Ares smirked. "So you finally learned. Took you long enough, little brother." Because he knew that little snub pissed off Apollo to no end, and Ares was just itching for an excuse to take him down a peg or two. Seeing if he could goad Apollo just a little farther, he started sauntering towards Dawn.

Dawn, both typically and uncharacteristically, mimicked her father and aimed her arrow at Ares.

"I've already had to fend of Eros before," she said. "Don't even." Although she felt that she suddenly, completely understood Nika and could see the family resemblance very clearly now.

Ares laughed quietly, looking at her and pulling his sunglasses down just enough that he could wink at her with the eye that Apollo couldn't see from his position.

"What's the matter, girlie?"

"I know better, too," Dawn retorted, inwardly wincing at how much like her father she sounded in that moment. But there was also a second meaning under there: she knew better than to trust him, and she knew better than to trust the words he said. "And I suddenly sympathize with Nika completely."

Ares snorted and kept walking towards her. "Well, well. Learning from my girl now are you?"

"Enough so that I won't feel the least bit bad about the next fifteen seconds or so," Dawn replied casually. She'd Seen what was about to happen, but really, it didn't take a prophet to know.

Ares grinned and stopped in front of her, using one finger to push her bow to the side, slowly, until it was aimed at Apollo again. "Now you may feel free to fire, girlie."

And an arrow did indeed get fired--by Apollo instead of Dawn. Because he was sick of listening to his brother, and Ares deserved to be shot anyways. And neither father nor daughter felt the least bit bad about it.

Ares grinned and pulled the arrow out of his shoulder again, looking at Apollo with faintly glowing eyes. "You should know better, little brother," he said, his voice quiet as he advanced on Apollo. Because Apollo was about to have the shit beaten out of him.

"I think now would be a good time to leave," Seth muttered to Dawn.

"But I want to see this," Dawn whispered back. "He's about to beat my old man into the dirt." And she didn't want to miss out on that.

Seth snorted and shook his head.

Ares paused and looked back at her. "You've got one minute of immunity, kid," he said. But only because he didn't feel like beating her and Nika too. Then he turned his attention back to Apollo and started beating his little brother into the ground.

Dawn snorted and took a few steps back, ready to bolt if she needed to. Because again, she knew better. She didn't quite trust him ever, even when he was being tolerably helpful.

Ares paused in bashing Apollo's face in after about forty-five seconds had passed and he looked back at the two, looking more homocidal than normal.

"And that is our cue to leave." Seth grabbed Dawn's arm and tugged.

"Already on it," Dawn replied, turning to hightail it back down to the real world. She was pleased, though, at least a little. Someone beat her father into the ground for her, practically.

Ares turned back to his little brother to finish what he'd started.

Seth was very glad when they were back in the real world. He had information, they weren't being threatened by angry gods, and so far the world hadn't fallen apart yet. Life was... getting better.

Dawn had her car waiting within walking distance when they reached the real world again.

"Sorry I didn't get there sooner," she said after a moment. "I tried to get there before he threatened to shoot you."

"It's okay. I'm just glad you showed up at all. I don't really actually want to get shot." Seth sighed as he headed towards her car. His car was only a few blocks away, so he'd have to go pick it up before they left the area.

"I wouldn't let him," Dawn replied. "I promise."

Seth smiled. "Thanks." He stopped by her car. "You mind giving me a lift back to my car?"

"Sure," Dawn replied. She unlocked the car so he could get in. "Where did you park?"

"Couple blocks over in a long-term parking structure," Seth said, nodding in the correct direction.

Dawn nodded and started driving in that direction.

"I suddenly feel like I understand Nika better now," she said after a moment.

"Yeah. I can understand that. I don't know how she deals with him. Ever." Seth shivered briefly. Ares creeped him right the hell out, and he'd be perfectly happy to never have to deal with that particular god again.

"They beat on each other," Dawn replied. "I've seen it. She'll pick a fight with him, I think it's how they say hello."

"Yeah, I'll leave them to that and just stay out of the way." Seth shook his head. He only understood a little bit better, and that didn't mean it improved his opinion of Ares any.