Chapter 5

The blade flew through the air and smacked into the target hilt first. Calypso gave a small grin; she had finally perfected the art of hitting things with the hilt when she wanted to.

It had been countless years since the first Titan war, but to this day she had never forgiven herself for the things she had done. No, she had not forgiven herself.

She jumped, startled as a hand pried her fingers off her necklace. She whirled to see the sympathetic face of Percy Jackson. He gripped her hand in his own and pulled her into an embrace. She sighed and eased her head onto his shoulder. Percy Jackson, the hero that gave her a second chance. He traced his finger across her neck where her necklace had bit deep into her flesh from the pressure she had exerted on it.

"What's wrong?" He asked and pulled back to arm's length.

"Nothing." She said. "I just don't like the hunters."

He looked her in the eyes for a few more moments and then looked away like he wanted to say something but couldn't bring himself to say the words.

"Alright, I just came by to see if you wanted me to save you a seat at the table?"

"Yeah, that would be great, Percy," she smiled and released his hand, turning away to retrieve her daggers. Percy knew that she would be joining him at the table for the meeting. All of them would be, but he offered to save her a seat, probably right next to his, which she was happy about. The two of them had grown close over their sentence, and with only one more day left in their sentence, they would finally be able to return to the camp. A sanctuary from the danger of the world, and then who knows what might happen.

She retrieved her daggers and turned to the door. Percy had left already, to go to the meeting room no doubt. He and Artemis had much to discuss. She flipped off the lights and left the target range behind her, weaving her way through the corridors to her barracks. She crossed by Nikolai's room as Jacob left and just grimaced at his face. He gave her a nod then jerked his head towards Nik's room and took off down the hall to find Tammy.

Calypso stuck her head into Nikolai's room and shook her head sympathetically. He was clutching the hunter's 'gift' to him, either ignorant to or relishing the pain that the silver caused to his flesh. The piece had burned his hands badly, the blisters were already cracking.

"Nik," she said as she crossed to him and took the cuff from his hands and put it on the bed before pulling him into a hug. "It will be okay Nik. The hunters will be gone soon and we can finally go to camp and live safe."

He pulled back and looked her in the eyes. "No," he rasped, the pain from the silver or his mental state clear in his voice. "They will never accept me. Not for who I am. You and Percy they will forgive and take in. You have proven yourself, but me. I'll never be accepted for who my family is."

She smacked him softly, but she could tell it stung nonetheless. "Nikolai! You take that back right now. Don't you dare insult your family! We are your family!"

He gave a grin and hugged her again. "Thanks Cal. That was a big risk you took just now. What if Yargesh took over?"

"He wouldn't have done anything because unlike you, he knows I'm his family and he wouldn't do anything to harm any of us."

He just smiled and shook his head, but Calypso knew he was okay again.

"Now clean yourself up, we need to meet with the hunters," she said, an underlying note of distaste in her voice. Nikolai nodded and she left him there on his bunk. Next to the horrible reminder of what the huntresses had done to him.

Finally reaching her room she locked the door and collapsed onto her bunk and sighed contentedly. Home. With her family, her friends. Safe, she thought and stripped off her clothes before climbing into the shower. The water felt good as it cascaded over her body, the warmth soaking into her bones, driving the chill of the mountains away. Safe.

She finished her shower and put on a new set of clothes, leaving the armor laying on her bed. They were safe for now, and she wasn't too worried about the hunters if it came to violence. She ran a brush through her hair and slipped her various weapons back into her pockets. She was at the door when she returned to her bed and pulled the case out from under it. Unlatching it she considered the objects inside. With the hunters around, she knew it was better safe than sorry. Her words with Nikolai had not been entirely truthful. If Yargesh had taken control and gone into a frenzy then he would have torn her apart. He would have been sad, or as close to sad as Yargesh could feel about it later, but he would have killed her none the less. She knew the others would be carrying similar weapons (even Nikolai), but it still felt like a betrayal nonetheless. With a grimace that she felt was on her face too much recently, she took the three silver hypodermic darts from the case and slipped the revolver into her pants. Inside each dart was a liquid, a mixture of silver dust, Greek fire, and imperial gold. Two of the darts had gold bands; they only contained enough dosage to put Nikolai to sleep. A very painful sleep, but that was it. The third dart had a silver band with the dosage inside that would make Nikolai's blood burn through his body. A necessary precaution, but a total last resort. Something she had never even wanted to consider.

She wanted to throw the darts in a fire and throw up, but she knew it was necessary. So she stood and left her room, a horrible taste in her mouth and the hopes that she would never have to use the darts.

A short walk brought her to the meeting room where everyone but she, Jacob, and Nikolai had gathered. She saw that Percy had saved a seat on either side of him; one next to Tammy and one next to Thalia. Leaving Jacob the seat next to Tammy, she took the one next to Thalia and gave the lieutenant a smile. Calypso knew that Percy and Thalia had been good friends, and she had to admit that she liked the huntress as well.

Jacob came in and sat next to Tammy, ignoring the sneers of the veteran hunters. Nikolai came in a few minutes later and took the only seat left. The one next to the red clad huntress.

"Just like a disgusting boy to come late," the girl sneered.

Calypso tightened her hand around a dagger when she felt another hand touch hers. Percy pulled her hand away from the blade and gripped it firmly. Calypso relaxed, she liked how Percy had that effect on her. She looked into his eyes and saw the repressed fury burning there, but when she looked at Nikolai she saw nothing in his expression.

"What, no excuses? Scared little shit."

Yet still Nikolai held his tongue. Before the girl could open her mouth again Percy let go of Calypso's hand and stood.

"Lady Artemis, where is Lord Apollo?"

"My brother left shortly after arriving to tell the council about the events of today. Something is very wrong and I," she paused. "I'm sorry, I need to leave. My father summons," she stood and looked for a moment at Nikolai. She opened her mouth, but then shut it and left the room.

"Well that was productive," Percy said bitterly before turning to Thalia. Thalia, perhaps you and I could talk?"

"Sure, come on Fish boy. Show me this cool base."

Calypso gave Percy a smile and he and Thalia left. Leaving the room silent once more. After a moment Nikolai stood and left.

"Look at the scared wolf run," the red clad huntress called after him. "Panzy."

Jacob slammed a fist onto the table. "Shut the fuck up!"

The huntress whirled on him and stood.

"What did you just say, Boy?" she demanded.

"I said shut the fuck up, bitch." As the words left his mouth the hunters rose as one. Blades and bows appearing in their hands, yet Jacob just sat there.

"What did you just call me!" the girl yelled.

"Bitch." He said nonchalantly. In a few seconds the girl was across the room, a police baton expanding and turning into a celestial bronze sword. The girl kicked his chair back and Jacob reached for a knife. The girl grabbed him and slammed him up against the table, a note of fear entering Jacob's face.

"You're dead," the girl growled and raised the blade. The huntress stepped forwards to stop her but it was too late. The blade sang through the air and connected with Jacob's neck...before passing right through. Faster than any of the hunters could react, Jacob threw off his pseudo terrified and weak act and slammed his fist into the girl's stomach. His blade appeared at her throat and she dropped her sword. A note of fear and disbelief clear in her eyes.

"But...but" she stammered.

Jacob laughed and pressed the blade a little deeper into the underside of her chin. "So bitch. I'm dead?"

One of the huntresses started moving towards his back, but a click stopped her and the others. Tammy had a 1911 out and pointed at the girls head. "Next one of you that moves, she dies." Tammy said calmly.

"So where were we?" Jacob asked and dug the blade a little deeper. "Phoebe right? That's right, you were pissing at Nikolai. The 'boy' that has saved your ass countless times. Twice in the last day in fact. And how do you repay him? By stabbing him and then mocking him? You have three strikes.

One; you insulted me.

Two; you insulted Nikolai.

Three; you're a daughter of Ares, why do that matter? Because he raped my mother. Now let's see what I can do to prove that we guys are monsters," he said and drew the knife back, placing the point on her cheek.

"ENOUGH!" a voice boomed across the room. "JACOB! STAND THE FUCK DOWN!" Nikolai bellowed from the door way.

"But man! She's disrespecting you! After all..."

"You think I can't hear the girl? You know I could do this if I wanted to. Stop now and leave," he said turning and leaving the room again.

Jacob glared at the girl in front of him. "Lucky day bitch. That's the third time he's saved your ass. Now get the fuck out of my base."

He lowered the blade and turned away. Phoebe's hand dropped to her belt and she stabbed Jacob in the back with the blade, but again the blade passed right through. He spun around pressed the point of his dagger into her nose. "I don't normally hurt girls unless I have to, but I'd make an exception for you." He drew back a fist but stopped. "That's four times." He turned and left the room, Tammy following after him.

The hunters went to Phoebe and their medic started to work on the cut under her chin. "I'm sorry that this happened," one of the huntress' said to Calypso. "But since he drew the blood of a hunter, Artemis is going to kill him."

Calypso stared at her. "She wouldn't dare."

"What you think Artemis is afraid that he's a son of Ares?"

"No, and he's not a son of Ares"

"But you heard him, Ares raped his mother."

"Yes, and he was forced to watch by the war god."

"Wait what do you mean, he was alive?"

"Yes."

"Then...how is he immune to celestial bronze and consecrated silver?"

Calypso laughed and went to the door. "He's a mortal dear. Your weapons are useless." With that Calypso left to go find Percy because she had a feeling things were about to get ugly

Percy laughed as Thalia told about how Nikolai had challenged the Ares camper to a duel and fought him with just his bare hands. The boy hadn't left his bed for weeks after.

"They miss you, you know," she said shoving him into a wall. "We all miss you. I lost my two best friends that day."

"I'm sorry Thals." He hung his head in shame and grief. "I couldn't tell anyone anything. No one."

"I get that, but now you need to let people know you're alive."

"I don't want to..." he trailed off at the look of fury that entered her gaze. Electricity cackled down her arms as she punched him in the face.

"I KNOW SHE LOVED YOU AND YOU HURT THAT SHE'S DEAD, but I lost you both...I..."

"Thals...I'm so sorry!" Percy said pulling her into a hug despite her half attempts to push him away.

"She..She loved you and then you left when she died. I know it must have hurt...but" she cried quietly.

Percy was just dumbfounded. Thalia was crying and he wasn't about to get shanked for seeing it.

"Thals...she didn't love me."

Thalia rounded on him. "Don't you say that! I saw the way you two looked at each other!"

"When she died.." His voice broke. "When she died, she told me she never loved me. That she was just leading me on because she couldn't have Luke." Percy grimaced as he remembered. "That's why I left."

Thalia stopped glaring at him. "Percy...I'm sorry."

"Not your fault," he muttered.

"Still, I'm sorry." She pulled him into another embrace. "But if you ever disappear again. I'll kill you."

Percy and Thalia laughed and continued walking down the hall, as Thalia told about how Nico hadn't stopped looking for him, that he had progressed into a rather fine swordsman. The last time they had fought, Nico had held his own for twenty minutes before she overcame him with her spear.

"You have to see him now. Go find him when you get back."

"I promise when I next step foot in New York, I'll find him," Percy promised.

The two rounded a corner when Calypso rushed past, tripping over Thalia and landing directly in Percy's arms.

"Hey you," Percy said as he set her back on her feet, keeping a hold on her hand. Calypso just smiled and the two continued to stare at each other until Thalia coughed.

Embarrassed the two let go of each other's hands and stepped back a pace.

"Oh! Umm...you guys should go talk to the hunters before they lynch Jacob. One of the hunters attacked him and he drew blood." She paused as Thalia rushed off. "Is she going to..."

"She'll try to calm down the hunters until I can get there," Percy said as he picked up on the note of worry in her voice. "What happened?"

They rushed back towards the meeting room as Calypso recalled the fight.

"So they know he's a mortal? We're gonna need to get to them before one of them strangles him.

They rounded the corner to see Thalia and Phoebe facing off. Thalia didn't have a weapon, but Phoebe was hesitant to approach. Suddenly Phoebe lunged and struck at Thalia who just barely managed to deflect the blow with her forearm. She grunted in pain as the flat of the blade ricocheted off her flesh. The other hunters were out for blood, so when they saw Percy they turned on him.

"Kill the boy!"

"Rip them all apart!"

Before he knew it he was surrounded by eight hunters.

"Let's take his balls," one of the first said as they closed. They all had a frenzied look in their eyes, and yet Percy did nothing. Slowly he pushed Calypso behind him.

"Go! Find Nikolai and make sure Yargesh does not take over." He whispered fiercely. "Go!"

Calypso didn't move, not willing to leave him to the closing girls. "GO!" He yelled as the first girl attacked, lunging for his balls with her sword. Faster than the girl could react Percy had the blade by the hilt and threw the girl away.

"What are you doing Hunters," Percy said evenly as he blocked a two girls into each other.

"Shut up slime! All boys must die!" One screamed and threw a knife at him. He dodged the blade and turned another sword with his arm. His mind was trying to process what was happening. There was something wrong with the hunters. Something in their eyes was wrong.

The blows continued to fly at him as he turned the strikes, throwing girls into each other and slowly amassing a pile of silver weapons behind him. But no matter how many he took, the hunters just seemed to have more and more. Each time he blocked a girl he looked into their eyes. Each one had red eyes...what the fuck, he thought.

Through the fighting he saw something that curdled his blood. Phoebe had Thalia pinned against the wall and was muttering some sort of incantation. Thalia's struggling was subsiding and he thought he caught a flash of red in her eyes. He tried to see more but the girls were advancing in a line towards him and his sight was cut off.

As the next girl lunged at him with a hunting knife, Percy grabbed the blade and the arm attached to it. He swung the girl around until the blade was at her throat.

"ENOUGH!" He bellowed, and for a moment everyone of the hunters froze and their eyes flashed back to their original colors. Looks of confusion clouded their gazes and a few started to back away, but Phoebe yelled something and their eyes turned red again. Enough was enough.

For the first time in their nine minute fight, Percy used a blade. He drew back the knife and threw it past the hunters into the door that Tammy had just entered. He shoved the hunter he had hostage back and stared to back away, but the hunters had their bows out. Fury clear in their eyes. Shit shit shit shit, Percy thought as he backed away until he heard yelling behind him and turned to see the veteran hunters charging towards him.

He looked back to the normal hunters. "Phoebe," he called and the ranks parted as the girl walked out flanked by Thalia. "Why are you doing this?" He asked.

"Because you boys are disgusting and the hunt is becoming weak. We will slaughter you boys and the others will remember themselves and we will rid the world of you scum!" She ranted.

"So you've possessed them?" He asked as he looked past them to where Tammy was slipping towards Jacob's room.

"I've used my father's powers to induce a rightous rage into them. They will remember what we are!"

"I'm afraid I can't let you attack Nikolai. He'll turn and Yargesh is not likely to show mercy."

"Then we will shoot him like the wolf he is," she said. "Thalia, kill him."

Percy looked at Thalia and for a moment he felt fear.

Lady Artemis. I'm sorry for being disrespectful to you earlier, but you need to come now. The hunters are about to kill me and I can't do anything against them, Percy prayed.

Thalia continued to advance and Percy finally drew a blade on a hunter. "Thalia you don't need to"

He doged as she lunged with her spear. He brought his blade up and blocked her next thrust. The two backed off and he realized this fight would not end well, one of them would end up wounded by the end of the fight. Shit shit...

They came together again and the sounds of clashing metal filled the hall as the two battled with the hunters watching on in rapt amusement. As they fought Percy tried to stay on the defensive, but she was pushing so hard, her rage causing her to create openings that would normally prove her undoing. But he did not take these opportunities, and it was costing him. Her moves may have been easily parried, but damn did they hurt. There fight continued for another ten minutes. Percy just able to keep blocking but never attacking.

"I grow bored of this. Sisters, kill him." The hunters grinned as Phoebe finished speaking. They were bloodthirsty and without common sense, but Percy realized he was truly fucked.

"Hey now," he called putting up his hands, only for an arrow to flash past his head and bury itself in the wall.

"Start running! We love a hunt," Phoebe said as she drew back her bow again. But Percy did not move.

"So be it. You die where you stand." Phoebe sneered.

The hunters drew back their bows as one and Percy let Anaklusmos drop to the ground in a clatter. One day away from freedom and telling Calypso how he felt about her. And he was about to die. Percy stared into Thalia's rage filled red eyes and waited for death but it never came. The arrows never flew.

He tore his gaze away from Thalia to see what the problem was. The veteran hunters had returned with grave news, the base was under attack, an army three times larger than the one they faced the day before. It was if the spell was broken right as they spoke. The hunter's eyes all returned to normal, the rage drained from their faces and they turned to Percy, realizing what they had almost done. A few apologized while the others just walked away, the stories told by Artemis and Thalia had given the hunters a begrudging respect for him, and they had just tried to kill him. Because of Phoebe. Almost as one the hunters turned towards her to see the red clad hunter topple onto the ground.

Her sisters started to freak out as they gazed upon the downed huntress and the red feathered dart sticking out of her neck. A few turned towards Percy as he pushed through them to the girl. He reached down and withdrew the dart, his hand slipped into his pocket where he pulled out a wicked looking dagger. The hunters pushed towards him but Thalia was beside him.

"Percy, she's still my sister. I'll punish her, but not like this."

Percy just looked up at her emotionless. He placed the dagger on her neck where the dart had been and pushed in an inch. The hunters surged forwards and Thalia looked at him in sympathy, but he just withdrew the knife and flicked the small pellet onto the ground.

"Poison," he said before tossing the knife at the frozen hunters' feet. "After our little spat here, don't you realize none of us mean you harm?" He asked both disgusted and confused.

The hunters shifted their feet and looked at the floor. Either ashamed or just not willing to attack him in his home for speaking, he didn't know.

His home...HIS HOME!

"Take her! Get to the truck and get out of here now. You need to get to Artemis and warn her about what happened here." He started running towards Nikolai's room, but turned back to Thalia. "Tell Artemis I'm sorry," he said before rushing off.

As he ran he caught Calypso's hand and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you for the save," he said as she tucked the blow darts into her pants. "Get your armor on and get Jacob and Tammy. Quickly, we're under attack."

Calypso gave a brief nod and a smile before rushing off to warn the others.

Percy burst into his room and threw on the rest of his combat gear before bolting to Nikolai's room.

"NIK!" He reached for the door as Nikolai hustled out in full battle gear.

"Nikolai says hi," Yargesh said as he took off down the hall.

Yargesh had made it a few feet when a loud click made him stop. He turned back to Percy who stood silently with the dart gun pointed at Nikolai. "Yargesh. Not the girls."

Yargesh gave a feral grin and nodded. "No need, there's plenty of monsters for me to kill. I don't need to destroy them right now."

Percy slowly nodded, though he didn't want to let Yargesh go he didn't have time to stop him. "Go."

Charging off once more Percy cursed his luck and whatever was allowing these monsters to reform so fast. They came to his home, to kill his family, to ruin his happiness. When he found out whoever was behind this, they would pay dearly but for now he needed to lock the base down.