Disclaimer- Refer to Chapter 1

Here's the 4th chapter of my story, describing the events at the café in Denver and the meeting with Ares and the events at the water park. I have added some twists. I hope you like it. Review your feedbacks. And I sincerely apologize for the long delay in posting this chapter.

Chapter 4

The demigods boarded the train just as it was leaving the station, and went to their compartment, laughing all the while. They collapsed on their seats, and Percy said, "We were lucky that we caught the train before it left, otherwise we would have already lost our luggage. Now we have to sit in the boring train till tomorrow, and then we are in Denver. I believe that we should take a bus to Los Angeles after that. I can't survive another train ride. Really." Then Percy and Thalia, tired from their adventure, fell asleep, leaving an awake Luke thinking how he almost lost both his best friends today. He was also asleep before long, the excitement notwithstanding.

Percy did not have a pleasant dream at all. He dreamed that he was back in the edge of the pit, in the malevolent presence. He heard a harsh whisper which was saying, "Very good young hero. Bring the bolt, trident and helm to me. Help me rise from here hero, help me rise from here."Percy felt frozen in the presence of the entity. He managed to grind out, "I will return the weapons to their respective owners. I will not help you." He then concentrated completely on waking up, and woke up sweating for the second night in a row. He saw that it was about an hour before dawn, and decided that he would not be able to sleep, hence he went out and freshened himself before having an impromptu breakfast on some packaged food he had in his bag. He then sat down reading a book that Apollo had packed for him on the underworld.

After about 3 hours, Luke and Thalia woke up. When they saw the book in Percy's hands, Thalia commented, "You know Perce, had I not known you are a son of Poseidon, I would have pegged you as a son of Athena." Percy gave her a scowl, and said, "The insult hurt, Thalia, really hurt me." Thalia made a face, and said, "Does baby Pewcy feel bad that Thals compared him to a child of Athena?" Percy also adopted a mock-innocent look, saying, "Yes, it really hurt." Thalia replied, "Does baby Pewcy want me to kiss the hurt away?" "I believe Thalia that would be extremely welcome to both of us boys. Don't you agree Luke?" Thalia blushed completely red, before zapping Percy. Percy massaged his numb hand, saying, "Ow, I believe that's the price I pay for saying the truth, is it?" Thalia zapped him again, and Percy intelligently shut up, as he already was looking like a chicken, what with his hair standing up.

They reached Denver a couple of hours before noon, and Percy immediately booked rooms in a hotel for the three of them. They first of all had a good shower, washing off the dirt and grime from their journey properly, before they crashed in the beds for a couple of hours to release the tiredness from a long journey. Around one in the afternoon, they went down to a nearby restaurant to have some lunch. Percy ordered a meal for himself, where as Luke and Thalia ordered a large burger and deluxe pizza for themselves respectively. Just as they were, getting ready to eat, a roar came from the road, and soon, a motorcycle the size of a baby elephant stopped near the curb.

Percy saw that the man sitting on it looked like a pro-wrestler, with handsome but wicked face, scarred from many fights. As he walked in, a hot dry wind blew in and the people rose as if hypnotized. Percy recognized the man from seeing his statues and his children at camp. It was Ares, the god of war. He saw that Ares was coming towards them and got up to greet the God when he saw Thalia and Luke looking at Ares with resentment in their faces. He immediately understood that the aura of Ares was affecting them. He himself managed to clamp down on his negative feelings that came up when he saw Ares with difficulty, and knew that Ares was knowingly flaunting his aura.

As the god came up to them Percy immediately bowed to him, causing his friends to be surprised. But he found that he was having difficulty talking, and immediately knew that Ares was going to play with his friends. He was worried, and immediately started fighting against the spell. He knew that the power in spell was too great for him, but still he tried. On other hand, Ares was trying to rile up his friends, who were unable to recognize him, and knew that Ares' aura would be already making them confrontational. Ares spoke up, talking to Thalia, "So you are Thalia, the new kid?" Thalia nodded her head as she was yet unable to recognize the god. Ares chuckled and said, "So you are also on the quest. Beware of Hades; he will definitely try to keep you in the underworld permanently." Thalia growled, "I am not going to give him a chance to capture me. Let him try." "Oh, you have got courage. I like it. Now I did not come here to chit chat with punks. I need you to do a quest for me, and in return I will give you the exact address of the Underworld." Thalia said, "We know the address of Underworld. We have no use for your help. I don't think we are going to do just anyone's chores."

Suddenly, the air felt hotter to the demigods as a fire seemed to have been lit under the shades Ares used. Percy found that he was again able to talk and immediately went on damage control. He spoke up, "Of course Lord Ares, we will be honoured to do your quest." Thalia and Luke's eyes widened, and recognization flickered in their eyes as they looked at the God. Ares continued, "There is a disused water park where I had a date with my girlfriend. We had to leave because of an emergency. My shield was left behind. I want you to retrieve it." Luke said, "Why don't you go back and get it yourself?" Ares growled out, "Why don't I change you into a squirrel and run over you with my bike? I don't feel like it. Luke Castellan, a god is giving you a chance to prove yourself. Are you going to prove yourself a coward?"

At that moment, Thalia said, "What scared you enough to leave your date in the middle? Also, we already have a quest; we wouldn't have enough time to complete your quest." Ares turned towards her and said "Please, as if you would succeed. When the weapons got missing, Zeus sent his best trackers, Artemis, Athena, Hermes and me. If we could not detect a weapon that powerful, you don't have any chance either. Now I have given my quest. You have to complete it." He stood up and walked out, leaving one slightly apprehensive and two angry demigods.

Thalia immediately turned on Percy and said, "Percy, I did not expect you to be such a coward. Why did you accept Ares' quest?" Percy sighed and said, "I was not afraid of him Thalia. But he does not need to fight us to punish us. He can easily disintegrate us, or even better, turn us into animals. Hence we have to complete the quest." Thalia and Luke nodded reluctantly, before they paid for their meal and left for the water park. They remembered that Ares had told them to look for the Thrill Ride of Love at the Water Park. When they reached the park, and saw that it was dysfunctional. They climbed over the gate, with Luke flying over it. Once they entered it, they started searching for the 'Thrill Ride of Love'. Luke found it first, and called his friends. It started with a pool, which was dry, and a tunnel, which led out from the pool, sailing down through the gates into a larger pool. But now, the gates were closed and the pools were dry. As Percy was looking around, he saw the sign of 'Eta' on one of the cupid statues which outlined the pool. He cursed and pointed it out to his friends, before saying, "It is the sign of Hephaestus. He must have put a trap here to catch Aphrodite cheating on him, but they escaped before it was activated. I must warn you to keep quiet and be careful. Now, since Luke can fly using the enchanted shoes, he should remain outside so that he can act as rescue crew; while Thalia and I go down to get the shield."

He was distracted by a squeak coming from Thalia, and turned to see a red faced Thalia. When he raised an enquiring eyebrow towards her, she squeaked out, "Me, go with you, for the 'Thrill Ride of Love'?" Now Percy felt his own face grow hot, but he managed to say in normal voice, "Well f you want, Luke and I could go inside and you will help us as support crew, but you're flying abilities are not as well developed, and I am afraid of showing off in a quest so closely watched by the Olympians. Now if you have any other solution, feel free to tell me." Thalia nodded after a moment of thought and soon after Luke gave a tight nod. Percy led Thalia into the pool; where on a boat was the shield as well as a scarf. Percy recognized it as Aphrodite's scarf, and immediately pocketed it, before looking around to see why the war god and the love goddess would come for a date to such a rundown place. As he looked around, he saw the mirrored panels all around, and realized that when Ares and Aphrodite smooched here, they were able to see their favourite person, themselves all around.

As he was checking for any traps, he saw that Thalia was bending over to pick up the shield. Percy shouted "Thalia No- ", but she had already picked up the shield, and the sound of a trip wire snapping reverberated in the pool. Percy immediately ran up to Thalia, and said, "Thalia, lift us from here, immediately. This is a trap by Hephaestus, which is why Ares sent us here instead of coming himself. Now act fast before we are trapped." But it was futile, because at that moment, the statues of Cupid came to life, and started firing arrows at each other trailed by fine threads, which themselves came to life and started to weave a net above Percy and Thalia. Thalia tried to burn them using Lightning, but it was for naught, as they absorbed the electricity, and even the blasts of fire that Percy fired at them. Percy shouted for Luke to slash the wires, but the wires trapped Luke's sword as soon as he touched it to them. He was forced to pull it free and retreat, as he was unable to do anything at all to cut them.

He shouted to his friends, "Percy, Thalia, the webbing captures anything that touches it. I am not able to cut it without getting captured myself." Just as Percy was about to take out his own sword, he and Thalia heard the sound of panels opening, and looked around in time to see hidden panels opening along the walls and hundreds of tiny mechanical spiders pouring out of them. Thalia gave a loud terrified shriek before she calmed down and started firing bolts of lightning at them to destroy them. Percy soon joined her and fried them by firing fire balls where as Luke was still trying to remove the webbing on top of the pool.

But within a few moments, the spiders reached the boat and the two half-bloods had to defend themselves from the spiders in close quarters. Percy used Ares' shield to bash away as many spiders he could, but they were small as well as agile. During this time, numerous cameras had also come out of the Cupid statues and had started recording their soldiers. Nearly overrun by the spiders with no visible means of escape, Percy had a sudden brainwave. While whacking at the approaching spiders, Percy shouted at Luke to try and turn on the water supply to the Luke. Luke hurried to the control station and soon, the rumbling of water pipes opening filled the small pool. Percy concentrated on his powers as the son of Poseidon and pulled the water from the pipes with great force. Suddenly, water rushed in to the pool and short-circuited the mechanical spiders. But a new problem emerged as the boat started moving violently towards the tunnel through which the ride originally sailed down through the 'Golden Gates of Love' into another pool.

But the problem was that the gates were closed, and at the speed the boat was moving, they would most probably be flattened against the boat. Percy looked around for a moment before he exerted control over the water and lifted the boat above the water level till it was level with the top of the gate as the boat approached the gate. As they neared the gate, he told Thalia, "Okay Thals, we would need to jump just as the boat approaches the gate. I have raised the boat so that there would not be any problems with jumping. We would jump at the count of three. 1…2…and 3"

With the shout Percy and Thalia jumped out of the boat just as it turned into scrap wood due to being smashed against the gate. He held tightly on to the Shield as he jumped and immediately called upon the water in the pool below them to cushion them as they fell downwards after the jump. The water roe and covered them and lowered the two demigods gently into the pool. They rose from the pool to see Luke rushing towards them with worry clearly seen on his face. It cleared as soon as he saw the two demigods alight as he helped the get out of the pool. When Percy noticed that Thalia was shivering, he immediately used his powers to dry himself and Thalia and produced a fistful of flames. Thalia thanked him, all the while shivering due to recent experience.

The Cupid-Cameras had swiveled from their original position to follow them. An irritated Percy forced his two friends to bow as he said, "Thank You, Lords and Ladies, and that's all for today's show." Immediately afterwards, the net was retracted as the cameras were again hidden inside the statues and the statues swiveled into their original position. Luke looked at them for a moment, before asking, "Now what are we going to do?" Percy had a decidedly unholy glint in his eyes as he said, "Now we are going to get some answers from a certain God of War."

Sorry, Sorry, Sorry guys for abandoning this story for such a long time. But I had been busy with writing the Journey of The Champion and then with my exams. My exams ended on 25th September and afterwards I had gone on a vacation. Know I had left all of you high and dry for a long time, which is why again, I am very, very sorry.

I will also try to post the Journey of the Champion soon, but I am having a writer's block now and I am unable to think of what I am going to write in the fic, so it may take some more time. But I will try my best to publish another chapter of both the fanfics before the month is out.

The Myth Writer signing off.