San Diego; Zoe
Okay way to go madam. Its just great how you managed the delicate situation. Who couldve thought though, that Percy would be pissed so easily, right? Pretty much everyone, but that didnt matter right now. Hes got a point: why the fuck did she feel like she needed to do that?
Why would it bother her? Anyway, she can think about that later, now she needs to find a certain idiot.
In the distance, thunder rumbled, though there was no single cloud to be seen. Weird.
She reached the restaurant she saw Percy bee lining for and entered quickly, eager to find him and get them to even out again. Inside, she searched for the trademark black hair of his, in vain.
Thats when she started to get a little bit nervous. Where was he?
She quickly left the restaurant again, making her way to Thalia.
The same looked at her, confusion obvious in her eyes.
"Is he that pissed?", "I dont know, hes not there" Zoe stated.
"What? He went in there though."
"Yes, I know. I saw that too, but he is not in there" Zoe said now, a little bit pissed herself, making sure to emphasize every word.
"Yo chill lady, I didnt insult him right then" "Ugh, youre right okay? Im sorry. But he cant be gone, can he?" "We gotta look for him, he is kind of like a dog in situations like that. He starts going, without knowing where, and before he knows hes lost." Well thats a charming way to put it.
And with that, the 2 huntresses start looking for Percy Jackson.
Percy
Fuck this. Fuck that. Fuck them. Fuck her. Fuck me….
He was angry. Gods, he was angry.
What is wrong with her? Did something happen to her when she was dead? Okay well, dying might just be an excuse for unusual behavior. But still. What was that? The whole act. The Insult. Yeah he didnt need that. Fuck them fates. Actually? Fuck the whole fucking world. Oh boy he was pissed.
"Hey dad, you might not have a spare teleport to atlantis for your son, do you?" He kinda ugh thought out loud?
Before he could react, he was face to face with his father again.
"Hey dad" Percy said casually, the anger still very evident in his face. But there also was something else evident in his face. Pain. Not because he was so hurt by what Zoe did, though he was pretty hurt. It was because, pretty much as soon as he appeared in atlantis, a sharp headache formed at the back of his head. It only lasted for seconds, but it was enough to get Poseidon to worry.
"Percy, are you alright?"
"Ugh sure, I just think I need some time before I can return to the hunters" Percy said hunters with an very unusual amount of venom in his voice. Poseidon rarely heard his son talk like that, honestly.
"So, something happened. Would you care to elaborate, Perseus?" Oof, dad mode activated.
"I would rather not." he paused for a second, "can I stay here for a few days?"
"Of course, Percy, I was pretty sad actually that you left with the hunters in an instant, I thought maybe we will have some time to ourselves. That would be a first"
"I would love that, but arent there laws against that?"
"I think you would approve, rules are made to be broken, right?" "Right, dad" Percy said with a smile.
He was glad his dad was so cool of a olympian. Zeus probably wasnt as chill.
"How about you show me how to use the ring you gifted me. Maybe we can also train a little bit?" training was good, it would bring him to different thoughts.
Poseidon smiled at him, and just like that they disappeared, going who knows how deep into the ocean, away from atlantis, where no one would interrupt them.
San Diego; Zoe
She almost broke down when the back of her head started hurting like hades. It only lasted for not even a second but her ears started ringing and she lost the balance. Thalia noticed that something happened, was lost at what though.
"Gods that was terrible" Zoe mumbled. "What was?"
"I dont know, some kind of headache? It only lasted for a second but it feels like I can still feel it"
Thalia looked worried. "Should we continue or do you need a break?" "No, its fine now" Yeah that wasnt really true, but they needed to find Percy.
Line Break
The sun set already, and they havent found even as much as a sign of Percy yet. They might need to give it up for now. Actually, it was kind clear by now that Percy couldnt really be in San Diego anymore. 2 of Artemis best huntresses, not able to find him? Percy might be skilled, but even he couldnt hide that long from them.
3rd
Thalia was kind of pissed at Zoe, after all it was her fault that he vanished. Zoe knew that too, and since she did, Thalia didnt feel the need to point it out. It wouldnt bring Percy to them anyway.
The 2 saw no other way, but to return to the hunters camp for now, so they sent a quick prayer to Artemis. They were back at the camp in an instant, being welcomed by Artemis. After a second she seemed to realize that there was someone missing.
"Where is Percy?" "He-I-we had a little dispute, one could say" Zoe said. Artemis brows furrowed at that statement but it really was neither her problem nor her business. She was worried though, what that meant in the context of the Fates words.
Line Break
Word, that Percy vanished, spread quickly through the hunters camp. The next morning Zoe was making her way toward the dining tent, which was filled with whispers, which all died down once she arrived. She sat down and quickly grabbed something to eat. Her sister kept their eyes fixed on her and honestly, she was getting annoyed. Until now, being revived has not been as pleasant as one might imagine. Dont mourn the dead, mourn the living. I guess theres some truth to that.
"Okay, I know I fucked up okay? Could you guys maybe stop staring at me anyway though?" she said, obviously pissed.
Phoebe was the only one brave enough to say what she thought right there: "I dont mind that this stupid boy is gone honestly, its not like hes someone we could use here" Well that didnt help to improve Zoes mood.
"Were you even listening to the Fates on olympus?" Thalia said, obviously not in a too good mood herself. "These 2 Idiots will be deciding worlds fate and like, 50% of them are missing."
"You only bear with him because hes your cousin, its not like hes actually worth something" Phoebe retorted, very, very unfriendly. She kind of forgot that she was still talking to the Lieutenant of Artemis. Thalia just sighed. She wont be changing this 1200 year olds mind. Phoebe has been in the hunt the longest, after Zoe obviously, and she has seen some shit men did. No one could blame her for thinking like that. It was still Percy though, and Artemis herself thought very good of him, that alone should be enough.
Like on command, Artemis appeared in the tent, sitting down at her usual spot.
"I talked to Percy by the way" she stated casually, not even looking up from her plate.
That comment did get Zoe to move though. She fixed her eyes on the goddess, who seemed to realize that.
"Hes fine, but Im not sure when or if he will come back honestly"
"What? Why?" Zoe asked worried now. Of course just because of the fate of the world. Obviously pff. Yeah.
"Well to say hes agitated would be an understatement. Did you insult his mother at SanDiego?!"
At that question Zoes potential answer got stuck in her throat.
"Probably worse…" she said quietly.
Artemis raised an eyebrow.
"I-... I insulted his integrity, his loyalty, towards Annabeth" at that statement Artemis, who was just drinking, spit out exactly what she was drinking and looked at Zoe with confusion.
"You did what? Do you know what his fatal flaw is, young Lady? He is loyal to fault and saying that, just days after her death is pretty insulting." "I know okay?" Zoe snapped at Artemis, just right after realizing what she just did. "Im sorry, mylady" she added quietly.
Artemis blinked a few times, not really comprehending what happening with her old friend.
"He is with his father" Artemis stated then, changing the topic, but not forgetting the scene she was just a part of.
"He said he needs some time for himself now. He didnt really have time to grieve or sort his thoughts. He seemed distant when I talked to him, almost like he wasnt there. It was kind of scary actually."
Zoe gulped at that. Artemis. Worried for a man. Another first right here.
"I need to talk to him" "You also need time for yourself, my old friend. Talking to him now would probably do more bad than good." She might be right with that. She probably was right with that.
Line Break
Zoe
She wandered the woods alone. She was still kinda close to the hunters camp, far enough though to be neither seen nor heard. The last 2 days sucked. The headache? It didnt only feel like she could still feel it, it was still there. Not as imminent or urgent as in SanDiego, that would be horrible. But it was there. And she had her own idea where this one came from. It grew over the last few days, now not only being annoying but actually hurting. Was Percy feeling the same or was that fates punishment for her rude behaviour? She probably will never find out. Unless she sees Percy again obviously, but she didnt count on that, honestly. She was mad, actually she was fucking furious.
Not at Percy though, but at herself. Great way to fuck it up. Atleast the forest managed to calm her down a little. But her thoughts couldnt manage to focus on something else than a certain, handsome, half god. Wait.
Huh? Excuse you, young lady? What are you even thinking about? His eyes. What? WHAT? Uhm.
She didnt realize she stopped walking. What the actual fuck was she thinking. Okayyyy maybe we gonna take a bath. Doesnt that sound good?
Said, done.
Okay, thats better. She still couldnt help but wonder what Percy was doing right now. If he thought about her too. Probably not. Her belly ached started aching. Thats weird, did she eat something wrong? We all know she didnt.
Percy
Oh boy he enjoyed the time at his fathers palace. Hades yeah, that was some well needed free time right there. There was something bothering him though. Since he arrived, since the headache, he felt like some kind of pressure at the back of his head. That was weird, since in the water, he usually felt like a god. I mean he was as close as it gets though. What also was bothering him was that even though he kind of hated her right now, he couldnt manage to lift his thoughts off of a certain titans daughter. Her eyes, her hair, her face, her body… Okay. Keep it cool. Thats not what you want to think about right now. That he didnt want to think about her didnt change the fact that he did though.
Well, uhm, learning to teleport using the ring was nice though. Teleporting is pretty handy, believe it or not. He was also pretty glad that he didnt had to do much with the real family of Poseidon. Its not that he didnt like them, but they didnt like him. Its not like he can blame them for that. He understands it quite well actually.
He was rambling in his thoughts for quite some time now, until he remembered that he had an appointment with his dad. He was still in time, but he didnt want to leave him waiting so he went on his way. Learning to teleport was something he was very eager to do.
Line Break
Percy
He finally managed to actually pull a teleport off. Gods yes. Thats gonna make so many things so much easier. The next day, he decided it would be time to visit Camp Half Blood again, so he cleared up everything with his father, who, of course, was fine with that. So he teleported himself to the beach of Camp Half Blood. The instant he appeared, he felt like something was wrong. The pressure on his head turned to a horrible headache again.
He almost broke down right then and there. He quickly sent a prayer to his father, requesting an immediate evacuation. Yes, he phrased it like that.
Once he was under water again, the pain began to ease. What was that though?
"Are you okay Percy?" Poseidon asked, sorrow in his voice.
"I think. Ive got a nasty headache"
After Percy said that, Poseidon brows furrowed.
"I think you need to return to the Hunters, my son" Huh, what? Why?
"Huh, what? Why" "You are not the only one suffering from a headache, Percy" Oh. The fates really do not joke now do they. And yes, he was quick with that realization. As mentioned, Annabeth had her effect on him. He didnt want to see Zoe though. He was still pissed.
"Very well dad, I really enjoyed my stay here. Maybe I can visit again?" "Of course Percy, come and go as you like." Poseidon said, before he hugged Percy goodbye and sent him on his way. He kept contact with Artemis, so he obviously knew where they were right now.
Line Break
3rd
Percy appeared on some kind of mountain. He actually had no idea where in the fuck he was.
Didnt take him long to find out though, as it was obviously close to the hunters camp. How that was obvious, you ask? Well, on the one hand his headache was gone and it was pretty obvious what cause it in the first place. On the other hand, there was this arrow. The arrow that lodged itself deep in his shoulder. That hurt worse than the headache did. Great.
He turned toward the direction the arrow came from, heard a shocked gasp and soon was met by a huntress. She, of course meant no harm to him, but saw a boy close to the hunters camp, which usually is a death sentence, wheter you know of it or not.
Percy had suffered worse injuries, that didnt change the fact that it hurt.
"Oh my gods Percy, I didnt know it was you…"
"No its fine, could you get me to the camp though please? We might have someone take a look at whats wrong with my shoulder, somethings stinging in there" he managed to joke, though he already started to turn a little pale.
Line Break
3rd
Zoe woke up, without the headache this time. That was weird. She quickly realized that only could mean one thing now: Percy was back. That made her pretty excited, though she was obviously denying that. Yes, you can deny what youre feeling to yourself.
Percy meanwhile was being treated in the infirmary. The arrow pierced through his shoulder, so the treatment was to break the shaft and pull it through. The hunters knew that of course. Still hurt like hades, one arrow in your shoulder. He kind of groan/screamed when they started with their treatment.
Since the camp wasnt massive, and the infirmary kind of had to be close to the rest of the camp, Zoe heard Percy. That did not only calm her down, because she knew she was right and he was back, but also worried her, since he was obviously hurt. Still, she couldnt help it but get a little excited.
She quickly made her way to the tent Percy was in, and once she entered, she was greeted by a half naked Percy. Huh.
Atalanta, the huntress who shot Percy, and right now did her best to fix him, was ruffling through one of the bags they had in the infirmary, looking for the just too well known godly foods.
Zoe´s face went hot when she saw Percy sitting there, what worried her though was the bleeding hole in his left shoulder.
Percy turned his eyes to her, hardening his expression once he truly saw her. He was still pissed.
Zoe saw that and understood the meaning. Percy was not rude but he also wasnt over the situation.
"Good day, miss Nightshade, is there anything I can do for you?" Percy asked, acting nice, though the coldness in his voice hit Zoe like glass cutting through her guts.
"Miss Nightshade…? Percy…" Zoe started, but Atalanta interfered.
"We could really need some water, would you please go and get some, Zoe?"
Smart move from her, actually. She was neither deaf nor dumb.
Zoe, of course, nodded, threw another quick glance at Percy, who didnt even look at her anymore, and his naked upper body respectively, and quickly left the tent. Percy decided not to mention that, if in need for water, he could pull the moisture from the air for example.
Once Zoe was gone, Percy relaxed a bit. Atalanta also noticed that.
"You know, she was very worried about you. And she is sorry. She snapped at Artemis after you went missing, that didnt happen once, not once, in my time with the hunt."
Atalanta was one of the huntresses who wasnt as hostile towards men as the most. Everybody has a different past I guess.
Percy sighed.
"She really hurt me, you know? I dont know how it should work in the future, the whole fate of the world thing." Percy said, yelping in pain, as he didnt notice Atalanta turning to his injury.
"Man who the fuck does though, huh?" "Amen"
Zoe, meanwhile, grabbed a flask real quick and sprinted towards the creek they set their camp up next to. They always do that, since they obviously need fresh water. Percys attitude towards her hurt her more than she was willing to accept. What made him so special, she asked herself.
The wound in Percys shoulder started closing already, with the treatment of Nectar and Ambrosia he was put under. The pain eased and he sighed in relief.
"Thank you" "Yeah uh, no problem." Atalanta answered. She was the reason he was injured after all, but Percy didnt seem to mind or even dislike her for it. Holding grudges never really was a thing for him.
"But seriously, dont be too hard on Zoe, shes not really having it easy either. Though it seems that her headache got better." Atalanta said, confirming that she suffered from the same condition Percy did.
Percys mind and feelings were messy, he still was pissed at Zoe, obviously, but was also happy seeing her again.
"I know that, I had the same headache apparently, by the way. But Im not going to just forget it. If I didnt know that she had the same headache as I had, I still would be at Atlantis right now. No, thats wrong, I would be at Camp Half Blood." He stated. Atalanta nodded.
"Hey, I dont want to tell you what to do, just try to see it from her perspective."
"Im trying to, but I dont see which perspective made her act like she did at the beach?"
Atalanta shook her head "Me neither dude, though nobody actually knows what exactly happened" she said then, disguising her question rather bad.
To Percys...luck? Zoe entered the tent, flask full of fresh water.
Percy
He stood up, looked directly into Zoes eyes, she had beautiful eyes by the way. Did I mention that before? He walked up to her and took the flask from her.
"Thank you" he said, not as cold as before, but there was also no warmth in his words. Willing the water out of the flask and covering his injury with it. You could watch the flesh regrowing itself. It always looked weird honestly, but hes seen that happening for like, the sixteen hundredth time.
He noticed Zoe still standing in the entrance of the tent. He also noticed where Zoe was looking. And it was not his injury and it was not his face. Yoo is she checking me out? Nah. Is she? Nahhh.
"Is there anything else?" he asked her now.
She looked like there was, she even opened her mouth to say something. She obviously changed her mind, since she just shook her head, mumbled a quick "Sorry" and left.
Okay that didnt make him feel better. At all. It made him feel like a huge dick. He kinda was, but people got their reason, you know? You might not always understand it, or even know of it, but people act and react a certain way for a reason. With that in mind, he thought about the situation.
He thought about the words of the fates.
"Oh gods, shes sorry" Percy pretty much forgot Atalanta was even there.
"I heard that. Uhm I would like to rest a bit, getting shot in the shoulder and all that. Can I stay here or should I go to my tent?" Percy asked now, feeling suddenly very tired. The water was absorbed, which was the reasoning behind that, though his injury was almost nonexistent by now.
"Just stay here for now, I will tell Artemis about your return." and with that, Atalanta left, leaving him to his thoughts.
3rd
Atalanta made her way towards the clearing they prepared for training. Percy really was something special, she thought to herself. He didnt blame her for shooting him. He was nice. She was wondering what was going on with Zoe though. She never was one of the shy people and she barely feared anything. But she appeared to be intimidated by the thought of apologizing to Percy.
He seems pretty cool, but Atalanta also thought about the storys Thalia told the hunters about him.
How he fought Kronos or Polybotes, how he just creates his own hurricane. How the earth trembled and shook when Annabeth died. Many of the people present then, thought that was Gaea, going back to sleep. But Poseidon knew, and Zeus knew. That is how Thalia knows by the way.
Son of the Earthshaker. She was glad that he was on their side, honestly.
She saw him fight Artemis, a literal Goddess, and he kinda actually won. Unconventional tactis, yeah sure, but wasnt he known for that?
Atalanta reached the clearing, to see every huntress there, except Zoe.
She walked over to Artemis, who was teaching a pretty new huntress how to properly hold the bow.
"Mylady, Percy has returned" She said after a quick bow towards the goddess.
"Very well, why didnt you bring him with you then?" "Well, uhm, I might have kinda uh shot him. A little" Atalanta said sheepishly. Artemis raised her eyebrows at that statement.
"Hes fine now, but he is resting. With godly food and fresh water, his injury healed pretty dam quick, but hes tired now and I told him to stay in the infirmary until hes better."
"Very well, I will look after him later. Why did you shoot him though? Even if it was only a little."
"I saw a man, wandering through the woods close to our camp and, I mean you made the rules yourself, I didnt recognize the man as Percy and fired a warning shot."
Artemis just sighed, nodded and continued "alright Atalanta, you can return to your guarding duty, youre doing well" she laughed at that. Atalanta smiled, nodded, bowed quick and went back into the direction of the camp.
"Girls, Percy is back in camp, if you see a black haired man wandering around, please refrain from shooting him." Artemis announced to her hunters.
"Wait, Percy is back? Where is he?" Thalia instantly asked
Line Break
Zoe
She was angry. She was sad. She was happy? Man she didnt know.
She was confused. Yeah, thats fitting.
She was pretty happy, seeing Percy again and, honestly, she was happy that the headache disappeared. The reason for it seemed clear as day now.
His words though, the coldness behind them, hurt her like hades. She felt like she was bleeding inside. She cant really sort the feeling shes having in.
Okay, she can, but shes not really sure how that makes any more sense. The last time she felt like that was so many thousand years ago, after that bastard heracles dropped her like a hot potato.
Yeah, ridiculous, am I right. Because we all know what that would mean.
She was getting frustrated. Her mind was racing, but she was unable to form a clear thought..
Nevermind, there was one. Maybe she could at least fix something like that.
Everyone, always, has a Drachma, and so did she.
She quickly made her way to the creek, which was producing a natural rainbow. How handy.
"Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering. Show me Nico di Angelo"