Harry Fights Ares (Percy Is There Too)
Just ahead of us was Ares, the god of war. He was leaning against his bike holding a pitch black ancient grecian helmet. The Helm.
“Ares,” Percy greeted, looking anything but pleased.
The god grinned. “You survived uncle Hades? Didn’t expect that,” he glanced at Harry and laughed. “Though I’m guessing that’s more because you had mystery kid with you. All the gods are wondering whose he is.”
Harry rolled his eyes at the name but said nothing.
“You stole the helm.”
“Nah, gods can’t steal eachothers symbols of power. Have you learnt nothing?”
“Fine. You got someone to do it for you,” Percy snarled.
“Wrong again. I was sent out to find the thief and I can sniff out powerful weapons like a greyhound. When I found the kid that did it I decided I’d get in on some of the action. Afterall, with the bolt and helm missing, war is inevitable.”
"Let's get back to the problem at hand, kid. You're alive. I can't have you taking that bolt to Olympus. You just might get those hardheaded idiots to listen to you. 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 seven at Camp Half-Blood. The beast pawed the sand, glaring at me with beady eyes as it lowered its razor-sharp tusks and waited for the command to kill.
I stepped into the surf. "Fight me yourself, Ares."
He laughed, but I heard a little edge to his laughter ... an uneasiness. "You've only got one talent, kid, running away. You ran from the Chimera. You ran from the Under-world. You don't have what it takes. Without mystery boy you’d be dead.”
"Scared?"
"In your adolescent dreams." But his sunglasses were starting to melt from the heat of his eyes. "No direct involvement. Sorry, kid. You're not at my level."
Annabeth said, "Percy, run!"
The giant boar charged. But I was done running from monsters. Or Hades, or Ares, or anybody. As the boar rushed me, I uncapped my pen and side-stepped. Riptide appeared in my hands. I slashed upward. The boar's severed right tusk fell at my feet, while the disoriented animal charged into the sea.
I shouted, "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. I turned back to Ares. "Are you going to fight me now?" I asked. "Or are you going to hide behind another pet?"
Ares's face was purple with rage. "Watch it, kid. I could turn you into-"
"A cockroach," I said. "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 I lose, turn me into anything you want. Take the bolt. If I win, the helm and the bolt are mine and you have to go away."
Ares sneered. He swung the baseball bat off his shoulder. "How would you like to get smashed: classic or modern?" I showed him my sword. "That's cool, dead boy," he 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.
"Percy," Annabeth said. "Don't do this. He's a god."
"He's a coward," I told her.
She 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 my neck. "Reconciliation," she said. "Athena and Poseidon together." My face felt a little warm, but I managed a smile.
"Thanks."
"And take this," Grover said. He handed me a flattened tin can that he'd probably been saving in his pocket for a thousand miles. "The satyrs stand behind you."
"Grover ... I don't know what to say." He patted me on the shoulder. I stuffed the tin can in my back pocket.
I looked over at Harry who was as unreadable as ever.
"Are you all done saying good-bye?" Ares came toward me, his black leather duster trailing behind him, his sword glinting like fire in the sunrise. "I've been fighting for eternity, kid. My strength is unlimited and I cannot die. What have you got?"
A smaller ego, I thought, but I said nothing. I kept my feet in the surf, backing into the water up to my ankles. I 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 how to wisdom sometimes. He cleaved downward at my head, but I wasn't there.
My body thought for me. The water seemed to push me into the air and I catapulted over him, slashing as I came down. But Ares was just as quick. He twisted, and the strike that should've caught him directly in the spine was deflected off the end of his sword hilt.
He grinned. "Not bad, not bad." He slashed again and I was forced to jump onto dry land. I tried to sidestep, to get back to the water, but Ares seemed to know what I wanted. He outmaneuvered me, pressing so hard I had to put all my concentration on not getting sliced into pieces. I kept backing away from the surf. I couldn't find any openings to attack. His sword had a reach several feet longer than Anaklusmos
I didn’t have time to think of another plan but thankfully I didn’t have to because Harry was beside me running at speeds I had never seen before, he was a blur as he ran around Ares in an attempt to distract him from my own attacks.
Spurred on by his movements I attacked again. I swung my sword and tried to get in a cut but the god of war was still able to deflect my hits even with Harry’s distraction.
Suddenly, the god of war yelled in agony. I paused and turned to face Harry who had his bow and arrow out. He had shot three arrows in recession, each one hitting core spots. Head, heart, and stomach.
Ares growled.
“A deal is a deal, Ares,” Harry spoke, another arrow was notched and aimed at the war god’s eye.
Ares was conflicted. “Fine. I won’t forget this!” His body began to glow red and they all looked away quickly.
When they looked back, the beach was devoid of any gods, all that remained was a black helm.
The furies who had been watching from above soared down and grabbed the helm. “You did not lie,” Alecto hissed.
Percy nodded.
The furies stared at him. “We will allow you freedom this time. Do not enter our realm again,” with that, they flew off.
The other two rushed forward to check on the boys but they shrugged them off. “We are fine,” Harry said nonchalantly while Grover rambled about how cool the fight was and Annabeth scolded them for impulsivity.
“It wasn’t impulsive if I planned it out,” Harry replied but this only angered Annabeth further.
“Enough!” Percy said. “We have to get the bolt to Zeus.”
“But how are we going to get back to New York in time?” Annabeth asked.
“We’ll have to fly.”
“Fly?! But Percy-”
“I know but it’s the only option we have. Let’s just hope he doesn’t smite us,” Percy joked but the others didn’t laugh, only standing there with grim faces.