A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry it's been so long. A bunch of personal stuff popped up these past two weeks, including midterm exams and a trip back to my hometown. Planning out this chapter and writing 10k words during that time was difficult, so apologies for taking much longer than expected.
But chapter 9 is here, and before it begins, I'd like to start off by saying thank you all so much for the reviews! Every one of your thoughts and criticisms made my day with every notification, so please keep leaving them! Any details or questions you have, I will most likely PM you about it.
Anyway, on with the show! Hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not Percy Jackson and the Olympians or any affiliated works. All credit goes to Rick Riordan. Please support the official books.
Chapter 9: Purpose
6 Weeks Later
PERCY
Usually, getting into a fight with your friends is a bad thing. For Percy, it's become a pastime.
CLANG!
Sparks flew as metal clashed against metal as Percy and Thalia traded blows in the middle of the sparring field. Percy had her on the ropes, unleashing a flurry of quick slashes with Riptide that the daughter of Zeus could just barely defend with her spear.
"Come on Thalia! Where'd that confidence run off too?" Percy taunted.
"Shut it, Kelp Face, or you're dead!" Thalia leaped backwards and shouted out, causing a crack of lightning to spear down from the sky, hitting the spot where Percy was standing a second ago.
"You're lucky there's no water here or you'd be soaked right now," he commented, standing up and dusting himself off. His dive to avoid the electric bolt was far from graceful.
"Sucks to suck, doesn't it?" Thalia lunged forward, going on the attack. Percy quickly switched to his dagger, and fended off her thrusts, deflecting and parrying each one that came his way.
Suddenly, Thalia swung from above, and Percy was about to put his weapon up to block it when he realized it was a feint. He jumped in the air, avoiding Thalia's sweeping foot.
"Tch. You and your stupid 'animal instincts,'" she grumbled as she created distance between them.
"Hey, that was new. That's a technique I used on you before, after Lupa used it on me. Maybe you do have the ability to learn." Percy smirked.
"Jeez, Perce, I never knew you had such a mouth for trash talking." Thalia slowly began circling him.
"After fighting you once a week for the past 6 weeks, it grew on me. I learned from the best after all." He narrowed his eyes, keeping his focus on the huntress, gripping his knife. "Lot of good it's done you, since our record is 5-0 in my favor."
"I've gotten close a couple of times. But don't worry, I'm about to change that right now!" She started sprinting towards him, keeping her head low. She slapped her wrist and Aegis popped out, showing Medusa's bronze face in all it's ugly glory.
Percy was about to sidestep when his internal alarm bells started ringing like crazy. Without even stopping to look at what this new threat was, he hurled himself in the opposite direction from what he originally planned, evading the swing of a dagger just in time.
"Seriously, are you Lupa's secret love child? There's no way you're not part dog." Phoebe said, walking over to stand next to Thalia after their failed pincer attack.
"I agree. He smells like one too." The punk stuck her tongue out at him.
"Uh, Artemis? I'm pretty sure this is interference!" Percy called out to the goddess who was watching from the sidelines.
"Surely this isn't too much for the hero of Olympus, right?" she teased, waving her hand dismissively. A handful of hunters who were sitting next to her laughed at her response.
"This is biased, and you all know it!" Percy said accusingly, but there was a big, goofy smile on his face showing that he clearly didn't mean it.
"What? Are you not up to the challenge?" Thalia readied her spear once again.
"His Amazon charm must be a participation award." Phoebe stood behind her, covering her flank. Percy sighed, and took out Riptide, holding it in his right hand with his dagger in a reverse grip in his left.
"Let's do this." Both parties ran towards each other as their small audience cheered. Most of them were yelling out praises for their fellow sisters, and Percy was just glad to hear no jeering or insults like he used to.
Thalia was attacking head on, using her spear to poke at Percy from a distance while Phoebe zeroed in on his blind spots whenever she got the chance. Phoebe was light on her feet and Aegis's defense was impenetrable, so Percy was finding it difficult to gain any sort of advantage.
Thalia would jab at him, he would sidestep. Phoebe would slash at him quickly after, and he would deflect. Rinse and repeat, and you had an accurate summary of how the battle was going. Percy could feel the sweat from his brow dripping down into his eyes, the salt burning. He needed to end this before his exhaustion got the better of him.
Percy decided that strategizing and thinking during this battle would be no good and would probably make his head hurt, so he took the logical route and shut his brain off. He relied on instincts alone, honing his senses to the absolute limit, just like Lupa had taught him. This was the same technique he used to plow through the giant's army in the Holland Tunnel.
His reaction time increased significantly, and after deflecting Phoebe's attack, he moved in immediately and caught her off guard. Thalia rushed to her aid as he hacked and slash with Riptide and his dagger, akin to the movements of a tornado.
By the time Thalia reached her, Phoebe had reached her limit of dodging and parrying. Normal Percy would have backed off and given himself time to recover, but 'Wolf' Percy pressed on like a beast, not letting up for a second. This proved to be a fatal error because he could have avoided what happened next.
"Hah!" Thalia intercepted Riptide with her shield, causing Percy to stagger back from the recoil. Phoebe, in one last burst of strength, rolled behind him and thrust her knife out. The son of Poseidon quickly collected himself and turned his weapons on his opponents just as they did the same.
The three of them stood in the field, breathing heavily as their armaments were trained on each other's throats. Phoebe and Thalia stood on either side of him, with their dagger and spear respectively pointed at his neck. Percy was sandwiched between them, but he had both of his arms outstretched holding Riptide and his blue dagger at their hearts. No one moved as their adrenaline started to fade.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
The slow clap penetrated the air, disrupting the silence. They all turned their heads to see that the source was Artemis, who started walking out slowly towards them in the field.
"That was quite the fight, you three. All your combat prowess has impressed me. Yes, even yours, Perseus." She stopped and rested one of her hands on her hip.
"Gee, thanks Artemis. I'm honored," he said sarcastically as they all lowered their weapons. "I guess that means it's a draw?"
"I believe so. No complaints about the results, I presume?" She directed the question towards Thalia and Phoebe.
"Fine, fine, I'll say it's a tie. This time," Thalia looked at Percy with her eyes ablaze. "But don't you dare think that this undefeated streak will go on for much longer, Water Boy."
"Oh? Those are some pretty serious fighting words, Thals." Percy gave her a smug grin. "I'm looking forward to it."
"You'd better. After some more training, I'm planning on kicking you to the curb myself." Phoebe told him menacingly. "Thalia doesn't get to have all the fun here."
"I have a feeling that your definition of 'fun' involves me being sent to the medical tent with a few broken ribs…" Percy muttered.
"What was that, boy?" Phoebe raised an eyebrow.
"Uh, nothing!" Percy replied hastily. "Oh yeah, Artemis. What does this mean for our bet?"
"Oh, our little wager. I'd almost forgotten." She gave a light smile, telling Percy that she hadn't forgotten at all. "As I recall, if you lost the battle, you would have to take archery lessons with yours truly. If you won, however, I would consider bringing you along for our next hunt."
"Yep. But it was a tie. What happens now?" He asked, tilting his head.
Artemis looked thoughtful for a moment. "A draw…means that you get both now. Congrats."
Percy paled. "Please, not archery. Anything but that."
"It's happening later tonight, after you make dinner. You know what will happen if you're late, right?" She asked knowingly.
"You're kidding, right? I'm still finding worms in my tent," he shuddered, remembering the traumatizing time that he tried to slip into bed for a peaceful slumber to be met with the wriggling creatures of the dirt. Hundreds of them.
"More importantly…I can join the next hunt?" He hoped his voice didn't sound too excited. He was very much looking forward to the chance to stretch his legs and go on a real adventure for a change.
"I'll have to do a sweep around camp and get a consensus, but I don't think anyone would mind anymore. Right girls?" She addressed a few of the hunters that were acting as audience members alongside her. A few of them looked hesitant, a couple of them grumbled, and the rest looked indifferent. To Percy's satisfaction, no one raised any objection or disgust at the thought of him joining them.
"I think your chances are pretty good. See you at dinner." She gave a small wave as she left the arena, leaving Percy more confused than ever. He could never tell how she felt about Percy being there. Today was a good day, where she was amicable and friendly. Some days, just Percy looking in her general direction would make her grow slightly resentful and take her frustrations out on him. Not in a violent way, of course. More of a passive aggressive and 'tons-of-chores' way.
Percy was about to head out himself to continue said chores, but Thalia approached him and swatted his shoulder.
"Oh, by the way, Nico is coming later." Percy nearly did a double take.
"Okay, sounds g-wait what?"
"Yeah, he IM'd me to tell you that he's dropping in after dinner. Has something he needs to tell you. He'll be at a park not too far from here, so he doesn't intrude on the camp," she informed him.
Percy nodded, realizing that Nico wouldn't visit so suddenly if it weren't about something important. He didn't want to raise his expectations, but he secretly hoped he found a lead on who was behind everything that had happened to him.
He thanked Thalia and left to work on his tasks, his mind racing. Dinner couldn't come faster, and after he made the Hunt an excellent serving of roasted duck, he asked Artemis for permission to go talk to the son of Hades before their lesson, the thought of which still making him shiver.
"Ah, so that's the presence I felt. He's about a mile due East, near the Indiana Dunes. Just materialized a few moments ago and was about to investigate myself before you spoke up. Be back within the hour."
Percy thanked her and set out into the forest. The camp was in the wilderness of Indiana currently, near the Indiana Dunes national park as Artemis had stated. Even though the Hunters of Artemis had adopted much more of the Greek practices, their ability to break down the camp and move at a moment's notice would rival Camp Jupiter's engineers. They all had a great laugh as Percy tried to take down his tent as fast as they could. He ended up wrapped in string and polyester and looked like a terrible, low-budget mummy.
He reached the Dunes, calming as the watery breeze brushed against his skin. The peak of the sun was barely visible on the horizon, casting multicolored rays of blue and purple across the sky.
"Hey." He heard a voice call out from his right. He turned to find Nico di Angelo sitting down, hunched over on a boulder in the sand. He was dressed in his usual dark styling, with a black aviator's jacket and black jeans with chains looped around the waist. His hair was unkempt and messy, his skin pale, and his Stygian Iron sword hanging by his side. Percy saw he was fiddling with the silver skull ring on his finger before standing up and walking towards him.
"Nico!" Percy exclaimed, running over, and crashing into the boy with a bear hug. Nico didn't know how to respond, and just accepted it with his arms awkwardly held out. Percy backed up and placed a hand firmly on his shoulder. "It's great to see you again."
"Likewise. You need to stop getting taller, it's getting embarrassing having to look up to you all the time." Percy gave a small chuckle.
"Don't worry, keep drinking your milk and maybe you'll pass me one day."
They talked for a while, catching up on each other's lives over the past three years. Nico was still working for his father in the Underworld, but on a much less rigid schedule now that Percy's been found. He made time to visit camp occasionally to see some people.
"Some people? You have friends?" Percy asked, feigning shock.
"Glad to see your sense of humor is still intact." Nico's expression turned soft, something Percy didn't think was possible. "Do you remember Will Solace? He's a pretty…okay person."
Percy sensed there was a deeper meaning behind that, but he didn't want to pry. "That's good. I'm happy for you."
"Thanks," Nico said. "It's nice. Still getting used to it. But your situation is a lot more harrowing than mine. How's the hunt treating you?"
"Well, for the first few weeks, they wanted nothing to do with me. Some of them ignored me, others tried to prank me to get me to leave, and the rest just stayed away. It was clear that they didn't trust me at all. Recently though, I think it's gotten better. I've learned some of their names, had real conversations with them, and they don't immediately turn away when I'm nearby. I think they're finally used to me," Percy described.
"Well, living with someone for 2 months would do that, I guess. As long as they're not trying to kill you." Nico's face turned serious. "I'd love to talk more, but I didn't call you out here for simple chit-chat."
Percy nodded. "I figured. So? What did you find out?"
"Like I told you, I've been asking around the Underworld for anyone who knows people on the surface who are skilled in Mist manipulation. A few children of Hecate came up, but no one at the level of capability for what happened to you. Eventually I got fed up with asking shades, and decided to ask some of the denizens themselves, starting with Charon. And it turned out that was the right move," Nico explained.
"Charon? How could he know anything?" Percy questioned, frowning in confusion.
"Years ago, after the war with Kronos, he saw something peculiar that stuck with him. He was guiding an old man down the Styx: Mortal, looked like a professor of some sort. He had just reached the banks of the Underworld when he saw Hecate herself reach down and pluck the soul right back up from under his nose. He felt incredibly insulted and lodged a complaint to my father, who probably never even looked at it."
Percy remembered Charon's rant regarding his low pay from the lord of the dead. However, his mind was much more interested in the mortal that caused a goddess herself to spare him from Underworld servitude.
"Hecate saved someone's soul? Isn't that against the rules?" Percy asked.
Nico shook his head. "I'm not too sure myself. The Mist is an incredibly strong and ancient well of power. I'm sure the goddess of magic found a way to bend the Ancient Laws to her will, if only temporarily, to allow something like this. Even Thanatos had no record of the professor when I asked him about it."
Percy made a mental flag in his brain to try to track down Hecate somehow and ask her about it. He wasn't sure why, but his gut was telling him that Nico was onto something. This 'professor' or whoever they were was tied to his situation somehow.
"Thank you so much Nico. You didn't have to do all of this for me." Percy said truthfully. The gratitude he felt towards his friends, despite how few in number they were…he could never repay them.
"Don't even think about it. You've been through a lot, and you need people to hold you up when you fall. Plus, I owe you a lot too. You've saved me more times than I can count." Nico got to his feet, put his arms up, and bent backwards, stretching out his back.
Percy stood up too, extending his hand. "It really was good to see you again. Hopefully, it won't be too long before we can again."
Nico shook it and raised the corner of his lip in a half-smile. "It won't actually. Has Thalia not told you yet?"
"Told me what?" Percy grew suspicious now, wondering what other devious things the daughter of Zeus was hiding from him.
"Don't worry about it. You'll find out eventually. See you around, Percy." With that, Nico threw his hand up and walked off, melting into the shadows.
Percy lowered his raised hand as well, and started heading back to camp, his thoughts a disjointed mess. He searched his thoughts for anyone he knew that could be this professor and got frustrated when he came up with nothing but blanks. He was so focused on running through his memories that he almost didn't notice that he had arrived back at camp and Artemis was calling his name.
"Perseus!" She shouted, getting right up in his face.
"Augh!" He cried out in fright, the noise yanking him out of his head.
She crossed her arms, clearly unamused. "About time. You looked like you were in a trance of some kind. I've never seen you think so intently about…well anything really. What did you two discuss?"
Percy relayed the info Nico had given him about Hecate acting as a claw machine for a particular Underworld soul. Artemis furrowed her brow as she mulled over his words.
"Whatever that means, it can't be good. Bending the Laws like that…what would make her go to such lengths? In any case, that was then, and this is now, and you have an archery lesson to attend."
Percy visibly shrank down when she mentioned that. "Ah, um about that, I'm still in distress from what Nico said so I think a nice rest in my tent sounds much -"
"Of course, if you don't show up, I'll be forced to take some…drastic measures. Tell me, how do you feel about being stranded from a net on the highest tree within a 30-mile radius?" She cut him off, a scheming look in her eyes.
"Right. Wouldn't dream of it," he muttered under his breath as she started walking towards the archery range, to which he reluctantly followed. When they entered the area, there were only a few hunters milling about, taking practice shots on the targets located across the clearing at varying distances and heights. They picked an isolated spot to the far right and Artemis presented him with a standard Hunter's bow and a quiver of silver arrows.
"Familiarize yourself with these while I give you some details on our hunt tomorrow. We will be hunting the monster known as 'Lamia.' Tell me what you remember from the Hunter's Journal."
"Ugh, seriously? A quiz?" Percy complained. Artemis looked at him expectantly and he sighed. "Okay. Um, if I'm remembering right, she's a big snake lady, right? Used to be a demigod?"
Percy thought he saw Artemis almost smile at that. "You're right, but you're also missing some other important aspects. Yes, she used to be a demigod, and she is a daughter of Hecate. She is also the one who placed the spell on all monsters that allow them to smell half-blood scents."
Percy tightened his grip on the bow when she said that. After seeing firsthand some of the horrors those young children had to go through to make it to camp, and sometimes not even making it…and now he had someone to blame. She was also the reason that his mom had to marry Smelly Gabe to hide his own smell, which made things personal.
"We know she's in Indiana at a nearby town, hiding herself among them somehow. Most likely using her talents in the Mist that she inherited from her mother," Artemis informed him.
Percy gave a tiny groan. "What is it with the Mist and causing trouble for me?"
"We'll be setting out shortly after breakfast, so I expect you to be ready. Now, steering back to archery, the way you hold that bow is…shameful, to put it bluntly. Do you have any archery experience? At all?"
Percy would have laughed if it weren't a little pathetic. "Hardly. I was always awful at it during my time at camp as far back as I can remember. Chiron tried to teach me, Lupa tried to teach me, all with no results. I think I may have personally offended them with my lameness."
"Really? You haven't used it in battle even once?" She questioned, curiosity lacing her words.
"Well…once now that I think about it. When we were exploring the Labyrinth years ago, we emerged in this place called 'Triple G Ranch' owned by the giant Geryon. Long story short, we got into a fight, and I had to find a way to pierce all three of his hearts at once. I ended up landing an extremely well-placed arrow right through his side. I actually prayed to you and Apollo right before I shot it."
Artemis looked up, as if trying to remember. "I…faintly recall that plea for help. I know I didn't answer it, though. Was it my brother then?"
"Surprisingly, no. It was Hera. Still not sure why." He scratched his head. "The point is, I've always been a terrible shot no matter what the circumstance. Which is kind of weird, considering I know how to throw a spear pretty well."
"There's a few reasons as to why that could be the case. I presume you have ADHD, no?"
"I do," Percy affirmed.
"The bow and arrow is a precise weapon. It required composure, practice, and lots of time. Setting up a shot is easy but doing so in less than a second is hard. That initial patience is something that your brain lacks. I believe you're much too energetic to take the time to properly line up your shot. Conversely, accurate spear throwing is primarily used for larger targets in open areas, which you are much more suited to." Artemis lectured, gazing at her own bow like an old friend.
Percy frowned. "Huh. That makes a lot of sense, even to me. If you know all this, though, why bother teaching me?"
"Because as the goddess of Archery, it pains me to see someone under my care fail so horrendously at it. If I can't teach you, no one can. Let's begin. Show me what you got and try to hit the target anywhere." She gestured to the large grouping of targets located a dozen meters away from them.
Percy showed her what he's got: That he was still as miserable at the sport as he was when he was 12. He didn't know it was possible for arrows to fly backwards from the bow, but he found a way to pull it off.
"My, my Percy, if you let any more arrows wildly fly, I may have to start replacing your arrow heads with seeds. You'd replant whole forests in no time." She joked with a sly smile.
Percy was simply frustrated. "You see? I told you, I'm no good."
"And? Do you think any of my girls started out as proteges? Was Thalia a sharpshooter when you two went to camp together?"
"No. Not at all, actually." Percy answered, remembering Thalia's failed attempts with the bow as well, a trait they briefly bonded over during their lessons with Chiron.
"Exactly. And now she's one of the best shots in the hunt. I haven't even begun to teach you and you're already giving up. This is something that will require time and commitment. Pardon my boldness, but I think it's relatable to the situation you were in with my hunters when you first arrived here. Take it day by day. Baby steps." She explained gently, which caused Percy to finally let out what he had been building up.
"Alright, that's it. I need to speak up here. Artemis, I really appreciate your kind words, but I just don't understand where they're coming from. I thought that you wanted me gone most of all, but now it seems like you're sticking your neck out for me to get along with the others. Aren't you, you know, the 'man-hating goddess?'" Percy asked frantically, regretting his outburst as soon as it left his mouth.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over-" His attempts to defend himself were silenced by Artemis putting her hand up.
"It's alright. I understand why you would be slightly lost about my behavior. And, if I'm being honest, I'm a little lost too. Like I told you before, I've held respect for you ever since our encounter with the Titan Atlas. Of course, respect does not equal trust, and when my father forced you into our camp, I was furious."
"Trust me, I wasn't happy either," Percy mumbled under his breath. Artemis continued.
"I wanted you to leave us, so I tried giving you tons of chores and pranking you, but you took them all in stride. It baffled me. You kept your distance, you were respectful and patient with my girls, which I appreciated very much. Then, the whole situation with Phoebe…" she trailed off, her expression becoming pensive.
"Taking all of this into consideration, I must admit that you are…different. Different from any other man I've encountered across my millennia as a goddess," she relented, looking up at him with inquisitive eyes. "Since then, I knew that you had no plans to leave, so I wanted to at least make sure that the rest of the Hunters grew more comfortable with you. Which, I might add, has been working, because they are much more tolerant of you than before. I've asked all of them individually and they all said they've at least grown used to you being here."
"So, if you're all okay with me being here now…what's with all the pranks and chores still?" Percy questioned, unexpectedly touched from Artemis' clarification.
"Tradition," she replied curtly. "We're all tolerant of you, but very few of them trust you. You're still a male, after all. Perhaps they believe that continually challenging your mental fortitude will cause you to go insane and show your true colors."
"Well, unfortunately for them, I'm not that kind of guy. I spent a year living with Amazon pranks, this is nothing." Percy boasted. Artemis didn't react in the slightest.
"I know you're not. Case and point, they don't mind that you're here now, but they see no reason to get close to you. Maybe that will change one day, maybe it won't. Who knows?" Artemis summarized, and Percy nodded.
"Thank you, that cleared up a lot for me," He said as he rubbed his head. "I've been away from people for so long that picking up on other's feelings has gotten kind of hard. And, no offense, you were sending a lot of mixed signals."
"And I will continue to do so. I respect you and I respect your position in the Hunt, and I will do my best to try and make everyone get along while you're with us. But you understand why everything you do will be met with caution, even from me, right?" She arched an eyebrow.
"Yep. Trust is hard to build and incredibly easy to lose. I've learned that the hard way more than once." Percy responded. "Even if you say I'm different, I'm still a male, and you're, well, Artemis. So I get it."
"Good. Now that that's cleared up, let's see if we can get you to hit the target at least once tonight."
The archery lesson continued, with Artemis pointing out things that Percy was doing wrong – Spoiler alert, it was everything.
"Straighten your back."
"Uncurl your fingers a bit."
"Feel the color of the wind."
His hyper-active brain was going crazy with all this standing still, but he powered through it since Artemis was being so calm with him. It felt only natural to respond to her efforts by giving his own.
At long last, after an hour of posture changing, arm raising, and aim correcting, Percy managed to hit the outer ring of a decently far away target, causing him to yell out in celebration.
"Celebrating over a simple hit? We have a long way to go…" Artemis commented with a light chuckle.
They decided to call it a night after that and head back to camp. The sky had gone completely dark with the only sounds that could be heard being the rustling leaves, the chirp of songbirds, and the buzz of insects. As they traversed the path, Artemis suddenly spoke up.
"Perseus, do you mind if I ask you something?"
"Sure, anything," he replied.
"The first day you arrived here, I made you an offer. That you can leave and continue your business as you see fit and I would do my best to shield you from the wrath of my father. But you refused. After a few days of the chores and the pranks, I was sure you would approach me to take me up on it. But you didn't. You endured day after day of a group that clearly distrusted you and wanted nothing to do with you. Why? Why not say yes to my proposition?" Her words rang with genuine curiosity.
Percy thought about it for a moment, attempting to come up with a logical explanation to no avail. Instead, he decided to be honest with the goddess just as she was honest to him during their lesson.
"Truthfully…it just felt right. I'm not sure if it were instincts, or the Fates pulling on my strings, but something told me that good would come from committing to being here."
"Hm…I find that quite intriguing. So? Has it? How do you feel right now about being with us?"
"Well it certainly beats sleeping in back alleys and rooftops," he answered, remembering the not-so-fond moments where he woke up convinced that he had scoliosis from how terrible his back pain was.
"Percy…" she warned him to take this seriously.
He cleared his throat. "Uh, right. Yeah, I'm glad I'm here now. I talked to Nico about this earlier, but I'm able to talk to some of the girls now without them looking at me like I'm something they scrape off their shoes. The chores keep me busy, and I still get to help half-bloods when I get the chance. What's not to like?"
They arrived at the camp, and Artemis stopped walking to face him directly. "Yes, those are all certainly nice things, but they don't answer my question."
Percy nervously glanced at his tent. "Can we pick up this conversation tomorrow? It's late and I know you want me up early to make breakfast. See you."
He ignored Artemis' frustrated face at his dodging of her question and walked over to his tent. He didn't mean to hide anything from her, but it was just…
"I don't know how I feel." He answered her question in his head as he pulled himself into bed. As his mind drifted to sleep, another though entered his mind before succumbing to slumber.
"When she said I was different…why did that make me slightly happy?"
ARTEMIS
The rays of the morning sun pierced her window flap as the bright splotches in her eyelids cause her to open them. She sat up, stretching her arms upward as the smell of roasted meat penetrated her nostrils.
"Mmm…must be Percy making breakfast." She quickly hopped out of bed and began her regular morning ritual of getting ready for the day, including going through her hunting equipment, checking on the dogs, and waking up the hunters who were not early birds.
One of these late risers was Thalia, who saw mornings as an abomination of all things holy. She always managed to be on time for their morning meetings, but usually made it by a couple of seconds. Artemis had to rouse her a bit earlier than planned this morning, since she had business with her lieutenant.
She walked into the girl's tent to find her sitting up in her nightgown rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
"Sleep well?" she asked the huntress. Thalia stuck her tongue out.
"I did, actually, but that doesn't make getting out of bed any easier."
"I'd imagine not. I'm glad you're awake, though, since I need to talk to you about something."
Thalia groaned as she rose from her bed. "Ugh. If this is about Naomi's quiver, I told her I was sorry-"
"No, no, not that. It's about our hunt with Percy today," Artemis interrupted.
Thalia's eyebrows rose slightly. "What about it?"
"I saved you for last because I am fairly certain of your answer, but in the spirit of fairness since I've already talked to everyone else, I shall ask anyway. Would you be opposed to Percy joining us even though he is a male?"
Artemis had expected Thalia's expression to brighten and reply with a lighthearted remark, but her face turned sober, as if she were suddenly absorbed in thought.
"Yeah, of course I'm cool with it. It's just…is he up for it?"
Artemis frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Don't get me wrong. I love having my friend back after three years without him. As much as I fight with him and prank him, I wouldn't trade him for the world. But even though he acts and jokes like he used to, I can tell that something is off. Something is wrong and either he's not telling me, or he doesn't even know what it is." Thalia explained.
Artemis pondered her words as she thought about her conversation with Percy last night. She was irritated that he didn't answer her question, but it made her agree with what Thalia was saying.
"I think you may be right. When I talked with him about Phoebe over a month ago, I could tell something was bothering him. He's gotten better at hiding it, but I believe it's still there."
"I didn't expect you to care about Percy's feelings. Any reason for that?" Thalia asked as she started to change into her hunting gear.
"A pretty big one, as a matter of fact," Artemis admitted. "Depending on how the hunt today transpires, I may consider asking him to officially join us as a member."
Thalia's eyes nearly popped out of her skull when she heard that. "What!? Are you serious!?"
"Yes. I had a small talk with him last night, and he made it quite clear he wasn't planning on going anywhere. Also considering how respectfully he's treated my maidens and how set apart he is from the other males of the world, why not make it official, right?"
Thalia's face morphed from joy to worry in a flash. "I know the others don't mind him anymore, but they don't trust him either. Would they be okay?"
"I think they would get used to it in time. Also, like I said, this is just a consideration. I'm quite hesitant about it. I'd like to see how he does in our hunt first and then go off from there. So, I'll ask you as my lieutenant: Would he make for a good fit?"
Thalia contemplated for a moment. "His skills are definitely the real deal. Every time we spar, I can feel myself learning more and getting stronger. Not that I'd ever tell him that, of course."
"I sense a 'but' coming on…" Artemis thought to herself.
"But," Thalia said, proving her right. "it isn't time yet. Not while he's feeling like this. He still seems to be searching for…something. I want to wait until he finds it."
Artemis nodded, satisfied with her answer. "Thank you for your input. I shall continue to give the matter some more thought before coming to a decision."
As she turned to leave for breakfast, Thalia quickly caught her shoulder.
"Hold on. I know most of the hunt doesn't trust him yet, but what about you?"
Artemis simply gave her a half-smile. "Who knows?" she replied, purposely keeping it obscure.
As she left the daughter of Zeus' tent, she reflected on the question. She elected not to give a straight answer most likely for the same reason that Percy dodged her own query last night.
"I don't know."
She meant what she said to him; that she respected him, and he had proved himself as different, still unsure as to why she had been so honest with him. But giving him her full-fledged trust? Part of her felt that he earned it, but her nature and certain incidents in her past made it a difficult thing to do.
Hopefully, today's hunt will provide some insight on her decision.
They all ate a hearty breakfast of eggs and wild turkey sausage, with Percy sitting at the corner of a far-off table with Thalia. The other Hunters had finally felt complacent enough with the son of Poseidon to allow him to join them for meals, alongside the fact that they were all enjoying the delicious cooking while its maker sat on the ground nearby. She never thought her hunters could feel guilty over a man, but good food could change anyone it seems.
Once all the plates had been wiped clean of any remnants of food, Artemis stood on her table and cleared her throat loudly, prompting everyone present to focus their attention on her.
"Hunters! Gather round!"
They all stood up from their benches and made their way over to the head table, forming a large, circular cluster in front of it. Percy stood in the back keeping his distance, but not as much as he used to before.
"Before I lay out the plan for today's hunt, I should inform you that it's going to be a little different from usual. As many of you know, I have decided that our resident male, Percy Jackson, has garnered enough qualifications to join us on our quest. I trust there are no objections?" She darted back and forth between the eyes of various hunters.
A few looked wary, some others seemed a bit excited, and the rest wore masks of indifference. No protests and no shouts of revulsion, much to Artemis' pleasure. Percy's face lit up when no one spoke up.
"Good," she continued. "Percy, come here for a moment. I'm aware that your hunting style is quite different from ours, given as you've trained under Lupa herself. Would you mind giving us a run-down so I can formulate a more accurate plan?"
Percy nodded, looking a little nervous to be speaking in front of everyone out of nowhere, but opened his mouth nonetheless. "Lupa's tactics are much more focused on solitary hunting off instincts and senses. Rather than lying in wait for the perfect chance to strike, I was taught to be aggressive and scour the land for anything I could use. She divided a hunt into five segments: The Sighting, the Trail, the Chase, the Close, and the Kill. It was very, uh, animal-like."
Artemis took a moment to take his words into account before speaking up again. "I see. Here's my proposal; if you hunt like a wolf, we are going to use you as one. Lamia is lying low in a mortal town. I want you to track her down and lead her to a rendezvous point in the forest, where we will be lying in wait with traps and arrows galore."
Percy's eyes widened in recognition. "That way, neither of our hunting styles will conflict, and we can get this done with no casualties."
"Precisely. I have enough faith in your skills for you to accomplish this. I'm sure you've handled much worse in the past. This will be your chance to prove yourself to us, so don't screw it up. Got it?" She gave him a fierce glare, finding it amusing how he fidgeted under it.
"Y-yes ma'am."
"Good. Hunters! Let's go!"
They set off, reaching the town within the hour. It was a small town, full of standard urban and commercial zones, with a varying mix of big-name stores and small businesses. Their hunting dogs had tracked Lamia's smell to this location but couldn't pinpoint her exact coordinates. That is where Percy came in.
"So, you have no idea where Lamia is in this entire town, but you want me to find her anyway?" He asked incredulously.
"Pretty much," Artemis replied. "Are you saying that you can't?"
He sighed. "It's not a question of if I can or not, it's a question of how long it will take. Getting a Sighting could take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, and that's when I know what I'm looking for. She can hide herself with the Mist, right? It's going to be…hard, to say the least."
Thalia let out a small laugh. "We're not impatient beasts like Lupa's pack. We know how to do a proper stake-out, Seaweed Brain. Take as long as you need, we'll still be here when you find her."
Artemis saw a bit of confidence build in his complexion. "Thanks, Thals. I'll be back as soon as I can."
He walked off into town as Artemis and the others began setting up their trap. They laid out a giant bronze net on the ground, with countless spike pits all around it, expertly hiding them within the thick foliage of the woods.
Artemis had personally trained each one of her members, so they accomplished it all in record time. Once the traps were set, they climbed the numerous trees surrounding them, perched on the branches as they lied in wait. Since there were a decent number of members joining them today, they paired up two to a branch, with one readying their bow and the other holding a throwing knife. Artemis ended up waiting with Naomi, one of the hunters who still had serious trepidations about Percy being with him, not that the goddess could blame her.
"Artemis, if you don't mind me asking, how can you put so much faith in this male? Why do you trust him so much?" Naomi questioned, frowning at her as if she's become someone else.
"I never said I trusted him. But I know him. If you had seen the things he'd done in service to Olympus, you would know that he can get this done. Besides, he knows that if he fails this, he's getting an arrow where the sun doesn't shine." Artemis gave a wicked grin. Naomi grunted, satisfied, but asked one more thing anyway.
"I'm just…I know he's been kind with us over the past couple months, but he's still a male, you know? How do I know he won't try to stab us in the back the moment we let our guard down?"
"We don't. Which is partly why I've been keeping such a close eye on him," she answered.
"Actually, I've found it is surprisingly easy to lower my guard around him," she realized in her head, recalling their conversation during their archery lesson. She had no idea why she'd told Percy all those things, but she was annoyed at how natural it felt.
"But from what I've seen so far, but I hope you'll all understand someday that calling his loyalty into question is completely unnecessary," she finished surely. She knew it was his fatal flaw, after all.
"I hope so too. I've seen a few of his duels with our lieutenant. If he truly is different…having someone like that watching our backs every once and a while wouldn't be a bad thing." Artemis noticed a slight yearning in her countenance.
That's when it hit her. The jumbled feelings she'd had fell into place immediately, because she realized she wasn't alone in her confusion. The hunt wanted to trust Percy after seeing how considerate and thoughtful he's been towards them, but their past preconceptions about men were preventing them from fully doing so. Artemis was the same way. She wasn't sure when it started…but she found herself wanting to act like she usually would around her hunters with him. She'd hated the feeling and pushed it away, but now that she knew everyone felt the same way, it was as if someone had blessed her with a newfound strength.
Feeling refreshed after her epiphany, she sat comfortably with Naomi, waiting for the man in question to return. Minutes turned to hours, and the rations they had brought with them for lunch had disappeared.
Artemis was about to suggest breaking out their packed dinners, but a large crashing noise in the distance stole their attention. In the blink of an eye, they resumed battle stances in the trees, dozens of pairs of eyes trained in the direction of the noise.
"GET BACK HERE YOU RUNT!"
The cry of the monster pierced their ears as Percy finally came into view. He truly moved like an animal, staying low, pouncing from place to place, and using the terrain to his full advantage. He wielded his spear, occasionally turning back to poke at Lamia to make her enraged, as well as throwing out the occasional insult.
"Your scales are ugly!"
"When's the last time you went to the dentist!?"
"Snakes are overrated!"
"GAH! I'LL KILL YOU!"
Lamia herself was following Percy with a vengeance several paces behind him. She was about 10 feet tall, and looked like a normal, middle-aged woman from the waist up. Except of course, for her glowing green eyes with serpentine slits, teeth like a crocodile's, and nails that extended into lizard-like claws. Instead of legs, she had two giant snake tails, each covered in midnight-black scales.
Percy ran closer and closer to the spot where the rest of them were waiting, avoiding the pitfalls with expert-like precision.
"He wasn't even there when we set those up, but he knows where they are? Stupid instincts." Artemis thought, a tad annoyed. They proved to be useless anyway, since every time Lamia fell in one, she got back up unharmed; her scales were much too hard to penetrate by any normal means.
Just as Percy was about to run into the net, he leaped into the air, hurtling over the entire thing like an Olympic jumper. Lamia was not so fortunate, as she barreled straight into it with full force, triggering the mechanism and sending her straight into the air, entrapped in the fabric.
"WHAT IS THIS?" The monster cried out in confusion.
"NOW!" Artemis called out. What happened next almost made her feel sorry for the snake. The entire Hunt unleashed fire upon her, alternating between raining down silver arrows and swooping in themselves to deliver a quick slash with their daggers. Each one perfectly timed and precise like a well-oiled machine; a maneuver they had all done countless times before now.
"Wow…" Percy breathed from beside her. After jumping over the net, he had climbed up to join her without her notice.
"Impressed?" She couldn't help but swell with a bit of pride at his reaction.
"Definitely," he grinned, enjoying the show.
At long last, the bombardment ceased, and Lamia was left looking woozy and haggard beyond belief. Her body was littered with a myriad of arrows and cuts, and her eyes that previously held burning rage seemed weak and tired.
The members of the hunt descended from the treetops and cautiously approached it. She made no sudden movements, and Artemis took that as a sign that they had completed their mission.
"Good work everyone. Let's send her up to Olympus and get back in time for dinner," she announced. Surprisingly, Percy held up his hand.
"Wait, hang on. Do you mind if I ask her a couple of questions first?"
She was about to inquire as to why, but she understood immediately.
"Yes, go ahead, just make it quick."
He nodded gratefully and turned to the monster, who stared down at him with contempt.
"Are you the one behind all the Mist trickery in my life? Were you behind the illusion at camp? My parents?" His voice was lined with desperation.
Lamia snorted. "Boy, I don't even know who you are. All I know is that you blew my cover and insulted my scales. No one gets away with that! Now here I am, backed into a corner because of it. Why must everything be so frustrating! First there was that green boy and professor, and now you!"
Percy went quiet, his mouth slightly open as if she'd slapped him in the face. Before he could say anything else, Artemis spoke up about something that concerned her.
"Wait, did you just say, 'backed into a corner?' Don't you mean, 'captured?'"
"Foolish goddess. As if a simple net could contain the likes of me." Her eyes started pulsing with a green light as she began uttering strange incantations as fast as lightning. By the time Artemis reached for her bow, it was too late. The chanting stopped and a layer of ice raced up the net, freezing it solid.
CRACK!
With a massive swing of her tails, the net shattered into a million pieces of ice that flew with high velocity in every direction.
"Look out!" Percy yelled out, diving in front of a nearby hunter to shield her from the shrapnel. Artemis barely managed to cover her face in time, and small cuts peppered her body. When she looked up, she saw several shards of ice embedded in the son of Poseidon's back, but not a single injury on the huntress in front of him.
"Did he just…?" She didn't get to finish her thought, her mind shifting back to the much larger problem in front of them.
Once Lamia hit the ground, she let out a much shorter chant, and a giant cloud of smoke appeared where she stood, obscuring the vision of the Hunters.
It all happened so fast; everyone was too disoriented to react. With the smoke spreading out in every direction, no one seemed to be able to tell which direction she had slithered off to. No one except one, that is.
"Everyone! I have her trail! Follow the sound of my voice!" Percy called out from the smog. Knowing they had no time to question him, the hunters instinctively rushed towards him, swiftly exiting the smokescreen.
Once their vision was clear, they saw that they were moving in the direction of the town with Percy leading the way. They all sprinted out of the forest, between two houses, and onto a street corner when Percy came to a sudden halt, nearly causing Artemis and the maidens behind her to tumble in a giant domino effect.
"Why did you st-!" Her demand was cut short by the horrific sight before their eyes; Lamia was clutching a small girl in her talons, licking her lips with glee. It seemed that she had reached over and snatched up the little kid while she was playing in her backyard.
"It's taken quite a while to find a fresh demigod child. If I'm to be captured, I want to at least go with a full stomach!" Her jaw expanded and unhinged as she moved to swallow the child whole.
"NO!" Artemis shouted, notching an arrow at an inhuman speed. The title of goddess of archery was not just for show, and her arrow struck true, piercing Lamia's wrist. The monster shrieked with pain and dropped the young half-blood.
Percy was ready for it, though, as he lunged forward, arms outstretched to catch her. He succeeded, and quickly brought the girl to his chest and flipped on his side, landing on his back to break the fall.
"Augh!" he cried out in pain, Artemis realizing that the ice had probably dug much deeper into his flesh because of that. As much as she wished she could treat him, the monster started stalking towards him.
"Hunters! Fire!" She commanded her sisters. Artemis and the hunters began to distract Lamia, letting off volleys of arrows to keep her attention off Percy as he quickly ushered her to a safe distance. Unfortunately, the arrows seemed to only be causing minor injuries and she brushed them off with ease.
"Enough! No more surprise attacks! I will not be made a fool by the likes of your pitiful following!" The snake bellowed. She started to list off another spell but was interrupted by a sassy retort.
"Well, you make it pretty easy."
A manhole cover on the nearby street suddenly exploded, with a giant jet of water launching it into the sky. Percy stood next to it, and thrust out his right arm, directing the current straight into Lamia. Not even a centuries old monster can resist water pressure, and she began to get pushed back into the wall of a house behind her.
Percy ceased his control over the sewage and sprinted towards her, knowing that she would make no attempts to stop him since she was so disoriented from her unexpected shower. He volleyed into her giant, scaly legs, and rammed the hilt of his sword onto her forehead so hard that it almost made Artemis flinch.
It got the job done, however, as Lamia's eyes rolled up into the back of her head, slumping forward until she hit the ground with a loud THUD! Percy stood in front of the unconscious creature, panting and bleeding heavily from his back. Artemis was about to run over and administer some first aid in the form of nectar and ambrosia, when she was interrupted by the piercing wail of a child.
The little girl that Percy had saved a few moments ago was on her knees behind a lamppost across the street, bawling her eyes out. Artemis' maternal nature took over instantly as she empathized with the young lady after having seen so many horrible things at such a tender age.
She began to casually approach the child but soon saw that she wasn't alone. Percy was at her side, limping his way over. She wasn't sure if she wanted to hit him for moving with those injuries or thank him for rescuing the girl. Probably both. Soon, they were both kneeling in front of her, and Artemis got to take a better look.
She had golden brown, curly hair that went down to her shoulders, and her eyes were the color of dark honey. She was wearing a yellow dress, but it was caked with dirt from the fight. Her age could have been anywhere from 8 to 10. Percy spoke first with a soft voice.
"Hi there. Take as much time to cry as you need. My friend and I will wait right here to protect you from the monsters."
Artemis nodded reassuringly, and the girl took his message in stride and continued to cry out, tears streaming down her face. After around five minutes, she managed to collect herself and reached up to wipe her nose with her sleeve.
"That won't do. Here, use this." Artemis took a small handkerchief out of her hunting pouch and handed it to the girl, who gingerly took it and started to clean herself with it.
"Is it alright if I ask for your name?" Percy asked tentatively.
"A-Alexandra," her voice was barely above a whisper, and her face was as pale as the moon.
"What a beautiful name," Artemis complimented her. Alexandra muttered a quick thank you before looking down at the ground.
"Wh-what was that, um, thing back there?" she asked, her voice shy and full of hesitation.
"That was a big yucky monster," Percy explained with a small grin. "One of your parents is a super-duper important person. Some people even consider them royalty. Do you know what that makes you?"
"A…princess?" she looked up at them, her eyes glittering a bit.
"That's exactly right. You're a princess, and we are knights who are gonna protect you." Percy performed an exaggerated mock bow, which made Alexandra giggle.
Artemis was deeply touched at how gentle he was, despite having just gone through that entire ordeal. When she looked over at him, talking with the young girl…there was something different about him. It was as if she saw him smiling for the first time.
After Percy IM'd Grover her location and got a promise from the satyr that she would be guided to camp ASAP, he finally let her tend to his injuries as they all headed back to their camp.
"Welp, I'm off to start prepping for dinner. We're having chicken tonight." Percy clapped his hands, Artemis seeing a dreamy look in his eyes at the prospect of eating meat.
"Hold it. I need to take care of something first. Hunters! Gather everyone around the fire in the next five minutes!" She called out to the entire camp, knowing what needed to be done.
Percy had a look of confusion plastered on his face, but he followed her orders anyway, taking a seat on the ground near his tent on the outer edge of the reverse U. The rest of the hunt filed in soon after, sitting in a giant circle around the central campfire. Artemis cleared her throat to grab their attention.
"Percy, I want you sitting with us this time. Preferably near the front."
His eyebrows raised in surprise and he cast a worried glance towards the other hunters, only to be met with…approval. As Percy slowly made his way into the main group and sat beside the rest of them for the very first time, no one even let out a grumble.
"Today's hunt was one of the most difficult ones that we've had in a long while. We weren't aware that our prey was so well-versed in the art of sorcery, and it almost escaped our grasp and came close to killing one of our own." She paused to let them understand the gravity of the situation.
"Luckily, we had extra help with us, who I am forced to admit played a vital role in us completing our goal. Not only did he prove useful as a hunting asset, but he has shown that he is willing to throw himself into the line of danger to protect us even when we have treated him with nothing better than indifference. I for one, believe that Perseus Jackson has once and for all truly earned his right to be here, and would like to offer him an official place in our ranks."
It was so silent that one could hear a pin drop. Artemis hated praising men, but she made an exception this time because she would have lost a sister without him, and from how respectfully he treated Alexandra. After seeing him perform in their hunt…her inner conflict that he had talked with Thalia about had reached a conclusion: She believes that she can come to trust Percy Jackson. Just as he gambled on her by taking the weight of the sky all those years ago, it was her turn to take a chance on him and offer him this choice.
"So, Percy? Do you accept?" She asked the dumbstruck demigod. Percy just stared at her for a few moments, before doing something completely unexpected: He started a laugh. It was different from the small chuckles he would let out whenever Thalia cracked a wise one; this one was hearty and genuine.
"Since you're being so open right now, I should be too. If you had asked me before tonight to join…I would have said no. Ever since I was forced out of camp, something has always felt a bit 'off' about where I was. Like there were pieces missing in a metaphorical puzzle that was my life. When I was training with the Amazons, I made a lot of friends and had a lot of fun times, but I wasn't doing anything other than distracting myself. Then, when Lupa took me under her wing and gave me goals to work towards, it felt good to have my drive back. Defeating the giants and rescuing all those children put me at peace…but I was all alone. I had almost thought I was going to end up alone here too, but tonight changed all of that. Hunting with you all, I can't really describe it, but it just felt right. Like everything clicked into place. When I'm with you all now, the pieces are finally all here; I have a purpose in life, and I have a family to support me."
After his long-winded explanation, he turned to Artemis and his lips curled upwards into a smile. "If you're sure about this, then I would like to graciously accept your offer."
Not a single hunter raised their voice in protest, and Artemis couldn't help but grin as well. "I am. Welcome to the Hunt, Percy Jackson."
A/N: He did it! It took 9 chapters, but Percy is now officially apart of the Hunt! I'd like to start off by saying I know there is a lot of repetition and possibly some confusion regarding this chapter, because I think I may have been a bit obscure with the Hunt's and Artemis' feelings towards Percy. So, I tried to make it direct as possible this chapter without becoming overbearing.
For anyone still confused: Over the past 2 months, the Hunt and the moon goddess have grown comfortable with Percy and want to trust him, but they're having a hard time doing so. They hate the fact that they want to open up to him a bit and push it down and continue to act cold towards him (albeit less than before). Everything changed after that hunt with Lamia though, and now they know that they can rely on him to watch their backs.
Sorry for being so blunt, but I really did just want to make it clear, since I feel like I haven't been doing a good job of it. Also! A few of you pointed out that I've made Percy a little less emotional than how he normally is, so I'd like to point out that this was on purpose, since he was still struggling with his own internal conflicts. But, as you can see from his rant at the end of the chapter, he feels complete now, and Percy should be back to normal in no time, ready for tons of adventures with his new family.
Sorry for the author's note dump, but thank you so much for reading! This chapter was a lot more emotion-driven, and it was a bit daunting to write, so please leave your honest thoughts and criticisms! I promise I read every single one and value all of them. They are always fully welcome! I hope you enjoyed!