AN: Sorry for no update last week, golfing threw plans out the window. I should post one today and another two (probably) tomorrow and Sunday. Questions for this story: Annabeth is going to be the one swapped with the Romans once I get there. Percy will be off training for a portion of those 8 months she's missing (probably a side arc with either the Hunt or in Japan with Shinto Pantheon shit. Maybe Nichibotsu-san), but will reintegrate with her as one of Lupa's wolves that follows her to Camp Jupiter and on the quest. Before that however, should she be the one to go with Beckendorf on the kamikaze mission? Should they call Percy? Let me know ASAP because I will more than likely get to that point by this weekend and I want y'all input.

Other Stories: FGS will have 2 or 3 chapters added this weekend (hopefully). I am planning both an Avatar crossover and a One Piece one. They are really really crude in the planning phase, trying to make something original. YJ crossover is 5 chapters in, but I won't post it until I can find a way to differentiate from other stories. As of now, it is a blending of Greed720's, AlfyreGree's and AlucardChick101's ideas and doesn't have enough umph for me to post it yet. I have a HP one but it's in the same boat but even worse in my opinion.

Oh! And Han Kami will be updated at some point or another. Like I said it's more a side project than a priority at the moment. Luckily, so many stories at once keeps the ideas bouncing all over. Unfortunately, they take longer to write and update.

Without further ado, leave those reviews because they're more helpful than you know!

Chapter 20: Prelude to the Battle

3rd Person POV

Percy and Thalia, as promised, trained together after Percy received the reply from Nichibotsu-san. While Thalia lacked chakra, Percy still taught her everything he had learned from his trainers for taijutsu. It wasn't technically taijutsu since she didn't have chakra, but that wasn't the point.

The point was that Thalia went from kicking everyone's ass except Phoebe, Percy, and Artemis, to trading wins against Phoebe, and lasting longer against Percy and Artemis. They sparred with their respective blades, Percy winning nearly 90% of the time due to both the varying styles of swordsmanship between Greek and Shinto and wielding a blade longer. That didn't matter to him though. All that mattered, was that Thalia was making improvements; improvements that could end up saving both her and his sisters' lives.

That was the goal at the end of everyday they trained for Percy. He had grown attached. He went from having a crush - a simple physical attraction - to having feelings for her. He had never been good in the feelings department. His father, while he was grateful for him, loved him, and respected him, rarely showed his feelings openly.

Scratch that. He hadn't once openly displayed his feelings, but Percy knew that his words were true.

And his mother… Well the only reason his mother liked him was because he was her son. She loved him of course, but she had lived for thousands of years and hated the male species for all of it. Even Apollo was only tolerated. Okay, she loved Apollo, but she still only tolerated his presence 99% of the time.

Clearly, Percy was ridiculously out of his depth when he realized that he had feelings for Thalia. He was sad when she was sad, disappointed in himself when she didn't do something to her satisfaction, and over his mother (over the moon) when she was happy.

As it turned out, Thalia was feeling the same thing. She craved stability in her life. And while the Hunt was a pseudo-stable family given that they traveled across the country all the time, it was still lacking. But Percy made it feel whole.

It started with the subtle things he did for them. The way he always warmly welcomed the newest hunters with a big smile and a kiss on the forehead, to taking time out of his training to help clean up the archery range, to even training some of the hunters himself. He had always talked to every single hunter and made sure that they had felt at home, especially after whatever trauma had occurred in their life.

After the note from the other Shinto demigoddess, he had almost exclusively spent his time with Thalia. It couldn't be said that it was under the guise of training, because they truly did train. Far more intensely than all of the other hunters too. They had inside jokes, shared smiles; even small and brief looks and hand touches that had left them blushing madly.

But Thalia was wary. For starters, she didn't want him to leave her again like everyone else had. It was also the fact that his mother - and technically her sister - was her mistress and hated everything to do with the male gender outside of her son. She didn't want to overstep her bounds.

They grew closer in the month since the message; trading blows with the same person nearly everyday for a month straight would do that for anyone. That was where they were found the day of the battle with Nichibotsu-san.

Percy POV

I dodged another lightning bolt that Thalia had launched at me directly from her person. She didn't need to call them down from the heavens anymore - unless she wanted to maximize destruction -, but luckily for me, I could hold a substantial amount of water in the way. Thank all the Gods, Greco-Roman and Shinto, that water is super conductive.

"What's the matter, Kelp-Head? Not going to attack?" Thalia taunted and I pouted cutely. I wasn't actually upset, but I knew that the pout would make her falter a step. It had in the past and I hadn't the slightest clue why.

Predictably, she did and I sped forward with the aid of the winds, only for the high kick I launched to sail harmlessly over her head. 'I'm really starting to regret showing her how to manipulate the winds,' I mused dryly as I recovered into a back handspring to create distance between us.

"Yet, you haven't beaten me once, Lightning Bug," I taunted back. The jab worked and Thalia charged again. She had learned to coat her fists and feet in lightning while we trained, making her already solid hits hurt even more. 'Maybe I shouldn't have shown her all this stuff,' I thought again as I intercepted the strikes at the elbows and shins to avoid getting shocked.

Before the two of us could hit one another again; my right leg poised with my heel at her chin, and her left fist (lightning included) at my sternum, Mom stopped us.

"Enough!" she snapped, slightly frustrated. Thalia and I looked at each other, then Mother, then back to each other and withdrew our blows. "Sorry Mom, we got a little caught up in the moment," I told her and she sent a mock glare to me. Before I could explain further, Thalia slapped me with an electrified hand in the back of the head, causing me to twitch and fall on the ground.

She laughed uproariously at that.

"Gods be damned. I had to have feelings for the abusive one," I muttered under my breath. "What was that?" Mother asked, knowing full well that she heard me. "Nothing, Mother!" I replied quickly and in fear. I didn't want her to punish Thalia for the feelings that I had developed after all.

"Good. We're packing up camp and moving in 15 minutes," Mom said and turned on her heel to walk away.

"Milady is not in a good mood," Thalia muttered a little frightened from next to me and I gave her a reassuring smile. "She's just a little upset at me for the whole Shinto demigoddess thing is all," I said to get her to drop it. Apparently it worked.

Before I knew it, we were all packed up and on the move to Colorado. Rumors had it that a large monster warband was near the area around Granada and needed to be taken out. I transitioned into my wolf wolf and Thalia strapped some bags across my back as we set off.

3rd Person POV

The Hunters moved swiftly through the forested areas as they trekked through the States. Percy kept toward the back of the pack in wolf form with Phoebe at the front and Thalia alongside him as they moved quickly and silently through the terrain.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Percy thought to Thalia as they slowed to their campsite. "Monsters or Shinto," she asked and Percy changed back.

"I don't know."

Phoebe POV

We finished setting up camp and Thalia took a small group of hunters, mostly newer members and a few experienced ones to hunt for lunch as Percy left to meditate. At least, I think that was what he went to do, but I wasn't sure.

That brought forth a whole new set of feelings for my little brother and my lieutenant. They were clearly interested in one another and had it been any other male, I would have motioned for Thalia to be run out of the hunt without another notice.

But they clearly liked one another. They both were interested in each other and, truth be told, I could see them together. They balanced the other out. Yes, they were both extremely competitive and hated to lose; especially to one another. But they could be great. Percy's quiet and observative nature allowed for Thalia to be the… volatile and emotional core of the couple. I was kind of rooting for them as I was sure the rest of the Hunt was as well.

Unfortunately, I was broken out of my musings as my Lady came up to talk to me. Yet, before either of us could utter a word, Percy came charging in with a panicked expression.

My stomach dropped.

"Where's Thalia?!" he nearly shouted and the two of us frowned. "She should be hunting for lunch. I don't-," Artemis tried to say, but Percy cut her off. "How long ago did she leave?!" he yelled and I took an involuntary step back.

"About 3 hour ago. Is everything-," I started to ask that time, but was cut off again. "Mom, what's near here. Anything. Any settlements; lakes?" he demanded and I could tell milady's patience was starting to thin as was mine.

"A few lakes. The Granada War Relocation Center, or Camp Amache is a few miles Northwest from here. They used it to relocate the Japan-," Artemis started to say, but stopped herself immediately with her eyes wide.

Percy didn't wait for her to finish and shifted to his wolf form in his leap and ran off to the Northwest. "Milady?" I asked hesitantly, already regretting the answer.

"Camp Amache was a Japanese relocation camp during WWII," was all she said and I paled.

Thalia POV

I took several of the newest hunters and a few veterans to hunt for lunch after we established the camp. We headed Northwest, thinking that it would be a routine hunt and, if we were lucky, some of the newer hunters would get to test their metal against a few monsters.

Oh, how wrong I was.

We arrived at the encampment soon enough and noticed the telltale signs of monsters in the area, but they were already accumulating as golden dust in the earthen floor. Not one to be caught with my guard down - both for the lives of the hunters, and so Percy and Phoebe couldn't ridicule me - I brought out my spear and Aegis.

The hunters noticed my demeanor and followed suit with the older and/or more confident close range fighters drawing their knives and the younger ones arming their bows. Internally, I was proud that they had picked up on my unease, but what came next couldn't have prepared them at all.

"So you're Perseus' so called sisters," a voice rang out. It sounded like it was all around us and put the Hunters on edge. Thankfully, Percy's training had been teaching me to hone my sensory abilities, and I was able to pick up on a disturbance in air flow a few hundred meters from our position.

I whipped my attention to the feeling and narrowed my eyes at the figure. She was a beautiful redhead with hair more fiery than Rachael Elizabeth Dare and a katana on her back. But that wasn't what had me so on edge.

It was the aura she gave off. It was like Percy, but hotter and more pronounced and just as apathetic as when he was angry.

"Nichibotsu-san?" I asked and she gave me a serene smile of pearly white teeth, similar to Apollo. "Yes. I take it the abomination told you of me?" she asked and I grit my teeth in anger. "Yes. He said we would cross paths eventually, but I didn't expect it to be so soon," I said in return and she released a chuckle.

"I'm honored that you know of me, but I explicitly remember the abomination saying that this would be a one on one fight and he isn't here. I suggest that you return to your little camp and send him to his death. I did agree not to harm any of you so long as we fought," she said and I growled.

"I don't see what the problem is. We hunt wild beats after all," I replied with a smirk, but the only indication that she was upset that I received was the expressionless look on her face.

"That's too bad," she said softly as my body tensed.

"Hunters! Open fire!" I yelled and charged the bitch that would dare to hurt my Percy.

Percy POV

Sprinting like my life depended on it. That was where I was after Mother told me of the old Japanese internment camp a few miles Northwest. 'Gods above Thalia! If you engaged her I swear to all the Gods of every Pantheon, I'll beat your ass black and blue!' I yelled internally as I picked up Thalia's scent and altered my course.

The scent of ozone with a hint of cinnamon from my mother. I prayed I wasn't too late.

As I arrived at the clearing, I noticed all of the hunters were down, except for Thalia. I could have easily noticed that they were still alive and just unconscious, but I was too enraged by both Thalia and Nichibotsu-san that I didn't bother to check.

I leapt into the clearing that gave way to the facility and snapped my jaws at Nichibotsu-san who held Thalia by the throat. A deep growl, promising pain, emerged from my throat and reverberated off the surroundings.

"Ahh. The abomination shows itself," Nichibotsu-san cooed as I transitioned back to my human form.

"Let. Her. Go," I growled, less threatening in my human form, but the message sent regardless. She dropped Thalia to the ground and she gasped for breath as Nichibiotsu-san retreated several meters. I wasted no time and sprinted to Thalia's side.

She saw me and relief flooded her eyes before they were clouded by shame and fear for what was to come.

"What. the FUCK. Were you thinking?!" I hissed and she had the decency to look down in shame. "I-I didn't-," she tried to argue and I cupped her cheek with my hand. She looked up at me with tears swimming in her eyes.

"You godsdamn idiot. I told you I would handle this myself. I can't lose you too," I whispered as she leaned into the hand. "Can you move?" I asked after I took a breath to collect myself. Thalia nodded hesitantly and I helped her to her feet.

'Mom. I'm at Camp Amache with Thalia and the hunters. Come get them. Nichibotsu-san is here,' I relayed mentally and not a moment later, Mom flashed into the clearing to gather her surrogate daughters.

"Perseus," she started to say, but I cut her off. "I know, Mom. I'll handle this and be back by dinner," I said. She must have felt my apprehension, if the look on her face was anything to go by, but nodded stiffly and flashed the unconscious hunters back to camp. I was initially confused as to why she hadn't done the same with Thalia, but I couldn't voice that as she grabbed my hand and spun me around.

Before I could comment, she slammed her lips into mine with such passion that I couldn't tell she wasn't using her lightning abilities. Before I could even register it, she pulled away and gazed into my very soul.

"Don't you fucking dare die."

She left.

"Aww. A Daughter of Zeus and a hunter to boot has a thing for the abomination," Nichibotsu-san cooed and I growled and turned my attention back to her. "You have my thanks for not killing them. But you hurt my sisters, and now you will die," I said in a steely tone.

She began to laugh.

"Very well, Abomination. Do you know why I picked this ground?" she asked, but I didn't answer. "It represents all that is wrong with the Greek Pantheon. Their sons waged war across the globe for something as trivial as a sibling rivalry, and our people had to suffer," she hissed.

"American history won't show it, but while the Greeks were fighting internally, they feared our people, so they imprisoned them in numerous places across the country and sent demigod assassins to finish them off. Demigods, legacies; it didn't matter to them, so they killed every. Last. ONE!" she roared at the end, but I didn't react.

"And here you are. A combination of the two. Your mother, essentially raped by Poseidon as a final insult to the Shinto. And worse, you were allowed to live!" she screamed and I scowled heavily.

"The Greeks - well, most of them - are indeed horrible. They rule on their pride and arrogance and refuse to see the error of their ways," I said slowly. "But my mother is above them. Yes, she's killed countless men and maybe broken up families. But she's given me a family as well. I may be an abomination… but you hurt my sisters. Now you will die," I said in a low tone.

She scoffed, but didn't comment further.

And on an unspoken cue, we charged.

AN: Chapter 20! A short one and a cliffhanger, but I appreciate the set up. The fight, (hopefully) will be epic and I'll have to make sure to write it sober (I'm a few heavy beers deep currently). Get back to me on those suggestions and I'll be updating tomorrow! Cheers!