(A/N) Sorry bout the long update I had to finish another fanfiction. But now it gives me more time to write this one!

Disclaimer: ME NO OWN PJO

It was a beautiful night. The stars glared down from overhead, their fiery bodies twinkling as they regarded Perseus with distain from their thrones in the heavens. The sky in which they resided spread before him, a tarp that smothered everything in a navy so dark that it was almost black, and it was a much-needed reprieve from the brightness of the day that Perseus despised. It was incredibly clear up in these peaks, with little to nonexistent light pollution from putrid mortal cities, and he could see the other arm of the Milky Way, its cloudy form mesmerizing to say the least. He and Alpheus had settled down in the Rocky Mountains, in an area that was reclusive enough that mortals wouldn't wander in and disrupt them, but close enough to civilization that it would be no bother at all to go out for a snack or two.

They'd stolen their large and cozy den from the unsuspecting black bear that'd made it, though its hide, along with countless others, served as the very comfortable bedding that the two demons slept on. It was settled under a gigantic tree whose diameter had to be at least five feet across, and the gnarled and spindly roots are what kept the dirt walls tightly packed and resistant to rain damage, which, needless to say, was a plus. That's not the point, though, because Perseus was a big fan off small and homey; he would've preferred to be squashed in a small space with Alfie and curl up next to him to share their nearly nonexistent body heat. Their current burrow was too large for Perseus' tastes, with his brother's furs and pelts being too far away, and he wished that Alfie acted like the younger brother he appeared to be; with his five-year-old form, the demon seemed too vulnerable, and Perseus wanted to snuggle like how normal littermates did. He was very mature, however, and had been the one that was born first, technically making him older than Perseus. They were not only littermates, but twins, and the demon was having a difficult time wrapping his mind around that.

What Perseus liked most about their warren was the view, and there was really no contest. The tree under which their burrow resided had taken root near the edge of a giant cliff, whose drop was nearly ninety degrees. Unless you were immortal, there was no surviving that plummet towards the ground, and it made the experience all the more exhilarating; Perseus liked to sit at the very edge, his feet dangling over the side, and just watch. Whether it be the cold, unfeeling stars or the miles and miles of sloping forests, Perseus would lean forward to the point where the slightest of breezes would've sent him careening to the ground, and study them with a gaze that was only akin to his brother's. Alpheus teased him for this sentimental behavior, but Perseus had been around on Earth for far longer than he had. There were so many things to discover and just look at, and it filled Perseus with a childlike interest that was unlike his normal demeanor.

Alfie hadn't really spoken of his time in Hell, never revealing to Perseus what his experience there was like and what he'd done during the time looking for his brother. The black-haired demon deemed it understandable, since hell surely wasn't all rainbows and unicorns and nobody would want to relive the horrors there, but at the same time he was burning with curiosity. He'd never been to Hell, their home world, and had been dying to know what lay in the darkest reaches of Tartarus since he'd gone by the name Abaddon. Now that Alfie had visited the place he'd been so eager to learn about, Perseus had to admit that he was a bit irritated that he wasn't being told all the gritty details; after all, his twin brother was well aware of his enthusiasm over the topic. But the demon wouldn't push, wouldn't pry, and he let his brother go on what he called "walks", where his twin would disappear without contact only to return a handful of days, maybe a week or two, later. Perseus supposed that this was his form of a coping mechanism, and even though he missed his brother on those days, he was glad for the alone time. He hoped that bits and pieces of information would be revealed over the infinite amount of time that the two brothers had together, and he was willing to wait for millennia until he finally put the pieces of the puzzle together.

"Stargazing again, brother?" came a reedy voice, high-pitched and innocent.

"Indeed," Perseus replied, not tearing his gaze away from the expanse of mountains and stars that seemed to go on forever.

"What good can come from sitting down and ogling a bunch of balls of fire that are millions and billions of light years away? What's the point?" Alfie asked, and Perseus could almost hear the way he crinkled his nose when he wasn't a fan of something. It brought a small smile to the demon's face, knowing that he wasn't alone, knowing that he was with family that would sacrifice just as much for him as he would for them.

"It sooths my nerves. Like your walks do for you," Perseus told him, "It makes you feel bigger than your body." The sound of bare feet slapping against stone ensued, and pretty soon Alfie was sitting next to him, comparably smaller despite the fact that they were supposed to be identical twins. Perseus spared a glance and saw Alpheus' round face, having not yet shed all of the baby fat, his large, strikingly sea green eyes, and his ruffled black hair that curled around his ears and the nape of his neck. He was purposefully trying not to look at the view, wearing a mischievous grin as he kept his gaze trained on his legs, which he swung back and forth in a childlike manner.

"I enjoy being with you," Alfie announced suddenly, looking up. "I think it's nice to be back together again."

"I think so, too," Perseus replied immediately, his grin practically a mirror of his twin's.

"I missed you when I was…away," Alfie admitted, his expression falling and darkening as he recalled memories that he'd never shared with his brother, and probably would only reveal when all of the scars finally healed. How long that would take, Perseus didn't know. "I was alone for so long."

"You had the rest of our brothers and sisters," the demon cut in, his brows knitting together. "Surely you couldn't've been that lonely, with their presence in your head and their physical forms at your fingertips. I was the last demon that walked the Earth, amd do you know how I knew that?" Alfie shook his head, seeming a bit guilty. "There was silence in my head. Nothing. Just me and my thoughts. It was very…unnerving." Perseus paused, thinking of what else to say as he worried his bottom lip in between his teeth. "I got used to it, though. Befriended a hellhound. Traveled the world. I always had to keep moving in case I was discovered, or worse, my memories caught up to me."

"I apologize," Alfie told him sincerely, putting a reassuring hand on his twin's arm.

"There's no need," a muscle in Perseus' jaw jumped as his expression soured, "It wasn't your fault." He wished he'd spent more time on Orion, wished that, instead of tearing the brute to shreds like he'd done, he killed him slowly. Severed his limbs. Carved out all the unnecessary organs. Poked and prodded and sliced and diced until the traitor was begging for death, which Perseus would dangle out of his reach until he'd had his fun and tossed the bloody and malformed excuse of a demon into the sea where, since he'd be devoid of limbs, he would drown. And rightfully so. He deserved that after he'd mercilessly slaughtered his twin. They'd been partners in crime, them against the world, and they'd had a codependency that had long ago crossed the border into unhealthy territory. Some littermates parted ways, but not them, and those countless centuries had been some of the best that Perseus had ever had. Now they were back to square one, and at times it felt like he was speaking to a stranger. He wondered if Alfie felt the same way.

His thoughts were distracted by the far away sound of a twig snapping and the sound of something that was certainly not an animal. It was at least a mile away, however, an unmistakable scent came along with it. The smell of demigod…and something else. Perseus' stomach dropped like a leaden ball, and judging by Alfie's expression he'd noticed it as well. The demons really couldn't care less about the puny half-immortals, but the stench that joined there's was certainly nothing to brush off.

It was the smell of another demon.

A demon he knew all too well.

-Ω-

Nico had been at the point of "If-you-breathe-the-wrong-way-I-might-have-a-heart-attack-from-fear" ever since Orion had pointed out the gargantuan claw marks in a spruce they'd passed a while back. The five gouges in the bark were deep and practically seamless, as if the wood was made of butter, and that sent the hairs on the back of the demigod's neck standing on end. It didn't help that Orion had informed he, Jason, and Will of the fact that that's how demons marked their territory, and if their pathetic mortal senses could detect it, they'd notice the fact that Perseus and Alpheus' scents were everywhere. Had they been even the slightest bit sane, they would've turned tail and run far, far away, but no, they had to go towards the danger like those stupid white people from the horror movies.

Blood roared in his ears and his heart pounded within his ribcage as he clung to Will, who seemed at least slightly calmer but not by much, and Nico was pretty sure that he was cutting off the circulation in his poor boyfriend's arm. Jason made up for his lack of a partner to cling to with nervous energy. He wrung his hands, skittered at every sound, and was pretty much just an all-around mess, much like Nico at this point. He knew that he had to be strong and battle-hardened, a seasoned warrior and the leader of a great quest, but cowering in fear seemed like a pretty good option to him.

Orion was by far the most cool-headed, and if he was nervous about this confrontation, he didn't show it. His lithe frame picked through the underbrush soundlessly, his intense golden eyes scanning the area with an animal-like wariness, however his expression remained neutral, if not serene. Nico was pretty sure his breathing could be heard from a mile away, and he grit his teeth as he forced himself to calm down. They had Orion. The dude was plenty experienced with killing demons. They were okay. But it was two against one, wasn't it? Surely he was out of practice from his time in the Isles of the Blest? That only triggered a while new cycle of worrying, and judging by the looks on his companions' faces, they were experiencing the same torturous merry-go-round of anxiety.

He tried to comfort himself by watching the eagle machete in the demon's hands swing back and forth, its sinister, serrated blade gleaming in the moonlight that filtered through the foliage. The demon had, during their pit stop at Camp Jupiter for weapons, asked some of the children of Vulcan to inscribe ancient sigils onto the modern-looking blade, telling the demigods that they were characters in a demonic language that spoke of accuracy, good luck, and battle calm.

҉҉ Ӝ ʘ

I could really go for some battle calm right now, the demigod thought as they trekked through the dense forest. He tried not to take into consideration that, with the three mortals floundering about and making noise, the demons had already been alerted of their arrival. Considering he couldn't see a damn thing and the two opposing demons knew exactly where they were and were perfectly capable of killing them all. Perseus hadn't held out the genocide of the demons just because he sat back and coward; no, he fucking slaughtered the person who was doing the killing, as Orion had informed them, and the fact that he was coming back to threaten him and his brother once more wouldn't really be the best in attempting to make negotiations. Nico now realized belatedly that they shouldn't've been armed to the teeth if they expected Perseus and Alpheus to join them against a huge army, and perhaps they should've brought Gwen and/or Frank, who'd been at least slightly close to him during his stay at Camp Jupiter. All four of the assembled people were threats towards these two demons, and Nico prepared for disaster.

The trees eventually gave way to a large clearing that had a huge river rushing on the far side, its steady roar a bit comforting but not by much, and from the ground sprouted tall grasses, reeds, and a variety of species of wildflowers, all which swayed in the slight breeze. There'd been no wildlife sighted as of yet, probably because of the demons that'd settled in the area, but Nico saw a few hoof and paw prints scattered about the area. Nico had hoped that they'd be the ones to find the demons, but, unsurprisingly, his optimisms shattered when Orion tensed up, holding up a hand and signaling for them to halt. The three demigods froze as if turned to stone by Medusa, and Nico and Will knew a thing or two about what that entailed, considering they'd faced off against her during Nico's first year at Camp Half-Blood.

Orion raised his head, his nostrils flaring, and the moon's rays glanced off of his already pale skin, making it glow a nearly white, and it caused Nico's heart rate to quicken even more. Orion looked a bit more human, since he expressed his emotions and actually had expressions, however the son of Hades was constantly reminded of the fact that this hero wasn't human. That he was of another world that Nico had no intentions of visiting, and it was a bit frightening to say the least. Will rubbed soothing circles into Nico's back, and in return the black-haired demigod gripped his boyfriend's hand tightly in a reassuring gesture, but neither of them were able to battle back the wave of fear that washed over them. They were being hunted right now, and it wasn't really a pleasant feeling.

"Show yourselves," Orion snarled, his pupils slitting like a snake's. "I know you won't believe me when I say this, but I won't attack you if you don't attack us." Jason's shuddering inhale was all that needed to be heard as the group turned in the direction that he was looking. Two pairs of eyes stared at them from the shadows of the tree line, unblinking. Both were a stunning shade of sea green. Both were like a viper's. A low growl ripped through the silence of the forest, and Nico shuddered involuntarily at the sound. Perseus emerged slowly, his shoulders squared as he stalked forwards, eying their weapons with a wary eye. Alpheus remained by the tree line, expressionless, and Nico was pretty sure that five-year-olds weren't supposed to look so…intimidating.

"Why should I believe you?" Perseus questioned. "You've killed my brothers and sisters once before, killed Alfie before. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't tear you apart like last time."

"There isn't one," Orion replied evenly, all of his calmness and reassurance packed into a single sentence. It would make even the most suborn of people believe him. "But just hear me out." Apparently, Perseus wasn't "people", because he let out a cold laugh that was devoid of any sort of humor whatsoever. His eyes glittered like crystals of aquamarine, only sharper. Alfie seemed a bit anxious, most likely for the safety of his twin, but he made no move to join his brother, still a bit skittish from his last confrontation with the renowned demon.

"I'm not as stupid as you believe me to be, Orion, because the last time we met you told me to hear you out, yes?" the demon questioned, quirking an eyebrow and smiling in an unnerving way. "That didn't go so well, did it?"

"But you're the one who killed me," Orion pointed out, "You're the one who instigated the fight." Every one of his muscles was tensed up, prepared for fight or flight, and Nico could see a clear battle going on under the surface as the demon's thoughts raged. There was a distinct rivalry for Alpha male going on, and neither side wished to back down any time soon, lest the consequence for doing so was death. Perseus paused, brows knit and lips pursed as he thought over Orion's statement, the gears visibly turning in his head.

"You got me there," the demon admitted, though his voice was humorless. "But if you think me stupid and naïve like last time, you're mistaken." Perseus' fingers began to morph into long claws, and Nico could clearly see the outline of his serrated chompers behind his lips. Orion held out a hand to shield the three demigods, who would never admit that they were, indeed, cowering behind their ally, and wielded his machete with the other, whose runes were now glowing with a blazing white light. Nico was pretty sure that they hadn't been glowing before. There was only the sheer look of shock on the demons' faces before the sound of a hunting horn could be heard in the distance.

"You didn't," Perseus bellowed, lunging, but before his claws could even graze the demon's shoulder, a silver arrow imbedded itself into his shoulder. The green-eyed monster let out a screech that sent Nico's bones rattling and reeled backwards, staggering a bit but not falling. Alfie seemed to overcome his fear of confronting Orion and darted over to steady his twin, his eyes blazing with a raw hatred that could be compared to nothing else, and Nico didn't think that this "negotiation" was going too well.

"I wasn't going to call them," Orion admitted. "But you just had to make things complicated." As he said this, a group of all too familiar girls emerged from the trees, surrounding them on all sides. Their expressions were hard, their eyes glittering in the moonlight (who their patron goddess just so happened to have reign over), and they all had more arrows trained onto the twins, who were beginning to look nervous. The Hunt symbolized one species conquering another, and the demons certainly weren't the species that would do the conquering. Their white wolves were whimpering and cowering behind their masters' legs, which seemed to make the Hunters nervous, but no one who hadn't seen them before would notice. One of the girls stepped forwards, looking no older than sixteen, and Nico immediately recognized the electric blue eyes, which lived on in the eyes of Jason, as well as the tousled black hair. Thalia grinned at them, and she hadn't aged a day. It was a bit unnerving to know that he was older than a girl who he'd always regarded with a big sister sort of feeling, though it must've been far worse for Jason, who was actually blood related.

"Sup?" Thalia asked, acting as if she hadn't been away for months. She regarded Perseus with a look of utter disgust, which was returned in kind as the demon ripped the arrow out of his shoulder with a sickening tearing sound, the wound healing almost immediately afterward, and Nico remembered how he'd captured Artemis as a bargaining chip in exchange for the freedom of his brothers and sisters. "How've you guys been?"

"Peachy," Will replied through gritted teeth, which both Jason and Nico echoed in a similar manner. Thalia quirked an eyebrow, noting the sarcasm, and shrugged a bit, turning back towards the demons, who looked about ready to bolt. The Hunt had caught on to their scent now, however, and there would be no escaping from this moment on without the girls hot in pursuit.

"We should kill you," Thalia told them, "Now that we have Mr. Bruce Banner here." Orion's eyebrows climbed into his hairline and he tilted his head in confusion, having not understood the reference. "But my nut job of a brother, one of my closest friends, and my closest friend's boyfriend seem to think it necessary to talk a bit."

"We don't want to talk," Alpheus bit, eying Orion warily to see if he would make a move. "Who we are and what we do has nothing to do with you."

"Oh, but it does." This time, it was Thalia's turn to snarl, and her words were almost as frigid and menacing as the words that came from the demons' mouths. "You two are creatures, both of…supernatural…nature. Creatures from Tartarus. Creatures from Tartarus that kill people. Just an FYI, the Hunters of Artemis hunt exactly that. So, we have our best hunter back in the ranks that is more than capable of running you to the ground before doing whatever demons do to kill their own kind." Orion flinched at that but didn't comment, however Perseus' gaze locked onto the movement.

"Listen," Jason announced, stepping forwards, sounding much braver than he looked, "we don't want a fight. We just want to talk."

"Yes, we've established that," Perseus snapped, and Nico was taken aback by the demon's, well, sassiness. "Get to the good stuff."

"We want you on our side," Will replied, "You, Orion, and Alfie can work together to wipe away the rest of the demons on the Earth. They aren't kind to you, is that right?" Neither demon replied, their expressions dauntingly blank. "If you can help us, you don't have to worry about killing people or about other demons hunting you down."

"What if we don't want your help?" Alfie snapped. "What if we just want to be left alone?"

"Sorry, buddy," Nico cut in, "But your chances of being 'left alone' evaporated as soon as your brother here made that deal with the gods. Now do you want in or not?" Thalia gave him a thumbs-up, grinning, but she seemed to be the only one who was in the smiling mood. There was a period of long silence as the demons regarded one another with a look that clearly stated that they were communicated in some demon-y, telepathic way that humans couldn't perceive, but Orion seemed to be listening intently. His golden eyes, unlike Perseus and Alpheus', were full of an underlying warmth and compassion, and Nico found that the brown-haired demon truly and sincerely felt pity for the two. The son of Hades could get where it was coming from; the twins just wanted to be together after all those years of being separated, after Orion separated them, and now they couldn't even enjoy their reunion in peace. Nico found himself feeling sympathy as well, since he was well-acquainted with the need for solitude, but even considering letting these two off the hook wasn't an option. They needed their help to win this war, a war that could take decades or centuries. They would have to kill demons that strayed from the pack and pick them off one by one, and that would certainly take several mortal lifetimes. This was a big thing that they were asking, he knew, but three sets of hands were better than one, and Orion needed all the help he could get, since there was only so much that non-demons could do.

"Perhaps," Perseus said slowly. "But how do we know you're not going to kill us afterwards? Now there's no Styx promise to bine you to your promise."

"You'll just have to go off of my word," Orion replied, shrugging. "Never trust a demon, but then again, I'm putting my trust in you. You'll just have to reciprocate that trust."

"Seems sketchy," Alpheus grunted.

"I would think so, too," Will scoffed, and Nico smacked him on the arm for opening his mouth. He wasn't helping by agreeing with the demon on this particular viewpoint.

"Give us a bit of time to deliberate," Perseus asked them, his brows knitting.

"We don't have time. Heck, it's the one damn thing we don't have. Make your decision and make it now," Jason demanded, crossing his arms. The blond looked intimidating, with his Imperial gold sword hanging by his hip, but Nico wasn't sure if that was the case for the demons, considering the fact that Jason was physically incapable of killing them, even if they were weaker in strength and speed departments.

"Fine," Alfie ground out, talking over Perseus, whose smothered answer sounded suspiciously like a denial. "But we'll turn you all to minced meat if you try to pull any tricks."

Everyone gulped.