The news of Poseidon's newest demigod offspring traveled fast through the endless depths of the sea. Not many were surprised that the lord of the sea had broken the oath, which he had made together with his brothers. Many cheered for the fact that there was yet another prince of the sea, mortal or not, any son of Poseidon would increase the power and importance of the sea. But not all were pleased.

Among those who felt the most resentment was, without a doubt, Amphitrite, wife of Poseidon and queen of the sea. She only felt resentment for her husband, for he had yet again been unfaithful to her. She cared little for the oath he had sworn with Zeus and Hades, things outside of the sea did not bother her. But her husband's continued infidelity angered her greatly. At least she found some form of consolation, since the mortal that her husband had fallen for was already dead. She wouldn't draw Poseidon away again.

But the ill begotten offspring was still out there. Fighting for his life. Hunted by Hades monsters and Artemis' maidens. Her husband cared for the boy, that much was obvious. He had cared for all his children, no matter how they had been conceived... or with whom. But the fact that Triton, his legitimate heir, was not his favorite, was the worst insult for the beautiful queen. Even now, while they watched the demigod's struggle, Poseidon was gripping his Trident tightly, out of fear for this child. Fear only for this demigod, while at the same time Triton was out there, risking his life while he spied on the Titan Oceanus.

She had to admit that the demigod was skilled for one so young. But that was due to Apollo's interference, not her husbands blood. Even Poseidon realized that. The boy did not use the water around him even once. Only skills he had learned from his patron.

"Even one as skilled as him won't last long against Hades' wrath." Amphitrite said snidely. "He won't live to see the sun again."

Poseidon did not even look at her. His eyes were fixed on the struggling boy on the screen. He did not even reply, much to her growing ire. He ignored her. Anger on his face every time he saw one of the Cyclopes. They were his sons, too, yet they spite him and serve Hades. He was so angry with them that he did not even care when one of the Cyclopes was killed. Amphitrite wondered who had killed the hideous beast, she was sure it had not been this demigod. But whoever it was did not show him or herself.

Then the furies came and argued with him, instead of gutting him where he stood. This was unusual, but Amphitrite knew better than to try and understand the servants of Hades. Those living in the sea she could understand easily. No one could keep secrets from her for long. Well, no one but Poseidon. But the inhabitants of other realms sometimes remained a mystery to her.

"Listen well, my Lord, your own son openly shows his disdain for you." Amphitrite said, as they heard Percy's exclamation about the gods and respect. Mere words, but the effect on the lord of the Sea was imminent. Regret and pain flashed over Poseidon's face.

"He has all right to feel such disdain. I've never met him, never cared for him as a father should. At least he had Apollo after Sally's death." Poseidon replied, before he buried his face in his hands. The death of his mortal lover still weighed heavily on his mind.

His wife watched this with narrowed eyes. The fact that he still loved this lowly mortal was an insult to her and her position. But she would be patient. She knew that taking revenge on the boy would not serve her in any way or form. She was not cruel and vengeful like Hera. No. But she would find a way to make her husband suffer for his infidelity. She would have to find a way to make sure that he would never betray her again. And maybe this boy was the key to that.

It was noisy. So terribly noisy. The streets were filled with cars, people running around everywhere. His hand was clasped tightly to that of his mother, as they walked through the busy streets of New York. Though he bounced around, ever restless, but he did not stray further away from her than an arms length.

Together the boy and his mother enjoyed their walk. Enjoyed the time they had, away from his hideous stepfather. He cherished these rare moments. Moments when his mother seemed truly happy. The only place where she would smile even more was in Montauk, the place where she had met his father. Or so she had told him. He knew that her current husband was not his father and he was glad for that. Gabe Ugliano was an ugly man that reeked worse than the sewers. He never understood why his mother was with him and not with his father. But whenever he asked, his mother only told him that he would find out when he was older.

It irked him, that he would have to wait. He was curious. And like every child his age he wanted to find out about everything. It was even worse for him, than for most others. Never being able to sit still for long, neither could he read any book very well. But right now he was just content being with his mother.

Sometimes they would walk for hours through the busy streets of their hometown. But today something was odd... something was different. To Percy it felt like something was tugging on his mind. Like something was trying to get his attention. But the young boy was confused. Whatever it was, his mother had not noticed it.

"Perseus..." A voice whispered in the young boy's ears. He looked around curiously. The voice was so close, but there was no one when he looked. Only the busy people, passing by without even looking at him.

"Come to me, Perseus..." The voice whispered again. It sounded so familiar, but Percy couldn't find a face that would fit to that voice.

"Are you alright, Percy?" His mother asked him curiously, as she saw him look around searching.

Percy was not sure whether to tell his mother that he was hearing voices. He had not even told her about what sometimes happens when he is around water. It was just so... weird. "Nothing mom. Just thought I had seen someone I know..." Percy replied.

"Come to me, Perseus. Come and claim your destiny..." The voice returned again. But this time he was sure that the voice came from the direction of the Central Park. His mother was still watching him, worry etched on her face as she saw her son.

"Find me, Perseus. Come, find me, my precious child. Your time has come." The voice became more and more tempting. Percy looked at his mother for a short moment, then his attention was back to the place where the voice supposedly came from. "Don't hesitate. Destiny waits for no one. Claim what is yours."

The temptation became too much for the young boy to bear, so he let go of his mother's hand and started running. He ran without looking left and right, ignoring everything around him. He ignored the signal-horns of the cars as he ran over the street. He ignored his mother's frantic yelling, as she ordered him to stop and come back. There was only the place where he had to get to. The place where he would find his destiny, just as the familiar voice had promised.

The next thing he heard were the breaks of a car and screams. Screams of a woman and other pedestrians. With shock he turned around when he heard his mother scream... when he heard the sound of a crash...

With a sudden jolt Percy bolted up from his place. Cold sweat running down his face, his breath haggard. He looked around, but he didn't see the city, only the train cart. The train Grover and he had taken to get to Las Vegas.

"A dream... no..." Percy mumbled.

"Perce, you okay?" Grover asked worriedly, as he saw the state his friend was in.

Percy rubbed his eyes for a moment, before he answered, "Yeah. Just a bad dream..." But it wasn't a dream. It was a memory. He was sure of it. The worst day of his life. Why did he remember it now? He had not thought about it once since he had met Apollo.

"Understandable. After all that has happened recently. I mean a few days ago our biggest problem was surviving Ms Dodds next math test and now..."

"Grover, did you eat that strange grass again?" Percy asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Uhm... no?"

"Remember, I've been fighting monsters on Apollo's orders since long before I met you. This isn't all that scary. It's only more dangerous than the usual tests and quests Apollo sends me on."

"Right..." Grover replied, uncertainty palpable in his voice. "So what are we gonna do? We will arrive soon."

"Easy. We find that casino and then we will bring those two demigods to Hades. I am already sick and tired of being hunted by him."

"Lotus Hotel and Casino, should be easy enough to find." Grover commented, as he pulled out a map they had bought at their last stop. "It's not that far from the train station. We should be able to get there on foot."

"Good, good." Percy said happily. "Then let's get moving. We've arrived." The train had finally stopped at their destination. After days of traveling across nearly the entire country they had arrived in Las Vegas.

It was hot outside, even though the city had not seen the sun for more than a week. Thick, gray clouds were still hiding the sun and the sky. But the mortals did not look bothered by it. They went about their business.

It did not take Percy and Grover very long, before they could see the big Casinos. Even by day they looked spectacular. Percy could easily imagine how all these buildings will look, once the sun has set and the bright lights turn the night into day.

The streets were crowded. Mostly tourists, by the looks of their clothing. All people seemed to be happy. All but one. As he looked around his eyes finally met the very familiar black orbs of a girl in silver clothing. And the expression on her face was nothing short of furious.

"Oh shit." Percy said, before he grabbed Grover's arm and pulled the surprise Satyr into a nearby alley.

Grover looked surprised by this. "What is going on? Why are we going this way, the Casino is over there?" He pointed in the direction of a large hotel that was even now ablaze with light.

"Hunters. They have found us somehow."

"What?" Grover started to look around frantically.

It was silent, all of a sudden. No one in the room spoke a word, all of them merely watched with rapt attention. This time even more gods had come together to watch Percy's struggle. The news of Hades involvement had increased the interest in this new show and now everyone was watching it, no matter where they are. And they did not even know what Hades had ordered the boy to do. The automaton with the camera had been destroyed, before it could film all of the meeting. The Furies guarded this secret almost jealously.

"Finally some action. I already thought the boy would get out of this without a scratch." Ares commented with a bloodthirsty grin.

"Big talk coming from you, Ares. You are just here because you are hiding from Athena. She is still angry about how you tricked her daughter and Hermes' son to go into that trap Heph hast set for you." Apollo commented with a grin. Hermes still looked slightly miffed at Ares, not at all amused about the danger one of his favorite son's had been in.

"It was their choice."

"Yeah, yeah. Tell that to Athena." Apollo chuckled, as he walked past Hephaestus and patted him on the shoulder.

"Hopefully they won't break my automaton again." Hephaestus grumbled. "My poor creations... always they have to suffer the most."

"Ah, don't worry, Heph, there won't be any bad Furies destroying your automatons this time." Apollo assured him, with a wide grin. "My little sis and her Hunters won't hurt your creations." He wasn't even sure if they would be able to find this new automaton. Unlike the one that had been destroyed by Tisiphone, this one would be almost impossible to find. Hephaestus has clearly outdone himself.

"Now look at that. They are hunting him through the streets like he is some wild animal. Oh this has to escalate soon." Eris exclaimed gleefully. "But where is your sister, Apollo? Shouldn't she be somewhere near to capture that demigod?"

"Nah, I don't think my little sis will intervene unless it is necessary. It is much more awesome to allow her Hunters to do it on their own. She is testing them, just like I am testing my champion."

"But don't you think that it is curious?" Hermes asked, as he watched the screen.

"What? Curious to see a bunch of whiny little girls failing to apprehend one man?" Ares asked, before he let out a barking laugh. But he was quickly silenced by a jab to his ribs, courtesy of Enyo, who looked less than amused by her brother's lack of respect for females.

Hermes shook his head, before he let out a sigh. "No, I mean it is curious that they are now in the same city as the other group."

"Right. Your son should be running around in Las Vegas as well. I wonder if they run across each other." Apollo said, with a fake look of concentration on his face. "Oh, look. The hunt is finally over."

"Finally! I was hoping for a good fight. Now the boy can show them what I've taught him." Ares exclaimed loudly.

"Hey, he is my champion and if there is anyone who has taught him, than that would be me!" Apollo interjected. He looked miffed at Ares, who merely smirked back.

Percy and Grover ran as fast as they could, several Hunters following them closely now. They had come closer to the Casino, but only after a very large detour. But now their target was in sight. Once they had left this alley, they only had to cross one more street. Once inside the Casino they would surely be able to loose their pursuers.

Suddenly something passed by his head. Very close and fast. "You've got to be kidding me. They opened fire. Come on Grover, run faster, dammit. You're a Satyr, you are supposed to be able to run faster than me."

"I'm tired and hungry. I can't go on like this forever.." Grover yelped, panting hard.

"We are almost there and... shit!" Just as they were about to get to the end of the alley, their only escape was cut off. Several girls in silver clothing appeared at the other end, all looking at him with grim determination. Among those were Zoe, who looked coldly at him, and Ariadne, who looked apologetic and torn. It was obvious that her loyalties were not as clear as her current company suggested.

"It is over Jackson. This hunt ends here!" Zoe exclaimed loudly, as she and her fellow Hunters approached Percy with drawn weapons. "There is no escape."

Percy watched them, slightly nervous. But he remembered what Ares had told him once. Never go down without putting up a good fight. Though he greatly disliked the idea of hurting the girls he had protected on several occasions, he still had to fight them properly. His pride wouldn't let him surrender like that either.

All the Hunters stopped, merely one foot away from him, forming a tight circle that seemingly left not chance to escape. But Percy merely chuckled now.

"Why are you laughing? You are beaten. No man can take us on." One of the older Hunters, Phoebe, Percy believed her name was, said with disdain. It was widely known that she was one of the greatest man-haters in Artemis little club. But what she had experienced to harbor such resentment for all males... no one could tell him that. Not even Apollo and he knew nearly everything. Even some very disturbing things about the courtship behavior of the big three that Percy never wanted to now. But Apollo wouldn't be himself, had he not scarred his young champion's mind with this repulsing knowledge.

"You all a great Hunters. Deadly with a bow..."

"Flattery won't get you out of this situation, Jackson." Zoe interjected icily.

"As I was about to say, before I was so rudely interrupted, you all are deadly... from a distance. But in close combat you enter my terrain. I haven't survived close combat training from three gods, without learning a thing or two. And one thing I learned is that most people are content with being mediocre in close combat as soon as they have mastered ranged combat." He grinned widely. "And frankly, I've seen all of you fight against monsters, from a distance and up close. And most of you suck really bad in the latter department."

"Percy, it is not wise to insult Artemis' Hunters like this!" Grover hissed frantically.

"Die, you vile man." Phoebe yelled in anger, as she pulled out her hunting knife and charged at Percy. But he merely sidestepped her attack, before he grabbed her arm and used her momentum to throw her at the other Hunters.

"You damn..." Phoebe was raging now and made her bow appear in her hands. She was about to shoot and arrow at Percy, but was stopped when Ariadne knocked her over.

"Are you mad? Lady Artemis wants him alive, you idiot!" Ariadne hissed at Phoebe, who quickly threw her off.

Meanwhile the rest of the Hunters had decided to attack Percy and Grover. The Satyr merely tried to get out of the way, jumping around as much as he could with his pants on. He was neither willing nor able to fight against the Hunters, but Percy did not mind that. He knew that Grover was not much of a fighter.

But Percy had to bear the brunt of the attack. He was careful not to hurt any of the girls too badly, afraid of making Artemis mad. So far she had not shown herself, but should he hurt any of her girls... he was sure that Hades wrath would be a walk in the park in comparison to what she would do to him. He had quickly dismissed the idea of drawing his sword, instead he used the powers he had to avoid the attacks.

Finally he found himself face to face with Zoe. All other girls had backed off slightly, obviously giving their leader some space to fight properly. She had a hunting knife in her hand, her fingers tightening around its grip.

"Jackson! Get your sword. Fight me like you truly mean it. Don't mock us with this act." She hissed at him.

"Sorry, Zoe. But I have promised Apollo, that I will protect you girls. This fight is already pushing the boundaries of that promise." Percy said with an apologetic look.

"Don't lie to me. You merely want to make us look bad. You are just like Hercules. You have no respect for girls." She swung her knife in an arc, trying to hit Percy, but he merely avoided her first attacks, before he managed to catch her wrists.

"I am nothing like Hercules. That I can assure you." Percy said as he pulled her hands above her head to keep her from attacking him again. "I've heard about the real Hercules. I once thought that he had worse luck than even I had, but now I know that he had deserved every bad thing that has happened to him." Only now he realized that his and Zoe's faces were mere inches apart, their noses almost touching. It was an embarrassing situation and one that would most likely anger Artemis when she saw him this close to one of her oldest companions.

Even Zoe seemed slightly startled by this. Her eyes staring deeply into the sea green of Percy's orbs. She was looking for confirmation, to see whether he had lied to her with his words about Hercules. But she found no deceit. It confused her for a moment, but soon she regained her composure and reacted to her current situation. With a swift kick to his side she knocked him away. He staggered for a moment, trying to catch his breath after he had taken the blow to his ribs.

But he had not much time to relax, as he was immediately attacked by Phoebe, who once more swung her knife at him.

"Your anger makes you weak." Percy growled at her, as the girl attacked him again and again. "This is something I've learned from fighting against the god of war. Listen well and learn. Strength does not matter if you are unable to control it." He suddenly raised his hand and muttered a short chant in Ancient Greek that Apollo had taught him. Moments later his hand started to glow brightly, until he created a flash that blinded Phoebe and most of the other Hunters.

He stumbled back, away from the cursing Phoebe, who rubbed her eyes furiously. He whirled around in surprise, when someone grabbed his shoulder. At first he had feared that it might be Zoe, but to his relief it was Ariadne.

"Quick. Run while they are distracted." She hissed at him.

"Are you mad? The moment I run they will turn my rear into a pin-cushion."

"Then use me as a shield. They won't attack you this way." She grabbed his arm and pulled it around her shoulder and throat, so she was in a choke hold. Percy was surprised at first, but quickly regained his composure. None of the other Hunters had seen the ruse.

"Are you sure?" He asked her.

"Yes. Now go. They will regain their eyesight in a few moments."

"Grover, get your furry ass over here." Percy yelled to his friend, who came out behind a dumpster. Together they started moving away from the Hunters. They had nearly reached the exit of the alley, when the first Hunters regained their eyesight and spotted them. Of course Zoe was one of the first to recover.

"They are escaping. Stop them." She yelled loudly. Some Hunters started to run after the group, but stopped suddenly, when they saw Ariadne, used as a shield by Percy. Phoebe and some others had their hands on their bows, getting ready to fire, but Zoe hindered them. "Are you mad? He has one of our sisters, don't shoot." She looked angrily at Percy, but hesitated to act. She had not believed him to stoop so low to take a hostage. But maybe he just tried to fool her, just like Hercules had fooled her. In the end he might be just like all the others.

"Let Ariadne go, you coward!" Phoebe yelled. But it was no use. Percy had already reached the exit of the alley and started to run towards the Casino, pulling Ariadne with him. Phoebe quickly ran after him, followed by Zoe. Before the other Hunters could follow, they were stopped by Artemis sudden appearance.

"Do not follow them. That Casino is a dangerous place for all of you. Zoe and Phoebe have been with me for many centuries, only they can possibly face this danger." The Hunters obeyed, albeit begrudgingly. They had outnumbered their enemy more than ten to one and he had still bested them. It was embarrassing. But Artemis did not seem bothered by that fact. Her face showed worry. Worry for Zoe and Phoebe. And most prominently, worry for Ariadne. She had seen what her niece had done. The trick and how she willingly helped Apollo's champion. How she had hindered her fellow Hunters without them even noticing it. Has Ariadne finally made her choice? Did she choose her father over her and the Hunters? Artemis did not know how to react to that.

Percy and his two companions entered the lobby of the Lotus Hotel and Casino with their last breath, all still slightly shaken by the previous battle. But now they were awed by the majesty of this place. The large entrance hall was a sight to behold. But they also knew that they had no time to waste. The other Hunters couldn't be far.

They walked further into the hotel area, when suddenly an employee of the hotel approached them. "Excuse me, sir. Are you Perseus Jackson?" The man asked courteously.

"Yes?" Percy half answered, half asked.

"Ah, good. We've been expecting you. Your suite has been prepared as ordered. Your lawyer has left very specific instructions regarding your arrival."

"My lawyer?" Percy was completely confused now. As far as he knew, he had no lawyer.

"Yes, Mrs Dodds. She booked the suite for you yesterday. Everything has been paid in advance. The Lotus Hotel is very happy to have you here, Mr Jackson."

"Thanks..."

"Please, follow me. I will show you to your suite." The man bowed slightly, before he turned around and walked over to a nearby elevator. Percy, Grover and Ariadne followed man, all of them confused by the situation. But for now it was their best chance to get some time to rest and recuperate. When the doors of their elevator closed slowly, the last thing they could see were Zoe and Phoebe running towards them. But they were too late. And finding Percy's group again would be very difficult, even for them. Especially in this giant building filled with countless people.

A\N: Percy's dream at the beginning of the chapter is rather important, I can already tell you that without giving too much information on the future sotylines. But whoever that voice belonged to will remain my little secret for a long long time. Just one revelation, it is not Kronos.

I really hope people don't think Percy is overpowered or something for escaping ten Hunters, but the odds were still in his favor. The Hunters couldn't go all out, since they have to catch him alive. If they were allowed to kill him... well the story would be over very soon. And they fought him close up, instead of from a distance. Not to mention that one of their own made it harder for them than necessary... all in all there was no overpowered Percy. But he will get stronger over time.