Notes:

I accidentally re-uploaded Chapter 1!

My bad. Here's the proper chapter

Thalia

Sometimes, when the work to do around the Hunters' camp was small, when the animals or monsters being hunted went down fast enough to give them free time, she thought back to Luke.

She thought of how he had been before everything, and how Annabeth talked about him after the end. The three of them against the world. Luke had taken that to its farthest conclusion.

He was good at finding what people cared about. Good at making sure to know how to get what he wanted.

And, she mused, perhaps Annabeth was too blind to see how similar they really were.

"Hey Thals!"

"Percy? Annabeth?" She questioned. "What are you guys doing here?"

They had appeared out of nowhere. The Hunters were just setting camp, waiting for their Lady to get back from an emergency council meeting. Scout pickets had brought word that they had arrived, but it was a strange occurrence nonetheless.

They hugged. A few of the hunters looked nervous when Percy appeared but he immediately excused himself. "Hey. I'll just be over there, away from your camp. Far be it from me to break the rules." He said aloud to them all, and she nodded. Phoebe looked like she was about to complain, after all he was still close to them. And she liked him more than most of the other hunters did, after Zöe.

"I don't know about you, but if you've got the guts to ask Perseus Jackson to move farther away from camp then go ahead." None of her hunters decided to raise the concern. He was well known among them, the stories of the most powerful demigod of the generation were quite widespread, and liked by Lady Artemis anyway.

"I wanted to talk to you." Thalia raised her eyebrow at that. Anything trivial could have been done with an Iris Message.

The daughter of Athena insisted on just sitting around the campfire, a few hunters were peppered here and there, training or otherwise going about camp duties. A few obviously wanted to listen in on a conversation between their Lieutenant and one of the Seven, which Annabeth indicated she was fine with.

"Is Chiron ok with you just leaving camp?" She asked as they sat. Percy was sat a few hundred meters away from them, the camp between him and the small lake she had chosen as her camping spot.

"You haven't heard? Chiron's been letting Percy and I break the rules constantly these past few months." She said nonchalantly before a small smile appeared on her face. "I've been sleeping in Cabin 3 for a while now."

"Gods girl! Have you two… you know?" She couldn't help but ask. Just because she wasn't allowed to do it didn't mean she couldn't at least know about her friends doing it. A few of her hunters were looking their way, no doubt already planning to gossip about two members of the Seven cohabitating.

"A girl doesn't kiss and tell Thalia." She answered jokingly. A non-answer. It was a maybe to her question then.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"Oh, it's just Percy's fatal flaw cropping back up." She said as if it answered her question. She motioned for her dagger, which Thalia gave to her with a confused expression. The daughter of Athena started to whittle down a stick she had picked up. "We're doing something, and he wanted to try and get me to talk to you, convince you to join us. Even if I already know you're going to say no."

"Uh-huh. What's this thing you're trying to rope me into then?" She asked exasperatedly. "Some harebrained scheme or prank? A trip to New Rome?"

She just shook her head. "Did I ever tell you about Akhlys?" She asked. It was a strange change of subject.

"No." And she knew that. Annabeth was trying her best to seem casual. There was a vivid quality to her eyes, like she was remembering something significant.

"Goddess of Misery. She was down there. In the Pit."

Thalia edged closer to the girl. "Are you sure you wanna talk about it?" she asked with concern.

The Daughter of Wisdom continued unabated. "She sent this stream of poisons at us. I was trying to stay calm but at the time we'd been down there for so long." Her strokes with the dagger got rougher, the wood starting to splinter.

"I felt like I was about to die. There was just so much of it, you know? Then… then Percy just got so angry, angry enough to get desperate. He had an idea. Poison's a liquid after all and if he didn't do anything we'd both die so he just decided to push it all back onto her."

The camp was mostly quiet now, and the hunters eavesdropping started to grow in number.

"And he just kept pushing and pushing you know? Poison straight into her face. He was just so angry and part of me felt so scared." The wood was just splinters now and she threw it into the fire before picking up a new stick.

"But part of me decided to think logically about it you know? So, I told him to stop."

"And?" She asked quietly. Thalia wasn't sure why her hands felt clammy, why the voice that came from her throat almost hitched.

"And he did. Do you know how that feels like? He just… stopped. Looked me right in the eyes as soon as I called him. Instantly." Her voice took on a strange tone.

"'Beth?" She called, that look in her eyes grew more… pleased.

"He placed a Goddess on her knees Thalia. And he did it for me." There was something dangerous in her grey eyes now. "So, I decided to test something. I told him to keep going."

"Ann-"

"And the poisons just kept flowing. Right into her face. Because I gave the word." Her voice was soft and low now. "And then a thought occurred to me. Blood's a liquid. And Gods bleed. Ichor may be gold, but it flows all the same."

Thalia didn't like where this was going.

"I told him to try. He didn't question it. Didn't ask why. Just did it. All because I asked him to." The younger girl looked Thalia right in the eyes. "The Gods let us fall into Tartarus, send us on stupid quests for glory and honor and whatever makes them feel better when we die. They're so powerful Thals. And we had one of them at her knees."

"Annabeth this is-"

"And do you know what happened to Akhlys? I'm not quite sure if it was the poison or the ichor twisting in her veins, but she just… died. Right in front of us. Begged for her life. Begged for mercy from demigods."

"Annabeth. I know that things were bad there but-"

"I don't understand why you don't hate them you know?"

She wasn't quite sure how, but she expected the question.

"What do you mean?"

"Your father lied about your brother. Artemis keeps you around as an ornament. Her pet daughter of Zeus, her half-sister. She points you at a problem and you eliminate it gladly." Annabeth spat out. "You've decided that this is your lot in life, and that it won't change."

Lightning arced between her fingertips.

"This is dangerous ground right now Annabeth. You've both went through some rough times recently so I can understand the attitude but for your sake, and Percy's, I'd calm down. I don't know what you told to Chiron but-"

She laughed a little. "Chiron didn't allow us to leave. And I never told you he did."

Thalia backtracked. No. She hadn't.

"He's a little incapacitated. Decided to help out Mr. D last night. Shot a few arrows our way so I had Percy rough him up a little."

Her blood ran cold. There was no way she was hearing this right.

"You… attacked Dionysus? You attacked an Olympian?" She whispered out in shock. "Annabeth this- the Gods wouldn't forgive you for this, even if you apologized and-"

"Who says we want forgiveness? We're pretty far from asking. Akhlys was our first, but after killing two of them I think I can say I like it when they beg. "

No. It can't be.

"Percy wanted to come here because he thought we wouldn't have to fight you, you know? Always so willing to go the extra mile for those close to him. I tried to tell him you'd side with them but he still wanted to try. I think it's part of the reason why I love him." She said with a cold smile.

"Annabeth you can't… You didn't…" She was abandoning her, leaving her behind. Just like Luke.

"Can you honestly tell me you'd fight with us?" She asked with a whisper, her grey eyes piercing hers with foreknowledge, like she already knew what she'd say.

"You can't ask me that Annabeth, can't expect me to lay it all down for… for… for some stupid thoughts of Justice, or revenge, or whatever godsdamned thing you want to call it! My father is the God of Justice, my brother is High Priest of New Rome! You're asking me to- You're making me-"

She laughed, cutting of her plea. "Olympian Justice is no Justice Thalia, you know that more than anyone." Her eyes softened. "I can't ask you to choose between me and Jason, or us and your sisters. You don't think I noticed?"

Thalia stiffened, a cold weight settling in her gut.

"You stayed away from anyone you didn't already know, whenever you go to camp you're more and more like the rest of your Hunters." She smiled sadly. "You've accepted it. We're gonna die before most of you, we're going to age and turn white and grey while you still look like you're about to turn 16."

Thalia hated it. She had made this choice, chosen eternity, because she thought she was giving the finger to the fates, that she wasn't letting a prophecy dictate her life. She had decided, at 15 years and 364 days, that she wouldn't age, because she thought it was a better alternative than that godsdamned prophecy.

She kept a picture of herself with Jason. She'd look at it with love forever, he'd look at it on his deathbed as she watched as he passed, looking the same as she did now.

She kept a picture of herself with Percy and Annabeth, and sometimes she imagined what it would be like for them to look back at their wedding photos after 50 years and be able to point at Thalia and say, "She hasn't changed.".

She understood why Hunters avoided befriending campers, or anyone really.

"You can't ask me to choose Annabeth. Don't ask me to choose. Not again." She begged with a soft voice. Not her. Gods of Olympus please not her. "Don't leave me. Don't make me choose."

"I'm not. Because I already know what you'd choose. It's why I'm here." She said with a genuine smile. "I care about Percy too much to see him killed by you and Artemis. I need Percy to be able to fight you without holding back. And send a message to your dear old dad. Now that Dionysus is dead he'll be gunning for us pretty hard."

They had done it. Killed an Olympian. She was dimly aware that there were at least half a dozen hunters who already had their bows out, waiting for her word. She closed her eyes and let a few tears fall, before she hardened her heart as best she could, the hatred seeped into her voice.

"You're using him. Annabeth you're using him and you can see it, can't you? You just don't care." She said accusingly. "You're acting just like him, Annabeth."

She looked affronted at the notion.

"Luke was an idiot, Thalia. Don't you dare say I'm like him." Her voice was cold and emotionless. "He relied on Kronos, and those who decided to help Gaia relied on her. When the Gods defeated Kronos they didn't rely on anyone more powerful than themselves, so why should we? We have the power to overthrow them on our own. No Titans. No giants. Just demigods. Just us."

A storm started to brew overhead.

"I'm sorry about this Thalia, I really am. I loved you like a sister. Percy cares for you a lot. For both your sakes I'll tell him to make it quick." She flipped the dagger around, Thalia prepared to intercept a strike from her, before she cut herself hard from shoulder to sternum, cutting through her shirt and drawing some blood.

Was she insane? The hunters around them seemed confused as well.

"PERCY!" Annabeth let out a scream of pain and agony, even as her face remained impassive.

She stood quickly, getting the intent instinctively, even if her mind hadn't yet processed it. Annabeth threw the dagger at her feet before screaming her boyfriend's name once more.

"Di immortales." She cursed as she the cogs in her mind managed to turn and figure out what she was doing.

He came running, pushing a hunter out of the way as he did so, and slid to caress the girl, putting a hand on her wound and his head spun to find the threat.

And his eyes landed on the bloody dagger at her feet, and the empty sheathe on her belt. She watched those sea-green eyes narrow and her heart sank.

There was no hope for a peaceful end to this.

"This isn't what it looks like. Percy, she's using you. Manipulating you. You have to see that!" She pleaded. She needed more time to gather a storm.

He looked at the blonde lovingly and raised a hand to her chin. Annabeth's expression was masterfully crafted. Fear and Love and Resignation in a single look.

"I should have listened to you. It's my fault she hurt you."

Annabeth didn't correct him, only watched with a look of triumph as he turned to face the daughter of Zeus calmly.

She focused hard as lightning arced down from the sky.

Percy hand came up and curled into a fist.

Pain erupted from across her body, breaking her concentration from everything. She screamed.

Arrows flew. So did blood. She didn't know how long she knelt on the dirt, her mind focused on nothing but the pain.

He must have gotten distracted because she could open her eyes once more, the pain present but not as overwhelming.

There were bodies around her.

Lily. One of Nemesis's daughters. They had picked her up from an abusive father just a few weeks ago. She had been ecstatic to join a sisterhood that would protect her.

Blood leaked from her eyeholes; her bright blue eyes looked blankly to the sky. Eyes that would never see again. A girl who would never live

Percy was like a god of war. He gestured with his hand and sent hunters flying, the blood in their veins pushing them backwards. One of her sisters managed to get close before Riptide lashed out and took her arm, before it took her head. His hair was singed, which meant her lightning shot at least hit him.

The camp scrambled. The hunters were scattered, separated from each other. Arrows flew without coordination. She looked down and cringed as her left arm was black and bruised. He must have… twisted the veins and arteries in it. The rest of her body ached hard, but she felt that she could move. Her left arm lay limp on her side.

"We hold! Hold! For our sisters! For Lady Artemis!" Phoebe shouted as she tried to rally some of the hunters to coordinate.

Percy was good but numbers were a quality of their own. Already she could see that he had been nicked a few times by a lucky shot. He was dodging backwards, trying to back away towards the tree line. Annabeth was… nowhere to be seen. Invisible, of course. As if Percy having the ability to control their blood wasn't enough.

She stood. She was Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus, veteran of the Battle of Manhattan, of the second Gigantomachy, First Lieutenant of Artemis herself. She would not fall so easily. She drew her sword with her right hand and shouted above the pain that echoed in her mind.

"Hunters! We rally! For our fallen and for our Lady! To me!" She could walk, so she could run. Phoebe had a good number with her, so she was already moving to her side.

"Nock and Loose at will! Keep him busy and unfocused. Don't let him get close to any of you!"

Arrows started to fire more frequently, pairs and trios firing one after the other while they ran to her position.

"Thalia. We've lost too many to surprise. And our wounded..." Phoebe started before she shot a few arrows at the son of Poseidon, who deflected one with his sword before getting distracted by having to dodge.

One of her best was alone, most likely sent flying by Percy earlier, limping towards them. She watched as the hunter tripped, before a slash appeared on her throat. She gasped as she held onto the lifeblood leaking from it. Thalia cursed before she shouted out, "Chase is invisible, track for footprints and try to stick together."

"He's heading for the lake!" Someone shouted. Percy had started running through the disorganized lines of hunters, sliding, and dodging as he went to try and make it to favorable terrain.

"Push with me! Ranks fire one after the other! Keep up the continuous fire or we get sent to Hades!" She ordered and the hunters with her, now a majority of the group, started to march quickly in pursuit of the demigod. She couldn't use her bow with one hand, and engaging Percy in a sword fight was just suicidal, so she settled for at least leading her sisters to battle well.

One of the hunters was in his way, and she watched in horror as he gestured and the girl was turned against her will, while her hand let loose the arrow she had nocked, hitting one of her other sisters right in the chest. The girl he had controlled was in shock, too much shock to react in time when Riptide slashed her in the chest and she fell to the ground clutching the wound.

She gritted her teeth.

By now they were in full pursuit, all of her hunters were now around her and organized, firing coordinated volleys that kept him too distracted to focus on a singular opponent.

"Come on dad, help me out here." She whispered a prayer and brought her sword down. Lightning came down and almost struck Percy, but he had been pushed out of the way quickly by an unseen force. Annabeth.

Two of her hunters had gotten ahead of themselves. Pushed too far ahead, too close to Percy. With a single clenched fist, one dropped dead screaming.

The other nocked an arrow quickly and Percy pushed her around so fast that there must have been whiplash. The arrow flew and hit Phoebe in the shoulder beside her. The girl cursed before pulling it out and nocking it in her own bow. Thalia had to give her credit. Girl was metal.

Then the girl who had shot her flew towards Percy. With a gesture he had grabbed her body and just pulled. She flew through the air before landing just before him. And then she… stood in front of him.

He was controlling her like a shield.

"Go on! Keep shooting!" He challenged as he continued walking backwards slowly in a slight crouch, her feet stepped slowly but surely along with him, blocking them from making any good shots. "I'm sure Artemis would just love to hear how you killed one of your own!"

"Ramona!"

"I can't move! I'm trying but he's- he's-" The girl was struggling. She looked in horror as one of her sisters tried in vain to struggle against the invisible force he was exerting on her. "Thalia please it hurts! I can't control my body!" There were tears leaking from her eyes.

"Percy stop! Look at what you're doing! At what she's making you do!" Thalia pleaded. Could she get a lightning strike on him?

"You're the one that hurt her. You started this Grace! I didn't want to fight the Hunters today!" Of course he didn't, which is exactly why Annabeth had planned this out.

"Let her go Percy! Let her go and maybe we can talk about this!" She could tell a lightning strike could hit him and not hurt her. She raised her sword quickly and watched as the light arced from the heavens.

He jumped backwards, just avoiding the strike. Ramona stumbled forwards as his control laxed. Her hunters were waiting for a perfect moment to strike, so arrows were loosed as soon as she did.

There was a flash of silver light.

Between the Hunters and Percy, Artemis had arrived.

She let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. More than a few of her hunters breathed sighs of relief.

"Lady Artemis. Nice of you to join us. We were hoping to convince you and your hunters to join us, but I guess that's a lost cause." Percy joked as he stood.

"Perseus. This ends." The Goddess said coldly, her teenaged form raised her bow and nocked an arrow. "Surrender and your execution will be painless."

"Did you know there's liquid in your eyeballs?" He asked irreverently as he snapped his fingers.

Ramona was on her knees, between Artemis and Percy. She had been breathing heavily but there was no mistaking the look of relief on her face when her patron had arrived.

They watched as her eyeballs exploded in a mix of gore and fluid.

More than a few of her hunters retched. Artemis's spent a few moments looking at the corpse as it dropped to the dirt not a few feet from her.

"And to think I used to think you were an example of a good man." She said almost quietly.

Her bow was fired before Thalia could blink. "Die now Perseus."

The Silver Arrow exploded where it landed, the spot Percy had just rolled away from. He was still thrown by the shockwave.

But they had allowed him to get too close to the lake.

The next silver arrow exploded on a tendril of water. They boy gestured and the water whipped out at the Goddess. She dodged gracefully, firing several more arrows, all intercepted by shields made of water, exploding and splashing it on the ground. He had a foot in the water, no doubt to get healed by it.

Her hunters were starting to spread out, both to witness the fight and to support their Lady if she needed it.

"Hold. Stay in trios at least. Chase is still invisible. Watch for footprints and keep that in mind." She ordered as Artemis barely dodged a wave of water, before jumping up as the water in the mud leaked out to try and slice her from behind.

The wounded had walked with them, none had wanted to be left behind.

"Phoebe. Take ten hunters, Apollo's daughters and other medics, and then take the wounded with you back to camp. Hold there and protect them." She was still Artemis's lieutenant dammit, and she wasn't going to fail in that regard. They would likely have to march to Camp Half-Blood for proper medical aid later.

The older hunter brought a hand to her chest in salute and did as she was bid. Thalia flexed her right arm and tried to focus. She could at least help out her patron.

"Loose at will, keep him in your sights but be mindful of Chase!" She order out before gathering her strength for another bolt of lightning. The deadly dance that Percy and Artemis performed was beautiful in a way. Water whipped out and arrows flew, more than a few hit him only for the wounds to close after seconds. The Goddess was not unscathed. Anytime Percy was given a few seconds of concentration she became unbalanced and couldn't move as gracefully, getting stabbed by tendrils of water.

Her eyes narrowed. Blood must be easier to manipulate than Ichor. He needed far more concentration to hinder her when he could send hunters flying with a gesture.

Percy was reluctant to leave the safety of the lakeshore, while Artemis was in her element firing from range.

"She's here!"

Her head whipped around to watch as one of the trios of hunters engaged an invisible force in melee. One of them was already dead, her throat slit, while the other two desperately tried to fight without losing their opponent.

She directed more hunters to aid them and brought down a lightning strike onto Percy, who had to roll aside before getting hit by an explosive-charged arrow from her patron.

He landed in the water, and Artemis ran forward, firing three more arrows in quick succession. Three explosions sprayed water upwards, but Percy did not leave the lake.

Suddenly, she felt the earth beneath her shake.

"Earthquake!" She looked to her right. Her hunters had stumbled. Annabeth had escaped from the melee but they were firing arrows and attempting to track her.

It was a distraction well-spent. Percy erupted from the water as Artemis took a moment to look back and assess her hunters.

"My lady watch out!" Thalia warned.

Riptide sliced a cut through Artemis's cheek as she barely managed to move her neck out of the way before it swung around to engage the swords she had conjured up. Percy moved fast, drops of water spiraling out from his body and slicing the goddess in multiple areas, Ichor leaking out from multiple open wounds. The clang of swords had brought the fight to the next stage.

Artemis couldn't keep up with the sword strikes, she ended up rolling and dodging in order to avoid getting hit, all the while Ichor bled out at an alarming rate when her wounds should have already been closed.

"Hunters nock and loose arrows! Give our Lady some breathing room!"

The volleys forced him to roll, but he threw Riptide at Artemis with force, who deflected the blade easily before stiffening.

He had thrown the sword for a reason. With both hands outstretched towards the Goddess and his face contorted in focus, she watched in horror as her patron, her half-sister, was brought to her knees, Ichor flowed like streams from her open wounds.

She gathered what was left of her strength into her arm and brought sparks of lightning through her blade before aiming at her cousin.

Come on. Come on. You can do this Grace.

Her aim was true.

The bolt of lightning hit the son of Poseidon square in the chest, and he screamed in agony for a few seconds, releasing her patron as he did so.

She ran towards her as the Goddess went on one knee before the Moon Goddess nocked and fired several arrows, all of which hit Percy with supernatural accuracy. The demigod did his best to dodge or deflect them, but at close range it was useless. Several pierced his shoulders and one managed to get him just above the gut. He was pushed back with a grunt but managed to roll and recover.

His sea-green eyes looked at them both for a moment, and Thalia saw the calm look in his eyes, as if nothing could phase him. He punched the earth with some effort, and an even more powerful earthquake than the one earlier shook the ground, bringing everyone but him to the dirt.

Percy took off running, and Thalia belatedly realized that it was not just one set of footsteps that ran with him.

They had managed to drive off Percy and Annabeth.

And, as she looked around at the chaos, she realized they had done it only at great cost.

"Thalia." Her head snapped to her patron as Thalia caught her. "We must. Retreat." The words came with heavy breaths.

The normally pristine and graceful appearance of the Goddess was shattered. Ichor dripped from her wounds, her eyes seemed to have difficulty keeping themselves open, and her knees were buckling.

Thalia, still with only one usable arm, simply did her best to support her half-sister. "Don't worry my Lady. I've got you."

The Goddess faded into unconsciousness and a dam within Thalia broke.

Annabeth had left her.

And she had taken Percy with her.

And now… now they would be fighting on opposing sides.

Tears dripped silently from her eyes as she half-carried her patron to the camp.

She would not fail. Not now. She was Thalia Grace, Daughter of Zeus. She was Storm and Thunder. She was the Lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis. Her family was gone, the two of them had abandoned her by abandoning the Gods.

All those years ago, she had never thought it would be her of all people who would be the only loyal one left of the trio. The loudmouth girl who hated the world.

No. Her family was dead and gone, and her new family lay dying around her.

She chose this. She had to live with this. She wasn't losing her new family, not yet, not like the last. This is what it's come to.

She's not quite sure she likes the choices she's made, as her mind's eye tries to spin the possibilities of what could have been. She rejects them all and opens her eyes to see the concern of her sisters and the care in their eyes.

All she's sure about is that there was no going back.

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