PERCY POV

Today was my last day as a mortal; from tomorrow I will be a God. I still had some mixed feelings about the Ancient Laws, about not helping demigods. I know that these laws were created so that gods don't always help their children and to help them in the long run. Personally, I think these laws had done more harm than good, like Luke, and all those demigods wouldn't have turned against Olympus if they had a slight acknowledgment that their parents cared for them and that they weren't just tools from them. I would do at least something to help them. The ancient laws be damned. I was never good at following rules.

So here I am spending my last day at camp teaching sword fighting to some of the younger campers that wanted me to teach them. Annabeth and I had shown them some moves to practice to get them started and have a feel of their sword. After these 14 days they had improved a lot. The kids thanked us after training and went along to play or whatever else the kids do. I wouldn't know; I never got the chance to be a kid. Well, what can you do? I was about to step into the lake for a swim when I heard someone call my name and turned to see my mother. Just looking at her causes me to smile. "Hey Mom what brought you here to your favorite son?" I asked her, it was a little weird to call her mom as she always looked like a 9 year old. As if reading my thoughts, she changed her appearance to a 30 year old. "You're my only son" she told me with a chuckle.

"So what can I do for you mother?" I asked her and she looked sad and a little angry for some reason, which was weird because I rarely see her angry. "Percy I know that this is your last day as mortal but I have a immediate task for you." She told me and I figured it must be something really messed up or she wouldn't have asked. "Tell me, I will do it." I immediately accepted because one, I was bored, and second, I couldn't say no to her. Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, call me a mama's boy; I won't deny it. "There's a man who is trafficking some girls to a local pimp. There are at least 10-12 girls all between the ages of 12-17. They are orphan so no one has notified the authority. I want you to go and save them. Most of the girls are mortal but I sense a couple of demigods too." I nodded seriously at her; there's nothing I hate more than people abusing others for their profit or pleasure. "Sounds like a big ring. If they have so many kids, I will have to bring someone with me to help." I informed her and she nodded "Alright take whoever you want and be safe". I nodded and she flashed out after giving me the location.

I knew just who to ask to have my back when I'm out there risking my life. I started walking towards the cabins and stopped in front of cabin 6 and knocked. After a minute, Malcolm Pace opened the door, "Hey Percy what can I do for you?" He asked politely, "Can you ask Annabeth to meet me at my cabin? It's important" He nodded and went inside and I walked inside my cabin to prepare for the mission. I packed some ambrosia squares and a nectar flask. I wore my assassin uniform and strapped the stygian throwing knives into the sheaths on my waist. I checked for my trusted sword pen Riptide and put on the mask that hides the bottom half of my face. As I was finished Annabeth walked in, she looked at me and knew that I was going on another rescue operation. "Percy what is going on, where are you going?" She kept asking me questions and I knew she was scared, so I did the only thing I could think of to stop the words assault. I pulled her in for a kiss.

"Listen wisegirl I have a new mission from my mother and it's dangerous. I wanted to ask you if you were willing to come along with me? To back me up. You don't have to if you don't want to. I mean I understand if you think-" I didn't get to finish my sentence as she crashed her lips on mine. And by the gods her lips felt like nectar that I could get drunk on every time. "I will come, you know I always have your back," she told me, and I nodded "Okay inform Chiron where we are going, pack necessary things for the rescue and meet me at Thalia's tree" I told her, and she nodded and went away to prepare.

I was standing in front of Thalia's tree reminiscing about the old times. Things were so different than they are now; we were so young and innocent. I thought about how Thalia came back to life and we became friends, well, kind of friends. Immediately, dread sat upon my heart, thinking about how she's going to react when she sees me. After the stunt, I pulled on the hunters when killing Perses and walked away without acknowledging her. It would be a miracle if she let me live. As I was drowned out in my thoughts, I heard two distinct sounds of people walking towards me. I turned to see Chiron and Annabeth, the latter of whom kissed me. Chiron came up to me and pulled me in a hug. "Percy, my boy, may the gods bless you good luck on your task. I will see you tomorrow at Olympus for your ceremony, and stay safe." He said to me, and I nodded and proceeded to fire travel away with Annabeth.

We arrived at the New York port moments away and looked around. It was night so it will help us blend in with the shadows in the dark. We looked around the port for something that might seem suspicious and we found it. Ahead of us were some men with masks dressed in black and they were armed. I pointed towards them to Annabeth and she looked at them and their surroundings thinking of a plan. After a minute or two she looked at me and began telling me her plan. "You go from left and take out those there, then make some sound and draw the rest of them. They would definitely send some people to look from them leaving 2 or 3 men at the container they are guarding. The girls are surely in there, then I can take them out and start to free the girls." I sat there looking at her with a smile on my face. "What do you don't approve?." She asked softly, thinking I would reject her idea, but I shook my head. "No its just I missed this, you making plans and me executing them." She smiled and kissed me deeply. After the kiss we sprinted into action.

THIRD PERSON POV

A man was grabbed at the neck and pulled backward with a hand at his mouth. He could only choke voiceless as his assailant went limp. The assailant had twisted his neck like it was made from paper. The Ronin moved towards the other man who had his hands wrapped around a semi-automatic assault rifle. He walked toward the man and unsheathed a throwing knife and whistled softly so only the man would listen. As soon as the man turned Ronin threw the knife straight at his throat. He then jumped upon the third man tackling him to the ground, and stabbed his throat at another's thigh, causing him to scream. The Ronin immediately slashed their necks as the others would soon come.

Annabeth puts her cap on and becomes invisible. She moved toward the three men who were guarding the container. Her drakon bone sword shined in the light of the moon as she swung the sword in a deadly arc incapacitating the man as he was knocked out with a thump. The other two looked towards the sound and saw their friend fall. They moved toward the body and were suddenly tripped. Annabeth removed her cap and kicked them when they started standing up. She used the hilt of her sword and knocked them both out. She moved toward the container and tried opening it, but to no avail, as the cargo doors were locked and it seemed as if she would have to wait for Percy.

The Ronin looked ahead to see that 4 people were advancing towards him. He ran toward them and dodged a fist to the face as he stabbed a knife into the other's stomach, causing him to drop on his knee in pain. He rolled around as the other three were attacking him. He then grabbed one's wrist and rolled it behind his back and stabbed a knife at his throat and left it lodged there. He uncapped his sword and stabbed the other two before both could make a move. He looked around for any remaining threat when he found none. He walked toward where Annabeth was.

"How many" he asked her as he stood beside her. "Three, weren't even good. A 10 year old camper would have given better work-out than them" she told me, and I had to laugh at that. "Where are the girls?" I asked, and she pointed at the container. "Door is locked and it seems that there is no key among them." She informed me and I nodded. "Step aside, this is going to get hot" she nodded and stood aside, confused. I waved my hand and the door melted off. She looked at me, and asked "How did you do that?" I smirked at her and told her, "Hestia adopted me 5 years ago." She had her mouth open with an awed expression. I looked inside I immediately turned away.

Confused with Percy's action, Annabeth peeked inside. There were 13 girls in there, all naked, and starving. She looked at Percy and asked "what are we going to do now?". Percy thought for a minute, and lit up his hands in flames, and threw in a granola bar he had in his pocket. "Aphrodite" he sacrificed to get her attention. "Can I please have 13 sets of clothes for girls?" Nothing happened for a minute than the clothes materialized in front of him. He passed them to Annabeth and she went inside. After a few minutes she called him in. The moment Percy walked in, the girls tensed and whimpered in fear. Sighing I waved my hand and spread the feeling of hope and warmth through them. "Calm down I'm not here to hurt you. The pretty lady and me are here to rescue you." The girls calmed down a little after that.

"Would you like some food?" Percy asked them as they all walked out in to the nearby woods and sat around a fire. The girls all nodded, and he concentrated and a whole buffet of different foods appeared. They attacked the food as they probably were starved by the people who tool them. After they had their finish of eating Percy asked "So is there anyplace you have that you can go to?". At receiving vigorous shakes of the head, he nodded and said "Look there is a place that i can take you where you will have both power and security. But you will have to swear the company of men forever. So what do you say?" The girls all nodded. "Okay I am going to ask someone to teleport us there so don't freak out okay." At their approval, Percy closed his eye and prayed to his mother to teleport them to the outskirts of the hunters camp. Soon flames engulfed all of them and teleported them to their destination.

The group arrived at the outskirts of the hunters camp. Percy turned to the girls and said "Follow us" as he and Annabeth walked ahead. A hunter saw them and intercepted. "What's your reason to be here boy?" she said, trying to be threatening, but Percy could sense the fear in her. "I request an audience with Lady Artemis."

ARTEMIS POV

I was sitting with my hunters at the dining table when Atlanta came running and breathlessly said. "M'lady, the Ronin is here." "Perseus" I asked her, and she nodded out of the corner of my eye. I saw Thalia perk up at the name. I knew that she desperately wanted to look for her missing cousin, but when she learned of his request to remain unfound, she relented and backed down. Now she would finally reunite with her cousin after 5 years. And I was also happy for some reason that he was here but didn't give it much thought. "Yes, m'lady, he and the girl Annabeth are here along with a dozen of teenage maidens." She continued and I frowned, thinking what was he doing with that daughter of my sister. They couldn't be together, could they? I asked myself. But didn't dwell on it and focused on the dozen maidens part.

He and the Athena spawn walked in with the girls and Perseus half bowed "Lady Artemis its an honor to be in your presence." "Flattery doesn't suit you Perseus." I surprised myself and my hunt by joking with him and he chuckled. "State your reason and why you decided to enter my premises for the first time in years." I asked him and his face turned serious. "Tonight as per my mother's request I along with Annabeth managed to save these girls from human traffickers and being sold." He informed me, a little angrily at the last part. I nodded and motioned for him to continue. "I know that you have received heavy loss at the last two wars. So I was thinking that would you be willing to accept these girls in your hunt? They know of the conditions that entails." He told me, and I agreed with his words.

"Okay I would love to have them join the hunt. Follow me inside my tent girls." I asked them, and at Perseus' nod they followed me inside.

THIRD PERSON POV

As Artemis and the recruits went inside her tent, Thalia turned to Percy and asked sweetly, "Kelp head can you follow me?" Percy knew something was wrong, but followed her none the less, leaving Annabeth and the hunt in awkward silence. She had already declined the hunt's offer, and they didn't share any interest. As Artemis walked out with her being followed by 13 new hunters, she looked around for Percy. When she did not find him, she frowned and asked "where are Perseus and Thalia?" Just then Thalia walked in with a wide smile and a bruised and black-eyed Percy walking behind grumbling about 'Trigger happy cousins who love to beat him'.

Artemis and Annabeth laughed loudly; they looked at each other and held each others gaze, then looked away, simultaneously blushing. "Thank you Perseus" she said to him sincerely. "What for" Percy asked confused, causing her and Annabeth to roll their eyes, with the rest of the hunt looking at him incredulously. "Perseus you have delivered me the last 20 hunters. So thank you for that." She explained to him, and he made an 'O' face then composed himself. "Oh you're welcome I guess" Percy replied, not knowing how to respond. "Anyway my work here is done, so I would take my leave now." After receiving a nod from Artemis, he grabbed Annabeth by the waist and fire traveled away with her.

Leaving a red and angry from jealousy, goddess of moon.