AN: I am sorry it has taken me so long to post this. I have been having computer issues to where I have typed this chapter many times. Corrupted files have been slowing me down as I tried to get this uploaded.

Chapter 2

'Well this is not going to be good if he catches me now.' I thought worriedly. My only relief was that I did not look like my old self right now. My hair took on a bright red color representing Aunt Hestia in the same way my now black eyes represented Hades the lord of the underworld. I also took on a slightly better fed appearance and my skinned no longer look tan as if I spent all my time at the ocean. Those new physical aspects combined with my new powers gave me a good advantage to hide in plain sight such as when the goddess of the hunt is looking straight at you.

I felt the animosity the instant the hunters saw me. I tried to ignore it but it was not easy. I leaned against the first tree I came to as I ran away from the Gulf of Mexico and the impending wrath of the god of the seas. I leaned against the tree trying to catch my breath as my shirt started to change colors around my shoulders from the blood trickling out of the wounds inflicted upon me by Medusa. Artemis looked out at the storm brewing out in the gulf before she turned towards me and glaring at me as if I had done something to her personally. "Girls start setting up camp here while I deal with barnacle brains out there." Artemis said venomously.

"It is not the wisest thing to insult an already angry lord of the seven seas, my dearest Lady Artemis." I said weakly from my position against the tree as I tried to keep my focus on the area around me which was becoming increasingly more difficult.

"And you would do well to hold your tongue boy or I might let you become something more apt to your gender. Girls steer clear of this useless male." Artemis said with disdain filling her voice, but unfortunately for me some of the girls did not hear their mistress' order about keeping their distance.

Five girls broke away from the rest of the hunt and gave me a tackle hug crushing me into a tree. "Blaze!" They all squealed in unison. The girls ranged from seven to seventeen.

The youngest was named Sandra a daughter of Athena. Her blonde hair and grey eyes tore at my heart every time I saw her. Her father died a few years ago so she was sent to live with his foolish brother and his unfaithful wife. After they found out that they could not get the inheritance until Sandra died they tried to kill her and make it look like an accident. I was not the most receptive to the idea. So I drowned them in their pool that they were trying to drown Sandra in.

Then there was the ten year old daughter of Triton, my niece, Andromeda. Her mother died when a drunk driver drove into them and caused both cars to go into a lake. I was going to take her to Camp Half-Blood but I could not bear the thought of her getting hit on by the guys there. She was my only niece from Triton and I did not really count on any of my other siblings to have any children I could watch over for a long time.

Along with them was a lovely set of twin daughters of Hermes. Their names were Cassandra and Helen Lyre. I could not keep a straight face around the twin fifteen year old girls if I tried. They had a tough time seeing as they dated the same boy for months and when they found out he boasted to have slept with both multiple times and even at the same time. I had to rectify his statements before I brought them to the hunt. I do not think he will be very popular since he was trapped on a flagpole for a while as a bonfire made of his and his buddies' skate boards roasted below him and his friends were forced to watch from the roof of the school.

Then last was the oldest was Janet a seventeen year old daughter of Apollo that made the mistake of almost losing herself to a guitarist. He wanted her and tried to share her. I corrected his actions using his own guitar. I brought all five girls to where they would feel at most home as I did for many demigods over the last two years. Everyone was staring at me as the girls crushed my in a large tackled hug.

"Girls I can't breathe." I managed to crock out from under the pile. The young ladies blushed and slowly climbed off of my only for a spear to appear at my throat once I was freed from impromptu dog pile be girls. My eyes slowly traveled up the length of the spear to come in contact with electric blue orbs that radiated power and hatred that promised pain if I dared to move not that I could with the poison slowly trickling through my veins causing pain as if the waters from the River Styx were injected into my blood stream.

My favorite female cousin glared at me as if I had stolen her favorite t-shirt and shredded it. Trust me it happened before but I swear that it was an accident and I had no idea that hell hounds hated the band The Clash. Artemis, I saw over Thalia's shoulder, had a look of curiosity and disgust. "So you are the one that has been sneaking these girls into our camp." Artemis lieutenant stated coldly.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at my cousin. "Well that is as obvious as Poseidon's rage and to holes in my shoulder, sparky." I said sarcastically. Woops I should not have said that. "Do you not care for your new sisters that I brought to you and your lady?" I asked smirking at the pair of Zeus daughters who glared at my relaxed attitude which did not last long as the adrenaline that had been pumping through my veins let up. My shoulder started to throb uncontrollably forcing me to grab it and start taking shallow breathes.

As my predictable luck would have it that is when things went from bad to worse. My father arrived on the scene in search of me. "Artemis, where is my son?" He demanded of the moon goddess in a loud vengeful tone. Not exactly the smartest thing one could do but when you are an enraged god I guess you could afford to be a little foolish.

I did have a little luck in that the hunters' got a fire going. Thank the gods that they are traditional and set up their hearth before anything else. "I have no idea what you are talking about uncle. Your grief must be making you delusional. Perseus Jackson is dead. He died as a result of a final battle that took his mother and her husband's lives." Lady Artemis said defensively to the outraged god of the seas.

Hestia made her way to my side as the god and goddess bickered with each other. "My boy, why did you have to go and let your guard down like that?" She fused over me healing my shoulder and forcing nectar into my mouth. "Your uncle will be here soon to take you away my son."

Yes two years ago three years into my exile from the world of the gods as I finally started to open up a little bit Hades came to me and asked if I would be his champion. I readily agreed with his request but I made a condition. He had to let me do my own thing and keep me away from other demigods and their parents. The lord of the underworld agreed to my request but he had a catch he would keep me away from the gods and give me a blessing to remove my demigod scent, but I would be helping demigods get to the camps. Shortly after I started helping out the demigods Hestia came and asked if I would accept her as my mother. I agreed with her request since my mother died and I was in need of someone to talk to more and more. She gave me an extra blessing empowering me to summon home cooked meals.

An invisible hand reached out from the shadows and grabbed my wrist. It was unnerving how much I had grown used to this and what came next. I was pulled into and through the shadows to the throne room of the underworld, by none other than the hand of Hades himself. "Thank you for getting me out of there, uncle. I was afraid that my father was going to find me and drag me back to Atlantis." I said breathlessly from the poison that had been coursing through my body moments before.

He smiled and gave a small chuckle before he responded to my statement. I was still surprised by how relaxed he was becoming after I accepted his offer to be his champion and help demigods. "My dearest nephew, you know full well that I will protect your secret to the best of my ability, because if it gets out that you are alive I will have to deal with your father's and other uncle's wrath for centuries not to mention what would happen if they found out about your adoption." He shuddered as he finished his explanatory reply and it looked as if he paled even more than normal.

I shrugged my shoulders as if I did not have a care in the world, and then nodded my ascent to his reply. "If it is ok with you Lord Hades I am going to go get some sleep I have had a very tiring and long day." I said stifling a yawn with some difficulty. His reply was a simple smile before he touched my formerly injured shoulder sending a pulse of energy into me and transporting me into my mother's New York apartment.

The apartment was not very large but it suited my mother and my own needs just fine. Two bedrooms a small kitchen and dining area along with one full bathroom. We did not mind the cramped condition as neither of us spent much time there, but it was a place that we can call home and I do. I did not have the energy to fight off sleep as I felt Morpheus' grip on my body growing stronger and I knew that he would soon take me into his domain for the night. I made my way straight towards the bedroom that was designated for me. It was the smaller one of the two which was my choice unlike my mother, Lady Hestia, wished due to me staying here more than her, but I was too stubborn to listen to her insistence that I take the larger room.

Once in my room I stripped down and pulled on a pair of basketball shorts since they were the most comfortable thing I owned to sleep in. I flopped down on my bed and pulled my Navy colored blanket over me and passed out into the evil world of demigod dreamland, a place much worse than hell and you know what I have been there so I am the only mortal that has the right to talk about that place with true knowledge.