Chapter 5

Just as I was leaving the hospital room a little voice in my mind told me that nothing good would become of me in this state of anger, especially without Annabeth by my side. Too bad I ignored it, because a little nagging from my sensible side would have been really useful over the events of the last couple of hours. I'm still a little bit fuzzy, but here goes…

I stormed out of the hospital with a clear plan in mind. Okay, a clear destination, the whole 'what I was going to do' part of my plan hadn't quite been figured out yet. People practically jumped aside to let me go, and I didn't even stop to take a taxi, it wasn't far, and with New York traffic, I'd probably be faster at the speed I was going right now. Besides, I was going straight to Artemis' hunters and no one was going to stop me.

I arrived at the large clearing where they had set up came in under ten minutes. I blinked a little, the mist surrounding their camp was stronger than most (thanks, Thalia…) but I could see through it all the same. I don't know how they fit them into such little space, I mean they could only take up so much of the park, but there seemed to be at least 100 silvery-glowing tents, definitely more than when Artemis had recruited Bianca for her hunters, so long ago. I looked around and suddenly a plan formulated in my head, it was crazy, but it might just work. He strode right up and into a near by tent, hoping that whoever was in their was just sleeping or something. I was in luck; there was a young girl, quietly reading her book in a comfortable looking set-up bed that looked far too large to fit through the tents entrance. She glanced up on surprise at me and then immediately drew her dagger and approached. I might be a little rusty compared to my Chrysaor days, but I wasn't about to be bested by a twelve year old girl, I mean, I wasn't that bad. I had her pinned in about 5 seconds but purposefully didn't cover her mouth, and just as she took a deep breath, ready to let out a high pitched scream and alert her fellow hinters, she smirked slightly at me, as if thinking, 'Oh stupid boys, they don't know anything, this idiot forgot to cover my mouth and now I'm going to get all of the hunters to come to my rescue.' Okay, maybe not exactly that, but I'd spent enough time with Zoe, Thalia, a couple of Thalia's hunter friends, and even Artemis herself, to know that they were probably thinking something along those lines. Jesus, I need to stop hanging out with a group of girls who hate men… You know, since I'm a man…. Anyway, so she yelled and it took about 15 seconds (how did they do that so fast) for all the hunters to be gathered in front of us, outside her tent, complete with loosely flung on armour, wicked looking blades, and killer glares. So, they looked pretty much the same as always. Artemis stepped forward and I let the poor girl go, I didn't want to hurt anyone, after all, that would never have been a part of my, stupid, yet I-think-it-might-just-work, plan. Artemis stepped closer and rubbed her eyes, seemingly brushing off her drowsiness.

"Percy?" She blinked slowly. "Is that you?" Her tone went from surprised to harsh and stern. "What is the hades is the meaning of this?" Artemis must have been really good because she saw my eyes flick towards the river that the hunters were currently convened in front of, just for a second, and instantly seemed to understand what I was going to do. With incredible speed she spun around and started yelling to her hunters, but it was too late. The entire force of Artemis's hunter were floating around in the river, well 5 feet above the river, encased in a giant air bubble, and lots of water. Artemis gasped and wheeled back around to face me. And boy, did she look mad.

"Perseus Jackson, I demand you tell me what you think you're doing, right now." She turned and looked back at her hunters and she seemed to realize exactly what kind of position she was in at the moment, as she turned back to me her face seemed to have aged 20 years. Literally. Artemis was no longer the 12-year-old girl whose body she assumed when she was around her hunters, and she was much, much, much, more scary like this.

"Lift the curse." I demanded, purposefully ignoring Thalia's extremely angry yelling, which I thankfully couldn't hear past the water. Artemis was intimidating even when she was confused, but I wasn't going to let anything get in the way. Maybe I was acting from my grief, or whatever, but I had just lost an entire tiny human, thanks to her, and I'd be dammed if she was going to hurt my family any more. I paused for just a second. My family. That sounded so good in my head. It had been just Annabeth and I for so long, not that that was a bad thing, just, the thought of having a proper family had filled me with happiness. Until I looked back at the furious hunters and it all disappeared once more.

"What curse, Percy? What are you talking about?" She had an arrow notched, but I knew she wouldn't fire it before her hunters were safe.

"Annabeth's pregnant. You met us when we were 13. Now. Lift. The. Curse." Realisation rapidly dawned on the goddess' face, and she seemed a little horrified, but that was quickly replaced by an arrogant expression; she wasn't an Olympian for nothing.

"What makes you think I will lift it for you? After many daughters of Athena's have befallen to its effects." Her smile was cold. "Despite what you might think, Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase is just an ordinary demigod, just another daughter of Athena, nothing special at all." I snorted, I couldn't help it. It was just the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard. Maybe she was trying to anger me, or taunt me, but it didn't work, because, I mean, come on, Annabeth and ordinary just don't belong in the same sentence unless there are about 5 'not's.

"What makes me think that you will, huh?" I pretended to think for a second, "uh, maybe the fact that I have like all of your hunters over a river? Maybe that?" She sighed, and looked at me wearily, as if I was still a child, which I probably am to her, I guess. "Alright, perhaps I will, but it'll take at least a fortnight, and I can't promise anything." Internally I grinned a bit, knowing that this was the best I would have got anyway, but on the outside I wasn't about to let that go, I mean Artemis, one of the kindest (to women, at least), most levelheaded Olympians, caused Annabeth and I so much pain, which is something I definitely wouldn't have expected from her. She had always been especially nice to us after we rescued her, and she just never would have crossed my mind as the petty, I'll ruin a thousand people's lives to get back at an immortal god, type of, well, god. Oh lord, I think I'm going crazy, anyway, I gave a small nod, treated the hunters to a nice swim, and left before they beat up, which I had no doubt they would.

AN: Sorry for… there are so many things maybe I should make a list… Seriously, I am so so so so sorry for the long wait and the crappy ending of this chapter and the length of this chapter and just for this chapter in general… But it will be getting tres much better, yeah? PLEASE R&R- LOVE YOU!