Answers to reviews:
SpeedMaster642: ;)
Guest02957: Thanks.
AlexBeowolf2: You'll have to see how the fight goes.
BIRD0FHERMES: And what do you think I'm planning?
Longinus888: You'll have to wait and see.
chungorion15: I hope I made it an epic fight.
superpierce: Might not be a big change to canon, but it was still a change from what actually happened.
Disclaimer: I do not own God of War or Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I only own the OC Jakob Thorsson.
A Coast Guard boat picked the group up, but they were too busy to keep them for long, or to wonder how four kids in street clothes had gotten to the middle of the bay. Probably had other things to worry about than four kids.
They dropped the questers off at the Santa Monica pier with towels around their shoulders and water bottles that said: I'M A JUNIOR COAST GUARD!
They then sped off to do their job.
Their clothes were sopping wet, even Andromeda's.
Andromeda was also barefoot, because she had given her shoes to Grover. Better the Coast Guard wonder why one of them was barefoot than wonder why one of them had hooves... or why one of them was carrying a head on his hip, but Jakob would've just used the 'early Halloween decoration' excuse.
After reaching dry land, they stumbled down the beach. Andromeda adjusted the backpack, feeling the weight from Zeus' Master Bolt inside.
"I don't believe it," Annabeth said. "We went all this way -"
"It was a trick." Andromeda said. "A strategy worthy of Athena."
"Hey." The Daughter of Athena warned.
"She didn't mean it that way." Jakob said with a shake of his head. His eyes narrowed as he looked down towards the beach. "And there's the bastard behind all of this."
Ares was already waiting for them, in his black leather duster and his sunglasses, an aluminum baseball bat propped on his shoulder. His motorcycle rumbled beside him, its headlights turning the sand red.
"Hey, kids," Ares said, looking genuinely pleased to see them. "You were supposed to die."
A small beam of lightning struck one of his motorcycle's headlights, shattering it to pieces.
Ares' eye twitched and he shot a furious glare at Jakob who smirked at him before the Son of Thor got serious. "You framed us."
"Well, Poseidon's brat was meant to be the one blamed, but with you around... Zeus naturally believed you had something to do with the theft as well, given the hostilities behind our two kinds." Ares said with a casual shrug. "Besides, I didn't actually grab and take the Helm or the Master Bolt. Gods taking each others symbol of power - that's a big no-no. But you're not the only heroes in the world who can run errands."
"Who did you use? Clarisse? She was there at the winter solstice," Andromeda said to the God of War.
"No to sneak around the Olympian throne room and steal the Master Bolt and the Helm of Darkness... one would have to be invisible." Mimir mused, causing Annabeth's eyes to widen in shock. "Or be a really great thief."
"So one of Hermes' kids, perhaps." Jakob grunted, his mind turning to the one Hermes kid that made him tense as if expecting an attack at times. He didn't have proof it was him so he didn't say so.
The idea seemed to amuse Ares.
"Doesn't matter. The point is, kiddies, you're impeding on the war effort. See, original plan was for Poseidon's brat to go and die in the Underworld, then Old Seaweed will be mad at Hades for killing her. Corpse Breath will have Zeus's master bolt, so Zeus'll get even angrier with him. But now, I was thinking Poseidon's brat still dies, and the Son of Thor is made out to be in league with Hades, which will direct Poseidon's anger, and Zeus' naturally for having his Master Bolt. And Hades is still looking for this…"
From his pocket he took out a ski cap - the kind bank robbers wear - and placed it between the handlebars of his bike. Immediately, the cap transformed into an elaborate bronze war helmet.
"The Helm of Darkness," Grover gasped.
"Exactly," Ares said. "Now where was I? Oh yeah, Hades will be mad at both Zeus and Poseidon, because he doesn't know who took this. Pretty soon, we got a nice little three-way slugfest going."
"Well, that's not going to happen, Ares." Jakob said as he stepped forward.
"Why do this?! They're your family!" Annabeth protested.
Ares shrugged. "Best kind of war. Always the bloodiest. Nothing like watching your relatives fight, I always say."
"You're as bloodthirsty and a piece of shit as Thor and Heimdall...respectively." Mimir spat with disgust.
Ares frowned. "You best shut that head of yours up, Aesir. Or I'll ensure it stays dead."
"What, can't handle the truth?" Jakob asked tauntingly, getting a growl from the God of War.
"You're really starting to piss me off, brat. You should be lucky I don't strike you down where you stand." Ares warned.
"What, afraid of challenging a twelve-year-old kid? That's so sad. God of War my ass." Jakob smirked.
Ares growled, a hazy blood-red aura dancing around his figure. The fire in his eyes was intense. "Big talk from a pathetic little mortal running from his family."
"Big words for a guy with little to no wit at all," Jakob fired back, not fazed at Ares' remark.
"You gave me the backpack in Denver," Andromeda said, taking over the conversation. "The master bolt was in there the whole time."
"Yes and no," Ares said, who was still glaring at Jakob. Jakob just glared back. "It's probably too complicated for your little mortal brain to follow, but the backpack is the master bolt's sheath, just morphed a bit. The bolt is connected to it, sort of like that sword you got, kid. It always returns to your pocket, right?"
Andromeda wasn't sure how he knew that, but since she's seen Riptide in action, it was safe to say Ares probably knew anything about a weapon due to being the war god.
"Anyway," Ares continued, "I tinkered with the magic a bit, so the bolt would only return to the sheath once you reached the Underworld. You get close to Hades… Bingo, you got mail. If you died along the way - no loss. I still had the weapon."
"But why not just keep the master bolt for yourself?" Andromeda asked questioningly. "Why send it to Hades?"
Ares got a twitch in his jaw. For a moment, it was almost as if he were listening to another voice, deep inside his head. "Why didn't I… yeah… with that kind of firepower…"
He held the trance for one second… two seconds…
Andromeda and Jakob exchanged a look, the Son of Thor frowning as he watched Ares. Something was going on.
Ares's face cleared. "I didn't want the trouble. Better to have you caught red-handed, holding the thing."
"You're lying," Andromeda argued, a smirk coming to her face. "Sending the bolt to the Underworld wasn't your idea, was it?"
"Of course it was!" Smoke drifted up from Ares' sunglasses, as if they were about to catch fire.
"You didn't order the theft," Andromeda guessed. "Someone else sent a hero to steal the two items. Then, when Zeus sent you to hunt him down, you caught the thief. But you didn't turn him him. Something convinced you to let him go. You kept the items until another hero could come along and complete the delivery. That thing in the pit is ordering you around."
"I am the God of War! I take orders from no one! I don't have dreams!"
Andromeda's eyes widened while Jakob's narrowed, having a suspicion as to who convinced Ares to let the real thief go. "Nobody said anything about dreams." The Son of Thor remarked.
Ares looked agitated, but he tried to cover it with a smirk.
"Let's get back to the problem at hand, kids. You're alive. I can't have you taking that bolt to Olympus. Either of you just might get those hardheaded idiots to listen. So I've got to kill you. Nothing personal."
He snapped his fingers. The sand exploded at his feet and out charged a wild boar, even larger and uglier than the one whose head hung above the door of cabin five at Camp Half-Blood. The beast pawed the sand, glaring at them with beady eyes as it lowered its razor-sharp tusks and waited for the command to kill.
Andromeda stepped onto the surf. "Fight me yourself, Ares."
"Oh hell no." Jakob took the Leviathan Axe off his back, then took his jacket off and handed it to Annabeth, then tossed Mimir's head to Grover who shuddered as he righted the head so he wasn't looking at where he was decapitated. "I got a score to settle with this bastard for setting me up. If there's one thing I can't stand... it's being someone's tool."
Ares laughed, but you could hear a little edge to his laughter... an uneasiness. "You've only got one talent, kid, getting your bodyguard there to do everything. Face it, he's the muscle, you're the damsel in distress, simple as that. But even with him, you don't have what it takes to fight me."
"Scared?" Andromeda taunted.
"Oh, he knows he's scared," Jakob scoffed. "All that talk about the war effort and manipulating us, whereas, in the end, he's a pawn himself. Guess he's really all talk."
"In your adolescent dreams." But his sunglasses were starting to melt from the heat of his eyes. "No direct involvement. Sorry, kids. You're not at my level."
"And here I thought you'd thrive for the chance to fight an Aesir, especially a Son of Thor. "Jakob said mockingly. "After all, my father could kick your ass... actually, he could beat Hercules with his hands tied behind his back. How many times did you get your ass kicked by your half-brother again?"
Ares growled and sent the boar at them.
"Guys run" Annabeth shouted, clutching Jakob's jacket.
As the boar rushed him, Andromeda uncapped her pen and sidestepped. Riptide appeared and she slashed upward. The boar's severed right tusk fell at her feet, while the disoriented animal charged into the sea.
Andromeda shouted with authority, "Wave!"
Immediately, a wave surged up from nowhere and engulfed the boar, wrapping around it like a blanket. The beast squealed once in terror. Then it was gone, swallowed by the sea.
"So Ares, what was your brilliant plan just there? Because it looks to me like it just got washed away." Jakob said with a smirk.
Ares's face was purple with rage. "Watch it, kid. I could turn you into -"
"A cockroach," The boy said in a bored tone. "Or a tapeworm. Yeah, I'm sure. That'd save you from getting your godly hide whipped, wouldn't it?"
Flames danced along the top of his glasses. "Oh, man, you are really asking to be smashed into a grease spot."
"If we lose, turn us into anything you want. Take the bolt. If we win, the helm and the bolt are ours and you have to go away." Andromeda said, giving the terms of the fight.
"Interesting terms," Jakob said, grinning. "I'm looking forward to kicking his ass."
"Same." Andromeda nodded in agreement.
Ares swung the baseball bat off his shoulder. "How would you like to get smashed: classic or modern?"
Andromeda showed her sword as Jakob twirled the Leviathan Axe around.
"That's cool, you little brats," Ares said. "Classic it is." The baseball bat changed into a huge, two-handed sword. The hilt was a large silver skull with a ruby in its mouth.
"Well, someone's compensating," Jakob remarked.
"...I'm going to enjoy shutting you up, brat."
"Guys," Annabeth said in clear worry. "Don't do this. He's a god."
"He's a coward," Andromeda told her sternly, placing the backpack down at Grover's feet
"And he's going down," Jakob added tersely.
The blonde swallowed. "Wear this, at least. For luck."
She took off her necklace, with her five years' worth of camp beads and the ring from her father, and tied it around Andromeda's neck.
"Reconciliation," she said. "Athena and Poseidon together."
Andromeda smiled. "Thanks."
"What, nothing for me? I feel the love, wise girl." Jakob muttered sarcastically, making Annabeth flush in embarrassment.
"Oh, shut up," she retorted. Then she smiled, giving him a small hug. "Good luck."
Jakob returned it slightly, before she retracted it and backed away.
"And take this," Grover said. He handed Jakob a flattened tin can that he'd probably been saving in his pocket for a thousand miles. He gave Andromeda his reed pipes. "The satyrs stand behind you."
Both demigods smiled. "Thanks, Grover," Jakob replied. Andromeda nodded in thanks also.
"You all done saying good-bye?" Ares came towards the two demigods, his black leather duster trailing behind him, his sword glinting in the sunrise.
"I've been fighting for eternity, kids. My strength is unlimited and I cannot die. What have you got?"
"Better hygiene." Jakob nodded wittedly.
"Smaller ego." Andromeda added helpfully.
She kept her feet in the surf, backing into the water up to her ankles. Jakob slowly moved away from her, staying on the sand, giving the God of War two separate targets. The daughter of the sea thought back to what Annabeth had said at the Denver diner, so long ago: Ares has strength. That's all he has. Even strength has to bow to wisdom sometimes.
As if an imaginary bell was rung, the fight started. Ares dashed at Andromeda first but Jakob sent several lightning bolts at Ares from his hand. They zoomed pass him as he moved quickly, cleaving down at Andromeda to cut him in half.
Andromeda moved out of the way as the water catapulted her over the Olympian. She then made a stab on her way down, but the God of War twisted his sword and blocked with the hilt for the attack meant for his spine.
He grinned as Andromeda landed on the ground. "Not bad, not bad."
Jakob came charging and threw the Axe, causing Ares to quickly hit it aside but it gave Jakob the chance to leap and deliver a punch to Ares' face, recall the leviathan Axe and iced up the blade before firing a beam of pure ice at the God of War, who grunted as he was struck in the side by the beam, backing away, giving Andromeda the chance to land a couple of slices into Ares' body before she jumped back to avoid getting her head taken off by the Olympian.
Jakob stopped his attack and regrouped with Andromeda, the two demigods sharing a nod as they charged at Ares on both sides and attacked, fighting in tandem with each other.
Jakob ducked a swung of Ares' sword and got a hit into Ares' left knee before punching the War God in the stomach and backing off to avoid Ares' second sword that he had summoned.
Jakob fired another ice beam from the Axe at the God of War, who disarmed Andromeda and knocked her away, sending her flying about thirty feet into the air and right into a sand dune. Focusing on the ice beam coming at him, the god waved his hand in the air, firing a large fireball of deep red towards the wave.
The two elemental attacks collided, cancelling each other out. Steam produced from the contact, obscuring the fighters' vision. Jakob was already moving, knowing that the lack of vision wouldn't affect the God of War. Ares came charging through the steam, and the two roared as they slammed their weapons against each other. Jakob cocked a fist back powered it up with lightning and drive it into Ares' face, giving him a lightning-powered punch.
Ares grunted, backing off. Above, thunder rumbled in the sky as dark clouds rolled in on Jakob's command, lightning sparking off his arms at random times. Jakob slammed the Axe into the sand and ran at Ares, leaping onto him and punched him repeatedly in the face until Ares grabbed him and threw him off, changing his second sword into a war axe of his own.
Jakob recalled the Leviathan Axe to him, reared back as Ares did the same, and the two yelled as they threw their respective axes at each other, their weapons colliding in the air in a test of strength.
Ares laughed as they started to circle each other. "You're good, kid! But still not as good as me!"
"We'll see about that." Jakob said, recalling the Axe as Ares called back his own, and they slammed their weapons into each other once again, but Jakob had iced up the Axe's blade and in doing so had caused Ares' axe to forst up as a result, shattering to pieces arterwards.
Ares' eyes widened briefly before Jakob elbowed the God of War in the face, then punched him in the stomach and went for an uppercut only for Ares to grab his fist. Jakob dropped the Axe and grappled with Ares, the two grunting as they tried to overpower each other.
Ares yelled out in pain when Andromeda sliced the back of his leg with Riptide, then stabbed him through the leg with it.
Jakob drove his forehead into Ares' face, breaking his sunglasses, then blasted the God of War with two powerful beams of lightning that sent him off his feet and rolling across the sand.
Recalling the Leviathan Axe to him, Jakob blitzed towards Ares with static coming off him, swung the Axe but Ares ducked it in time. Jakob turned, only to be grabbed by the throat, lifted off his feet and slammed into the sand. Ares picked him up again and started to apply pressure to the Son of Thor's throat.
Jakob growled and let out a shockwave of lightning, forcing Ares to let him go and back off. Leaping through the air, Jakob starred punching and kicking Ares with lightning-powered attacks, channelling the lightning into his feet and fists when they struck the God of War. Jakob then slammed into the ground, burying his fist into it and unleashed a shockwave of lightning again at the God of War while lightning rained down around them, some of it striking Ares.
"Guys!" Annabeth yelled. "Cops!"
As Jakob and Andromeda regrouped in the shore, they saw red lights flashing on the shoreline boulevard. Car doors were slamming.
"There, officer!" somebody yelled. "See?"
A gruff cop voice: "Looks like those kids on TV... what the heck..."
"That guy's armed," another cop said. "Call for backup."
A second cop car pulling up, siren wailing. Spectators, people who had been wandering the streets because of the earthquake, were starting to gather. Among the crowd, seemed to be disguised satyrs, others shimmering spirits, as if the dead rose to see the battle. There was flapping of leathery wings circling above.
Seconds later, more sirens.
A police voice on a megaphone said, "Drop the guns. Set them on the ground. Now!"
Guns?
Andromeda and Jakob looked at Ares's weapon, and it seemed to be flickering; sometimes it looked like a shotgun, sometimes a two-handed sword. Who knew what the mortals were seeing.
Ares turned to glare at their spectators, which gave the kids a moment to breathe. There were five police cars now, and a line of officers crouching behind them, pistols trained on them.
"This is a private matter!" Ares bellowed. "Be gone."
He swept his hand, and a wall of red flame rolled across the patrol cars. It collided with the cars, blowing them up as the officers jumped out of the way. The crowd behind them scattered, screaming.
The god turned back to the demigods, both of whom still exhausted. "Now, little demigods. Let's add you to the barbecue."
Jakob reared his hands back as Ares charged at them, and then roared as he slammed his hands together in a Hulk-style Thunderclap, channelling the thunder into the attack and blowing Ares back off his feet, while also hurting his ears due to the intensity of the thunder rumbling.
"Gah! My fucking ears!" The God of War cursed.
"Andie, I've got an idea that should take him down for good." Jakob said.
"I'm all ears." Andromeda said, the two keeping their eyes on the God of War.
"If we combine an attack into one. Merge our elemental powers. The power of lightning and thunder merging with the power of the sea..." Jakob trailed off, letting Andromeda get the idea.
"How do we do it?" Andromeda asked seriously, thought with a bit of nervousness since she wasn't sure if she was strong enough for that.
"Just concentrate... and have faith in yourself." Jakob said, seeing her nervousness and trying to ease her. Andromeda nodded. "Take my hand."
Although she was blushing, Andromeda gripped his hand tightly and the two began to concentrate.
The sky blackened to the deepest of voids as it rumbled.
The sea roared and smashed into the shore as it churned.
The winds hissed and spat as the salt from the sea hung in the air in sprays of mist.
The gawking crowd around Santa Monica beach were in a panic at the sudden and rapid weather change as tornadoes suddenly came into being from out of nowhere.
Ares finally got his hearing back and looked up, "…Ah shit." He cursed as a tornado formed around him, kicking up sand and blowing away cars and people from how big it was.
Tendrils of water shot from the sea, mixing into the tornado, turning it into a gigantic waterspout.
Both children lifted their joined hands to the sky.
They swung them down with a war cry as the sky roared, bringing down a lightning bolt that exploded the waterspout from within.
Everyone in the area was blown back by the blast.
Jakob sat up with a puff of air, spitting some sand out of his mouth. "Now I see why Anakin Skywalker hates sand." He grumbled to himself. Next to him, Andromeda sans Riptide was spitting out sand from her mouth as she too stood, hands on her knees, looking spent.
"Did we do it?" She asked Jakob.
"if it didn't knock him out, I'm going to bash his face in until he shuts up and is knocked out." Jakob growled.
They turned to eye the impact zone, but the sand cloud was still all over the place.
Jakob pushed his hand forward, blowing the cloud away.
The Son of Thor cursed soon afterwards.
There in the center of a crater of glass created by the intense heat of the explosion was Ares, standing.
Though, he wasn't looking so hot right now.
The two demigods couldn't see his face, as he had his shield covering as much of his body as possible with his sword stuck between some glass a few feet away, like he dropped it in favor of defense.
What they could see of his body wasn't pretty though, most of his clothes had burned away except for his pants, which had been so badly damaged that they now looked more like shorts. But that wasn't all, the god was wounded, heavily. Cuts and burns littered the muscular body of the God of War.
Ichor, the golden blood of the gods, bled from his many wounds in small drips and slid down the heavily breathing body of their opponent.
Crack!
The shield split right down the middle, Celestial bronze falling to the either side of Ares. The children could see his face now. It hadn't fared any better than the rest of his body, it was badly burned and a fresh new cut that would possibly leave a scar ran across his nose to the bottom of his left eye, his ichor dripping down his visage, now even more scarred than ever.
"Round two, I guess." Jakob said, recalling the Leviathan Axe to him and readying himself.
Ares hobbled toward the demigods, muttering ancient Greek curses.
Something stopped him.
It was as if a cloud covered the sun, but worse. Light faded. Sound and colour drained away. A cold, heavy presence passed over the beach, slowing time, dropping the temperature to freezing, and making Jakob and Andromeda feel like life was hopeless, fighting was useless... which was something Jakob never felt, but he knew it wasn't by his own admission.
The darkness lifted.
Ares looked stunned.
Police cars were burning behind them. The crowd of spectators had fled. Annabeth and Grover stood on the beach, in shock, watching the water flood back around Ares' feet, his glowing golden ichor dripping and dissipating in the tide.
Ares lowered his sword.
"You have made an enemy, godlings." He told Jakob and Andromeda. "You have sealed your fate. Every time you raise your blades in battle, every time you hope for success, you will feel my curse. Beware, Andromeda Jackson, Jakob Thorsson. Beware."
His body began to glow.
"Guys!" Annabeth shouted. "Don't watch!"
They turned away as Ares revealed his true immortal form. Jakob knew that if either had looked, they'd disintegrate into ashes.
The light died.
Looking back, Ares was gone. The tide rolled out to reveal Hades's bronze helm of darkness. Jakob picked it up as their friends came running to them.
But before they could, they all heard the flapping of leathery wings. Three evil-looking grandmothers with lace hats and fiery whips drifted down from the sky and landed in front of the two combatants.
The middle Fury, the one who had been Mrs. Dodds, stepped forward. Her fangs were bared, but for once she didn't look threatening.
"The Helm of Darkness." Jakob said, handing it to her. "As promised."
"Lord Hades will be pleased." Mrs. Dodds said, though she looked a little disappointed as she narrowed her eyes at Andromeda, most likely hoping to have the demigoddess for supper if they had been behind it. "And as promised, Lord Hades will return the mortal woman to her home. He expects you to be ready to answer his favour when he calls."
"I will." Jakob nodded.
"Live well, Andie Jackson, Jakob Thorsson. Become true heroes. Because if you do not, if you ever come into my clutches again..."
She cackled, as if the idea appealed to her. Then she, along with the other Furies, flew upwards, disappearing from view.
The both of them joined Grover and Annabeth, who were staring at them in amazement.
"Andie… Jakob..." Grover said. "That was so incredibly ..."
"Terrifying," said Annabeth.
"Cool!" Grover corrected.
Jakob looked at Andromeda. "I think we know exactly what to work and train on in our spare time."
Andromeda nodded, smiling. "We made one heck of a combo there."
"That was fucking amazing! Seeing your respective abilities combine... That was quite a fight." Mimir said as Jakob took the head from Mimir and hooked him to the back of his hip, then took his jacket from Annabeth and put it on, hooking the Leviathan Axe to the hook on the back. "And they wonder why Gods of the Sky and sea are a deadly combination."
A pause filled the air and Andromeda broke it by asking, "Did you guys feel that... whatever it was?"
They all nodded uneasily.
"Must've been the Furies overhead," Grover said.
But that wasn't it. Something had stopped Ares from killing Jakob and Andromeda, and whatever could do that was a lot stronger than the Furies.
Immediately, Jakob knew who it was. But he didn't voice his opinion. The group were weary already. He didn't want to add more tension to them by saying it was the Titan King himself.
Andromeda reclaimed her backpack from Grover and looked inside. The Master Bolt was still there. Such a small thing to almost cause World War III.
"We have to get back to New York," Andromeda said. "By tonight."
"That's impossible." Annabeth said, "unless we -"
"Fly," Andromeda agreed.
"I could... but Zeus may look for any reason to blast me to pieces because of who I am, even if I helped in getting his nightlight back." Jakob said, causing the sky to boom as if hearing his comment. Jakob just ignored it. "But we've got no choice, so let's grab a plane."
So, I hope you loved the fight with Ares. I tried to make it as epic as I could, especially when it comes to Jakob's powers. And then I felt like a combo attack between Jakob and Andromeda would end the fight, merging the sea with Jakob's powers in lighting, thunder and wind, and throwing it at Ares.
Do remember, Thor can create storms, winds, hurricanes, lightning, thunder, and more, regardless of whether or not it's the Marvel Comics Thor or the Thor from God of War.
If it works, it works.
Harem: Silena Beauregard, Thalia Grace, Katie Gardner, Annabeth Chase, Andromeda Jackson (Female Percy), Bianca Di Angelo, Zoe Nightshade, Thrúd, Freya, Artemis, Athena, Hestia, Skadi.