[A/N] It suddenly occurs to me I never put a disclaimer on this fic… Ah well, if Rick comes a callin' I'll be sure to apologise most heartily…

Perspectives as follows:

-A- Armani's perspective

-3- Third Person

Shadows of the Hunt

Chapter 6: Enemies

Scorpius?

I dived into a sideways roll as the great insect attempted to impale me with a claw. "You mean the one Orion fought?"

"Yes!" my mother shouted. I noticed she had dismissed her bow.

"The dead Scorpius?" I turned to Nico. "Tell me that's not what I think it is!" I called.

Nico nodded slowly. "Sorry Armani, but you're dead on."

Clarisse glanced between us angrily. "What? What's going on?"

"That thing is a shade. It's living dead."

Clarisse jumped as the scorpion cleaved its claw sideways through the sand in an attempt to send her flying. She jabbed with her spear in midair and the beast retracted the limb in pain. "So what? Then we make it dead dead!"

"It's not that simple," my mother began as she drew a pair of hunting knives from her boots. "A shade cannot be destroyed by normal means."

"Great! Then how do we kill the damn thing?" the daughter of Ares demanded.

"Decapitation is usually the only way," I said.

Clarisse glanced at the huge beast. "I…am gonna need a bigger spear."

"Get back to the chariot," my mother suddenly said in a low tone. "If this beast is what you say it is—a shade—then the situation has changed and you do not stand a chance. I will hunt it alone." I opened my mouth to object but she shot me a warning glare that immediately made me clam up. "My reindeer will obey you, Armani." The look in her eyes told me that she wasn't asking me nicely.

"Let's move!" I shouted.

"We can't just run away!" Clarisse shouted indignantly.

"You can, and you will!" I roared, and grabbed her by the arm of her shirt as I passed, dragging her with me. "Annabeth, let's move!"

"Right!" the blonde called and sprinted after us, the unconscious huntress slung over her shoulder.

I spared a glance over my shoulder at my mother while I ran.

The contrast between the huge beast and the tiny goddess was great, but something told me I was about to find out exactly why she was the Goddess of the Hunt.

The sand seemed to swirl at her feet as she crouched down and catapulted herself fifty feet straight up above the scorpion's head, her hunting blades glinting in the desert sun as she twirled with impossible grace.

She turned about and, as the scorpion looked up at the small soaring form, she brought both blades down and stabbed them into one of the beast's beady eyes.

A mighty squeal went up from the giant insect's mouth.

Undead or not, it had to hurt as my mother tore upwards, wrenching open the thin black membrane with a spray of green ooze that sizzled on the sands below as it hit. The great beast reared back, giving a great insectiod cry as it batted at its own eye.

I shook the reigns of my mother's chariot and, with an ungraceful shudder, it rose into the air. I held it a safe distance away from the combat area.

Scorpius was waving up at what looked like a small glistening insect as my mother leapt from limb to limb, slashing open gaping wounds in various places with terrifying, insane speed.

As I watched the acrobatic display, I realized for the first time just how much my mother was holding back when she first fought me and was under oath to my uncle not to kill me. If it hadn't been for that oath, I now saw that she could've ground me to dust with one hand.

I watched as she leapt backwards, raised her hands and brought them down into a sickening overhead strike on top of the scorpion's head. The blow echoed over the sands with a dull thunk.

The scorpion shuddered and collapsed onto its belly. For a second I thought it was over, but then it simply pushed itself up again, shaking off the injuries as if they weren't there. Indeed, they seemed to be healing themselves as I watched. I noticed the gash in its eye suddenly close up.

"She can't kill it," Nico said suddenly as my mother continued to fight the great beast. It was clearly getting frustrated with the mighty little firefly.

"She's doing a pretty bang-up job trying," Clarisse responded with grudging respect.

I observed as my mother dropped down and roundhouse kicked the beast with enough force to send it skidding back through the sands. I'm not sure just how much force she was putting into those blows but I could see the sand below shudder and ripple with each smack. But Nico was right; it didn't even seem to be phasing the monster.

I recalled the image Apollo had shown me of the Midas shade. Zoë Nightshade (at least I think that was her name) had fired off a dozen arrows into his back without so much as injuring him—and he was just a politician. We were dealing with a giant mythological beast.

"Well, the Scorpion won't beat her, either," I said. My reasoning was twofold. Firstly, I doubted goddesses tired easily, and secondly the scorpion was slow and cumbersome, whilst Artemis seemed to move like lightning and probably had more brute strength than even the beast did. If it weren't a shade it would more than likely have been dead already. We could very well be out here until doomsday and she'd still be hacking and slashing away at what would by then be an extremely irate bug.

I had realized earlier what was happening, though; the scorpion wasn't trying to fight my mother, it was trying to get past her. Suddenly, Hades' words came back to me. He had said he could give a shade an objective it would follow above all else.

It's after me.

"I've got an idea," Nico suddenly said, his eyes locked on my mother as she continued her deadly dance. "Get us in closer."

"Are you insane?" Annabeth snapped. "If we get in range of that thing-" Nico interrupted before she could finish.

Nico turned to me, "Armani…please, I'm asking you trust me, just this once." I locked eyes with him for a moment and made my choice.

"All right." I shook the reigns and directed the reindeer as best I could.

"We're going to die," Annabeth moaned as we closed in on the scorpion.

I sighed. "Well, no one lives forever."

"Says the immortal Hunter," she muttered back.

"Then I suppose I have more to lose."

"Get us above it, above the head!" Nico said and I—somewhat ungracefully—managed to get the chariot to swerve up and around the beast until we were right above its head. When I turned back from piloting my eyes nearly popped out my head as I saw what Nico was up to.

"Nico! What in Hades do you think you're doing?" I demanded as I saw the half-blood climb onto the side of the chariot.

He paused as his dark eyes met mine, a small, sad smile on his face. "Making amends."

He jumped.

"NICO!" Annabeth shouted, but it was far too late to catch him. He was already flying down towards the head of the beast.

I saw my mother glance up as Nico drew his dark blade in midair. He raised the sword above his head, and used the momentum to drive it through the beast's exoskeleton and right into its head, up to the hilt.

In that instant the entire creature froze dead. Its roar died in its throat (or whatever it had that equated to a throat). The entire desert was suddenly enveloped in this eerie quiet.

Suddenly something odd happened. As I watched, the creatures yellow skin seemed to gain color. It had been a dull yellow; now it was suddenly a rich, shiny gold.

Then, as if just noticing it had been stabbed, the beast began violently thrashing and shaking in something akin to a panic.

I watched as Nico held on for dear life, the scorpion stabbing violently down with its tail at its own head. Artemis leapt up into the air and axe kicked the stinger back up an instant before it could skewer the demigod.

Suddenly the creature slowed its shaking and slumped down onto its chest.

I noticed then it seemed to begin trailing off sparkling blue dust that fled into the sky in all directions. It was one of the most eerily beautiful sights I had ever seen as the great Scorpius shade turned first to grey, and then evaporated into brilliant, sparkling stardust.

As it faded, my mother grabbed hold of Nico as the ground under him disappeared. The chariot suddenly lurched forward as if on autopilot and swung by the fading beast's head. The goddess leapt off with the half-blood under her arm and landed safely in the carriage beside us.

I turned control over to my mother after offering her a steadying arm, which she kindly declined. Nico, however, needed slightly more assistance, as he screamed in agony when Clarisse patted him on the back in congratulations.

"W-What?" The Ares girl gasped.

I immediately recognized the slumped posture. After falling off of a motorcycle several times, I knew it well. "He's dislocated his shoulder," I sighed. I whispered something to Annabeth and she gripped his good side firmly.

"You did great, Nico," she began, then pointed suddenly into the distance. "Look, Nico, a unicorn!"

In the second he turned to look, I grasped his limp arm and thrust it back into the socket.

I'm glad I don't wear glasses, as they would've shattered at the high pitched squeal that tore from his throat. It was so bad even my mother seemed to be trying the clear the ringing out of her ears.

"Damn it, Armani!" he shouted with tears in his eyes. "What in Tartarus did you do that for?"

I shrugged. "It's the best way to put a dislocated shoulder back in. How do you normally do it?"

He raised his eyebrows desperately. "It's never happened to me before!"

"Wow," Clarisse began. "Happens to me at least once a month."

"Yeah? Well, sue me for being a careful half-blood!"

"How would you suggest we get your shoulder back in, then?"

"We have ambrosia," my mother said, not turning around as she steered us on.

Clarisse and I glanced at each other. "Oh…yeah… Never thought of that, but then it's always worst the first time around."

Clarisse nodded. Obviously we were both feeling as stupid as the other. "Yeah, helps build character. You won't always have ambrosia around, Nico."

Nico just grumbled. Tears of pain fell from his eyes; his shoulder would be throbbing for a couple of days. "I still can't believe you did that!"

"I cannot believe you actually thought there was a unicorn," my mother interjected.

Nico didn't argue; it was, after all, a very good point.

"But what happened?" Clarisse asked, bringing us back to more important matters.

Nico raised his black sword with his uninjured arm. "Stygian iron; capable of controlling the dead and also of expelling them. You saw how the scorpion's color turned bright at the end?"

We all nodded and paid attention; this was, after all, Nico's area of expertise. "Well, I learned from my dad that a shade is imbued with a small amount of life. Before it disappears, it's sort of alive for those few seconds, as long as the stygian iron is embedded in it."

I paused to get my head around it. "So, you're saying that when you stabbed it with that sword, you effectively made it live to death?"

Nico nodded. "I guessed that if stabbing something living with Stygian iron could effectively link it with the Underworld and cause it to wither and die, then the opposite would happen to a shade."

I smiled as I got it. "You mean sever its connection to the Underworld?"

He nodded. "It then reverted to its natural life force for the little time it had left."

I suddenly realized why Scorpius had reacted the way he had when his color came back. "That's why the scorpion went berserk?"

The half-blood inclined his head. "It was effectively alive for a few seconds."

Clarisse smirked. "Alive and with a sword embedded in your head, how would you react?"

Suddenly something else occurred to me. "But Nico, that was brilliant!"

Annabeth nodded. "Yeah, even I wouldn't have thought of something like that. How did you know it would work?"

He fell silent for a moment. "I didn't. I just had to hope it would."

"It was foolish," Artemis suddenly spoke up.

Nico's eyes fell. "Yes, Lady Artemis…"

"You could have killed yourself!" she scolded, still not looking back.

"I know, Lady Artemis..."

I couldn't help but notice how formal he had become with her.

"Still…it was…an impressive deduction, given the circumstances…as foolish, impulsive and typically male as your actions were."

Was there a compliment hidden somewhere in there? I suppose I'll just leave them to mend their own bridges.

"Yup," Clarisse began, batting him on the shoulder. "Gutsy of you, kid. We'll make a warrior out of you yet!"

I left Nico to bask in his sheepishness as I stood up by my mother. There were more important matters at hand for now. "We need to get Aren somewhere shaded."

She nodded and Annabeth stood up. "Lady Artemis? Do the Hunters have somewhere in Vegas to stop?"

Nico laughed. "Do you have like your own penthouse suite reserved or something?"

The goddess tensed, and I knew why. The thought of it made me shudder, too. "We are not going into Vegas," I said tensely. I could joke about the place, sure, but quite frankly the mere thought of it made me nauseous.

"Huh?" Clarisse asked. "Why?"

I answered for my mother. "I don't want to sound snobby or anything, so will you bear with me?" The daughter of Ares inclined her head. "All right…the mere thought of going into that place, surrounded by all that mindless debauchery and all that seething lust and greed quite honestly makes me feel sick."

My mother nodded approvingly. "I will not grace that place with my presence, and nor will I condone either my child or my Hunter to be in such an appalling environment."

I saw Clarisse about to object, but I just shook my head and she went silent. "Mother, let's see if we can find us a Motel Seven or something on the outskirts."

She inclined her head. "That will be sufficient."

Annabeth nodded. "Okay, just promise me you won't tell Thalia when we find her." I noticed she said 'when'. I guess our victory had inspired some optimism.

I smiled. "Why's that?"

Her eyebrows rose in mock horror. "Are you kidding? Do you have any idea what Thalia would do to me if she found out I let the Goddess of the Hunt stay at a Motel Seven?"

I forced a laugh as I bent down to examine the unconscious huntress. The humor died instantly. Now that our adrenaline rush had worn off, her condition seemed even worse.

"Armani?" Annabeth asked.

"She should be fine. If it weren't for the fact we have nectar and ambrosia with us right now, I'd be rushing her to a mortal hospital for emergency treatment," I said. I poured a small amount of the liquid into her mouth and held it until she instinctively swallowed.

"We need to get her somewhere cool and bring her around with some more nectar, and then she just needs a lot of fluids. We can't rehydrate someone with nectar alone. As you know, an overdose will have quite the opposite effect."

"Aren will survive," Artemis suddenly said. "She has served me well these past centuries, and I assure you she will not die from something like this." The faith she had in the huntress reassured me.

"There…", my mother said, and I straightened up to see where we were heading.

There was a motel ahead of the most clichéd caliber: Peeling paint; a large, broken, neon 'Color TV' sign; murky swimming pool; the works…

"Perfect," I said, a small smile on my lips.

-A-

My mother landed in the parking lot. When I looked back, I found I had to focus to see her chariot through the Mist. Otherwise I saw exactly what it would look like to mortals: a silver minibus with the words Girl Scouts of America emblazoned on the side.

We strolled into the foyer, Aren resting on Clarisse's back. I walked up to the desk and hit the bell—which, just to complete the run-down hotel cliché, was one of those old brass ones.

The whole establishment had a seedy look to it, like one of those places that the owner thought would probably look like a Hawaiian paradise twenty years ago and now just looked like…well, I try not to use that kind of language. It was all blue paint, tropical fish tanks and fake palm tree stickers.

An equally clichéd man in a bowler hat and white waistcoat over a stained vest trudged up to the counter, a cigar between his teeth under a bushy mustache. "Yeah?" he asked, not looking up from the newspaper in his hands.

I suddenly sensed a seething anger from my left and I didn't need to look to know that my mother's anger was starting to skyrocket. I got the feeling if he even dared to look at her, she'd turn him into some kind of slimy rodent.

She was ironic that way.

I sidestepped, obscuring the view just in case. "Excuse me, sir? We'd like a room for the day."

He glanced up and frowned angrily. "The day?"

I shook my head. "Sorry, we'd like to spend the night."

"Got a reservation? We got a wedding coming through tomorrow, fully booked," he grunted.

I felt something large and murderous building behind me, and if it weren't for my compassion for living things I'd have gotten out of the way and let my mother have her way with the guy. "No…but I'm sure we can come to some kind of…arrangement." His ear seemed to twitch at the word and he glanced up at me from his paper.

"Yeah? What you got in mind?"

Annabeth stepped forwards, her hand moving to her bag. "Here, let me handle this one, my father—" I cut her off with a wave of my hand and laughed.

"No, no, no. Apollo's got this one," I said as I withdrew a shiny platinum card with a large golden sun plastered on it from my back pocket. I sensed my mother's rage lower slightly and become tinged with faint amusement.

The man squinted at the card; the Mist would show him whatever logo he wanted to see, and would transfer the necessary funds requested. Mortal currency was nothing to gods, after all. "Solar Club... Platinum Amex?" he read off.

I smiled slightly. "I have a Discover Card if you'd prefer me to—" but he cut me off sharper than he could have if he'd had a sword.

"NO! No...Now, what kind of arrangement are we talking about?" he said, plastering a yellow smile on his face.

I shrugged my shoulders. "How's five grand for the night sound?" It didn't matter to me, I could've said a hundred bajillion if I cared, although I suspected the sudden transferring of all the world's money into a small motel owner's bank account might have been questioned. It would be Apollo who'd suffer the consequences from Zeus, and I really didn't want to do that to him, as much as he frustrated me.

The hotel owner nearly choked on his cigar. "Y-you serious? F-five thousand?" He frowned guardedly. "Why here then? Why ain't you in the Ritz or something?"

"I'm an insanely rich young billionaire with a gambling problem, need I say more?"

He nodded quickly. I could have said "I'm a young Irish master criminal and these are my fairy friends" and I suspect he'd still be nodding with that stupid smile on his face. "Of course, of course, horrible place, Vegas. You're much better here, young sir."

"I'm glad you're so sympathetic of my problem."

"Oh, yes…but…payment in advance, of course," he said, waving his hands towards himself.

Mortal greed, how splendidly predictable...

I smiled. "Of course," I said and duly allowed him to swipe the plastic and confirm the credit on the card. A second later his eyes lit up like a boy who'd just got that new game console for Christmas. "Welcome to Hotel Paradiso! May I help you with your bags?" he said as he reached for Clarisse's shoulder, where Aren rested, surrounded in the Mist and disguised as a rucksack.

A sharp wave of revulsion came over me that I couldn't control as the man's yellowed, greasy hand reached towards the prone Hunter.

I suddenly realized that the girl would never forgive me if she ever found out I allowed someone like him to lay a hand on her person. My own hand snapped up and grabbed his wrist in a painfully tight vice grip. "That will not be necessary. My room key, please." He nodded mutely and fumbled for a key from the rack with his free hand. He tossed it at me and I snatched it deftly out of the air. "Thank you," I said tersely, and the man nodded mutely in fear as we turned and filed out the foyer.

-A-

As we entered the twin room I had Clarisse hand Aren to my mother.

"Go find fluids, as much as you can—food, too. She needs sustenance. Use the vending machines outside."

The others nodded, but then Nico patted down his pockets. "Umm… You got any change?"

I glanced at Clarisse. "It's only glass and plastic," I shrugged.

She smirked playfully. "Reading you on FM, Armani."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "I'll go get some ice. Nico, come help."

I nodded. "We'll get Aren comfortable." And on that they dispersed to complete their assigned tasks.

And again I was left alone with my god-mother.

"Thank you for respecting her dignity," I heard her say as we laid the small girl down on the bed.

"We've had our differences, but there are times when they just don't matter anymore. You won't believe it, but she actually tried to be nice to me…"

"She may be strong-willed and stubborn in her beliefs, but neither is she shallow enough to refuse to admit when she's wrong."

As I stared down at the unconscious girl, I realized there was something I had to say. "I'm sorry."

My mother went silent for a second in confusion. "Whatever for?"

"I broke my word to her," I said solemnly, staring down at the petit huntress. "I swore that I'd protect your honor. When Nico said those things to you…" I gave a short, humorless laugh. "If your Hunters had been there, they'd have strung him up before he'd even finished a sentence. But I just stood there. I'm so sorry, mother."

"I am touched by the concerns of both you and my Hunters, Armani, I truly am. But I do not need others to fight my battles for me."

"But still—"

"-Do you consider Nico di Angelo a friend?" she interrupted suddenly, still staring down at Aren.

I paused. "Yes, I suppose when it comes down to it I do."

She nodded. "I personally chose Bianca di Angelo to join the Hunters. And I love all of my Hunters, even if they are only with me for the briefest of times. He still grieves for her, and that I can respect. His words simply cursed fate for taking away someone he loved…someone whom I loved as well. I also wished to show something to you."

I frowned. "To me?"

She nodded. "I wished to prove to you that I was not as ruled by my ego as many of the other gods…and also that I am not as…inflexible as they can be…as they usually are."

I blinked. "Is that why you apologized to him?"

She paused in thought. "It was one of the reasons."

So the only reason she didn't go divine on him was...but that begs a question.

I raised a finger. "Might I ask you something?"

She gave a small smile. "Of course, Armani."

"Hypothetically…what exactly would you have done if he had said all those things and I wasn't there? Just supposedly."

She pursed her lips in thought. "I would still have allowed him to live, as the source of his grief was the death of a Hunter, but…"

Here it comes…

Suddenly she quirked an eyebrow up. "Do you like jackalopes?" she asked.

I frowned. "Not especially."

She inclined her head in response. "Then you would not have especially liked what I was planning to do to him."

I gulped. It was so easy to forget exactly what she was when we talked so calmly like this, but then she would remind me.

I fell silent, and it was Artemis who broke the silence. "You did not dishonor me."

"Mother?"

She was looking oddly shy for a goddess. "You were there afterwards, when I needed you. For that I thank you."

I did not wish to embarrass her further, so I simply smiled. "Whenever you need me."

We both turned to Aren as she gasped and tossed slightly. Her clothes were damp with sweat and her face was rosy red. I scowled. "Strange, the symptoms resemble sun stroke. Whatever incapacitated her must've had the side effect of badly dehydrating her to get to this point so quickly," I said as I tilted her small head back to give her some more nectar. She settled down a moment later.

I stood up. "When Annabeth and Clarisse come back, make sure she gets plenty of fluids. I'd rather not risk raising her body temperature with more nectar."

"Where are you going?"

I shuffled nervously. "She can't remain in those sweat-soaked clothes. I have a spare set similar to my own in my bag; I'm sure you can do something mystical to make them fit."

She nodded. "Will she require any more assistance?"

I shook my head. She was obviously oblivious to medicine. I guessed amongst the Hunters she wasn't the healer. "Just what I said. Unless you'd prefer I changed her clothes?" It wasn't a question.

She raised a single auburn eyebrow. "I believe such a thing would distress her somewhat."

I nodded. "Nico and I will be waiting outside."

-A-

I sat outside with Nico as the girls (and goddess) took care of Aren, who was making a startlingly fast recovery. I guess I could thank my mother's power for that.

I could tell Nico was still upset. He seemed the sort to dwell on guilt, but I'd be lying if I simply said all of this wasn't his fault. I supposed it was one of those situations where only he could forgive himself.

I sighed. The silence was uncomfortable. Nico stood up and began pacing. "You think she's doing okay?"

It was the seventeenth time (I'd been counting) that he'd asked this, or a variation of it, in the past half hour. I inclined my head. "I wouldn't worry. I checked in on her a while ago, and she's accepting fluids fine now. Given her constitution she should be up and about soon."

He rubbed his brow. "Speaking of fluids, you want anything? I'm gonna go get something from what's left of the vending machine."

I waved the offer off; I'd had enough ill-gotten beverages to keep me going for the day…

-3-

Nico bent down to pick up a pair of cokes from the wreckage of the machine. Clarisse had taken pleasure in smashing it to bits. His dark eyes widened in shock as he was suddenly filled with the insane urge to hit someone, to smash something up and pound a guy into the dirt.

"Nico, ain't it?"

The demigod leaped to his feet and spun around. Casually leaning against a support post was a tall man in torn jeans, a leather waistcoat and a Stars and Stripes bandanna. He smirked from behind a pair of black sunglasses.

Nico's hand was drawn to the hilt of his sword. "Who's asking?" he asked in as intimidating a voice as he could muster.

"You mean you don't know?" the man asked. He lowered his glasses and let Nico see the flames where his eyes should have been. The demigod tore his sword free on reflex.

"Ares," he breathed.

He raised a hand. "Hey, chill. I'm only here to make sure you stay out of the way. See, to be honest, you kind of creep my lady friend out a bit."

"What? What are you talking about?"

The war god sighed drearily. "I really don't want to be here, but she insisted I tag along to keep you kids out of her hair while she does her thing."

Nico frowned. "Her who? What thing?"

He just smirked. "Nothing you need to worry about, li'l Hades boy, she just wants to have a nice chat with your friend through there."

Nico's eyes widened. "Armani?"

"That his name? Wasn't really paying attention back at Olympus."

Nico tightened his grip on the Stygian blade. "Get out of my way, Ares!"

The god's eyebrows rose from behind his sunglasses. "Or what?" he said, drawing a sawn-off shotgun from inside his jacked which. As he gripped the stock, it transformed into a huge, flaming, two handed bronze broadsword. "Trust me, kid, this'll only take a moment, so why don't you just relax and I'll be out your hair in a sec. But if you insist, I'd be delighted to gut you like a trout."

Nico hesitated. It was one thing to summon the undead to fight other half-bloods or beasts, but would it be enough to stop the god of war? "What about Artemis? She won't just stand by while something happens to Armani!"

Ares scoffed. "She's never managed to stop her before when she goes after one of the Hunters. This won't be any different. I just gotta make sure you kids don't get in her way."

"What's in it for you, Ares?"

His grin widened. "She promised to make it 'worth my while', and when Aphrodite promises that, trust me, kid, you're in for a world of fun."

"Aphrodite!"

-A-

I was running a whetstone over my blade when a strange scent filled the air, sweet and sickly, like something trying to imitate every nice smell I knew and failing horribly. I frowned and glanced up.

I bolted to my feet in shock and immediately took on a defensive stance.

A familiar woman wearing a revealing black cocktail dress was standing not ten feet away. She was frowning to herself. "I still can't do those damned nature smells!" she muttered angrily. "Why can't you Hunters just like normal things?"

Aphrodite…

I gritted my teeth. "I guess you just can't do pure, then, can you?"

She pouted. "Oh, now don't be like that Armani. It was Armani, wasn't it?" she asked in an all-too-friendly manner.

"What happened to 'abomination'?"

She giggled. "Oh, come now, that was just business. I'd much rather we talk as friends, Armani."

"You know," I said drily, "I have a sneaking suspicion you're not being entirely sincere."

She put a pitying look on her face. "Oh, you poor boy, so cold and lonely inside," she said as she approached slowly and cupped my cheek. I flinched back as if electrocuted.

"I-I'm fine, thank you, Lady Aphrodite," I said as I turned to walk away.

"I mean you no harm. I cannot act against you outside of my jurisdiction. Or do you not believe me?"

I paused. "Let's just say I've heard some pretty nasty tales."

Aphrodite scoffed. "Pah! You've just been prejudiced by Artemis. It's all in perspective."

"Didn't you once make one of my mother's followers fall in love with a bear?"

She waved it off. "It was in retaliation for an insult, perfectly justified."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah, and Apollo told me what you did to Oedipus."

She raised a finger. "Ah! Now to be fair, that was Eros' fault. The fool was drunk and missed with his arrow. And boy, I still haven't lived that one down"

I sighed. "Just what do you want with me, Aphrodite?"

She gave a smile that she probably meant to be kind, but it utterly terrified me. "I just came here to give you a gift…a very important gift."

I narrowed my eyes and continued turning away. "Not interested… Sorry you wasted your trip." I abruptly ran square into her bosom. She had materialized right in front of me.

I would've staggered back had her hand not found the small of my back and yanked me right up to her chest. Her other hand came up and brushed a bang out of my face, tracing my jawline with a manicured fingertip.

Her breath smelled like roses and I froze in absolute terror. "Now, now, didn't you know it's rude to refuse the token of a lady's affection?" she whispered.

Then she kissed me.

The effect was so devastating to me I can only describe it as though my very soul had been struck by lightning.

She released me with a warm smile on her face. "Oh, so sweet, was that your first?"

I grasped a hand over my chest as a surge of heat flooded through my body. There was a red haze of light over my skin, muting the silver sheen I had become accustomed to. I gasped in shock and stared at her. My entire body was shaking, and suddenly I began to notice new things about her; the brilliant eyes, wonderful smile, the swell of her bosom, her shapely-

NO!

My instincts went crazy and I dropped to my knees, alien feelings surging through my body…I didn't understand them…I didn't want to…

Wrong!

"Oh, now, don't fight, little one…"

Alien!

I gasped…she was so… beauti-

Stop!

I collapsed face forward into the earth and managed to look up as she frowned down at me. "I said, don't fight! Those feelings are the most natural things in the world!"

What…something's…what's happening?

The song…it was blurred. I couldn't feel the nature around me. It was hidden behind a cloud of hazy lust and surging hormones…but there was something worse. Something was dying inside.

NoNoNoNoNo!

Something deeper, something I couldn't place, below the nature, at the core of my being, was melting away. A well of sorrow and despair was opening up.

I felt like a fragment of my soul was being torn away, a part I didn't even know about.

Someone help…please…anyone…

I was aware of her scowling. "Listen, I can make you fall in love with whoever or whatever I see fit. I would rather you choose naturally and be happy!"

Gods, someone help me…

Something at my core was dying…

Her face turned enraged. "Why are you resisting love? I'm just showing you what it's like to feel!"

I rolled onto my side, grasping at my chest as I felt my soul burn; there were desperate tears in my eyes.

Somebody…Nico, Annabeth, Clarisse…

MOTHER!

-3-

Aren stirred, her brow clenching as she strained to open her eyes. Her face lit up happily as she saw Artemis looking down at her. "Lady…Artemis?"

The goddess nodded, a warm smile on her face. "Welcome back, Aren."

Aren's eyes widened. "What happened?" she gasped, trying to bolt upright. The goddess placed a small hand on her chest, and, gently but firmly, pushed her back down.

"Rest, dear one. You may tell your tale when you have recovered your strength. Do this for me, please"

The blonde girl smiled tiredly and nodded. Artemis turned to Annabeth and motioned for her to approach.

"Here, Aren, you'd best drink this," she said as she helped her drink down a bottle of water, mixed with a very small amount of nectar. "Just in small doses, Aren, be careful. We don't want you to get sick."

She drank the concoction gratefully. "W-where am I?"

"A motel outside Vegas," Annabeth said. "We're on a quest to rescue you and the other Hunters."

Aren's eyes widened. The nectar was taking effect quickly as Annabeth handed her another beverage. "You came on a quest, Lady Artemis?"

She nodded. "I would have come for you had the quest demanded I not. Are you strong enough to speak, Aren? Can you remember anything?"

She gulped down a mouthful of water. "I was hunting… I had separated from the others to find supper. I was about to take down a deer when…"she paused for a moment, struggling to remember. "… I was suddenly engulfed in a cloud of strange-smelling smoke. And then...I woke up here."

"Some kind of gas?" Clarisse asked.

Annabeth nodded. "It would seem that way."

Aren shook her head. "But I heard no one coming. Whoever it was must've sneaked up on me with such stealth and silence it defies belief. I swear I didn't-"

Artemis squeezed her hand. "We cast no aspersions on your skills, child. Your sisters have also been captured."

"The others have?" she gasped in shock.

Artemis nodded. "Yes, Aren, but I believe them to still be alive somewhere, else the prophecy and this quest would not have come about. Do you think yourself strong enough to join us on our journey?"

The girl nodded without hesitation. "Of course, Lady Artemis."

The goddess smiled. "I am proud-" her eyes widened in shock and she trailed off into silence.

"Lady Artemis?" Aren asked.

Suddenly the goddess' entire body rippled, the force sending her skidding backwards on her feet and onto her knees. Her hands grasped her lower abdomen as if someone had just violently punched her as she collapsed with a shout of pain.

"Lady Artemis!" Aren cried, ignoring her weakness and bolting onto her feet.

The goddess was gasping in pain, her eyes wide as if seeing something somewhere else. "Something's… Something's wrong…" another ripple of energy and she clutched her chest again. "No! It can't be!"

Aren moved to help her goddess but was restrained by Annabeth as another pulse of energy wracked her body.

Her breaths were turning from panicked to enraged with each exhale as she pushed herself to her feet. "NO," she said in a guttural growl.

With each breath, her outline was starting to glow with silver light which seemed to burst into a flame as she stood to full height. Her eyes burned into the door as the silver fire licked along her body.

"Lady Artemis?" Aren almost choked in shock.

"No…" The goddess repeated, her teeth bared in a snarl as she extended her will at the door in front of her.

-3-

Aphrodite's attention was disrupted as one of the doors to the upper level rooms exploded off its hinges and flew across the courtyard. A silver streak shot out of the darkness and skidded to a halt next to the collapsed half-blood.

Artemis grabbed hold of Armani's face and stared into his dulled silver eyes. "No…" she breathed. She didn't turn towards the love goddess as she spoke. "Let him go, Aphrodite!"

The goddess of love merely scoffed. "And why should I? I'm well within my domain here. I'm the goddess of love and he's a being who didn't know any. It was my place to help. Oh, and I love the glowing thing. Normally when I do this all you do is just stand there and shout. So why don't you get it all out of your system so you can go crying back to daddy?"

She didn't turn away from Armani. "I'm warning you Aphrodite… Let. Him. GO," she said, her tone low and warning. There seemed to be a different animal's growl laced into each of her breaths. Her aura flared into an inferno around her as she crouched down.

"I'm saying no. How about you, Ares?" she asked tauntingly.

"Hmm, I don't care one way or the other, I was just wondering what the bang was," the war god said as he strolled into the courtyard, Nico shadowing him cautiously.

"Oh, just poor little Arty venting," she said. The goddess in question stayed crouched down, oddly silent now.

Ares shook his head and strolled towards the crouching goddess. "Now, now, Artemis, why don't you just let Aphrodite do her thing and-"

Artemis' head snapped towards the war god, her eyes nothing put pools of blazing silver light.

Ares froze dead. Artemis let out a roar that sounded suspiciously like a cougar and slashed out at the air towards him. A stream of silver light erupted from her aura and struck Ares head-on, slamming him straight through the rooms opposite.

The stream of light tore upwards through the roof, collapsing the structure down on top of the god of war.

Artemis stood, still half crouched as she turned towards Aphrodite, poised like a predator ready to strike. That stream began to retract, but stopped and hung in the air, trailing behind her right shoulder. A second emerged and rose up into the air on her left, like a pair of glowing, ethereal tails.

The look of smug satisfaction had melted off the face of the goddess of love. "A-Artemis? Come on now…you know the rules…" she tried to sound confident, but failed badly as she stared into the goddess' furious eyes.

"Ten…"

-3-

"Lady Artemis!" Aren shouted, and made to leap over the barrier into the courtyard. It took both Clarisse and Annabeth to hold her back. Weakened or not, a determined Hunter was a force to be reckoned with. "Let me go! Lady Artemis might need my help!"

Clarisse dug her heels in. "Does she look like she needs any help right now? She just floored my father without even touching him!"

Tears were welling up in her eyes. "But she's in pain!"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that…" A smooth voice from the side suddenly spoke up. Everyone turned to find a familiar blond-haired woman with a clipboard, taking notes as she watched the proceedings.

Annabeth gasped. "Mom!"

"Hello, dear. How's the quest going?" she asked conversationally.

"Lady Athena!" Aren said desperately. "Please, what's wrong with Lady Artemis?"

"Mother, what is going on?"

A small smile twitched on the corner of the wisdom goddess' mouth. "This, my dear, is what I've been waiting for."

In that second, Artemis opened her mouth and said the one thing that showed just how much trouble the goddess of love had gotten herself into.

"…Zero."

To be continued…

-XA-

[A/N] Hope you're having fun thus far and I'll catch you all in Chapter 7: Primal