Note, this story is just to allow me to take a break from my other stories, but I really do have to comment these stories are not easy. Leave the reading writers alone...they do a lot

Now, I did something risky, but different, for this chapter, that I don't think any book reading fic has done before...it probably sucks but its an experiment you see

And note, that this story will have a lot of throw in jokes and references to my stories, mostly the Percy Jackson ones. Note, one of them is M rated, your know which one I mean when you hear the comment

"Birth" Apollo began

"Good...I can finally understand WHY I HAVE A SON!"

"Midas…coming from the ancient Greek meaning be careful what you wish for."

"He is quite intelligent" Athena noted as Artemis smiled at her son's intelligence

"Be serious, Armani, do you want to hear the story or not?"

I sighed drearily, I'm sure he was going somewhere with this, "Fine. Midas, former king of Pessinus: discovered the Satyr schoolmaster of Dionysus and so treated him with hospitality for ten days and nights after he had gotten lost. On the eleventh day he was then returned to Dionysus himself who in return granted Midas the power to turn everything he touched into gold as his chosen reward. Something which, I might add, was somewhat short-sighted of both him and the god, as he then went on to turn everything he touched, including his own daughter, into gold."

"ITS NOT MY FAULT!" Dionysus snapped

"When he says it like that..." Hermes frowned

"I don't like your son" Dionysus muttered to himself...but Artemis heard him...

Oddly enough, Armani was not affected by the resulting sounds of pain, he actually clapped a few times as Artemis savaged Dionysus

"Your sure he isn't yours?" Zeus quickly whispered to Ares

Apollo inclined his head. "Carry on."

I sighed again, obviously I hadn't hit the mark yet. "After realizing his horrible mistake and the obvious problem of being unable to eat,

"That is a good point" Demeter frowned

he prayed to Dionysus to undo the wish. Dionysus, in his infinite wisdom and kindness, told him how to remove it: by bathing in the River Pactolus. After which Midas became a devout follower of Pan in repentance for his ways."

"Its an accurate, if opinionated Synopsis, that tone sounds like something the sea spawn would say" Athena commented

Artemis didn't attack because comparing her son to Percy was not an insult, to her

I noticed Apollo had his eyes narrowed at me. "What?"

"You speak as if it was all the fault of the gods. Dionysus didn't make the wish, he only granted it."

"EXACTLY!" Dioynsus moaned in pain

"He could've at least showed Midas where the off switch was."

"Then he wouldn't have really learned anything, now, would he?"

"Tell that to his daughter!"

"Its a tragedy, but it had to be that way, stupid mortal" Hera scoffed as Artemis frowned

'Okay, now I am starting to see why Luke went that way...and why I need to make sure Armani won't'

Apollo groaned. "Just keep going."

I rolled my eyes and continued, "Of course, then comes the next thing he was most famous for. At one point he was present when his new god chose to have the Olympian equivalent of a jamming session and-" I froze in mid-sentence; I had a sinking suspicion as to where this was going.

"So do I" Artemis growled as Apollo frowned

I narrowed my eyes at the sun god.

Apollo looked somewhat bewildered. He was trying to play innocent and, to be honest, was failing dramatically. "What?"

I frowned deeply but never took my eyes off him as I spoke. "—and he dared to give a certain deity some constructive criticism. Said deity, in return, gave him a pair of donkey ears."

Apollo looked quick to rant, so as if to point it out, Hermes grabbed the book and read, sounding like a fast forwarded recording

Apollo slammed his fist

into the coffee table with such force it burst into ash.

Now back at normal speed, he spoke in tangent with Apollo

"Constructive criticism? He couldn't have been more insolent if he hit me over the head with my own lyre! Just because he was a follower of Pan he tried to humiliate me in front of everyone present, including Tmolus, who hadkindly taken time off for the day to play umpire! There's such a thing as supporting your own team and then there's just being plain rude!"

Everyone blinked and laughed, as Apollo blushed and took the book back

That's the thing about gods; insults tend to stay fresh in their memories millennia later.

"What? We are gods, mortals must never question us!" Zeus ranted

I raised one auburn eyebrow. "Look me in the eyes, uncle, and tell me you didn't overreact just a tad."

Apollo froze. "You called me uncle…

"And remember, if he dies, he will never call you that...and probably won't" Artemis said harshly as Apollo flinched as he recalled the ultimatium

But anyways, no. I think it was a perfectly fitting and wonderfully poetic piece of justice dispersed by yours truly."

There was no talking to a god who was convinced he was right.

"WE ARE ALWAYS RIGHT!"

"No we are not" Poseidon pointed out as his brother turned on him

"YES WE ARE!"

"Typhon"

"THAT DOES NOT..."

"Kronos"

'WILL YOU SHUT..."

"Hummers"

"HUMMERS ROCK!" Ares yelled

"They are gas guzzling monstrosities" Athena sighed

"You just agreed with Poseidon" Hermes pointed out

They exchanged looks

"You didn't see anything

"Yes, yes, and from there on his life took a bit of a downturn: he couldn't live with them so he wore huge turbans and other large headdresses to disguise their presence.

"A fate worse than death" Aphrodite shivered

How he continued to hear bewilders me. Anyway; the only person who knew was his hairdresser, who was sworn to secrecy. But even he couldn't keep such a juicy bit of gossip to himself so he dug a hole, whispered the secret that 'King Midas has donkey-ears' into it and covered it up. However, mysteriously, reeds then grew in that exact spot and whispered those words over and over to all who passed." I turned back to Apollo.

As Artemis began to have her own comment, Apollo read on himself

"I couldn't imagine who orchestrated that feat of absurdity."

She blinked, glared at Apollo, looked at her son with a smile, then glared back at Apollo

'Is it...that time of the month?' Hermes wondered

Apollo merely shrugged. "Persephone owed me a favor."

"Couldn't you have just left him alone? You'd already condemned him to a life of terrible head accessories."

Artemis looked at her son with a frown "Do not turn into Aphrodite's spawn my son"

"HEY! THAT IS A VALID TORTURE!"

"...Sure..." Artemis said sarcastically

It was more a statement of exasperation than an actual question, so I didn't expect a decent answer in response and neither did I wait for one. "But I don't see what Midas has to do with anything; he's quite literally ancient history."

Artemis's eyes now resembled a deer in the headlights, as did Athena

I noticed Apollo shift nervously, an odd sight to see on a god. "Not quite ancient history; he did make a little ripple a few years back."

Now they were catching on, even Dionysus

I gritted my teeth. "And how long, pray tell, is a 'few years'?" I had a damn sure idea what the answer was.

"Armani, don't swear" she told her son, who nodded

He was looking even more nervous now, "Hmm, about fifteen, maybe sixteen."

I felt the emotion drain from my face, I had a feeling before my uncle was finished explaining himself I was going to be very, very angry. "Are you implying-" Apollo cut me off with a raised hand.

"It's…complicated."

"YOU WILL EXPLAIN, YOU SUNSPOT!"

"HEY! THAT HURTS!"

"Um, what's a sunspot?" Dionysus asked

"A black spot on a sun..." Athena began...

"A sun's zit" Hermes finished

"I'm all ears, Apollo."

"A pun?"

"Small one."

"Anyway, as you might have guessed, Midas died alone, disgraced and cursing all the gods who had made his life a living hell."

"Not entirely unjustified, but carry on," I felt I had to interject.

"DON'T ACT LIKE JACKSON! WE DO NOT NEED ANOTHER ONE!"

"I beg to differ" Poseidon said out loud

Apollo sighed and went on, "Anyway, next thing you know he's cursing the gods all the way through the underworld check-in area and…Well… he kind of made a somewhat derogatory remark that disputed Lord Hades' ability to sire any more half-bloods, which was overheard by a kindly one passing overhead and…"

I groaned. "Let me guess: Fields of Punishment?"

"He was frisked down and hauled off faster than you can say jackass."

"NO SWEARING IN FRONT OF MY SON!"

"STOP YELLING AT ME! " Apollo cried

"THAT IS WHAT YOU GET FOR KEEPING MY SON FROM ME!"

"And that was the end of Midas…or not?"

Apollo nodded silently, "This is where our story begins…"

"Proceed." to be honest I was getting tired and somewhat impatient.

Artemis quite agreed

"Right, just a moment, I have to set the mood…" And with that his lyre appeared out of thin air. I breathed a sigh as he began to play. "There once was a king named Midas-"

"NO!" Armani yelled in a kid like fashion as Apollo paled

"That was his first word..."

"And it was a sensible choice..." Artemis smiled as she looked at her son "Whenever a stranger, or Apollo, tries to talk to you or give you any advice or something...just say no"

"HEY, I CAN GIVE GOOD ADVICE..."

"No"

The gods all laughed

"STOP!" I snapped.

Apollo glanced up, "What?"

"You're not singing the story of my birth. You can play your little harp-"

"-Lyre!"

"What's the difference?" Ares muttered

"Whatever. But no singing and in the name of Gaia herself, no rhyming!"

They all frowned at that last one

"THE ARTEMIS SPAWN IS WITH GAEA!"

"Aphrodite...call my son that again, and I will..."

"Will what!"

Just then, a little paper note fell down from above, and was caught by Hermes

""Aphrodite, beware, ticked off Artemis's are known to remove people's hearts with their bare hands and melt them like candle wax...Earth 1209 in my travels"

Aphrodite paled as she thought of that

"P.S, Apollo also got beheaded"

"Stupid Taisune"

I did notice he looked quite dejected at that; after all, songs and stories were his thing. I breathed another sigh, "Actually I'd really like you to keep playing, so do it as you talk."

"Ah...he's nice" Apollo smiled

"I blame you" Artemis said dryly "Armani, you never can be nice to Apollo"

"HEY! WHAT DOES THAT MEAN!"

"Daphne..." she said simply as Apollo frowned

He seemed happy with that, and in truth I sort of did always like his music.

"Apollo, stop corrupting my son!" if this book showed him in a strip club, Apollo would loose an arm!

He nodded and began to strum on his lyre, the music washing over me like a warm blanket. "Okay, now just relax, listen to the music and look deeply into my eyes."

Artemis growled at Apollo like a feral animal

"I DIDN'T MEAN LIKE THAT!"

"I asked you to tell a story, not try and seduce me." He didn't respond with anything but an angry glare. It made me shudder slightly and led me to assume this was important.

"It is" Athena confirmed as she took out a notepad. At the odd looks, she frowned "Lets just assume Armani is the only kid of Artemis ever to be born...I want first hand notes on it"

"He is...right Apollo"

He nodded, having checked for that. Though something he had found about a, Project Trojan worried him

So I looked, and in there I saw images, dancing with the music and running into my head like a river. I suddenly realized I couldn't look away.

His voice was ghostly and almost musical, as if he were pushing his own mental images into my head, using the tune as a path.

"As I was saying, this is the tale of Midas' vengeance upon the gods, or to be more precise…on me."

"I knew it…" I muttered without breaking eye contact. Apollo cursed something in one of the older Greek dialects, and without another word, began his tale.

-Flashback-

The image of a huge cavern with an ominous dark pit at its centre flowed to life as Apollo spoke to the entranced half-blood.

"Great, its Hades" Demeter frowned "Persephone doesn't deserve that"

It all began here, in Tartarus. As you know the lord of time was slowly extending his influence outside of the pit for years before he finally made his move; twisting and manipulating the minds of others. If anything, everything that follows is merely a result of that influence simply testing it's own limits to prepare for what was to come.

What does Kro-

Do not invoke his name, Armani, even now.

Fine, okay; what does…Voldemort have to do with Midas?

Hermes and Apollo burst out laughing as they all looked confused. Of course, lets not forget that the first book only just came out

However, they stopped laughing as 7 new books came down, as Zeus had a look of alarm

"NOT MORE BOOKS!" Athena checked the title

"No...its just more Harry Potter books, from the future..." with a note of them

From, Taisune

"Does the mortal have anything better to do than annoy us!"

I'm getting to that, as you know Midas was here- The image shifted to a man in a desolate place. People were screaming and moaning in desperation, each going through what appeared to be very personalized methods of torture. This is-

I can guess.

Right, anyways, take a look-the image shifted and focused on a man in tattered and muddied robes; the remnants of a turban were haphazardly wrapped around his head in a vain and unsuccessful attempt to hide a pair of donkey ears. He seemed to be in the desperate process of running to a well with a bucket, running back, and trying to empty the contents of it over a large statue of some sort; but the bucket was solid gold and so were the contents; all around the area were littered golden cylinders, obviously formed from the water frozen to gold. He would then, sobbing, run back to the well, lower it down and, when he pulled it up, it was wood once again. He would then rush hurriedly back to the statue but by the time he reached it the bucket and water were gold once again. Armani watched as he would occasionally try simply hurling the water from the well side, but it always stopped just short. The image arched to show the statue for a moment; it was gold, in the shape of a beautiful young girl in frozen flowing robes, her arms extended as if to hug something.

"Do we really need to see Hades's little projects?" Aphrodite frowned

Is that…

Yes, that's Midas' daughter… And also his torment. The well contains a never-ending spring of water from the River Pactolus. Hades had his golden touch restored and made irreversible and set him the task of restoring his frozen daughter by means of the well water using only that bucket.

"Okay, Hades really needs to get a life" Demeter frowned "Why my Persephone is stuck with him..."

"You know, I should just grab the book and leave" Artemis commented to Armani, who seemed to nod. She did not like her family

Speaking of family...which hunter should be Armani's godmother? (Eh...besides herself)

Harsh. But why doesn't he just give up?

Because then he would expose himself to every other horror the fields have to offer, the only protection he has is to continue the task set to him by Hades, for all eternity, or at least until Hades forgives him.

So…for all eternity then.

"To be fair...we're all like that" Athena pointed out

"NO WE ARE NOT!"

"What about that Cabbage merchant who ran over your foot in China 350 years ago...you made him immortal and destroy his cart at least once every season?" Demeter frowned at the produce genocide

"HE DESERVES IT!"

Yes… But the pathetic, weeping form of Midas froze, bucket overhead, and began glancing around. Then he simply looked to the side, as if someone were whispering something conspiratorial in his ear. In fact a small mumbling could indeed be heard in the air around him.

I'm assuming this is Darth Vader doing his thing.

Hermes and Apollo burst out laughing, as Artemis paled in fear.

Her son was made to watch Star Wars...her poor baby

Well, yes. Keep in mind I wasn't actually there. This is just a simulation taken from witness accounts from various souls and creatures who were witness and then given my own interpretation.

So this isn't actually what happened as much as it is what you THINK happened.

No, this all happened! I've just taken everything and put it together for family viewing. Haven't you ever seen one of those crime shows, you know, with all the reconstructions?

"Yes" Athena commented

I did say, after all, that it was the story of how you came about, not the CCTV recording of it.

Accepted, moving on.

The image shifted as the form of Midas, as if in a daze, began to limp slowly away from his well-beaten back and forth path. A hellhound trotted in front of him and Midas froze. He then began mouthing something, and a second later the dog sat on its belly as Midas climbed on its back and muttered something again. The hound shot off like lightening across the fields, with Midas on its back.

"Reminds me of that Japanese movie, with the wolves" Hermes joked

What did he do?

I cannot be sure, but people say he said something in one of the oldest of the old dialects that even I know not of and the beast simply bent to his will.

More of…My great grandfather's doing?

"I liked Voldemort and Vader better"

Words that old could only have come from the depths of the pit and it's not the last of the spells the Lord of Time gave to him; watch-again the image shifted, this time to the edge of the pit of Tartarus; Midas stood on the edge, his arms spread out as if waiting for something to embrace him. A heavy murmuring was in the air, chanting. It was all part of the deal, I assume. Suddenly Midas began to change. His tattered robes regained their color and fixed themselves and his body fattened up until he was as well-toned as a thirty-year-old and his skin a healthy, rich color. And this must've been the icing on the cake- Slowly Midas removed his hat and began to fearfully pat his head, which was now minus the donkey ears. Obviously elated he began to shamelessly dance a jig on the edge of Tartarus.

"You know, I will do the same if you cost my son his life, Apollo, when I throw you in" Artemis said with a cold severity as Apollo gulped loudly

What happened?

The Titan Lord transformed him into a shade; a sort of living dead, powerful stuff. Creates a sort of temporary shell that allows a soul to exist outside of the underworld without, you know, dissolving into dust. But at a price, of course.

Which is?

The instant a shade leaves the underworld it can never return; also, should the shade's shell be destroyed, the soul crumbles along with it. It never ages, never changes, but it is essentially a jazzed-up walking bottle for holding a soul… A temporary bottle.

He seems happy especially for someone who just set a time limit on their existence.

The gods at least had trouble understanding why someone would just want to fade...what do you expect they are gods

Armani, however, didn't understand and was currently hugging a deer plushie that Artemis had made at some point

Hmm…well, he was a broken man anyway, and to get to choose between a temporary reprieve, revenge and then sweet oblivion or continuing his eternal damnation, it must've been an easy choice to make…

The Gods still didn't really feel like they could, or wanted to, understand

Suddenly the elated Midas stopped his celebrations, listening, as if something had shouted angrily in his ear. An evil smile spread slowly across his face and he nodded and seconds later there was more murmuring. An instant after that the form of Midas shimmered and vanished. Before you ask, I don't know, this was old stuff he was using from before I was even born and was given my dominion. I can only assume it was some kind of banishing technique used specifically for getting rid of shades from the underworld.

"I would agree with your hypothesis" Athena nodded

And you know this how?

There were no records of Midas attempting to break out of Hades through the main entrance. Charon may be the most disgruntled worker in the underworld but I'm sure he would've kept a note of something like a shade hijacking his boat

Makes sense, so where do we pick him up next?

Well here's the problem, and so what happens up until the important bit is a bit of extrapolation, so excuse the blurry pictures and stuff because I'm working only on assumption here.

You mean you're making it up!

I am not,

"Yes you are!"

"No I am not!"

and I'll explain why later.

The image shifted to Midas, this time wearing a contemporary black business suit and talking to a blank-faced figure across a table.

And this is?

All we know is this person had to be pure of heart and essence or else it never would've worked. I've tried to figure out who it was but there was simply never enough information.

Artemis frowned...something seemed off here

What wouldn't have worked?

This. There was suddenly murmuring again in that old language and a small transparent crystal appeared in Midas' hand, surrounded by Mist. The other man reached out as if to shake Midas' hand, unaware of the item in the shade' other palm, which Midas grasped. Suddenly, he pulled the shadowy man towards him and, crystal in hand, drove it into the man's chest.

There was a spray of blood and his mouth opened in a soundless scream as a blinding blue light engulfed the area around the wound. Tendrils of that blue light spiraled from around the man's body and down around the crystal. The horror continued as the man's face turned pale, then ashen white and, seconds later, he erupted into a cloud of dust and bones, his business suit falling crumpled to the floor. Midas held in his outstretched hand that crystal. Only now it was pulsing with a beautiful blue light.

All the gods, save Ares, looked sick

He looked exited

Artemis, while disgusted with that, was at least glad that, now that she fully understood what had happened, that Midas, or Kronos, was not the father

W-what happened to him?

Isn't it obvious? Midas killed him. That crystal absorbed the very essence of his life and condensed it down into that form. He probably didn't need to take all of it, just a small portion, but I guess he wanted to be sure.

And how do you know he took that much?

I estimated that based on how much was released when I first saw it that it could've only been a person's complete essence. If it's any consolation the poor guy's soul wouldn't have been destroyed, and since only a pure essence would do I'd hedge my bets that whoever he was, he's living it up in Elysium right now.

"Uh...do you think we can run a background check"

"No" Artemis said clearly at Hermes. If they did...a certain cow bitch and dove bitch would try to put him with that man's mortal family

She would not allow that

Living it up?

You know what I mean. Now shut up, this is the important bit.

Sure ignore the dead guy… Wonder how Midas got so close to someone who was 'pure'? I doubt they'd get along.

Well he was a king, and if the shade was him restored to his prime, well, I'd bet he'd have all the cunning of a politician. Or perhaps our dead friend was just a trusting, pure sort of guy.

"A rarity" Artemis frowned

You mean a moron.

Don't speak ill of the dead, Armani. And like I said, shut up and pay attention.

"DO NOT TELL MY SON TO SHUT UP!"

Fine.

Again the image in Apollo's and Armani's mind changed. This time it showed a hilltop looking over the seas on a perfect moonlit night. A stone alter stood at its top, adorned with a tablecloth and various food and drinks. Scattered about the hill were the Hunters of Artemis, obviously enjoying themselves. Lady Artemis herself was visible on the edge of the clearing, speaking happily to a girl with a silver circlet on her head.

What are they celebrating?

The annual solar eclipse of 1994.

"About 3 years ago..." Athena confirmed

Annual eclipse? Aren't those practically invisible?

"We can see it" Artemis confirmed

"As can Khonsu"

"Do not bring HIM up Hermes!"

It's purely symbolic. Honestly, any excuse to play in the woods.

And this is another 'simulation'?

Nope, this is all first person. I'm actually watching this through a pair of enchanted binoculars.

"APOLLO!"

"WHAT!"

And you were doing this why?

Merely performing my duties as a dedicated big brother.

"NO YOU ARE STALKING ME!"

You mean you were spying on her.

I was not. As a matter of fact, I knew I had to be present on this night.

Oh? And how might that be?"

Hello? God of Prophecy here, I thought we'd met. It's not often I get a clear prophecy that involves me directly. I saw an image of my sister in trouble tonight and I knew I was involved somehow. And so here I am.

Moving right along.

Right, watch this bit.The image focused as the Hunters, suddenly spooked, went for their blades as a dark figure strode calmly out of the forest and into the middle of the group. Within seconds he was surrounded. Arrows and sword points aplenty were at his throat.

Midas? Moth- Artemis should've sensed him coming, though!

Artemis smiled slightly, he nearly called her mother

Shh! Shade, remember; not a part of nature.The image zoomed in as the brown haired girl with the circlet approached him.

"The Lady Artemis demands you identify yourself and why you would dare to violate her encampment," she said coldly.

Midas gave an extravagant bow, a warm smile on his face, "I am but a humble messenger who has been tasked on this wonderful night to purvey a token of appreciation from the wife of my Lord Hades."

"Why did I ever listen to him?"

Artemis herself spoke up. "I sense nothing within you. What in the name of the Underworld are you?"

"But a mere shade, great lady Artemis. I am here merely to convey the appreciation of my lady Persephone for your services to the nature she yearns for during the winter months."

"And why, pray, did she not come in person?"

Midas' smile didn't falter. "She begs your forgiveness, my lady, for she was indisposed."

"SHE WAS STUCK WITH THAT BAST..."

"DEMETER! NO SWEARING NEAR MY SON!"

"Oh? In what way?"

"It is not for me to either know or say. I know only a shade or a god could have delivered this particular token."

Artemis' eyes narrowed at Midas, "Very well, shade, show me this gift."

Midas extended his hand and opened it; within was the blue crystal containing the stolen life force. Artemis nodded to the girl at her side, who then approached to take it. Midas suddenly cupped his hand over the crystal and cradled it towards himself like it was the most precious thing in the world. He immediately took on a submissive posture. "Forgive me Lady Artemis, but should this be touched by any living being, even an immortal huntress, they would surely be destroyed. It would surely be a great tragedy to be responsible for the death of one so noble." He gave a respectful nod to the girl with the circlet before turning back to Artemis. "It contains pure energy to help you with your duties, and cannot be touched by any other but yourself."

"Is that so?"

Midas was groveling very convincingly by now. "I pray you let me approach and present this token so my task may be completed and this worthless form can at last return to his rest."

Don't tell me she'd be so stupid as to-

"Okay, I'll admit this was not my best moment...I admit I..."

"Used drugs!"

"NO! I will admit, however...I may have had a drink or two"

"SIS! YOU ARE UNDERAGE!"

"APOLLO, I AM OVER 3000 YEARS OLD, I CAN DRINK WHEN I WANT TO...and unlike some people" She glared at Dionysus "I don't drink so much I go after wood nymphs...just enough to loosen up and ignore the dying wild" she said sadly

"And the fact that hunting is becoming obsolete, like you" Aphrodite grinned as the entire room went quiet

"Aphrodite...your favorite fashion designer just got mauled by wild animals" Artemis said cooly

"NO! YOU FIEND!"

"Very well, you may approach."

Zeus' beard. She's not the brightest deity is she?

Zeus rose an eyebrow at the comment

It's not entirely her fault; she could probably sense the energy in that thing and she could definitely sense he was dead. Anyways, keep watching; this is it.

Midas approached Artemis reverently, her Hunters having backed away at her command. He stopped a foot from her, hand extended. Artemis extended her own to take the gem when she was suddenly grasped by Midas with his other and dragged forward.

He crushed the crystal in his palm. A blue orb of energy swarmed about his hand, and he thrust into the goddess' lower chest.

There was no blood. Instead there was a burst of golden light as Artemis' essence was torn open. It engulfed the blue light. Artemis' mouth was open as if she was screaming. The hunters were trying to aim their bows, but were having difficulty, as they dared not look into the exposed section of Artemis lest the sight of her destroy them. One had stepped forward to grab Midas but was repelled through the air by a thread of gold and blue energy, the shockwave sending the other Hunters hurtling to the ground.

After a second Midas tore his hand free and Artemis staggered back a step, her hand on her uninjured chest.

In Midas' hand, where once was a small swirl of energy the size of a lemon, he now held a huge oval of silver-white light the size of a football. He swiftly began muttering and didn't stop, even as an arrow pierced his back, followed by another and another, each hitting him at various fatal points with perfect precision and inhuman speed.

Who's that?

Ahh, good old Zoë Nightshade. Poor girl. Died a few years ago—she was killed by her Titan father. Artemis turned her into the constellation of the Huntress as a reward for her two millennia of service.

Artemis lowed her head to mourn her huntress, and also had planned to try to keep that from happening, while keeping Thalia around of course

Armani could help her there...

Huh, I was wondering where that came from…

The arrows were not working. So Artemis, having snapped herself out of it, grabbed her sword and, with one elegant movement, tore it free of its scabbard and decapitated the Midas shade. His head spun through the air, a sick smile on his face.

"That, was creepy" she admitted

Whatever he was doing was obviously finished, as the white orb in his now-limp arms shimmered and shot off into the night sky. His body swiftly shriveled, turning to bones and then dust that blew away into the wind.

"Lady Artemis!" Zoë sounded panicked as she ran to her mistress' side.

"I am fine, Zoë… Just a little…drained" Artemis said as she stared down at the scattered dust and then off in the direction the light had disappeared.

"What did that thing do to you?"

"More than SOME people would tell me!"

"I've lost a small amount of my essence. Worry not, I will recover in time. It is no different than you losing some stamina. Fetch me some ambrosia, Zoë, and I should be fully recovered within an hour."

"At once, my lady."

And she just dropped the issue?

"Really, you live with APOLLO, and you wonder that my son...your time with him has obviously left problems" Artemis said in a worried tone

"HEY!"

Of course not, she later demanded an explanation of Persephone. Threats were exchanged and after giving an oath on the River Styx and confirming Midas was indeed gone, the blame was put entirely on Hades for letting a soul escape the Fields of Punishment, and he in turn blamed Charon, who in turn got a pay cut. He's been taking it out on every soul that passes his way ever since.

"See my son's first book"

"SHUT IT BROTHER!"

"To be fair, you bragged about Hercules even worse than Poseidon, husband"

Poor guy.

Quite, and it pretty much stopped there. At least for everyone else, that is.

I take it we now get to the crux of the issue? To be honest my eyes are starting to sting.

Yeah, yeah, almost finished. The image changed to follow the ball of energy which was streaking through the air like a comet. From the perspective of Apollo at the time the image shook and there was a sound of shattering glass.

Apollo winced, his baby!

What's happening?

The ball of energy was aimed directly at me. I've got to assume that was the purpose of Midas' last incantation.

An Apollo-seeking missile?

"Hephaestus, I would like to make an order" Artemis said sweetly as Apollo began to sweat heavily

Pretty much. The image changed to Apollo climbing out of a slightly dented sun chariot which, as if to personify the damage, had transformed itself into an 80's station wagon.

"That...is just disgusting" Aphrodite gagged

You crashed the sun chariot?

Hey! I was hit! Totally not my fault.

"You spied, you got smashed" Hermes sing songed

You'll lose your no claims bonus for that.

"I did..." he muttered

Just shut up and watch.

"APOLLO!"

It had changed back to a third person view. Apollo, complete with blonde mullet and cut-off jeans, was walking around his chariot, apparently surveying the damage that wasn't visible to human eyes, when he noticed something; he approached a perfectly hemispherical crater in the earth behind the chariot's rear bumper. It was glowing with that same queer light. After a second it died down and as Apollo approached, his brow knit in curiosity, he bent down to investigate to discover what now lay there: a bundle, wrapped in silver cloth emblazoned with a stag and drawn bow with arrow, glinting in the moonlight and seemingly emitting its own silvery glow. His face took on a mask of utter disbelief as he picked up the bundle which turned out to be a slumbering infant, a small wisp of caramel-colored hair visible on his head.

"YOU SHOULD HAVE GIVEN HIM TO ME!" Artemis snarled, a tear in her eye. Apollo then flinched, when he saw his comments, and Armani's response to them

The image then evaporated into golden light...

-A-

"You never cried…" Apollo said suddenly as if it was important.

"Excuse me?" I asked drearily, rubbing my eyes as if awaking from a dream.

"Your mother, when she was younger, she would always cry and always go running right back to daddy's knee at the slightest thing.

"I DID NOT!"

"You did" Zeus agreed

In a way she hasn't changed at all…" He sounded quite melancholy as he spoke.

Artemis's growl showed that she did not agree with him

I remained silent; I wasn't in the mood to discuss that particular subject. I waited as my mind digested all the information he had just fed me then waited for my uncle to continue.

Apparently sensing me waiting, he began speaking, "Of course, it didn't take too long to figure out what had happened. Midas combined the life essence of your father, may his soul rest in Elysium, with that of my sister. It's essentially the way all half-bloods are conceived; the actual physical genetic material is a moot factor. It is the combination of the life essence of the mortal and the god. The birth is all entirely individual and is also a moot point; just look at how Athena kids are born; right out of the noggin for crying out loud! Anyways, he combined the two long enough for them to mix and form your life essence.

"Are you saying I'm the divine equivalent of a test tube baby?" I asked.

"Um...I'm not sure that term is quite...familiar to me?" Demeter frowned, but Apollo read to stop Athena's 5 hour and 20 minute lecture on the topic

Apollo seemed pleased with my analogy. "Precisely. Not the conventional way for a god to have a child, but then it's the only way Artemis, a virgin goddess, could conceivably…well, conceive."

"That...was a terrible pun.." Hermes noted

"Except…" This was the part I wanted to know. And Apollo knew what I was talking about.

"Except… You weren't finished. Midas tore you free from Artemis possibly a split second too soon. And when he ripped you free your life force was torn right open in the process."

Artemis was still growling at that

"How long have you known?"

"Too long...WITHOUT TELLING ME!"

"Since the instant I laid eyes on you. I could see it-God of Healing, like I said…right there on your shoulder was where it started. Just a tiny imperfection, but I knew what it was and I knew from the instant you were born that your time was limited. As you grew and your essence became stronger it made the tear larger and, well… You know the rest."

Artemis did not look happy, if this book didn't tell her how to fix it, she only had two years to save him, or else...

Meanwhile, a magician in the house of life, a mother of two, had a dream of a world where Artemis had snapped and razed civilization to the ground, with statues of a small 16 year old male everywhere

Ruby Kane, did not sleep well that night

"So Midas screwed up in the end after all."

I watched as Apollo shook his head. "No, I don't think he did. I think it's exactly what he intended."

And Artemis hated that fact

"What?" I gasped, and I noticed once again Apollo looked solemn.

"You were never meant to last, Armani. You were created by Midas as a burden for me to echo his own from the Fields of Punishment."

I didn't have the words to speak so I allowed him to continue.

"He knew I was the lord of healing, and he knew I would do everything in my power to keep you alive…he also knew I would fail."

"AND THAT YOU WOULDN'T DO THE RIGHT THING AND TELL HIS MOTHER!"

"How did he know? For all he knew you might have just left me with some children's…" I paused as it hit me and nodded in realization. "Ah yes…because I'm your sister's-"

"-My love for my sister is well known, even amongst mortals and the dead. How could I not at least try to save my sister's child, her only child? But I knew I would fail as much as Midas knew the next time he went to throw that bucket of water over his daughter that she wasn't coming back to him. I would fail and there wasn't a thing I could do about it. How about that, huh? After all these millennia…in the end… Midas won. And all this because the Titan Lord wanted to test the playing fields."

"I am going to kill Luke if the Bolt gets stolen" Artemis said coldly. That was the closest she'd get to killing Kronos

"But..." Hermes began

"I will send you his Butt when I do if you DON'T SHUT UP!"

That however begged one important question. "Why didn't you just tell Artemis about me?"

"YES! WHY!"

Apollo averted his eyes, "Artemis, your mother, was never very predictable. She's the one girl in all of creation I could never quite pin down. And there was no way of me knowing just how she was going to react when she found out about you…"

"Apollo! YOU TOLD HIM THAT RIDICULOUS, LIBEL SLANDERING THOUGHT!" HE'S GOING TO FEAR ME...HATE ME!" Artemis cried as Apollo looked alarmed

"You're saying you thought there was a chance that Artemis would kill me if she knew," I interrupted suddenly and Apollo's lack of a sudden rebuttal to his sister's defense was all the confirmation I needed. Strangely, it didn't make me feel sad, just the same way I usually felt…numb.

Artemis sniffled in sadness as Armani cuddled into her more, and she relaxed, however slightly

"And I couldn't risk that. It was the one blood in the world she couldn't stain her hands with. Not her. I love her too much to allow her to make such a mistake as to kill her own child in a fit of anger."

"I WOULD NOT!"

"What about your hunters..." Athena pointed out as Artemis paled

"You made those monsters Arty" Aphrodite sing songed

"Better she never know she had one at all…" I observed.

"NO ITS NOT!"

"I'm sorry, Armani. I would genuinely like to say I stuck by you all these years for your sake. But I'm not a selfless god; it was all out of my vain love for my sister and my need to be the elder, superior one… I'm sorry."

"YES, YES YOU WILL BE!"

"We get far into these books" Hera grumbled

"You spent an entire hour cursing my daughter Hera, I wouldn't talk" Athena said cooly

I smiled sadly, "Don't be. I was your burden, remember. Soon be over now uncle. None of this was ever your fault." Strangely, I felt I was consoling him. I suspected he was far more concerned over my demise than I was. And it was in that instant I realized just how much of a debt of gratitude I owed him. I only felt sadness for him then. Contempt for my own farce of an existence, and hatred too, hatred burned in me below the surface, hatred of a certain someone. The only thing covering it was my veil of calm; as thin and fragile as the one that had wrapped me as a baby. But gratitude was winning out tonight. It was a nice feeling.

Artemis was crying now...her son...

"Hey uncle, what'd you say we have some fun before I head to bed? I think I'm up to just one last bit of exertion." I said this brightly, as I honestly wanted to cheer him up. Seeing the sun god gloomy was never nice.

He looked at me like a child whose parents had just let him stay up late after falling over and cutting his knee. "Guitar Hero?"

"Armani...stop making him feel better"

I breathed a sigh and smiled despite myself. I felt my anger lowering, taking the contempt with it, "Yes, uncle, Guitar Hero it is, then…" He literally glowed as he leapt up. Singing Dragonforce, he proceeded to dig out his favorite plastic guitar. In the meantime, my eyes were drawn inexorably toward the moon, which shone almost angrily through the bay windows. I prayed the music from the game would drown out the music in my head.

"Shut up, Artemis…" I muttered angrily

Artemis looked down in grief

and pulled myself up, resigned to another night of explaining to Apollo why 'Lyre Hero' would never be a hit.

"It would so rock..."

-3-

"Lady Artemis, is this the place?" Thalia asked her mistress,

"NO! I'M STILL AFTER HIM!" Artemis was now freaking out

who was currently staring down from the cliff on which they stood, watching luxurious sea-view condo with a large golden sun emblazoned above its front door.

"Yes. Apollo left earlier in his chariot to greet the dawn," she replied. They had found this place easily; it was one of the sun god's lesser-known hideaways, but of course Artemis knew of it, and she had a feeling her brother would keep the boy at one of his more out-of-the-way buildings. Thick Mist permeated the air; Apollo obviously wanted the place well hidden from prying eyes.

"But not, from mine"

"Is he there?"

Artemis narrowed her eyes, "Yes. He is."

Thalia knew it was not wise to question a goddess, but she had to know. "How can you tell? I mean, isn't this one of Apollo's places? And I thought you couldn't see into one another's dominions without permission…"

"We can't. But the boy…there is something of the hunt in him," Artemis said in a curious tone,

"He is part of the hunt, always was, and should have always been!"

"Take two of your sisters and bring him before me Thalia. Take any necessary precautions to ensure you succeed."

"Of course, my lady." And with that she nodded to two of her fellow hunters, who grabbed their bows and followed.

-A-

I never liked the morning…

"Its a you thing...moon goddess and all" Athena guessed as Artemis nodded

It did, after all, signify the end of the hunt. I knew this was just my gut telling me how to feel. I was a creature of the moonlight, and its retreat to make way for the sun always made me melancholy. I had woken up surprisingly early, considering how long I was up. Apollo can be very convincing each time he says 'just one more song'; it is hard to resist the god of music's call.

"DO NOT ENCHANT MY SON!"

"THAT IS IT! I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THE CONSTANT RANTS AGAINST APOLLO, ARTEMIS!" Hera ranted "AS QUEEN OF THE GODS, I DECLARE NO MORE BOOK COMMENTS!"

Zeus frowned "I overrule...but for peace in the family lets take the rest of the chapter off from comments..."

To avoid a Hera rant...they swore not to

I changed into a simple black t-shirt and jeans. Slipping on my shoes, I grabbed an energy shake on my way out the French doors leading to the beach. My muscles ached; I was still bruised all over, despite the effects of the nectar. I rubbed the large bruise that had formed overnight in the middle of my chest where Artemis kicked me. I grunted in discomfort as I sank down onto the sand.

This is most definitely NOT Sparta…

More pop culture references; I had lived with Apollo far too long.

Strange how one reflects as they approach the end of their life. As down as the mornings made me feel, I'd never appreciated their beauty before. I gripped my knees and closed my eyes, letting the gentle sound of the waves lapping on the shore fill my ears; the moon and the tide… Artemis and Poseidon were working well together today. It was relaxing, to say the least: the gentle morning sun; the warm sand; the scent of salt and ozone in the air.

Ozone?

I breathed out a sigh, but didn't move. There was no point. I could feel them; echoes of the hunt Artemis had placed in each of them resonated in my gut like sonar. Two on the flanks and one right behind me. I was unarmed and weakened. Plus, for all I knew, if I summoned my bow and started fighting I'd more than likely kill myself in the process.

And so I just sat there and waited, enjoying the morning for just a few more seconds.

-3-

Thalia waved the other two Hunters left and right, signaling them to flank the house from both sides; both were small and agile, a blonde girl who appeared no more than thirteen, the other a redhead who appeared about a year older, but she knew that meant nothing . As Hunters they could be five hundred years old. She also knew these two were a pair of Artemis' more hard-lined followers, especially on the whole we hate boys stance. Which is why she chose them; if it got serious, she knew she would need someone who wouldn't hesitate. This also made them a liability, because if they got too excited and killed their prey then the mission was a failure. She had to capture the target as soon as possible.

She herself went right down the left side of the house and froze, pressing back against the wall, as the back door opened and their quarry came strolling right out.

She watched curiously as he slumped down into the sand, an almost regretful look on his face. Like a panther, she stalked out from behind the house and out onto the sands behind him.

She froze as he breathed a sigh, but did nothing else. She raised a hand to halt the others. Her brow knitted together; everything in her was screamingthat her presence had been discovered, but he made no move to defend, no dash to escape.

He didn't seem to have any of the energy of the hunter that had challenged her mistress the night before. Indeed, now he just seemed so totally…resigned.

"What's your name?" he enquired suddenly in a tone that didn't seem to disturb the silence around them. His head rose up slightly to watch a dolphin that was darting about in the waters just offshore.

Strangely, she found herself answering. "Thalia. Lady Artemis requests a moment of your time."

His head lowered back down, and she caught a side profile of his face for a second and noticed just how tired his silver eyes seemed, looking oddly dull in the morning light, "Yeah… I assumed as much," he said in that same tone.

Thalia strode forward and rested a hand at the base of his neck, he made no move to resist and strangely she found herself say the last two words she thought she would say in this situation. "I'm sorry…" She sent a surge of electricity through her hand and into the nerves at the base of his neck. He winced slightly and collapsed backwards.

The thrill and pride of capturing her prey or completing a mission for her goddess was nowhere to be found, no matter how much she willed it to appear. A hollow victory.

Steff, the redhead, strode over and stared down at the boy, kicking him unceremoniously and with a lot more force that was needed to turn him onto his back. Thalia found herself shooting her an angry glare.

She smirked down at the boy, "Is it unconscious?

"Yeah, he's out cold," she replied quietly.

"Pathetic; he didn't even try to put up a fight, he's obviously got the senses of a drowned rat if he didn't see that attack coming," Aren, the blonde, commented.

"Don't be stupid," Thalia snapped angrily at the girl, her cockiness getting to her for some reason. "He knew I was coming and I'd be willing to bet he knew you two were there, too. The only reason things played out like this is because he let it happen."

Aren spat angrily, "Yeah? And why would it do that?"

Thalia said thoughtfully,"I'm not sure. It seemed like he just didn't care one way or the other…"

Stef smirked viscously, "That so? Well he's gonna care when Lady Artemis gets her hands on him. I'm betting she'll turn him into a rat."

Thalia simply rolled her eyes, bent down to throw the unconscious boy over her shoulder and headed back without another word.

-A-

I came through in a most uncomfortable position; tied upright to a tree, my hands bound behind me.

After shaking free the mental cobwebs, I found myself in the presence of a very unfriendly-looking audience. I was in a glade somewhere, but could still hear the ocean. I mustn't have been taken that far. I glanced up at the sky; the light hadn't changed much from what I remember, so I couldn't have been out that long either.

Finally I turned my attention to my silent spectators-only a dozen this time, but still equally unhappy as they were when I last saw them.

Suddenly a thought occurred that I felt I just had to voice. "Thalia! Daughter of Zeus. Of course. Hang on… I thought you were a tree…"

"I got better," I heard her mumble dryly.

"Huh, that so?"

"Are you quite finished?" Thalia bowed out the way at the voice. And then I saw her, as pompous, scorning and self-righteous as always, "Pompous, am I?" The goddess enquired suddenly with a raised eyebrow.

I narrowed my eyes at her, but I kept my temper under control…for now. "You have your moments."

"I could kill you, you know. No oath is stopping me now. Would you care to beg me for forgiveness before I-"

"Shall we cut to the chase Artemis? As much as I'm sure you're desperate to prove your 'girl power' to me, I'm also sure there's far more to dragging me out here than some petty vendetta."

Her expression never changed, but you could tell by her eyes that her temper was boiling. Perfect, just what I wanted. "I was considering permitting you to leave unharmed if you cooperated, but-"

"-well that's a lie," I interrupted, but was silenced when a Hunter standing by me sharply backhanded me across the cheek. I groaned in pain and found her grasping my chin to face her.

"Apollo isn't here to save you boy, so I suggest you show Lady Artemis the respect she deserves"

"Funny," I began, right into the redhead's face, "I thought I was." I smiled kindly as her face took on a look of sheer rage and reared back with her fist, obviously to do her best to separate me from some of my teeth.

"Steff." Artemis began, and the girl froze mid-swing. "Your dedication is touching, but I sense the boy is doing this intentionally to throw us off balance; kindly regain your composure." It was hardly a request and the girl clearly knew it.

Artemis approached me slowly with all the calm of a panther and regarded me critically. "What are you doing?"

"I don't quite follow," I replied blandly.

"You have the instinct of a hunter, and yet now your attitude borders on the suicidal."

"Well? What do you want? I'm just a boy; isn't it our place to ridicule you and be the bane of your existence and pain all the billions of innocent females of the world?"

She remained infuriatingly stoic.

As if she didn't hear me she continued, "I have some questions that I wish to ask of you."

"That so?" I asked, glancing to the side. What could I say? 'Kill me if you like, it won't make a difference one way or the other?'

"And why is that?" She enquired suddenly, glaring down at me.

I cursed under my breath for letting my mind wander. She wasn't even trying; she was just standing there and waiting for me to assume her questions and think the answers, and she'd just scrape them off the surface of my mind.

Blank out, don't think.

I inhaled a deep breath and fell silent. Slowly I let my memories of Apollo's song, his flawless lyre strumming fill my head and swim around in the emptiness there. I never took my eyes off Artemis. I said, "I feel an extra bruise forming on my side, tell me you didn't resort to roughing me up while I slept. Why don't you enlighten me; who's the spineless coward that's too afraid to face me while I'm awake?" I enquired in a cordial tone and I heard a hiss of rage from my side. I arched my head around the huntress in question, "You again? Well, I guess the ropes are the reason you have the guts to strike me while I'm awake, eh?" she didn't respond just averted her eyes in anger. I chuckled; enraging this bunch was easier than Guitar Hero on beginner-

Damn it Apollo.

Artemis' brow creased into an annoyed scowl, I felt a pressure in my head I hadn't noticed before lessen as she pulled back from my mind "So be it. I will ask. First: your bow, where did you acquire it?"

"Let me ask you… What made you angrier?" I asked, a small smile twitching on my face.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm asking what made you angrier; the fact that man conquered the moon, or that they named the missions to do so after Apollo."

She inhaled a sharp breath, I could tell her anger was hanging by a thread, "I will ask you one more time, boy: the bow."

So that's what it was, dragged away just to sate her curiosity. "What bow?"

Her brow twitched, "The bow you were carrying during our last encounter."

I frowned in mock confusion, "Bow, bow, which bow might that be?"

With a flick of her wrist and a flash of light, a familiar object materialized in her hand. "This bow. Now answer me, boy!"

I concealed my shock; it did look just like mine. And to see her holding it sparked a new wave of anger, which I hurriedly trampled down. "Hmm…nope,that's not mine, though it definitely looks the same. It's almost as well made, if a little old and battered looking."

She recoiled in shock, and I watched as she hugged the weapon to herself like a child whose favorite doll had just been called ugly.

Rage crossed her face and I watched as she extended her hand towards me. I could tell she had clearly just passed her limit of patience. It's not like it mattered one way or the other...

Suddenly she froze, her bow disappeared in her hand, she stared at me with puzzled realization on her face. "You do not fear me."

I smiled ironically. "…Actually, as a matter of fact, I do."

"You know what I am capable of, do you not?"

"I do."

"Then why do you not fear me right now?"

"It is not you that I do not fear."

"And what, pray tell, do you not fear?"

I paused for a moment, but chose to answer truthfully. "…Death"

"Then you are a fool," she said in a level tone.

I felt my rage bubble up and my teeth grind in my mouth as I heard myself laugh mirthlessly, "No, no, Artemis, it is you who are the fool. You've been the fool all along; this entire sordid tale is all because of your error."

"Excuse me?"

My anger was starting to rise and I didn't think I could stop it. "This whole situation is your fault, after all. It's ALL your fault! EVERYTHING!" I shouted the last part, my anger rising with every word I said. "You are the face that goes with my pain." This I said in a low, dangerous voice laced with such venom that it shocked even me.

Artemis started at me with shock. "Your emotions have changed since last night; surely an aborted fight would not have enraged you so. Tell me why I feel nothing but loathing and rage in your heart."

Her eyes were wide and it took me a second to realize my mind had slipped again for a second, "I…see…so that is the reason…you have my commiserations." And she actuallysounded genuine. I think that's what set me off…

No… Not pity…Hate me…Scorn me… But don't you DARE take pity on me. You're everything that's wrong with me, Artemis, and I may be about to end, but I swear I won't let you take my hate too…

I laughed a dark laugh, "So now you know. And now you know there's nothing you can say or do to make me tell you what you want to know."

She seemed uncertain as to how to proceed. "Maybe, but there are ways, I assure you, of still making you answer my questions."

I smirked mirthlessly, "So that's the way it is. You can't get your answers out of your brother so you're going to beat them out of a dying child. How noble of the great huntress."

She gasped. I had gotten to her. Not an easy thing to do to a god, but I suppose when you have nothing to lose it can be the easiest thing in the world.

I noticed Thalia glancing between us, "What does he mean, my lady?"

Artemis didn't take her eyes from me, "I cannot be sure, but I believe he is dying, Thalia."

And there it was again, that damned compassion, and now it was in both of them.

And suddenly an irrational feeling welled up in me… a wild, magnificent, trembling exultation as I realized something: I was going out, and there wasn't a damned thing I could do about it, and I suddenly realized I had no intention of simply sitting around and waiting for my time and my body to fade; if I was going out then I intended to go out fighting…

I called on my power and felt the light in my palm, which I effortlessly knitted into the form of a silver arrow behind my back. Its head sliced through the bindings as if they were air. Now all that held me were the ropes about my waist.

I gripped the arrow tightly and prepared myself. It was then that I made another mistake…

In that instant an image that Apollo had showed me flashed through my head unbridled; of Midas attacking Artemis. It was the focus of my rage at her and the reason that since our last encounter my opinion of her had changed from indifference to utter and barely disguised hatred.

Suddenly I saw the goddess' head whip back around to me, her eyes filled with shock. "What are you hiding from me? How do you know about that?"

I didn't raise my head. I just laughed, "You know what, Artemis? I really don't feel like telling you." And with one movement I slashed upwards, slicing through the ropes and across the unprepared goddess' exposed right arm. She reared back with a cry of shock and pain as a small splatter of golden blood splashed over me.

I leapt to my foot and roughly grabbed hold of the Huntress called Steff, dragging her up to me and bringing the arrow to her throat; the meaning was clear. She struggled and I pushed the blade against her skin above her jugular. She froze instantly.

Artemis had a hand on her arm over her wound but had signaled her Hunters not to move; she knew one twitch of my wrist and we'd have one dead Hunter.

"I swear I disarmed him, Lady Artemis," Thalia whispered.

"I've no doubt you did…" she began calmly, obviously trying not to aggravate me. "Where did you get that?" she asked in an almost conversational tone.

I smiled a dangerous smile, "I needed an arrow, and so I had one. Surely you all know how that works, Lady Artemis." She just stared at me with an unreadable expression. No doubt her immortal mind was thinking up a billion different attack patterns and I knew it was going to be seconds before she picked the perfect one.

And so I acted. I shoved the huntress forwards. Using her lower back as a springboard I propelled myself backwards into the woods (also having the bonus of shoving her face first into the dirt; Artemis wasn't the only one who enjoyed childish payback) and then I was moving.

I heard shouts of orders and knew I had seconds before I had one furious goddess and a dozen seriously ticked off super-powered teenagers on my tail.

I noticed my hand was trailing off an aura of golden smoke and light and I knew straight away what was happening: I had called an arrow and weakened Apollo's seal. I realized this must be the beginning of the final stage; the tear wasn't forcing Apollo's energy out, his power was simply melting away like a scab on healed tissue. I saw a golden film of energy move under my skin to cover the area the smoke had came from before fading. The power was spreading itself thinly over me to compensate, and I knew once that power was exhausted…well…that would be that.

I would've laughed at the irony had it not been so tragic: the last hunt of my life…and I was the prey.

Run!

The oath ended as the gods burst out into a lot of conversation, mainly Artemis yelling at Apollo and asking Apollo to remove the dents and scratches on her bow.

"See, that was not so bad, lets just be civil and quiet" Hera said sugary sweet, like a character from Harry Potter book five, before Hermes's phone/snake staff rang and projected a message

"I'm not doing it...NO ITS GOT A VIRUS AGAIN!"

Do the comments or else

Taisune

"DAMN YOU TAISUNE!"

"NO SWEARING!"