Chapter 4: Oops, Wrong Door
Percy lunged and stabbed a Cyclops in the eye, then spun around and sliced off a dracaena's head. He twisted his body to the right to avoid a leaping hellhound, held on to his sword tight and whirled it around, decapitating any monster within four feet of him.
The monsters kept coming. He had expected that. After all, he kills them here, and they reform here. The only problem was, he was only one man, and these were hundreds of monsters. And he couldn't reform here either.
I won't give up, he thought with gritted teeth. I'll make it out alive when the time comes. Back to Annabeth.
Mentioning her name gave him a wave of strength. For what felt like days, he killed and slayed and defeated monsters. Everywhere, they attacked. And every time, he defended himself. It felt like he was fighting an endless battle. His energy was draining. His strength was wavering. His willpower was crumbling.
A giant appeared before him. It held a crooked grin like it knew something he didn't. It stalked up to him leisurely, as though it had all the time in the world to dispatch him. He was too busy to wait for it and was still slaying monsters, but he made sure to watch his back.
All of a sudden, everything froze. Time stopped. Literally. And all that was moving was the giant.
Percy looked around in panic. Kronos couldn't have done this, could he? From what he knew, the titan's essence was thoroughly spread, and shouldn't be able to reform in at least a few centuries. Or maybe there was something powerful that had the same ability as the Lord of Time?
He inwardly shuddered at the thought, not being able to do physically. He had hoped that this will be the last war he would be fighting, but, not again! He glanced back at the giant, who was now within sword range. Well, if he can't get out of this, then there will be no more wars for him, right?
He mentally slapped himself. No, he berated his own thoughts. I told myself I won't give up! For Annabeth...
He struggled to break whatever was binding him, but nothing worked. He was stepping on sandy ground, slightly hot from the surrounding magma. So cross out the water in the list to help him out. He looked up fearfully at the ten-foot giant, who had raised his club to strike. He refused to shut his eyes. Well, better to die boldly than cowardly.
But then after the mighty weapon hit his head, his world turned black and he felt numb. After a few moments waiting for the DOA sign to pop up, he saw no such sign, but instead got momentarily blinded by a bright light.
He rubbed his eyes, trying to rid himself of the feeling, before opening them slowly and checking his surroundings. Surely, this was no DOA Recording Studios. The only thing he could see was the ground below him and himself, because of some sort of a spotlight above him. It was like in those scenes where a criminal/hostage was questioned in a middle of a dark room with a lamp above his head. He was no criminal, so he assumed someone else had taken him.
"Hello?" Percy called. His hollow voice echoed in the dark room. And then—well sure, he'd expected a response, but not that kind of response.
"We've been expecting you, Mr. Jackson." Five different voices declared from all around him, making him jump back in shock and panic. Three were female, and two were male. He didn't know if the expecting bit was a good sign. Usually, when someone told him that, he'd assume that they were some monster or god. But they didn't say his full name, so he didn't know what to think. Maybe all of this demigod nonsense was a dream and some crazy kidnappers who (are crazy) think they have him in their hideout or something? With life, you'll never know.
He managed to regain his voice and asked, "Who... who are you?"
The one in front of him gave a cough, and his breath came out as fire. Really hot fire— hellfire—though he had no idea how he knew that. He stumbled back impulsively, feeling for his pen, but his pocket was flat. Right at that moment, he saw the outline of a guy. The only thing he caught a glimpse at was his mouth, and it was quirked into a smirk. It wasn't evil though. It was... playful?
Suddenly, the same guy released a pained yelp, and an earthy female voice chuckled. He couldn't shake off the familiarity of the voice, the laugh. But before he could think about it, another female voice—this time more powerful and ancient—directly to his left spoke. "Quit with your Perry Johansson scenes, Son. You're scaring him."
The guy grumbled. "The mortal movie was just so fun."
"Oh, stop your whining," the first female chided. "You're not helping."
He cleared his throat, hopefully drawing the attention of whoever was conversing around him. "I'm still here."
"Yes!" Another male voice—this time to his right—exclaimed. "Perseus Jackson! Yes, the greatest hero of all time. We've been waiting for you!"
Unable to restrain himself, Percy blurted out, "Waiting for me to die?"
The males laughed, not that he hadn't expected them to. Of course they would, given the stupidity of the question. "No, no, no!" the guy in front of him exclaimed, his chuckles still dribbling out of his mouth. "We're waiting for the right time to fetch you!" the guy clarified, and Percy got a familiar feeling that he'd always been feeling when he's around his Wise Girl. He missed it already.
The son of Poseidon looked around curiously, not that all satisfied to only see blackness. "So... why am I here? Who are you?" he asked the people around him.
"Oh, my bad," drawled a new female voice from the other side of the guy in front of him. The darkness around him slowly dispersed, up until all of it was completely gone and he could see clearly. Surrounding him were five people. Ahem; actually, he wasn't sure if they were. He could feel their power rolling off him like heat waves in a desert. He felt... considerably weak, around these guys. He figured, that even if only one of them were to stand beside him, he'd feel like a puny ant being compared to a boot.
And just after he thought that they weren't normal; that they were super powerful beings, oddly, he recognized them one by one. But it wasn't through memory, no; they were not in the mythology that Annabeth teaches. It was through... through information that somehow found themselves into his brain. Like it was implanted there all his life.
"You're Aether," he recognized, as he pointed to the sandy-haired guy to his right. Aether gave a grin that lit up the whole room; that would make Apollo's megawatt grins small and dim. "See, Grandma? He recognizes me!" he told the woman to Percy's left. Okay, he still had to refresh his brain to remember the grandmother of Aether. But before that.. He turned to the woman next to the primeval god of light.
He recognized her immediately.
Strangely, when he reached into his pocket for his pen, this time it was there. He plucked it out and transformed it into a sword, pointing it threateningly at the goddess. His eyes narrowed at her, daring her to make a move. There was a look of guilt on her face, and though Percy—again—didn't know where he took the idea, but something told him that she meant it. But if so, then why..? Why did she... take him away from his peaceful life?
"I'm sorry Perseus, let me explain—" Gaea tried to reason, but Percy would have none of it.
"Save it," he growled. "What's there to explain? This is all your fault! You took away a year of peace from me and now you've killed me! You took me away from Annabeth, forever! She's probably accepted immortality now that I'm not there to hold her with me. Now I won't be able to see her again!"
The earth goddess opened her mouth to reply, but the son of Poseidon didn't choose to stop. "And then what will you say? Huh?" he mocked angrily. "That it wasn't supposed to happen? That you were corrupted? That you weren't in your right mind? You always had been!"
The goddess of earth let him take a few deep breaths to calm himself. She understood his anger toward her. Her actions had been unacceptable; she had expected her mother to shun her and make her fade, but instead, she gave her a second chance for redemption: a thing she was grateful for eternity. The first hard task that she had to go through was to make the son of Poseidon hear her out, and possibly forgive her if he could.
"Perseus, I—"
"Give me one good reason on why I should listen to you," Percy told her in a deadly calm demeanor. What was she trying to explain, anyway? Her actions had already explained what she wanted! A world wherein monsters and giants rule over kingdoms where demigods are made slaves and mortals are slain for entertainment. A world where Mother Earth rules above all.
He couldn't understand the fact on why the other beings around him hadn't attacked her yet. Was it possible that they were enemies too? It sounded silly. Why weren't they making death threats on him then, if they truly were enemies? Or maybe they're stalling him. Villains always love to do that.
As if reading his thoughts, the guy in front of him chuckled darkly. The sound was like crashing and breaking glass plates into walls repeatedly, and it gave him shivers down his spine. "Oh come on, Jackson," he chided lightly, and for a second he felt totally at ease before his nerves acted up again. "Lighten up. We're not your enemies. In fact we're your new—"
The woman beside him elbowed him sharply, and he hissed, earning him a devilish smirk. "Fine, fine woman! I won't spoil it."
Percy blinked at them. "You're Tartarus, the god of the abyss," he noted as he pointed towards the dark-haired, handsome guy with the playful smirk a while ago. Tartarus smirked at him and nodded. "Of course."
The son of Poseidon turned to the woman, and bowed his head slightly. "And you're Nyx, goddess of the night." The goddess beamed at him, pleased with the amount of respect he gave her. But she waved the bow away, and he straightened. Aether and Tartarus pouted. "Why didn't we get that much respect?"
Nyx smirked at them. "Because you're men."
The two immature gods grumbled, while Percy stiffened his posture and turned back to Gaea, who looked at him apprehensively. She took a breath and said, "Because, Perseus—"
"Percy."
She almost smiled at his stubbornness. "Because, Percy, you are not dead."
"I want proof!"
"That can't be true!"
"Percy can't die!"
"LIES!"
Shouts of protest were probably heard all throughout Olympus, resonating from the throne room. There were obviously a lot of violent reactions—this being the number one example—about the greatest hero of Olympus's apparent death, whereas the other new hero of Olympus was quickly accepted and respected. And, well; people can't really blame them for not believing his death so quickly.
He had been the guy who always seemed to attract trouble, but somehow manages to always get out alive. He's the guy who Athena had thought to be doomed by his fatal flaw, but he managed to save both the world and his friends. He's the guy who proved Athena, the goddess of wisdom, the wisest, wrong. He's the guy who kept doing the impossible: change the gods, change Zeus, live through Tartarus, turn down godhood and live.
And still, he did yet another impossibility.
To die.
The king of the gods had controlled everyone to calm down, and offered to discuss the issue in a more peaceful matter. The others couldn't do anything but to agree.
He turned to his brother, eyes narrowed in uncertainty. "Are you sure about this... madness, Hades?" he asked carefully. "Are you sure that you claim true?"
The Lord of the Dead nodded. "I am certain, brother," he confirmed, before narrowing his eyes at him. "I don't have any reason to lie."
Zeus continued to stare at his brother before releasing a weary sigh, slumping down on his throne. He turned to Apollo. "Do you have any more prophecies?" I hope not, he added miserably in his mind.
Apollo closed his eyes and concentrated, before opening them again and shaking his head gratefully. The demigods let out a thankful sigh. "Not in this decade, at least."
The follow-up statement didn't really help with their stomachs.
The king of the gods nodded and cleared his throat, looking around for any more people who so wishes to speak. And then he noticed the empty throne beside Athena.
"Where is Artemis?"
If Percy was drinking something right now, he'd probably spout that out to an unfortunate person next to him. He looked at her incredulously, finding the idea absurd.
"Excuse me?!"
Aether sighed in exasperation. "She says that you're not dead, Percy Jackson," he deadpanned. "Need I say more?"
"Yeah—no—but—" he stuttered, and then shook his head as if his sudden illiteracy was because of a bothersome cobweb in his mind. "I got hit by that thing." He pointed to an oversized tree branch that looked exactly like what the giant had used; which had just appeared out of nowhere, by the way. Not that he cared or noticed. "And I died. And you took me before my ferry ride."
"Actually, we took you before you got hit," Nyx quipped up unhelpfully.
Percy waved his hand dismissively at her, as though he were the god and Nyx was the mortal. The goddess appeared unfazed by the what-should-be disrespectful gesture though. "Yeah well, you still took me."
"But that doesn't mean you died," retorted Gaea. He glared at her stubbornly, not believing a thing they said. "You're still alive, Perseus. And you can still come back."
The son of Poseidon perked up at this, momentarily forgetting his grudge at the earth goddess. "Really? How?" he asked her excitedly.
She eyed him skeptically. "You will need to train first," she told him, much to his confusion and annoyance. "When the time comes, you'll be able to get back."
"What do you mean train?" he inquired. "When? What time? Why would I have to?"
"That is for me to answer," the woman to his left spoke up for the first time, and for the first time he turned to look at her. She was unlike any woman he had ever seen. And when he meant unlike—trust in him; he'd seen many unlike things in his life—he meant it like, super beta extraordinary. Like, a one of a kind.
She was familiar to him; he recognized her—vaguely. But he can't seem to place a name. "Who are you?" he asked hesitantly, afraid to offend this super powerful and ancient being. But he was rewarded with a reaction he hadn't expected.
She face-palmed, while the other gods around him laughed. This time, he did not know what there was to laugh at. His question was definitely not stupid to him. Or maybe there was something on his face? He reached up and felt his face, trying to find the misplaced undesirable thing that stuck on it.
"Oh no, no, there's nothing on your face," the still unidentified woman said, much to his relief. He let his hands drop to his sides as the laughing of the other gods ceased around him. "It's just that—ugh. Why can't you mortals always recognize me in this form? This is my original form, for heaven's sake!"
Percy scrunched his eyebrows in concentration. So the woman has another form? And what did Aether call her; Grandma? But the god of light doesn't have any grandparents other than... oh, yes. Forms. As in, physical forms. That's why he also recognized her.
"You're Lord Chaos, creator of the universe," he breathed, before blinking and adding quickly when she raised an eyebrow at him, "Um, I mean Lady Chaos. Sorry."
The creator sighed and nodded. "It's fine."
Percy cleared his throat, trying to quell the awkward silence that followed. "So why do I have to train?" he asked confusedly. "Can't I just go back and live my life back to the way it was before?"
"You can.." Nyx replied. The son of Poseidon's eyes brightened. "If only you had before Hades announced that you're dead."
His eyes dimmed and he glared at them accusingly. "You said I wasn't dead!"
"You aren't," she agreed. "We just made it look like it. We sent that giant."
He continued to glare at them. "Then why didn't you just make the giant take me instead of acting to kill me and scaring the crap out of me?"
"To have Hades think that you're really dead. If we just took you right away, they'd try to find you. Or worse, they'd suspect that you're up to something. We wouldn't want that," she explained.
Tartarus smiled innocently. "Now where would be the fun in that?"
Percy growled, but before he could do anything, Chaos interrupted, "Anyway, as we said before, you need to train before you can get out of here," she explained. "And before you ask, we're in a meditation room in my palace, which is in another planet probably a billion light years from Earth." She smiled sweetly at him, as if daring him to punch her now and escape—and maybe die.
"Well why do I have to?" the hero of Olympus asked in an almost whiny tone.
Gaea rolled her eyes. "Well do you want us to just kick you out, maybe let you swim your way to your home planet? You'd die before you even float in a second."
Percy thought about it. Of course, the gods around him made it very clear that whatever he does, he can't escape from this new planet without taking whatever training they wanted to give. It was either train or die. But why did these gods care about him so much; if you really call it that? Why did they want to train him? And then he shuddered mentally at his next thought, Is there going to be another war?
He swallowed hard like he was swallowing a sword. If he so happens to agree here, what would happen to Earth? What if his friends were in danger? What if another war was coming, and he won't be able to help?
Why was he here in the first place?
Was he going to be used as some kind of... secret weapon? Bargaining chip? Soldier? Spy? Errand boy? Jester? Gladiator?
Shaking his head, he went for the huge question. "What is the real reason I'm here?"
The gods glanced at each other in silent agreement, and Chaos transformed into her male form and turned to face him. "Perseus Jackson, I have chosen you to be my heir."
"I saw her, Father. She snuck away."
Apollo told his father, still confused beyond belief at his sister's actions. He knew her. His sister had not been one to flash out whilst in a meeting. Nor to sneak out while others are in turmoil. She was either the one to protest, or the one who stays neutral within arguments. Not one to flee during any.
It may be because of the son of Poseidon. Or any of her hunters that had also passed. But because of all the things the boy has done, who other person more powerful than him could've caused this? It was he and he only.
But why shall his sister act so... different, at the death of one male? A male. If it were her lieutenant, or perhaps one of her hunters, he'd understand, provided a glimpse of his sister's attachment to her adopted daughters. But why, a male?
He narrowed his eyes in thought. This can't be another Orion. Well, given that the boy was already dead, it couldn't be, of course. But this was another guy they were talking about. Probably the most faithful man in the universe. So if he ever captured her heart, he won't hurt her with any infidelity. But—ugh, why was he thinking of his sister's love life right now? It was not the time for that!
Zeus raised an eyebrow at the god of the sun. "But why..?"
"Maybe she is just tired." Poseidon sighed with sympathy. "I am, too, with all the things that happened today. Can we call it a day?"
The king of the gods glanced around for a moment, before turning back to his brother and nodding in agreement. He stood up and addressed everyone, "You are dismissed."
He flashed out, followed by the rest of the gods, leaving the heroes and hunters wondering why on Earth they hadn't bothered to notice them.
The second time he would've sputtered out some saliva was right now.
"What... what do you mean heir?!" he stammered, still shocked at the newfound information.
Chaos rolled his eyes. "Heir. A noun meaning a legal inheritor of something," he defined sarcastically, and this time, Percy rolled his eyes in exasperation. He never would've thought the creator to be this... cynical... in a not-so-humorous way.
"No! What I mean," he sighed, choosing his words carefully to somehow lower the stupidity level, "is that why am I the heir? Of all people, why choose me?"
"Because, Perseus Jackson—"
"You know, with all due respect, Creator of the Universe, I also created something trending. A nickname. It's Percy."
Chaos reminded himself that the boy in front of him does that; he does that on a regular basis—to mock, annoy, or spite gods. And unfortunately, that includes himself.
"Fine. Percy." The latter smiled smugly and looked at the creator expectantly. "Do you know who is the greatest hero to ever live? The worthiest hero of all time? The most selfless, and strongest hero to ever walk the Earth? Do you know?"
The ancient immortal was obviously hinting on something, but being the idiot he is, Percy didn't notice. "Um, Achilles?"
The creator face-palmed. Again. And the other gods around him howled with laughter. He had actually forgotten that they were listening to them in the first place. Oh well, no harm done.
Chaos was shaking his head. "Also the densest hero of all heroes, if I may add," he muttered under his breath. He looked back up at the son of Poseidon, who was looking at him confusedly, probably wondering what he'd done wrong. He still looked so naïve and innocent. But when the time comes, that will soon change to a look of... power... strength.. Oh, and intelligence.
"It is you, Percy Jackson."
He blinked. "M-me?" he stuttered, glancing at the gods around him for input in the matter. They only gave him looks of approval, which seemed to make him uncomfortable. "Me, the g-greatest hero?"
Chaos sighed and changed back to his original form. "Yes, child," she answered shortly. "Have you not seen and realized all that you've done for the world?"
The son of Poseidon shook his head curtly, so she touched his forehead with her index finger, and sent images. Memories and the spectacle of his whole life from toddler years to teenage years, up until the present day. He saw himself fight the first evil in his life at kindergarten. He saw himself swimming with sharks in fifth grade. He saw himself get claimed at his first capture-the-flag. He saw himself take the weight of the sky from Artemis. He saw himself come out alive from the iceberg. He saw himself fight before his so-called death.
All the things that he had done that looked rather insignificant at the very moment, now appealed as a heroic achievement for him. It was just now that he realized that his actions had done many good to others. Back then, he intended only to do what looked right to him. Even after his death, he knew he had inspired his fellow demigods to keep fighting—in honor for him, he guessed.
But now that he was gone, will he still be able to do good to the world? As the heir of Chaos? In what way? Because when he fully inherits Chaos' powers, domains, and abilities, he'd be immortal; he won't be able to help directly anytime he wanted.
That was the downside. The upside was that he could do literally anything and everything as the Creator of the Universe. So what will he choose? To accept and be trained as a heir of Chaos, to only leave and help once training is finished, and eventually become immortal only to stop; with limited time for his friends at Earth? Or to decline—to die and go back to the Underworld, with his old deceased friends, to wait for someone who would never come?
"Well? What is your choice?"
Percy took a deep breath and looked up at her: a super powerful, ancient being whose powers would soon be his. He knew what he had to do.
He grinned, trying not to show them how anxious he felt. "Okay. I'll be your heir."
"So for the mean time, you would sleep here until you're strong enough to be a true heir of Chaos, when you'll be transported to a bigger room specially made for you."
He sat on his bed, relishing the softness and comfort it gave. He looked up at her questioningly. "I have a question," he started. "Can I, like, visit people in dreams? I wanted to check on Annabeth."
Gaea nodded. "I believe so," she confirmed. "You are out of Morpheus' power now, so you can control what your mind would show you while you are asleep. Just think of the person, and when he or she is already asleep, they will dream of you; and when they aren't, they will be drawn to the nearest couch or bed or whatever and feel compelled to sleep."
Percy nodded; her explanation made sense. "Alright, thanks. You can go now."
When the goddess left, the son of Poseidon immediately fell back on the bed, a groan of content escaping his lips. He hasn't slept in a bed for days already. And the soft bed with the occasional cool breeze kind of made up for it.
As he closed his eyes, he thought, I want to see the love of my life, and meet her in a place where she will enjoy herself. And with that, he drifted off to dreamland.
A scene flashed before his eyes, and after focusing, he saw that he was at a library. He couldn't stop the grin from his face. Perfect, now I'll just have to wait for her.
While waiting, he was driven by curiosity to the books. Although he knew exactly what would be the contents—architecture, he couldn't help himself. He slid one out from between a stout hardcover book and a leather-bound one. He looked at the title, which was in shiny, bronze Greek letters. It read: The Secrets of the Seven Wonders.
Huh. He figured that the library would have that. He returned the book and took out the leather-bound beside it. This time, the letters were engraved into the cover and were a shiny silver. It read: Survival Tips for Hunters and Soldiers.
It made his eyebrows shoot up. Survival tips? Well sure, he understood the soldiers part, provided that her mother was the goddess of war and battle, but hunters? A horrifying thought struck him; what if she had become a fully immortal hunter of Artemis? Would it be worth it to come back?
Percy returned the book and walked slowly back to where he appeared, pondering the question over. By accepting this... ridiculous offer (he still hasn't believed that he would be the heir of the creator of the universe), he knew that he would still be able to go back and live with his friends, with Annabeth—after he'd explained some sort of excuse to how he had been 'resurrected'. He accepted just to come back to her. But what if she doesn't need him anymore? That she doesn't want him to come back?
He'd come back to this planet broken. Depressed. Feeling unworthy. Is that what he wanted to happen to him? No, he wanted to return feeling happy and bright. Feeling like he had just won the lottery. Feeling like a purposeful person.
Can that happen?
Nothing is impossible. Heck, he died; that's impossible. Er, difficult to, um, do.
Someone stepped loudly from behind him, crashing his train of thought. His eyes brightened. Finally! He could hug her again! He spun around, eyes widening with excitement, until he saw who it was.
Her hair was too dark, almost to the extent to be properly identified having dirty blonde hair. She was too short, five feet two instead of five feet seven. And her eyes—her eyes were a shiny silver, not a stormy grey.
Artemis.
And she had a face of absolute shock.
Percy had a feeling that he had, too. Why was she here? Wasn't Annabeth the one supposed to be here? But maybe—no.. Oh no... she can't be a hunter! Is that it? The reason why Artemis was here was because she prevented any dreams from entering his Wise Girl and went in herself? Oh no. He had intended that only Annabeth would know his secret. His plan wasn't going well. In fact, it already had failed.
His nerves were acting up. "L-lady Artem—" he began, but his voice choked when she tackled him into a hug. He hadn't even felt embarrassed of the choking moment because of the shock. He pinched himself as best as he can with her in his arms. He felt nothing.
If he could slap himself, he must have done it right then. Of course it's a dream. But he could control his own dreams, and what happens to them. He had done it so everything would go on as it goes. And fortunately or unfortunately, this went. He hadn't controlled this. He really didn't.
He felt wetness on his left sleeve. Um, was this really happening right now? Maybe the person was some impostor. The goddess Artemis he knew doesn't cry. Or at least, it's what he knew. Awkwardly, he reached out and patted her back comfortingly, letting her release it all out. After a few minutes, she spoke.
"Perseus?" she asked softly.
"Yes, Lady Artemis," he agreed. "It's me."
She pulled away and studied him, making him slightly uncomfortable under her intense, calculating gaze. And after a few moments, a sharp pak! sound echoed throughout the library. He jumped back and held his stinging cheek—, which wasn't supposed to hurt, by the way.
"What was that for?!" he asked angrily.
Artemis glared. "For letting me think that you're dead," she growled, and he felt guilt eating away at him. "How are you here? Where are you sleeping?"
He hesitated. "Um, I'm..," he started. He had wanted to lie, wanted to tell her that he was already dead. He opened his mouth to say more, but the words somehow stuck themselves in his throat. They wouldn't come out.
Is this how he wanted it? For her, and only her to know that he was still alive? No, he had intended for Annabeth to be. Annabeth, not the man-hating goddess. Could he trust her? She was known for hating males more than anyone else. She should be the one not to trust him, not the other way around. But with his situation, he can't tell who to trust. He trusted only Annabeth. Only his Wise Girl.
What will she say when she finds out? What if she tells the other gods about what she knows? It's risky to trust her with this. Really risky. She followed her father and supported him just as much as Athena did. She could divulge what she'd find and he would have to hide away for all eternity, away from them, and he won't be able to help in case of a war. Or, a really low possibility, wherein she would betray her father and keep the information to herself.
He would've chosen not to, but her eyes seemed so... trustworthy.
Percy cleared his throat nervously. "Um Artemis, I'm going to tell you something really important, and you have to promise me to not tell anyone. I won't have you swear on the Styx since you're the first one I ever trusted with this information and I don't know who else if you betrayed my trust." The goddess looked stunned beyond belief. "So please, Lady Artemis, do me a favor," he pleaded.
Artemis looked on in disbelief. She was the first one he'd trusted this information with? She felt appreciation and love bubble up inside her. So that means that she was his most trusted person in his whole life? It seemed impossible! It should've been his girlfriend, or his father. So why was she called here, instead of either of them? Although it was the right thing, she felt displeased by the thought.
"W-why tell me? Why not Annabeth, or perhaps Poseidon?" she asked skeptically.
The son of Poseidon flinched at his father's name. "Oh yeah. I forgot about him," he mumbled, shamefully looking at his feet. "But Annabeth—please don't be offended by this—truth be told, she was the one I called for. But for some reason, instead of her, you came. I wanted to tell her what I would tell you, because I trusted her the most. Beside you, of course," he added quickly after seeing the look of offense on her face.
"So you called her instead of me?" Artemis asked, visibly deflating at the thought.
He pursed his lips, thinking of the best words to say. "Um yeah. I mean, look at this place. It's her favorite place," he ventured, gesturing around at the bookshelves. He turned back to her. "But the place smelled of wood instead of olden books, and there were books of hunting in there," he continued, eying the goddess doubtfully.
She looked up at him. "And why would that be?"
He shrugged his shoulders uncertainly. "I don't really know," he admitted. "All I did was to think this: I want to see the love of my life, and meet her in a place where she will enjoy herself," he so obliviously recited, not noticing the goddess's face reddening. "And, um, I don't know how you came in."
And then he shuffled his feet nervously before looking back up at her and asking, "Tell me, did you stop her?"
Artemis recoiled at the statement. "Stop who from what?"
He looked even more nervous than before. "Annabeth. Did you stop her from meeting me?" he asked, before realizing that he chose his words poorly, so he quickly added, "I mean, uh, did you do something to come in of the dream instead of her? Because, you know, you protect your hunters from men, if—"
"Wait, how do you know that she's my hunter?" she asked suspiciously, thinking that maybe he was spying on them in the first place.
But to her surprise, he cringed. "Y-you mean... she is a hunter? She took the oath?" he asked almost fearfully.
She nodded tentatively.
His face promptly fell. He fell back onto a chair that she could've sworn wasn't there a second ago. He buried his face in his hands. "Oh no.. I'm too late.."
Artemis frowned sympathetically and proceeded to comfort him. She whispered soothing words into his ear while patting his back as he sobbed quietly into his hands.
"Shh," the moon goddess murmured. "Why don't you tell me your story so I can help you?"
She didn't really know what came into her—the man-hating goddess, to comfort a man. But this one was real. A real man. He was special to her. She would help him the best way she can, just to show him what she felt for him, even if the man didn't know and was too oblivious for his own good.
AN: Thank you for reading, have a nice day! ~SmartzyFan