seventeen.
( the lightning thief. )
❛ the ten-day odyssey of terror. ❜

COLETTE SHIVERED UPON the coast guard boat as it transported them back to the shoreline. They didn't both to ask why or how they were there or where their parents where. Los Angeles had erupted into chaos and all their radio signals were jammed. The coastguard dropped her and her friends off at the Santa Monica Pier with towels around their shoulders and water bottles that said I'm a junior coast guard! and sped off to save more people. When they'd pulled them from the water, Colette was silently praying they wouldn't question Percy about his abnormal dryness after just being in the sea and it seemed he shared her concerns because as soon as he was pulled from the sea, he was soaking wet.

He was also barefoot given that he'd quickly forced Grover to wear his shoes.

After reaching dry land, they stumbled down the beach, watching the city burn against a radiant sunrise. Colette sighed in exhaustion as they stood upon the shore, her legs were aching and her stomach felt nauseous from being in the underworld.

"I don't believe it," Annabeth was pale, as though she were fighting off something she didn't want to accept. "We went all that way-"

"It was a trick," Percy glanced at her, a churn of something like bitterness in his throat. "A strategy worthy of Athena."

She glared at him. "Hey," she snapped in warning, giving him a look as not to challenge her.

Colette gave annabeth a sympathetic glance. "Come on, Annie. You get what he's saying." she leaned forward, rubbing her hand up and down annabeth's back comfortingly.

She dropped her eyes, her anger fading into an emotion that made her grit her teeth and blink away her sorrows. "Yeah. I get it."

"Well, I don't!" Grover complained. "Would somebody-"

"Percy ..." Annabeth interjected. "I'm sorry about your mother. I'm so sorry...." the expression Percy donned was one full of mourning and memory, a wound coated in salt that he couldn't bring himself to talk about.

Percy cleared his throat, avoiding the blonde's statement. "The prophecy was right," he sighed. "You shall go west and face the god who has turned.' But it wasn't Hades. Hades didn't want war among the Big Three. Someone else pulled off the theft. Someone stole Zeus's master bolt, and Hades's helm, and framed me because I'm Poseidon's kid. Poseidon will get blamed by both sides. By sundown today, there will be a three-way war. And I'll have caused it."

Grover shook his head, mystified. "But who would be that sneaky? Who would want war that bad?"

"Let's think," Colette was staring between them, her gaze locked onto something behind them. "What god goes hard for chaos and war? three guesses who." And from the look she saw on his face, Percy didn't even need to turn to know who she was talking about.

There he was, 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 headlight turning the sand a bloody crimson. As he had at the dinner, he emitted arrogance and bloodlust, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. He stood so disturbingly mocking, hid chest rumbling as though he was trying to hide his laughter.

"Hey, kid." Ares' voice was tainted with the resounding of bullets and the slice of knives. "You were supposed to die." He seemed genuinely pleased to see them, despite how he avidly expressed his impatience as he waited for their death. it was perplexing.

Percy was glowering at the god of war, "You tricked me," he stated with bland annoyance. "You stole the helm and the master bolt."

A smug, Cheshire-cat like grin swallowed his face in an uncanny sneer. "Well, now, I didn't steal them personally. Gods taking each other's symbols of power-that's a real fuckin' risky move. But you're not the only hero in the world who can run errands."

"Who'd you use?" Ares sunglasses snapped in Colette's direction, "Was it Clarisse? She was there with us at the winter solstice."

The idea seemed to amuse him. "Doesn't matter, pipsqueak." he cocked his head back towards Percy, "The point is, kid, you're impeding the war effort. See, you've got to die in the Underworld. Then Old Seaweed will be mad at Hades for killing you. Corpse Breath will have Zeus's master bolt, so Zeus'll be mad at him. 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.

"Now where was I?" He mocked, "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."

Annabeth stepped forward, shaking her head at the man in disbelief. "But they're your family!" Annabeth protested.

Ares shrugged. "Best kind of war. Always the bloodiest. Nothing like watching your relatives fight, I always say." His sunglasses reflected back with images of bloody bodies and agonised screams.

"You gave me the backpack in Denver," accused Percy. "The master bolt was in there the whole time."

"Yes and no," Ares remarked. "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?" Percy gave him an unsure glance. "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?" Questioned Percy with curiosity. He was scowling still and his fists were beginning to clench closed. "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....

Colette exchanged a nervous glance with Percy as Ares cleared his throat and his face cleared. "I didn't want the trouble. Better to have you caught redhanded, holding the thing."

"You're lying," accused Percy, narrowing his eyes at the older man. "Sending the bolt to the Underworld wasn't your idea, was it?"

"Of course it was!" Smoke drifted up from his sunglasses, as if they were about to catch fire. There was a radiance of raw rage pouring from the smoke, polluting the air with indignation.

"You didn't order the theft," guessed Percy, raising his eyebrows at the realisation. "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 over to Zeus. 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!"

"Who said anything about dreams?" Colette challenged absently from where she stood behind next to annabeth and grover. She was annoyed, so goddamn annoyed with everything that had been placed upon them by the gods, specifically, this god.

Ares looked agitated, but he tried to cover it with a smirk. "Let's get back to the problem at hand, kid. You're alive." The god said, "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 and your little posse. 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 CampHalf-Blood. The beast pawed the sand, glaring at the demigods with beady eyes as it lowered its razor-sharp tusks and waited for the command to kill.

Unafraid, Percy took a daring step onto the surf. "Fight me yourself, Ares."

He laughed, a bold and heavy sound that was darted with a sound like nervousness. It stormed through the beach like a dozen forest fires all burning at once. "You've only got one talent, kid, running away." He spat at Percy, "You ran from the Chimera. You ran from the Underworld. You don't have what it takes."

"Scared?" Percy taunted, "i didn't pin the god of war to be so cowardly."

"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."

Turning to glance at her over his shoulder, Percy gave Colette a telepathic apology. He knew of her adoration for animals, and to battle against a boar would leave no lighter sting on her pride. sorry, collie. But he was done running. Nevertheless, the beast charged. As it did so, Percy uncapped riptide and sidestepped to avoid its rusty tusks. As riptide elongated into his grip, he slashed upwards and the boar's severed tusk fell at his feet. As it ran uncontrollably towards the sea, Percy let out a sharp and powerful yell, "wave!" Instantly, as the water rushed in, a wave surged towards the creature, wrapping around it like a blanket and swallowing it whole.

There was a wince behind him, and Percy knew that Colette was no doubt covering her eyes to avoid looking at the animal's swift end.

He turned back to Ares in a flush of courage. "Are you going to fight me now?" Challenged Percy, a welcoming fearlessness building in his veins. "Or are you going to hide behind another pet?"

Ares's face shaded purple with rage. "Watch it, kid. I could turn you into-"

"A cockroach," interrupted Percy knowingly. "Or a tapeworm. Yeah, I'm sure. That'd save you from getting your godly ass whipped, wouldn't it?" His voice was swelled with sarcasm.

Flames danced along the top of his glasses. "Oh, man, you are really asking to be smashed to a fuckin' pulp." He laughed manically.

"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." Percy compromised, only for the god to sneer in response.

He swung the baseball bat off his shoulder. "How would you like to get smashed: classic or modern?"

When Percy displayed his sword, Ares took a step forward. "That's cool, dead boy," he shrugged. "Classic it is." The baseball bat changed into a huge, two-handed sword. one akin to a claymore. The hilt was a large silver skull with a ruby in its mouth.

"Percy," Annabeth stressed. "Don't do this. He's a god."

"He's a coward,"

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 thrust it towards him. He took it gingerly, glancing at it for a second before tying it around his neck.

"Reconciliation," she gave him a trusting look. "Athena and Poseidon together."

Percy managed a grateful smile, nodding his head to her in a sign of friendship. "Thanks."

"And take this," Grover came up to him and handed him 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." The satyr didn't respond, simply wrapping an arm around his shoulder for comfort. Percy shoved the can into his back pocket, watching as Grover moved to allow Colette to move forward. "Got any gifts for me too, Bambi?" his voice was unserious and playful as he placed on a small smile, as though he didn't really expect to be given anything.

She rolled her eyes, "nothing too fancy." She unclipped her bracelet, holding onto it tightly for a second before bringing his wrist towards her. "My mom gave me this the last time I saw her. If you die with this, Jackson," she stated whilst clipping it onto his wrist. "I'll go right back to that underworld and drag you back."

He glanced down to the bracelet. To the pearls plucked from the sea and the star charms scattered from the night sky. "I wouldn't dream of it."

"You all done saying good-bye?" Ares came toward them, 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, Colette narrowed her eyes.

Percy continued to stand in the surf, backing into the sea until it reached his ankles. ares was strength in a personified form and though that was an extreme advantage in this situation, he lacked wisdom.

The god cleaved downward at Percy's head, but the space where he'd once stood was empty as the water rushed by. Percy's body seemed to have been moving for him. The water threw him into the air, catapulting him over the god and he slashed as he 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.

The god grinned. "Not bad, not bad."

He slashed again and Percy was forced to jump onto dry land, away from Poseidon's domain. He tried to sidestep in an attempt to get back to the water, but Ares seemed to know what he wanted. He outmaneuvered the younger boy, pressing so hard that Percy had to put all his concentration on not getting sliced into pieces. He kept backing away from the surf and he couldn't find any openings to attack. His sword had a reach several feet longer than riptide.

get in close, Luke had once told Colette back home at camp, if you've got the shorter blade, get in close. She wanted to scream that at Percy but she didn't think her voice would reach him over the sound of the sea roaring at each of Ares' attacks.

Impulsively, Percy stepped inside with a thrust, but Ares was waiting for that. He knocked Percy's blade out of his hands and kicked him in the chest. the son of Poseidon went airborne-twenty, maybe thirty feet. He would've broken his back if he hadn't crashed into the soft sand of a dune.

"Percy!" Annabeth yelled over the sound of flashing sirens closing in. "Cops!"

Percy was groaning, and Colette fought the urge to facepalm as the boy lay in the sand. He didn't take his eyes off Ares in fear of the man slicing him in two.

"There, officer!" somebody yelled from the edge of the beach, pointing to the scene. "See?"

Cops were surrounding them now, though they were ignoring the trio and focusing on Percy and Ares. A rough voice of a cop responded in surprise, "Looks like that kid on TV ... what the heck ..."

"That guy's armed," another cop realised, gesturing to Ares. "Call for backup."

Percy hastily rolled to one side as Ares' blade slashed the sand. He ran for his sword, scooped it up, and launched a swipe at Ares's face, only to find his blade deflected again. The god seemed to know his every move before he made it. "Admit it, kid," Ares grinned like a madman. "You got no hope. I'm just toying with you."

use your senses. Colette was trying her hardest not to yell out instructions to the boy. And to her surprise, he seemed for a moment to understand. His instincts were kicking in and for once, Colette was glad for adhd. They stood thirty feet from him, like little cheerleaders jumping up and down in the stands. There was a crowd forming now, bustling by-passers and spectators staring on curiously at the sight. There were shimmering forms of spirits, too, as if the dead had risen from Hades to watch the battle. She heard the flap of leathery wings circling somewhere above too.

Percy stepped farther into the water, but Ares was fast. The tip of his blade ripped into the dark-haired boy's sleeve, drawing a splatter of blood as it grazed his forearm.

A police voice on a megaphone let out an order, "Drop the guns. Set them on the ground. Now!"

Guns? Colette gaped, turning in surprise before she let out a loud, 'oh.' Mortals couldn't see their swords-to them it was an illusion, most likely guns as the police man he yelled. Ares weapon seemed to flicker for a moment from what Colette could see, from a two-handed sword to a shotgun. Ares turned to glare at the spectators, which gave Percy a moment to breathe. There were five police cars now, and a line of officers crouching behind them, pistols trained on them. By now, the three were forced to hide behind dunes to avoid a bullet to the brain.

"This is a private matter!" Ares bellowed. "Be gone.'" He swept his hand, and a wall of red flame rolled across the patrol cars. The police barely had time to dive for cover before their vehicles exploded. The crowd behind them scattered, screaming.

Ares roared with laughter. "Now, little hero. Let's add you to the barbecue." He slashed but Percy deflected his blade. The boy got close enough to strike, tried to take him out with a slash, but his blow was knocked aside. The waves were hitting him in the back now. Ares was up to his thighs, following in after Percy.

Colette stood in surprise as Percy glanced toward the sea. It understood him like she understood the moon and the forest. He was instructing it to his every command, like a marionette would to puppets. Ares came forward, grinning confidently. Percy lowered his blade, as if he were too exhausted to go on. And Colette almost thought he was. The pressure of the sea was almost lifting him off his feet. Ares raised his sword and Percy released the tide and jumped, rocketing straight over Ares on a wave.

The roar that followed made Hades's earthquake look like a minor event. The very sea was blasted back from Ares, leaving a wet circle of sand fifty feet wide. Ichor, the golden blood of the gods, flowed from a gash in the war god's boot. The expression on his face was beyond hatred. It was seething with utter humiliation and infuriation. It was pain, shock, complete disbelief that he'd been wounded.

He limped toward Percy, muttering ancient Greek curses. Then he stopped, warned by something in his mind. A six-foot wall of water smashed him full in the face, leaving him cursing and sputtering with a mouth full of seaweed. Percy landed behind him with a splash and feinted toward his head, as he'd done before. He turned in time to raise his sword, but this time he was disoriented, he didn't anticipate the trick. Percy changed direction, lunged to the side, and stabbed Riptide straight down into the water, sending the point through the god's heel.

It was as if a cloud covered the sun, but worse. Light faded. Sound and color drained away. A cold, heavy presence passed over the beach, slowing time, dropping the temperature to freezing, and making me feel like life was hopeless, fighting was useless. The darkness lifted and Ares looked stunned. Police cars were burning behind them, blossoming in flames of undying fury. The crowd of spectators had fled, desperate to get away from the fire. Annabeth, Colette and Grover stood on the beach, in shock, watching the water flood back around Ares's feet, his glowing golden ichor dissipating in the tide.

Ares lowered his sword with a sneer. "You have made an enemy, godling," he practically growled at the half-blood. "You have sealed your fate. Every time you raise your blade in battle, every time you hope for success, you will feel my curse. Beware, Perseus Jackson. Beware." His body began to glow.

"Percy!" Annabeth shouted. "Don't watch!"

As ares revealed his true form, the four turned away quickly though the glow of ichor still beamed beyond their eyelids. It was bright and humid, a light with such extravagance and divine power that they knew if they looked, even for a moment, they'd be disintegrated into nothingness. It only lasted a second and then it was gone.

The tidal rolled out, revealing the helm of darkness. Percy retrieved it quickly and began walking backwards until his path was swayed by the furies. The middle Fury, the one who had been Mrs. Dodds, stepped forward. Her fangs were bared, but for once she didn't look threatening. She looked more disappointed, as if she'd been planning to have him for supper, but had decided he wasn't worth it. "We saw the whole thing," she hissed. "So ... it truly was not you?"

Percy tossed her the helm, which she caught slightly startled. "Return that to Lord Hades," instructed the son of Poseidon. "Tell him the truth. Tell him to call off the war."

She hesitated, then ran a forked tongue over her green, leathery lips. "Live well, Percy Jackson. Become a true hero. Because if you do not, if you ever come into my clutches again ..." She cackled, savoring the idea. Then she and her sisters rose on their bats' wings, fluttered into the smoke-filled sky, and disappeared.

Walking back towards the trio, Percy was met with amazed stares. "Percy ..." Grover's voice was filled with awe. "That was so incredibly ..."

"Terrifying,"

"Cool!"

"Risky."

He looked tired, too tired to respond to each individual statement. "Did you guys feel that... whatever it was?" He inquired, blinking away the light in his eyes.

Nodding with unease, Grover moisturised his lips,
"Must've been the Furies overhead," he shuddered.
But Colette wasn't so sure. Something had stopped Ares from killing Percy, and whatever could do that was a lot stronger than the Furies. He looked at Annabeth, and an understanding passed between them. They knew now what was in that pit, what had spoken from the entrance of Tartarus. And from the chill of her arms, Colette did too.

Changing the subject, Colette spared a glance to the flaming vehicles behind them. "Enough of that now. We need to get back to New York by tonight." She commented.

"That's impossible unless we--"

"Fly, I know." She dismissed.

Annabeth raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "Fly, like, in an airplane, which percy, you were warned never to do lest Zeus strike you out of the sky, and carrying a weapon that has more destructive power than a nuclear bomb?"

"Yeah," the boy nodded. "Pretty much exactly like that. Come on."

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IT WAS STRANGE how humans could warp their view of situations and reality to fit that of the general public. How, what had once been two delinquents against the world causing unmanageable mayhem all over America could be fabricated into a story of sadness about two abductees, stolen away from home by a heartless kidnapper, was truly a mystery. People weren't scowling at them in horror anymore, cursing them and damning them for their violent crimes. No, now they were cooed at and spoke to like little children. It was strange to Colette, she almost wanted to laugh.

According to the L.A news, the explosion at the Santa Monica beach had been caused when a crazy kidnapper fired a shotgun at a police car. He accidentally hit a gas main that had ruptured during the earthquake. This crazy kidnapper -ares- was the same man who had abducted Percy, Colette and two other adolescents in New York and brought us across country on a ten-day odyssey of terror.

Poor little Percy Jackson and, now discovered partner, Colette Archer weren't international criminals after all. They'd caused a commotion on that Greyhound bus in New Jersey trying to get away from his captor (and afterward, witnesses would even swear they had seen the leather-clad man on the bus-"Why didn't I remember him before?"). The crazy man had caused the explosion in the St. Louis Arch. After all, no two children could've done that. A concerned waitress in Denver had seen the man threatening his abductees outside her diner, gotten a friend to take a photo, and notified the police. Finally, brave Percy Jackson had stolen a gun from his captor in Los Angeles and battled him shotgun-to-rifle on the beach. Police had arrived just in time. But in the spectacular explosion, five police cars had been destroyed and the captor had fled. No fatalities had occurred. Percy Jackson, Colette Archer and their two friends were safely in police custody.

The reporters fed them a dramatised, theatrical story of betrayal, friendship and tragedy, encouraging them to play along. They just nodded and acted tearful and exhausted (which wasn't hard), and played victimized kids for the cameras.

"All I want," snuffled Percy, choking back his tears, "is to see my loving stepfather again. Every time I saw him on TV, calling me a delinquent punk, I knew ... somehow ... we would be okay. And I know he'll want to reward each and every person in this beautiful city of Los Angeles with a free major appliance from his store. Here's the phone number." The police and reporters were so moved that they passed around the hat and raised money for four tickets on the next plane to New York.

Though the thought of flying filled her with unease, Colette wasn't sure of a way to get back to New York as quickly. It had taken ten days to get here, by the time they got back the same way the whole world would've gone up in flames of agony and despair.

Takeoff was a nightmare, literally. Every spot of turbulence was scarier than a Greek monster. Colette, though trying to be an optimist, didn't unclench her hands from the armrests until touched down safely at La Guardia. The local press was waiting for them outside security, but they managed to evade them thanks to Annabeth, who lured them away in her invisible Yankees cap, shouting, "They're over by the frozen yogurt! Come on!" then rejoined them at baggage claim.

They stood at the taxi stand, spreading their goodbyes in the form of promises. "I'll come back soon. I promise." Percy nodded confidently as Annabeth and Grover slid into the cab. He looked at Colette expectantly as she stood stubbornly in front of the door. "Well?" He blinked at her, "what's up? What're you waiting for?"

"I'm not going with them." She responded. "If you go alone, the chances of Zeus killing you on the spot will be crazy high."

He shook his head at her, "No, Colette, you've done much more enough. I cant ask more of you now, you're exhausted. If this goes to shit--"

"I'm not arguing with you about this, Starfish. We've met two gods in the last week and you've angered both of them to the max." She pointed an accusatory finger at him, "How'd you expect to have a civil conversation with Zeus alone? Besides, we're accomplices, right? Bonnie and Clyde and all that cheesy shit."

"Without the romance?"

"Obviously without the romance." She adorned a look of disgust, going as far as to take a step away from him.

He went to protest again but she shushed him before he could do so. She leaned towards the cab door where Annie and Grover sat looking at her curiously, "we'll be home soon. Love you, guys. buh-bye now." She slammed the door shut and within seconds, the cab was driving away.

Within five minutes, a taxi had arrived and Colette had practically dragged Percy inside as he continued to protest. This was a quest that was meant to be undertaken together, and she'd see it through to the very end. Even if it was with her least favourite member of their misfit group. And with that, the two demigods were headed into Manhattan and straight towards the Empire State Building.

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