Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or HOO, they belong to Rick Riordan. I only own plot and the OCs.

Chapter 2

Percy POV (Two Months later)

This was a surprise for both Gabriella and I. Two months of peace was unheard of for anybody in the army. This was the most amount of time without an assignment we've ever had. While we were thankful for the peace, it had gotten quite boring. We still had our daily duties to take care of: I had to train the new recruits, and Gabriella had to tend to the different forests decorating the land. We still made time for each other after our daily duties were completed, though it was only a few hours at most.

Not one of these applicants are suitable for us, I thought as we went over the hundreds of applications in front of us. My father had given us the task of choosing a suitable candidate for a new mission. I would have taken it immediately, but he had adamantly refused to give me the position unless we couldn't find anyone else. So, he gave us just over nine hundred applications to go through.

Sighing aggravatedly, I pinched the bridge of my nose. "No one is suitable for this gods forsaken thing. Not a single person."

Gabriella reached over the table and grabbed my hand. "We'll find someone, don't worry. There's still over fifty more candidates to go through."

I smiled softly and squeezed her hand. "Still, father should have given me the position. I can carry it out faster than anyone. He knows I'm more than capable of it, so I don't see why he's denying me."

She rolled her eyes and walked around the table, coming to sit on my lap. "Seaweed Brain, not everything needs to be done quickly. This could take many years to accomplish, even for you. Let's just finish these up and then I'll go personally talk to Chaos about letting you go, okay?"

"Okay,"I replied softly. "But if he doesn't agree, I'm retiring."

"You're going to blackmail the only person who has the power to wipe you from existence?" She had a look of shock on her face.

I gave her a lopsided grin. "You ask that like this isn't the first time I've suggested it."

She just rolled her eyes and kissed me softly before going back to her own seat.

LINE-BREAK

"Perseus, I cannot allow you to take on this mission."

"And why can't you, father?!" I yelled at him. We had been having this argument for three hours already.

"Because you are not ready to go back to your home!" Chaos shouted back.

That stopped every thought I had. What did he mean, my home? I took an involuntary step backward, mind racing with mixed thoughts. I looked at him with confusion in my eyes and whispered, "Wh-What?"

He sighed and put a hand across his face, while he leaned back into his throne. "I said, you are not ready to return to your home. You should stay here and be with Gabriella, forget about this mission. I give you permission to retire to your cabin with her."

Silence came over us as I barely registered what he said. After a few minutes, I spoke, albeit quietly, "What do you mean my home?"

He sighed again and leaned forward, rubbing the exhaustion out of his eyes. "I want you to answer a question, my dear boy. Have you ever wondered about the reason you are who you are?"

"You mean have I ever wondered why I'm a demigod? No, but I have wondered why I fear the colour silver, and I know you know the reason, Chaos," I spat violently.

"How did you find out, Perseus?" Confusion was written clearly across his features as he asked me.

Anger filled me as he avoided me question for the umpteenth time, "I have my ways. Why do you actively avoid that question? What has you so scared of that question? I need to know, Chaos. The only way I can overcome this fear is to know the causation of it. Tell me! I have to know!"

He shifted in his seat uncomfortably as I glowed with the unfathomable power of the universe, "I cannot tell you the reason, for I do not know, son. The only way for you to know is for me to show you your memories."

I glared at him, but motioned for him to continue. He stepped away from his throne and pressed two fingers to my forehead, shoving me lightly. Though it was a light shove, I stumbled backward and fell to a knee, sweating and panting profusely. Images came rushing to my mind, all from years ago.

I felt small, as though I was a child. I was sitting at table, happily, as two people, a woman and a man, sat across from each other. They were smiling at me as I told them an obviously fake tale with a child's voice. There was a knocking at the door as the tale come to a close. The woman looked at the man and spoke quietly to him. I couldn't hear what she said. She stood from her seat and walked to another room, only to be accompanied by a scream of pure terror that cut off as quickly as it came.

I felt tears running down my face as the man picked me up, running through a door at the back of the house. Wind and the sound of rain filled my ears as he held me close. I could not see what he was running from, only a dark silhouette and glowing red eyes catching up. The man ran through the heavy thicket surrounding the house.

The man tripped over a thick root sticking out of the ground, throwing us both to the ground. As the man was getting up, an arrow struck his back. A silver arrow. Terror rang through my small, fragile body as his body fell, surrounded by a dark, liquid substance.

Arrows came flying through the bushes and trees surrounding me. A shrill roar and the dark silhouette came barrelling forward, axe raised above its meaty head, ready for the kill. Arrows came flying from all around and struck the beast, making it explode into a golden dust.

A group of girls clad in silver jackets, pants, and boots came from the trees, bows aimed at me.

Tears streamed down my face as one girl with a silver circlet upon her brow lowered her bow as she looked me over. "M'lady, is your father sure of this? 'Tis but a small child, no older tha-"

"I am positive, lieutenant. Let us finish the hunt. Father doesn't like to be kept waiting," a female voice responded, though it seemed as though she did not wish for the "hunt" to finish. She stepped next to the one wearing the circlet and raised her bow straight at me. I saw a flash of silver. I heard a scream of defiance. Then there was darkness and silence.

I looked up at Chaos, breathing heavy. "Why have you not shown this to me before? Who was that? Who is her father?"

"I did not wish to show you until your mind was accustomed to the planet you were born, though I had too much cowardice to send you back," he responded softly. "As for you that was…"

He paused, taking in a deep breathe and looking down before looking in the eye. "That was Artemis, Goddess of the Wild from planet Earth. She will be hunting the target. You will have to stop her, but do not kill her."

I moved from my knees to my rear as I looked up to him, "So you're gonna let me go?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply. "Yes, I am allowing to take this mission. You're the only one who is capable of not killing either target, even given temptation. I am entrusting you to complete to its fullest. I know you won't fail me, so there's no point in saying it. As the report states, you will be stationed on a tour bus in three days at noon. You will arrive at Earth approximately ten hours and eleven minutes after departure. During the time before your departure, spend time with Gabriella. You may be gone awhile, so it would be in your best interest to spend all your time together."

"Th-thank you, father. I will not let you down." He nodded and opened up a portal for me. "Before I go, father, what made you deny me this mission in the first place?"

"You'll find out soon enough, my son. Say hello to Gabriella for me," he responded before forcing me through the portal.

A/N: Second chapter is done! Took longer than I thought it would, to be entirely honest. But nevertheless, it is done!

As always, reviews are welcome. Let me know if you would want longer chapters. 1300 words seems like it's going to be the average for the first couple of chapters. So expect something longer by at least chapter 5.

Anyway, I shall bid you, adieu!