Thalia

Estelle was adjusting well, which was good, but every time Thalia looked at her she was struck by guilt. Percy would not take this well, she knew. She liked pretending that maybe he'd be excited or maybe he'd be proud of her making her own choices. But she was just pretending. First, he would be angry that Estelle was putting herself in danger. It wouldn't matter that she was partially immortal, she would be learning to fight and putting that training to use. Second, he'd be angry that she'd left Mrs. Jackson. If you watched her closely you could see that she was already internalizing a bunch of guilt about that, so he might not express his anger over that, but… Well, Thalia didn't look forward to the coming confrontation.

So, Thalia was taking mental notes. Estelle would be the best hunter, just to prove to her overprotective brother that this decision was a good one. At least, that's what Thalia thought. She really wanted to check in on Mrs. Jackson, but with Artemis away she was responsible for the Hunt.

Right now, Estelle was among the other girls, smiling shyly as they all reminded her of their names and favored weapons. Estelle had the grace with a bow that any hunter with Artemis' blessing would have, which was formidable. Watching her, Thalia made a list of the other weapons to train her in and in what order to introduce them. Her small form would make hidden daggers useful, though any heavy weapon like a sword would need strength training before she could wield them.

Excusing herself from the fire, Estelle made her way over to where Thalia and Reyna sat.

"You're not happy I'm here, are you?" she asked in a small voice that none of the other Hunters would be able to hear.

"I'm...concerned. I don't want to form a rift between My Lady and Percy, or even myself and Percy. And besides that, you're someone who I just naturally want to protect and I brought you into a never ending fight."

"Then why did you let me in?"

"A lapse in judgement?"

Reyna snorted beside them. Estelle continued to look at her patiently. Gods! She must have learned this trick from her father.

"Look," she began pointedly, "you had your reasons for joining, just like every other Hunter. And you argued them with a level head and explained you knew what you were getting into. If I withheld Artemis' blessing from you it would have been for my own reasons, not anything to do with our goddess or what was best for her Hunt. And now I have to train you so that the next time I see Mrs. Jackson I don't have to explain to her that her daughter died a horrible painful death."

Thalia's voice was harsh and blunt, but Estelle giggled at her!

"She hasn't been 'Mrs. Jackson' for my entire life, Thalia. It's Blofis. Or probably just Sally to you." She wrinkled up her nose as she said her mother's first name and Thalia couldn't help but press her hand to her face at this little girl who would eternally exasperate her.

"That is what you take away?"

Reyna let out a full belly laugh and Estelle had the good graces to look a little bashful.

"I'll be fine- No, I'll be great here, I promise!"

Thalia just sighed.

"By the way, where is our Lady? I thought she'd be back by now." She bit her lip, obviously nervous at the idea of seeing the goddess.

"She's still on her mission with Percy."

"What was the mission?" she asked.

"Uhh… Well, there is a threat that's been loose for a while and needed to be neutralized."

"Why didn't she take the Hunt?"

"The threat isn't a standard hunt," Reyna pitched in. (Finally.) "She's with your brother in order to stay within the bounds of Ancient Law. Usually immortals can't be this direct."

"How does his presence fix the law? And why do they need to be direct this time? Wouldn't they normally issue a prophecy through Rachel or something?"

"Normally, sure," Reyna shrugged. "But Apollo hasn't seen anything and considering what happened the last time when-"

Thalia elbowed her in the ribs to cut her off, giving her a very intense stare. Was she really just about to bring up Percy's death to his little sister? Eyes widening, Reyna realized her mistake.

"What happened?" Estelle sat up a little, ready for a story.

Thalia and Reyna shared a glance.

.

Artemis

Shadows. There were plenty of shadows and she made use of them. In the brisk air of the early morning much sunlight illuminated her surroundings, but a sun close to the horizon cast her hiding places.

The trail was easy to follow. Death, decay, unnatural stillness. A corpse of a deer that was surrounded by dead flies. Dead trees, still in their prime. Silence.

She must maintain the silence as she stalks through the shadows.

She's found four monsters so far. All of the sniffing the air, looking for her, feeling her offness but unable to locate her. She was just a mortal to them. Almost.

Taking a breath she focused in on her next hiding place. A cave. The center of the death. The poison's home.

She pushed onward.

It was surprisingly dry, arid. There was only one tunnel, and as she left her brother's light behind her body tingled with the sense of a trap. Hair on her nape standing at attention, she entered the next chamber and was plunged into darkness.

.

Percy

This was taking too long.

It was almost noon. This was too long. Pacing, he was pacing now. She'd told him to stay put and not use unnecessary power until she called him so he didn't give them away. But it'd been over five hours!

Growling, he sat down and spread his awareness. He felt...like he could breathe again. Like trying to be mortal had placed an immeasurable weight on his chest and he'd finally shed it.

Breathing he looked for her. It wasn't hard, he knew roughly where she should be anyway. And he found her. Unconscious and submerged in poison.

With an intake of breath he teleported in his true form, dusting several monsters instantly at arrival. A single thought was all it took to create a bowl of air within the poison, Artemis at the center. The liquid parted for him as he dashed to her form. He didn't even spare the monsters a look as the poison leapt at them.

She was here. He could feel her pull as she tried to regain control of her element. She was here, but he was stronger.

He stayed at Artemis' side and let his consciousness do the work, finding her. Grabbing her. Dragging her into the cavern.

"I've done this before," he said, as he filled her lungs with poison. She couldn't move, couldn't speak. Akhlys could only cry silent tears that fueled him. "You used quite the trick to kill me, but now…"

He could feel it on the edges of his awareness, liquids, not-water, calling to him. Take another step away from humanity. Feed the rage.

Imagining Annabeth's terrified eyes and sunken face he tried not to think about what those other liquids were and ignored their call. But he held on to the poison, choking the goddess of Misery.

"You've caused so much of this," he allowed a single air bubble through the torrent just because it would cause her further pain. "I know it's simply your nature, but you are more than your nature Akhlys. That is why you were in Tartarus then, and that is why you'll be watched more closely in your confinement now." She fell to her knees, her skin covered in sizzling venom. "If you were anyone else, I'd tell you to learn compassion and act on it. I'd tell you to think about the consequences of your actions and choose. I'd tell you that I'd speak on your behalf in a couple hundred years or so." He stepped forward and loosened his control. She was powerless before him, but she could breathe once more. "I'm not angry you tried to kill me, too many have for me to hold a grudge over that. I'm not even angry you succeeded." He grabbed her hair and made her look him in the eye. "But you brought harm to my sister, and for that I will personally come and tourture you should my uncle ever think to offer. And if your punishment is ever up for debate, even in such a distant future that the earth itself has turned to dust, I will be there to force you back into your cage."

He dropped her hair and let her sob, only exerting enough control that she could not move from her spot. Returning to Artemis he checked her for injuries and mentally called to both Apollo and Hades.

Artemis didn't wake up while he waited for his uncle.

She didn't wake up as her brother took her to her home on Olympus.

She didn't wake up as Apollo examined her.

Percy felt something in him break.