A/N: Seriously, you guys are the best. All your reviews made me so happy, and each one helped me continue my story. So please keep leaving them! They rock, and so do all of you!

I managed to pump out another 10k chapter again, so hopefully this is becoming a norm for me. It took a little longer to write than the last two, but it felt healthier, which is good. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy.

I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or any affiliated works. All rights go to Rick Riordan. Please support the official books.

Chapter 7: First Impressions

ARTEMIS

Artemis was not a happy camper.

Angry was a slight understatement. She was downright fuming. She felt utterly disrespected and ignored for the first time in decades. Sure, she wasn't the most sociable Olympian, but that gave her godly family no right to walk all over her like they did during the meeting.

She was diligent. Took her responsibilities to heart and made sure each one was followed through. Leading the Hunt, exterminating dangerous monsters that threaten their way of life, punishing those who stepped out of line, her hands were full almost 24/7!

"What did I do to deserve this then?" she thought bitterly as she flashed Percy to their camp. Don't even get her started on Percy. That was a whole other rant she had saved up. It wasn't even just him; the past 2 years have been the most hectic years of her life ever since she split in two during the Second Giant War.

First, her paranoid father Zeus puts her into hiding against her will because she was told her original bane, Gration, had reformed with a vengeance. When she first heard the news, she couldn't help but scoff.

"Gration? That second-rate archer? Please. I could defeat him with a blindfold and a beginner's bow," she had declared proudly.

"Absolutely not. The report told us that he's received a gift from Gaea herself: a cloak torn from the essence of Nyx down in Tartarus. It allows him to blend into any shadow or darkened surface, similar to Hades' Helm of Darkness." Zeus said in worry.

"What of it? Do you think that just because I cannot see him, I cannot shoot him? My senses aren't easily fooled, father."

"I'm aware. But that doesn't change the fact that there is a bloodthirsty giant out there on the prowl for you. Until Lupa finds out what he's up to or defeats him, I shall have you placed in my palace," the Lord of Thunder proclaimed.

"You will do no such thing if you have even an ounce of respect for me!" She shouted, already knowing that her father was as stubborn as he was protective.

"Sorry, my daughter. I just want to keep you safe," he said somberly, snapping his fingers.

"Now hold on a-" she tried to interject, but before she could finish her sentence, she found herself in Zeus' personal quarters. Stuck. Alone.

She still hadn't completely forgiven him for that. She knew he was protective over her, he had made that clear since the day she was born, when he granted her any desire of her choosing. It was that same wish that had led to the creation of her Hunt, but it seemed that he saw them as nothing but a bunch of girls playing with bows, the notion of which made her grit her teeth in rage whenever she thought about it.

"Someday, somehow, I will prove to everyone that my Hunt isn't just a silly club for my personal entertainment." That thought was one of her main motivators for leading the Hunt to the absolute best of her ability, setting an example for the members that looked up to her. Which is why Percy Jackson annoyed her to no end.

Of course, at the time that she was hunting him down, she had no knowledge that her target was the infamous son of Poseidon. She assumed that they were tracking down a minor hunting god that worked under Lupa or some sort. Someone who would be easy to track down for a person of her stature.

It had taken 8 months to bring the Wolf in front of the Olympians. Her prey had never escaped the talons of her Hunt for so long. While it seemed like it should have been a cause for celebration when they eventually caught up to him, Artemis felt nothing but a hollow victory.

"We only caught him because he messed up. He told us himself that he was in such a rush that he didn't cover his tracks. Tch," she had thought while he was telling them all his story back on Olympus. Of course, learning of all he had gone through had made her slightly pity him, but she couldn't easily forget this stain on her pride.

The last nail in the coffin came when Zeus told her that he wanted Percy to work alongside her and her Hunt. What was it he had said? Unofficial business partner? Artemis would have laughed were he not serious about the matter. Try as she might, she couldn't see the logical reasoning behind his decision. Percy was clearly capable of handling himself out in the mortal world, having successfully brought scores of children to Camp Half-Blood with no assistance.

Did her father think the Hunt so weak that they needed the aid of an outsider? Despite having carried out the hunting requests of the Olympians for millennia? She was forced to admit that they had a slightly poor showing against Lycaon, but that was not their fault in the slightest! Perseus, being who he is, decided to fight the werewolf all by himself unprompted. That aspect of his personality, while heroic, was dangerous and irritating.

"Still, I suppose that I have no choice nor say in the matter, do I?" She thought grimly. She knew better than most people that once Zeus had come to a decision about something, he would follow through with it without any regards to the consequences that it brought. Not even to his own family. Yes, she knew that very well, on an extremely personal level.

"Callisto…"

She tore her thoughts away from her old friend, choosing instead to focus on the problem in front of her; a problem that went by the name of Percy Jackson.

Artemis did not hate Percy. On the contrary, she held respect for the young hero. He had earned it years ago, when he took the weight of the sky off of the shoulders in order to give her the chance to fight and defeat Atlas, which she managed to achieve even in her weakened state by knocking him back under the sky. Taking on a burden of that magnitude was not a decision that most people could make, but he had come to the correct conclusion that only she could end the battle and carried it out with no hesitation.

She also couldn't forget his treatment of her former lieutenant, Zoë Nightshade, and vice versa. She knew how distrusting her late friend was of men, but Percy had somehow managed to earn her favor, and in turn, he treated her with utmost kindness and sincerity. If even Zoë could admit that not all men are bad, then she reasoned that she could as well.

It also goes without saying that much to her disdain, the young boy – no, rather, the young man, had saved Olympus on multiple occasions. Even though she considered herself a bit more 'down-to-Earth' than her fellow gods, she shared the common trait that she did not enjoy having demigods fighting her battles for her. Nonetheless, she was forced to acknowledge his heroics against her will, garnering a small amount of respect.

Lastly, the one thing he had done that confused her the most. She recalled the event, happening around 2 months after the Second Giant War had ended. Camp Half-Blood had finally finished reconstruction, the gods were back in their prime, and they had summoned the 9 demigods who had contributed the most to the cause.

They had asked each of them for a small wish that could be granted as a reward for playing key roles in the battles. The first 8 did not faze her in the slightest, generating little interest to her. Something about no longer depending on a stick or breaking a curse involving jewels. It was quite weird.

The one that stood out, that she could still remember as if it were yesterday, was the request of Perseus.

"My son!" Poseidon boomed. "Can anyone tell me that Percy here has not done us a great service yet again! Not even Heracles-!"

"Yes, yes, we got the point last time, brother." Zeus grumbled. "Just ask him what he wants and let's move on."

"Hmph." Poseidon huffed. "As you wish. Percy, would you tell your Uncle Zeus over there would you wish for? Apparently, he is extremely eager to hear it."

Percy shook his head at their bickering. "I'll make it brief then. Wouldn't want to keep his majesty waiting on my lowly self." Poseidon chuckled loudly as Zeus turned away, frowning. Even Artemis raised an eyebrow in amusement; it wasn't everyday that someone mocked the King of Olympus.

The demigod looked up at all of them. "I actually have two things I'd like to ask of you, but both are minor and certainly within the ranges of your power."

Zeus sighed. "Honestly, I'm not surprised at your strange requests anymore. Out with it then."

Percy grinned as he continued. "Firstly, I'm glad to see that you honored my last request of constructing a throne for Lord Hades to join the council with. I'd like to ask for the same thing again, but this time for Lady Hestia. I partially owe my victory against Kronos to her guidance after all."

The goddess in question, who was sitting near the central firepit, tending to it, tilted her head quizzically. "I'm confused, Percy. I've told you before that I am perfectly content with not being noticed, as long as some people seek me out once in a while. Why use your request on me while you're aware of this?"

"That's exactly why. It's that mentality of togetherness and humility around the hearth that I think needs more of a presence in this chamber. Everyone, gods included, should hear your voice more."

Hestia smiled warmly. "If that is your wish, I shall not fight you on it. Hephaestus? I'm counting on you to give me something cozy." The god of forgery nodded in affirmation.

Zeus nodded as well, seemingly pleased. "Simple enough so far. Your second request?"

"You see, Lord Zeus, after punching Leo when he returned from the land of the dead, he came back with someone that I'm sure you're acquainted with. Do you recall the name of Calypso?" Percy asked, staring intently at the god.

Zeus squirmed in his throne. "I suppose I've the name tossed around from time to time…" he muttered unconvincingly.

Percy smiled, still holding his stare. "Oh goody! Because she told me the most interesting story! That she was still stuck on her island for months even after I used my last request to you all to free her!"

Zeus let out a large exhale. "Alright, alright, I get your point. Where are you going with this?"

Percy looked at him with determination. "I respectfully ask that you release all the peaceful titans or gods or whatever-they-may-be from imprisonments that you put them under. Those are punishments that they don't deserve anymore. I'm talking about Leto, who's still on the floating island of Delos under Hera's curse, or Elpis, who's still stuck inside Pandora's Pithos, and probably a lot more."

Hera sat up immediately. "Where did you learn those names?" She shrieked, clearly taken aback by his words. Artemis was astonished too. Her mother's name was the last thing she had expected to hear during this meeting.

Percy turned to face Annabeth with an affectionate look. "Well, when you date the smartest girl in camp, you tend to pick up on a few things." She blushed and glanced away.

Zeus looked slightly troubled. "While your intentions seem genuine, what you're asking of us is much more troublesome than you'd think. Tracking them all down, altering the circumstances of their confinements, the paperwork alone would take-"

"But it can be done, right?" Percy questioned, not giving in whatsoever.

Zeus sighed heavily again, something that seemed to happen often whenever Percy was placed in front of him. "Yes, it can be done. Is that all?"

"Yes, Lord Zeus. Thank you." Artemis detected no signs of regret in his voice.

To this day, Artemis had no clue why he had done such a thing. It was the second time he had used his reward from the gods on people other than himself. Thus, despite being a male, Artemis surmised that Percy was worthy of her respect, and different from the standard men she had come to know and despise.

They flashed into the Hunt's current settlement, located in the woods of West Virginia. They had been camped out in a large clearing since last week, prepared to spend their time tracking down the Wolf and then moving on to North Carolina if they were unsuccessful. For better or for worse, those plans have been halted, and they were stuck there for now.

As soon as the other Hunters saw their leader return with Percy, they swarmed the pair immediately, barraging them questions.

"What happened on Olympus?"

"Why is he here?"

"Did you bring back any snacks?"

"Girls! Please! Settle down!" Artemis put her arms up in an attempt to quell their mass excitement, and it worked on all of them except one, who defiantly walked past her Lady and punched Percy square in the jaw.

"Ow!" he cried out as he fell down to the ground, where Thalia followed up by jumping on top of him, pinning his chest to the ground with her knee and grabbing him by the collar of his shirt.

"What in the name of Zeus were you thinking you idiot!?" She screamed in his face.

"Nice to see you too, Thals." Percy groaned.

"I finally found you after all these years and you almost died in front of me! Are you serious!?" She wasn't letting up at all.

"I…just needed some space. I didn't want to get you involved in my fight." He couldn't look her in the eyes.

"Too bad. I'm your friend, Barnacle Boy. You're stuck with me whether you like it or not." She lowered her head. Artemis saw hints of tears in her eyes. "Please, just give me some answers. What happened to you? Where've you been? Why did you leave us?"

"I need my lungs to answer that, if you please." He gasped for air as she removed her leg from his sternum. "Much obliged. Artemis, would it be okay if I talked to Thalia in private? I think she has the right to know everything on a more personal level."

Artemis knew that her lieutenant and Jackson were close, having known each other from before Thalia joined her ranks. She figured she could allow this for her sake.

"Granted. Thalia, take him to your quarters." She watched her lead him away to the tent area, then turned to face the rest of the Hunters, who were all looking up at her expectantly.

"I'm sure all of you have some questions regarding the meeting. I shall answer each one in turn, so please calmly and efficiently ask what-" she was cut off by all of the Hunters yelling out at once like a pack of unruly children.

"I honestly don't know what I expected," she thought. Once she managed to get them quiet again, she hand-picked hunters to ask her their questions. She felt like a silly schoolteacher.

"Who was that boy you brought with you?" It was the newer hunter who had previously asked about the Wolf.

"That was Percy Jackson. Someone with an extensive history with Olympus, saving it along with the world on more than one occasion. He is the son of Poseidon, and he was the figure that was previously known as the 'Wolf.'"

The hunters whispered amongst each other, the ones who knew Percy and fought alongside of him during the wars speculating about what had happened to him since then. Until one of them asked the question outright.

"What was Percy doing with you?" Another Hunter questioned.

Artemis sighed. "Girls, please do not overreact to what I'm about to tell you, but the gods have assigned him to…work with us for the time being."

They all stared at her blankly. "Wait, does this mean what I think it means?" Phoebe asked, her eyes widening in realization.

"Yes." Artemis confirmed. "He will be staying with us."

Shouts of protest arose immediately. Even the goddess of the moon had to cover her ears.

"I'm not my brother's Oracle, but I should have prepared for this more," she chastised herself. She'd grown sick of all the interruptions, so she let loose an intimidating silver aura that told her Hunters that she meant business. They shut up quickly after seeing it.

She calmed down and let out a huff. "Much better. If you'll allow me to explain myself, I shall inform you of everything that transpired during the council. As you know, the Wolf, Percy Jackson, has been guiding demigod children to Camp Half-Blood without their official approval. Upon asking for it, Zeus decreed that he can no longer travel around the country on his own any longer and needed people to keep an eye on him. That's where we come in. Percy shall be traveling with us as he continues to help young half-bloods reach sanctuary."

After her explanation, most of the girls had shocked looks on their faces, while others looked like they wanted to punch something. Probably something that rhymes with 'Jercy Packson.'

"My Lady…do we really have to travel with a male? I thought the whole point was that we remained separate from them?" Another hunter asked, a trace of worry lacing her words. Artemis looked at her with sympathy.

"Unfortunately, yes. Believe me when I tell you that I don't want this any more than the rest of you, but my eldest Hunters present with us know what happens when you defy the will of the gods. Especially when that god is my father." Her words caused several hunters to shudder, bringing up memories that they would have rather remained hidden within their minds.

"I know many of you have had traumatic incidents in the past with males, but I can personally assure you all of this one's credibility. Loyalty is his fatal flaw, after all. I believe he knows better than to try anything that steps out of line."

"Surely you can't expect us to accept him. I'd never acknowledge a male as one of us. Especially him." Phoebe hissed, not hiding the venom in her voice.

"He is not one of us. I will not be granting him my blessing, nor partial immortality. Think of him as…an extended visitor. At least until Zeus changes his mind." Artemis attempted to paint a less negative image of the situation. It didn't have much of an effect; a great deal of her hunters still had clear expressions of discontent plastered onto their faces. She had to do something.

"Of course, we could always try speeding up that process ourselves a bit," Artemis offered to the girls, thinking quickly on her feet. "Attempt to make Percy leave of his own free will."

Some of the Hunter's eyes started gleaming with excitement. They seemed to all be thinking the same thing, causing Artemis to smile.

"Now, I'm not saying to blatantly walk up to him and tell him to leave before you fill his tent with dog droppings. I believe he deserves a bit more respect than that. All I'm saying is that an occasional prank…added to an insanely long list of chores may make him reconsider his position with us."

That had done it. All of them, Phoebe included, started cooking up some truly evil schemes in their heads.

PERCY

Nobody had a fun time when Thalia Grace was angry.

Percy could practically see the air popping around her as they sat across from each other in her tent, neither of them saying a word to each other. Thalia was just staring at him with intense eyes while Percy was playing with his thumbs and nervously looking around the room.

The tent must have some sort of divine blessing attached to it, because it was bigger on the inside. A small cot covered with black sheets stood opposite the entrance, with several posters of metal bands that Percy couldn't recognize hanging on the wall above it. To the left was a wooden dresser that probably contained a mixture of hunting outfits and punk apparel, with a sign on the handle that read 'Open this and you die.'

To the right was a full-length body mirror and a nightstand with a personal mist machine on it. Percy figured it was for making Iris Messages, seeing how there was a bag of golden drachmas sitting right next to it. In summation, everything about this place screamed Thalia.

The owner of the room in question looked like she was going to burst a blood vessel if he didn't say something soon, so he gave in.

"So…you seem a little mad at me." He regretted those words as soon as they left his mouth.

"Gee, Percy, what gave it away? Was it when I punched you, or was it when I forced the air out of your lungs?" Thalia was clearly not in a joking mood, but that didn't stop the son of Poseidon.

"Can I answer all of the above?" His voice had gone quiet, still not looking her in the eyes. She had accepted Hunt membership when she was 15, so Percy was much taller and older looking than her, but she still managed to ooze pressure like it was her job, making him fidget against his will.

"You may. What in Hades has been going on with you!? First, I hear these rumors that you cheated on Annabeth. Then, you're acting like a jerk to all our friends back and camp and disappear without a word! I finally find you after 3 years of searching, and it turns out you've become a super hunter who's been hiding from us!" The air around Percy fizzled, causing him to jump from a sudden shock of static electricity.

"Wow. I'm sorry, I never really considered everything from your perspective. I've…been a little too focused on myself, I guess." Percy admitted, realizing what he had put his dear friend through.

"No duh you have. I want answers, and you're gonna give them to me if you don't want to become a human lightning rod."

Her threat was effective, and Percy told her everything that he had told the gods that very same afternoon, hoping he wouldn't have to repeat it for a third time. Thankfully, she didn't interrupt, electing instead to stare pensively until he finished.

When he ended his story, his head was in his hands, back slumped over, and eyes facing the floor. This was the second time he's had to recall all these memories that he'd spent so long trying to suppress. The sheer amount of absurdity weighed heavily on him, and part of him wished he could swan dive into the River Lethe.

His brooding was interrupted by Thalia wrapping him in a hug, tears falling down her face. He hadn't expected this reaction at all.

"Wait, you believe me?" He asked incredulously.

"Of course, Kelp Head, that's what friends do. Do you really think I would doubt you about something this serious?" She said, wiping her face with her sleeve.

"I always thought my story was too convenient. The real letter disappearing, a 'fake' me acting angry and bitter…I just naturally assumed you despised me once you found out."

"I can't say I wasn't shocked at first, but I think I know you better than that. I never saw the letter or this stupid clone, so I needed to hear it from you. And I'm glad I did because…we've missed you Percy. You're still our dear friend." She smiled reassuringly at him.

Tears sprang to Percy's eyes for the first time in months. "You don't…hate me?"

"Of course not you moron. I know you've been through a lot, but I never want you thinking something like that again, you hear me? We're in this together. Always have been, always will be."

Percy felt like Atlas had taken the weight of the world from his shoulders again. One of his greatest fears, that his friends had abandoned him and hated him for something he didn't do, had been mollified by the daughter of Zeus. All the tension escaped from his body and he collapsed to the floor.

"Uh, Percy? Did you hit your head or something?" Thalia peeked down at him, slightly worried.

Percy let out a laugh. A hearty, genuine laugh. The first one in weeks. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine. More than fine actually. I feel like I could fight Kronos again."

Thalia grinned. "There's the hero of Olympus I remember. It's good to have you back, Perce."

"It's good to have me back too. I missed myself," he said, sitting up. "Was there anyone besides you that was looking for me?"

"As a matter of fact, yeah. Nico has been monitoring the Underworld under his father, looking for your soul just in case you croaked like an idiot. Jason and Piper took a break from college to go on a cross-country road trip. Er, flight trip in their case, and search for you. Also, Grover has been scouring different forests all over for you using his new position."

Gratefulness welled up in Percy's heart. For the longest time, he thought he had no one in his corner, no one he could turn to if he needed it. The Amazons would be there for him, but it wasn't the same as the people he grew up with. The friends he had slain giants with or fought titans with. Those kinds of friends are once in a lifetime.

"Still, I have a bone to pick with some people. Like Annabeth! What was she thinking! Leaving you like that with no notice? One day I'll have to track her down and knock some sense into her. It's just…" she trailed off when she saw Percy's face, which had gone slack, his eyes facing towards the floor.

"Oh Percy, I'm so sorry. I…I didn't realize you weren't ready to talk about that yet." She looked ashamed of herself. Percy looked up at her.

"No, no, it's okay. I need to talk about it at some point. It's been tucked in the back of my mind far too long. One day soon I'll open up more about it, I promise," he reassured her. She seemed content with that, and quickly changed the subject by pounding her fist into her palm.

"I still got other kids to punch. Like Clarisse or the Stolls! They completely turned their back on you and now the whole camp hates you. I need to force them to listen, and I know plenty of ways to get people to shut up." Percy didn't like the evil glint in her eyes.

"As much uh, fun, as that sounds, that's probably not the best idea. I don't blame any of them for their treatment. Heck, if you were there and you saw my doppelganger, you probably would have joined them."

She shook her head. "No way no how. You know the way I roll. Punch first, ask questions later."

Percy chuckled, glad to see that his dear friend hadn't changed a bit. "Well, that's what I thought about Clarisse too, but even she held back. It was probably because of the fake letter. Whoever wrote it did a wonderful job at making me look like a scumbag."

Thalia put her hand on her chin in thought. "Do you have any idea who could have done this to you? Made any enemies skilled in the Mist?"

Percy racked his brain but came up with nothing. "Not that I can think of. I know I have a lot of weird enemies out there, but the only person who comes to mind when I think about the Mist is Hazel, and I know for a fact she wasn't behind this."

"True. She's too kind for her own good. I heard she was like a mother to you guys on the Argo II."

"You heard right. But in all honesty, I'm not too focused on that right now. Zeus said that he was going to organize a large-scale investigation at camp to figure out what happened. If I keep thinking about it, I'll stress myself into oblivion and probably fry my brain. So, I won't. Not thinking about things is one of my specialties."

"Well that just makes everything all fine then, doesn't it?" She scoffed. "You, more than anyone, should know just how unreliable the gods are. They say one thing and then they go do another. You ask for the power to fly and they turn you into a bird."

"Why was that last one so specific?" He asked her. She ignored him as if she'd never said it.

"I promise that I'll look into the whole thing myself at camp. As a matter of fact, we're scheduled to visit in around 2 months for our annual capture-the-flag game. You remember those, don't you?" She asked with an innocent face that Percy knew was anything but.

"Ugh, as if I could forget. I'm pretty sure I still have a scar on my butt from one of your arrows. Can I just say, not cool?" He groaned, recalling the painful memory and embarrassing trip to the medical tent.

Thalia, on the other hand, was rolling on the floor and clutching her stomach from laughing. "The look on your face was priceless! I wish I could have taken a picture. I would have hung it up right above my bed."

"Yeah right. We both know you treat those band posters like they're your children. You wouldn't take them down even if Artemis asked you."

Thalia crossed her arms defiantly. "Of course. She'd have to fight me over it. They are my precious." A smile floated to Percy's face.

"As fun as it was to go out on my own and be a lone wolf…I've missed this."

"Well, I'd love to catch up some more, but we'll save it for another time. We should call the others and let them know they can stop searching. Plus, you owe them all a huge thank you." Thalia said pointedly.

"I agree completely. It'll be nice to see all their faces again." Percy concurred.

Thalia got up and walked over to her mist machine, turning it on. It only took a few moments for a large cloud to hover over us, to which I used my powers to split it up into three sections. Thalia opened the small flap next to her dresser, allowing sunlight to pour in, creating a trio of mini rainbows. She grabbed three drachmas out of her coin pouch, threw each of them towards the multi-colored beams, and muttered the familiar phrase.

"O Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering. Show me Grover Underwood, Nico di Angelo, and Jason Grace."

The air shimmered before three different images appeared in front of them. One was of Grover, asleep under a tree and holding his pipes like a teddy bear. Another was Nico, sitting cross-legged by the River Styx, playing with a pile of bones. The last one was Jason, who was sitting with Piper on a park bench eating fast food. None of them seemed to notice the call until Percy cleared his throat.

"Uh, hey guys." He gave an awkward wave.

Grover's eyes shot open as he jumped up, clutching his pipes like a shield, screaming, "Wheramiwhahappened?"

Nico dropped his bones in fright, squeaking a little bit. Percy pitied him, knowing Thalia would make fun of him for that later.

Jason nearly choked on his burger and Piper squealed and grabbed at her heart as if she were afraid it would stop working.

Percy and Thalia let out a laugh at all their reactions, Percy wishing that he were able to own a phone so he could have recorded Nico's peep of terror. When the three IM recipients gathered themselves again, they noticed who had called them.

"Per…Percy?" Grover stuttered. "Is that really you? I'm not still dreaming right?"

"It's really me G-Man. It's great to hear your voice again." Percy grinned at his oldest friend, his previous nervousness slowly dissipating.

Nico looked paler than usual. "Tell me that this is an IM and I'm not looking at your ghost right now."

"In the flesh, I promise. I don't plan to join you down there anytime soon."

Piper helped Jason regain control of his esophagus and they looked at him in shock. "I can't believe it. You really found him Thals," Jason praised his sister.

"Of course I did. Who do you think I am?" Thalia boasted, pointing her chin slightly upwards.

"Psh, don't flatter yourself. You only found me cause I let you, Pinecone Face." Percy said, unable to resist teasing her.

"Ooh, you are gonna pay for that one later. You better watch your back during dinner tonight." Thalia warned.

"Wait, dinner? Where are you two right now? And, slightly bigger question, what in Hades happened all those years ago man!? You had us worried sick!" Grover asked with a panicked look, as if Percy's image might disappear any second.

"I second that. I'd like to know what's really going on with you." Nico followed up. Piper and Jason nodded in affirmation as well.

"Of course. Thalia told me that you've spent all this time looking for me…even after hearing what I did. I hope you guys have some free time, cause it's a long one. Grab some popcorn."

So, for the third time today, he recounted his journey over the years from when Annabeth left him that letter to partnering with the Hunters. He was really starting to get sick of telling it, and Thalia had already heard it already, so she preoccupied herself by popping in her headphones and listening to music on her iPod.

When he finished, he saw both compassion and energy in their eyes. Almost as if his story had lit a fire inside of them. Jason spoke up first.

"Percy, I swear to you when I find the person that did this, I'll make them face the full force of Rome." Percy could hear the determination behind his words.

"I'll find some way to contact my mother. Maybe a dream or something. I need to know why Annabeth would do this." Piper said, looking frustrated.

"I've got your back Percy. I'll ask around and see if any shades down here know of anyone currently alive that's a master of the Mist. I can't just stay seated after hearing all of that." Nico shook his head.

"I'm with Nico," Grover added, wiping tears from his face. "When I head back to camp, I'll ask all the nature spirits what they know. Maybe one of them saw something suspicious back then."

Percy's heart welled up with immense gratitude. "Everyone…I don't know what to say."

"You don't need to say a thing. We're doing this because we want to. Some jerk out there nearly ruined our friend's life, and we need some payback," Jason declared.

"Sounds great. I'm tired of being cooped down here. Minos has gotten even more annoying lately. I'm itching for some action. When one of you finds them, I'll make sure they go straight to the Fields of Punishment." Nico told the group.

Percy lowered his head to them. "Thank you, guys. Thank you so much. I'll find some way to visit each of you soon to make up for it."

"I'll hold you to that!" Piper said, smiling. "We'll make sure to see you real soon. Until then, we have a trip to finish, so good luck with the Hunt!" Jason started stretching his legs to prepare for their flight as Piper swiped through the message.

"I've got to head out too. I need to inform my father that I'll need more free time in my work schedule so I can talk to as many souls as possible. I've been working hard under him all this time, so he has to let me, or I'll stop cleaning up after Cerberus. I'm off." They waved goodbye to each other as the son of Hades ended the call.

The only one left was Grover, who was absent-mindedly munching on a tin can he had taken out from his knapsack. He looked nervous.

"Baaa-aaa." Grover bleated anxiously. "Percy, I wanted to just say that I'm sorry that I couldn't see through the fake at camp. I'm supposed to be your best friend, to know what you're feeling and try to help. But I was scared, and I messed up. I'm…I'm sorry."

Percy marveled at the satyr. He had disappeared for three years with notice, and Grover was apologizing to him? He couldn't understand how he could be so kind.

"Don't even think about that Grover. If I were in your shoes, I probably would have acted the same way. I still can't believe you mustered the courage to leave and search for me. It really means a lot. I'm proud to call you my best friend." Percy told him sincerely.

Grover let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Percy. Now that I can feel our empathy link again, I can tell that you mean that. Alright, I should head back to camp. Juniper is probably going mad from how long I've been gone. Take care."

"Right back at you." Percy said his goodbyes and waved through the last rainbow, ending his communications. Knowing he had friends waiting for him again filled him with renewed vigor and pride, prepared for anything the Hunt might throw his way.

Thalia took her earbuds out. "I think that should do it for us. You good to head back out?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Percy replied.

He needed to stop saying optimistic phrases like that, because as soon as the two of them left Thalia's tent, they were greeted by the sight of the entire Hunt waiting outside the entrance flap. Artemis, standing at the front, called out to him.

"Perseus. If you'll allow me to be so blunt, your presence here unnerves some of my Hunters. Therefore, I will give you a single chance to walk away. I'll do my best to hide you from my father, so either take it or leave it."

"Oh, come on," Percy groaned. "I'm not so bad once you get to know me, promise. Think of me like a housecat. With a sword."

The Amazons would have cracked up at that, but no one made a sound here. They just continued to stare at him apprehensively.

"Jeez, tough crowd," he thought.

The leader of the Hunt sighed. "I was afraid you would say that. Very well. However, do not think that proving your worth here will be an easy task."

"Please don't say what I think you're about to say." Percy begged the goddess. He was met with a sinister grin in return. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a long sheet of paper, offering it to Percy.

"This list contains all the chores that I expect you to complete by the end of the week. If you can't, I shall deem you to be useless and dole out an appropriate punishment."

The son of Poseidon gulped. "Can you please elaborate on the 'punishment' part?"

"How do you feel about wearing a deer costume and becoming target practice for my newer recruits?" Artemis gestured to a small group of younger looking Hunters who looked at him like he was their next meal.

"Sounds like a blast. Sign me right up," Percy muttered, terrified at the thought. Amazonian punishment was laughable compared to this!

"The first one I'd like you to complete is replacing all of our bowstrings. They've gotten a bit worn out and battling an entire pack of wolves didn't help." She glared at him knowingly.

Percy shifted his gaze nervously. "Yeah, ha-ha, wonder whose fault that is."

Artemis had a triumphant look on her face. Percy was willing to bet she was thinking something along the lines of, "I have him. Being handed a list of this proportion must surely daunt him in some way."

He simply clapped his hands together, unfazed. He drew a small amount of satisfaction from the startled expression on her face.

"Alright. Guess I'm back to doing chores. I wonder if yours are harder than the Amazons."

The Hunters gave him confused looks. "You were with the Amazons?" One asked.

"Yep. I even joined them. See?" He took off his leather necklace and drew their attention to a silver charm that was interlocked between his various clay beads. The Hunter's eyes widened.

"You're a member? Like, an official member of their tribe?" Thalia questioned.

"Yeah. First male in history, actually. I even got employee of the month once. It was not easy, trust me," Percy explained.

The Hunters looked as if they were struggling to process this. They knew that the Amazons treated males differently than they did, but to go as far as to add one to their ranks…it was unprecedented.

"Even after all these years, you're still full of surprises, aren't you?" Thalia playfully punched his arm. "Any more secrets you'd like to share with the group?"

"Maybe one day," he replied slyly. He regretted that answer immediately, since he got a bunch of dirty looks from the Hunters.

"Men and their secrets…" he heard one mumble. He cringed inwardly. He had to get used to being slightly more reserved around them. None of them wanted him here after all.

Luckily for him, his cousin looked undeterred. "Maybe we'll have to duke it out one day so I can find out for myself. I'm stronger than I was three years ago, Seaweed Brain."

At the mention of his old nickname, Percy's expression darkened immediately. Artemis noticed, and cleared her throat to change the subject.

"Right. We can discuss potential duels later. For now, Thalia, give Percy a small tour of the camp and show him where he'll be working on our bows. Percy, after you're done, meet back here for dinner."

Percy nodded, and went off with Thalia. She apologized profusely.

"I'm sorry Percy, I didn't mean to remind you of her. It just slipped out naturally and-" Percy raised his hand, cutting her off.

"You're fine, I swear. It just caught me a little off-guard. You can call me whatever you want, Weathervane." Percy smiled weakly.

Thalia released a sigh of relief. "Thank the gods. And I'll take you up on that, Water Boy. By the way, did Artemis hear your whole story too? It looked like she knew what happened between you and Annabeth."

Percy nodded his head. "Yeah, I told the Olympians about the break-up. She's more perceptive than I thought."

Thalia jutted her chin out with pride. "My commander isn't the goddess of the Hunt for nothing. Now come on, let me show you around."

The camp was divided into two main sections that branched out into smaller ones. One side housed the tents, which were arranged in a U shape just like the cabins at Camp Half-Blood, with a fire pit blazing at the center.

"This one is yours, FYI." Thalia directed his attention to a large piece of fabric with some rope and a few wooden stakes lying on top, located at the end of the left side of the horseshoe.

"I don't suppose this is a magic tent that sets itself up on command, right?" Percy asked hopefully, already knowing the answer.

"I see you haven't lost your sense of humor," Thalia said with a smug grin. "I am so going to enjoy watching you fail to pitch this thing over and over again."

Percy sighed, looking forward to the relentless teasing as Thalia went on with the tour. The other main part of the camp was the dining area, with rows of wooden tables and bunches lining the clearing that reminded Percy a lot of the Amazons. Instead of a throne made of Amazons boxes at the end, there was just another table. It looked slightly bigger than the others, leading Percy to assume that it was Artemis' personal dining area.

The subsections could be accessed by traveling down various paths through the trees. There was an open area for duels and weapons training to the southeast, access to a lake for laundry and bathing to the north, and a path that led to an open field littered with wooden targets to the southwest.

"That's probably for archery practice. Avoid at all costs." Percy made a mental note to himself.

"And this," Thalia thrust out a giant basket filled with bows. "Is for you. I'd recommend going to the lake to get this done, since no one is there right now. Avoiding the others would probably be in your best interest."

Percy wholeheartedly agreed. "I understand. I hope they'll get more used to my presence in the future."

He quickly made his way over to the lake and set up shop on a boulder near its edge. Being near the water calmed him. Filled him with a sense of peace. The other Hunters may not have wanted him there, but at least he could find a little solace here.

Percy found that he severely underestimated the task at hand. The knots tied at the end of each bow were tough as nails, and it took him an embarrassingly long amount of time to replicate it to replace the used bow strings. It became a cycle; grab a bow, cut off the string, tie the new one on, put the bow down, repeat until tummy wants food.

There were a lot of bows, and since no one wanted to talk to him, he had a lot of time to himself to think. It was a skill he developed while doing chores for the Amazons: leave the manual labor to muscle memory while your consciousness runs wild in imaginary land.

"I've really come a long way, haven't I…" he uttered out loud to himself.

Never in a million years would he have guessed he'd become a member of the Hunt. Or rather, a partner of the Hunt. That they can't stand. He was grateful that Zeus had still granted him permission to guide children to camp, but it saddened him that now he could no longer do it on his own terms. He felt like baggage that was tacked on for the ride.

Being on his own, it was freeing. He missed his friends immensely, but at the time, he thought they hated him. He was overjoyed to find out this wasn't the case, but the feeling of not belonging etched deep into his heart. It didn't help that Thalia was the only person who tolerated his existence.

He remembered the first kid he saved. A little girl, daughter of Demeter, who had run away from home a week prior.

He was still getting used to his new nose. He had no idea how Grover put up with it throughout their years in middle school, because demigod kids reeked. He followed the scent to a back alley, behind a grocery store.

"Why won't this stupid thing open!?" he heard a petite voice cry out.

He turned the corner to find a small girl, barely older than 7, struggling to open a can of soda. She was brunette, with a few layers of dirt caked in her hair. She wore white jeans that bore a multitude of stains, and a pink t-shirt that read 'Cupcakes? Yes please!'

She looked up to see Percy, standing there menacingly with a wolf's head covering his face, and let out a bloodcurdling scream.

"Wait, wait! I'm not here to hurt you!" He frantically tried to calm her down to no avail. She picked herself up off the ground and bolted past him into the parking lot. He started to jog after her.

"Please, I want to help! I'm like you!" His shouts fell on deaf ears as she kept running. He was panicking on the inside. He had no idea what to do in situations like this.

Suddenly, his nose picked up on a new odor. A foul one that made him recoil in disgust. He looked past the running figure of the girl to see an Earthborn at the other end of the parking lot. Something that was not there when he first arrived. He watched in horror as she barreled towards it, not even noticing it was there.

"DUCK!" Percy shouted at the top of his lungs. He quickly grabbed hold of his spear and hurled it with precision over the girl's head, who luckily decided to listen to his words and drop to the ground. The spear sailed through the air, impaling the six-armed giant before it could even react.

He hurried over to the girl, freezing in place when he saw that she was gasping for air and clawing at the ground. A panic attack.

Percy was freaking out. He had no experience with this kind of thing. Most of the kids he interacted with in his life were already decently battle ready at camp. She was different from them, and she was clearly overwhelmed.

"Um, uh, is there anything you need?" He asked desperately.

"Just…space…" She managed to spit out.

Percy obliged. He sat crossed legged a couple feet away from her as she slowly put herself back together. He remembered something that his mom used to do when he was younger, back when he would get so upset after being kicked out of another school. He started to sing.

"Fly me to the moon. Let me play among the stars…" he sang quietly to himself, knowing that his singing voice probably sounded like a dying goat. It was his mom's favorite song, and he loved listening to her sing it while she calmed him down. It worked for him, so he thought it may work for this girl too.

By the time he finished the second chorus, the girl was breathing normally again, sitting on her heels, facing him. He stopped when he noticed her stare.

"Hi there," he said cautiously. "I'm sorry about earlier, I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay. Um, who are you?" She sounded frightened. Percy made his voice a little gentler.

"I…don't have a name right now. Can you give me one?" He didn't want people to know it was him. If he was going to bring this child back to camp, he wanted to stay under the radar.

"Can I call you Wolfy?" She asked, a hint of a smile appearing on her lips.

Percy grinned. "Absolutely. If it's alright, can I ask what your name is?

"S-Samantha." She stuttered.

"It's nice to meet you, Samantha. Um, would you like me to…?" He pointed to her soda can.

"Oh! Uh, yeah, here." She handed it to him, to which he opened it easily. She giggled when it exploded in his face, letting out foam everywhere. He wiped it off and passed it back to her, watching as she drank it with fervor.

When she had her fill, she gingerly put down the can and looked him in the eyes. "What was that thing over there? A monster?"

Percy nodded his head. "There's a lot of things that you need to know. And there's somewhere I need to take you. A safe place for children like you. Special children. Will you hear me out?"

She nodded in response. Percy knew it would be difficult, but he was determined to make sure Samantha reached camp safely.

He wanted to say that he'd rescued around 3 dozen kids since then. Some of them were runaways with their own circumstances, like Samantha, and others were just normal children living with their mortal guardians, who suddenly found themselves with an amazing new summer camp to look forward to. Percy couldn't help but smile when he thought about –

Plop!

Something cold had just landed on his head. He reached up to feel what it was, but another soon followed.

Plop!

It landed on his arm this time. He looked down to inspect what the mysterious substance was, jumping back when he recognized it.

"Did two birds seriously just poop on me?" He exclaimed. He shuddered in disgust. He began to make his way over the lake to wash himself off, but another load of bird droppings landed squarely on his shoulder.

Then his other shoulder.

Then the back of his neck.

He looked up to see an entire flock of birds hovering over him like a personal storm cloud. The barrage of feces continued, and no matter where he ran, they gave chase above him. He was being bombarded.

"This is the grossest thing ever!" Percy shouted as he ran off into the woods, trying in vain to escape the air raid of bird poo.

ARTEMIS

Artemis didn't usually partake in pranks, but when she did, she made sure they were good.

When she and the other Hunters saw Percy emerge from the forest with a fresh coat of white paint covering his personage, they all burst out in a fit of giggles.

"Percy! I love your new fashion sense! You have to tell me where you got all that makeup!" Thalia roared, eliciting another round of laughter.

"Har har, very funny," he grumbled. "You're lucky none of it got on your bows."

"I assure you, I am much more careful than you think. I wouldn't dare let that wretched stuff get anywhere near my equipment." Artemis boasted.

"Oh, but I'm fair game?"

"Of course. You're not equipment. You're a partner." She said that last word as if it was an insult of the highest order. Percy sighed.

"You'd get along fabulously with the Stoll twins. They would keel over if they found out you can control where birds use the bathroom."

Artemis became slightly flustered. "Don't say it like that! Power over nature and it's creatures is a beautiful thing."

"Sure thing, Queen Bird Poop," he snickered. Immediately, a dozen of the hunters pulled out their throwing knives and took an attack stance.

"Don't you dare insult our Lady like that, you filthy male." Phoebe hissed. Percy stood there, frozen in fear. Artemis enjoyed her Hunters reminding him of his position here.

"Stand down girls, he's not worth it," she commanded. The Hunt obeyed, lowering their weapons to Percy's visible relief. "As punishment for your careless remark, I task you to cook dinner for all of us. Thalia!"

Thalia beckoned a few hunters to come with her, and they ducked into the tent on the opposite end of the U, across from Percy's (which was still an unfinished mess). They re-emerged carrying three wolf carcasses with several rabbits laid on top. They plopped them on the table nearest to Percy.

"These are a portion of Lycaon's pack, as well as the results of some of our hunts during the past few days. I don't care how, but I expect you to use this game meat to whip up something for all of us. If we find it unsatisfactory…for your sake, you'd better hope we don't." Artemis threatened.

She had hoped that this task would cause Percy to come up with a myriad of excuses or make him beg to do something else. Typical male behavior, avoiding responsibilities. To her surprise, his expression seemed to brighten a bit.

"Am I allowed to use your fire pit?" he asked. Artemis raised an eyebrow.

"You may." Percy ventured back into the forest, leaving the Hunt there wondering what he had planned up his sleeve.

Around 5 minutes later, he entered the camp again, finally free of all bird feces. He also had an assortment of herbs and green clutched in one of his hands. He put them down on the table with the animal corpses and fiddled with a ring on his necklace that Artemis hadn't noticed before. Thalia let out a gasp when it transformed into a bright blue dagger.

"Since when did you wield a knife, Kelp Head?" she asked curiously.

"Since Kinzie threatened to stab me if I didn't," he chuckled. The Hunt looked on as he got to work, his hands flying across the wolves' bodies, skinning them like a pro. Artemis found herself unable to look away at how delicately he handled the meat, treating the animals with full respect.

"I don't suppose you guys have a big pot or anything like that?" he questioned the group.

"Yes, actually. We use it to boil water. There should be a prop stick next to it as well. They're in the same tent where Thalia fetched the meat." Artemis answered. He promptly grabbed it and set it up in a flash, using his powers to guide a large glob of water from the lake into the pot.

By the time the water was boiling, he had finished skinning both the wolves and rabbits, expertly cutting out the fat and the inedible parts. He ran a stick through the wolves and spit roasted them below the pot, while putting the rabbit meat into the boiling water, adding the herbs he had cut up.

When he was all finished, he grabbed bowls and plates from the same tent, cut the meat into small portions and used his powers to empty the pot into each bowl, and laid them all out on the tables.

"Hunters, I present roasted wolf meat with rabbit stew." He declared proudly.

The Hunters all took their seats in front of their food, including Artemis herself. They were all hesitating to eat it.

"What if it was poisoned?"

"A man's dish couldn't possibly be good."

All their thoughts were probably along those lines. Until her own lieutenant decided to break the awkward silence.

"Oh, for crying out loud! I don't care if it's horrible, I'm too hungry." Thalia shouted. With that, she tore into the meat like it was her last meal, her eyes shooting open.

"Percy…where in the world did you learn to cook like this? This is pretty darn great!" She tried the stew right after, her face melting from the taste.

The other Hunters looked at each other with determination, and bravely followed suit, each of them exclaiming with surprise at how tasty it was. Artemis couldn't resist much longer and tried a helping of it herself.

"Delicious…" she thought after trying the stew. She cleared her throat and spoke up.

"Percy, since you may be staying with us for a considerable amount of time, I'd like you to reveal where you gained this prowess in the culinary world. I don't recall anyone mentioning your cooking back when you were a camper."

Percy shrugged. "Well, I didn't have any back then. While I was training with Lupa, she wanted to teach me how to hunt for my own food with archery. When she saw how utterly miserable I was at it, she taught me how to cook using game meat instead. It was a lot easier than the bow and arrow."

Artemis frowned, not liking how he was dissing her weapon of choice but acquiescing upon tasting the food again. Even she had to admit, it was delectable.

She scanned her hunters and saw each one enjoying the dish with vigor, save one. Phoebe hadn't even touched her plate. When she caught Artemis looking, she angrily got up and stomped off into the woods, probably to catch her own meal.

"I'll have a talk with her later." She made a mental reminder. Percy, who had served himself last, looked like a lost puppy with no idea where to sit. Artemis was about to tell him to eat on his own, but a hunter asked him a question before she could.

"Wait, you said you were training with Lupa? How did that happen?"

Percy opened his mouth to answer, then closed it, a look of worry flashing across his face.

"It's, uh, a long story. Maybe some other time. I think I'll…watch the perimeter while I eat. Yeah." He walked into the forest opposite the direction Phoebe went, disappearing from view.

At first, it didn't bother Artemis as she continued to eat her dinner without a care, but she grew slightly guilty knowing the person that made it was clearly upset about something. She let out a sigh.

"Thalia," she called out to her second in command. "Go check on our guest. Knowing him, he might fall down a hole and waste some perfectly good food."

Thalia nodded, got up, and followed her friend. Artemis was satisfied that she had made the right choice. While she and the other Hunters didn't want him there much longer, poking holes into his past or purposefully making him upset was a tad too low. She had enough respect for him to avoid resorting to that.

"If Percy Jackson is going to leave my Hunt, he will do so of his own accord and not because we bullied him into it. And if he was going to endure it and stay…he had better make more food like this." Artemis decided, already planning what she was going to have him cook for breakfast.

A/N: Viola! Chapter 7 done. If I'm being honest, I think this one may have been the most difficult chapter to write, because personally, it's a lot easier to write action scenes than simple interactions between characters. Hopefully, I met your expectations though.

Apologies for the dump of Artemis' thoughts at the beginning, but I wanted to make it clear how she felt about Percy at this time. I've read a lot of Pertemis fics that say that Artemis has always had feelings for him deep down, but I think that's OOC, and really want to build their relationship from the ground up.

Like I just said, I was most nervous about writing this chapter, so please leave a review! I want to hear your honest thoughts or criticisms! They're always welcome! I hope you enjoyed!