Thank you OcToPiRsQuIsHy for the idea and I am still open to them. Two chapters in one day and I've almost finished the next aren't you spoilt.

I couldn't stop staring at the blade. I stolen things way more valuable than this (like the lightning bolt and the helm of darkness) and I have been known to steal from her (keys and cash mostly) but I've never gone this far.

Other than her bow/banana clip, this was virtually the only object that Atlanta ever received from her mom. I have no idea how important this is to her, but I'd only ever got given a pair of flying shoes by my dad and they meant to world to me at one point. It was only until he came into my life that I changed priorities of my possessions. They went on to the 'disposable' list and destroying the world, sorry Olympus, went straight to top on the 'high priorities' list. Even `lanta came second to it, technically third since reviving Kronus was second. She should have been first and way above the rest (please note that these lists do not exist and I am NOT insane, well maybe a little. What? Insanity is fuel for the mind, or so they say). I shrugged at the thought.

But when she got this, it was still two months before she was dragged away from me. Maybe Artemis knew she wasn't sure if she'd made the right decisions. It was around that time that I'd really treated her bad and I somehow knew she doubts about things. Maybe this was a last ditch attempt to take her back to camp by her own choice. Guess I'll never know it would have been really clever if that was the plan.

I sighed and rewrapped it up in the scrap material. Maybe I would be able to give it back on day, once I know that it would be safe to do so. Sometimes I doubt if she'll ever get over what happened that year. She's still young, she was twenty-two when it happened probably twenty-three now, she has the rest of her life ahead of her if she can get out of the hole of depression I pushed her in. That's a pretty big if though. From what I've seen of her life she's in a very bad way. She needs help, my help. I was the one who got her into this mess and I'm probably the only one who'll ever get her out of it.

She's never liked doctors, nurses or needles (mainly because she left home because her dad injected her drugs but...) and if she reacts to them the way she used to then, well, basically let's say there is no hope that they can save her.

Oh Gods, I'd bloody gone and ruined her life. Aren't I the best boyfriend in the world? I am in Tartarus though, I didn't marry my sister (not that I had one in the first place) and shag her then eat five kids...and a rock...and barf them up. Yeah, I'm better than that, mainly because I can't do that.

"Son of thievery God in Laistrygonian territory," Shit. I turned round to face him- erm, it. Seven, eight feet tall and a total rippling mass of muscle. I'm totally out matched, I used to work out yeah but not for a long time and I'm only 6'1". I don't stand a chance unless...this guy doesn't know about `lanta's knife in my bag...maybe I have a chance... "Billy Bob will feast on hero flesh-"

"Sorry to disappoint you mate but: one, I'm not a hero and two: I'm nothing but skin and bones," I thought about it for a second. "Actually I'm not even that, so I'd really appreciate it if you'd just leave me alone and that you spread the word about it-" He started laughing. "What?"

"Such big words for such a small lunch-"

"I am not small!" I wasn't. "And I'm not going to be lunch." I unsheathed my sword and prepared for an attack.

"Ooh Billy Bob is so scared, not." He made the first move and aimed a swipe at me with his fist. I dodged backwards and made a downwards slash across his knuckles. He roared in pain as I gashed his wrist. I attempted to get behind him and stab him in the back but he saw it coming and my blade flew out of my hand to the left. My rucksack had fallen off in previous moves and now lay to my right. Secret weapon hidden in bag or obvious weapon in open, erm...

"Hero not as young and tender as his fellows, still fresh meat for Billy Bob." I looked between the advancing giant and the two weapons. I made my choice as he brought his fist down towards my head. I rolled suddenly to the left and his fist landed exactly where my head had been only a second before. Gulp. I grabbed the sword's hilt and pulled myself up to two feet holding the blade with both hands.

He threw a boulder at me next, which I think is a very unfair advantage. I ducked and managed, somehow, to gain access to my bag. Whilst BB turned round, I freed her knife for the material. Quick prayer to Artemis to let me use her daughter's knife before concealing it up my sleeve. "Hero should stop running, makes meat very stringy."

"Ever considered vegetarianism?" He looked at me bewildered for a moment; just the chance I needed. I plunged the sword into his ankle, a natural weak point, and ran round behind him. Again he roared in pain. I grabbed the hilt that still stuck out of his foot as he turned round leaving a long and thick red gash.

"Hero will pay for that!" He growled at me before making a final lunge. I flicked the concealed blade out. The last thing he saw was the flash of light that reflected off the blade as it moved. He fell on to the blade and it sunk deep into his chest cavity. "Ow..." He burst in to golden glitter.

I'd always thought that, if you ignore what it really was then, monster dust was actually quite pretty. It sparkled as it fell after you destroyed the monster and if it fell on a girl then it made them look pretty cute, deadly but cute.

I sighed a breath of relief and looked at the blades I know held. Her's was a better weapon but mine suited me more. You could probably sword fight with her knife but it would be no match for a weapon designed for that purpose.

I thought about something: I'd only asked if he'd considered vegetarianism to catch him off guard but it reminded me that `lanta was veggie. I laughed slightly. A vegetarian huntress, what next? A gothic child of Apollo or a really, really happy child of Hades? `Lanta had always been unorthodox though.

"Shit!" I'd spent too long admiring her blade and hadn't noticed BB was reforming. I still had to retrieve my weapon, grab my bag, and leg it before the next blank out came along; I could feel it coming.

I took a deep breath, grabbed my sword, shoved the knife into my bag, put my over my shoulder and started to run. I got about a hundred metres before I collapsed to deep laughter behind me...

Dun dun DUNN cliffy! (my failed attempt to make this more interesting)