Disclaimer: I don't own PJO.

Author's Note: My story is finally fixed now. =)

Good news! I think I have a good grasp on the pairings now. Until then, be prepared for a lot of drama, broken hearts, and Pertemis. XD

Until then, enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 4:

Nico was excited. Scratch that. He was so excited that he was practically jumping out of his skin.

He was a demigod. A son of a god, like in the ancient stories and video games. It was a dream come true for him. Now he could be a hero. He could fight monsters and save innocent people!

How cool was that?

There were so many questions that he felt compelled to ask. Who was his father? When did he get to fight monsters? What is this camp the others kept talking about? Why were these girls (He thinks they called themselves Hunters) dressed completely in fur and camping out in the middle of the winter?

And the most important question. Who were the dudes that saved them?

Nico had never been so amazed in his life! The monster seemed almost invincible as the others fought it. The dude with the pipes controlled the grass to try to trap the manticore, but that only annoyed it.

Both the children with the real weapons (so cool!) couldn't even get close enough to try and hit the monster! Then when the girls... Err Hunters arrived, he tried to run away with one of the girls on his back.

And just as the manticore was about to get away, the snow suddenly grabbed him!

The snow actually reached up and grabbed the beast!

Then they appeared. The moment was like a movie scene. Just as the bad guy was about to escape, the heroes arrived.

It was incredibly dramatic.

The battle took only about fifteen seconds in total. Nico actually didn't know for sure, but it was definitely a lot less than a minute!

One of the teens effortlessly slew the beast with only two real attacks. Then he destroyed a helicopter with ease as if it was merely made of Lego blocks.

It was then Nico realized something very, very important. That man was now his new role model.

And what does a ten year old child ask his hero? What do you ask a man who can swing a sword at lightning fast speed and can move things with his will?

The question is very simple.

"Are you a Jedi Knight?" Nico asked Percy in a very serious manner.

"..." Both twins were silent as they turned to him.

At that moment they were sitting by a fire in the middle of a camp. Nico was actually amazed by how fast the Hunters' camp was put together.

Most people would take a long time to set up a camp. The Hunters worked quickly and efficiently. It took merely a few minutes to set up the tents and set up the perimeter.

The tents looked like they could survive through a hurricane.

That wasn't the weird part though. The weird part was that there were wolves and birds that seemed to be guarding the camp.

Nico had asked about it, but was merely told by the Hunter to not talk to her. She said it in a more harsh manner, but Bianca would be mad if he repeated to her what the Hunter had told him.

The man was called Percy Jackson by the goddess (Was she really a goddess? She looked his own age) was sitting in front of the fire with his brother, Perry, at the moment.

The light from the fire gave Nico a good look at the men. Both had somewhat long, black hair which were messy but not in dirty way. Their faces were covered by a short beard which reminded Nico of a couple of video game heroes.

However, what piqued Nico's interest the most would be the colours of their eyes. Percy had a stormy sea green colour while Perry had a lighter combination of blue and green. Without the eyes, the boy believed that no one would be able to differentiate the teens.

The leather jackets, torn jeans, and old boots made them look really tough, was Nico's humble opinion.

For a moment, Percy's eyes were trained solely onto Nico. Then he returned his gaze to the fire with his brother. Percy's answer was simple.

"Nope."

He did not say this in a annoyed or rude voice like most people when Nico asked them questions. That was just all that needed to be said, but apparently it wasn't enough for him.

"Oh... Well you sure fought like one! I mean, how did you move your sword so fast? How did you control the snow? Is it hard to do? Because it would be epic if I could do that as well!" Nico had a hard time stopping when he started talking.

This time both men turned to him again. He did not look away. This time Nico had both of their full attention.

Nico felt honored, like he had accomplished a great task.

"Years of practice can make almost anything possible. I doubt that you could control snow, though. It is quite difficult as you need to be born with the ability to do it." Percy's words rang in Nico's ears.

"So could I swing a sword like you?" Nico liked the older boy's answer, as it did not make him feel inferior for not having a certain talent. Most people would instead mock him.

"Don't call it swinging." Nico felt bad for moment. He did not want to offend his new hero. "But yes, eventually your swordplay could be even better than mine if you train hard enough."

Nico felt better. Percy wasn't offended. He was just gently correcting Nico's mistake.

"Could you help me?" Nico had to ask.

"Maybe." Percy's answer did not satisfy Nico. He caught Perry raising an eyebrow at his twin.

"So that means no." Nico was disappointed. Of course Percy wouldn't help him. Why would anyone waste so much time on him?

"Not necessarily. I just don't want to promise you anything that might not happen. If I do get the chance, however, I guess I can show you a few moves." Nico could not find any deceit in Percy's words.

"Nico!" Bianca's suddenly called, her voice sounding angry. While she was talking to the other demigods, Nico had sneaked away.

It looks like she finally realized where he went.

"Oh, hey Bianca. I was just talking with Percy and Perry." Nico didn't want his sister to be angry. She looked stressed out enough already.

Bianca was not nearly as excited as Nico was about being a demigod.

"You should be careful with strangers. You can't just trust someone you just met... No offence, Mr. Uhh... Jackson." Nico could tell that Bianca was nervous around the brothers.

Their presence radiated power and control. They were very different from the other heroes and hunters.

Even Nico could see that much.

Bianca had told him multiple times to never talk to strangers. Nico usually obeyed this rule, but the brothers were different. They had saved the girls' lives and didn't even ask for a thank you.

Nico could tell that Percy and Perry were real heroes.

"No offence taken." Percy's tone was emotionless.

"Those are wise words to live by, Miss Bianca. Remember them, because I do not doubt that soon your own words will be tested." Perry did not look at them when he talked, as he still kept staring intently into the fire.

Nico felt proud of the fact that atleast both brothers looked at him when he was talking to Percy. It made him feel important.

"What do mean?" Bianca sounded unnerved. Maybe she should be. Perry's words did sound really ominous.

"You will soon make a choice which will reveal what is most important to you." The way he said this sentence made Nico worry for a moment.

"What kind of cho-" she was cut off by a different voice.

"Bianca." A Hunter (she looked like a princess to Nico with that silver crown on her head) spoke to his sister with great authority.

"Lady Artemis wishes to speak with thee."

Annabeth was still pissed off.

Not at Thalia anymore, anyways. She had already yelled at her for being a dumbass. Now she was in Artemis' tent with Bianca, Zoë Nightshade, and the goddess herself. That was more than enough punishment from the bad blood between Thalia and the Hunters.

No, now she was pissed off at herself.

That fight did not go the way it should have. Even if they did lose the element of surprise, the fight should still have been easy.

She should have been able to kill the manticore by herself. But even with the help of Thalia and Grover, she couldn't even scratch the monster. Her ego was not too wounded though, since the Hunters could not do much either at the time.

What really angered her was the fact that she was almost killed. She had failed to protect herself and had looked like a damsel in distress. Annabeth felt incredibly weak as the manticore rushed to the cliff.

She thought that she would be dead. Luckily, she was wrong.

Two strangers had saved her. Where Thalia, Grover, and even the hunters failed, one of them easily defeated the manticore single-handedly, while the other stood back to protect her.

She found them irritating. She found them frustrating. She also found them...

Incredibly attractive.

Now, don't get her wrong. She wasn't the type to fall instantly in love or even feel anything emotional from a first meeting.

Despite that, however, she still couldn't deny that the dudes were hot.

Annabeth always valued strength and intelligence. Whether it was her own or another's, both traits were important to her.

And the brothers obviously had both characteristics.

She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she did want to learn more about them. Mostly to learn some of their fighting skills. The other part was just plain curiosity.

So that was why she was eavesdropping on their conversation. As she sat across from them in front of the fire, Annabeth listened and watched. To many that would be creepy, but she was acting that way because she felt awkward.

Annabeth wished that another person was with her, even Thalia, but it was not so. Thalia was still talking to Artemis with Bianca. Grover was acting like a moron while trying to talk to the Hunters.

Annabeth could understand them. Today's experience had worn her out as well.

Percy was talking to the boy. He answered Nico's questions patiently. The men did not seem to be bothered by the boy at all.

Annabeth admitted that if she was in their position right now then she would've already thrown Nico to the wolves.

She felt the need to ask something. She had spent a lot of time thinking about how to ask her question, so Annabeth asked the thing that needed to be asked. "Do you think Bianca will accept Artemis's offer?"

The trio turned their attention to her. She had interrupted their (Nico's) conversation about some game based on the Greek legends. Annabeth felt rude for interrupting them, but this was something that needed to happen.

"I do not know what the result will be. I only know that Artemis offers her blessing to all pure maidens and most of them would accept. The only way Bianca would refuse is if she loved someone enough to give up eternal youth and happiness." Perry replied solemnly.

"What offer? And what do you mean by youth and happiness?" Annabeth could tell that Nico was confused. She felt bad for him. He might lose his sister forever in a matter of a few minutes.

If the brothers had the same pity for the boy then they didn't show it. Percy's face was expressionless as he turned back to the boy.

"Lady Artemis offers almost every girl a chance to join her Hunters. If they accept, they will no longer age and will have Artemis' blessing." Percy told him.

"That's awesome! So, she is going to become a Hunter and live forever with a goddess?" Nico did not realize how that would actually affect him. He sounded happy for his sister.

"Yes, if she accepts." Percy was taking this conversation very slowly. Annabeth could tell that he was trying to break it to Nico gently.

"Why would she not accept?" Nico asked.

"Lady Artemis gives her blessing at a price. She is the goddess of both the hunt and virginity. So if they accept, they are never allowed to love a man. Unfortunately, love also has many forms. A women can love as a wife, as a girlfriend, as friend, or even..." Perry turned back to the fire. His face had a haunted look as the glow of the fire danced on his face, giving his dual coloured eyes a eerie look.

"As a sister."

Nico looked shocked. For a moment he said nothing as he realized the depth of the statement. Then he asked. "So, if she joins the Hunter, then I won't get to see her ever again?"

"No, you won't." Percy did not sugar coat his answer either. He had bluntly told Nico what might happen. He knew what Nico needed to hear so that was all he said.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Annabeth respected that.

Nico looked devastated. Annabeth could relate. Usually, she didn't let such emotions out. But the loss of a sibling would really hit home to her...

"She might not do it you know," She spoke more gently than she normally would. "You should know that neither Thalia or I have accepted her offer."

Nico looked hopeful, but this hope was soon crushed.

"It seems that the decision has been made." Annabeth followed Percy's line of sight and instantly felt her heart fall into her stomach.

Bianca had exited the tent. She was greeted happily by multiple Hunters. They were all smiling and hugging Bianca.

Annabeth noticed how Nico's sister avoided looking in their direction.

She felt an intense anger at Bianca. She had abandoned her own brother! Annabeth would give up her own arm to protect her siblings; she would even sacrifice her own life.

Annabeth turned to speak to Nico. She immediately wished she hadn't.

Nico looked completely devastated. He had lost the only family he had ever known. Annabeth could not think of anything to say to comfort Nico.

At this point, she knew that words were meaningless.

Percy understood that too apparently. He reached his hand to Nico's shoulder and gave a comforting squeeze. Then he and Perry stood up.

As they began to walk away, Annabeth called out, "Where are you two going?"

"To have a word with Lady Artemis." Was all that she heard.

Author's Note: Remember to review! I mean cmon, I worked hard for you guys. =(

Stay tuned for Chapter 5!