I hate the time crunch but there's more at play than it seems. I rushed into my room at Westover Hall and sat down like I was meditating "próvlepsi," I muttered and closed my eyes and felt my soul exit my body flying through a forest and passing streaks of silver only to end up in a clearing. I see the battle that's about to unfold in front of me.

The manticore is walking up to the cliff. The manticore has the Di Angelo siblings and Jackson kid, I hear a helicopter in the distance. I end the spell appearing back into my room, I rush to grab my supplies, a belt with gloves attached, liquid vials, a few herbs, and my rapier. I put on my hoodie and grab my backpack in case things go to bloody shit. I hurry to the teleportation circle I carved into my floor and say, "Ptychí," the world folds around me as my mind spirals and then it's all over then, everything's back to normal. The water seeps through my shoes and I rush over to the battle.

"For Zeus!" Thalia yells as she rushes towards the beast spear and shield in hand but she's too slow. The manticore swipes the girl's spear to one side then gis hand turns into an orange paw and swipes at the other side leaving her defenseless, the beast then transforms into his true form. "Dr. Thorn," I announce, "hand over the demi-gods to me, Hecate's humble servant, and I will allow you to live," he looked at me as if I was his gift.

"A mortal, quite over your head aren't you?" The beast said with and evil grin, and I can feel the wonder and surprise behind me, "A bit, but it's nothing new to me,"

I dropped my bag, slipping my hand into my cold glove and my other hands on my sword, I responded as he glared and I see something move behind him

His spikes fly towards me almost breaking the sound barrier and I sloppily roll out off the way and start running to his side I keep my gloved hand open causing fog to fill the clearing blinding most making me completely invisible to most, I sense the monsters aura shift and I drop feeling multiple thorns fly above of me, I pop up to continue running and I get into distance and sliding under his claw with a spike of ice shooting out of my gloved hand piercing the center of his chest and he jump to the side away from the kids, I hear him snarling. I draw my sword leveling it at him, I slowly circle him until I charge in with a constant wave of frost shooting violently at him, he faces me trying to cover himself, I bounce over a claw barely clearing it, leveling my rapier at his head ready to end this fight, he jumps back and slams his tail into me making me fly by the rest of the kids.

I stand back up regaining my bearing, I definitely have a few broken ribs. "You really think you can defeat me? A creature older than some of the gods," he proclaims like that makes him anymore more special,"It has happened before I'm sure it can be done again-" I sense the hunters at the edge of the forest, "but it won't be me," I smugly reply, leaving him confused.

The hunting horns sounds, the moment I've been dreading, I look at the source and sense their weak auras, most wouldn't notice it "No- this can't be" he stammers, a streak of moonlight flies dangerously close to my head, and a arrow sprouts from his shoulder like a side show gone wrong, it's the goddamn hunters of Artemis.

"Curse you!" The monster roars as he shoots a dozen thorns at the forest only to be intercepted by silver arrows,

"The hunters!" The blonde yelled out, she sounded hopeful,

"oh wonderful," the punk didn't, me and Thalia would get along just fine.

Zoe steps out eyes staying on the beast with a bow in one hand and an arrow in the other, "Permission to kill my lady?" she asked,

"It's unfair! Direct interference! You are breaking ancient laws!" The manticore bitched.

"Not true you are a beast, I am the god of the hunt," Artemis replied, she walks out with confidence that she could kill everyone here which she could, except for me as long as I'm fast enough, I roll my pearl in my hand nervously.

"Permission Granted," Artemis replies,

Zoe knocks her arrow and the beast dives towards Thalia, fuck, Annabeth jumps on his back stabbing his main, the manticore jumps around with the girl holding onto dear life like a fucking bull rider

"Fire," Zoe ordered

"NO!" Percy and I yell, I jump in-between and I sign for skydda and a force shoots out in front of me with a force of a constant raging river and the arrows snap against it as the tiredness takes over my body as the spell drains my energy and my vision starts to darken but I must protect the girl, I'll be fine.

Behind me I hear Percy yell for Annabeth, I look back and see them tumble off the cliff. Percy rushes over as small cracks sound out and holes show up in the snow, the helicopter is here.

"Mortals cannot witness my hunt," Artemis says dramatically turning the helicopter into ravens,

Zoe walks up to me and Thalia, "hello Zoe," I said with venom in my voice, it's hard playing nice with her and I'm sure sure she feels the same way, after all she's the reason I'm not supposed to be alive, "Peter Newman, didn't know wether or not you were alive," she replies seeming disappointed but also a bit relieved

"It seems I am and doing well,"

"regrettably so" so she is disappointed, who would've guessed and I feel the anger bumbling up into me

"and sadly you feel the same way about Annabeth," I accused, with Percy yelling about saving his girlfriend and whatnot, "and you shouldn't have been here in the first place," she countered, "I was given a task by their parent to protect them," I'm starting to get agitated and starting to raise my voice "well good job at that if we haven't showed up they would've died!" she was starting to get angry too,

"You're saying that as if you've never needed my help either, besides I had it under control," I knew they were going to come so I didn't worry about killing it, it would've been a lot more difficult and combat isn't what I'm best at. I'm better with magic and manipulating scenarios to my benefit, something Zoe hates.

"Who do you think you are!" Percy yelled out breaking my train of thought, Zoe stomps over as if to smack him

"No," Arty ordered, " I sense no disrespect just ignorance," She must like him then, or she's getting soft.

"I am the goddess of the hunt," Artemis answered her eyes cold and uncaring, much better than her introduction to me, but again I almost seduced one of her hunters, not on purpose though, at the time I didn't know they existed.

—--

"Whoa whoa timeout!" Bianca ordered,

"Who are you people?" she asked

Artemis' eyes soften and I head over to pick up my bag not wanting to bicker with Zoe for now. I wish things were different, but things changed.

-Flash Back-

Britain, May 1939,

I was camping out in a forest alone, my parents were just murdered last month in a robbery. I ran, I'm not proud of it but my dad told me to run and I can't fight. I've never been in a fight and I'm scrawny, I spent more time in libraries reading, researching and getting beaten up. I ran and came back to a house ransacked. The only things remaining was Hesiod's Theogony, and a survival book of plants, and a backpack with a jacket, little bit of food, water, pocket knife, first aid kit with bandages, and firecrackers. We lived out in the country and my family was always more isolated, so I decided to run out into the forest.

I found an abandoned cave and some edible berries, I planted some and ate the others, I finished the night with a fire and I felt the tears roll down my face as I slept a dreamless night.

I spent the next two weeks getting more comfortable with my situation, I set traps and got better at hunting small game, I started rarely going to bed hungry, being comfortable with being uncomfortable, I've got traps set for fish and animals among a small garden, some warning systems in case foxes try to eat my food or wolves try to eat me. I was out foraging when It happened, there were strange silver arrows and a silver fabric dotted around like it was the aftermath of an attack, then I heard some screams and I rushed towards them, fearing someone could be in danger.

I make it to a clearing, an injured girl the same age as me with a silver tiara is surrounded by wolves with a dagger in hand. The world wolves are the biggest I've ever seen the size of cars looking ready to kill, I obviously couldn't kill them but I had a idea. I went to a neighbor's house when I was ten years old with my dad for his job, he had a large dog the size of me, bloody mean too heard stories about him scaring bulls, fighting wolves and such, my dad and I went over to clear out moles with firecrackers, the trap went off the mutt ran off with a tail in-between its sodden legs and I was amazed.

Anyway I have a idea, and now I conveniently had two firecrackers in my pocket with a pocket knife, I hastily grabbed some dry kindling and a stick and I quickly started to attempt to make a fire I looked up at the girl and the mutts got her backed up to a tree, I started going faster and saw some smoke I start to gently blow on it and saw a flame I scrambled to get two of the firecrackers out of my pocket and light a fuse and I chuck it at the dogs and watch the girl breathing heavily bleeding all over the place looks like she's hanging on by a thread. Two loud bangs echo throughout the forest and the dogs whimper and run off, I run over to see the girl laying down passed out bleeding, I pick up my pace running, apply first aid with what I can then I drag her to my cave. I clean and dress her wounds, and leave her to rest so I can gather more supplies.

The next day I hear her stirring, "Good morning sweetheart, how are you feeling?" she starts to freak out, "it's okay, you've just been out by a day, I saw you surrounded by a pack of wolves so I scared them off and brought you here, you were awfully banged up," I softly explain, she looked pissed off, but if I looked deeper she seemed sad and scared, I softened my eyes at her. "Look, I saw you in danger so I saved you, you were passed out and injured so I brought you here and tended to your injuries, nothing else"

"Who are you boy," she said, as if it was the worst thing in the world to be a boy but I still kept up a positive face, "My name is Peter Newman, may I have your name?" I asked, "my names Zoe, thanks for your help but now I'm going to leave my lady needs me," she said harshly,

"look Zoe I understand you're scared but I believe you should lay back down you were injured pretty badly, and it's almost time to change your bandages anyway, " I tried to ease her back down, to the bed I made for her but she swiped my hands away "I'm not scared and I don't understand why you would think that and I no longer require your assistance so leave me alone," Zoe replied I can see her starting to get pissed off

"where's my stuff" she demanded

I just pointed over to what I collected. She stumbled over there grabbing what she needs " You really should stay you lost a lot of blood and I really don't want another person die when I could have prevented it," I tried one last time standing in-between her and the exit, she looked at me deeply with her brown eyes and my stomach flutters a little but I keep my cool, "Move," she commands, I reluctantly let her go, as she walks past she stumbles but I catch and she pulls me down too. We fall onto the dirt and I roll on my back laughing a little, "Still sure you no longer require my assistance?" I ask teasingly looking at her grinning but she just gives me a death glare, I gulp but she relents, "fine I'll stay but I'll set some rules first," she demanded and I nodded, "Don't touch me unless I say you can, don't talk to me unless it's absolutely necessary, and no pet names got it,"

"Got it," I got up and offered to give her a hand but she just rolled over to push herself up, and tried to regain her balance, I went off to get the bandages ready. I then heard her fall and I ran up to her groaning on the floor, I reached out to her arm "Don't touch me!" Zoe snapped,

"You would seriously rather drag yourself along the floor then have me help you to your floor?" I argued

"Yes," Zoe gritted her teeth

"unbelievable," I muttered leaving her to glare at me continuing to crawl, shes insufferable.

She made it though and collapsed on the bed I made for her.

"Your bandages need changing," I said to her and she softly nodded from her skull drag session, I got down and unwrapped them, They were still oozing a little, I rubbed some ointment on it "what the fuck is that?" she asked, "it stops infections, I made it myself, it has beeswax, olive oil, and a couple herbs, mostly lavender and thyme," I replied, continuing to put it on her cuts, I then bandage them up with the last of my bandages, "it's done now, I'mma go out to gather some materials I'll be back soon" I announce and she only groaned in reply.

My thoughts continue to drift too her, she's pretty, stubborn but I don't blame her, almost dying and then waking up in a random person's cave would be an uncomfortable experience, she could ease up though her attitudes getting annoying. I started to cut down a small tree with a rock I found. and then cut the tree in half, I broke off a big branch and cleaned off the extra branches. I continue grabbing supplies, and head back to my cave.

I start putting my idea together, "how are you feeling?" I asked Zoe

"you already forgot about the second rule,"

"You forgot I'm treating you for serious injuries," I look at her, " and part of the treatment process is knowing how your feeling," I concluded and she huffed in response looking annoyed "How'd you think I'm feeling I got mauled by hellhounds and I'm stuck in here with a boy, an annoying one at that,"

"Wow never took you as a man-hater, I wonder how things would be without men in your life," I countered and she just gave me a death glare, "a lot better," she scowled and I go to work on my project tying wood together with plants I found, "I'm sure, you definitely wouldn't be in pain," I'm starting to get tired of this bullshit.

"Yeah I would've been on the road already if you were a half decent doctor,"

"You'd be dead if it weren't for me, maybe you can chill on insulting everything without a pair of tits," I said, starting to loose my patients as I tied up the last knot and sit it upright, I made her a curtain for privacy

"Here now you can wash yourself in privacy, now are all us boys so useless after all, who knows maybe I'd accidentally spit in your food too," she looked a bit lost, " I'll make us some dinner if you need anything just yell.