Here it is... the ninth chapter of this woefully slow book. I've added the gods' reactions to the progress of the quest at the end, which I probably wouldn't in the next chapters.

Hopefully, you all enjoy it.

Apparently, Annabeth was just as desperate for a quest as the last time if not more. So, when I approached her for the quest, she stared at me for a full minute (making me really uncomfortable), then drove a fist in my face. It turned out, Annabeth thought I was teasing her by waving her 'deepest desire' in her face.

It took a full half-hour of explanations to convince the legitimacy of the quest to Annabeth. Thankfully, she believed me in the end and agreed to meet up at the hill in the morning for the departure.

Thinking to myself, I then went to Grover. Poor guy almost fainted before I could complete the details of the quest. But, Grover, the stupidly brave satyr that he was, agreed when he heard I wanted him to come on the quest. I almost teared up when I heard the words, 'This quest is bound to fail, but if you believe in me, I suppose I should start too.' I felt like a proud mama hen.

After the whole ordeal with Annabeth and Grover, I just wanted to relax, but Luke had other ideas. He dragged me to the arena lecturing how I shouldn't sulk around before a quest and practice my fighting skills.

I audibly growled and almost, almost, yelled that I had to go on this fucking quest because of him in the first place. Him acting all innocent and carefree nearly pushed me to the edge. I had to think about blue chocolate-chip cookies and Artemis for a while to keep my temper in check, lest I deck him in the face. But I wasn't going to let him leave unscathed from the fight.

Once our audience had arrived, our spar commenced. Any ideas of holding back went out the window when I remembered how many of my friends had died because of him. I uncapped Riptide, the three-foot bronze gleaming in the sun, reflecting off the manic smile on my face, and charged towards him.

Our blades clashed in a shower of sparks. Every lunge of his was met with a parry of mine. After a minute of him analyzing me, he decided to go all out and his attacks became precise, quick, and deadly. I could see why he was the best swordsman in three hundred years. He moved with grace and glided in and out of attacks like it was a second nature to him.

As good as he was, he wasn't nearly as quick as me in terms of speed and agility. Training with the best and quickest fighter on Olympus, Artemis, for three years was enough to heighten my agility to her level. Although I could seldom beat her, our spars continued for hours at length, with no one coming out on top. She would often win due to her godly stamina, while I had to rely on my puny demi-god body. Hmmph.

I was parrying all his attacks and slashes without breaking a sweat, as he advanced mercilessly. I decided to end the spar before it would get too late to pack for my quest. With quick successive slashes and thrusts, Luke's sword clattered out of his hands as I held him at sword-point.

The silence in the arena was deafening as everyone gaped at me wide-eyed for defeating the supposed best swordsman with maneuvers that were too fast to even follow. Soon, hushed whispers pierced the stillness as I picked up Luke's sword and tossed it to him with a smile, subsequently walking out of the arena, but not before wishing him a good game.

I found myself under Thalia's pine in the cool, tranquil morning of the following day, with my backpack shouldered. Leaning on the pine, I gazed down on the valley. The sun had just risen, coloring the skies in a magnificent palette of blue, orange, red, and pink. Hardly a few campers were awake at the hour, most of which still in their cabins or wandering around the camp. I could make out some in the arena; probably the Ares bunch.

My eyes settled on a groggy Annabeth walking towards me, rubbing her eyes to remove the sleep. She was dressed in a camp t-shirt and jeans with her prized dagger sheathed. "Good morning!" I greeted cheerily with a wave. "Ready for the quest?"

"Hmm morning," she mumbled before her countenance set in determination. "Ready as I'll ever be."

I nodded, my eyes sweeping the plane in search of my best friend and Chiron. As I stared ahead at my home, I saw Annabeth going through her backpack once again. "Provisions, Drachma, Advanced Athenian guide to Architecture..." Annabeth mumbled, seemingly satisfied by the contents.

I chuckled at the familiar behavior of my friend. Always the one for planning and preparations. Looking at her, I almost blurted out the backpack was going to be vaporized right after we started our quest.

The rustle of the dried leaves on the ground alerted me to the approaching duo. Grover and Chiron trudged towards us, talking amongst themselves, occasionally shooting me a glance.

"Hey Grover, hello Chiron," I greeted.

"Good morning Percy," they both chorused.

Grover looked just like last time, he wore his fake feet and his pants to pass as human. He wore a green rasta-style cap, because when it rained his curly hair flattened and you could just see the tips of his horns. His bright orange backpack was full of scrap metal and apples to snack on.

As Chiron was about to say something, Luke came running towards us carrying the same cursed shoes as before.

"Hey," he panted out. "I'm glad I caught you."

"Hey, Luke," Annabeth greeted shyly. I rolled my eyes discreetly and forced a smile on my face, "What's up, Luke?"

Luke smiled warmly like he wasn't giving us shoes that would lead us to immediate demise. "Just wanted to wish you luck. Also thought you could use these." He said, gesturing to his shoes.

I raised my eyebrow. "Oh, these are magical shoes that I got from my father. They helped me on my quest but now..." he trailed away sadly, before brightening up. "Check this out!"

He then proceeded to say 'Maia' which caused the shoes to sprout out wings and flutter in the air. I gasped in mock surprise before thanking him with a forced smile.

"It's fine," he waved his hand dismissively. "I don't use them anymore, so I thought they could help you."

I nodded. "Thanks, Luke"

I took the shoes from his hand and pretended to inspect them. "Thanks again, Luke, but can you feel something off about these shoes?"

"Like what?" Annabeth asked curiously as Chiron looked at me inquisitively. I turned towards Luke, who had a frown on his face. His eyes flashed uncertainly, but he hid his uneasy expression well. "I mean, there is something dark over the shoes. Like an ancient aura that somehow makes me feel uneasy." I shrugged.

Luke had paled drastically as he gaped at me. Chiron looked thoughtful as he stared at the shoes. I shrugged before they could adjudge Luke. As much as I wanted the traitor to be revealed then and there, I had to fulfill my role lest fate would be altered. "I mean, it might not mean anything, right? I guess the shoes were from Hermes so they are supposed to feel ancient. And I'm sure the dark aura has another explanation. Maybe they turned dark after Luke's quest?"

Luke seemed to relax completely and nodded. "Yeah that must be it, but I don't know for sure." He shrugged. Meanwhile, Chiron and Annabeth still looked a bit suspicious.

Holy shit that was progress!

Maybe Annabeth wouldn't be as naive as she was in the last timeline. She certainly didn't follow Luke like a love-sick puppy like the last time. Granted, her attraction had definitely not disappeared, but it was progress. Then again, this could be a one-time thing and she might get all clingy again. Still, it was better than nothing.

Luke seemed to back up pretty quick after that. He swiftly said his goodbyes and bolted. I put the shoes in my backpack this time, instead of giving them to Grover this time.

"Right, uh, it wouldn't be wise to wear those shoes, Percy," Chiron warned. "Luke meant well, but it would give Lord Zeus an incentive to blast you out of the sky."

"Way to be blunt," I mumbled. "So, I guess this is goodbye."

Chiron nodded hesitantly. "I just wish I could train you better before you embarked on the quest," he said. "Hercules, Theseus, Jason, all of them had more training."

"It's fine, Chiron," I pat him on his shoulder. "No one is to blame for this."

He sighed. "At least you have Anaklusmos, the blade has a tragic past that we need not go into. I hope she serves you well. I'm sorry I cannot provide all of you with more weapons." He confessed.

I laughed. "I already have weapons other than Riptide, Chiron." I uncapped Maelstrom and summoned Lunar. With a shink, both specimens expanded onto my palm.

"Marvelous," Chiron breathed out. "The craftmanship on these is remarkable!"

I blushed. "Thanks"

"How did you acquire these weapons, Percy?"

I shrugged. "Maelstrom, the trident, was a gift from my mother and father. It is supposedly forged by the elder cyclops and... um," I cleared my throat. "The bow, Silenaikos or Lunar, is from... Artemis." I finished looking at my shoes.

Chiron and Annabeth gasped while Grover stared at me with heart-eyes. "What do you mean, Perce?" Annabeth questioned. "Lady Artemis hates all men."

I nodded. "I know, but my mother put in a err... good word for me. I was decent at archery and none of the camp's bows were working for me. So mom requested Artemis a bow. Since Lady Artemis holds my mother in high regard, she gifted this bow to her to give me." I explained.

"Whoa... Perce. You received a gift from Lady Artemis!" Grover exclaimed. "That has never happened in history. She didn't even acknowledge Hercules, the greatest demigod of all time. You're probably the first male to do so."

I growled audibly at the mention of the pathetic excuse for a demigod. Chiron noticed this and frowned but refrained from commenting.

"Besides," I shuddered. "She did threaten me with castration if I were to become like 'all males'."

Argus dropped us off near my apartment, at the Greyhound station just like last time. My thoughts subconsciously went to my mortal mother, Sally Jackson. Oh, how I missed her warm hugs and cookies. While Hestia's adoption helped tremendously, I still missed my mom terribly.

Grover seemed to read my emotions. "You really miss your mom, huh?"

I grimaced but nodded. "Do you know she married the pig to keep you safe?" Grover asked with a knowing smile before shifting into an uncharacteristic sneer. "That vile... human smells so repulsively human, it masked your scent from monsters. She was a smart woman to do so. If she hadn't, monsters would've come for you long before that."

I just stared at my shoes, unable to meet my friends' gazes. Even if I knew what she had done, I couldn't help but think how undeserving I was of my mom. Tears started to well up in my eyes when I remembered her disappearing in a golden flash.

I hoped she was doing well in the underworld. When she was captured and held by Hades the last time, she informed me she wasn't exactly conscious. She fainted after the minotaur abducted her and regained consciousness in our apartment. The only indication that she had been kidnapped was a note that Hades left, explaining the entire situation. I hastily wiped away the tears gathered in the corner of my eyes and prayed to every being that it was the same case his time.

'It is, Percy,' a voice piped up. 'She is in an unconscious state called the body-trance. Your mother will not suffer in the underworld, nor will she have any memories from the place.'

'Thanks, Nyx,' I said gratefully. 'It means a lot.'

'Aw, you're welcome, Perce.'

Before I could roll my eyes or smile at her response, a screech of tires alerted me of our bus's arrival.

We quickly boarded the public carrier, Grover sniffing something in the air the whole time. "What's up?" I asked.

Grover hesitated. "Nothing. Probably"

Annabeth frowned but made her way to the back seats of the bus as we followed her. It wasn't nothing. Grover could probably smell Ms. Dodds and her merry band of hags.

As we settled down, Annabeth took out her book for reading and Grover munched on a tin can. I was relaxed but not unguarded. Tapping my leg absent-mindedly I turned towards Annabeth. "Hey, Wise-Girl," I called.

She glanced towards me with an annoyed expression on her face. "What, Seaweed brain?"

I gulped. "Um... don't you think we should be a bit more alert. I mean, we already are in the back row with no means of escape if we're ambushed. With two powerful half-bloods, monsters will be coming for us and with Hades on our ass, he'll be sending some too." I said nervously.

Annabeth thought for a second and nodded. "How did you become so smart, Kelp-for-brains?" She asked with a smirk and put her book back into her bag.

"Rude," I grumbled but smiled a bit. The smile was wiped off from my face when Grover whimpered. "What's wrong, Grover?" Annabeth asked.

He just soundlessly pointed towards something at the entrance of the bus, his face beaded with sweat. "Skata," I cursed as my eyes fell upon the shriveled form of the triple-demon grandmas.

"Di immortales!" Grover whispered. "Kindly ones!"

"All three of them?!" Annabeth hissed. "I knew you were bad luck, Seaweed brain, but this is too much."

"Hey!" I protested. "It's not my fault the Fates hate me. Besides, their grandma loves to bully me." I added under my breath.

'Thanks, Perce!'

'It wasn't a compliment, Chaos'

"Guys!" Grover interjected hurriedly. "Stop arguing, we're gonna die here if we don't make a plan."

Annabeth and Grover ducked in their seats as her eyebrows furrowed. "It's okay. It's just the Furies. No problem, we'll just escape through the back exit." She said, obviously trying hard not to freak out.

"There isn't one," I pointed out.

"The windows?" she suggested. Grover shook his head. "They don't open."

I glanced towards the furies. "Guys, I have a plan," I spoke.

"What?"

"I have a plan but you have to trust me," I told them, coating my hands in green flames.

Annabeth gasped and backed away. "What the hell, Percy?! That's Greek fire! Why doesn't it hurt you?!" She hissed.

I rolled my eyes. "A son of Hestia here. I am immune to nearly all types of fire, even Greek Fire."

"What?! You're telling this to us now?!" Annabeth whisper-shouted.

I growled at her. "I thought children of Athena were supposed to be smart, Annabeth. You seriously didn't figure out I could control fire based on my parentage?" I snapped. A wave of guilt passed through me when I saw her hurt expression. "Look, I'm sorry. Please just trust me on this one, alright?" I apologized softly. Annabeth nodded reluctantly.

I grinned roguishly and stood up from my seat. "Hey, Ms. Dodds!" I yelled.

Annabeth and Grover squawked. "What are doing, Percy?" Grover asked nervously.

I ignored them and kept walking towards the hags. "Yo, Ms. Dodds! Fancy meeting you here. Are those your sisters that I definitely like more than you?" I asked innocently.

The passengers of the bus paid no mind to us, mist already clouding their understanding. The furies growled as Alecto snarled. "Perseus Jackson, return what you have stolen and you shall be forgiven."

I stared at her. "I swear on the Styx, I haven't stolen anything from Lord Hades or Lord Zeus. There, happy now?" I snarked as thunder boomed overhead.

The Kindly-Ones faltered but glared harder. "You lie, Demigod," Tisiphone hissed.

"I swore an oath on the Styx," I deadpanned. "Judging from the lack of a charred demigod in front of you, I'd say Lady Styx believes I am not the thief."

The Furies glanced at each other, the sneer never wavering from their shriveled faces. Before they could say anything else, I rolled my eyes. "Oh, fuck this. We aren't getting anywhere. Now, you have two choices. One, you can go to your Lord and tell him I'm no the thief, or two, we can fight and I kill you... again." I finished with a smirk.

Sadly, they weren't on board with the first suggestion, because they growled and began to transform, their shriveled faces remained unchanged. Their bodies turned into a leathery brown color, shriveled like a hag. Wings sprouted from their backs as their handbags turned into fiery whips. Alecto snarled. "You have offended the gods, Jackson. You shall die."

"Cliche much," I muttered before smirking and lighting my hand in Greek fire. I saw Annabeth unsheathing her dagger from the corner of my eyes and chuckled. "You won't be needing that Annie," I said turning to her. She glared at me as I laughed before uncapping Riptide and lunging at the Furies. I would've used Maelstrom, but the screaming mortals in the narrow aisle of the bus weren't helpful. I coated the blade with regular fire, seeing I didn't want anyone to get hurt by the greek kind... except for the furies.

I slashed at Megara's whip as Annabeth stabbed her dagger in Alecto's midsection. Anaklusmos went clean through the fiery whip of the Fury who screeched. "Perseus Jackson, I'll tear you apart!"

"I'd like to see you try," I retorted and stabbed her in the stomach while she was distracted. With a ghostly wail, she disappeared into a burst of sulfurous powder. I turned to Annabeth who was pretty well to occupy Alecto. She had a couple of scratches but nothing too worrisome. I scanned the bus for Tisiphone and found her with her whip wrapped around Grover's hand. "Ow hot hot hot!" Grover yelped as the whip started burning his skin.

With a yell, I threw myself on the fury, who lost her footing and tumbled onto the floor. Her grip on the whip loosened as she fumbled to regain her footing. Before she could, I slashed Riptide across her midsection, neatly bisecting the monster. She vanished in a cloud of yellow powder.

Before Grover could thank me or start rambling about how I just killed two furies I quickly turned my attention to Alecto and Annabeth.

My breath hitched in my throat as I saw the scene unfold before me. The hag had the daughter of Athena in a vice-grip, rendering her immobile. With a cruel smirk, Alecto raised her claws to rake open Annabeth's face, who had her eyes closed, as if accepting the inevitable.

Time seemed to slow down, as the Fury brought down her claws. My vision tinged with red, as I screamed in anger, blasting a torrent of white-hot flames towards the fury.

The projectile hit her, missing Annabeth completely, and she fell backward. Annabeth took no time to get up and retreat while I stalked forwards, my hands coated in wisps of Greek Fire. "You pathetic hag! How dare you!" I snarled as I grabbed her throat and lifted her above the ground. The fury screeched in agony as the greek fire ate through her shriveled husk, covering it in nasty burned scotches. "Now, tell your lord that we don't have the stupid bolt and if you come after us again I swear to the gods you will suffer a fate worse than death," I spat, my eyes glowing with power as shadows licked and swirled at the terrified monster's heels.

With a last wail of agony, the torturer of Hades burst into sulfurous smoke. I looked at my burning palms and breathed deeply to bring my emotions back in control. With each breath, the flames seemed to recede more until they vanished and I sighed deeply. Once again my emotions had brought out the worst in myself and I had nearly tortured someone to death. "What the hell was that, Jackson?!" Annabeth demanded.

Tears threatening to leave my eyes, I couldn't bear to see the frightened gazes of my friends. Lowering my head shamefully, I turned towards them, unable to meet their eyes. I opened my mouth to say something but stopped abruptly when a faint smell of ozone permeated the sir.

My eyes widened and I drew in a sharp breath. "Everyone, out of the bus NOW!" I yelled. I weaved a bit of Mist to help people get moving more quickly. Unfortunately, it worked a bit too well.

The result was a crowd scrambling over one another to get out of the vehicle. The clatter of footsteps echoed as the tourists and natives alike stampeded out of the bus.

"Come on!" I urged, grabbing the hands of my two petrified friends. I hurriedly dragged them out of the bus. "Wait, our bags. We left-" Annabeth started to speak before a huge BOOM rattled our eardrums.

A lightning bolt raced down from the heavens and struck the bus with a huge explosion. Shards of glass, metal, and other debris flew as the bus lit up in a red and orange plume. I instinctively constructed a barrier of water to protect ourselves from any sharp debris flung in our direction.

The dome proved useful when I heard the 'clink' of the wreckage colliding with the hardened water.

"Come on!" I yelled, dispelling the water. "We have to get under the foliage before Zeus decides we're better off dead!"

This snapped Grover and Annabeth out of shock as they hurried into the grove of trees to our left. I followed them on the tail to make sure no monsters would follow us. I had left Riptide on the bus, but I wasn't too worried about her. Sure enough, I felt my pen in my pocket when I pat my trousers.

"What the hell was that?!" Annabeth panted. "Why did Zeus try to kill us? And what the hell were you thinking charging in like that?"

"Well it worked didn't it?" I mumbled.

"The lightning was from Zeus?" Grover asked incredulously, leaning on a tree to catch his breath. "But we're on a quest to find his bolt."

I felt the rain wetting us as we trudged along the woods. I quickly constructed a waterproof barrier and dried my friends, who gave me grateful nods.

"That's Zeus for you," I chuckled bitterly. "His small brain cannot grasp the simple fact that we're on a quest to find his bolt and that if he kills us, he won't get his bolt back."

"What?!"

"Yeah, Annie. You've gotta understand that the gods don't care for us mortals. We're just pawns to them and they need us. Without us, they probably would've faded a long time ago due to the lack of worship. We're keeping them alive and this is our reward, dozens of bitter unclaimed campers sitting in the Hermes cabins because their parents are lazy jerks who forget their own children. I'm one of the lucky ones, Annabeth. My mother and father actually cared about me to claim me within a week and give me weapons." I said, my voice devoid of emotions.

Something in me just snapped as I remembered the panicked expressions of the passengers of the bus. "And Zeus is an arrogant asshole who just cares about his throne and power," I growled, my anger growing.

Thunder boomed overhead loudly.

"Shut it, you pathetic excuse for a king!" I yelled, facing the heavens. "Why else would you strike down a bus full of innocent mortals just to try and kill two demigods and a satyr who have done nothing wrong, except being wrongly accused of theft?!"

The sky cleared momentarily as if the thunder god himself was taken aback by my outburst. I leaned over a tree, breathing heavily, as I reigned in my emotions.

Annabeth and Grover gaped at me with a dumbfounded expression. "You shouldn't have said that Perce," Grover finally said nervously, chewing on his shirt.

"Grover is right, Percy. You cannot insult the King of Gods and get away with it," Annabeth stated worriedly. I shrugged.

"All three Kindly-ones!" Grover started chanting under his breath. "All three at once!"

"C'mon, we have to get out of the woods," Annabeth urged, shivering.

We walked in silence for a little while, until I heard the familiar toots of Grover's reed pipes. I inwardly groaned at the prospect of hearing Hillary Duff again. "Hey," I called out to both of them. "Huddle up near me"

Annabeth frowned. "Huh?"

Instead of replying, I coated my arms in soft, warm flames. I gestured to the fire. They both eyed my arms warily, which honestly hurt me more than I assumed it would. My friends were scared of me. Not for me, but of me.

I guess I didn't hide my hurt expression well enough because Annabeth offered me an apologetic glance and moved closer to me. The two sighed in content as the flames of Hestia warmed their soul.

The trio made their way along the treeline when they reached a clearing. Percy could hazily make out an old, worn-out gas station with a 90s looking diner. He grinned when he read the huge sign saying: 'Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium'

All three of them were extremely hungry and tired, desperate for a resting place for a night. While Percy could have summoned homemade food, he had an appointment with Medusa. If everything went to plan, he would have a potential ally and place for the night.

"What does that say?" Annabeth asked, squinting to read the sign at distance.

"Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium" Grover read. "Should we go in there?" He hesitantly asked.

Percy stayed silent as Annabeth agreed and made her way to the entrance. "The lights are on inside. Maybe it is open," she reasoned and knocked on the door. Grover looked ready to protest, but Annabeth had already knocked.

They didn't have to wait long in the company of the creepy garden statues, because the door swung open to reveal a veil-clad, vaguely middle-eastern woman with sun-glasses on.

Her accent sounded vaguely Middle Eastern, too. She said, "Children, it is too late to be out all alone. Where are your parents?"

"They're ... um ..." Annabeth started to say.

"We're orphans," Percy said, using the same bullshit reason that Medusa definitely did not buy the last time.

"Orphans?" Medusa said. The word sounded alien in her mouth. "But, my dears! Surely not!"

"We got separated from our caravan," he continued. "Our circus caravan. The ringmaster told us to meet him at the gas station if we got lost, but he may have forgotten, or maybe he meant a different gas station. Anyway, we're lost. Is that food I smell?"

"Oh, my dears," Medusa said. "You must come in, poor children. I am Aunty Em. Go straight through to the back of the warehouse, please. There is a dining area."

They thanked her and went inside. Percy glanced behind himself where Medusa was standing. "Hey, Annabeth," he called out. "Why don't you and Grover go ahead? I'll catch up with you."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow but shrugged and sauntered to the dining area, pulling Grover along with her.

Percy shook his head and made his way to where Medusa was staring. "Aunty M?" He called out.

"Yes, child?" came her reply, as she turned around.

Percy sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Look, I'm not gonna go around beating the bush and pretend to be oblivious to who you are, Medusa."

Medusa tensed but quickly relaxed. "My my, this is a refreshing change of pace. This is the first time a demigod has met me without trying to take my head off. Tell me, Perseus Jackson, what do you want?" She asked.

Percy shrugged and sat down on a bench. "I don't want anything. Actually, I'm here to offer you something."

Medusa scoffed. "What can you offer me, Sea-spawn? Everything I hope for is unattainable to me, what could you possibly provide that I don't already have?" she asked bitterly.

Percy cringed at the usage of 'Sea-spawn' but remained undeterred. He stared where Medusa's eyes would be under her glasses and simply said. "Freedom from your curse."

Medusa gasped and hissed. "You lie, demigod! No one can free me from my torment." She spat bitterly. "This is my life now. Luring poor mortals and turning them to stone for the gods' twisted schemes."

Percy stared at her in sympathy before clearing his throat. "I swear on the Styx to free Medusa from her curse so long she doesn't attack us," he swore, eliciting a gasp from Medusa.

Medusa looked at him in shock. Her eyes watered and her lips quivered as she brought her hand to her mouth. "You-you aren't attempting to trick me?" she asked shakily. "You're speaking the truth?"

Percy smiled. "Yes, I'm telling the truth. I swore an oath didn't I?"

Medusa stared at him before the first tear broke out of her stony visage (hehe pun). Several more followed until she was sobbing her heart out. Percy, in an attempt to comfort her, held out his arms, and not a second passed before Medusa crashed into his embrace. Millenia's worth of tears spilled as the gorgon felt hope for the first time in centuries.

"W-why w-would you do this for me, d-demigod? I'm nothing but a monster," she asked quietly, her voice muffled by Percy's shirt. "I was ready to kill you all before this."

Percy shrugged before letting go of the sniffling woman. "I mean I am loyal to Olympus and thereby to the gods but that doesn't mean I approve their decisions. What Athena did was wrong and inhumane. You begged for her help in her temple when you were human, did you not?"

Medusa nodded tearfully.

"Instead of offering help to her high-priestess, she turned you into... this. She was too angry to see the logical side of things and made a rash decision. I'm sure she regretted that but her pride stopped her from making amends." Percy stated. "I'm sure she, too, would like you to obtain freedom from your curse."

Medusa scoffed. "If she cared, then why did she turn me into a monster in the first place? And why did she make me suffer for millennia?" Medusa retorted.

"Because of her pride," Percy returned. "Gods aren't perfect as the morals or they make themselves out to be. There are several emotions or 'flaws' that each god or goddess has. While gods cannot have fatal flaws, they can have negative characteristics." Percy explained. "For example, take Athena. For Athena, that trait is her pride, for my father, it is his temperament, for Zeus is his hunger for power and paranoia, for Demeter is..." Percy blinked. "Well, for her it's cereal." He chuckled.

A teary giggle escaped from Medusa as Percy continued. "The point is, Medusa, that Athena probably wanted to make amends, but her pride came in her way."

Medusa nodded. "I can't say I forgive her, but I can understand what she was deeming. Now... the curse?" She asked hopefully.

Percy chuckled. "Of course, but first I have to do something." Medusa frowned but looked on wordlessly.

He concentrated and held out his hand. A plate of brisket with mashed potatoes appeared in the palm of his hand. Upon Medusa's questioning gaze, he explained. "Offerings for Lady Athena. Hopefully, it appeases her enough to leave you alone after I'm done and refrain from blasting me to smithereens after I break your curse." He turned towards a spot in the space above them where he could sense more vapor than anywhere near them. "I would like to remain alive and human after all, Lady Athena."

He quickly sacrificed the food to the goddess before closing my eyes and placing his hand on her head.

'Chaos? If you would, please'

'It'd be my pleasure, Perce'

He felt Chaos take control of him momentarily. A wisp of black smoke emerged from his hand and covered Medusa's body. Medusa seemed to panic at this, so Percy regained control for a moment. "It's okay, Medusa. This is a part of the process. It will hurt, but it'll be over soon." He soothed.

Medusa gazed at him, discerning for any lies before nodding hesitantly. Percy smiled and gave way to Chaos to finish the spell.

The curse was extremely powerful, to say the least. Athena obviously hadn't shown any refrain when she cast the curse. In a matter of seconds, Medusa was writhing on the ground, screaming in agony, as fresh waves of pain washed over her. Tears sprung from her eyes at the unbearable throbbing sensations of pain.

Then, suddenly the pain retreated and a soft green glow surrounded Medusa. When the light dimmed, Percy forgot how to breathe.

In front of him stood a petite woman with a perfect hourglass figure, no older than nineteen in an ancient greek tunic. Waves of luscious black hair cascaded from her head to her lower waist as her pale skin shone in the sun. Slowly, the lady opened her eyes to show two magnificent orbs of aquamarine and turquoise that seemed to glow with happiness.

It was clear why Poseidon was in love with her. Her beauty was incomparable, second only to Artemis in his mind.

Fresh tears pooled in her eyes as she examined herself. Feeling her soft raven hair, long-forgotten textures brought forth a squeal of jovial ecstasy as she crashed into an embrace with the son of Poseidon and Hestia. Percy placed a finger, glowing orange, on her head and muttered an incantation that placed Hestia's 'Home' blessing on her.

Percy stumbled backward at the Tyson-sized embrace from Medusa but regained his footing and shifted the ex-monster into his arms. It was clear that Medusa didn't have the heart nor the energy to walk so Percy picked her up, bridal-style, and walked towards his friends. Medusa softly kissed Percy's cheek before sighing contently and passing out in his arms.

As the blushing demigod came into the eyesight of the two quest-mates, Annabeth and Grover stood up abruptly, sending their chairs to the ground. Percy involuntarily cringed at Annabeth's furious expression.

"Where the hell were you, Seaweed brain?!" she demanded before noticing the beautiful lady passed out in Percy's arms.

"Uh... Perce?" Grover asked timidly. "Who's the pretty lady?"

"This, my friends, is-," Percy grinned and announced. "Medusa, the ex-gorgon."

Artemis was frankly bored shitless when her father called her for a meeting... again. They were apparently going to check over the progress of the demigods on the quest for the bolt. While she was glad she would be able to see more of Percy on his quest, it also meant he had a high chance of getting vaporized if he said something inappropriate.

Imagine her surprise (sarcasm) when the first thing that came out of her Sea-sponge's mouth was how bad of a ruler Zeus was.

The three were fighting with the furies when the Iris-message started. Seeing him defeat three furies almost single-handedly, obviously freaked out Zeus, so her deadbeat father sent a fucking lightning bolt at the bus. It was only Percy's instincts and maybe the past knowledge, that caused the three as well as the mortals to make it out alive.

She almost put an arrow in her father's head when a fuming Hestia punched Zeus in the face. The entire council fell silent as the elder sister almost ripped the head off of her little brother. Before Zeus could even start whining or grumbling, a glare from a seething Poseidon advised him against that.

Artemis could see her father restraining himself when Percy ranted about the gods' carelessness which elicited a few shameful looks from her fellow Olympians. Her father, in response to being called an arrogant asshole and an unfit ruler, sent a loud thunder-clap in warning instead of the usual lightning bolt.

But Percy fucking Jackson doesn't like threats. So when the demigod heard the thunderclap, he uttered the following words:

'Shut it, you pathetic excuse for a king!" he yelled, facing the heavens. "Why else would you strike down a bus full of innocent mortals just to try and kill two demigods and a satyr who have done nothing wrong, except being wrongly accused of theft?!'

The silence which followed the throne was deafening. The stillness of the room was broken by sincere claps of applause on his statements from Apollo. Soon, the majority of the Olympians, even Athena, and Hera except Ares and Dionysus joined in with the applause, leaving the king red-faced and utterly humiliated.

Why did Hera join in, you ask? Because she did care for mortals and their families. While she hated demigods, she had no qualms with mortals. A bit hypocritical though.

Poseidon had to place his trident under Zeus' throat to prevent him from harming Percy.

His exchange with Medusa was met with a lot of reactions from the council. From looks of pity from Demeter and Aphrodite, a wistful smile from Poseidon, curious glances from Apollo and Hermes, a disappointed look from Ares (the brute wanted her to kill him or vice versa, he didn't really care), and a proud smile from Hestia and Artemis.

However, the most unusual expressions adorned the face of Athena. Her countenance showed a mixture of appalling, shame, and hope. Appalled that the sea-spawn would even suggest the idea of removing the curse, shame because she knew the suffering she had caused to a maiden in need and hope. Hope that the sea-spawn could actually rectify her error.

His speech on the negative flaws of the gods caused Zeus to blow up at his flaw and the council to burst into laughter at Demeter's. The goddess herself chuckled at Percy's inference, unlike Zeus's reaction.

Everyone glanced at Athena to observe her reaction and they were met with a scowl plastered on her face. However, her eyes showed anything but. Artemis could see the grudging admiration and respect for Percy in her gray orbs. Hestia noticed this too and sent a knowing yet proud smile towards Athena, which warmed her to her core.

While everyone was arguing whether or not the son of Hestia could follow up on his oath, Athena watched on with bated breath as he sacrificed food to her and began the ritual.

Medusa's screams were enough to alert the council of the rite as Athena clutched the arms of her throne in worry. A huge sigh of relief was passed by Athena and Poseidon as they saw Medusa unharmed and beautiful again.

Artemis scrunched up her face in disgust as she saw the other gods drooling over the form of Medusa. Her stomach clenched when Percy held the girl with such tender care and concern. Her eyes flashed dangerously when Medusa kissed Percy on the cheek and the demigod blushed, which went unnoticed by the majority of the council except for a pink-clad love goddess. Aphrodite frowned when she sensed feelings of unknowing envy radiating from the moon goddess. She smirked widely but vowed to let Artemis' first love in millennia run its natural course without interference.

The council was left in various states of confusion and shock by Athena's begrudging last statement with Artemis and Hestia sending her knowing smiles.

"I approve of him."

So... yeah, here is the ninth chapter. I'm really sorry for the delay, but the holidays and my classes fucked everything up. Honestly, this is not one of the better chapters of the story. This chapter has many plot-holes and unnecessary shit.

Also, I probably won't add a gods' reaction part in every chapter of this quest... unless you actually like those parts and want me to continue with them.

I mainly wanted to show Athena as the logical one in this story instead of the one blinded by her pride like in many other fanfics. While I am aiming for a more sibling-type relation between her and Percy, ya'll can review if you want something more than that. I'm comfortable with adding another character to end up with Percy and Artemis, but not more than that. Whether you want it or not, just comment what you think.

If it does come to that, I'll probably make a poll on the options. Though, I'd recommend against Athena, cause I want the relationship to be three-way, seeing Artemis is probably bi due to her being a greek goddess.

Anywho, hope you enjoyed the chapter.

I'll see you guys next time.

Byeeeeeee