Why Me?
Artemis POV
I was on a hunt with Phoebe and Thalia. We were searching for some monster, who had been spotted near our camp. I could sense a powerful being was somewhere nearby. I ran into a clearing and spotted a boy who was lying on the ground with his face in the grass and a lot of blood pouring out of him. The three of us walked slowly towards the boy. Thalia used her feet to turn the boy, so that we could see his face. When we saw who it was, we gasped.
Percy Jackson was lying unconscious on the ground.
What was he doing here? Wasn't he supposed to be snogging that Athena spawn?
"Percy!" Thalia cried. Thalia knelt near him and searched for a pulse.
I knelt next to Percy as well. His head had a huge opening from where blood was coming out like a fountain. The blood looked fresh.
"Milady, his pulse is faint, he has been hit hard on the head." Thalia said.
I sent a silent message to Apollo, to come here at once. I saw a familiar flash of of light nearby.
"Hey little sis-" Apollo casually said, but when his eyes landed on Percy he exclaimed, "WHAT HAPPENED HERE?" He knelt down next to Percy and started checking his pulse and his eyes.
"Is he okay, Apollo?" I asked him.
He shook his head. "No, he's not okay. His pulse is extremely low and he's lost three fifths of his blood. I'm taking him to my palace."
He flashed away and I stood up along with Thalia.
"Whatever. He was just a boy." Phoebe replied.
Thalia glared at Phoebe. "Yes, the boy who took the sky from our lady and who saved Olympus' ass countless times."
Phoebe glared at Thalia.
"Girls, go to camp, I will go to Mount Olympus to check what happened to Percy and find out why he was here." I told them.
But first, a quick stop at Camp Half-Blood...
They both nodded and went away.
LINE BREAK
I flashed myself to Apollo's palace and the first sight I saw was Percy lying unconscious on the bed with Apollo treating his wounds and all the other Olympian gods around him.
"Artemis? What happened?" Poseidon worriedly asked.
"I was on a hunt with my hunters Phoebe and Thalia when we saw Percy lying on the floor like this. We don't know about anything else that happened." I told him.
I glanced at Percy and felt sad about him. He was the only proper boy...no, man...to have ever lived and he is the only man who has my respect.
"How is he?" I asked Apollo.
He nodded. "He'll be awake in a couple of hours."
Zeus nodded. "Apollo, tell us when he is awake, we will find out who did this."
Apollo nodded and most of the gods flashed away. Only me, Apollo and Poseidon remained.
Apollo looked at me. "You have a theory, don't you?"
He was right. Damn it.
"I don't think a monster would have left him like this. That crack in his head looked like it was a rock nearby. Which means he was running and tripped." I said.
Apollo and Poseidon looked at me intently.
"The reason he was running means it was most likely not because of a monster, or they would have finished him off themselves. He's a high value target, they'd want to make sure he's dead. No, he'd be running because of something tragic that happened, something that sent him into a depression. According to camp, he was exiled. That wouldn't be enough; he'd still..." I trailed off as realization struck me.
"Have his parents." Poseidon whispered.
Apollo and I shook our heads sympathetically.
"She was the best damn woman to ever live, and she's dead." Poseidon murmured.
I could see tears in his eyes, and I realized that the law Zeus declared was because of him. That parents couldn't interfere directly with their kids.
Oh gods.
Poseidon went to (most likely) bury Sally's body somewhere. Apollo just shook his head; it must have pained him to see his family like this. I looked at Percy. His hair was wilder than the forest we were staying in, which only make him look more handsomer, and...
Wait, what? ARTEMIS! SOMEONE POUR A BUCKET OF WATER ON THIS WOMAN!
Ironic, because he's a son of Poseidon...
GAAAH!
Apollo came back to his senses. I gathered myself quickly.
"I'll be continuing my duties. You going to be here?" Apollo asked.
I nodded. "Yes, I will be here, Apollo."
Apollo nodded, then smirked. "Just be careful. Percy's been known to be irresistible to the ladies."
"Get out of here." I sneered.
He chuckled and exited the room. I glanced back at Percy and removed his hairs from his forehead and without thinking I started caressing his cheek. I removed my hand quickly when I came to know what I was doing.
ARTEMIS! YOU'RE A MAIDEN! YOU SWORE OFF MEN! THEY'RE PIGS!
BUT PERCY IS NOT A PIG! HE'S SO KIND AND MODEST!
I chuckled at the mental debate between my conscious and subconscious.
I took Percy's hand and intertwined our fingers, taking a seat next to his bed. His hand brought a warm feeling through me. I somehow felt more safer around him. I didn't know what was making me do all this, but it just felt right.
I placed my head on the bed and fell asleep.
LINE BREAK
Percy POV
When I woke up I felt someone's hand in mine. I opened my eyes and saw a girl with auburn hair stirring, she woke up and slowly looked up with silver eyes looking into mine.
I bowed my head "Lady Artemis."
She scowled "Percy, no need to be so formal."
She was blushing crimson red because she just realized that she was still holding hands with me. "Speak a word of this and I will castrate you."
We removed our hands and I tried to get to my feet only to fall back onto my bed because of a throbbing pain in my head.
"Percy, you are not alright, you need to rest. I will call Apollo, wait." Artemis said.
"No need." I weakly replied.
"Percy, what are you doing? You need medical help." Artemis replied, concerned.
I simply poured a bottle of water on my head, and instantly I felt rejuvinated, even it was only for a while.
I went near the medicine cabinet and pulled out a bottle of aspirin. I took two, one for the one I had now and the other I was sure to have for the council meeting Artemis or Apollo was sure to call.
Apollo flashed in the room. Silly me, it's his palace and his domain. He'd know if I was awake.
"I thought for a moment I would maybe lose my favorite cousin through amnesia or brain hemorrhage." He smiled.
"Not so easily, Apollo." I replied.
"Shall we call the council Apollo?" Artemis asked.
Apollo nodded.
Ha! Called it!
Artemis called the council and one by one the Olympians all appeared. Poseidon was the first to embrace me in a tight bone crushing hug that would make Tyson jealous.
"I'm sorry, Percy." He said as we broke apart.
I gulped a lump that was growing in my throat. I didn't want to talk about this but thank the gods...literally, Zeus saved me.
"We will speak of this in the throne room." He turned to me. "Are you able to walk nephew?"
I shook my head. "I can barely breathe from that hug Dad gave me."
Zeus smiled. "We will meet you in the throne room."
The gods all flashed away to the throne room leaving only Apollo.
He handed me a cup of nectar and a piece of ambrosia. I ate it and suddenly felt better.
"You sure you can walk?" Apollo asked me, worry clear in his tone.
I nodded. "Yes Apollo."
I stood up and found out that my pain had vanished. I walked a bit and I felt normal.
"C'mon, let's get to the throne room." Apollo said as he flashed us both to the throne room.
When I arrived in the throne room I saw a familiar sight of all the gods yelling at each other or giving me strange looks. Aphrodite was busy putting lipstick on her lips. When she saw me she winked, which made me gag. Hephaestus was making some sort of helicopter. Hermes was being chased by Ares, who was yelling colorful words at him with a massive axe in hand. Hera was talking to her brother Poseidon and Zeus was shaking his head at his family's stupidity. Hestia smiled warmly at me from her throne. She and Hades owe me; because of me they have thrones at Mount Olympus. On second thought, no, they don't owe me anything. It was long overdue. I returned her smile: Hestia was my favorite goddess along with Artemis. Dionysus was sleeping and snoring loudly on his throne. Demeter was giving Hades lectures on how he should eat his cereal regularly, while Hades had his head in his hands. And lastly Artemis, who was giving me a very strange look. I had to admit she was looking gorgeous in her 18 year old form, as far as I remembered I had never seen her in this form and she looked way more gorgeous than Aphrodite...what the hell was that?
Zeus blasted his lightning bolt in the middle of the throne room, silencing everyone immediately. I immediately faked like my ears were ringing, making painful winces.
All the gods took their seats and rolled their eyes at my antics. I felt like I would spontaneously combust with such powerful beings looking at me. I glanced at Hestia, thankfully she understood, and she lit me on fire.
Immediately Poseidon waved his hand and I was completely covered...and a layer of water was on the floor near me. Way to overreact, Dad.
I sighed and said, "Annabeth cheated on me."
Silence took over all the gods turned their eyes towards Athena, who could not believe what she heard.
"She would never do that. I know she wouldn't." Athena said confidently.
"I caught her making out with that disgusting excuse of humanity named Darren." I replied.
"I am going to slaughter that kid. He's not my child, he was always a spoiled brat." Poseidon angrily said.
"Too late. I already skewered him. But in a way, he opened my eyes. I now realize I was in love with a power-hungry whore who was supposed to be wise."
"But why did you run away and why were you in the forest?" Hestia asked.
I took a deep breath. "My parents were murdered."
"Do not make him relive that. It was horrifying news for me and it must have killed him to hear it the first time." Poseidon said.
"Do you know who did it, at least?" Hestia asked.
I shook my head. "I don't know, I found them both dead in their apartment after I ran from camp."
Poseidon's body glowed sea green with power. "Whoever did this will face my wrath. I will drag them into the seas, give him my blessing, and make him immortal. Then I will torture him for eternity until he loses the will to live and fades away." All the gods flinched at the tone that Poseidon was using, he was no one to make empty threats. Everyone knows that Poseidon can be a much more dangerous enemy than Zeus.
Zeus was looking at Poseidon with pity. "We will brother, together." Poseidon nodded gratefully at his brother. No matter how much they fight, both of them love each other and would sacrifice their immortality for the other, if they have to.
Zeus looked back at me. "Anything else, nephew?" He kindly asked. Even though Zeus wasn't known for being kind, he knew that his brother and favourite nephew had lost someone they loved.
The rest of the council, however, looked at him like he had grown two more heads.
I shook my head. "No, uncle."
Zeus nodded. "Where will you go now?"
I pondered on this. I could not just go back to the place where everyone just threw me away like I was yesterday's trash. I was exiled. I couldn't go back to my mother's apartment because that would bring back sad memories.
"Honestly speaking uncle, I don't really know." I replied.
Zeus looked thoughtful, then he turned his eyes towards Artemis and gestured for her to come and talk to him. Artemis went and they started conversing. They both seemed to be arguing, with Artemis scowling, gosh she looks cute when she scowls...
SHE'S THE GODDESS ARTEMIS! DO YOU WANT TO HAVE A BAD TIME, PERCY?
But she was holding my hand when we were both sleeping!
ENOUGH!
Zeus told her something to which she finally agreed and they both turned back at me and Zeus gestured for me to come forward.
I went and stood opposite to a angry looking Artemis and a.. was that pity in Zeus's eyes?
"Perseus, I have decided that you be with the hunters as their guardian. Artemis has already agreed with it." Zeus told me.
Oh, HELL no. I'd rather die. Well, maybe if I'm lucky...
I had these files saved on my computer for the first three chapters.
~ ApexSack
