Sorry for the late update! I started setting deadlines a few days ago, and missed them... twice. Hehe. Expect another update tomorrow :)
It was a small diner, the kind with polished tables and and uncomfortable booths. Old-sounding music played from the jukebox in the corner, the smell of grease from the kitchen wafting through the cool air.
The three sat at one of the tables on the far side, facing the door but well away from the dwindling company. Percy was across from the other two, a single empty plate between them. Only crumbs lingered on the fragile platter, stray sesame seeds and ketchup stains making up the small meal enjoyed merely minutes ago.
The waitress came over to take the pitiful amount of money they had mustered up for the shared meal, blonde hair knotted up into a messy bun. She fixed them with an unimpressed look, a single delicate eyebrow raised.
"You big spenders ready for your check?" The waitress questioned. The door chose that moment to open, letting a refreshing breeze into the restaurant.
Percy's eyes fixed on the man as he strolled in, slow and easy. He was tall, incredibly tall, ripped body outlined in a leather jacket and eyes hidden between large red-tinted sunglasses. His head was shaved into a buzz cut, short and prickly like the aura he gave off.
Everyone seemed to turn to look at him, Grover's eyes bulging out of their sockets. The stranger made his way to their booth, giving a white-toothed smile to the now cowering server.
"Set 'em up again, doll?" He asked, but it came off as more of an order than anything. "My treat."
She gulped, stuttering a reply before speeding away. His grin expanded against bold features, squeezing into the space next to Percy.
The man's arm lazily dropped over the back of the chair, eyes that he couldn't see staring Percy down. "So, you're the newest godling, huh?" He asked. "Heard you busted Clarisse's spear."
Grover shrunk into his seat, as if trying to hide under his cap. Through the sudden wave of anger, Percy saw Luke's indifferent expression, but couldn't concentrate enough to focus on it.
"So what?" He nearly shouted, and several spectators looked their way. He didn't care, though; this guy, whoever he was, reminded Percy of every bully he'd ever faced. That casual sneer, that easy-going attitude. "You come here looking to get something of yours busted?"
"Uh, Percy," Grover squeaked out, Luke looking impressed. "Be careful. His aura provokes aggression into anyone near him." Something at that seemed to click in his mind, ring a few distant bells in the back of his head.
"It's cool," the man grunted out, smirking like he knew that Percy had caught on. "I don't sweat a little 'tude, long as everybody knows who the boss is." He let that sink in. "You do know who I am, don't you, punk?"
"You're Ares, Clarisse's dad," he spat out, almost as if it was a curse. "My condolences. Who'd you get to mate with you, a crocodile?"
The wargod merely snickered, brandishing a sharpened knife. He fiddled with the hilt absently. "A real chip off the old block, ain't you?" Ares leaned forward, the scent of smoke and blood coming off his skin. "Me and your old man go way back, you know. That's why I'm here; heard you were in town, and I knew you'd need an assist."
Percy broke away from his anger at those words, confusion settling over his features. A spark of desperation flickered in his gut, an almost need to know who his father was. He had been sitting on the idea for a while, the missing information like a piece of the puzzle that made up his being, absent and breaking the image along with it.
"We're doing fine on our own," Grover assured. Ares chuckled.
"Yeah, sure," he muttered. "No money plus no wheels plus no clue equals no chance- but yeah, you're fine." Percy huffed angrily, and Ares fixed his gaze on him. "You ain't the first to go hunting for Zeus' toy. When it first got snatched, he sent the best to track it down. Apollo, Artemis, and me, of course."
Luke stifled a laugh behind his palm, eyes sparkling with mirth, as if finding the idea funny. The wargod paid him no mind, but Percy imagined him glaring under those shades.
He finally stood, the table quivering on its hinges as his muscled body squeezed through. The three watched him leave before standing, Luke lagging behind as Percy chased after the god.
Ares had just perched on his motorcycle when the group made it, turning back to look at them. "Reveille, troopers," he called out. "Times a-wastin', and there's a long road ahead." He tossed them the pack hanging on the handles of his bike, Percy just catching it in time. "Here's some cash and supplies. As for a ride west-" he pointed to the truck parked near the back of the diner. "You'll have to settle for stowaway service."
He glanced behind, looking at the large vehicle. Ares had already started his motorcycle by the time he looked back. "Better duck inside before the driver finishes his lunch," he advised.
"Why all the help?" Percy questioned.
"Like I said, me and your old man go back. I'm the one who told him about Hades stealing the bolt," he said, and Percy's head swarmed at the chip of information. "Framing somebody to start a war; oldest trick in the book. In a way, you've got me to thank for your little quest."
Sea-green irises made to check on the other two, hands fiddling with his pockets. Grover was as anxious as ever to escape the conversation, Luke looking almost zoned out. Bright blue shined behind locks of golden hair, and he blinked suddenly, forcing himself to look away.
Ares was already propped up on the vehicle. "That reminds me," he spoke. "What a soldier needs more than anything to complete his mission is motivation. So when you think about quitting, remember this- your mom ain't dead. She's being held hostage. Taking somebody to control somebody else, well, that's another old one."
He almost tripped on thin air, balancing himself out just in time. Percy's heart rose in his chest, beating faster than it should, bubbles of nervous adrenaline popping in his stomach.
And when Ares did finally take off, he barely heard the sound over the buzzing in his ears.
Vegas was beautiful in ways other big cities weren't, was glamorous in ways that small towns tucked into the corner of vast countryside could never be.
Neon signs assaulted their vision from every tall, unyielding building, skyscrapers truly reaching for the heavens and fancy cars at every fresh-paved street. Palm trees dotted the sidewalks, strings of lights wrapped around the strong wood, leaves blowing in the soft but warm desert air. His eyes caught on the flashing lights of the obsidian pyramid and the stratosphere tower in the horizon, stars driven away from all the commotion on ground.
They strode through the large but luckily not overwhelming crowds on the Strip, just as worthy of the praise it receives. Splashes of color, bleak and bright, blended in with one another at every glance, pinches of a million different types of music coming into his range of hearing all at once. They dived into the first casino they could get to, large and just as eye-shocking as all the rest, displaying the pictures of lotus petals bathed in brilliant lights.
It seemed even bigger on the inside, thousands of stories ranging above their heads, the sounds of lotteries being won and jackpots being received all around. Women in skimpy dresses trailed the casino, holding large trays of flower-shaped cookies and worming their way through every crack between buzzing machines and drunk guests. He took a moment to register it all, still dizzy from the action outside the doors.
Grover gaped at the scenery around them, eyes wide. Luke, to his credit, seemed unimpressed, their shoulders bumping as other people came through the entrance and past them. He finally took the son of Hermes by the arm, Grover following, trying to guide them through the maze.
They came to an abrupt stop as a man appeared in front of them, standing proud in a clean-cut suit. Percy's grasp faltered, weakening on Luke's elbow, jumping up in surprise. The man simply smiled at then sweetly, nothing false about the gesture but everything fake in his eyes.
"Ah, welcome to the Lotus resort and casino," he greeted, as if they were rich guests decked out in the finest attire and not mud-freckled teens that had spent the night in a truck. "We're so glad you've booked your stay with us."
"What?" Percy replied, confused. His hand tightened on Luke's arm subconsciously but the older didn't react, watching the man curiously. It had been, after all, the eldest's idea to enter here, claiming that they should find a place to regroup, but he didn't know why the structure stood out more than the others. "I think you've made a mistake."
"Indeed we have," he agreed, expression apologetic, and Percy briefly wondered if they were on the same page. "Your room isn't quite ready, I'm afraid," were the next words out of his mouth, and the precious concern was verified. "Please accepts these Lotus cards, on the house. You can redeem them anywhere in the building. Good as cash."
He handed them each a platinum rectangle, thin and cold to the touch. Luke shoved his in his back pocket as if dismissing the idea altogether, something almost devious in his expression.
"But-" Grover started to protest, only to be interrupted.
"You remember the travel agent telling us about the Lotus cards, don't you?" Luke asked, smirking. "We can use them to buy food and clothes..." He trailed off, but Grover was already nodding in agreement, and Percy couldn't find it within himself to call out the lie at the thought of some proper rest.
"You'll find us when the room is ready?" He said instead, because hey, if they mistook the three for a horrendously rich family, it wasn't his fault.
"It is my top priority," he promised, heading off with a bow. Percy was about to head to the snack bar when Luke reciprocated the earlier gesture, instead reaching for the younger's hand. He gripped it tight, both watching as Grover wandered off behind the man.
"So," Luke suggested, voice sounding inviting. "How about we have some fun in the arcades and such here before rushing off to save the world?" And under that kind tone and flushing lights, Percy doesn't think he would be able to refuse if he wanted to.