By the end of January, Artemis had recovered enough to return to the Hunt. Zoe and I had made sure to keep ourselves appropriate in front of the goddess, since we could no longer sneak minutes away in the main tent just for a short cuddle session. That didn't stop us from spending time together, be it hunting, having shooting contests, or what has lately become Zoe's favorite: sparring with Thalia and I or Atalanta and I to practice her newly returned abilities.

I'm not exactly sure how the whole Riptide connection works, but essentially, I can nearly always read Zoe's next move perfectly. This meant that together, we were pretty much unstoppable, able to fight Artemis and Thalia to a sweat dripping draw, but against each other in a 1v1, we could be fighting forever. Given that both Zoe and I were immortal and could be rejuvenated by a simple splash of water, the only place most fair for us to duke it out without any massive advantage over the other was in a desert, but Artemis refused to camp the Hunt in the Sahara, because it was a stupid idea.

Zoe seemed to really want to match my abilities, and so I did what I could, combining every aspect of training I could think of and organizing it into a training regime to help the girl train, both with her hydrokinetic abilities and with swordfighting, as Riptide had been a sword I fought with for nearly two decades. Sometimes if time allowed, I would bring both Zoe and Atalanta to an empty clearing to train them simultaneously, since they were practically fighting with the same abilities and weapons. Zoe often defaulted to her huntress tactics, that is, switching from her sword to her daggers and bow, which Atalanta always complained about. I could only shrug and smirk, since I had complained the same thing back in my world against Artemis, and the goddess just told me to grow up and be a man for once. Plus, I had learned how to use a bow later on, and promptly wished Atalanta the best of luck if she tried.

"How much did I teach you exactly?" Artemis asked one day, joining me on the grass while I sat on the sidelines to watch the girls train.

I rubbed the back of my head. "Well, I guess basic hunting tactics and strategies, how to use the environment to your advantage, building up my stamina and strength, and of course, figuring out how to shoot a bow."

Artemis laughed. "And how did you manage the last one? Last time I recall, you can't shoot straight to save your life."

I blushed in embarrassment. "Well, you're right. I kinda cheated, using water molecules in the air to control the direction of the arrow."

The goddess frowned. "That would be unfair, but only if you can control so well in a fight yes?"

I nodded. "I mean, by then I had trained enough with my abilities to do so, but later on when we received our Tiber metal weapons, it became a lot easier since the arrows were extremely sensitive and attuned to our powers. It's merely a second of thought to just shoot and arrow now. Plus, I can always just summon a bow made of water which shoots with aimbot."

"Aimbot?"

"Oh, it's a gaming term that means you pretty much can't miss." I explained. "It would be a word best used to describe the Hunters' and kids of Apollo's accuracies with flying objects."

We fell into calm silence for a bit, watching Zoe batter Atalanta around. I grinned, proud of the lengths the girl had improved on. I mean, I'm proud of both Atti and Zoe, but Zoe just... mmmm.

"Should I be worried about you and Zoe's relationship?" Artemis asked.

I shook my head, as if to get out of a daze. "Wu-wut?"

The goddess snickered. "How long did you think I would fail to notice the lingering glances you give my lieutenant on a daily basis? You do know that dating is forbidden yes?"

I raised an eyebrow. "So what if you have? I'm going to keep staring at her, cause she's adorable."

Artemis glared at me. "Oh, so you do like her more than I thought. What if I tell her that?"

"In case you've forgotten," I said. "I revived her immortal essence and saved her life. I'm sure Zoe wouldn't mind me calling her cute every now and then."

The goddess rolled her eyes. "Forgive me for being concerned. I know you would never hurt her, but Zoe is a dear sister to me."

I nodded in understanding. "I know, I get it. You pretty much gave her life after what happened with Hercules."

Artemis turned and stared at Zoe for a while, before turning back. "So how exactly does the return of her essence work?"

I shrugged. "Honestly, I was curious too. I asked Apollo about it, and he said that it would maybe mature her, or affect and return her power ability, but other than that, it doesn't really explain the other... uh, extras that came with the blessing."

"Such as...?"

"Well, I'm sure you've seen Zoe and I spar," I said, and Artemis nodded. "We always manage to fight to a tie against each other, or if together, a stalemate against you and Thalia. It's like... we can read each other's minds in terms of movement, like we know exactly who is going to do what next." I sat in thought for a moment, then said, "It's like we're stronger as one. And there's only one reason I can think of."

"What is it?" Artemis asked.

"The bond I shared with Riptide, the sword that was created from Zoe's magical essence," I said. "It was the first sword given to me by Chiron on the day of my first quest, all the way back when I was 12. And I've fought gods and monsters with it till my early 20s, creating an extremely strong bond with the weapon. Perhaps it's because of that bond that reasons why Zoe and I are so attuned with each other."

"It's a mysterious question," Artemis agreed. "Regardless, it doesn't seem to hurt her, me, or the Hunt. So I approve of your relationship, however strange it may be."

"Oh great," I said sarcastically. "At least I've got the goddess and her lieutenant on my side. Now I just gotta convince the rest of the Hunt that guys are good... heheheh."

Artemis giggled again. "I'd like to see you try. Lydia's been pestering me to remove you from the camp since my return."

"That girl wants me dead and shot into space, I swear," I groaned. "Seriously, what is her freaking problem? I've literally avoided her as much as possible and she just keeps coming back to hate on me!"

"For a man like you, this is just a little problem, surely you can deal with it?" Artemis teased.

I pinched my nose in frustration. "Just one day please, I just want one morning without "HEY, MALE!" in my freaking face." I smiled nevertheless, then became serious. "How have you been since you recovered."

The goddess shuddered. "Better. However, it's difficult not to rage at every single yellow haired male I see."

I grimaced. "I'm sorry, if I had been there sooner–"

Artemis scooted closer to me and leaned her head towards me, her eyes showing nothing but appreciation. "You did your best already, not only saving one Hunters' life, but two and mine as well. Don't put yourself down."

I laughed humorlessly. "Well, next time, and there won't be a next time, I'll be sure that you won't go through it again."

Artemis sighed, picking at the grass agitatedly. "It's easier to remember things that are more pleasurable than forget about the pain. Where did you bring Zoe to fill her tent with a massive pile of stuffed animals?"

I smiled softly. "Oh. During the quest, I enlightened your lieutenant about how the modern world of humans have changed since 2000 years ago. She wouldn't believe me entirely until I showed her, so I brought her to an amusement park to have fun."

Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Do tell how you managed to get the Hunt to agree with your one day vacation with my lieutenant?"

I blushed. "Ah, about that–"

"Mi'lady," Zoe came up to us, sweaty from the sparring with Atalanta, who looked pretty much dead on her feet. "What are you and Perseus talking about?"

I turned to answer only to find myself speechless. You know when I said that Zoe managed to look good even in casual clothes? Well, sweaty tank top Zoe with a bow slung behind her was pretty close to the top of that list as well.

Artemis snickered as I gaped at Zoe, who blushed at my silence.

"Percy..." Artemis said with a teasing warning, making me snap out of it.

"Screw off, Moonbeam." I shot back, earning me a punch in the shoulder. "Ow, why you gotta hit so damn hard?"

"NO NICKNAMES." Artemis threatened, curling her hands into fists. "Or I'll beat you to pulp."

I laughed. "By all means, please try. You have yet to defeat me."

Artemis simply pouted and fiddled with the end of her bow. "How is it that I can't beat you but I other self taught you everything I know?"

I shrugged as Zoe dropped onto my lap, chugging the water bottle that I took out from nowhere. The girl didn't seem to mind being close to me anymore, even in front of Artemis.

"Ugh, Percy, bro you gotta save me!" Atalanta whined, dropping back first onto the grass. "I can't beat Zoe!"

I patted her reassuringly on the shoulder. "Well, that's okay. Losing is a big part of learning."

"You're saying that cause you're pretty much undefeatable!" Atalanta complained. "I'm actually so tired..."

"Even better," I said, smiling. "That means you worked hard and Zoe pushed you to your limit. That's called improvement."

"Can I have some water too?" Atalanta asked. "Why're you only giving refreshments to your girlfriend?"

I managed to keep a straight face. "Zoe and I are just close friends, not a dating couple. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"Doesn't look like it," Artemis pointed out, her tone of voice strange. Was she jealous?

I sighed and shoved Zoe off, making the girl glare at me indignantly. "Hey, what the heck?!"

"Better?" I asked, rolling my eyes, except Zoe didn't seem to like that so much, and latched herself onto my back. Without my armor on, I blushed when I felt two familiar shapes press into my back. The girl rested her head on one shoulder and wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Try kicking me off now," Zoe said in my ear.

I blushed, inching my head slowly to stare at Atalanta and Artemis with as much of a deadpan experience as I could hold.

Silence.

Artemis looked like she was about to explode with some sort of emotion I couldn't quite identify. I passed on jealousy, because there was no way Artemis would feel that way towards me. And Atalanta was bursting at the seams with giggles.

Zoe broke the awkward silence by getting off my body and stretching. "Perseus, when is our next trip out?"

"What?" I asked, whirling around. "What do you mean by next trip?"

"Well, I thought there would be more trips after going to the park," Zoe said. "Surely the mortal world has more to offer?"

I laughed. "You're right. I haven't even brought you to the city yet."

Artemis finally had enough. "Next time you go, I wanna go too!"

I widened my eyes in surprise, as did Atalanta. "Arty, are you serious? You wanna see like, modern Manhattan?"

"Yes!" Artemis said, staring me straight in the face. It was nearly difficult to take her seriously, as she was fuming at me as a 12-year-old. It was like a daughter screaming at her dad to take her go shopping.

"PFFFFT, AHAHAHAHAHA!" Atalanta broke, pointing a finger at me. "It's like a little girl begging her daddy to take her shopping! HAHAHHAHAHAHA!"

Artemis blushed, but refused to back down. "Well?!"

I facepalmed and made what looked like a defeated face of despair. "Yes, yes Moonbeam, I'll bring you out with Zoe and I for a day, does that sound good?"

"YES!"

And so that's what happened about a week later, when Artemis and Zoe found a clear path in their schedules and once again forced the Hunt to relocate into Camp Half Blood much to Chiron's frustration (he hid it rather well, but I know you horseman!). When Artemis found out that I was choosing Zoe's casual outfit for her, she insisted I give her the same treatment, saying that I should have no problem with her if I was so friendly with Zoe. I didn't bother refuting her, because the goddess was already raking my nerves to their limits.

"Where are we going first?" Artemis asked while I turned my eyes away to let her change. Didn't goddesses just flash clothes on? Apparently not...

"You can look now," Zoe snickered, making me uncover my face.

"Don't gods usually just flash their... clothes on?" I asked, catching Zoe's laughing face when I realized Artemis was still putting her shirt on. "ZOE WTF?! I told you, don't do that to me, you want me dead?!"

The lieutenant collapsed onto the floor, shaking. "You're always embarrassing me, it's my turn now." She stuck her tongue out at me playfully.

I sighed and stood up. "Regardless, let us go. We're gonna hit a pit stop first, then go have fun."

"Pit stop?"

"Yup," I said. "We're gonna visit my mom and pick up Atti. She wants to come too."

§§§§§

"This is the Zoe Nightshade you keep talking about?" Mom asked when I introduced the Hunters to her.

"Yup," I said. "And the short sulky looking girl is Artemis."

"As in the goddess herself?" Mom raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, unfortunately," I deadpanned, only to get attacked.

"WHAT DO MEAN UNFORTUNATELY?!" Artemis yelped, chasing me around the sofa.

"She's pretty," Mom commented, making Zoe blush. "But isn't she the lieutenant of the Hunt?"

I glared at Mom. "Dunno what Atti's been telling you, but we're just friends. FRIENDS. Period."

"Doesn't look that way to me..." Mom teased, making me groan. "Plus, are you sure only friends would buy something like this?" Mom gestured to the shining gem resting on Zoe's neck.

I stuttered. "Uh, well, I uh... wanted to umm..."

"Save your words," Atalanta said. "What kind of guy would buy such a jewel for a girl on their first date?"

"I thought it wasn't that big of a deal," Zoe stammered, her cheeks pink. "You said it wasn't," She stared at me.

I rubbed the back of my head. "It isn't! Mom's just making fun of me!" I shook my head. "Alright, teasing-Percy-time is over. Let's go out and explore the city, alright?"

"Let's go then," Atalanta said, shouldering her purse. "Time to make Percy carry everything for us!"

"Wait what?"

"That's a guy's job, Percy!"

"I did not sign up for this!"

"You did!"

"AGH!"

One portal jump later, we appeared in Central Park, right in the center of the bustling city. Atalanta and I simply just led the huntresses around, showing them the various highs and lows of New York, giving them their first taste of a street cart hot dog (neither of them liked, but Atti and I ate like three each), and eventually ending up in front of every male's hellscape, a massive white building known as the mall.

From there, I went from legendary time traveler to super pack mule.

Once Atalanta gave Zoe and Artemis the basics of girl necessities and shopping tips, I couldn't believe the amount of money spent. Since learning of casual outfits, Zoe seemed genuinely interested in different clothing styles, and spent at least half an hour in most clothing stores trying on and finding outfits she liked, or that I liked on her. For a girl who never cared about her appearance prior, Zoe was unexpectedly an expert at her new hobby. Meanwhile, Artemis was more interested in the foods in the food court and around the mall, drooling at the sight of so many non-forest based delicacies, as she described them as. Halfway through the day, I split up with Artemis to feed her the rest of the mall, while Zoe and Atti went on a squealing filled shopping spree with my sobbing wallet. When we met up again, there were so many bags that I just shipped most of them via Hermes free delivery to avoid breaking my spine from carrying them physically back.

I seriously needed to thank the messenger god, after everything's he's helped me with. Without his delivery system, I'd be dying under 17 tons of shopping bags.

After getting rid of all the bags via Hermes Mail to my apartment, I led the girls out of the mall and towards a familiar fast food joint. Given that all the Hunters eat is healthy food, I doubt either Artemis or Zoe had ever had a genuinely good burger, one with crunchy french fries, an American size large soda drink, and ketchup. I was right, and given Zoe's look of shock when she took her first bite was when I think I convinced her fully that the mortal world had more to offer than she ever imagined. Atalanta finished her burger near instantly, reminding myself that I was just as bad of a food vacuum back then, but not more so than Tyson, who could inhale peanut butter sandwiches like a living, walking black hole. I smiled at the memory, when he argued with the Guinness World Records people that it wasn't impossible for a human not to have consumed 300 sandwiches in a minute, before Chiron came and used the Mist to clear up the whole issue.

"So, what's your view of the mortal world now?" I asked. "Is it really that bad, Arty?"

The goddess nibbled on a french fry, then glared at me. "What have I said about nicknames, Percy?"

I shrugged. "My life would not be complete without calling you Arty or Moonbeam here or there. Anyways, what do you think?"

Artemis sighed. "It's... better than I imagined. I admit defeat."

Atalanta chuckled. "Honestly, this may be why I won't ever join the hunt. No offense, but I like boys, shopping, and fast food plenty. Lollygagging in the forest just isn't my thing."

"Lollygagging?" I asked, confused. "Is that even a word?"

"It is," Atalanta smirked. "Wow, I know something my big bro doesn't."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm sure there's plenty of things you know that I don't know."

We had just about finished our meal when we ran into a bit of trouble. And by trouble, I mean Artemis acting like, well... Artemis.

We just about exited the restaurant when a group of teens came up to us, more specifically one guy with his hand reached in his pockets nervously. I had a pretty good idea as to what was going to happen, but one person in my group worried me, and that was no other than the virgin goddess herself. Sure, coming out today was to show Artemis the world wasn't as cruel as she believed, but compared to the park I brought Zoe to, our trip didn't have that much human contact. So, Artemis might still have some biased views towards guys in general, and I was afraid that I would have to play firefighter to put out the oncoming explosion of castration threats.

"Excuse me?" The guy approached our group, a tall sandy colored hair teen with sharp gray eyes not unlike Annabeth's. He pulled out his phone and turned to Atalanta, who looked surprised.

"I couldn't help but notice you in the restaurant." The guy said nervously. "I wondered if I uh..."

Atalanta smirked, and put on a small pose for the guy. "You want something?"

The poor guy was already a nervous wreck. "I wondered if I could get your number, maybe get to know you later?"

"Wooo, he did it!" the group of teens cheered, making me smile.

Atalanta chuckled and took the guy's phone from his hands, winking flirtatiously. "May I know your name, brave sir?"

The guy rubbed his head. "Haha, you don't have to be so formal. My name is Cyrus. You?"

"Atalanta." Atalanta said. "I'll see you sometime maybe then?"

"Sure, sure." The guy grinned. "Well, nice to meet you then, Atalanta."

After the guy and his group of friends left, Artemis burst. "You didn't give him your real number did you?"

Atalanta looked at the goddess. "Of course I gave him my real number, why wouldn't I?"

"But..." Artemis said, conflicted. "Perseus?"

I smiled softly. "Artemis, this is the proper way nowadays for a guy to be interested in a girl. There's no more betrothals, no more marrying girls off to rich families, none of that crap. Did you see that guy? He was so nervous, he nearly dropped his phone! Of course, if he hurts Atti, I'll beat the crap out of him later, but there's no reason to threaten him instantly with "I'm gonna castrate you." just because he's a guy."

"Oh." Artemis said. "I believe I understand now."

"Save the ball kicking and screaming and castration threats for jerks." I advised. "But believe me, most guys don't just see you as sex on legs. We don't live in those days any more. But thanks for not exploding, I was so prepared to intervene."

"I thought I was the only one!" Zoe admitted, giggling. "No offense Mi'lady, but I really thought you were going to pull out your daggers!"

"Hmph, I have self control too..." Artemis argued.

"Sure you do," I drawled, making Atti and Zoe burst into more laughter.

"So what do I do if that happens to me?" Artemis asked.

I shrugged. "Well, for one thing, you're a goddess so you really don't have a number. If someone asks, just refuse politely, like "No, I'm sorry." If they keep pestering you, ignore them the best you can, or if you really want, threaten them with castration. Everybody will then associate with testicular death, and no one will ever ask you out ever again."

"Testicular death?" Artemis asked confused.

Atalanta guffawed. "He's just kidding, Moonbeam."

"Not you too!" Artemis cried.

"See Moonbeam," I laughed. "Nicknames aren't that bad either."

"I could so easily burn you to a crisp," Artemis snarled.

"No powers unless emergency requires it." I said. "After all, we mortals don't run around with our weapons on hand at all times. Alright, one last thing. Turn around."

I took out my demigod phone and switched to the camera function. I flipped the camera and held it out in front of us. "Smile for a selfie, y'all!"

"I thought demigods couldn't use mortal electronics?" Zoe asked.

"I'm special." I said. "Now smile! This trip must be saved forever in our memories."

§§§§§

Inside a frame that sat on the fireplace of the Jackson's apartment was a picture with me on the left side, with Zoe beside me, our hands linked, Atalanta winking with a peace sign up, and Artemis giving a smile that looked hilariously like a grimace. What a memorable day it was.

A/N: We're about to move onto the next Arc soon, stay tuned! Don't sit on a pineapple anytime soon alright?