Forgot to say this in the first chapter, but obviously I don't own the Percy Jackson series in any way shape or form. I own only the story and nothing but the story. Characters and location names are all Uncle Rick's.

Percy POV:

"My name is Atalanta Jackson, daughter of Poseiden." The girl introduced.

I choked on my spit. "Wait, what?!"

"Is something wrong?" The girl leaned towards me, making me lean backwards.

"No, nothing's wrong," I mentally berated myself for losing my cool for a moment. "It's just that, you reminded me of someone I know well." I thought to myself, yah, you remind me of myself, cause you are me!

"Atti! Riptide!" Grover trotted over, huffing from running. "Artemis wants to talk to you guys."

I sighed. "Alright, whatever. Go tell her we're coming then."

Grover shook his head, a slight glint of distrust I had never seen him have towards me in his eyes. "No, I'll bring you there."

I scoffed, putting the tent back into my bag. "What are you, her goat bodyguard or something?"

Grover chose to ignore me and instead clapped a hand on Atalanta's shoulder, turning her towards the main tent in the center of camp. I followed closely behind, snapping my fingers to destroy the snow chair I was sitting on. A million thoughts swirled around my head, including how I was going to proceed in this reality. I guessed that I had already screwed up whatever original timeline this reality had by purely existing, but swore silently that I would be more careful from now.

I ducked under the tent flap to find myself in a familiar room. The same silk rugs and pillows covered the tent's floor. A golden fire burned in the middle without fuel or smoke, permeating the air with warmth and scent of cooked meals. Behind the goddess sat a polished oak display stand, her mighty silver bow atop it, the symbol of her power. The walls hung with animal pelts of deers, bears, and tigers, as well as many I still have yet to recognize to this day. I stifled a laugh when my old thoughts came back, the question of what would happen if an animal rights activist were to come in here and see the pelts.

"What do you find so amusing, Riptide?" Artemis voiced, her tone laced with slight curiosity.

I shook my head. "Nothing, mi'lady. Just a reminder of something in the past."

The goddess nodded and glanced at Atalanta, who seemed a bit uncomfortable with the goddess' gaze now on her.

"Are you surprised by my age?" Artemis questioned.

"Um... a little," Atalanta replied.

"As most people are," Artemis said, giving me a sideways glance. "Unlike Riptide here, who seems to know quite a bit. And on that topic, Riptide, can you explain why I usually appear in this age?"

I snickered. The goddess was testing me. How cute. "You could appear as a grown woman, or a blazing fire," I began, quoting the goddess word for word for what she told me back then, excited to see her reaction. "But you prefer the age of a 12 year old, because it's the average age of your Hunters, and all young maidens for whom you patron, before they go astray."

"Go astray?" Atalanta voiced.

"Become distracted by the attractiveness of guys." I joked. "Or as Artemis would've said, becoming silly and preoccupied with guys."

"Oh." Atalanta said. "Riptide, are you trying to piss the Hunters off?"

I grinned. Atalanta had the same humor as I did, and I knew she was trying to joke in attempt to defuse the situation. "You bet. Nothing is more fun than trying to tick off a bunch of virgins with a high risk of getting shot in the face."

Zoe coughed loudly, dragging our attention back to Artemis. "You have loose lips, male. Be more respectful."

My smile dropped just an inch. "Right, sorry about that." I said genuinely.

"Anyhow, Atalanta, Bianca has told me some rather disturbing things," Artemis continued. "But she may not have understood the manticore. So I would like to hear what you have to say."

And so Atalanta told her. While she did, an image of Bessie popped up in my head, reminding me the harrowing journey we went on to secure it safely in Olympus. I subconsciously clenched my fists, Bianca's and Zoe's death replaying in my head.

When Atalanta finished, Artemis' hand stroked her bow nervously. "I feared this was the answer."

Zoe sat forward. "The scent mi'lady?"

"Yes."

"Wait, what scent?" Atalanta asked.

"Things are stirring that I have not hunted in millennia," The goddess said in concern. "Prey so old I have nearly forgotten."

"That's saying something," I commented. "Considering how old Greek mythology truly is."

Artemis stared at Atalanta intently. "We came here tonight sensing the manticore, but he's not the target I seeked. Tell me again, exactly what Dr. Thorn said."

"Uh, 'I hate middle school dances.'" Atalanta said, making me chuckle.

"No, no after that," Artemis said.

"He said somebody called the General was going to explain things to me," Atalanta said.

Zoe's face paled instantly, and the memories of Atlas raced through my mind, making me wince underneath my helmet. She moved to talk, but Artemis silenced her and motioned for Atalanta to continue.

"Well then, Thorn was talking about the Great Stirring, and something about the most important monster of all, something that could bring the downfall of Olympus."

Artemis was silent.

"Maybe he was lying," Atalanta suggested flatly.

The goddess of the hunt shook her head. "No, he was not. I've been too slow to see the signs. I must hunt this monster."

Zoe looked terrified, but seemed to ignore that fear. "We'll leave right away, mi'lady."

"No Zoe, I must go alone." Artemis said.

"But–..."

"She said no." I interjected before I could stop myself. "Artemis is about to hunt something that could bring the downfall of Olympus itself. A target like that needs stealth and secrecy, something that is much easier to keep with one powerful goddess than a troupe of 20 girls doing the same."

Zoe glared at me like I was just a piece of trash talking to her, while Artemis glanced at me with grudging respect.

I stared back. "What? I was just thinking logically. I mean, why else would a goddess turn down her lieutenant who's like 2000 plus years old?"

"You know her age too?" Atalanta gaped at me. "Geezus, you guys sure you've never met before?"

I shook my head. "Nope definitely not. If we had, Zoe wouldn't hate me as much and Artemis wouldn't be as confused."

"Actually, I was wondering about that too," Bianca spoke up. "You knew my brother's and mine's name before we even introduced ourselves, and we've never seen you before either."

"I told you, I just know stuff, okay?" I said. "Maybe I'll tell you later how I know, but not now."

Artemis glanced at me for one more second before she turned back to Zoe. "Following Riptide's strangely accurate reasoning, you yourself know that the hunting source is too dangerous for the Hunt to handle. You cannot go there with me."

"As...as you wish mi'lady."

"I will find this creature," Artemis vowed. "And I shall bring it back to Olympus by the winter solstice. It will be all the proof I need to convince the Council just how much trouble we could be in."

"You know what the monster is?" Atalanta asked.

"Let us pray I am wrong," The goddess said, gripping her bow.

"Can goddesses pray?" I asked with a grin.

A flicker of a smile played across Artemis' lips. "Before I go, Atalanta, I have a small task for you."

The girl smiled nervously. "Hopefully it's nothing difficult right?"

"No, nothing difficult. I want you to escort the Hunters back to Camp Half Blood. They can stay there in safety until I return."

"WHAT?! But Artemis, we hate that place." Zoe blurted out. "Last time we were there–"

Artemis waved her hand. "Yes yes I know. I'm sure Dionysus won't hold a grudge against what you for that. Cabin 8 is always within your rights to use, and plus, I heard that they rebuilt the cabins you burnt down."

Atalanta blanched, the thought of such activities taking place in Camp Half Blood obviously shocking to her. "You guys torched the cabins?"

"It was an accident." Zoe deadpanned. "The campers are a bit foolish... and stupid."

"And now, there is one last decision to make," Artemis turned to Bianca. "Have you decided yet?"

Bianca hesitated. "I'm still thinking about it."

"Thinking about what?" Atalanta asked.

"They...they've invited me to join the hunt." Bianca replied.

"Wait what?" Atalanta asked. "Hold on, but you have to come to Camp Half Blood and train with Chiron. That's the only way for demigods to survive!"

"It's not the only way for girls." Zoe interjected.

Atalanta stared at Zoe. "Okay, say that she chooses the Hunt. What would she get out of it that she can't get at camp?"

"For one thing," Zoe said. "immortality."

"Nah." Atalanta sat back in disbelief. "She's kidding right?"

I laughed aloud. "Atti, as skilled as Zoe is, kidding is not something she's proficient at. In fact, most of what Zoe says is true, except you know, the extreme biased comments about guys and stuff. Anyways, they're like that cause they follow Artemis on her hunts for eternity as her companions and sisters-in-arms. They swear an oath of loyalty that makes them ah, technically half-immortal, in the sense that they never age but can still fall in battle, which under the Hunters' training regime is pretty much impossible. Or if they break that oath." I found it strange that I was already using Atalanta's nickname, but thought not too much of it.

"How do you know that?" Artemis gazed at me curiously once more.

I shrugged. "One of my friends joined before and explained about it." I half-lied, before realizing what I'd just said. "Uh... Shit."

Artemis chuckled. "Well, you'll be staying behind to chat."

I slapped the back of my neck repeatedly. "Stupid stupid stupid stupid..."

Atalanta patted my arm. "Knowing you from what I've seen, you'll be fine."

"I'm an absolute moron." I groaned.

My doppelgänger turned back to Artemis. "What's the oath your hunters have to swear?"

"To foreswear romantic love forever." Artemis explained. "To never grow up, never get married. To be a maiden eternally."

"Like you?" Atalanta asked.

The goddess nodded.

I couldn't help it. I just had to say something stupid. "In other words, you can avoid life challenges like paying for rent and going to college. Obviously, it's a girls only club, so guys can't really do anything but sulk."

Atalanta giggled, unable to keep herself serious. "Did you lose your girlfriend or something to the Hunters?"

I shook my head. "Nah nothing like that. She joined voluntarily, and I supported her for it."

"So you just go around the country recruiting half-bloods?" Atalanta asked Artemis.

"Not just half-bloods," Zoe replied. "Lady Artemis doesn't discriminate by birth. All those who honor the goddess may join. Half-bloods, nymphs, mortals–"

"Which one are you then?" Atalanta asked.

"She's a–!" I began, before an arrow zipped and landed an inch from my face. I glanced up to see Zoe's murderous gaze and gulped. "Ah hahaha, my bad. Carry on."

Atalanta got the message and shut up. She turned to Bianca instead. "Still this choice is crazy. What about Nico? He can't join the Hunters."

"Certainly not," Artemis said. "He will go the camp. Unfortunately that's the best boys can do."

I had taken the arrow Zoe shot at me and twirled it in my hands. "Well, Artemis could genderbend Nico, then let him join the Hunt, but obviously he would need to consent to that."

Bianca facepalmed. "How about not turning my brother into a girl?"

I grinned. "It was just a possibility."

"I can't tell if you're joking or not," Atalanta groaned. "But that was possibly the stupidest thing you've said today."

I bowed left and right. "Thank you thank you."

Artemis cleared her throat. "Bianca, you'll still be able to see him from time to time. But you will be free of responsibility. He'll have the camp counselors to take care of him. And you'll have a new family. Us."

"A new family..." Bianca repeated dreamily. "Free of responsibility."

Atalanta stared at Bianca. "I don't think you should do it. This is nuts."

I placed a hand on Atalanta's shoulder. "You must remember that her demigod life has closely revolved around her protecting her brother. An opportunity like this is hard to resist, especially with the excellent venison pasta that Artemis can cook up."

The goddess' head shot up faster than jet. "How did you... you know what? I'm not even going to ask, because it seems like you just know everything."

I chuckled. "I honestly wished I had found out earlier, cause that damn pasta is even better than Hestia's version."

Artemis' cheeks pinked. "Haha, I made yah blush." I pointed out.

Zoe refocused her death glare on me, though I was unfazed by it completely. "What are thou doing?"

I crossed my arms. "Oh come on, what are the statistical chances that a male makes the ninja fighting virgin moon goddess blush without getting stabbed and castrated? Oh right, like 0.00001%. I'm just lucky."

Artemis laughed. "You're not wrong, though I'd say the chances are a lot smaller than you say. Fortunately for you, I don't feel like punishing you tonight."

"Thanks mi'lady."

Bianca stared at Artemis. "What do I have to do?"

"Say this," Zoe said. "'I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis.'"

"I...I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis," Bianca began tentatively.

"Then, 'I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt.'"

Bianca repeated the lines, then glanced at Zoe. "That's it?"

Zoe nodded. "If Artemis accepts thy pledge, then thy oath is binding."

The goddess of the hunt nodded. "I accept it."

The flames in the brazier brightened, the air becoming lightly bathed with silver light. Though Bianca didn't change physically, I knew she felt different inside. The girl breathed out, her eyes blinking to show the slight air of power that was held in every hunter's gaze.

"I...I feel stronger." Bianca gasped.

"Welcome sister." Zoe smiled warmly.

"Remember your pledge," Artemis said. "It is now your life."

"So uh... a question." I said. "I've always wanted to ask, what would happen if a boy said the same words and say, you accept it? Hypothetically of course."

Artemis stared at me like I was an idiot. Zoe sighed in exasperation. "Honestly, what part of an eternal girls club do you not understand?" Atalanta asked, facepalming.

I laughed. "I have a knack for asking dumb questions. That being said, anything's possible you know?"

"What about thee?" Zoe asked Atalanta. "Would thou like to become a Hunter as well?"

The girl shook her head. "The immortality is tempting, but I happen to like guys, so..."

Artemis nodded. "It's not for everyone, but we're here in case you change your mind. Now, Zoe, would you please escort Bianca and Atalanta out? Come back when you're done. We need to have a talk with..." She gestured towards me.

"Yes mi'lady." Zoe said respectfully, throwing me one last glare before she ushered the other girls out. "Don't do any funny business, boy."

As soon as they left I sighed and sat down. "Same old Zoe. Nothing funny ever gets past her."

"You talk like you know her." Artemis noticed. "In fact, you talk to all of us with an air of familiarity, as if you've met us before."

I nodded. "You're close to that wavelength. Technically, I have met you all before. Except for Atalanta."

"And that friend of yours who joined us," Artemis reminded me. "What was her name?"

"I'll tell you when Zoe gets back," I said. "Don't want to have to repeat everything twice. I'll show you my identity as well, since you're one of the Olympians I can actually trust."

"I am?" Artemis asked. "Aren't you male?"

"I am." I said. "But because of some things that have happened in my life, I have mad respect for you and the Hunters. Plus, once you get past the whole male-hating culture, you guys aren't too bad to hang out with."

"Hang out?" Artemis raised an eyebrow. "How did you manage to do that without getting castrated?"

"Apollo helped." I chuckled. "Nothing drastic, he just helped you drink a little more than you should've."

The goddess sighed. "I'm gonna punch that idiot the next time I see him."

I waved my hands wildly. "Chill! He hasn't actually done anything to you yet."

At that moment, Zoe stepped into the tent, her eyes still full of distrust.

"Oh joy, now the party can get real!" I cheered. "Artemis, can we tighten the Mist around the tent?"

"Why?"

"The things I'm about to tell you, umm... it's best we don't tell anyone else." I said. "And no, Zoe, I don't have any dirty secrets to hide."

The lieutenant's mouth shut, as if I had snatched the words from her mouth. Artemis nodded to me. "It's done. Now, maybe start by telling us your real identity."

I sighed and deactivated my armor, the magical metal plates folding up into the wristwatch on my right hand. Beneath it I was wearing the Hunters' gear from my dimension, and realized with a start that the two Hunters in front of me might notice. And notice they did.

"Wait, that's the Hunters' uniform!" Zoe yelled, immediately drawing her bow. Artemis looked the same, but waited for my explanation.

"Heheh, I forgot about that." I said. "Long story short, the Hunters and campers combined created a set of flawless hunting gear for solo hunters such as myself. I didn't rip it off of some girl like you think I did, Miss Nightshade."

I absentmindedly twirled a Tiber knife in my hands. "My name is Perseus Jackson. I'm 23 years old and a son of Poseiden. As for what I know about this world, this is an alternate reality where I was born a girl instead of a boy."

"Impossible," Zoe said. "Dimension jumping? I've never heard of such a thing."

Artemis gestured outside the tent. "So, Atalanta is...you?"

I nodded. "I'm guessing at least. All of the events that have happened so far are exactly the same as the ones I experienced, the only difference being that Atalanta is a girl."

"So you've lived all of this before." Artemis concluded. "Do you realize the gravity of this?"

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Honestly, I'm still very confused. I dunno how to proceed, cause you know, I've lived ten years since this moment. I know exactly what happens next, assuming everything follows the same flightpath."

Zoe's bow never left my direction. "How do we know thou is telling the truth?"

"I swear on the River Styx that everything I've said about the possibility of an alternate universe is the truth," I swore. Thunder boomed and I didn't get vaporized, so I was probably right.

I sighed. "Well, that doesn't necessarily comfort me. I mean, a ton of shit dropped on this mission, so..."

"Define shit." Artemis deadpanned.

I glanced at Zoe almost mournfully. "You sure about that?"

Zoe stared at me intensely. "What are thou looking at?"

I turned my head away. "Zoe... you..." I winced.

"She died, didn't she?" Artemis murmured softly. Zoe's eyes widened in realization, her fingers going slack on her bow.

I grimaced. "It was inevitable. The prophecy stated that one would die by a parent's hand, and well, with the General being Atlas, Zoe's father, well..."

Zoe's face turned ashen, while Artemis face remained pale. "Now I wish you hadn't said anything." The goddess said.

"Maybe I was thrown here for a reason," I said firmly. "I couldn't save Zoe in my world. Perhaps I can save your life here."

"Fate shouldn't be fought against." Artemis said. "You're walking a dangerous path, Perseus."

"Zoe became one of my friends." I stated. "And my fatal flaw can't ignore a friend, even to fate."

"A friend?" Zoe stared at me strangely. "How did I become your friend?"

"Unlike Hercules," I said, seeing the flinch in her eyes. I unsheathed Riptide, holding the bronze blade up in front of her. "I didn't abuse your feelings as a human being. I respected and fought alongside you as nothing but a fighter, and sacrificed my strength to hold up the sky for Artemis while she fought Atlas for you."

Zoe's eyes were filled with deep sadness, mixed with hate, as well as doubt. Artemis stared at me, the oath that I had swore earlier proving that I wasn't just bullshitting.

I sheathed Riptide once more. "Anyhow, I know what goes down next. I'm betting that you know exactly what the beast is, which isn't even a monster by the way."

Artemis looked at me. "You found it... you know?"

I chuckled dryly. "Blackjack, my pegasus and a couple of my water horse friends found the Ophiotaurus underwater in a crab trap. I got woken up early in the morning to go save it, and nicknamed the thing Bessie without knowing what it was. Later, I found out what it was and almost got my butt kicked by Dr. Thorn for it."

"A crab trap?" Artemis said. "Could you, show me this trap?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. Personally, I think we should just stick to the timeline as much as possible, considering how screwed up it already is."

Artemis nodded. "So what happens?"

"You follow the trail you were on," I said. "And then you get captured by Atlas and his forces."

"WHAT?!" Zoe shrieked. "That's insane! How do we know he's not just trying to lead you into a trap?"

"I swore on the River Styx, didn't I?" I reminded the girl.

Zoe huffed. "Ah...mmmmf."

"Point 1 for Percy!" I cheered. "I rarely got a chance to one-up you, so please don't be offended."

Artemis snickered. "You seem to know well on how to annoy us all."

I smiled, glad that the tension had decreased a bit. "Well, I did spend 18 months getting personally trained by you, so I'm not too surprised that I picked up more things than just how you guys fight and move."

"I would ask more, but time is short," Artemis said. "Your ride is almost here after all."

"Apollo huh?" I said knowingly. "Hey Zoe, how brave are you feeling today?"

"Why?" The girl asked.

"Can you please slap him if he calls you sweetheart?" I asked giddily, earning myself a slap on the head from Artemis.

"Are you trying to piss Zoe off on purpose?" Artemis scolded. "If she comes after you with her bow, I'm not stopping her."

"Awww, she can't catch me anyways," I joked. "I thought chasing guys was a big no no in the Hunters' application form?"

It took two seconds for Artemis to get the pun. "Zoe, please stab him."

"Yes mi'lady." Zoe pulled one of her hunting knives and proceeded to launch herself at me, making me duck under her arm.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" I yelped as the knife whizzed past my face. "I'll shut up now!"

"Please do," Zoe said.

Artemis chuckled. "Okay, you can let him go now."

I sighed. "Man, it feels good to be able to beat Zoe now."

"Thou didn't beat me! Artemis told us to yield!"

"Man, 2000 years old and you aren't even using current English? Get with the times old lady."

"ARRGGGGHHHH!"

I tripped onto the floor, laughing. Clearly, Zoe didn't see that coming and tripped over my feet, crashing down on top of me.

"Well, this is awkward," I grinned cheekily, then cried as Zoe smashed a hand into my cheek.

Artemis watched the tussle in amusement, the light blush on Zoe's face visible even to her. "Zoe, your maidenhood..."

Zoe couldn't take it anymore. She clambered off of me and raced outside, leaving Artemis grinning stupidly and me on the floor, trying to get the handprint off my face.

"Point 2!" I stuck two fingers in the air, giggling like a little kid.

"I would watch your back if I were you," Artemis warned me. "Zoe isn't the type of enemy that you can handle."

I gave the goddess an eye roll. "Zoe's like a cat. She's all fierce and rough on the outside, but when you get further in, she's a real sweetheart."

Said girl came back in, decked me in the chest, and ran out again.

I curled up and winced. "Owwwww, I've forgotten how strong she is."

"Are you done?"

"Yes." I said seriously. "But I was serious back then. You know, the hunter friend that joined was Bianca, and well, she died on that quest to save you." I said. "I feel that maybe, being brought here is like a second chance, and that I can save both Bianca and Zoe from their deaths."

"You're sure you're prepared to deal with any possible consequences?" The goddess asked.

I shrugged. "I'm not sure what could happen. But if I have the power to, those two will not perish, not under my watch."

"You sound so convicted for Zoe." Artemis noticed. "You aren't attracted to her right?"

I blushed. "No–o what made you suggest such a thing?"

Artemis glanced at me suspiciously. "So you do like her!"

I groaned. "It's not like that okay? See, when I actually experienced this whole fiasco, I had a crush on Annabeth, you know, the blonde girl of Athena? But I'm not dating her anymore, and I'm older now, not the little boy that Zoe, well the Zoe in my world knew."

"That sounds like you're avoiding my question."

I groaned again. "I really hate you guys sometimes. Us guys complain and then instantly get blamed and shot full of arrows cause the Hunters of Artemis are always right."

"It's not our fault that all males are dirty and perverted pigs," Artemis taunted. "You're all disgusting and weird and–!"

I turned around. "Artemis, say one good thing about a guy or I'll hug you."

The goddess' eyes glinted dangerously. "If you do that, I'll castrate you."

I sighed in frustration. "That's Zoe's favorite line too. 'If you talk to me again, I'll castrate you. If you hit on the Hunters again, I'll castrate you. If you eat the last slice of pizza, I'll castrate you.' Like does that girl have any other comebacks?"

"Why use another one when threatening to castrate someone is so effective?" Artemis asked.

"Good point," I said. "But still, you know how frightening it is when you're eating and a girl just straight up says that sort of thing to safeguard the last piece of a dish? It's disturbing!"

"Stop your whining and man up." The goddess grinned. "You're being such a wimp. Just like the rest of the male species."

"Yep, yep, I'm a wimp." I agreed numbly. "I'm a loser, I'm stupid, I'm weak, yet I can still beat the crap out of you and Zoe in a 1 vs 1."

"Was that a challenge?" Artemis said, subconsciously drawing her bow.

"Maybe." I shrugged. "It'll definitely lighten up my atmosphere a bit to beat you in front of your Hunters."

"Perseus?"

"Yah?"

"How badly do you want your ass kicked?"

"Uhhh..." I stared at the goddess, who looked downright murderous. "Alright, I'll be chill. It's just a guilty fantasy to beat you in front of the Hunters. I mentioned that to Thalia once and she electrocuted me for five whole seconds."

"Thalia...Grace? Zeus' daughter?"

"Oh yah, she became the lieutenant after Zoe died." I said. "Became right before she turned 16 too, handing the responsibility of the Great Prophecy to me."

"I've nearly forgotten about that," Artemis said as we continued to walk towards the cliff. "I'm guessing you lived through that too."

"Yep." I said. "I even did something that would make a man-hater like you gasp."

"Did you now?"

"But that's a story for another time." Percy grinned nostalgically. "It's nearly dawn. Apollo's coming soon, isn't he?"

"He is." Artemis confirmed.

"How does it feel being the younger twin?" I grinned mischieviously.

Artemis' contorted into a frown. "I'm not younger than him!"

"You look younger," I joked. "Look Arty, you're only like 5 ft tall and you even confirmed that you liked being twelve years old. Meanwhile, Apollo is decked out like a rich young adult with nice shades and clothes."

"I'm this close from throwing you off the cliff. And don't call me Arty."

"Sure thing... Moonbeam." I taunted, yelping when a massive silver arrow sliced the air next to my head. I bolted, the goddess firing several more arrows after me.

Thalia stared at Riptide and nudged Atalanta's shoulders. "What happened in there?"

Atalanta shrugged. "I left them and they started talking in private. Then Zoe stormed out with a pink face and now he's getting chased by the goddess herself."

"He's really handsome, don't you think?" Annabeth commented. "Actually, he looks kind of like you Atalanta."

"Yah, but male and older." Thalia said. "He's really powerful, whoever he is." She glanced at Zoe, who was ordering the Hunters to break camp. "Tch."

"You seem to hate the Hunters," Atalanta noticed. "Did you run into them before?"

"The less said about them, the better," Thalia ranted. "Stupid Zoe. That stuck up, no-good..."

Atalanta patted her friend's back and eased away slowly, not wanting to dwell on it any further. She joined me near the cliff's edge where Apollo would land soon. "Yo Riptide!"

I turned around. "Sup."

"What happened in there?" She asked.

I chuckled. "I cracked some jokes, made Zoe really uncomfortable, and called Artemis nicknames."

"Man, no wonder they look like they want you dead." Atalanta laughed. "So what's going on?"

"We're waiting for Apollo," I said. "Artemis arranged for him to come pick us up."

"I still can't believe Bianca joined them," Atalanta said. "Will she be alright?"

I shrugged. "Hard to say. The life of a demigod is never easy. But the Hunters treat the idea of family very seriously, and if anyone can help Bianca out of her shell, it's Zoe."

"You seem to admire Zoe a lot," Atalanta said. "Even though, you just met her."

I shook my head. "Nah, I met her a while back. She's uh... something special."

We stared out into the slow sunrise until a bright orange flash began zooming towards us.

"He's finally here," Artemis glided up behind us, punching me in the shoulder. "He's so lazy during the winter."

"Ouch," I said. "And yah, I know. Then again, so was I, before I learned that I was a demigod. Then I had monsters chasing my ass no matter which day of the year, so laziness became a thing of the past."

"Yep, the demigod life does that to you," Atalanta agreed.

The beam of light got closer and closer.

"Look away," Artemis advised. "Don't look back until he parks."

"Huh?" Atalanta said, before I covered her eyes.

"He's the goddamn sun," I deadpanned. "Unless you want your eyes to burn out, look away." I glanced at Artemis. "See, unlike Moonbeam here, the sun makes its own light. The moon's light is just a reflection of the sun's, making Artemis just a reflection of her brother–Oooof!"

"You're gonna lose a shoulder one day from getting hit so many times," Atalanta giggled.

A bright red flash exploded in front of us, then slowly shed away, revealing beneath and awesome red convertible Maserati Spyder that glowed with the heat of the sun. The snow beneath the car had melted in a perfect circle, making my shoes wet with dew from the grass. The driver stepped out, a large grin on his face. He wore jeans, nike sport shoes, and a sleeveless T-shirt.

"Damn, Apollo's hot," Atalanta commented.

"He's the sun god," I deadpanned.

"That's not what I meant," Atalanta groaned.

"Lil sis!" Apollo grinned excitedly, his white teeth as blinding as his car. "What's up?"

"Allow me to introduce you, Riptide, Atalanta," Artemis drawled. "My all time annoying twin brother, Apollo."

A/N:

I saw that some of you are really digging this story already. Good! I'm glad that I'm able to entertain you, even when my other stories are on break. It makes me feel better as a writer that my audience is interested and looking forward to the next chapter. Seriously though, you guys make my day.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well, and I'll be working on posting on this story just as hard as I am with the other two.

Peace out, you legends.

- Zayden Shade