LOGICAL . . .

09, the diner.

The group eventually made it to the diner, they pushed through the door, the bell jingling softly as they looked around, scanning each booth for any sign of Ares. The place smelled like old grease and burnt coffee.

They tried to get their bearings, squeezing past crowded tables while searching for him. They soon found him after hearing his loud, unmistakable laughter rolling from the back corner. "Guess this is the right place."

They all approached the booth table, awkwardly shifting and squeezing in until, somehow, all four of them surprisingly fit. Ares didn't even look up at first, his thumb flicking across his phone screen.

"Give me a second," he told the teens as he continued scrolling. A moment later he stopped. "Okay, done."

Ares leaned closer to them, his presence heavy and smug."Your quest is going to fail. Ask me how I know." The older man sighed dramatically, leaning back in the booth.
"It isn't gonna fail."

Ares scoffed, shaking his head like he pitied their stupidity. Asteria sat pressed between Annabeth and Percy, shoulders tight. She didn't say a word, just stared ahead, listening while exhaustion clung to her features.

She was tired, tired of the quest, the stress, and the constant near-death moments.

Ares finally turned his phone outward, showing them a man speaking on the news, talking about Percy. "My stepdad. What's he doing?" Percy questioned, his eyebrows furrowing as the video continued to play.

Percy was visibly angry, his jaw clenched, his posture stiff, and his hands curling into fists beneath the table where Asteria could feel the tension radiating off him. "I'm gonna kill him," he muttered.

"I knew I was gonna like you. But safe to say the chances of you four idiots hitchhiking to L.A without getting arrested are slim to none," Ares stated. "Why are you sitting here then?" Annabeth questioned, narrowing her eyes.

Annabeth challenged him with various questions, each one sharper than the last.
"There's no fear in you, is there?" he replied back, almost impressed. "Even if it's retrieved, Zeus is going to war with Poseidon."

Percy seemed shocked hearing this, his face paling a little. "No, the Oracle said if we return the bolt there wouldn't be war," Percy pried. Asteria shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her foot tapping anxiously against the floor.

She wanted to get out of this place, out of Ares' suffocating aura. "Is that what she said? Or is that what Chiron said she meant?"
Percy didn't say anything after that, his silence heavy.

"You're new to the family, let me fill you in on how we work," Ares informed Percy, leaning forward like a teacher about to deliver a nasty lesson.

Asteria's hand trembled in her lap barely noticeable at first, but gradually worsening. It looked like she was on the verge of a panic attack, trying to hide it by tightening her fingers around the hem of her jacket.

Ares ranted about his family, raising his voice aggressively with each sentence. His words hit the table like slaps.

"Olympians fight. We betray. We backstab. And that's why I love my family so much."
He started smiling creepily, the kind of smile that made Asteria's stomach twist and that was enough for her.

She exhaled shakily, trying to calm herself down. Percy noticed, his eyes flicking down to her trembling hands. He reached toward them under the table, but she instinctively pulled away. "Calm down," he whispered, trying to stop her hands from shaking.

Ares continued ranting about the war as tension filled the room like smoke. "You said you can help. Can you?" Percy questioned, voice steady despite the pressure.

"Okay so here it is. There's an amusement park up the road," the older man explained.

"I left my shield there. You get my shield back and I'll get you to the Underworld," he prompted. Annabeth raised an eyebrow, making fun of him for leaving his shield.

"So do we have a deal, or am I killing all four of you so I can eat in peace?" he threatened, his voice rising enough for nearby customers to glance over.

"Okay," Percy agreed as Asteria abruptly got up, her chair scraping loudly. "I'll be back."
She needed air, badly.

"Let me go after her," she heard Percy behind her, pushing to stand. "No, I'm going. You obviously can't tell what's bothering her," Grover said in a harsh tone, immediately following her out.

Asteria exited the diner and leaned against the wall outside, sucking in breaths of cold air.
"Asteria, what's going on?" Grover asked as he hurried out, worry filling his eyes. She didn't respond, her breaths uneven, so he gently pulled her into a hug.

Asteria looked through the diner window, making eye contact with Percy, who seemed visibly upset seeing Grover holding her while she shook.

"I'm so tired of this quest. He threatened to kill us!" Asteria explained, her voice trembling slightly. "Ares wouldn't do that," Grover tried calming her down.

She scoffed, sharp and bitter. "Really? Because we just made a deal that can cost us our life!" she snapped. Grover froze, he had never heard her speak to him like that before. From inside the diner, it probably looked like the two were fighting.

"Even if we back down, we're still gonna get threatened. You heard what Annabeth said- one of us is dying." She recalled the prophecy, running a shaky hand through her hair.

"We have people to protect us, Asteria. And I know this isn't the only thing bothering you," he brought up gently.

"Yeah? Then what's bothering me?" she challenged, eyes narrowing. "I noticed how words affect you, especially Percy's," Grover stated, shifting awkwardly.

"Why do you always bring him up? And don't dare change the topic, Grover." She groaned, but he didn't listen.

"I noticed your reaction when Annabeth hugged Percy, and how he told her that that's what friends do," Grover admitted.

Asteria was stunned, actually shocked he noticed something she thought she hid well.
"See? You're silent, which means I'm right."

"Okay." She finally muttered, crossing her arms, clearly hating that Grover proved a point.
"Sorry," she added quietly, and he hummed in response.

"We should probably get back inside," she suggested, not wanting this conversation to continue. If it did, she knew she'd probably say something she'd regret.

Percy and Annabeth were at the door when they reentered. "Grover, Ares wants you to stay here," Percy whispered, trying not to look suspicious. "I'm fine with that."

"Don't engage with him," Annabeth warned firmly. "He'll try to get in your head and you can't let him."

"It's okay. Really," Grover said with surprising confidence. "I know what I'm doing."

"What does that mean for me? Am I staying or leaving?" Asteria questioned, her voice small. Percy turned toward her instantly.

"You're coming with us. I wouldn't leave you behind." They all walked out the door together.

Percy and Asteria followed behind Annabeth, who led the way. "Did I do something? Or say something?" Percy asked, worry heavy in his voice.

"Well I know I said something," he muttered to himself. "No? You didn't do anything," she lied, eyes fixed ahead. "I did. I saw your reaction to my words," he said softly. He wasn't wrong, Grover noticed too.

"Yeah, I'm over it." He didn't believe her, she could see it in his eyes.

"It's fine if you don't wanna talk about it." He seemed tempted, hesitating before reaching for her hand again. This time, she let him.
"Sorry for pulling away earlier," she apologized.

He laughed under his breath, a soft, relieved sound, and she couldn't help but smile back.

vivi speaks . . .
rewriting this fic is giving me flashbacks from two years ago and im not the biggest fan