He was on a dark hillside, fog obscuring his vision. Some unknown force called to him, enticing him to climb the shattered path that suddenly appeared in front of him. Percy moved his feet, and for what felt like hours, he ascended at a steady pace. Finally, he reached a plateau. Broken pillars and weathered walls lined the perimeter. A dull silver light caught his eye, and Percy came face-to-face with Artemis. She was down on one knee, hands pressed against something invisible above her, something that threatened to crush her with its massive weight. Yet, Percy could see nothing except darkness and fog.

A man appeared. He was giant, at least eight feet tall, and more than half as wide, covered in bulging muscles. He wore a black suit with a narrow silk tie. His dark hair was shaved close to his head in a buzzcut, and his stony eyes glared at Artemis gleefully.

"So, how's our little goddess today?" he asked mockingly, voice deep as the sea and powerful as the earth. Echoes reverberated through Percy's bones, despite the fact that he was incorporeal.

"Atlas…!" Artemis growled, and everything clicked into place. The Titan, Atlas, General of Kronos' army, who had been sentenced to hold the sky for all of eternity. Which meant Artemis was currently holding the sky, and it was killing her. Atlas' booming laughter shook the remains of Mount Othrys- for that was where the sky was located- and instinct compelled Percy to turn around, despite the obvious threat in front of him.

Behind him was a tall, dark skinned man with darker wings. He held a scythe with both hands, the blade extending from the pitch-black staff for nearly four feet.

"Thanatos…" Percy breathed. The God of Death's expression didn't change as he raised his weapon above his head, then swung down, ready to reap the soul of his Lord's son.

Percy shot up in his bed in the Poseidon cabin, breathing heavily. Sweat poured down his forehead, and he wiped it away with the hem of his shirt. Percy took one last deep inhale to calm his racing heart, and glanced around the cabin. Moonlight streamed in through the window, clearly illuminating the still-sleeping forms of his cousins. They didn't stir at all.

The Son of Hades shakily rose to his feet, grabbed a change of clothes, and stepped into the bathroom, taking a quick shower. He'd learned his lesson about trying to sleep after a nightmare; it never ended well. Once he was done, he walked back into the main floor, hair slightly damp, and checked the digital clock on Orion's nightstand. Only four hours of sleep. He sighed; it was more than usual, at least. He walked out of the cabin barefoot, wearing a black pair of sweatpants and his fur-collar black sweater. Morning dew made the ground slightly soft, and he wiggled his toes in the mud. Part of the powers he'd inherited from his Father included geokinesis- control over the Earth. The vibrations of his footsteps expanded outwards, rebounding whenever they hit an obstacle. Percy closed his eyes, simply allowing his abilities to guide him in his aimless wandering.

When his bastardized version of echolocation began sending fuzzy feedback, Percy opened his eyes, and found he was at the beach, which explained why his powers went haywire. Vibrations did not travel well through sand. The smell of sea salt filled his nose, and the gentle lapping of waves cushioned his ears. Apollo had yet to peek over the horizon, so his obnoxious light did not attempt to blind the Son of Hades. Instead, he stared out into the empty sky, a gentle breeze ruffling his hair and the moon at his back.

Someone walked up from behind, stopping next to him, just outside his peripheral vision. However, Percy did not turn to look at them. It was not his business, unless they made it his business.

"Boy," a scornful voice greeted. Percy sighed quietly; she made it his business. He turned his head just enough to side-eye the Lieutenant of the Hunt, and simply nodded in response. "What brings you out here at this time of night?" she asked, voice a bit softer than before. Perhaps she was waiting for him to be rude first before snapping at him.

"I could ask you the same thing," he said disinterestedly, following a particularly fluffy cloud with his eyes. He shoved his half-frozen hands into the pockets of his sweatpants, wriggling his toes. In hindsight, it may not have been the best idea to walk outside barefoot in the midst of winter.

"...Dreams," she replied, surprising him. He hadn't expected her to actually answer him.

"You as well, huh?" he muttered. She shifted, boots scuffing against the sand. "Would you like to talk about it?" he offered.

Zoe was quiet for a while, and Percy silently hoped she would go away. He wasn't very good with strangers- sleeping in the same cabin as Orion and Thalia was already pushing it. Talking to a thousand-year-old Huntress who would likely rather gut him than breathe the same air as him? Forget about it.

"I dreamed that Lady Artemis was in trouble," Zoe admitted eventually, and Percy almost twitched in shock. "I went to Chiron and demanded that he allow the Hunters to go to her aid, but… I believe I know why the phrase stubborn as a horse exists," she said, laughing darkly.

"So, Atlas really has captured her," Percy murmured. Suddenly, he was on his back in the sand, an angry Huntress straddling his chest with a silver knife pointed at his Adam's apple. Percy didn't feel the need to panic; she wouldn't be able to kill him. Not with the Curse of Achilles.

"How do you know of that!? Are you a traitor to Olympus!?" Zoe growled, pressing her blade harder against his neck. If he wasn't invulnerable, his esophagus likely would've already been pierced.

"I also had a prophetic dream. In it, Lady Artemis was struggling to hold up a burden that I could not see, when Atlas appeared. It was only because she cursed his name that I learned who he was, and everything else was simple deduction." He kept his arms flat by his side, not moving in the slightest, and stared Zoe right in her obsidian-black eyes unfalteringly. When she didn't find any deception in his equally-dark eyes, she sighed and stood, stowing away her knife.

"My apologies," she said, though it sounded forced. "It is impossible to keep calm when I know that My Lady is in immense danger, while I sit here, doing nothing."

Percy grunted, but made no effort to move. He was comfortable where he was, though he'd have to take another quick shower later to get all the sand off him. "I can sympathise. If Father were to ever be held captive by the Titans, I fear I would lose all rationality."

Zoe stared down at him, scanning his loose posture. He was completely relaxed- save for his hands, which were balled into fists, clenching so hard his knuckles turned white. The very thought of his Father being taken prisoner filled him with an unholy rage.

"You speak highly of Lord Hades," she noted, remembering his unwillingness to spill any of his Father's secrets to Artemis. The boy almost seemed devoted to the God of the Underworld, much like the Hunters were to the Goddess of the Moon.

"I owe him everything," Percy said. He debated whether he should say more, or leave it at that, like he'd done with Thalia, before deciding to simply get it off his chest. He'd never told another soul about what happened to him, living or dead, and once the Hunters left camp, he would never see Zoe again. She may as well have been a stranger, and he'd heard somewhere that talking to strangers was the best form of therapy.

"My mother was an amazing woman. She was kind and caring, and she baked amazing chocolate-chip cookies. She loved me without reserve, and sacrificed any chance she had at happiness to keep me safe. When I was six years old, she married a disgusting pig of a man. His name was Gabe." Just remembering the foul man sent fury coursing through his veins. His hands, which had relaxed only moments before, slowly curled back into fists, nails dragging through the sand and leaving furrows in their wake. Percy raised his left hand slightly and dropped his head to the side, watching the grains of sand trickle from his grasp at a leisurely pace.

"Gabe was inhuman. He constantly abused my mother, physically and verbally. He stole any money she made to feed his gambling addiction, or buy cheap cigars and beer. He sucked all the joy out of her life, taking and taking and taking until she had nothing left to give-!" His voice cracked, and Zoe took a panicked step back when black flames flared into existence, surrounding him in a dark corona of heat. Percy rose into a sitting position, and slowly exhaled, his powers calming down when his lungs were finally empty. He took a deep breath before continuing his story.

"When I was eight, Gabe murdered her." Zoe recoiled at how bluntly he'd said it, how emotionless his voice was. He was unable to hide his anguish, though, because tears streamed down his cheeks. The teen didn't seem to notice, though, since he made no move to wipe them away. "I don't know why. I can't remember. Maybe he was drunk, or maybe he'd finally snapped, but he grabbed her hair and just started slamming her head against the wall, over and over. He wouldn't stop, no matter how much my mother screamed. I think I tried to jump on him, but… He knocked me unconscious. When I came to, he was standing in a puddle of my mother's blood, and her body was facing me. I looked her right in the eyes as her life faded. I felt the exact moment she died." His voice was thick, choking on emotions, and Percy brought a hand up to his face, covering his weeping eyes. He sniffled a few times and swallowed heavily. "It was the first time my powers activated. I seized control of my mother's corpse, forced it to choke Gabe to death. Afterwards… I don't know what I did. I think I ran. I think she followed me, because I hadn't released her from my grasp. The only thing I remember clearly, aside from the satisfaction at having avenged my mother, was Father appearing before me and taking me to the Underworld. He rescued me when I was at my lowest, and for that, I owe him my life."

Zoe tentatively sat down, and brushed her fingertips against Percy's shoulder. As a Huntress, she wasn't sure if it was appropriate to comfort a male, but in this moment, she was having a hard time seeing him as anything other than a hurt human being. He had bared his heart and cried openly in front of a woman, something very few men would have done. She wondered if a hug would be remiss, before dismissing the idea. She was still a loyal Hunter of Artemis. That didn't mean she couldn't use her words.

"It seems we are more similar than expected," she said softly, making Percy stifle his quiet sobs and rub away the last of his tears, giving her his undivided attention. "I, too, was rescued by Lady Artemis in my darkest hour. Once, over two thousand years ago, I lived in the Garden of the Hesperides, tasked with tending to Ladon, defender of the golden apples of immortality. I was a naive young girl, back then, caught up in the monotony of living my entire life within the confines of those gates. I wanted something new. I… I wanted to leave. I saw my chance when Heracles appeared. He charmed me, fed me sweet lies about how he would take me with him when he succeeded, show me the world. It was everything I wanted, and all I had to do was help him retrieve one of the golden apples. Strong as he was, I knew that Heracles would never be able to best Ladon. Not with his bare hands. So, I gave him a weapon, one gifted to me by my mother, Pleione, and infused with my own immortal essence. The name of that weapon was-"

"Anaklusmos," Percy whispered reverently. Zoe startled, turning to him so fast the vertebrate in her neck cracked.

"How could you possibly know that!?" she demanded, looming over him menacingly, despite being slightly shorter than him, even while they sat. Rather than respond, Percy dug into the pocket of his sweatpants, pulling out a ballpoint pen. He flicked the cap off with his thumb, and the pen transformed into a celestial bronze xiphos. Running up the side of the blade was a single word, written in greek letters. The very same name that Percy had whispered moments ago. "How…?"

"Aunt Hestia gifted it to me for my twelfth birthday. She said that its history reminded her of me. She gave it to me in the hope that I would one day meet its rightful owner, and perhaps find peace in my own time. It seems I've accomplished the first part of her task," he said with a wavering smile. He tossed the sword up in the air a few inches, catching it by the blade, and presented the hilt to Zoe. "I believe this is yours, Lieutenant."

Dumbfounded, Zoe accepted the sword, staring at it in awe. She ran her finger along the flat of the blade, caressing the engraved symbols. "I never thought I would see it again," she murmured.

"I never thought I would find you," Percy said, pulling his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around his legs. "I had a dream about your encounter with Heracles. I saw how he tricked you, how he stole your most prized possession and left without a word, abandoning you to the mercy of your sisters and father. However, that was two thousand years ago. You had lost your immortality, and were cast out of the Garden of Hesperides; I did not expect you to be alive, truthfully."

Zoe nodded, unable to speak. She was really starting to rethink that hug. However, before she could reach a final verdict, Percy pushed himself to his feet. He brushed the seat of his pants off, and gazed at the rising sun for a moment, seemingly gathering his thoughts.

"Well, I believe I've occupied enough of your time, Lieutenant. Let's never speak of this again." With a jaunty wave, the cheerfulness of which was betrayed by his red eyes, Percy walked away, ignoring Zoe's protests. She watched the Son of Hades amble off back to camp, shoulders hunched and occasionally swiping at his eyes with a sleeve. Melancholy welled up inside her as she turned her gaze towards the calm seas. For the first time in her long life as a Huntress, she found herself wanting to talk to a male more. With a sigh, Zoe rose to her feet and headed back towards Cabin Eight. Her Hunters would be waking up soon, and she didn't want them worrying about her.

Besides, she could always talk with Perseus Jackson later.

At breakfast, Grover dragged Orion to the other side of the table, and the two had a whispered conversation. Grover pulled what looked like a few pamphlets out from under his shirt, showing them to an increasingly-disturbed Son of Poseidon. Percy and Thalia exchanged suspicious glances, before shrugging simultaneously, deciding to leave the two to their business.

Whatever it was they had discussed, though, it seemed to be important, because Orion was completely out of it during classes. Since Percy had technically been claimed by Poseidon, he followed his cousin's schedule. There wasn't much he could learn at this camp, but it would be interesting to see how demigods his age normally went about their day. As far as those in Camp Half-Blood were concerned, at least.

During javelin-throwing, Orion had not been paying attention to anything other than the spear in his hand, and the target a few yards in front of him. Not even the Ares camper who was between them. He received a hole in his pants when he barely managed to spin out of the way of the lance, narrowly avoiding getting pierced straight through the leg. Moments later, Orion had been unceremoniously tossed out of the arena, and Percy followed.

"Is there something on your mind, Orion Taylor?" Percy asked, staring at his cousin curiously. Every time they passed a Huntress, the Son of Poseidon would glare at them. Thankfully, they didn't pay him any attention, or he would've been castrated a dozen times over.

"I'm fine," Orion growled, tone completely betraying his words. Percy quirked an eyebrow.

"As you wish," he acquiesced. Orion's eyes flickered to him a few times, before his resolve seemed to crumple, and his shoulders slumped.

"Alright, it's… You promise not to tell anyone?"

"My lips are sealed."

"Alright. Alright." Orion licked his lips and took a few deep breaths, as if hyping himself up. "I think Annabeth might be thinking of joining the Hunt."

"Indeed?" Percy cocked his head to the side. "Odd, I had figured she would be too attached to you to do so. Unless… Your attraction is completely one-sided?"

"Wha- attraction!?" Orion spluttered, face quickly turning red. "I keep telling you, it's not like that!" he yelped. "She's just my friend!"

"Then why are you so worried about her joining the Hunt?"

"Because, she's my friend! If she does, I'll probably never see her again!"

"Are you aware that Iris Messages exist?"

'It's not the same! Ugh, I knew I shouldn't've told you," Orion grumbled, shoving Percy away from him and storming off. Percy smirked fondly.

"What a fool."

Dinner passed quietly. Unlike the previous night, the Hunters were not chatting cheerfully and laughing boisterously. Instead, they seemed rather somber, huddling together to take comfort in each other's presence. A few even had red-rimmed eyes, as if they'd been crying. Percy probably would've looked like those ones, if he hadn't drank a few drops of nectar, healing the bruises.

When wood nymphs cleared the last of the dishes, Chiron clapped his hands together, and weaponry appeared on all the tables. "Heroes! Hunters! I assume you know the rules; no killing, no maiming! Opponents may be taken prisoner, but may not be bound or gagged. The flag must be in a visible location, with only a maximum of two guards at a time. The creek marks the border. Now, arm yourselves!"

Percy wandered up to Orion's side. He was in a small huddle with Thalia and Annabeth, since they were the three co-captains. Annabeth, because she was the best strategist in camp, even when summer was in session, and Thalia and Orion because they were the strongest, as children of the Big Three.

"Orion, I need you to take position at the creek. Use your powers to hose down any Huntresses that try to launch a frontal assault. Keep as many locked down as you can. Thalia, you're going to be taking a small strike force into their territory. You're the diversion. As a Daughter of Zeus, they'll assume you're the one we'll send for the flag, but in actuality, you'll just be a distraction to draw as much enemy fire as possible. There's only thirteen amongst them, so even if you only manage to attract two, it'll increase our chances significantly. I'll try to grab the flag with my invisibility cap, but the Stolls are the backup plan, because they're the fastest runners we have. Since they're twins, they might even be able to confuse the Hunters as to who has the flag- they definitely have quick enough hands to pull off something like that. The Aphrodite Cabin is actually participating this time, so Silena's leading her siblings to take on as many of the Hunters as they can. Hephaestus Cabin is on trap duty, and Ares is roaming offense. Percy," she turned to the silent Son of Hades, "You're guarding the flag by yourself."

Percy blinked. "Is that wise?"

Annabeth bristled slightly at the unintentional insult. "It'll be fine. You're a child of the Big Three, and it sounds like you've been trained extensively. Plus, you manhandled Thalia pretty easily, so it's obvious you're skilled." Thalia shot her best friend a filthy glare, which was ignored. "I don't know if that'll be enough to stop the Huntresses- Zoe in particular, I'm pretty sure she'll be the one spearheading the offense- but I think you can at least hold them off until we get their flag."

"You have no knowledge on the extent of my abilities, and not much more on those of the Hunters. How could you possibly make contingencies for unknown variables?"

"Planning is equal parts knowledge and trust. I'm trusting you to, at the very least, stall Zoe for a few minutes. You think you can do that? It's not too late to tweak the plan, if you really don't want to do defense by yourself. Maybe we can pull one of the Ares campers-"

"No," Percy cut in, "It is… Fine. Simply unexpected, is all." Annabeth nodded, grinning in satisfaction that everything worked out as she wanted. She raised a fist in the air.

"Blue team, follow me!"

The flag was planted at the top of a natural rock pile named Zeus' Fist. It didn't look very much like a fist to Percy, but he'd give the people who named it the benefit of the doubt. Maybe it did, from a certain angle, back before it had been eroded by time and weathered by the elements. He sat at the base of the hill, leaning back against the smooth stone. His knees were pulled up to his chest, bare feet planted flat on the earth. His shoes lay discarded at his side. A gentle breeze nipped at his nose, making Percy pull the fur collar of his sweater up further, covering the lower half of his face.

When the wind subsided, Percy closed his eyes and tipped his head backwards, blocking out all of his senses, focusing solely on the vibrations worming their way through the ground. His current range was two hundred feet. It was impressive, considering it was originally only a few yards when he first discovered this aspect of his power, but it paled in comparison to Hazel. After only two years, she'd already doubled his range. Her potential with the earth-oriented powers they'd received from Father were unmatched, though it was balanced out by her absolute inability to control the dead or traverse the shadows.

Hades had a plethora of abilities; mastery of shadows, control of spirits, and dominion over all that lay beneath the surface, whether it be stone or precious gems. Percy had an unprecedented affinity for all of these aspects, though his individual powers were weak in comparison with his siblings of old, who had gravitated towards a single niche. However, Percy made up for it with his near-limitless diversity in combat. It seemed like he had an answer for every situation, and through intense training spanning almost a decade, he had the strength to carry out most of those solutions.

It took five minutes before his seismic sense picked up a person that was rushing towards him, rather than occasionally stepping into the area, then moving away. Their steps were light, but deceptively powerful, sending them into bounding leaps that covered distance with the speed and grace of a gazelle. It had to be a Hunter; the campers were far too heavy-footed to even attempt to mimic such fluid movement. If Annabeth were to be believed, then it was most likely Zoe. She was alone. Either her fellow Huntresses were otherwise occupied, or she was confident that she could take on any of the campers. Then again, she'd been a Hunter for over two thousand years, under the direct tutelage of Lady Artemis, so that belief was more than likely a simple fact.

Regardless, she was not prepared to face an opponent who wasn't actually going to be fighting.

Zoe's footsteps came to a halt at the edge of the clearing, right in front of Percy. From what he remembered, there weren't any trees at that exact location for her to hide behind, so she had to be standing in plain sight. However, Percy didn't open his eyes. He didn't even lift his head, relying solely on his geokinesis to locate her. As such, she was lulled into a false sense of security.

Zoe was not arrogant, nor was she overconfident. She knew the exact extent of her capabilities, down to the exact number of inches she could fire an arrow at full strength. She knew she could rely on her senses, and her senses told her that Percy was neither looking at nor listening for her. So, in this situation, she could be forgiven for not thinking that Percy could feel her.

The instant Zoe took a step further into the clearing, an ominous breeze blew through the trees, rustling their leaves. It was cold, even for a winter gale, and carried with it a feeling of dread that set the hair on the back of her neck on end. Before she could act on it, however, a guttural growl reverberated through her bones, and suddenly, a hellhound was baring down on her. Its massive muzzle slammed into her back, appearing from the shadows behind her, knocking the Hunter to her stomach and forcing the wind from her lungs. The monster's snout pressed against her spine, just hard enough to keep her on the ground, while its razor-sharp claws caged her arms to the earth. She struggled fruitlessly for a few moments, eventually going slack, resigning herself to her fate. She'd realized that the beast was under the control of the Son of Hades; he'd already proved that he was able to do so at Westover Hall. Zoe could only hope that he wouldn't command the hellhound to snap her in half.

"Do you yield?" Percy asked, soft voice floating through the clearing, barely loud enough to be heard. Zoe was a Hunter, though. Her senses were honed to razor precision, and she was able to make out his words clearly.

"...I yield," she said reluctantly. The weight of the hellhound eased, but it seemed she was not off the hook just yet. The demon dog snatched the hood of her silver parka between its teeth, and lifted the girl clear off the ground. Zoe couldn't help the high-pitched yelp she let out. The hellhound trotted into the clearing, settling next to its master. It dropped Zoe to the ground unceremoniously, then gently rested its head on top of her, making it slightly harder to breathe. "Tell your mutt… To release me!" she demanded, flailing her arms, which were not being restrained this time. Unfortunately, the beast had the presence of mind to set her just out of reach of Percy, or she would've attempted to drive her knife into his bare foot. Not that it would work, but the intent would still be there.

Percy merely reached over, laying a hand upon the hellhound's black nose, caressing it tenderly. The beast let out a contented rumble, eyelids drifting shut. "Be calm," he murmured to the trapped Huntress. "This is simply her way of saying she likes you."

"You call this affection?" Zoe wheezed. Her ribs were starting to ache.

"Indeed. Lieutenant, say hello to Mrs. O'Leary."

"...I am not greeting a hellhound."

"You will, or she will lick you."

"Don't you dare-!"

"It won't be my fault. She'll do it whether I order her to or not. Mrs. O'Leary is very free-spirited, I have learned."

Zoe sighed, knowing that she wouldn't win this particular battle. "Hello, Mrs. O'Leary," she said, voice flat. For a moment, she hoped that the dog would be appeased. That hope was dashed when something large and wet ran up the back of her head, tossing her tiara to the ground and sending her braid into her face. She tossed her hair back where it should be, and blew a few errant stands out of her eyes, glaring balefully at Percy. The boy, who had finally opened his eyes, smiled back. "I will castrate you," she growled halfheartedly.

"You can try."

Zoe once more puffed the hair out of her face, before slumping against the dirt. "You will pay for this," she groaned.

"Indeed?"

"A hundred curses."

"Interesting."

"A thousand deaths."

"Mm."

"Will you at least have the decency to act terrified!?" Zoe snapped. Percy tilted his head in consideration. He looked thoughtful for a moments, but eventually, he looked Zoe straight in the eye.

"No."

A sound like a strangled cat emerged from Zoe's throat, and she slammed her forehead against the soft ground. "Lord Hades, please, end my suffering," she prayed monotonously.

"As Father's liaison to the mortal world, I have the authority to deny that request."

"...Why are you even in the mortal world?" Percy seemed to conveniently go deaf at that instant, because he stared out into the forest with no sign that he'd heard her. "Would you not be better able to serve your father in the Underworld?"

"It is not your place to question Father's orders," Percy replied coldly, voice suddenly sharp.

"That was not my intention," Zoe said quickly, verbally backpedaling. "I am merely curious. Your father broke the Ancient Laws to bring you to the Underworld. He continued to break those laws every day you were in his domain without being dead. What could cause him to take such a risk? It could not have simply been because of your mother's fate, many demigods suffer similar circumstances-" Zoe was silenced by Percy's hand clamping onto the lower half of her face, iron grip threatening to crush her cheekbones. Indignant anger flared to life in her, but it quickly died when she was the flames of rage flickering in Percy's dark eyes.

"What part of let's never speak of this again did you not understand, Lieutenant?" Zoe mumbled a response, but her voice was muffled by Percy's palm, and her words were incoherent. Percy sighed, releasing the Hunter. "There are things at work, Lieutenant- forces far beyond your ken. Do not pry into matters that do not concern you. Am I clear?" Zoe nodded, seeing no other choice. For all her pride as a Huntress, it was obvious that she was not in control of this situation. A hunting horn sounded in the distance, causing them both to stare in the direction the sound originated from. "That would be our cue, it seems."

With a wave of his hand, Percy commanded Mrs. O'Leary to return from whence she came. The hellhound sunk into the shadows, vanishing from sight, and Zoe unsteadily rose to her feet. She stared, dumbfounded, at the campers' flag, which was still exactly where it had been since the start of the game, flapping mockingly in the wind.

Had the Hunters just lost capture the flag for the very first time?

I started writing Zoe as speaking modern english, and by the time I realised my mistake, I also realised I didn't give a fuck. Let's just chalk it up to Zoe being a Huntress, meaning she's adaptable.