A/N-Hey! Another update, as promised. I tried my hand at first person because I thought it suited this chapter so if you're wondering why, there ya go. This chapter is mostly reactions and unraveling some thoughts and whatnot. Enjoy!

1st Person/Percy-

I gritted my teeth, blood dripping down my chin.

I was on the floor, my energy almost drained. I had barely recovered when Gaea threw me into Tartarus again but this time for training purposes.

Yep, you heard it here first—Percy Jackson has joined Gaea to combine forces and destroy the Olympians then take over the world.

I snickered at the thought, nah, I just wanted my freedom. I would never join Gaea even if she was dangling the last blue chocolate chip cookie in front of me.

"Jackson!" Antaeus roared, kicking me in the stomach. "Do not laugh during combat—you will appear weak."

I doubled over; pretty sure he'd broken one of my ribs. "Well I wouldn't be so weak if you people hadn't tortured me but hey, it's not like I need to live or anything."

At this point, the giant raised his hand to strike me. I braced myself for the contact but it never came. I dared to look up and saw Antaeus deep in thought.

I had killed him years ago but he had, of course, regenerated and now trained several members of Gaea's army. There were thousands in the army—giants, rogue half-bloods, and dozens of monsters. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen before; Gaea was planning a mass scale attack and both the Romans and Greeks were highly unprepared.

Not for long, though. I was going to get back to camp and we were going to defeat Gaea, I just didn't know when.

"Jackson." A voice called out from underneath me.

"I have a first name you know,"

Although she was just dirt, I could feel Gaea's annoyance but I knew she needed me and in turn, I needed her to get the hell out of Tartarus.

"Antaeus brought up a good point, you need to regain your strength. You're useless to me in this condition."

"Gee, thanks."

Gaea continued, ignoring my comment. "You'll be put in a intensive water based treatment. It's a brief coma."

"And if I don't recover quickly?" I asked, dreading the answer.

"Then it's lights out for you, hero." Gaea laughed manically then I felt a tug, she was pulling me back to earth. My body felt like it was splitting in two and I could barely breathe. After an antagonizing minute or two, I landed on a hospital bed, facing bright lights. I turned my head slightly and saw Morpheus, putting me to sleep.

"Sleep well, Jackson." He laughed cruelly.

My eyelids drooped and he began to fade along with the background. As my body began to sink into the bed, I could only hope that I would recover fully and find a way out of Gaea's evil clutches. My friends and family were counting on me and I couldn't let them down.

3rd Person-

The sun god closed his eyes for what felt like 100th time, focusing on Percy Jackson. "There's nothing. I see nothing in Percy's future."

"Try again," Artemis prodded, sitting next to him. "He's not dead—Hades said so himself. There's got to be something you can see, Apollo."

The god huffed, looking to Hermes for approval. Hermes nodded and Apollo closed his eyes once more. The throne room was empty; it was just the three gods assigned by Zeus to find the missing demigod.

Apollo snapped his fingers and a look of revelation graced his features. "Percy's unconscious. That's why I've been seeing black; he may have been knocked out or asleep."

Artemis' silver eyes stormed with worry. "Hopefully not the former. We're running out of time. It's been nearly a wee—"

In the middle of Artemis' sentence, the god of messenger's phone rang. He swiped right, excused himself, and walked a few feet away from the twin gods.

"How's Persia?" Artemis asked.

Apollo shook his head, his face falling. "I screwed it up. She said she didn't want to see me again."

"What? Why?"

Apollo shrugged, a hole beginning to form inside his chest. "She said 'there's a million of them and that I couldn't fix it.' I tried to get her to talk to me but she ran off and I haven't seen her since."

Artemis cocked her head. "I saw you two in the mess hall, everything seemed fine. Are you sure you heard her correctly?"

Apollo re-played the events in his head, trying to piece the puzzle together. "Well, I went outside to talk with you and Hermes."

The god's jaw tightened. "And that was when he eagerly suggested we use Persia as bait to lure Gaea in and get Percy back."

"Well to be fair, Persia is immortal and she would last much longer than Percy. I mean, you know we wouldn't have actually gone through with it. Not unless all of us—including her—were on board."

"I know. It's just that I couldn't bear it if Persia was in Gaea's clutches. I'm just glad she's at camp, safe."

Artemis wished she could say the same for Percy but in the near future, hopefully, she could.

"Di immortales!" Hermes cursed from across the room, alarming the two gods. He uttered a few words into the phone rapidly before walking over to them. "They're gone." He breathed.

Apollo's heart threatened to stop. Gods no. "Not Persia, please, don't tell me she's gone."

"I'm afraid so. Nico, Jason, Piper, Hazel, Leo, and Frank have all gone to look for Percy. When they didn't show up to their daily activities, Chiron questioned your lieutenant," Hermes pointed at Artemis. "And she admitted they went to rescue Percy."

Apollo sighed, "I told Persia we were on it. We've got to find the demigods and send them back to camp—it's too dangerous."

"They're on the Argo II—I've got their general location. We should head out before they get too far."

Hermes' gave Artemis and Apollo the longitude and latitude of the ship and they all flashed out, unaware of the danger they would face on the other side.

1st Person/Apollo-

Although my head was swirling after flashing in, I managed to hear sounds from the lower deck.

They were screams.

My head whipped around, searching for my companions. Hermes and Artemis were already up, trying to steady themselves on the violently rocking boat. What was happening?

Artemis pointed in the direction of the screams and shouted something inaudible. I manifested my bow regardless and followed the two gods below the deck.

My palms were sweaty and my heart was beating at the speed of light. It was such a human feeling—being helpless. My blood pumped fast and hard and I couldn't help but think that Persia was hurt. I knew she could fend for herself and of course, the other demigods would protect her but I couldn't lose her again, the first time was nearly unbearable.

I felt a gentle pressure on my hand and I knew it was Artemis, trying to comfort me. "She'll be okay," She said, leading me down the stairs, edging closing to the screams.

Artemis' face was full of hope and comfort but I knew she was putting up a façade; she was in constant anguish over Percy's imprisonment and I couldn't help but think that it was my entire fault.

2, 116 years ago, I cursed her to watch in agony as I tortured the one she loved just as she'd done to me. The curse didn't come into effect till now, of course, when my sister fell for Percy and I had thought that I was to do the actual torturing, not fate.

Could it be my doing that Percy was in this predicament?

I didn't have time to ponder this because Hermes kicked the door open, revealing a gruesome scene.

All the demigods were scattered, some bleeding, others such as Nico and Piper tried to fend off their attacker.

My eyes scanned the room closely—Persia wasn't there. I didn't know whether that was good or not. She could've been hiding in a place I hadn't noticed or she wasn't in the room. At this point, the demigods' attacker looked straight us, a hiss escaping her vile lips.

I drank in her appearance, notching an arrow into my bow. She was a woman from the waist up and below she was part serpent. She lunged for Hermes, her talons close to piercing his skin. Hermes was light on his feet and butted her with the caduceus.

Ouch. Martha and George would certainly feel that in the morning.

Artemis cursed underneath her breath. "It's a Lamia; they're serpent women who eat children—it can be killed by covering it in a combination of rosemary and salt and then setting it on fire."

"Well there's plenty of salt water here!" Leo yelled, dodging the Lamia's talons.

"I've got rosemary," Hermes said, reaching into his postal bag and pulling out a clump of spiky greens.

Everyone, including the monster, looked at the god with a quizzical look.

"What?" He asked defensively. "It's a rich source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. I put it in my tea."

"Oh we don't have time for this!" Artemis yelled, drawing her bow, locking eyes with the demigods. "I need you guys to the get her to the top floor, near the water. We'll be right behind you."

The weary but brave demigods followed her instructions, leading the monster to the upper level. I wanted to stay behind and look for Persia but Artemis lugged Hermes and I into a circle.

"Artemis, now is hardly a time for a pep talk."

Artemis rolled her eyes at me, ignoring my helpful input. "Alright, here's the plan."

We listened intently and figured it was worth a shot. If it went wrong, we'd have to flash out with the demigods and abandon ship.

I ran up the stairs, Hermes and Artemis at my heels. When we caught sight of the monster, Artemis yelled a warning to the teens. They moved out of the way, awaiting our move.

"On my count," Artemis yelled, her auburn hair blowing in the wind. She hesitated, looking at me. I gave a nod of approval and my sister yelled, "Now!" She notched an arrow and pulled it back. Hermes ran up to the monster, dusting the rosemary upon her. The Lamia screamed, her skin turning into a repulsive shade of red. Meanwhile, I bended light rays to set Artemis' arrow on fire and watched as my sister set her aim on the monster. She released the arrow and it flew into the Lamia, sending her backwards into the water. As soon as the Lamia came in contact with the water, she burst into flames and the remaining ashes were swept away by the ocean breeze. (A/N-I know I could've used Leo's power to light the arrow but yeah)

"There goes my evening tea," Hermes pouted before running over to the demigods. Artemis and I followed suit and I bent down to heal Nico, who had an ugly gash across his torso. Hermes and Artemis provided a supply of ambrosia and nectar and in just a few minutes, the heroes were as good as new.

I examined Piper for a while, as I suspected she had a minor concussion. During the examination, her eyes refused to meet mine.

"You know I'm not going to bite you," I teased half-heartedly. "Unless you're into that kind of stuff."

Once again, Piper diverted her eyes.

"You don't have a concussion," I concluded. "However, you should get some rest and avoid direct sunlight for a while."

"Persia's gone," The girl blurted out. "She sacrificed herself to Gaea to save Percy—we couldn't stop her, she was already gone and I found the note she left behind."

My breath hitched and I closed my eyes momentarily. A dam of tears threatened to release and I shook my head. Deep down inside, I knew something like this would happen.

I had lost her. Again.

My heart ached for the beautiful, raven haired maiden and I couldn't possibly imagine the torture Gaea would subject her to.

"It's not your fault, Piper." I found myself saying. "We'll just have to add one more to the rescue list."

Piper looked at me pitifully and attempted to smile at my joke. She nodded, excused herself, and then joined the rest of her friends below deck.

Artemis placed a small hand on my shoulder, her eyes searching for an answer.

"She's gone," My grief was quickly washed over with anger. I could almost taste it.

I was so livid that I began radiating, my true form beginning to appear. I'd had enough.

Gaea wanted to destroy us and take over the world, fine. She could even ride my chariot if she so pleased but the moment she took Persia, it was a whole other story.

I was done playing this accursed game. I didn't care what Circe or anyone else said, I was going to get Persia back and I will go through anyone to do so.

It was one thing to want destroy mankind's existence and the gods but Gaea had no idea of wrath she'd feel in the near future.

She took the love of my life.

Now, it was personal.

"We should go," I heard Hermes say behind me. "We can't force them back to camp—Hazel brought up a good point, we as gods can't go into titan dominion not to mention we have our godly responsibilities and duties."

Artemis was about to protest but Hermes continued, "Although we'll still be searching and I'm confident that Zeus will let us help the demigods occasionally; we have no choice but to let them continue."

Artemis nodded reluctantly but patted my back gently. "I'm going to ask Nico if Persia is…you know, alive."

I sucked in a sharp breath but I knew she would be seeing as she was immortal.

To some extent, at least.

The god of messengers helped me up and he could clearly tell something was wrong. I told him about Persia and he looked down, ashamed.

"You know, when I said we should use Persia as bait, I didn't mean it." He started. "I never wanted any of this to happen."

I accepted his apology and narrowed my eyes at the god. Hermes was notorious for his thievery. I patted my back pocket and sighed in relief. Good.

My wallet was still there.

Hermes noticed my pat down and grinned mischievously. "You looked too distraught to pick pocket, so I only stole a drachma."

"Can I have it back?"

"No."

I pursed my lips, he had stolen my cattle and now he was stealing my money. We've come full circle.

"She's alive," Artemis breathed, returning.

A sigh of relief escaped my lips. "We should get back to Olympus," I suggested.

"You two go ahead, I have to go to the camp and speak with Thalia," My sister informed us.

I flashed out, the hole in my heart expanding.

3rd Person-

"Well that was invigorating," Leo Valdez said, gliding into Piper Mclean's room.

The girl laughed shakily. They had almost died but the adrenaline and anticipation of battle coursed through her veins.

"You got the right, Mr. Fix it," Piper patted the bed, motioning for him to sit.

Leo made his way to the bed, dropping himself near the head of it. He pulled out a wrench from his tool belt and began examining it closely.

"Didn't it feel kind of nice?"

Leo's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing at the girl's comment. "Piper, we nearly died. No, it wasn't nice. Are you sure Apollo cleared you for that concussion?"

Piper pulled her knees up to her chest, facing her friend. "Not the near death part, Leo. I meant the rush of battle, fighting with all of our friends. It's why I love going on quests; you get a chance to save people. That's all I want to do—save someone."

The boy understood her and smiled. "You will Pipes, I know you will."

A brief moment of comfortable silence passed before Leo looked up at the girl in deep thought.

"I don't remember this part of you at all but I like it. You seem better."

"Hmm?"

"Persia told me I knew you pretty well before Jason was placed into our memories and I was thinking that you seem a lot better now, maybe like you were before we met Jason." Leo left out the part where Persia had mentioned they were falling in love; he figured that would ruin the chill vibe.

The daughter of Aphrodite smiled, playing with her braid. "I agree with that statement. I loved Jason but I think it's time for me to find out who I am without him."

Leo looked at his friend, his eyes shining. He had never seen Piper so passionate…animated about her goal in life. "Well this is a good start,"

"Yeah, yeah it is." Piper grinned.

"Is this the part where we make out?" Leo teased.

The girl threw head back, laughing. "It's not a movie, Leo. Get out—it's getting late."

Leo chuckled, shuffling out of the room. "You're right, Pipes—this isn't a movie. It's a fanfic which is even better."

Piper had no idea what he was babbling on about but she concluded that he must've gotten a concussion. She lay on the bed, watching as Leo Valdez closed the door. She listened to his footsteps fade then closed her eyes. For the first time in a long time, Piper was at peace.

The next day, the demigods woke up early for breakfast. Although they were still divided, the Lamia attack had brought them closer.

There was a spread of waffles, pancakes, and fruit platters for their consumption. Once again, one more person was missing.

"Guys," Frank piped up. "Where's Nico? I rang the breakfast bell."

"Oh gods, don't tell me he sacrificed himself to Gaea too." Leo sighed.

"No," The devil himself walked in, his face grim. "I've got much worse news."

The group turned their attention to Nico, not noticing the misty screen that began to form behind them. It was Thalia and Annabeth with Artemis in the background, trying to get an update on the quest's status. They would've uttered a greeting and made themselves known, but they decided to listen to Nico's announcement then inquire about their quest.

"I shadow traveled to Camp Jupiter and talked to Jason, he'll be rejoining us soon since we're not too far off the coast of California. You guys want the bad or good news first?"

The group quickly convened before coming to a consensus. "Good news." They said simultaneously.

"Good news: Percy isn't being tortured anymore and he's rarely in Tartarus. Bad news: He's um," Nico choked up, he still couldn't believe his friend would do such a thing. "H-he has joined Gaea."

A small, pained gasp flew from Annabeth's lips and the son of Hades' head snapped in her direction. "A-Annabeth," He stammered, his eyes widening.

The group turned to the Iris Message and flinched internally. Her gray eyes had lost their life and her face was dull. She was in torment but drank in Nico's words. Percy had joined Gaea and wasn't coming back.

It was like Luke Castellan all over again.

The goddess of Hunt didn't take it too well either. She ran out of the room, running to the beach. The winds picked up and blew her auburn hair violently but she didn't care. She wanted to scream, yell, or do anything. She wanted to desperately wake up and find everything alright again.

She wanted to wake up and find Percy okay, living at camp with Annabeth and his friends—enjoying life. Although Artemis felt deeply towards him, she wanted him to be whole and happy again. She wanted him to have a peaceful, mortal life even if she wasn't the one by his side.

But this was reality and it was cold and harsh. Artemis didn't want to believe that Percy had joined the dark side willingly. There was something more to it and the goddess would find out.

She heard thunder strike twice and Artemis knew her father had called for a council meeting. Ignoring it, she debated whether to go talk to Thalia. She had meant to come clean about Persia's death and try to amend her relationship with the Hunt. Next to Apollo and Percy, they meant a lot to the goddess and she would do anything to repair the damage she'd caused.

Thunder struck three additional times and Artemis knew that it was meant for her—it must've been an emergency meeting. She flashed out, finding herself in her throne. As her vision focused, the other gods gazed at her. Apollo's face, in particular, looked grisly.

"Thank you, Artemis, for bothering to show up." Zeus greeted. "I assume you know of Perseus' conversion?"

The goddess nodded, her silver eyes laced with pain.

"Anyway, as I've already mentioned, I'm putting a target over his head." Zeus said. "Whoever finds him shall bring him to me and I will pay him a hefty reward. I will NOT have another Castellan fiasco and Jackson needs to be made into an example for all rogue demigods."

Poseidon paled visibly but didn't dare speak against his brother. He, like Artemis, believed that his son was forced to pledge his alliance to the Titaness.

"What will you do to him, brother?" Hestia asked, afraid for the demigod's well-being.

"Whatever punishment I see fit." Zeus said as Poseidon was about to intervene. Zeus glared at his sibling before waving his hand impatiently. "That is all. You are all dismissed."

Many of the Olympians flashed out and Apollo took his sister's hand in his then together, they left Olympus.

They arrived in front of Artemis' chariot, hidden in the woods. The goddess sobbed into her brother's shirt and he wrapped his arms around her, stroking her hair softly.

"It'll be okay, baby sister."

She shook her head in his chest. "No, it won't. You cursed me 2, 116 years ago, I've fallen in love with a man, and now I've been betrayed by him."

Apollo only held her closer, hoping that they would both find the people their souls longed for.

Meanwhile, in the throne room, the god of thunder paced across the room anxiously. He thought he'd made the right call but he wasn't so sure now. He hated lying to his family but it had to be done.

Zeus had thought the prophecy was referring to another hero but he now knew that it was Percy and if the prophecy was correct, the son of Poseidon was the determining factor in winning the war.

Zeus had put a target on Percy's back to capture him, yes, but he wasn't going to kill nor torture him.

He was going to train him for the upcoming war. Everything the god had done, including the series of interviews he had Apollo conduct, making the boy appear like a threat, and putting a target on his back was to determine whether Percy Jackson was the hero that had been prophesied to him 2, 116 years ago.

A boy of eighteen, with special powers

Shall save or ruin Olympus in the nigh hour

The silver eyed one shall aid his grief

Preserving the hero when he is most weak

As the heroes of old aid

The hero's decision shall be made

And Olympus will rest on his fate

A/N-I know the prophecy is kind of repetitive but I'm so bad at rhyming and trying to convey a sub plot. Like I spent a good five hours on that and it's still terrible. Anyway, I'll update next week-technically next year because it's 12/28. Thanks for reading!