Hello everyone! Merry Christmas!
Well, I post this chapter for all you who read this. I can't believe it. You are amazing, 24000+ views, 136 followers, 83 favorites, 3 communities and 53 reviews! Amazing. I never thought that my story will have these numbers.
Also I want to thank anyone that review about my grammar, my mistake and everything. You are very helpful so please review about things you do not like.
Also I am so sorry for updating with a chapter after so long!
Anyway, I shouldn't make you wait (if anyone reads this)
So here it is.
*Updated version, thanks to Johanna Nightshade*
*small changes*
Artemis
I knew the incident with Anna would cause trouble but I never thought that Percy would vanish. The moment he shadow-traveled I was sure that he intended to go after Arianna so I flashed to their location only to find Thalia screaming Percy's name.
"I don't think he'll do something stupid. He's just angry with her, and not only for shooting his niece. Do you think so, Thalia?" I asked her as soon as we were left alone since I told the rest of the hunt to go to the temple. I was hoping she would agree.
"I…I should have told you what she did. But I knew that he wouldn't allow me to. He wanted to deal with it himself. I know him, he is too selfless to get you involved in his problems, but he's always there to defend us." She said and I could see that she loved Percy like her brother. Deep down I knew she was right; it was just that I didn't want him to get hurt under my watch.
"Don't worry. I'm sure he will be back in the afternoon", I replied and flashed us back.
But time was passing and they were nowhere to be seen. And the worst thing was that I couldn't sense his presence. Like he wasn't in America anymore. That was nearly impossible-two demigods shouldn't be able to get that far, even with shadow travel. The moment I made the realization I flashed to Olympus with Thalia to find Hestia.
"Hestia there is a problem." I said and I could see that she already knew and was angry, but tried to conceal it.
"Percy is missing. I sensed some very strong feelings from him earlier and the next moment I couldn't locate him", spoke Hestia and clapped her hands.
Instantly all the Olympians appeared and so did the Heroes of Olympus, counselors from camp half-blood, centurions from camp Jupiter, Chiron, Lupa, other minor gods, the rest of my hunters, the Council of Cloven Elders, some of the Amazons and many others that started talking all at the same moment.
Poseidon banged his trident on the ground, cracking it, making all the chatter die down. I figured Hestia had already informed Poseidon and Zeus-why she had called all of us here?
"Father, why are we here?" asked Jason.
"There has been an incident, a very serious one." Zeus said, glaring at his brother.
"Percy is missing." And shouts erupted all around the room. I observed the closest people to Percy and their reactions made me feel guilty. I was the reason Percy was lost and now people suffered because of my bad decision.
Yes, but you are also the reason Anna and Apollo's daughter are alive, the voice of logic in my head said. That helped me think more clearly, at least for now.
Zeus was the one this time to make everyone stop talking, except for Hades.
"What do you mean is missing? Where is he?" he erupted while Hestia seemed to try to locate him once more.
"Brother, please calm down. Let Artemis talk."
"I had warned you" said Poseidon standing up ready to attack me. It was the first time I was about to get blasted by Poseidon and the moment I saw his eyes blaze I knew I was in big trouble.
But Hestia appeared at his side and whispered something into his ear. Whatever she said worked since I wasn't impaled, yet, so I took a deep breath, making a note to thank her later. Then I explained the whole incident, starting from this morning. After I explained the scene in the room, I let Thalia speak, after Apollo healed Triton's daughter who was on the verge of a panic attack. She told us how she saw Percy shadow travel where they were only to grab Arianna and shadow travel once more to an unknown location.
After we explained it, Poseidon threw his trident at Ares, pinning him to his chair. "You are the next to be held responsible after Artemis, should ever something happens to Percy."
"Brother, we should focus on finding Percy and we will deal with all the other things later." Zeus said. The fact that Zeus was interested in finding Percy was something that caught me off guard. He usually hates the children of his brothers, especially when they want to change us and they are right. Percy is truly a unique man, he had changed the King of Olympus.
"The fact is that he isn't in America" said Hestia, taking me out of my thoughts.
"After I blessed him I could calculate with some deviation his location." I told them.
"So, it leaves us two places. Alaska and Tartarus" said Poseidon, confirming my thoughts. He sat back in his throne, the fear and agony drawn on his face.
"Wherever he is, we will find him." Said Jason trying to lift the spirits. "We talk about Percy. One of the greatest and strongest heroes ever lived. He survived Tartarus for your sakes."
"We will have to prepare search units. We will meet tomorrow morning to discuss the details." Zeus with a tone that ended the meeting.
"I am off to find Sally," Poseidon said while the other Gods left to find any clue about Percy or find people for the search teams.
So, we all flashed ourselves out. I appeared in my palace in Olympus and I laid down to my bed thinking about Percy. I had insisted on him joining the Hunt and now he is gods-don't-know-where and he might be injured or may die. And I would be the one responsible for the death of the greatest Hero of Olympus. And it had to happen now and had to be Percy. Maybe the first man I ever respected through my life.
Get a hold of yourself Artemis. This is how the Huntress deals with her problems? I heard the voice of reason in my head again. She lies down and cries? Wait what? I cry? I wiped away my tears. Why did I cry? What was going on with me? Is it Percy? Stop it, I thought. I have to get ahold of myself. Damn you Perseus. You are the one to blame for my situation. That was the last thought before I drifted off into the realms of Morpheus.
I woke up around 7 pm. Then I changed to a fresh outfit and flashed away to find my hunters. I appeared in my temple in New Rome, only to find Thalia and Anna in the living room. Anna was crying and Thalia was trying to calm her down.
"Milady. What now?" Thalia asked as she saw me.
"We will search and we will find him. Do not worry. And Perseus is capable enough to protect himself" I answered and I saw Anna looking at me, hope appearing in her eyes.
"Do you promise you will find him?"
I didn't know what to say. "I will," I said. I knew that it was an empty promise but I couldn't keep myself from promising. Guilt clawed at me.
"Don't worry Artemis. It isn't your fault. Trouble finds Percy without anyone's help" Thalia said trying to make me feel better. She was the only hunter that could read me so well.
I smiled at her and after all the hunters came I flashed us out. When we arrived Poseidon, Hestia and Hades looked tired and devastated and were sitting in their thrones while their thoughts traveled elsewhere. I probably looked just as tired. The only god who didn't seem to care so much about Percy was Ares but he didn't show it since he was afraid of Poseidon. Even Dionysus seemed shaken up.
"Most of us have used our influence and acquaintances for a clue about Percy. The only thing that we managed to find was that the last place him and Arianna got was Alaska." Zeus said.
Everyone started coming up with different scenarios about what happened but with a hit of the trident all died down.
"So we will create some search teams and start from there. It is our only lead." Said Athena, forming a plan, as usual.
"And since it is beyond our reach the team will be created from Jason, Frank, Leo, Nico, Tyson, Piper, Hazel, Reyna and Hylla. You have the best chances in Alaska about finding Percy. While you are there, more teams will be created to search for clues on his whearabouts, all around America."
I could see that all of the people were nervous for the task ahead but we all had a common goal, to find Percy.
Zeus said something but I had drifted into my thoughts. Where should I go to look for him? Ten demigods, the greatest ever lived will be going to Alaska so the hunt had to search elsewhere for its hero.
As soon as Zeus dismissed the council, I flashed myself and the hunt, to my palace to that we form an alternative search plan.
"Milady, may I rest for a while? I didn't sleep very well last night" Anna asked me when we appeared in my place.
"Of course, third door to the right" I instructed her to the hunters' room here in Olympus.
Then I gathered all the girls in front of a map and started pinpointing places where we should search. The plan was to start from the east coast, traveling alongside the borders of Alaska and ending up in the west coast. We were just finishing when we heard a scream from the room and the only thought in my mind was Anna. We run to the room to find her sitting in her bed, with her eyes wide open, tears streaming down her face and breathing in short irregular breaths.
She turned to me and looked me in the eyes.
"I know where he –"she tried to say but then her eyes changed color, turning golden for a split second. Then her eyes rolled back and she blacked out.
Thalia and I run to her side and the moment I touched her she woke up, started screaming and thrashing around, hitting me and Thalia, looking around the room with a wild look in her eyes.
I locked eyes with Thalia, the only hunter that wasn't frozen in place and tried to stop her, since now she had started hitting herself, as if she had lost had control of her body.
"NO, LEAVE ALONE! GO AWAY! DON'T TOUCH ME!" she screamed and leaped on Thalia, catching her off guard as she started punching her. Even though she was young she had quite some power but Thalia had more experience, meaning that only the first punch found its target.
Anna continued to hit her but I managed to grab and hold her, trying to make her stop. I didn't know what had happened but I was sure for one thing. Someone drove her insane and only a specific god would make her find her sanity and help us in our search.
But, I had to make her stop to help her and there was only one way. Forgive me, I whispered into her ear and nodded to Thalia, who understood and took out her dagger. She hit Anna in the head, leaving her unconscious.
"We must leave, you will wait for my command here" I said to the hunters and flashed myself and Anna to Olympus, calling for an emergency meeting. As the gods appeared Poseidon and Apollo run to my side to see Anna.
"What happened?" asked Poseidon as he flashed Triton in, who lost his color as he saw, his daughter.
"She was driven mad from something powerful" replied Apollo before I could speak.
"She went to sleep and then she started screaming. As soon as she saw me she started saying that she knew where Percy is." At that point I stopped so that Poseidon took in my words, and now it was his turn to pale.
"But then she blacked out and then started screaming and hitting everything she found, including me and Thalia, before I manage to "calm" her down and bring her here," I finished as Dionysus came to me, and tried to bring her sanity back.
But, as soon as he touched her he was launched across the room, as if someone blasted him.
Apollo flashed Anna away and then flashed beside the wine god to help him recover while Zeus hit his bolt on the ground so that we all sat down.
"As we can see from the events, something very powerful is keeping Percy captive and plots against us. We have to be extremely careful." Zeus said only to be interrupted by Dionysus, who was already on his feet and headed to his throne.
"Whoever drove this girl insane is very old. I haven't come across to a spell so potent for ages. I will do my best but I fear that her situation will not be better before the monster behind this act is sent to the void" he said and Triton started crying silently about his daughter.
"So, this makes it clear-Olympus has a new eneny," said Zeus grimly.
Percy
I hadn't felt this kind of pain for a long time. I opened my eyes with difficulty and pulled my head up which took so much effort it made me sweat. And I saw the one that was the cause of my pain.
Before me was a monster I used to call friend and had helped me in my most difficult time.
"You are finally awake. Now I can have some fun with you"
"Just tell me why? What did I do to you –"I started only to be stopped by a punch.
"Silence. You will talk when I tell you to" he spoke and opened the door for his master to come in.
"Ah. Perseus Jackson. I missed you! Tell me, who is Anna?" the man said. When I heard her name my vision turned red.
"Touch her and I will sent you so deep in the void that you will need one million years to reach the-". But once again I didn't finish my insult since a stronger punch stopped me.
"Oh, but there are some many things I can do to her than touch her. Like what I did, when she appeared here, while sleeping. Not even Dionysus will be able to heal her insanity, and you are the one to blame."
"TARTARUS! I WILL DESTROY YOU" I screamed as I started crying and sobbing. Annabeth had already died for me-I didn't need more lives lost because of me.
I couldn't imagine what Anna was going through. But I knew that I had to stop it and I struggled to free myself.
"Save your strength hero" the primordial spat, like hero was the worst insult he knew. "This is only the beginning. Arianna. Time for the second part of my plan" he said and sure enough she appeared through the door. If only I could free myself. At least I could kill her before I found my peace and quiet in death. But then, what about the people close to me? My mother, Paul, Poseidon, Anna, Thalia, Jason, Leo, Piper, Hazel, Frank, Grover, Tyson and all the people I knew from the camps.
"You will tell everyone that Perseus tried to kill you, but before he could land the finishing blow the ground opened and he was swallowed by earth." Tartarus instructed, snapped his fingers and she disappeared.
"I will leave you with your torturer for the time being. You have a lot to catch up on." Tartarus said and smiled me cruelly before leaving me alone with the Titan.
The last one, turned away from me, waited for the door to close and then he waited for a minute like he was trying to hear something.
"Percy. I am so-"he started with an apologetic tone when the door slammed open and the Titan's brother came rushing in.
"Why is he still alive? Just kill him already" Hyperion said and his arrival brightened the room. He was just like Percy remembered him, in his pre-maple form, Muscular, tall and bearded, with glowing skin and golden eyes. He was wearing his golden armor and wielded a long golden sword.
I could see now my cell and all the instruments that were available for my torture. The sight of them sent shivers down my body.
"Tartarus asked only for his torture. He will be the one to decide when and how this creature will die."
"Whatever, I don't want to find my soul trapped on his armor, like our stupid brothers. Now, was I interrupting something?" he asked to the Titan of the West.
"No, I was just going to choose his first torture."
"You know, after this Tartarus will start trusting you. He knows you were friends but even though he restored your memories and you seemed like the old good Iapetus, even I wasn't sure you were fully recovered from what this thing did to you."
"And now he is going to pay for it," Iapetus said and I looked horrified to the Titan who he used to call a friend, choose a circular thing with metal spikes around the inside. The worst thing was that I couldn't do anything and just watch. I was a toy in the hands of these Titans, who hated me.
But I still couldn't believe that Bob betrayed me. The physical pain was nothing in relation to the emotional pain I felt, not only from the betrayal but also from what my friends go through now, especially Anna. Bob-no Iapetus I thought, came close and adjusted the weird thing, on my neck, making impossible for me to move or do anything with my head, since the slightest movement the metal spines would injure me severely.
The Titan of the East laughed.
"This is what you call torture?" he asked his brother. He unsheathed his weapon, settng it on fire and made a deep cut in my torso making me scream from pain. For a moment I couldn't breath and the scream drove the spines into my skin, creating a new wave of pain but I managed not to scream again.
"That's for turning me into a tree" Hyperion roared and left.
I was trying to breathe slowly, because if I could try to breathe normally I would stay conscious. It hurt so much that I would be on the verge of blacking out, which was a certain death from the spikes.
I looked at Iapetus,expecting to see an evil grin or some pleasure on his eyes but what I saw left me speechless. I saw regret and pain in his eyes. How?
He came and took off the weird metal thing. Now I could talk.
"Percy, I am so –"
"Leave it. I don't want to hear your excuses," I snapped as anger started to take over me. I wanted to trust him again, but trusting the wrong person would leave me dead. I couldn't afford that-I had to protect my family and friends.
"I'm sorry, Percy."
"What? Is this another trick? You want me to trust you again so that you can betray me again. Will that make you happy? Only then you will have your revenge?" I screamed.
"I will explain, but right now I am sorry again." And with that he hit me hard on the head, making me drift into unconsciousness again.
So, that's it for now!
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