(A/N) sorry about the terribly slow updates I have two other stories and am severely busy.

Disclaimer: IDON'TOWNPJO-IDON'TOWNPJO-IDON'TOWNPJO-IDON'TOWNPJO

Something was wrong. Gwen knew it as soon as the birds, once again, swarmed out of Camp Jupiter in a mass exodus of beating wings. No sooner did that happen did Hannibal let out a blood-curdling shriek and threw Bobby off of his back, nearly trampling half of the second cohort as he high-tailed back to the stables, and the medical eagles launched into the sky to join the other birds, who were merely a black, misshapen cloud in the distance. The unicorns whinnied and brayed, slamming against the gates with iron-clad hooves, so close to breaking out that Hazel had to steer them back to the stables by their horns. The Lares shrieked, the fauns wailed, and there was so much mass panic that even the Praetors had trouble containing the masses, attempting to raise their voices over the house spirits' cries, the goat-men's howls, and the mash of alarm and commotion as the whole legion scrambled for safety.

Frank finally managed to shove his way towards Gwen, who was pacing viciously as sweat dribbled down her temple. All they had to do was exchange a look, with Frank nodding to her, and the volunteer legionnaire was sprinting towards the forest as fast as she could go, while the son of Mars turned back to help Reyna control the massive panic. The Lares' screams were causing their ears to ring, and the fauns had already begun scrambling to the opposite side of the valley, their swift legs carrying them away quicker than any camper had ever thought possible. Gwen's blood was singing, her legs pumping as the tree line loomed ahead, the thick boughs standing guard like vigilant soldiers, protecting what lay within.

Her armor was heavy, but she was glad for the protection as she drew her gladius, a sense of dread consuming her as she passed smoothly into the area. She dodged trees and leapt over fallen logs, the route to Perseus' den etched into her memory as if with a pickaxe. Her heart was thundering, her sides heaving, but she pushed on, for she knew that only an occurrence with the demon would bring about such a disaster. Gwen glanced behind her, finding that the trees had already obscured her view of the city, as well as the barracks. Now she was officially alone, but she felt confident that Frank would come find her if she was gone too long. She remembered the day he found out about Perseus' existence like yesterday.

-Ω-

Perseus had to pounce on Frank in order to keep the son of Mars from sprinting back to camp, blabbering about how they weren't, indeed, sacrificing blood to Pluto, but rather to a beast that was of the same kind that killed Amalthea and Dakota. He struggled for a while, all flailing fists and vulgar curses, but Perseus' weight, which was far heavier than what a boy his size would normally weigh, kept him pinned to the ground. In order to spare himself from any more humiliation, the Praetor ceased his struggles and went limp, though the betrayed look he cast Gwen was practically withering.

"Listen," she told him, holding her hands up to show the she wasn't going to draw her gladius. "It's not what it looks like."

"Yeah, that's what they all say," Frank scoffed, glaring at her. Though the demigod was by far one of the most peaceful that she'd ever met, Gwen knew that he could be violent and powerful when he so pleased; he was one of the Seven, after all.

"Listen, kid," Perseus growled, still firmly seated on Frank's back. "If I get off of you and you run, I'll just pin you down again, so don't make this harder on yourself than it has to be." And with that said, he stood up and dusted himself off, for he'd gotten a bit dirty during the scuffle on the ground. One couldn't say the same for Frank, who was practically filthy, with one half of his face covered in grime and the entirety of his front looking no different.

"First of all, what is that doing here?" the Roman hissed, his tone icy as he pointed an accusatory finger at Perseus.

"Um, RUDE," the green-eyed demon scoffed, crossing his arms and harrumphing. "I'm right here."

"That's what I need to explain, so sit down," Gwen replied evenly, and at first the Praetor seemed reluctant to do so, but once Perseus cast him a heady glare he immediately plopped down onto the ground, mouth still contorted into a scowl.

"I trusted you, Gwen, and now you're working with this-"

"Hey now!" Perseus ground out, his tone no longer mocking. His eyes slit like a viper's and Frank cowered a bit, leaning away from the glare that could possibly cut through stone if the demon tried hard enough. "That's a bit much. Just sit down, shut the hell up, and listen." The Praetor didn't have to be told twice.

"You be nice, too," Gwen ordered, and the black-haired boy looked away, his eyes returning to normal, and grimaced. "Anyway, it's a long story…" With that said, she told Frank all about Perseus' marvelous misadventures, with the demon cutting in from time to time to correct her or to add something, and she could see the Praetor visibly relaxing when she told him that the demon was simply hiding from his family. Perseus proved his innocence by once again swearing on the River Styx to not kill anyone or anything except wild animals, and to only take blood that was given to him.

"I was wondering why Pluto all of a sudden told us to give him blood sacrifices," the Praetor remarked, which earned him a good chuckle from the two of them. Frank's expression went cold, though, and he told them, "If Pluto himself aided Perseus, then he must be a pretty big deal." Gwen smiled at the fact that he was no longer referring to the demon as an 'it', and perhaps Frank would enjoy his company just as much as Gwen did, despite the obvious disturbing parts; such as the fact that he drank human blood.

"I still don't know why he granted me that wish," Perseus replied, shrugging. "Sometimes I still think of myself as a monster. The two demigods didn't comment, not wanting to push him, and Frank agreed to aid Gwen and Perseus when needed. Overall, it was a pretty damn good day.

-Ω-

Perseus was in his den. It was a nice, cozy den, and not like the crude ones that moles or rats lived in; it was a den made for bears, making it a nice, cozy bear den. The walls kept in heat exceptionally well, made from dried mud (which'd been a sticky situation building) and branches. He'd padded the ground with moss and leaves, the moss which he regularly watered to keep it from becoming dry and brittle, and Gwen had brought him three blankets and a pillow to keep him from the cold, though he did mention that he was immune to temperature. Despite that, she'd insisted on it, telling him to use one blanket to cover the gaping hole that was the entrance and use the other two to keep himself comfy. It wasn't like he'd created the den out of nothing, for that would be too much work; instead he hollowed out a space under the roots of a huge oak tree, providing him with both a roof and structural support, though being hunched over so much did make him a bit stiff.

In order to make sure that his Roman friend was able to find him every week, he'd made it right in the clearing where they'd met, where Pluto had ordered she bring blood sacrifices to him weekly, and that gave it a sentimental value that he simply couldn't pass up. Perseus liked Gwen, sure; she was his only company, besides Frank who visited less often, but he wouldn't say that he loved her, and not in any lifetimes would he want her to be his mate.

Mates were uncommon amongst demons, who were borderline obsessive loners and only came together to procreate, much like many animals today, and they certainly didn't mate for life. That reasoning, however, was against Perseus' beliefs. You didn't just find a female, get her pregnant, and then leave her to care for the twins all by herself, which he found out many humans did today. Then again, humans weren't always guaranteed two babies after conception. Perseus had wanted to find a nice female, settle down with her, and possible have two children or four. He liked company, unlike his former feelings on the matter, and wished he could share a relationship with a partner that didn't have to be intimate. He gave up on the notion, however, when every female he met became angry when he stayed with them, preferring the old ways to his new. Being with a human was out of the question, but not because they couldn't mate; Perseus would have to watch her wither slowly, growing old and wrinkled as her hair grew to a shock of white, and eventually she died. From there he'd go on, getting his heart broken over and over and over again as death separated he and his lovers, and he'd just keep on living. Forever.

All of a sudden a bird let out a cry of alarm, and Perseus was only barely able to scramble out of his den when every single one launched into the sky. He'd seen this happen before, plenty of times, and wondered what he'd done to scare them off again. He thought he'd integrated quite well into the ecosystem, but apparently not. Then, however, came a sound from the distance, a sound that could only be identified as screaming, and Perseus could tell that, though it mostly came from the Lares that Gwen' had told him lived in the camp, it was also joined by those of the demigods. Panic began to settle in, and he felt his fingernails morphing into talons, an instinctual action that Perseus couldn't rally control in times of severe worry. But that's when he caught the scent, and just like that his world seemed to crumble around him.

He was waiting when Alfie stepped into the clearing. His twin brother watched him through eyes that were identical to his own, and smiled softly. "It's been a long time, brother," he said in a voice that was way too high, and Perseus found that he'd assumed the form of a boy much younger than he, maybe four or five. Sure, demons could change the age they seemed to appear, but it still creeped him out, considering that he was supposed to be looking at a mirror image of himself. Perseus had always viewed himself as the older brother, since he'd been born first, and ever since that declaration he'd made it his job to protect and shelter his brother. Even as the eons passed, he still made sure that Alpheus was safe and sound. Then all that'd changed when that wicked goddess had come along and taken away everything that he'd ever loved.

"I've missed you," the older demon managed to choke, forcing his eyes not to water. He held out his arms and Alfie went willingly into them, clinging to his brother's neck for all it was worth. "Why didn't you contact me as soon as you'd gotten out of Hell?" The other demon sighed into his brother's neck, nuzzling the skin there.

"It's been a difficult few months, Perseus," he replied in a tone that was far too sophisticated for a five year old. "I was too busy attempting to resist Mother and our siblings," a pause, "Is that why you're in this wretched camp? To hide from that bitch?" Perseus barked a laugh and hugged his brother tighter, his claws long since having sheathed themselves, and just reveled in the fact that his brother was here. His brother was with him, after centuries of being alone, and the demon couldn't've felt happier.

"They want my head on a plaque," he explained. "I let two humans of theirs escape if they helped me find a place that was out of Mother's reach. I don't think I can step foot out of here again."

"Sure you can," Alfie replied, pulling away and looking up at him with big, round eyes. "We can comb the world together, killing off anyone who gets in our way. With the two of us, and the skills we've harbored, we can fend off anything that Mother throws at us." Perseus is truly considering the idea, but then his face falls.

"I made a Styx promise." At this, Alfie cocked an eyebrow, silently demanding that he elaborate. "To not kill any humans or take blood without permission; I have to live off wild animals and blood that they donate." There was a long stretch of silence where Alfie just stared at him, and Perseus feared that he was upset or angry with him, however in an unexpected turn of events he finds his brother laughing hysterically. The demon wrenched himself out of Perseus' arms, rolling on the ground and clutching his gut as he laughed until there were tears in his eyes. He gave one look at his brother's deer-in-headlights expression and began to guffaw even harder than before. It took a solid five minutes before Alfie wiped the last tear from the corner of his eye, his body still wracked with the occasional chuckle.

"Silly! Demons aren't bound by Styx promises! Didn't you know that thunder is just for effect when someone says the words?"