A/N: "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" fanfic here. I just read the new series, which got me thinking, so yeah…Anyway, OC fic as usual, and also as usual, edited by the awesome Ozuchi-Kozuchi.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Percy Jackson series or anything affiliated with it. I do however own Duo!
"Let us see what our minotaur friends are up too," I murmured to myself, crouched in the limbs of a tree, using the dense foliage. I looked through my binoculars….sorry, magic binoculars (given to me by dear Aunt Artemis) at the minotaur hunting party, who just happened to be hunting me! Fun~… Oh, yeah, by the way, my name is Duo Gale. A Son of Apollo.
The minotaurs stopped suddenly, and started sniffing the breeze. "Crap," I groaned as I stretched my stiff muscles. "Time to go," I tensed my muscles and leaped across the air to another tree. "Oh shi-!" I swore as I missed the branch I'd been aiming for. I desperately grabbed at branches, trying to slow my fall. I landed flat on my back, gasping as the breath was pushed from my lungs. "Ow," I moaned, rubbing the back of my head. I looked up only to freeze, realizing I was surrounded.
"Don't move boy," growled a girl I recognized to be a Hunter of Artemis.
"Wait don't shoot," I warned, sticking out my hand towards the bow drawn at me. I winced as I hit the arrow head, drawing blood. Dang it, I thought, Now my scent is stronger…
"Why?" asked the Hunter, her voice deliberately icy.
" 'Cause I'm related to your leader?" I said hopefully.
"Not good enough," the various Hunters said in unison. The girl gave me a half-hearted shrug, tightening the grip on her bow, preparing to fire.
"And being chased by minotaurs!" I exclaimed, already able to feel the slight vibration in the ground signaling their approach.
"What?" she asked, raising her bow, looking around cautiously.
"You heard me," I said, taking her distraction to kissing the ring on my right hand. My bow and quiver of arrows appeared. I quickly hooked the quiver to my back and drew an arrow, pulling myself up to stand by the alert Hunters. The minotaurs were now in view. "Well, are going to stand there and get trampled, or shoot?"
Their leader gave me a glare before barking out: "Fire!" A volley of arrows went zinging towards the herd of half-men. The minotaurs leading the charge were hit dead on, a few falling where the stood. Seeing they were now outnumbered and outclassed, those remaining turned and fled with little urging.
"Whew, that was close," I sighed, returning my weapons to the ring. I turned to face the hunters, smiling. "And thanks to you lovely ladies I'm ali-woah there!" I shouted, face to face with about 10 arrows.
"Down on the ground," the first Hunter said, sounding bored.
"Great," I grumbled, the side of my head being pressed into the dirt as the tied my hands, and none to gently…
-0_0-
"We're back," one of the Hunters called as we got back to camp.
"You know, I love how you make guests feel at home," I commented sarcastically, tied upside down to a stick like a wild pig.
"Thaila, what did you find," Artemis walked up, looking bemused.
"Hey Auntie," I smiled.
"Duo?" She frowned slightly. "Do I even want to know what you're doing here?"
"Oh the usual. Tracking down monsters, making sure they don't attack young demigods…normal Tuesday," I replied nonchalantly.
"Untie him," she ordered, now grinning.
"Try and be careful!" I asked, falling on the ground.
-0_0-
"How long have you been scouting?" Artemis asked, as we ate dinner in her tent.
"Since the Titan War in New York," I replied. I bit into some kind of meat. I was so hungry I didn't really care. It was good!
"I thought you were suppose to the new counselor of your cabin at Camp Half-Blood after what happened to Michael?" she mused.
"Nah. I do so much scouting for Chiron, I didn't want to take it. I gave the spot to Will. He was next in line, since he's the oldest," I replied shrugging.
"Artemis, the Hunters and I are having a campfire gathering, and I thought our guest might like join us," The Hunter, Thaila said, lifting the tent flap.
"In a minute Thalia, I'm almost done catching up," Artemis replied.
"Alright," she left, looking at me curiously.
"So…what's her story? She wasn't here last time I was at your camp…" I asked quietly.
"Last time you were at one of my camps was when you met me 8 years ago, before my brother claimed you," she said wryly. "I doubt you remember much from back then."
"Yeah, but that doesn't answer my question," I replied, drinking my luke-warm tea.
"She's Zeus daughter ," Artemis watched for my reaction and almost ended up with a face full of tea.
"Pfft! Wait, what? I thought she was a tree!" I spluttered, tea dripping off my chin.
"You didn't know?"
"I've been scouting for a while… When Luke was takin' over, I was out keeping an eye on his army," I replied, looking for a napkin.
Artemis sighed, before grabbing my face and wiping off my chin. I scrunched up my nose. "Now go. Not all of them hate men," she made a shoeing motion with her hands.
"All right," I grumbled, exiting the tent.
-0_0-
"So what's your story? Artemis usually doesn't care for her nephews," one of the Hunters asked. We were all seated around a large bonfire. A few of the girls eyed me with suspicion or dislike, but a few looked curious.
"Well, eight years ago-when is six- I didn't really like this, excuse my language but douche that my mom married. So I ran away. I ended up meeting a monster. I didn't know I was a Demi-God back then and was considerably freaked. It had me cornered, then Artemis saved me took me. She told me what I was and took me to Camp Half-Blood. I guess she took a liking to me, because she taught me how to scout, hunt, everything you guys can do basically." I thought for a moment, glad no one had interrupted me yet. "So in a way, I'm like an Apollo-Artemis hybrid," I grinned.
"Oh my gods! That was you! I remember you. You were so little when we found you," one of the Hunters exclaimed. It sounded like she'd been a Valley girl at one time. "You were so cute and tiny!" She cooed. I glared at the "tiny" part.
"Well…we're heading back to Camp Half-Blood tomorrow. You're free to stay the night and join us in the morning," Thaila said.
"Sure, thanks," I replied.
" 'Cept we have no extra tents," she smiled sheepishly.
"I'm used to it," I shrugged.