Chapter Eleven
Aphrodite was suspicious. For the past week, she has felt feelings of love emanate from a forest in Montana. Then a forest in Michigan. The love moved from forest to forest, always staying for a few days before moving again.
Artemis hadn't been seen in a while, opting to spend time with her Hunt. It just so happens that the Hunt is where the love was coming from. Aphrodite knows because when she went to investigate the love, she came across the Hunter's camp. She didn't enter, for fear of an arrow messing up her makeup.
Besides, Artemis would deal with it, turning the camp back to the loveless dump it was. God, that goddess needed to get laid. She was so uptight about it.
"What do you think darling?" She asked Ares, who was sitting on the couch, watching a football game.
"About what?" He asked, before taking another sip of beer.
"Artemis. What do you think about her?"
"She needs to loosen up." He said, taking another sip of beer. "Come on, come on, come on, NO!" He stood up as his team almost got a touchdown, only to be stopped by the other team.
"Hmm. I'll be right back." She told him.
"I'll be right here. AND MAYBE THEY'LL ACTUALLY SCORE!" He yelled the last part at the TV.
Aphrodite flashed out and ended up in the woods. The love that came from the Hunter's camp led her to the camp. Her dress drug along the dirt. She grimaced and pulled up her dress, looking like Cinderella when she went down the stairs.
She entered the camp. She felt the love emanating from the tent next to the biggest one. She knew that the biggest one was Artemis's tent, so she went to that one. She unzipped the tent and entered. The tent was empty, besides the decorations. She wondered where Artemis was.
She sat on the bed. The scent of forest and the sea filled her nose. Why was there the scent of the sea on Artemis's bed? She was very sure that she wasn't having an affair with Poseidon.
Artemis entered the tent. Her hair was messed up, her cheeks were flushed, and she was out of breath. She ran a hand through her hair, trying to fix it.
"Hi, Aphrodite. I was just on a Hunt. What are you, uh, what are you doing here?"
Aphrodite narrowed her eyes at her. The feeling of love surrounded her. But it also came from within the camp. "Uh huh." Aphrodite said slowly. "Well, I just wanted to tell you that I have been feeling some love from here. I know you don't like that stuff, don't you?"
Artemis froze momentarily, before composing herself. "I will be sure to take care of it."
"Okay." Aphrodite said suspiciously. "Well, I'm going to get going then."
Aphrodite stood up. Artemis stepped aside to let her through. Aphrodite walked out of the tent. Inside her head, she was drawing up theories. The most prominent? That Artemis had fallen in love, and was currently involved with someone. But who, she couldn't figure out for the life of her.
The sun warmed her skin just as quickly as the wind cooled her off. She closed her eyes. She imagined lines, connecting everyone in the world. She focused on the ones in the Hunt. Slowly, they began to connect. All of them were white, but a couple started to gain color. Three of them. They were colored pink. Two of them led to Artemis.
Artemis had two lovers? That was even more surprising than her having one. She was so against love that the fact she accepted it from two people, it almost broke Aphrodite's brain. She opened her eyes. The pink lines stretched out in different directions. She followed the one that went to the right.
It led into the woods. Not far, only about ten feet. The pink line led to someone who stood, aiming an arrow at a target. Aphrodite recognized her, Thalia Grace, Daughter of Zeus. That was kind of a shocker.
Aphrodite noticed that the line was starting to fade. She had to find the other person quickly, or should we have to use this power again, and frankly, it used a lot of her energy. And she didn't really want to do it again.
She followed the line, both of them, as it connected from Thalia to this other mystery person. She had to walk a lot farther, but eventually she came across a lake. The line had almost faded, but just as it disappeared, she saw who it was connected to.
She never thought she would see him again. She had watched as he had fallen into Tartarus, chained with no weapon to escape, but here he was, sitting in the lake, talking to fish. He didn't even look that relatively changed from the experience. But still.
Percy Jackson was back out of Tartarus, and he was dating two Hunters.
Aphrodite had voted for his banishment. She saw no more entertainment out of him, seeing as he and Annabeth had split. But maybe, maybe she shouldn't have judged him. He seemed to be far more entertaining than she thought. After all, he managed to worm his way into the man hater's pants.
This was sure to be interesting.
And then she was tackled from behind. She tumbled into the grass, staining her dress. She was rolled around, now facing the sky. Artemis hovered above her, glaring down at her. She was pissed.
"Well, Arty, I figured it out."
"You. Aren't. Going. To tell anyone. Got that?" Artemis said sharply. She pulled a knife and put it to the Love Goddess's throat.
Aphrodite gulped. "Yeah, got it. Arty."
"Don't call me that, or I'll slit your throat."
Aphrodite nodded, before Artemis let her go.
"Run along, and don't look back." Artemis said, motioning a move gesture with her knife.
Aphrodite flashed out, going back to Olympus, satisfied that she figured out her mystery. She ended up back at her palace, where Ares was still watching the game. "I'm back honey!" She said.
"Where'd you go?" Ares asked, not taking his eyes off the screen.
"Oh, you know, here and there. Found out about some very big gossip though."
LINE BREAK
Percy missed again. He sighed as he drew another arrow from the quiver on his back. He knocked it.
"Man, you suck."
"Shut up." Percy said.
Artemis sat on a log nearby. "Breathe in steadily."
Thalia sat next to her. "Yeah, come on. It's been an hour already!"
"Well, not all of us are blessed by Artemis, Thalia!"
Percy breathed in and let go. Missed the target again.
Artemis stood up. It appeared that he needed her help more than she thought. When he first told her that he was an absolutely terrible shot with archery, she didn't believe it. But after watching him miss twenty arrows straight, none of them even hitting the thick tree trunk, she decided that yeah, he was terrible.
She walked up to him. She studied him. "Yeah, your posture is terrible. We're gonna have to fix that."
She straightened his back, and moved his hips. "Try that." Artemis said.
Percy drew another arrow and knocked it.
"No, no, don't move your hips." She moved his hips back to where she had them before.
Percy knocked the arrow, making sure not to move his hips. He drew the string back and fired. He didn't hit the target, but he did hit the tree. Percy threw his hands up in the air. "I did it!"
"Very good." Artemis said. She leaned in and kissed him. Suddenly she pulled back and frowned.
"What's wrong?" Percy asked.
"Father has called a meeting. I'll be back soon." She said and kissed his cheek. "Thalia, I want him to be able to hit the target by the time I get back."
"NO! She's gonna zap me!" Percy protested.
"If it works." Artemis said and kissed Thalia. Then she flashed away to Olympus. She appeared in the throne room and sat on her throne. She watched as the rest of the Olympians came into the throne room and sat down.
Zeus was the last one to show up, which Artemis thought was bullshit, since he's the one who called it, but she digressed. She tuned in to see what this meeting was about. Maybe she hadn't, because it sounded like she had walked in on a classroom full of kindergartners. Seriously, did none of the other Gods know how to be quiet for five minutes?
Zeus banged his master bolt on the floor, bringing the noise to a halt. "Silence!"
Artemis rolled her eyes. The master bolt already quieted everyone. There was no reason for him to yell 'silence'.
"As we all know, the Winter Solstice is coming up, and this year, I decided that we will cut a huge portion of it off and do the biannual domain report early. This way any engagements you may have had after the meeting can be done earlier. So I will start." Zeus announced. "The skies have been fine and have actually been thriving under my rule."
Hera was next. They always went in order of their cabins at Camp Half-Blood. So she was the 8th one to give her report. Which gave her some time to think of her report. She had been so caught up in finding Percy, and then being with him, that she had forgotten to even monitor her domains. She didn't think anything was out of the ordinary.
"The seas have been faring well. Besides that garbage patch, but the wildlife have been steering clear of that for years. Besides the few who don't heed the warnings." Poseidon reported.
Artemis zoned out again. The wildlife was being cleared by the stupid humans. They were tearing up land and animals' homes. As for hunting, animals were reproducing faster than humans were hunting them, so that was good. Archery didn't really have any news, as the next Olympics was in a couple of years. The moon was doing well. Few dents in the chariot, but those were seen as craters, so it was fine. Though she should probably shine the thing, it has been a while.
"As Ares said, a war just ended, and so far, there isn't another one on the horizon. People are still being idiots and unwise. Olive oil sales are up. That's about it." Athena said.
She had to get something quick. Apollo was the only who stood between her and her turn to present. OH! She had gained two new hunters! She would mention that, along with everything else she thought of.
"Artemis?"
"Hm?" She asked.
"It's your turn."
"Oh, sorry. Well, animals' homes are being destroyed. But the wildlife is reproducing faster than they are being hunted. Nothing is going on with archery. Moon chariots doing good. Gained two new hunters, so that's good. And yeah, that's about it."
"Well that is overall good news." Zeus said.
Hephaestus started to talk and Artemis internally breathed a sigh of relief. That was a close one.
Next up was Aphrodite. "Well, all was well and good. But about two weeks ago, I felt a new love appear. I did some investigating, and well, it was coming from the Hunter's camp. So I did some snooping around and well, who would've guessed that it was emanating from Artemis herself! Certainly not me, that's for sure. Anyways, so I checked the relationship strings and found out that she was involved with none other than Percy Jackson, who has escaped Tartarus! And they aren't the only ones, as Thalia Grace has joined them. I have to say, a big development in my domain!"
Artemis felt the rage of a thousand suns. Nothing she had ever felt before felt like this. She jumped from her throne and pounced on the love Goddess. She drew a knife.
"I told you I'd slit your throat you little whore!" Artemis held the knife to Aphrodite's neck and started to cut.
Apollo leapt out of his throne and grabbed Artemis's shoulders. He tried to pull Artemis back, but she was too strong. She slashed at Aphrodite's face, giving her a cut just below the eye.
Ares had to grab Artemis and keep her away from Aphrodite. Apollo tended to Aphrodite.
"I'm assuming by your reaction that what she says is true, daughter?" Zeus asked.
Artemis flashed out without saying a word. She ended up back at her camp. She ran throughout the camp, looking for Percy. She found him in her tent, laying in her bed. He was just staring at the ceiling.
"Don't you ever shut up. Scratch that, I already know the answer. You don't." He said suddenly.
"Percy." Artemis said.
Percy sat up. "Sorry, Venom is being Venom. What's up?"
"They know. The Olympians. They know that you're out of Tartarus, and that we're together."
"How'd they find out?"
"That bitch, Aphrodite. She told them during the meeting. They are coming for you. At least I imagine they are."
Percy got off the bed. "I have to go."
"No, you can't."
"They are going to come find me. If they find me here, they might hurt one of the Hunters. I have to go, lead them away."
"Please, don't go." Artemis almost pleaded.
"I have to. I can't imagine how you would feel if you lost one of your girls. It's better this way. Besides, they catch me, the worst they can do is send me to Tartarus again, and I'll just escape again."
Artemis walked up to him. She cupped his cheek. She kissed him passionately, before leaning back. "Just be safe."
Percy smirked. "When am I not?"
Then his smile faded and he left the tent. He ran into the forest. Venom took over and they started to climb a tree.
Flashes started to fill the forest below them as they hid. Lightning flashed as the wind picked up. Zeus himself appeared below him.
"OH SHIT! THAT IS ZEUS!"
"Yeah, I know!"
Zeus looked up and hurled his master bolt at them.
"Fuck." Venom said before the bolt crashed into them.
They flew out of the tree. Fire started to spread around Venom's body. The symbiote fled into Percy's body, trying to survive. Percy crashed into the ground. His vision was blurry. He vaguely saw someone chain his hands together before he was flashed away.
When his vision cleared, he was in the throne room of Olympus. Zeus sat on his throne, smiling down at Percy. He clapped his hands.
"Wow, Percy Jackson. You've escaped Tartarus. You would be a fool to think I would send you there again. No, I'm sending you somewhere where I can keep a closer eye on you. Nice knowing you. I hope you enjoy what crime you've been put in prison for!"
Percy's eyes widened. "What?"
Percy felt sleepy. Next thing he knew was that he was in a prison cell. He was in an orange prison jumpsuit with a black number on his chest. 69420. Great, he had a meme as a number.
"You must be my cellmate." Someone said from across the cell.
Percy turned to see a tall lanky man with red hair and a gruesome smile staring at him. "Who are you?"
"Name's Cletus. Cletus Kasady."
