PERCY POV
I walked with Artemis, feeling like a complete asshole. Despite how much I hated Octavian, he was right all I did was drag my friends into my problems. I looked down until I felt a light slap to the side of my face. I looked up to see Artemis looking at me with a worried expression. I looked away, and sighed.
"Percy, look at me."
"What did you want to talk about?"
She glared at me, "Stop moping, Percy! No one believes that about you!"
"Even though it's true?" I muttered.
"It is not!"
"Then tell me why the hell is it always me!" I yelled, "Everywhere I go I have something or the other on my back! I never can even dream a normal life, all I get is a freaking monster at me or some goddamn prophecy or a curse!"
I punched the ground in frustration and two of my knuckles split, "Now, I am a werewolf and I can't ever live anywhere ever again because if I lose control while near anyone else I will never forgive myself! I lost the only home for someone like me and I can barely stand to look at myself, now!" I glare at my bleeding knuckles and felt even more frustration.
I smacked at tree and felt a third knuckle split,Artemis grabbed my hand and forced it down to my side, "Percy! Stop, this isn't helping anyone, you're only hurting yourself!"
"So what?" I growled.
"You got to stop blaming yourself for things you're not responsible for! You don't drag you're friends into anything! Think about it, if he had bitten Jason, would you be the one responsible? Was it your fault?"
I looked away like a stubborn child, "No." I mumbled.
She put her hand on my shoulders, "Percy you need to stop trying to blame yourself, just do your best, and that will be enough."
"What if it isn't...you saw Erebus beat me to a pulp. What if I -" I began.
She hugged me and pressed her lips against my forehead, and leaned her forehead against mine, "Percy I believe you can do anything you want so long as you don't doubt yourself."
I sighed as I washed some water over my hand, "I wish I had that much confidence in myself..."
We headed back to the roman camp, when they caught sight of me, the crowds cheered. I sighed, "If anyone deserves the credit here, it would be Artemis. Otherwise I would be sitting there with a spear through my gut."
I noticed Artemis shiver, I called out,"Romans I need you to act as of I was never here. If you want someone to explain what happened, say Erebus attacked and Jason held him off until Artemis arrived."
They was a slight murmur of confused acceptance, "Why do you not want credit for this?" A roman called out.
"I just don't okay? I have to follow up on something see you guys later okay?" I began walking towards Mrs. O'Leary, and fiddled with the bracelet in my pocket, getting ready to attach it to my wrist. Nico walked past me and climbed on Mrs. O'Leary's back.
Jason walked over to me,"Good to have you back, Percy."
"You know what?" I said slowly, "I think I am happy to be back."
He grinned, we bumped fists and I was about to attach the bracelet to my wrist, when suddenly I heard the voice of someone who I didn't like all that much.
"Percy!" She sang.
"Oh gods," I facepalmed,and groaned, "Aphrodite..."
She walked over and she smiled at me, I fought back a grimace, I doubted threatening her had given me any brownie points with her. Regardless, all the boys were staring while some drooled. She was wearing a red dress that accented her curves and make-up, she looked stunning but I was unimpressed. I fought back a sigh of sheer exasperation. I noticed Nico and Jason were also looking a bit annoyed. I noticed Artemis stiffen as she stopped right in front of me. I slid off Mrs. O'Leary's back and said, "Well? What?"
I saw her raise and eyebrow, "I was wondering if you could forgive me for messing with your life so much in the past, I would be really thankful if you could..." He voiced was dripping charmspeak. Thankfully, I had trained myself against it ever since Drew had once tried on me. This may have been on a entirely different level but I wasn't exactly a normal iron will, comparably I was like Batman, and she was Ivy.
"Look, I can forgive you, but just stop messing with me." I sighed, sounding bored.
She smiled, "I was wondering if you may want to hang out with me some time?..." She tried to trace a finger down my face, I leaned back and shook my head.
I felt the charmspeak flutter against the barrier I had made in my head, "No." I replied strongly.
Aphrodite eyes widened slightly, "Wow, are you sure?" Her power had amped up but my mind held fast.
"Come on, Aphrodite!" I said, irritated, "It's bad enough I already forgave you for you making my love life more treacherous than a minefield,but can you stop trying to hook up with me? I already have someone who is special to me, though she knows who she is."
Aphrodite tried to probe my mind, but I let anger spark the wall I had built, she actually took a step back.
"Never. Try. That. Again. Okay?" I said my voice dripping malice.
"Uh sure..." She looked scared.
Artemis was positively beaming, I fought back a laugh at Aphrodite's expression. She shook her head a small smile on her lips, "This isn't over, Percy. Because-"
"You're the goddess of love and always get what you want?" I smirked, "Save it. It's not happening."
Artemis was trying and failing miserably to stifle her giggles while everybody looked at me with shock, envy, surprise, or a mix of all of them. Aphrodite was looking, not mad, but mildly impressed and annoyed.
"You're a tough one to crack, Percy, but I will find a way."
"Right, well as fun as this has been I am late, can I go? Not that I really care for your permission but it would be impolite not to ask." I said calmly.
She nodded. I vaulted onto Mrs. O'Leary's back and slid my fingers through the links of her collar. She bounded into the shadows and I felt the familiar shadows and cold hit me as we shadow traveled. We emerged in the shadows outside of camp, I slid on my bracelet and let my appearance change. Nico and I slid of Mrs. O'Leary's back and walked into the sunlight, and I shielded my eyes. I popped my neck and noticed the campers running to meet me. They were shocked and looking at my torso. Confused, I looked down and paled, I had blood and black Ichor dried and splattered all over my shirt, like had been blasted by black and brownish-red paintballs.
"Holy Hephaestus! You need first aid!" Screamed a camper.
"Uh I am fine, they're just stains, I got healed back at camp Jupiter, so need to panic." I said.
"Ugh at least take it off."
Several Aphrodite girls applauded the idea. I raised an eyebrow in disbelief.
"Right... I am not stripping here." I said walking towards the big house, ' I could go for a shower though...' I thought silently.
ARTEMIS POV
Just as Percy left, several flashes of light came including Zeus, already holding his crackling master bolt, Ares looking around holding a broadsword, looking eagerly around, Athena holding her decorated spear, Apollo, Hades, Dionysus, and Hermes looking around uncertainly. Poseidon was looking around but was smirking. Demeter was holding a bit of wheat in her hands and turning it over in her hands with a bored expression.
"Jackson was just here!" bellowed Zeus.
"Apparently we just missed him..." replied Dionysus shrugging.
"Too bad Zeus," murmured Apollo, "lets just head back to Olympus."
Zeus glanced at Aphrodite and me, I stared back defiantly, Aphrodite seemed to examining her nails with an indifferent, bored expression. Zeus' face darkened and he glanced around one last time as if someone was hiding Jackson behind their back. When a moment passed he grumbled and for just a moment I thought I noticed something crouching on his shoulder.
"Cover your eyes, Romans!" he said.
The Romans shielded their eyes from the gods turning into flashes of light. Romans. They chattered excitedly, still together. I closed my eyes and massaged my temples trying to ease the headache in my head. That was too close, Percy was getting reckless, and if he died. I shook my head, trying to clear it of the awful possibility,
I sighed and turned when someone said, "I bet Percy Jackson is in trouble did you see how mad Jupiter was? I hope he doesn't die too early."
I wanted to turn and yell but I couldn't, I just bit my lip and walked off. Aphrodite fell into step beside me.
"So Artemis, whats you're position on Percy? I mean beside the fact that he's your friend."
"What do you mean?" i asked, an uneasy feeling washing over me.
Her eyes gleamed with something that reminded me of Phoebe learned we were going to hunt a particularly challenging monster. It was anticipation, lust and other eager emotions. "He has been growing better looking no?"
I wanted to shout but I quelled the urge, "Please was his rejection at Camp Jupiter not enough for you? Why do you persevere?"
"Because," she replied as she began to turn into pink mist, "I am the love godess who always gets what she wants."