Beginning AN:

Ok, like I said before, still not much here so. Go read.

On Zoë Nightshade's medical file, which was not only quite long but written in a total of five different languages, it said that she was to be formally discharged after two more days in the brace, and on prescribed doses of ambrosia.

She knew herself this because two hours after the gods had left, she had broken into the hotel file's room, hacked into the computer, and read it herself.

And of course she didn't leave it alone.

When she walked out of Olympus' hospital after another thirty minutes, the file simply stated that she had the exact right to do so.
The clerk at the front desk had been confused, but he brushed it aside. It was on the file, and you try not to engage in an argument with any Olympus agents. Particularly not with ex-son of Apollo, Edward Kenway, and especially not with Zoë Nightshade.

Which is why no one said a word when the ex huntress limped away from the hospital with the possessions that she had been brought in with. Not stopping once in the process.

After what was a frankly painful walk across mount Olympus, Zoë nearly collapsed inside the elevator. She took a moment to steady herself before hitting the button for the ground floor.

It was probably a terrible idea to discharge herself so soon after an injury as serious as the one she had obtained. However, Zoë knew that not only would it do her good to get on with her business and start her next mission, but that if she was forced to remain strapped immobile to that bed any longer she would have ended up nearly killing someone. And she didn't want to hurt the nurse, who she quite liked.

Plus in her bag there was a case full of squares of ambrosia, and two bottles of nectar. And that, by her expectation, would be enough to giver her relief and additional healing until her leg was at least fairly close to healed.

Scratch that, make it a whole bottle and some of a bottle of nectar. Zoë needed a painkiller.

At least the elevator ride wasn't that bad, some time back due to the request of herself and several others, the gods had added a new elevator to the building and given it a better playlist.

During her ride, the machine was playing Hey Joe, which believe it or not was a song that Zoë actually quite enjoyed. The guitar was great, and the lyrics told a familiar tale.

The elevator opened and Zoë stepped out into the lobby. The nectar had done it's job which meant that while she still limped, the pain from earlier had lessened a considerable amount.

She walked across the lobby, gaining a couple of strange looks from the surrounding people. But she didn't care. She stood in front of the main desk.

The doorman took a moment to notice her, but when he did he straightened his back and cleared his throat. "Miss Nightshade, how can I help you?"

She leaned in slightly, making sure her words were heard by the an alone. "If any of the hospital staff come down to look for me, I never left Olympus. Don't ask."

The doorman nodded, and returned to dozing in his chair. Satisfied, Zoë left the building.
She shivered slightly as she stepped out into the open air. Unlike Olympus and the Empire State Building, the open world didn't have a heating system that anyone could control. Aside from the gods that is, but Zoë knew that the gods chose the weather through a process more chaotic than the United States legal system.

Having shed the flimsy hospital gown, Zoë had changed into a set of clothes that she found in the bag she was brought in with. Which unfortunately meant there was a blood stain and a bullet hole in the right leg.

However no one seemed to pay it any notice as she walked through downtown New York. Her apartment was only a few blocks from Olympus so she decided not to get a cab, despite that for her leg it would probably be a good idea.

Even though she was no longer a huntress, she still loved the outdoors. Even when that outdoors was an over crowded and polluted city. But she put up with it, it was what she had at hand.

When she reached her apartment building, she used her keys to unlock the main door, the door from the lobby, the elevator, and finally her apartment.

When someone usually thinks of a company car or apartment, it isn't usually something particularly nice though neither is it something trashy. That was not the case with Zoë. Both her apartment and the car she was granted were very expensive.

The apartment she had was at the top of her building, a corner spot with a beautiful view of the city and central park. And she loved it. It even had it's own room which she was able to convert into a small archery range and armory.

From which on her current visit, she grabbed her standard set of supplies. Bow, arrows, daggers, hatchet, smoke bomb... Then she went to the bedroom, grabbed a two changes of clothes, and a new set for her to switch into right then.

As she changed she stopped and went to a mirror. Running her finger over the new, half inch long scar on her leg. Where a bullet had made contact three days earlier. She sighed, and pulled on a new pair of pants, covering her leg before she thought on it too much longer. It was a day she didn't particularly want to remember.

Then, with her supplies all gathered up, she switched off the lights she had turned on, and left the apartment.
Getting back in the elevator, she took it all the way down to the sub level garage, where it was marginally warmer than above ground. Walking along the rows of cars, she found hers and threw her stuff in the back seat. Then she walked around to the other side, and got in.

She started the car and exited the garage. Pulling into the notoriously terrible New York traffic.

The clock on her dashboard showed it was 7:57, meaning that soon most of the people in the city would probably be parked and in a building of some sort. Whether it was a fancy restaurant or a sleazy strip club. Either way, it meant easier driving.

She had made it a couple of congested blocks, when the Iris Messaging system that had been built into her car told her that someone was trying to talk to her.

She switched on the audio but disabled video, and let the call came through. And though her business hardly came through that medium, she answered professionally just in case. "Nightshade."

"Hey Zoë." A familiar voice said to her. The ex huntress grinned, Thalia.

"Thalia, what's up?" She asked. Quickly marveling at the phrase that even a few years ago, she never thought she'd say to anyone.

"I should ask you that." Thalia's voice buzzed back to her. "I went to see you at the hospital, and...well, a strange thing had happened, girl." It was her usual combination of care disguised as sass. If Thalia had business cards, that would be the motto printed in large bold letters on the top band. She probably wouldn't win too many free lunches.

"Yes, well… I decided that if I was going to stay in that hospital any longer that I would have to be drugged out of my mind. So I left." Zoë said simply. She knew Thalia would appreciate such an explanation.

"I see. Well, I can't exactly debate the action." She laughed.

"No, no you can't." Zoë agree.

"Anyway, what have you been up to? I haven't talked to you in ages. I'm even beginning to think that you don't love me!" She accused, pretending to sound hurt.

"Oh you know, the usual." Zoë responded. "Sent around the world, told to do jobs in surprisingly inconvenient locations. Most recently I was sent to kill a man in Tunisia, that's how I ended up in the hospital." She shuddered slightly at the memory. A bullet wound in the thigh followed by a prolonged gunfight which ended with Zoë and her target tumbling from the top of a building. "One of his men was a frighteningly good shot. Technically I'm not allowed to tell you about my job you know."

"Oh I know, I just don't care." Thalia responded, honestly. As she always did. "But what are you up to now. Got any plans for the night? I'm boooored."

Zoë shook her head, even though Thalia couldn't see her. "Are you asking me out on a date, Thalia. You know I don't swing that way." She teased her friend. It was an activity she had fully discovered somewhat recently and now was almost worryingly good at it. So she only used it when necessary.

"No!" Thalia barked through the I.M. and Zoë laughed. "No, no, no. Dating my sort-of sister, no! Brain bleach please."

"I don't understand why it horrifies you quite that much." Zoë said, somewhat confused and more than somewhat amused. "I get it's bad, but that bad? I'm kind of offended."

"It's just… think about who my father is, Zoë. The king of incest."

"Ah, I see. In that case it is rather reasonable."

"Uh-huh."

Zoë paused a moment to negotiate a rather difficult section of traffic. Getting across the lanes, she took an exit ramp up onto the bridge and proceeded to leave Manhattan.

"Anyways, be careful about love," said Zoë. "You are a huntress remember, I don't think your commander would take kindly to you chasing after others like a lost lamb."

"Hey! I am not a lost lamb. I am a tiger, with sharpened claws! And besides, that's only because Lady Artemis wanted to bang you for about a thousand years." And then with that, there was silence.

Zoë closed her eyes, trying desperately to get that image out of her head. "Why Thalia? Why did you do that to me?"

"Haha, revenge! Now you know how it feels." Thalia said, in a tone too excited for what was appropriate in such a situation. "Besides, you know it's true."

"Stop making me think about it, Thalia." Zoë snapped, shaking her head and changing lanes. "I really don't want to imagine it, at all." She left the bridge and took a spiral ramp down to street level and started driving north.

"Why, because you hate thinking about having to tell Artemis that you actually are into men after all?" Thalia said between laughs. One of these days, Zoë was going to have a talk with this girl.

However her latest comment had given Zoë quite an opportunity. "I think that's your concern isn't it. So how are you gonna do it? Drag little death breath over and kiss him right in front of her. Maybe give him a ha-"

"Zoë, not cool!" Thalia shouted. "Not cool, not cool, not cool." Now it was Zoë's turn to laugh. Her mirth not showing signs of dying down.

"Come on, Thals. You left yourself wide open for that." She said, trying to appease her probably scarlet faced friend. She made a right turn and took a ramp off of the street and onto the highway.

There was silence for a moment, and then a soft laugh. "OK, yeah. Yeah, I did," Thalia agreed. "But at times like this, I kind of still wish you were a conservative asshole." The two of them found themselves laughing together this time.

Eventually the two calmed down, and Zoë was the first to speak. "I feel the love, Thalia. But in all seriousness, what are you going to do about you and Nico?"

Thalia sighed. "I don't know. I'll probably just have to go up to Artemis and tell her."

"She won't be too happy." Zoë warned.

"No, I know," said Thalia "It's just that… I really love him and we've gotten a lot closer since, well… you know…"

"Yeah I know. Don't worry Thalia. I'm sure it'll work out."

"Thanks, Zoë."

Knowing the mood that was threatening to take over the younger girl, Zoë decided to bring some lightheartedness back to the two of them. "Hey, maybe you could ask Artemis if she'll increase your physical age slightly so you can match. He looks a bit older than you now."

To her delight, she heard Thalia laugh. "Yeah maybe. Then no one will be allowed to question the system any more."

"What system?"

"It's a new one. Deal with it, Zoë and world."
"

OK then, Thalia. Whatever you want" Zoë said jokingly.
Thalia suddenly changed the subject. "So what are you doing tonight. You said you were busy. Is it any super secret cool spy stuff?"

Zoë turned the car off of the highway and took a new ramp to get on the road that would take her into the airport. Which had fully come into view. "First of all, Thalia I'm not really a spy. Second of all, yes it is business related."

"Oooh, fill me in! Not... you know, literally."

Zoë hesitated. Unsure of how to respond. "Just a mission." She said, as calmly as she could. Hoping her friend would leave it at that.
She should have known better. "Well yeah. Duh." Thalia responded, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "I kind of meant, you know, the five W's?"

Zoë took a moment to both curse and praise Thalia's stubbornness. If she wanted to know, she would know. But Zoë wouldn't tell her. And she felt awful about it. How can I justify not telling her that one of the most important people to her in the world has finally been found after twelve years. She'd be overjoyed.

But she'd also demand to know where he was, go over there and at that point I'm seriously concerned about Perseus' safety. Not to mention anyone near him. She shook her head. No, she couldn't tell her. As much as she deserved to know.

"It's classified." She said.

"Oh come on, Zoë. It's all classified, that's never stopped you from telling me before.

"This time it really, really is though. Sorry, Thalia." She said, a little thickly. But her friend didn't notice.

"Aw, well whatever. I guess it's movies and popcorn tonight for me." She huffed.

"Try, The Third Man. It's great, you really should watch it." Said Zoë.

Thalia groaned. "But that movie is so old." She dragged out the last word in perpetual agony.

Zoë frowned. "It's a modern masterpiece of writing. The directing and screenplay is brilliant, and it's often considered one of the greatest movies of all time."

"Eh, there's newer ones." Thalia said indifferently.

"What if I get Nico to ask you to watch it with him?" Zoë asked.

There was silence on the other end. Thalia spoke at last. "Damn you, Zoë."

"One of these days," she said as she pulled into the airport's private parking lot. Opening the gate with her key card. "Alright, now I've got to go. I'll talk to you in… a day, a couple of days. I don't really know, but sometime soon."

"Alright, I'll go enjoy not having to work." Thalia teased. "See you, Zoë."

"Bye." The call disconnected.

Zoë found a parking space not to long from the tube train that led to the airport. She parked the car, locked it, and stepped out. She walked across the parking lot, and took a flight of stairs down underground, where she was lucky enough the squeeze onto a train right before it left.
It was mostly empty, and Zoë took the seat at the very back. Taking the opportunity to massage her leg. The pain had started to come back, but she knew it would be smarter to save the nectar till she arrived at the airport. Which meant she had fifteen minutes. Unfortunately to make it out of view, the Olympic private lot had to be built a bit of a ways from the airport itself.

In the meantime, she slowly rubbed where the bullet scar was through her pant leg, and silently cursed whichever asshole had designed the glock 30.

-Line Break-

Percy lay awake in his bed, his eyes wide open staring up at the ceiling. His window was open, and from outside he could hear the occasional sound of a car driving by in the night. Though why people were still out and driving at one o'clock in the morning, Percy had no idea. A small fan buzzed from where it sat on his desk, oscillating back and forth as if it was saying no.

Percy was imagining asking it questions that a fan would say no to.

Do you help keep all my hair in one place?

...no...no…no...

Do you keep my papers in order?

...no...no...no...

Do you help at any time during the winter, you single functioned piece of shit?

...no...no...no…

Do you have three settings?

...no...no...no...

LIAR!

...no...no...no...

You are lying to me.

...no...no...no...

I will flip the switch on your back up.

...no...no...no…

Then you won't be saying anything anymore.

...no...no...n-

Percy flipped the switch on the back of the fan up.

Not because he actually thought he was having a conversation with the fan, but because he was sick of only having the air cool him down every so often. It isn't usually too hot in England and especially not during the night, but apparently this night was an exception.

Percy knew he had to get some sleep. Yet at the same time he didn't want to. Sleep didn't come easy to him anymore. The youthful bliss of sleep had long since left him, and he no longer looked forward to entering the realm of Morpheus

He would dream of Tartarus. He would dream of war, he would dream of death…

He would dream of her… Her face, her hair, her voice as she talked to him and he could only partially listen. The look she held when…
Percy's eyes rocketed open as he realized that he had been about to sleep. His heart was beating in his ears and his breathing became quick and sharp. He felt fear.

He laughed quietly to himself, though the amusement in it was grim. He felt fear. Fear of something so trivial that baby's did it before they even knew how to do anything else. It was ridiculous. The man who had fought a god when he was twelve, the man who killed hundreds and even thousands of monsters, the man who led an army, the man who killed a titan, the man who walked through Tartarus, the man who defeated a primordial was scared of falling asleep.

He sighed shakily and continued to stare upwards. He didn't know what to do anymore. At the beginning he tried to ignore it. Tried to pretend he was alright and move in with his life. He traveled around the world. Leaving the U.S. far behind. He went to Spain, to Brazil, to Morocco, to Egypt, to even China, and then back to Europe. Where he lived in France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and finally where he was now. In England.

It rained often in England. He was told it did it even more in Ireland, but what he got he enjoyed On day's when it rained he felt a strange mixture of happiness and depression. The sky sure was crying, and it reminded him of what he was. But it also reminded him of who he was. And each day of rain he felt conflicted.

He knew that eventually he'd have to leave England. The life he'd settled here would soon create enough memories that he'd have to leave them behind. He couldn't handle too much remembering anymore. It overloaded his system of emotions. It made him weak.

Percy felt his eyes begin to close themselves. He no longer had the energy to stay awake. The next day was a Saturday. No work, but a lunch with Kate. Who would kill him if he pushed himself any harder.

And with that final thought, he nodded off. Finally achieving sleep for one single important reason. The demigod may have left a lot of things behind, but loyalty to those he cared about was not among them.

AN:

And there is the second chapter to this story. For the ten of so of you who are reading it, go crazy.

This chapter was mostly for the purpose of character development. Getting to know what out two main characters are like now. After twelve years or so of change.

Zoë's main passage was all about showing how she acted with other people now, how more suited to the mortal world she was, and how much of a better person she at least has the possibility of being. So she's gone up hill. I won't go too into detail on Percy, but I'll say this. In terms of going uphill? Eh, not so much.

This story will still be my secondary priority. Despite the fact that my third one is a Pertemis story, it will be updated the slowest. Out of the ten of you, three of you or so are probably not too happy with that decision. Sorry, but it's still my decision.

And I believe that raps it up. So until next time, this is Hemlock Stones signing off.