Chapter 4

Percy POV

When I woke up, the first thought that popped into my head was, I'm huuuuunngryyyyy! The second was, Owwwwwwww. I was very, VERY sore, but what confused me was, I am ALIVE?

Why would Gabe leave me alive? After he- Gabe - Gabe's buddies, holding my mother, while Gabe had his hand raised a kitchen knife in his hand. I watched in slow motion as the knife came down upon my mother as she struggled, to watch as it plunged into her chest, repeatedly, over and over he stabbed her even when it was clear she was no longer alive....

Sobs wracked my body, my mom, my amazing mom that always tried to make me smile, to make the best of the worst situation, kind, caring, soft blue eyes looking at me lovingly. Warm afternoons baking blue cookies- no more. Never again.

The tears came faster, and the sobs louder, I went to raise my hands to cover my mouth, but then I noticed it. There were hands all over me. One in each hand, one in my hair, one on each ankle, and I could hear the breath of many sleeping people. Terrified that Gabe had brought me back to play again with his buddies, I shook.

Terror overcame everything, I was alone with Gabe and his buddies and now there was no one to make everything ok. What- suddenly, one of the hands tightened on me, it was the one in my right hand. It was too small to be one of Gabe's hands, or of his buddies. Confusion swept over me and I tried to stop my quaking.

A soft shushing sound came from the person holding my right hand, definitely a woman, my mom?! Was she still alive? Hope running through me I cracked my eyes open, there was a girl, with a silver circlet braided into her hair, wearing a silver coat and pants, she was most definitely NOT my mom.

Hope crushed, I let myself fall into despair, eyes flooding with tears I let loose a mournful wail, and sobbed.

Zoe POV

I woke to something shaking in my hand and muffled sobs. Instantly my hand tightened on the one I was holding. Then the memories of the day before flooded into me, my eyes shot open.

The boy, was lying there staring up at me quaking, then he opened his mouth and released the most Despair filled cry. My eyes widened as his eyes flooded with tears, quickly I scooped him into my arms. By then all the others were up and Artemis and- was that Hades? Were awake and in the tent.

Everyone stared at me as I held the broken boy, my eyes filled with tears as he let loose more cries of loss and despair. Unknowing what to do I looked to the others for help. Artemis, seeing me at a loss for what to do, walked over quickly and scooped the boy up into her arms, cradling him like a newborn.

I watched her sit down with him carefully and I moved closer and looking at Artemis for permission, wrapped my arms around both the boy and my lady. Soon all the hunters, even Apollo joined. Only Hades stood by the tent entry letting his tears fall down his face.

Soon, the boy- I really needed to learn his name soon- stopped wailing and sobbing, resorting to quiet sniffles and small quakes. Then Artemis spoke in the softest voice i'd ever heard from her.

"Hello Percy. My name is Artemis." The boy- Percy apparently- looked up at Artemis. He looked frightened.

"Hello, Miss Artemis." He whispered and closed his eyes tight like he was- like he was expecting to be hit for speaking. I saw red as the thought passed, looking at Artemis she had a similar reaction. That monster had HIT Percy for SPEAKING. That was just- so wrong. We all curled protectively around him.

"Raise your head Percy, and open your eyes, I will not hit you." Artemis whispered. Slowly Percy did as he was told. And I gasped at the beautiful green eyes he had, they were as deep as the ocean and swirled with his emotions like a whirlpool. Instantly I knew he had to be Poseidon's son.

He looked at Lady Artemis with confusion, clearly he did not understand why she hadn't hit him. He opened his mouth to ask a question, but snapped it shut just as fast, furrowing his tiny brows, his little mouth pulled down into a frown. Artemis smiled.

"Speak Percy, ask your questions, it's not fair if i'm the only one, hm?" He looked conflicted, like he was trying to decide on whether or not it was a trick. Finally he un-furrowed his brows a bit and spoke.

"Where am I?" His question came out in one breath and was so quiet that I could barely hear it.

"You are at my camp. We are in the woods a few miles away from New York. These girls are my hunters, the blond man is Apollo my twin brother, and the dark broody one is Hades my uncle." She smiled down at him.

"And you are welcome to stay here with us. What i'm asking is Percy, will you stay with us? Will you let us be your new family?" He stared up at her his green eyes wide and disbelieving, filled to the brim with watery tears. He looked to each one of us for confirmation, everyone nodded 'yes'. He even turned to Hades and when he did, Hades stepped closer, and smiled warmly.

"Hello Percy. I am Hades, have you decided to stay with us? But know that I and Apollo won't be here very often." He nodded yes. He smiled.

"Good, then I have a gift for you." and with that he slowly reached forward, Percy flinched, he waited, and when Percy looked at him again he smiled and gently touched his forehead. A dark glow surrounded him black with hints of purple and blue at the edges, Percy looked at his hands like they were the most amazing thing he'd ever seen. Hades smiled again.

"I give you my blessing Percy. It will give you powers and I will teach you how to control them. As for weapons, Artemis will teach you the ways of bows and arrows as well as knives. I will teach you the ways of the sword." Percy looked like his head might explode from all the information, so I quickly called out his name, not wanting him to cringe away from my hand.

"Percy. Are you hungry?" At that his stomach growled loudly, he blushed in embarrassment, then as if answering his call, EVERYONE'S stomachs growled, it was so absurd we all laughed and two of the hunters volunteered to make food. While everyone started to file out to change and get ready for the day, I watched as Hades and Artemis argued gently over Percy and what color he should wear.

"He's with the hunt, he's wearing silver!" Artemis hissed.

"He has MY blessing, he wears black!" Hades shot back, Percy sat there with the blanket wrapped around him head flying back and forth between the arguing adults. Finally having had enough I pointedly walked between the two bickering gods, drawing their attention, and squatted next to Percy.

"What color do you want to wear? And it doesn't have to be black or silver if you don't want it to be." I asked softly, he looked at me gratefully, then motioned for me to come closer, I did and he whispered in my ear. Grinning I got up and said,

"Right away sir!" and fake saluted him, he giggled. We stopped and watched him giggle, he stopped and looked down when he noticed us staring, smiling I ruffled his hair.

"I like your laugh, you should do it more often." Then I turned around and walked over to the gods dragging them outside the tent yelling over my shoulder for Apollo to use this time to do a check up on him. Once outside I told them what Percy had told me, they both looked put out, smiling I told them my idea, and they eagerly agreed and set to work. It was only a matter of time.

Apollo POV

I looked back at Percy as they left the tent, the kid looked frightened to be left alone with me in the tent in only a blanket. Sighing quietly I walked over to him careful not to make any threatening movements.

"Hey Perce. You don't mind if I call you that right?"-he made a face-"Anyways I am a doctor I need to make sure you're healing right, so can I look at your inju- uh- owies?" I realized I was talking to a four year old and thought about how best to describe what I wanted to do without freaking him out...

He looked at me weirdly, with a hint of distrust, and turned round and slowly let the blanket fall around his waist so I could see his back. Most of the bruising was only a pale green now except around the old broken bones, which were nicely healed. The cuts in his back were pale pink scars that made him flinch when touched. Slowly I turned him around so I could check his front, he resisted a little, but with a reassuring smile, he turned. I almost wanted to cry when I saw that the words engraved in his stomach were most likely never going away. Steeling myself for the hard part, I looked him in the eyes and asked.

"Percy I need to check the places where they touched you too ok. Are you ok with that?" He looked terrified, already inching back a little.

"Percy please, I need to see if there are still- owies- down there." I pleaded. I don't know if it was the pleading or the sincerity in my voice but he slowly nodded. I gave him a small smile. He was shaking as I pulled the blanket the rest of the way off him, exposing him I went as fast as I could, trying to make it as painless as possible and the least scarring. I finished not even three minutes later and quickly covered him. He quaked under the blanket. Wrapping him up I scooped him into my arms and held him whispering reassuring words to him, until I realized he had fallen asleep in my arms.

Artemis POV

Done, we were finally done. It took a lot of arguing but his outfit was FINALLY done. I looked down at it appraisingly before picking it up and scurrying over to my tent where Percy was. On the way one of my hunters, Phoebe, told me that food was done, nodding to her I opened my tent door. Needless to say, I was not expecting the sight I saw.

There sat my brother with the sun reflecting off his golden hair, his eyes closed and arms wrapped tightly around Percy. Percy was swaddled in a blanket asleep in Apollo's arms, the both of them looking angelic in their sleeping countenance. Shaking myself out of my stupor I smiled and took out a camera, snapping my very first photo of Percy and Apollo, or that of any bot really, in my life. Satisfied with the picture I walked over to them and nudged them gently.

"Hey, food's done. Aren't you hungry sleepyhead's?" I whispered. Percy stirred first, yawning he looked to me and I smiled presenting him with his clothes.

"For you." I said. He stared at them like they were the most precious gems in the world, disbelieving that they were for him. I handed them to him. By now Apollo was stirring, he lazily looked to me then the clothes, then to Percy.

"Oh, I guess we should leave and give you some privacy to change huh?" he asked clearly still half asleep. Percy giggled and nodded. I picked Percy up and sat him on a pile of furs, grabbed my brother and dragged him out of the tent, calling over my shoulder to Percy that we'd be right outside and to call if he needed us. After a little while Percy came out and he looked amazing. His small body was dressed in a sea blue with black and silver trimed hunters outfit.