Here it is! Enjoy, my lovely readers!

Chapter Three: Still in the medical wing of Apollo's palace.

Point of view: Perseus Jackson

"I wish for you to become my champion." Ares states proudly, holding his head high.

"Okay." I shrug.

Ares looks down at me in shock. "'Okay?' That's all you're going to answer with? I just asked you to become my champion and all you have to say is, 'Okay?'" He asks incredulously.

"Pretty much. But what does that entail? I must defend the demigods." I tell him.

"You can leave the camp and still defend them." Ares tells me. He smiles smugly at me. "Come with me, hero."

I groan. "I'm no hero."

"Yes you are, now follow me." Ares says, pulling me up to stand and he starts walking. I look at his back for a few seconds, comprhending what just happened. Ares thinks I'm a hero? Wow. Oh, well. I jog after him and walk behind him once I reach him. he motions me forward and I walk beside him, looking at him curiously. He sighs. "Don't give me that little look of yours. I'll answer your questions later, kid."

I roll my eyes and shrug as we leave the palace of Apollo. "Where are we heading, Lord Ares?" I ask after walking for a few minutes. I've never been to this part of Olympus.

"We are heading to Camp Demigod on foot. We are using an alternate route to get to the elevator." He says and I just look at our surroundings as we walk in silence. Not even awkward silence. His war presence calms me down on the inside, except for the anger. It makes me able to feel like my old self again.

I look at him, he reminds me alot of Frank even though he was a child of Mars. "Do you like your Roman or Greek aspect more?" I ask.

"Roman. My Greek side is a little...childish when it comes to war. But I can be serious, I just don't feel like it. When I'm around demigods, my aura makes you angry because of the dread I feel at my warriors dying, but they die with honor. If they don't it just makes me dread it more. War is my relief, just like it is yours. And I can be Roman in your presence easier now that the Roman and Greeks are friendly. So I remind you of my kid even in my Greek form? Do I look that different as Mars?" Ares asks me.

I shake my head. "No, your hair is longer in this form and you have a different style, but that's all. And you don't have to be Mars around me. Ares is fine." I tell him.

"Alright." He shrugs and I see the elevator doors.

"Oh, Hades. I was going to spend the next week in Athena's library." I curse myself in my head.

Ares raises an eyebrow. "What for? I thought you didn't like learning."

"I don't like school and it's in Ancient Greek. I got interested when I could actually read the stupid books. I'm hooked because of Annabeth and my ADHD got the better of me when I started reading the crazy books on war and architecture. It's a habit now. I borrow books from Athena all the time and return them by the end of the week because I ask her for about ten books. It takes my mind off things like battle does. It's a distraction." I explain and he nods.

"Did you ever finish school?" Ares asks me, patiently making ceasy conversation with me.

"Sort of. Athena finished it for me by teaching me the last of my classes. She even gave me my GED. Fun, right?" I say.

Ares chuckles. "So, being in my presence angers you further, but keeps you calm at the same time, huh?"

"Yes. I find peace in it while my only emotion wavers under your aura." I tell him.

"Interesting. War suits you." Ares looks over at me.

"It wouldn't have if I would've had a different life. Or if I was less important. I could just grieve like the others and move on and someone else would be in my shoes. But I don't want anyone else to be like me. I'm the only one who deserves it." I  say and put my hands in my pockets. We continue to walk and step into the elevator.

After a little while. "You don't deserve this fate. You used to be all sparky and cocky." Ares says.

"Only in your presence, maybe. The rest of the time I was scared out of my wits. I just wouldn't admit it at the time. Now I just don't care because I've already lost everything that could hurt me. And though I like having friends, I was a fool to befriend your children. I'll be the reason for their deaths because they chose to get involved at all with me. I'm sorry." I whisper my apology.

Ares punches me on the shoulder, hard. I wince, but don't rub it. "Shut it. My kids need friends. I've been watching them since the others died. You are the only person they interact with. That boy they assigned to be your healer asks them about you. They just walk away."

"They only interact with me because they have seen the scars I made. They did it out of guilt and pity. The guilt part I don't get. They stay with me because they feel it is their duty to watch me." I answer.

"No, they care for you, just like Poseidon does." Ares punches me again.

I glare at him. "Then they'll die for ever knowing my name!"

Ares face softens. "Kid, you're being too hard on yourself."

The elevator door opens and I storm out mumbling about how stupid gods and I are and being a demigod is idiotic. I enter the streets and walk in the direction of camp while Ares keeps pace with me. I'm still grumbling when he asks, "Why the anger at Poseidon?"

"'Do you think he is sane, my husband?'" I match my tone to Amphitrite's perfectly, freaking out Ares majorly. "'I think his mental state is deteriorating, yes. I am unsure what will happen. We keep tabs on him, never letting him leave our sight. Which isn't a problem because Athena is always giving him knowledge. But she is too obsessed with someone to teach and watch grow into a wonderful student to pay attention unless we are in a meeting.'" I mimic Poseidon. "'Father, why don't we spend as much time with him as we can. He's immortal, so the Ancient Laws for demigod children don't really apply to him anymore. Let's make him feel more like family. I'm already warming up to the idea of having a brother after all these long years.'" I copy Triton. Ares just looks at me. "I memorize every word I read and hear. It's a skill I picked up when I started reading for real. I know exactly what the throne room looks like in every detail. Annabeth never finished, but I can finish for her. I memorized her blueprints. Athena wants to bring the matter to Zeus's attention, but he is too worried about how I'm doing mentally."

"You are starting to impres me more and more." Ares says shaking his head.

"Athena thinks it would be a wonderful roject that will take my mind off of the memories for a long while since I never sleep. But when I build, I'm a maniac. I don't slow down and I don't eat until I'm done. I rebuilt all the cabins, though I don't think the gods really noticed because they were too focused on me. Iris messages popping up to watch me when they get too tired of using their powers to view me. I have no privacy." I tell him.

"Then how did they not notice you cutting?" Ares asks seriously.

"Gods have to sleep, I don't. Not to mention it's hard for them to see the figure in the darkest possible places I can find. Julie always manages to find me, though. I swear she stalks me to make sure I'm alright." I grumble.

Ares chuckles. "Lisa?"

"She makes me eat. Annoying, eating, really it's tedious." I sigh.

"Why won't you eat?" Ares asks curiously.

"Is this 'Ask Percy about his life' day or something? I don't ever feel like eating. I'm restless. I don't do much other than use weapons and guard over the camp. The college only has a few students, me being one of them. But I end up just working ahead and finishing the class. I ask Athena what she thinks of my papers. Her eyes get all sparkly when she reads them. I always write them in Latin for the Roman teachers and Greek for the Greek teachers. Julie and Lisa are two of the other students, I helped them pass their highschool classes so they could be near me. They pestered me to death until I practically made them study their butts off to graduate early." I smirk.

Ares smiles. "So my little girls are in college, eh? Thanks, kid. I know they are both supposed to be sophomores...is that what they call them?"

I nod. "Yeah. I'm almost graduated from the college. I spend my days in a tree or at the pavilion. I stay in the Poseidon cabin, which is worse than what the Athena cabin was. No one inspects it, no one cares. We just play the war games and do the lazy stuff. But I train them to their best ability. The college wants to build the school for the other ages. Which requires me. And permission from me. And manual labor by me. The Hephaestus girl will help, but I'd rather work alone. The 'seventh wheel' is what I caught Leo muttering. But now I'm just a lone wheel. Or a third if you add your kids." I shrug.

"Speaking of my kids. Percy. Stop for a second." Ares says and puts his hand on my shoulder. We stop, near the city limits already. How long have we been walking? Or were we fast-walking?

"Yes, Lord Ares?" I ask.

"Well, this may seem a little...weird. Coming from me. But I...uh...I would like you to become my son." Ares tells me.

It takes a minute to process as that offer runs through my brain. "I thought you hated me." Is all I can come up with.

"I thought I did. But really I was just ticked off that a child beat me in a duel. But, after watching you these past years, and rethinking about those memories, I realize I was just being a bitter, old soldier. And after hearing the way you care for and did care for my children, I have come to view you as one of my own." Ares says quietly.

I look at him as I think over those words and when he starts to frown at me in worry after a few minutes, I speak. "I would like that. I don't think Poseidon really trusts me all that much and I'm tired of being fussed over like a child. If I am to heal, I'll heal on my own time and with something that makes me feel better."

Ares smiles at me and he changes into Mars on accident. "You stood up to me as Mars, kid. You did it even when I was Ares at such a young age. You will be the son of Ares and Mars. I will have a third living demigod child. Immortal demigod." He switches back to Ares. "That wasn't supposed to happen. But I remember that now because of my merged aspects.

I give him a small smile as the hand on my shoulder glows red and the red light surrounds my body. Once the glow fades, I close my eyes as I feel the power rush through me. I open them to find a smiling Ares. "How come I feel so different?" I ask him.

"Not only did I claim you as my child, I gave you my blessing." Ares explains. "If being in my presence gives you peace, then my blessing will dull the grief you feel and make it easier for you to feel peace in more than just knowledge and battle."

I stare at the god of war and the dam breaks. "What?" I choke out as tears fill my eyes.

Ares looks at me stunned, then he smiles. "You can find peace now, son." His grip tightens on my shoulder.

The tears pool in my eyes and then spill over. I shake my head and look down, trying to stop them, but I've been holding back everything for too long. The blessing is making me feel again, like Julie and Lisa are sometimes able to do. "I don't-. I can't-." I shake my head again. I look at Ares, who is now Mars.

"You know, it's alright to feel. A hardened soldier doesn't live as long as a hero. And heroes have the most tragic destinies. The worst stories. Too few have found happiness and yours was ripped away from you so cruelly. Cry all you want, I won't judge you. I'll even encourage it for once." Mars says and steps closer to me. I expect him to punch me again, but instead he pulls me into a hug. My eyes widen in shock and then the dam just loses control and dissolves completely and I'm not able to stop the sobs racking my body and the noises from escaping my throat. Mars flashes us back to his palace on Olympus and we stand in the entrance hall.

"I don't...want to...feel. I...can't...take...it." I whisper into his shoulder in between sobs. Deep, heartwrenching sobs. His grip on me tightens and I just cry harder into his shoulder.

"You need to at some point. Now is better so things don't hurt you as much in the future. Get it out now." Mars whispers back.

"It hurts too much." I tell him.

"Losing so many always does. And you loved them all." Mars replies.

"They didn't deserve to die. It wasn't fair to them. So many of them were kids no older than seven and no younger than eighteen. They were too young, too much alive to die in that way. And only the un between ages survived. No veterans survived but me. I should have taken their place. I should have been taken in their places or died instead of Clarisse and Chris. I should have saved them! And I was too weak to do anything about it. Only after losing Annabeth was I able to finally go into a rage and kill that wretch of a Primordial. It's all my fault. My fault. If only I could have killed her sooner, or taken on more enemies, maybe a lot more would of come back. All the grieving parents I had to tell. All the weeping immortals. The campers practically dead inside for the first week. The nightmares I had before immortality. I couldn't stop them from happening. And I couldn't help anyone when they looked to me. I just told them that I don't feel anything anymore and they cry for me. For me. I told them not to, but they wouldn't stop sobbing until I soothed them. I'm dying inside and I can't take it that they're all gone. Everywhere I look, they aren't there. But they should be. The Fates are so cruel. I never get a break and I don't want to deal with their absence. Her absence." I get out and he just pats my back.

"It'll be alright. You've still got a few campers left and you've got Julie and Lisa." Mars tells me.

"They won't be here forever and knowing me just makes them targets for my enemies." I croak.

"Then I'll ask 'ole Thunder Head for a favor. He might see it my way if I explain it to him right." Mars whispers in my ear.

I manage to start crying harder. The void I feel lessens ever so slightly over time and after twenty minutes, Mars asks me a question. "You ready to become my champion?"

I nod my head, not trusting my voice, as I was still crying. I feel power rush into me as Mars's grip on me tightens even further and the tears just flow even more down my face as the relief of the war god enters my soul. It starts to heal the wounds I feel spiritually. And if it can't get any worse, my weeping makes me sound horrible as my feelings deepen for everything again. I can't reel it in.

"Sshhh." Mars strokes my head and I feel darkness surround me. Mars is making me sleep, but it doesn't feel like it did before with Zeus and Artemis. I feel wieghtless instead of loaded down with everything. I'm still crying when I feel myself drift off.

I almost cried myself, which is arrogant. Stupid me. I'm trying not to use the actual profanities for those who don't appreciate their use. Lol. So whenever Percy pr someone else gets mad in this story, just imagine the other words. Rick Riordan owns PJO/HOO. 'Til next chappie, my lovely readers.