past him as fast as I could. I felt an alarm go of in my head and I dive forward into a roll before breaking off into a sprint. A split second earlier and my head would be rolling on the sand as Ares swung his sword where I once was.

"You little bastard!" Ares roared. "I'll kill you slowly, you corpse breath worm!" Maybe the insults are genetic.

I sprinted as fast as I can, using powers over the earth to help move me forward, the pull in my gut increasing. I could feel the ground rumbling beneath me and through it I felt what must have been Ares steadily gaining on me. He was faster as I felt him gain on me. Twenty meters. Fifteen. Ten.

As he got closer, I dug deeper and the pull on my gut worsened, almost enough to make me stumble. The ground beneath us began to rumble violently before it erupts. The sand bursts upwards in a massive explosion, catching Ares in the center of the explosion.

I dove forward and tackled my back pack into a roll and came to a stop with it cradled to my chest. I looked back and saw that the sand was in Ares eyes, mouth, and probably many other uncomfortable places as he tried to remove the uncomfortable grains.

Using the few seconds I had I dug around in the backpack desperately trying to find what I was looking for. I then extended my reach and felt the earth beneath me shifting. It took everything that I had to hold it down, but I felt the tension build up.

"Stop running and fight me you co—" Was all that Ares roared before I let the earth erupt in full force. This one being larger than the others almost like a volcano exploding with sand instead of lava.

My vision was starting to get a little fuzzy and I knew that that was the last time I would be able to do that. With the back pack in hand I ran forward as the sand still floated in the air like a smoke screen. I could sense Ares in the center but I highly doubted that he was hurt, but rather a bit disoriented.

I ran straight into the sand smoke screen straight towards Ares and swung Riptide. Although despite his lack of sight and disorientation he still managed to block my attack and give his own, albeit a bit clumsily, counter attack. The force from the blow being so strong that it only launched up more sand.

"Where are you!" Ares yelled as he tried to wipe the sand out of his eyes. I tried another attack at his backside, only to meet the same result as last time.

I side stepped to avoid the wild swing and barely manage to get out of the way as the tip of his sword grazes my arm. This makes me step back as I try to keep moving to throw of where I was, but the sand begins to fall, and my window was closing.

Without hesitation I reach into the backpack and throw something directly at Ares. His anger and blindness cause him to lash out as soon as he senses something coming closer to him. With a powerful slash he cleaves what I threw in half.

"Finally decided to man up did you." Ares rubbed the sand out of his eyes as the sand settles. "But too bad you never—" Ares said before he finally wiped the sand from his eyes. His sentence stopped short however once he finally got a good look at what it was that he sliced apart. Strewn around him were sand covered Oreos, shredded clothes and the remains of a backpack. More specifically the back pack that he handed to us at the dinner.

"You know," I say as I poke Ares in the back, the air begins to hum. "This is usually the time when I'm supposed to say a one liner. But I think that this speaks for itself." I say with a smirk as I felt indescribable amounts of power in my grasp.

Ares slowly turns and his eyes widen in fear and recognition, but its to late as he realizes what's in my hand.

BOOOM!

Ares takes the full blast in the chest, being too late to block the attack and is rocketed forward, digging a massive trench along the beach. The Masterbolt sparks with power in my hand as I hold Riptide in my other hand. Electricity arcs off the divine weapon, turning bits of sand around me to molten slag.

My hand trembles as I hold the bolt, sharp spikes of pain jolt up my arm, like bits of skin being peeled from the tips of my fingers. I grimace at the pain, but I don't take my eyes off of Ares as he groans in the trench that his body carved. I half walk, half trudge over to where he was lying in the sand. His shirt was mostly burned off leaving his chest bare to see, except for the massive burn mark in the middle of his chest. Ichor oozed from his sternum and different parts of his body, staining parts of his clothes. His body twitches and his breathing's ragged and uneven as I hear him muttering curses in ancient Greek.

"Y-you worthl-less p-punk." He growls out as his body convulses. He struggles to raise his hand towards me. I switch the Masterbolt to my other hand as I didn't know if my arm could take a second use. I aim it right at Ares.

Then something sent a chill up my spine, but I wasn't the only one as Ares also stopped in his tracks. Everything seemed to fade from the world, all sound and color. A cold weight seemed to press down on the beach. Time seemed to slow down, and the temperature dropped. I began to feel worthless, like fighting was pointless. Internally I felt Adamos freeze and anxiety pour from his being.

Then as soon as it arrived the darkness lifted.

"Wha—what the hell was that!?" I frantically look around. Ares looked stunned in front of me.

"His influence is stronger than I thought." Adamos said through grit teeth.

"Who?"

"The Crooked one."

The rustling in the sand in front of me brought my attention back to the injured war god lting in the beach in front of me.

Blood flowed from Ares's mouth as he spoke. "I'll kill you, you worthless godling." He growled. "Every time you raise your blade in battle, you—" Ares spoke but I felt Adamos shove me out of the control seat.

A low amount of electricity surrounded Ares as he was shocked. He let out a grunt of pain before fully collapsing onto the sand.

"If you think I'm just gonna let you curse me…you've got another thing coming." Adamos said with a challenging glare, the Masterbolt began to glow in front of Ares face. "Swear on the River Styx that you won't seek some form of revenge for this defeat."

Ares just glared back, his eyes burned like an inferno. Adamos just gave a cold glare that looked like it could freeze hell over.

"I swear on the Styx," Ares said with barely contained anger. "That I won't seek retribution on you."

"Good. Now get out of here." Adamos said lowering the Masterbolt.

Ares body then began to glow.

"Percy!" Annabeth shouted. "Don't look!"

Adamos turned away with closed eyes, I instinctively felt like if he had looked directly at Ares than I would have died.

Soon the light died away and Adamos looked back. Ares was gone and in his place was a celestial bronze war helmet. I felt Adamos give up control.

"Sorry, but us gods can be a bit petty if we lose. Had to stop him before he did something bad."

"Its fine. It doesn't seem like it'll bite us in the ass." I mentally said as I walked over and picked up the Helm of Darkness. The helmet felt cold in my hands and seemed to emit an aura that made me feel a bit weak. It was the complete opposite of the Masterbolt, which heat and power.

As I was about to head over to my friends I heard the sound of leathery wings beating and looked up. Up above was Mrs. Dodds and the other furies. A sudden nervousness went through my body. Despite Hades being my ally now, it still unsettled me seeing the Furies.

The three demon hags drifted down and landed in front of me.

"We witnessed the entire thing." The middle fury said as she stepped forward, I could only assume that it was Mrs. Dodds.

"Give this back to Lord Hades." I said and I tossed them the helm.

She only nodded before the three of them dissolved into shadows and disappeared.

Annabeth and Grover jogged over to me after the Furies disappeared. Their faces showed a mixture of disbelief and amazement.

"Percy…" Grover said. "That was so incredibly…"

"Terrifying," said Annabeth.

"Cool!" Grover corrected. "When you made the ground explode, and, and, when you used the Masterbolt on him." Grover exclaimed while doing combat motions.

I chuckled at his antics, but my chest was still a bit sore, even with Adamos healing me. I didn't feel as terrified as Annabeth was, maybe a little cool, but what I did feel was tired and sore all over.

I turned to my friends in all seriousness. "Did you guys feel that pressure."

They both nodded uneasily.

"It must have been the Furies." Grover supplied, but I knew even he didn't believe himself.

This feeling was one I only felt in my dreams. When the voice tried to coerce me into the pit. I looked at Annabeth and she uneasily nodded, a silent message that what happened wasn't because of the Furies.

I walked over to where I dropped my backpack and slid the Masterbolt inside. As soon as it left my hand, the air no longer felt electrified with power. The pain slight pain in my arm finally began to subside. That much power was enough for me to take down Ares, no wonder Zeus went crazy once this thing was missing. And yet it felt like it wasn't even using its full power.

"We need to get to New York." I said. "As soon as possible."

"But how?" Annabeth said. "The only way to get back in time would be to…"

"Fly," I finished her sentence for her.

She stared at me. "Fly, like in an airplane, which you were warned to never do or else Zeus would strike you out of the sky, and carrying a weapon that has more power than a nuclear bomb?"

I thought about it and I didn't want to go back down to the Underworld to ask Hades for a lift, I doubted he would oblige even if we were allies now. A train would take to long, much less a car. That just left flying and I had to hope that Zeus treasured his Masterbolt enough not to blast me out of the sky if I had it with me.

I let out a shaky sigh. "Yeah but its not like we got much choice. Come on."

A/N: Ahoy all you sexy beasts. This is Momentei. Damn I've been going over this in my head for a while on how the fight should go and I think I'm satisfied with the result. Any way I want to give a thanks to Frostboi88 for helping me and PM'ing me with ideas on the story. Anyways have a happy holidays every one.

Momentei, over and out.