Charmolypi

Chapter 39

A few minutes later, they were sitting at a booth in a gleaming chrome diner. All around them, families were eating burgers and drinking malts and sodas. Finally, the waitress came over. She raised her eyebrow skeptically. "Well?"

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

"You kids have money to pay for it?" Grover's lower lip quivered. Percy was afraid he would start bleating, or worse, start eating the linoleum. Annabeth looked ready to pass out from hunger, and Thea was looking pale and tired, but not as bad as the rest.

Percy was trying to think up a sob story for the waitress when a rumble shook the whole building; a motorcycle the size of a baby elephant had pulled up to the curb.

All conversation in the diner stopped. The motorcycle's headlight glared red. Its gas tank had flames painted on it, and a shotgun holster riveted to either side, complete with shotguns. The seat was leather-but leather that looked like ... well, Caucasian human skin.

The guy on the bike would've made pro wrestlers run for Mama. He was dressed in 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 a wicked face that seemed familiar to everyone around the table.

The waitress blinked twice before she turned to the group of kids again. "You kids have money to pay for it?"

"Yes. That's my brother, he can pay." Thea told the waitress as the man approached the table.

"Brother?!" People shrieked across the hall. The Marauders looked at each other, visibly conflicted. Could that have been one of them?

"It's on me." He told the waitress as he slid into the booth that was way too small for him, practically shoving Annabeth and Grover into the window, sitting opposite to Percy and Thea. "Are you still here?" he asked the waitress that was gaping at him, but quickly made her way to another customer. "Hello again, little sister."

"Hello again, brother." Thea answered with just as much spunk.

"That makes sense" Regulus said.

"How? He's a God and she's...just Thea." Some young Slytherin girl asked him. Regulus clenched his jaw at the statement that the girl had made.

"He's the son of Zeus and Hera. That's how he's her brother. Well half-brother. Just like Harry." He answered coldly, causing the girl to turn away quickly.

The man looked away from the daughter of Zeus and was fixed on Percy. "So you're old Seaweed's kid, huh?"

Percy's jaw tightened and he clenched his fists under the table. "What's it to you?"

Annabeth's eyes widened, and she was quick to speak up "Percy, this is-"

"S'okay." The man interrupted, raising his hand to stop her. "I don't mind a little attitude. I mean, have you seen my interaction with lightning over there? Long as you'll remember who's the boss. You know who I am, little cousin?"

Percy was silent for a moment before he spoke up. "You're Clarisse's dad. Ares, God of war. Thea's half-brother." He snapped.

"That's right, punk. I heard you broke Clarisse's spear." He said with a wicked grin, similar to Thea's.

"She was asking for it."

"Probably. That's cool. I don't fight my kids' fights, you know." He turned to Thea, who met his intense stair head on. Anyone could see that the two were siblings, but there was obvious power struggle when it came to the pair. "Also, impressive fighting technique, little sis. Teaching my kids a few things as time goes on. Thanks for that."