Hey guys. This will be my last update to the two main stories for a while. Sorry that you have to wait. I got an interesting review for the last chapter, which will be addressed below. Now, here's a message in general. I don't mind flames. I don't mind them when they are constructive(like the one I received, thank you). But if it ever boils down to petty insults...you'd be glad you don't know me.

Edelhart: That was an interesting post. Now, I've said this before, Kaneki is not being overpowered. I've been rearranging the PJO reality so that things naturally fall in his favor. And for how long it's going to go on, well, this chapter will be the aftermath of his little crusade. Intriguing way of how to build a universe around an overpowered character. I'll keep that in mind for future reference. Thanks for the ideas!

Sakamaki Suzuku: You guys deserve much better than me. Thanks for the reassurance though. :)

Zoepeanut: Np.

Tempest Novastorm: Thanks!

Pokemonrot777, Guest: Sure.

Right, as I've said above, I was already planning for this chapter to slow down(well, not really planning but whatever). It should contain more words than usual, cause I'm going to need lots more dialogue and maybe some slight relationship builders. Here we go.

Artemis woke up in a bed. Staring blankly at the ceiling, she wondered why she was still alive. Kaneki Ken had beaten her. Beaten Hades. Why hasn't he beaten the rest of the gods yet? Sitting up, she winced when her muscles screamed at her for the motion and the stitches in her stomach threatened to rip apart. Moving very slowly, she got to her feet by using a pillar for support and tried to walk(hobble) to the door without causing herself more harm. Honestly? She should have seen this coming. If Kaneki Ken was strong enough to wound the Lord of the Underworld for hours even with the help that he had been given by her brother, she would be feeling the consequences of her wounds against him for a day or more. Pushing the door open, she was startled to see the rather familiar sight of Camp Half-Blood. Only it was partially destroyed. The pine tree that marked the boundaries of the camp looked withered, almost dead. Feeling it more than seeing it, she noted the fractured borders that had kept the monsters at bay. Judging by the sheer amount of monster dust, the hordes that Kaneki Ken had killed weren't the only monsters which had tried to enter the camp. For some reason, there was no one in sight. Guess someone evacuated the campers and Chiron.

Some of the cabins were partially destroyed, bearing traces of claw marks and brutality. Summoning her bow(and ignoring how much she ached when she did so), she walked through the camp, looking for signs of a struggle or a fight. But that was just it. Despite all the destruction, there was not a single drop of blood to be found. Nor a dead half-blood. There were broken weapons strewn around the place, but no owners. Finally reaching the campfire, she immediately took aim at the white-haired figure sitting in front of the fire. She saw no marks of the injuries he had previously gotten from her, his abnormal sword was embedded in the ground next to him and he was fiddling with a hunting knife(which he had probably been from her) while talking. His voice was too quiet for her to hear what he was talking about(or who he was talking to) but she saw a hint of a contented smile on his face. As if responding to a sixth-sense, he looked up from his ministrations, seeing her for the first time since she entered his field of vision. The smile dissolving like salt in water, he rose to his feet, carefully slotting the knife into a sheathe on his side. Pulling the sword out of the ground nonchalantly, he met her gaze, almost as if he was daring her to make a move. She swallowed, the memories of what happened a few hours ago(probably) running through her head. She couldn't beat him while his head was hanging on to his shoulders by a thread and he had two knives in his eyes. So how could she even fight him while injured?

Sighing in defeat, Artemis dropped her bow and raised her hands in surrender. Arching an eyebrow at the abrupt action, Kaneki Ken nodded curtly, stabbing the sword back into the ground and sitting down. He returned to his previous state, oblivious to the world around him and mumbling to the fire in front of him. Needless to say, Artemis didn't take it very kindly. She might have just had her pride dented and cut down without much strength on his part, but she still didn't like how the male treated her.

"What are you doing here? Why am I not dead?"

"I was bored. I was amusing myself and waiting for you to recuperate from your injuries. Yes, I treated you. I'd say the reason is that I'm trying to be kind and show mercy to a defeated enemy but I know that Zoe is still trapped somewhere. So I'll offer you my deal again." His expression darkened suddenly at the mention of Zoe's captive state but cleared as he waited for her to respond. Swallowing, she snapped at him bitterly.

"Your previous deal doesn't matter anymore. My Hunt is...they're all dead! They're all dead because of you. YOU KILLED THEM!" her voice rose in intensity as she fought to keep the sadness from bleeding into her tone. The fresh corpses of what she had considered as daughters were still imprinted in her mind. Kaneki Ken winced at her answer, snapping his fingers, almost as if he just remembered something.

"Ah yes, that. Well...what if I say that I can bring them back? I'll be nice. Since you seem like you're about to pass out again, you take me to Olympus. As long as you stop any other gods from smiting me, I'll come peacefully. We can negotiate the terms and conditions there." She could feel a deep, numbing sense of shock. How could a mortal be able to bring back the dead? The dead stayed dead. But...he wasn't a regular mortal last time she checked. Clinging on to one last shred of hope, she nodded, causing Kaneki Ken to smile widely and extend a hand. Hesitating, she extended her own, reaching for his and clasping it. Taking a deep breath, she summoned the remains of her divine strength and flashed them to Olympus.

Upon reaching the familiar environment of the throne room, a wave of nausea struck her. Stumbling(and hearing various shouts of alarm and concern), she was about to collapse(painfully) when the male still holding on to her quickly propped her back up with a tug. As the room stopped spinning, she gagged at the taste of bile in her throat before giving Kaneki Ken a brief nod of thanks. Scanning the room, she noticed that pretty much every one of the 12 Olympians was there. And staring blankly at the new arrival.

Blink.

Blink.

Blink.

The awkward silence exploded into noise as various gods made to attack Kaneki Ken while others barked orders to subdue the man. Disorientated by the sudden change of atmosphere, Artemis could feel a headache pulsing, growing in intensity by the second. As the noise reached a fever pitch, a cold, dark voice shattered the noise like glass. She shivered.

"Enough."

Eyes suddenly blazing with fury and disdain, he unsheathed the hunting knife from earlier and threw it into the floor. The screech of metal against the ceramic tiles on the floor caused the gods and goddesses to clap their hands over their ears. Unfortunately for Artemis, her hands were too busy holding onto Kaneki Ken to keep herself upright for her to react fast enough. Unconsciously, she let out a small squeak of surprise, drawing the looks of the rest of her family and the amused gaze of the man beside her. Flushing in embarrassment, she steeled herself, preparing to convince the Council to not kill the arrogant idiot standing next to her. Only to be cut off by her father.

"What is the meaning of this? Why did you bring the threat to Olympus?"

"He said...he said that he could bring back the Hunt."

"Preposterous! No mortal holds any influence over death. That is within the power of a god!"

"You've clearly not seen what he's done."

"Are you defending this man? You?"

"I've fought him. My Hunt fought him. Hades fought him. Look what happened to all of us."

"..."

"He wishes to speak to you. Speak to you all."

"I think that we should just kill him."

"Father!"

"A vote to decide the fate of the Black Reaper! Who wishes to kill him?"

Zeus promptly raised his hand, followed by Ares, Demeter, Hera and Apollo. Rage overtaking his expression as he looked at the rest of the Council, he asked, "Why shouldn't we kill him?"

"I need to figure out what he did to the souls of the dead."

"He is an interesting person."

"How could I kill such a handsome man?"

"That weapon of his looks fun."

"He saved Camp Half-Blood."

"He saved my son and wife. People who were only put in danger because of you."

"The brat saved my Camp. As much as I hate it, I've developed an attachment to the people there."

"He didn't kill me."

Defeated, Zeus looked at Kaneki Ken, not missing the smirk on his face. Face flushing even redder due to what seemed like a mixture on embarrassment and anger, he questioned the man, "Will you not bow before the gods?"

"No. You just want me to bow to you so that you can sate your ego. I only bow to those I respect. You are not one of them."

Ouch. Chuckles came from several of the gods and goddesses, concealed poorly behind their hands and lousy poker faces. Artemis quickly stepped in front of Kaneki Ken, seeing her father's already red face darken, now sporting a purplish sheen she had only seen before on Dionysus. Hopefully Zeus was still sane enough to reign in his anger and avoid smiting a mortal on the spot just because he insulted him. Actually...her father had done worse for lesser reasons than that. Maybe she shouldn't be protecting this man.

Plus, she could get struck if she stood in the way. And in the condition she was in… it was hard to tell whether she'd survive a blow.

He says he can save the Hunt. He's lying. How can you tell? He's a pig. Pigs lie to survive. He beat me. Using trickery. It's still a defeat. So? I still owe him a debt that needs to be repaid, you know how mortals are like when gods own them debts. ...Fair enough.

She smirked shallowly. Guess he infected me with his madness. You're talking to yourself. Of course he did. Banishing her thoughts, she found her father standing up to his full height, even making himself much taller. Lightning crackled in his hand, something which drew the attention of everyone in the room. While they may seem threatening and powerful at a first glance, one familiar with Zeus could tell the difference. The lightning seemed feebler, less "electric blue" and paler. While the sparks were plentiful, they faded quickly, popping out of existence slightly faster than Zeus could summon them. It was draining his energy reserves more than he'd like to admit it, with his Symbol of Power missing, it was harder, much harder to control his domains.

Unfortunately, none of us bothered to learn how to control our domains without our Symbols.

Looking back to Kaneki Ken, she sent a pleading look towards him, trying to get him to stop, only to pause when she saw his eyes drawn towards the electricity cradled in Zeus' palm. The reflection of the lighting flickered and danced in his eyes, them taking on a gleam that she had only seen when he started fighting. Extending a wary hand, she prodded him in the chest, snapping him out of his little reverie. He offered an unreadable expression before walking(much to everyone's surprise) to the Hearth. He plopped himself on the floor in front of it, leaning backwards and letting the fire lick at his hair. Before anyone could protest, he lifted a finger to his lips, basking in the warmth of the Hearth. She saw a content smile curve his lips, before it smoothed into a thin line as Zeus started ranting. Only this time he didn't cut him off. Hera stopped her husband, stating that "they should probably hear the mortal out."

Beaming at the acknowledgement, Kaneki Ken opened his mouth. Then paused, tilting his ear towards the flames, as if listening to them. He muttered something, a displeased expression crossing his face before he nodded sharply. Interesting. While he might just have been listening to himself(he looked like he had multiple personalities), the choice of sitting in front of the Hearth and listening to its flames indicated a deeper connection between Kaneki Ken and the godly world. Well, she only knew one god that fit the criteria that she had been creating in her head. Or rather, one goddess. Should I say this out loud? Best not to do that until we have a concrete plan.

"I have three terms. One, I require the freedom of Zoe Nightshade. Two, I ask you all to swear a vow to not hurt me or anyone I deem untouchable. Three, I need information. If you meet all these three terms, I will surrender myself peacefully and help your cause."

"And what makes you think that we need your help mortal?"

"For starters, you need a hero to get back your Master Bolt. Yes, that Master Bolt. Yes, I know about it. No, I am not working for whoever you are preparing to fight, who's name I shall not mention."

"How did you guess it out?"

"You're the goddess of Wisdom, you should know."

"Frankly, I do, but the evidence points to you being mortal and you being mortal would make you unable to draw that conclusion."

"Funny you should say that. I had a friend once, best detective I ever met. Could tell whether someone was hiding something from a casual conversation. He would have deduced this faster than me." Kaneki chuckled. "I'm nowhere near his level but I know how to read people. Just not as well as before. Haven't been around for a while." Kaneki pulled back a knuckle and paused for a few seconds before slowly uncurling it. The happiness in his eyes died away, turning into a cold look. Only instead of the usual burning anger hidden beneath his fragile facade, Artemis could see a hint of what looked like loneliness. It was quickly smothered and extinguished and while she might have been imagining it, she almost felt like his eyes or at least his gaze had sharpened. They were now angled at the Goddess of Wisdom, a clinical look in them that definitely unnerved Athena, judging from how her own aloof gaze began wavering as the stare down continued. When he broke his gaze, an almost invisible relaxation of her shoulders was what let Artemis know for certain that Athena was either afraid or wary of the enigma.

"Since you guys don't have any ideas to vouch, I'll put it simply. I have my sources. They've been telling me of a brewing war, one that will tear apart the world and awake forces that shouldn't be awoken. I've been going around and quashing as many rumours as possible, but I can't control them all. I am but a man, aren't I? That's what you've been telling yourselves."

The postures of the 12(+1) Olympians stiffened and some hands went for weapons while others prepared to cast their magic. The tension in the air quivered like the taut string of a bow, ready for a single action to tip the scales. And basking in the cautious air was the one who caused it himself, posture lazy and relaxed, not even reaching for the knife he had returned to his sheathe without anyone noticing. And, Artemis noticed, he had left his weapon back in Camp Half-Blood. His expression was amused, almost saying, all this for me? He was being rather smug about being caught in a situation that would lead to his demise. Zeus, still standing, was ready to bellow at the mortal, as tiny as an elf compared to his full godly height when a sudden string of actions caught them all off guard.

The fire of the Hearth had been simmering, their tender not participating, seemingly distracted, but now it was crackling with intention. The warm orange that radiated calm and serenity was replaced by a striking blue, warning and anger rolling off them in waves. The flames had grown in height and severity, the heat it emanated causing slight breathing difficulties and the floor to start becoming uncomfortably hot to the touch. They curled around Kaneki Ken, almost wrapping him like how one would don a suit of armour, but not one scream was emitted from the mouth of the clearly burning person. He just continued to smile as the heat rose in intensity, the flames looking less friendly and taking on the shapes of mystical creatures with way, way too many eyes.

"Hestia! What is the meaning of this? Why are you protecting this man?" Hera asked, concern lacing her tone. The fire gave no response, curling further around the person it was shielding. If she squinted close enough, Artemis could see a small girl flitting amongst them, eyes narrowed and hands clenched. The flames branched out, forming hands holding many sharp weapons, swords, knives, spears and other relics from forgotten ages.

"You don't want to talk, fine! See that's the thing about you gods. You just don't care. You fight, with your silly pawns, across time. You never resolve anything. You know those humans and half-bloods you're so fond of controlling? They have lives, they are people. They shoot, they stab, they kill and they die. For what exactly? You win. So what? No one wins for long! No matter how right you feel, you don't know what's going happen, you don't know who's going to die just for your own selfish desires! How much blood will be spilt until you do what you always have to do, SIT DOWN AND TALK!" Kaneki snarled after his outburst, breathing heavily, hands clenching and unclenching. Shocked silence followed his speech while his words ran through the heads of everyone there. Slowly, the Olympians prepared to fight adopted looks of shame, sitting back down, one by one. Artemis watched, impressed by the second. A man who didn't resort to violence when met with violence. Interesting.

"You know my terms. You know what I want. You know I can do what you want. So…"

Kaneki looked at each and every one of them. He looked hard, looked long, long enough for silence to echo throughout the room.

"Will you agree?"

So, that's that. This will be the last chapter in my two main stories for a long time(probably 1 month or more). I'm sorry. But I must study. Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Goodbye. Thank you. Kudos to anyone who recognizes certain parts of Kaneki's speech.