So there I was, I had jumped out of the Gateway Arch and was falling toward the ground. Was it stupid? Probably. But I had a feeling that I could get to the ground safely without taking the elevator. I've only done this once before and wouldn't really do it again unless it absolutely called for it because it takes a lot out of me. But I felt so much more powerful, I felt like I could do it. That's why I did it.

I shut my eyes. And I tried to calm myself. Focus…focus. Focus….

When I opened my eyes, I was doing it, I wasn't falling anymore, I was floating in the air.

Good. Now I just needed to keep noticing. I began to float safely toward the ground, as I got closer I saw Percy, Annabeth, and Grover and moved myself toward them more as I got closer.

I'm not technically flying. I'm controlling the air around me to create a safety net below me that I can move around with. But the thing about it, I can only go downward. It's used so that I can safely get to the ground, like I said, safety net.

I have to constantly concentrate to the point where I can barely think of anything else while I'm doing it because if I lose concentration even for a second I'm plummeting down to the ground and since I already used a lot of power and concentration before, it's going to be a lot harder to do it again back to back.

I landed on my two feet in front of them.

"You can fly?" Percy asked, he looked fine for someone who got poisoned .

"Not exactly," I said. "I'll explain it later. Are you okay?"

"As a whole that's to be decided but for the most part, yeah," He responded.

"Are you okay?" Annabeth asked. "We saw what happened up there? That was a lot of lightning."

I was on my knees, now that I'm back on the ground I'm starting to feel the repercussions of using that much power. "I'll be fine. Just need some rest for a while."

"Gangway!" A cop shouted. The crowd separated and out came paramedics rolling a stretcher with somebody on it.

"Alaster, that's the woman that was on the arch with us," Percy said

I got a better look, he was right. She still ended up getting hurt, even though I killed both Echidna and the Chimera.

"And then this huge dog, this huge fire-breathing Chihuahua-"

"Okay, ma'am," the paramedic said. "Just calm down. Your family is fine. The medication is starting to kick in."

"I'm not crazy! There were two boys. One jumped out of the hole and the other killed the monster, he made lightning shoot out of the top!" Then she looked our way. "There they are! Those are the boys!"

The four of us rushed away and disappeared into the crowd.

"What's going on?" Annabeth demanded. "Was she talking about the Chihuahua on the elevator?"

Percy and I told them the whole story of the Chimera and the Echidna, how Percy dived off the Arch and how I killed them both. Percy even told us how he met an underwater woman.

"Whoa," Grover said. "We've got to get you to Santa Monica! You can't ignore a summon from your dad."

Before anybody else could say anything, we passed a reporter who was doing a new report. "Percy Jackson. That's right, Dan. Channel Twelve has learned that the boy who may have caused part of this explosion fits the description of a young man wanted by arthritis for a serious New Jersey bus accident three days ago. And the boy is believed to be traveling west. For our viewers at home, here is a photo of Percy Jackson. Not only that but it seems that he has also got an accomplice, another young boy who had done even more damage to the top of the arch itself. We do not have any current images of this boy but authorities will be on the lookout."

We ducked around the news van and slipped into an alley.

"First things first," Percy said. "We've gotta get out of town!"

We managed to get back to the Amtrak station without getting spotted. We got on board the train just before it pulled out for Denver. The train trundled west as darkness fell, police lights still pulsing against the St. Louis skyline behind us. While on the train I told them all about what happened on the arch when I fought the Chimera and Echidna.

Next afternoon it was June 14, we had seven days before the summer solstice. Our train rolled into Denver. We hadn't eaten since the night before in the dining car, somewhere in Kansas. We hadn't taken a shower since Half-Blood Hill.

"Let's try to contact Chiron," Annabeth said. "I want to talk to him about your talk with the river spirit."

"We can't use phones, right?" Percy asked.

"She's not talking about phones, Percy," I said. We wandered through downtown for about half an hour. We had to keep our eyes out for patrol cars.

"What exactly are we doing?" He asked.

Grover took out a spray gun. "It's seventy-five cents. I've only got two quarters left. Annabeth?"

"Don't look at me," She said. "The dining car wiped me out. Alaster?"

"Nope," I said. We were searching for drachmas to use so we can contact camp. Using water and drachma we could use Iris-Messaging in order to contact camp. "I only have cash. Everything else was on the bus. Percy?"

Percy dug into his pocket and fished out some change. One of which was a golden drachma!

"Excellent," Grover said. "We could do it with a spray bottle, of course, but the scone room isn't as good, and my arm gets tired of pumping."

"What are you talking about?" Percy asked.

"We're talking about I-M'ing," I said.

"Instant Messaging?"

"Iris-messaging," Annabeth said. "The rainbow goddess Iris carries messages for the gods. If you know how to ask, and she's not too busy, she'll do the same for half-bloods."

"You summon the goddess with a spray gun?" Percy asked.

Grover pointed the nozzle in the air and water hissed out in a thick white mist. "Unless you know a better way to make a rainbow."

Late afternoon light filtered through the vapor and broke into colors.

Annabeth held her palm out to Percy. "Drachma, please."

Percy handed it over and Annabeth tossed it into the rainbow and it disappeared in a hold shimmer.

"Half-Blood Hill," Annabeth requested.

"For a brief moment nothing happened but the next second we were looking through the mist at strawberry fields, and the Long Island Sound in the distance. It looked like we were on the porch of the Big House. Standing back-first to us was Luke, he was staring intently down the meadow.

"Luke!" Percy called.

He turned and his eyes widened. "Percy? Is that Annabeth and Alaster too? Thank the gods! Are you guys okay?"

"We're…uh…fine," Annabeth stammered. She was straightening out her dirty T-shirt and trying to comb the loose hair out of her face. "We though-Chiron-I mean-"

"He's down at the cabins," Luke's smile fades. "We're having some issues with the campers. Listen, is everything cool with you? Is Grover all right?"

"I'm right here," Grover called. He held the nozzle out to one side and stepped into Luke's line of vision. "What kind of issues?"

Then a big Lincoln Continental pulled into the car wash in its stereo turned to maximum hip-hop. As the car slid into the next stall, the bass from the subwoofers vibrated so much, it shook the pavement.

"Chiron had to-what's that noise?" Luke asked.

"I'll take care of it!" Annabeth yelled, looking very relieved. "Grover, come on!"

"What? But-"

"Give Alaster the nozzle and come on!" She ordered.

"Girls are harder to understand than the Oracle of Delphi," Grover whispered to me and handed me the spray gun and followed Annabeth.

I readjusted the hose.

"Chiron had to break up a fight," Luke shouted over the music. "Things are pretty tense here, guys. Word leaked out about the Zeus and Poseidon stuff. We're not sure how-probably the same scumbag who summoned the hellhound. Now the campers are starting to take sides. It's shaping up like the Trojan War all over again. Aphrodite, Ares, and Apollo are backing Poseidon and Hephaestus, Dionysus, Demeter, and Athena are backing Zeus."

Wow. Clarisse's cabin supporting Percy's dad? Didn't see that coming. In the next stall I could hear Annabeth and the guy arguing with each other. Afterward the music was lowered to the point where you could hear little to none of it.

"So what's your status?" Luke asked. "Chiron will be sorry he missed you."

Percy told Luke about his dreams. Throughout the conversation I was catching Luke's eyes looking at me every now and then. Like he knew something.

"I wish I could be there," Luke told us. "We can't help much from here, I'm afraid, but listen…it had to be Hades who took the master bolt. He was there at Olympus at the winter solstice. I was chaperoning a field trip and we saw him."

"The gods can't take each other's symbols of power directly, Luke," I said.

"That's true," Luke said, looking troubled. "Still…Hades has the helm of darkness. How could anybody else sneak into the throne room and steal the master bolt? You'd have to be invisible."

If he's saying-

"I didn't mean Annabeth," Luke said. "She and I have known each other forever. She would never…I mean, she's like a little sister to me."

In the stall next to us the music stopped completely.

"You'd better go see what that was," Luke said. "Listen, have you been using the flying shoes? I'll feel better if I know they've done you some good."

Sure they've done some good…not.

"Oh…uh, yeah!" Percy said. "Yeah they've come in handy."

"Really? They fit and everything?"

The water shut off. The mist started to evaporate.

"Take care of yourselves out there in Denver," Luke said, his voice getting fainter. "And tell Grover it'll be better this time! Nobody will get turned into a pine tree if he just-"

Then Luke was gone. Annabeth and Grover came around the corner laughing but stopped, their smiles quickly fading. "What happened, Percy? What did Luke say?"

"Not much," Percy lied. "Come on, let's find some dinner."

We ended up finding a diner to eat at. We sat down at the booth, Percy next to Grover and me next to Annabeth. The diner looks almost entirely chrome.

After a little while of waiting a waitress came over and raised an eyebrow at us. "Well?"

"We, um, want to order dinner." Percy said

"You kids have money to pay for it?"

"Actually yes-"

I was saying but I was cut off. There was a rumble that shook the entire diner. A large motorcycle that was the size of a baby elephant had just pulled up. The diner fell silent. The guy that was on the motorcycle walked in. He was tall and big. He wore a red muscle shirt and black jeans and a black leather duster, with a hunting knife strapped to his thigh. He wore red wraparound shades, and he had a tough face, handsome-but brutal. He had a black crew cut and scarred cheeks.

This guy feels very familiar. I think I might just have a feeling of who he is…

All the people rose from their seats as he came in. He waved his hand dismissively and they sat back down and went back to eating. The waitress blinked, as if she didn't know what to say next. But she asked us again. "You kids have money to pay for it?"

"It's on me," The biker said. He slid into our booth, pushing Annabeth and I against the window. He looked up at the waitress. "Are you still here?"

The waitress stiffened. She turned and marched back toward the kitchen.

The biker exchanged looks with Percy and I. I was beginning to feel very violent…yeah, I know who this is.

"It's you," I said. "Just what are you doing here?"

"Shut it, Golden Boy," Ares said, looking straight at Percy while holding up his pointer finger toward me. "So you're old Seaweed's kid, huh?"

"What's it to you?" Percy said.

Oh he's crazy. I know Ares' aura of violence is tough to throw off but Percy should know better than to talk to a god like this. Especially this god.

"Percy this is-" Annabeth tried to speak, but Ares silenced her.

"S'okay," Ares said. "I don't mind a little attitude. As long as you remember who's the boss. You know who I am, little cousin?"

It took a few seconds but Percy figured it out. "You're Clarisse's dad. Ares, god of war."

Ares grinned and took off his shades. There were flames in his eyes where his actual eyes should've been. "That's right, punk. I heard you broke Clarisse's spear."

"She was asking for it," Percy responded.

I mentally face-palmed.

"Probably. That's cool. I don't fight my kids' fights, you know? What I'm here for-I heard you were in town. I got a little proposition for you."

The waitress came back with trays of food: Cheeseburgers, fries, pepperoni pizza, onion rings, and chocolate shakes.

Ares handed her some golden drachmas.

"But these aren't…" The waitress said nervously.

Ares took out his hunter's knife and started cleaning his fingernails with it. "Problem sweetheart?"

The waitress gulped and left with the drachmas.

"You can't do that," Percy told him. "You can't just threaten people with a knife."

Ares laughed. "Are you kidding? I love this country. Best place since Sparta. Don't you carry a weapon, punk? You should. Dangerous world out there. Which brings me to my proposition. I need you and Golden Boy here to do me a favor."

My eyebrow raised. "You want us to do you a favor?"

"What favor could we do for a god?" Percy asked

"Something a god doesn't have time to do himself. It's nothing much. I left my shield at an abandoned water park here in town. I was going on a little…date with my girlfriend. We were interrupted. I left my shield behind. I want you to fetch it for me."

"Ares," I said, trying to talk to him reasonably. "You know that we have a quest to do. A quest that's supposed to decide the fate of the world in seven days. We don't have time to waste on a side quest just because you forgot your shield. Why don't you just go and get it yourself?"

His flaming eyes turned toward me, I felt heat on my body like I could melt at any moment. "Why don't I turn you into a prairie dog and run you over with my Harley? Because I don't feel like it. A god is giving you punks an opportunity to prove yourselves. Will you do it? Or are you a coward?"

Blue sparks of electricity came off of my hands.

"Do you two only like to fight when there's a river to dive into? Or when you're in the air? So that you can rely on the powers you got from your daddies to protect you?"

"We're not interested," Percy said. "We've already got a quest."

"When that item was first stolen, Zeus sent his best out looking for it: Apollo, Athena, Artemis, and me, naturally. If I couldn't sniff out a weapon that powerful…" He licked his lips. "Well…if I couldn't find it, you have no hope. Nevertheless, I'm trying to give you the benefit of the doubt. Your dad and I go way back, Jackson. After all, I'm the one who told him about old Corpse Breath."

"You told him Hades stole the bolt?" Percy asked.

"Sure. Framing somebody to start a war. Oldest trick in the book. I recognized it immediately. In a way, you got me to thank for your little quest."

"Thanks," Percy grumbled.

"Hey, I'm a generous guy. Just do my little job, and I'll help you on your way. I'll arrange a ride west for you all," Ares said.

"We're doing fine on our own," Percy said

"Yeah, right. Limited money. No wheels. No clue what you're up against. Help me out, and maybe I'll tell you something you need to know. Something about your mom."

"My Mom?"

Ares grinned. "That got your attention. The water park is a mile west on Delaney. You can't miss it. Look for the Tunnel of Love ride."

"What interrupted your date?" Percy asked. "Something scare you off?"

Ares bared his teeth. "You're lucky you met me, punk, and not one of the other Olympians. They're not as forgiving of rudeness as I am. I'll meet you back here when you're done. Don't disappoint me."

And just like that, Ares was gone. Annabeth, Grover, and I looked at Percy like he was a madman.

"Not good," Grover said. "Ares sought you out, Percy. This is not good."

Percy stared out the window. Ares' motorcycle had disappeared.

"It's probably just some kind of trick," Percy said. "Forget Ares. Let's just go."

"We can't," Annabeth said. "Look, I hate Ares as much as anybody, but you don't ignore the gods unless you want serious bad fortune. He wasn't kidding about turning Alaster into a rodent."

"I'm not a fan of Ares either, believe me," I said. "But it's not wise to ignore a god."

Percy looked down at his cheeseburger. "Why does he need us?"

"Maybe it's a problem that requires brains," Annabeth said. "Ares has strength. That's all he has. Even strength has to bow to wisdom sometimes."

"But this water park…he acted almost scared. What would make a war god run away like that?" Percy asked.

Annabeth, Grover, and I glanced nervously at each other. I think it's pretty obvious…

"I'm afraid we'll have to find out," Annabeth said.

By the time we found the water park the sun was already beginning to set behind us. The sign had some of its letters smashed out so it read: WAT R A D.

The main gate was padlocked and topped with barbed wire. Inside, huge dry water slides and tubes and pipes curled everywhere that led to empty pools. Old tickets and advertisements fluttered in asphalt. With night coming on, the place looked very creepy.

"If Ares brought his girlfriend here for a date," Percy said. "I'd hate to see what she looks like."

"Percy," Annabeth warned. "Be more respectful."

"Why? I thought you hated Ares?"

"He's still a god. And his girlfriend is very temperamental."

"You don't want to insult her looks," Grover added.

"Never do that," I added as well.

"Who is she? Echidna?"

"No, Aphrodite," Grover said in a dreamy voice. "Goddess of love."

"I thought she was married to somebody," Percy said. "Hephaestus."

"Your point being?" I said.

"Oh," He responded. "So how do we get in?"

"Maia!" Grover's shoes sprouted wings. He flew over the fence and did a somersault in midair and then stumbled to land. He dusted off his jeans and put on a smile as if that was his intention from the start. "You guys coming?"

Annabeth, Percy, and I climbed the fence. We each held the barbed wire down for each other as we crawled to the top. The shadows grew long as we walked through the park, checking out the different attractions. No monsters came to attack us, which was good. I was still a bit tired from the fight.

Then we found a souvenir shop that had been left open, Merchandise lined the shelves: Snow Gloves, Pencils, Postcards, all kinds of stuff, even racks of-

"Clothes," Annabeth said. "Fresh clothes."

"I wouldn't really call them fresh," I said. "They've been on that rack for who knows how long."

"Yeah," Percy said. "And you can't just-"

"Watch me."

Annabeth snatched an entire row of stuff off the racks and disappeared into the changing room. A few minutes later she came out in Waterland flower-print shorts, a big red Waterland T-shirt, and commemorative Waterland surf shoes. A Waterland backpack ws slung over her shoulder, obviously stuffed with more goodies.

"What the heck," Grover said and he and Percy took stuff off the racks as well.

I only bothered getting a waterland backpack, pencils, notebooks, and a canteen. I put those three in the backpack along with my money.

We continued searching for the Tunnel of Love.

Percy spoke up. "So Ares and Aphrodite, they have a thing going?"

"That's old gossip, Percy," Annabeth said. "Three thousand year old gossip."

"What about Aphrodite's husband?" Percy asked.

"Aphrodite's husband, Hephaestus, was crippled when he was a baby," I said. "He was thrown off Mount Olympus by Hera. He's not exactly the most good looking god because of that. Clever with his hands."

"But Aphrodite's not exactly into brains and talent, you know?" Annabeth added.

"She likes bikers," Percy said.

"Whatever."

"Hephaestus knows?"

"Yup," I said. "He caught them together once, literally, in a golden net. He invited all the gods to come and laugh at them. Hephaestus is always trying to embarrass them. That's why they went out of their way to meet in a place like this."

"And like that," Annabeth said. She was looking at an empty pool that was shaped like a bowl. There were dozens of bronze cupid statues around the rim with bows ready to fire with wings on their backs. On the opposite side of us, a tunnel opened up, most likely where the water flowed if the pool was full.

"So I'm guessing this is the Tunnel of Love," I said.

"Guys, look," Grover crept toward the edge. 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' shield. It's a polished circle of bronze.

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

Annabeth ran her fingers along the base of the nearest Cupid statue. "There's a Greek letter carved here. Eta. I wonder…"

"Grover," I said. "Do you smell any monsters?"

He sniffed the wind. "Nothing."

"Nothing-like, in-the-Arch-and-you-didn't-smell-Echidna nothing, or really nothing?" Percy asked.

"I told you, that was underground," Grover said, sounding hurt.

"Okay, I'm sorry," Percy took a breath. "I'm going down there."

"I'll go with you," Grover didn't sound that confident.

"No," Percy told him. "I want you to stay up top with the flying shoes. I'll be counting on you for backup, in case something goes wrong."

"I'll be down here," I said. "In case Grover can't get you guys I'll do my best to use my powers to help you guys land safely."

"Nice," Percy said. "Annabeth, come with me-"

"Are you kidding?" Annabeth's cheeks turned bright red. "Me, go with you to the…the 'Thrill Ride of Love'? How embarrassing is that? What if somebody saw me?"

"Who's going to see you?" Percy told her, his cheeks just as red as hers.

Grover and I exchanged looks.

"Fine," Percy said. "I'll do it myself."

Annabeth followed him anyway.

Grover and I waited together until we noticed something…the Cupid statues began to move…they were about to start shooting arrows!

"Guys!" Grover shouted. But then the Cupid statues started firing, but not at Percy and Annabeth, they were firing at each other and making silky cables that arched over the pool. Grover held open a section of a net, but when he touched it, golden threads started to wrap around his hands.

Video cameras popped out of the Cupid's heads and spotlights rose up all around the pool. "Live to Olympus in one minute…fifty-nine seconds, fifty-eight…"

Oh now I get it. Hephaestus made this trap to catch Ares and Aphrodite together.

Time kept going down. Grover tried to pull the net loose, but it wouldn't do anything.

"Alaster! Grover! Get into that booth! Find the 'on' switch!" Percy yells as he fights off mechanical spiders.

Grover and I were in the controller's booth as much as he could. We slammed away at random buttons, the countdown went off in the background.

"Five, four-"

We looked at Percy as soon as we finished pressing every button.

"Two, one, zero!"

Water exploded out of the pipes and roared into the pool, sweeping away the spiders. Only a few moments went by before I saw Annabeth and Percy unfasten their seatbelts.

When they jumped Grover grabbed Percy by the back of his shirt and grabbed Annabeth by the arm, but they all started spiraling toward the ground. I used my wind powers to make the fall slow down. They still hit the ground, but it wasn't as bad as it would've been. I ran over to them.

Percy, Annabeth, and I worked together to get Grover's head out of the photo-board. The Cupids were still pointed at us, filming.

"Show over!" Percy yelled. "Thank you! Good night!"

The Cupids turned back to their original positions and the lights shut off and the park went quiet again.

Percy hefted the shield on his arm and turned to us. "We need to have a little talk with Ares."