Chapter 10: Home Sweet Home
Percy shifted in the hospital bed, his low eyes slowly bringing the room into focus. Apollo stood with his back to him, leaning on the bed's edge and talking to someone Percy couldn't see. As the demigod struggled to prop himself up, his stirring caught the sun god's attention. Apollo whirled around, his trademark smile plastered across his face.
"And he lives! How was your little nap, princess?" the god asked playfully, but his eyes scrutinized the busy screens that presumably tracked Percy's vitals.
"Pretty good, actually. I'm sore, but I feel completely fine," the demigod responded before Apollo laughed.
"That's good, but I've got a premonition that you're about to feel pretty bad."
Before Percy could reply, he was convulsing from a zap courtesy of the figure previously hidden behind Apollo. Thalia was holding out her hand, small sparks jumping from her fingertips. He groaned from the surprisingly weak shock, and when he tried to sit up again, he was tackled in an equally gentle hug.
"I'm glad you're alright, fishboy."
"Thanks, Thals. Never thought you'd be one to hold back like that."
"Strict condition by Apollo," Thalia explained as she pulled away, "He was worried you could literally die, so I thought maybe just this once, I'll make an exception. Anyways, once you get out of that bed, we have to head to our camp and then straight to Long Island."
"Wait, why? Don't we have more than a week till we need to get there? And not that I'm complaining, but how'd you recover from that arrow so quickly?"
"Percy, the battle was nine days ago," Thalia said a bit gravely.
The demigod jerked up in his bed, a mistake because his head immediately started throbbing.
"I-I've just been lying here for nine days?!" he asked incredulously.
"Actually," Apollo interjected, "You've been lying there for just a couple. The rest of the time was experimental surgeries round the clock to make sure you didn't die. You're welcome."
"Oh. Thank you, Apollo."
"Please, it's the least I could do after you helped free Mom. It's just a shame that we're basically out of that Void Ether now that most of it's in you. But, hey, at least it was used for a good cause," the sun god said, waving his hand dismissively.
Percy's eyes widened as he looked down at his bare torso. He saw a new scar: a vertical incision on the left side of his chest that'd definitely been made by some kind of medical tool.
"What do you mean 'in me'?" he asked, worried.
Thalia figured that must've been the recent surgery that Apollo hadn't gone into any detail about. The god paused before he cleared his throat.
"Oh yeah, I guess I have to disclose that as your doctor. All of that hydra poison got into and should've stopped your heart. Or actually, it did like ten times, but we resuscitated you. It's some kind of artificially enhanced chemical, definitely Erebus-type stuff."
A casual explanation detailing deadly super-poison in his heart didn't bode well with Percy. If Apollo noticed his dismay, he didn't acknowledge it, continuing as he started pacing the room.
"But that's where the Void Ether comes in. I've been studying it since Lady Chaos gave it to me, and I think it's sort of a universal building block for all organic life. Crazy right? Inspired, I had an equally crazy idea."
Percy didn't like the excitement in Apollo's eyes.
"Basically, I surgically built a chassis of Void Ether that sits around your heart. The pure substance LOVES organic matter, like your heart, and HATES artificial things, like the poison. Have you watched that mortal movie, Iron Man? Think of that thing in his chest; you have that now, but it's just on the inside of your body. Since neither I, nor any other non-Chaos-level thing can physically remove the poison from your heart, this was the best option. Your little chassis is constantly in a state of rejecting the acid from melting your heart."
Apollo finally took a deep breath, switching back to tweaking the monitors around the room while Percy and Thalia processed what he'd explained. Before either could respond, the god whirled towards them again.
"OH! One more thing. That Void Ether stuff is probably indestructible, right? Wrong! Do. Not. Mess. With. The. Chassis. The substance is ridiculously volatile, but only to itself. I tried a little experiment dealing with literal nanograms of it, colliding them in a little accelerator, and it blew up my entire palace! I had to build a new one from scratch! Anyways, now I can discharge you as your doctor. See ya!"
The sun god vanished in a flash of orange, burdening a pair of ADHD-riddled demigods with the task of deciphering his spitballed explanation. It went about as well as one would expect.
"Percy, you're like a cyborg now!" Thalia said, laughing.
After shortly milling over the specifics, Percy accepted the more simple version and laughed in reply. While Thalia caught him up with any news he'd missed, mainly Phoebe's shift in attitude towards him and an update of how Anna was doing, the Goddess of the Hunt silently appeared leaning against the doorway.
Percy noticed her first, and his heart skipped a beat. He hadn't seen Artemis since before the attack, leaving their conversation unfinished. As the goddess stepped into the room, she maintained complete composure to not alert either one to how relieved she was to see Percy alive and well. The demigod scrambled out of his hospital bed as she reached it, bowing quickly, and his head throbbed anew.
"It's good to see you back on your feet, Perseus," Artemis said stoically.
"Thank you, Lady Artemis. It's good to be back," he replied, just as impassive.
Thalia rolled her eyes as she walked to the door.
"Milady, you think I didn't see you two holding hands in here a couple days ago? And all that tension at camp, I made it happen. I'll give you two lovebirds some space," she said, wiggling her eyebrows at the dumbfounded pair.
Both Artemis and Percy were stunned to silence for a moment before the goddess narrowed her eyes.
"Not a word," she commanded in a steely voice.
The huntress just smirked before Artemis waved a hand, teleporting her back to their camp. As she returned to face Percy, she was met with his arms around her waist and his lips crashing against hers. The goddess tensed before she closed her eyes and found her fingers interlacing behind his neck. A short eternity later, they pulled apart, not releasing their arms around each other.
"I had to get you back after you shut me up in your tent," Percy said, unable to wipe the grin from his face.
Artemis laughed softly as she lowered her gaze. They realized at the same time that Percy hadn't had the chance to put his shirt on. Both faces burned red as he released the goddess and fumbled it onto himself. He winced while he inched the fabric over his back, and Artemis got a good look at where the poison had entered. The spot where the hole had been was permanently tainted a soft purple. Apollo had done what he could to, in his words, "regrow" human flesh, and that was about the best that could be done for such a searing injury.
Percy pulled his shirt down before he returned his eyes to the goddess. The pair stood in silence, simply staring, before Artemis sighed.
"Percy, how can this–" she pointed between herself and him, "–work among everything? It was incredible what you did for Phoebe, who has become a bit of a fan of yours, but imagine how she and the rest may react. Is this the best idea?"
"I don't know, Artemis. But what I do know is how you make me feel and, now that I've told you, I can't take it back. You've done the same, and that means we'll find a way to make it work, I promise."
"Always an answer," she mused quietly before her eyes hardened, "Then we must set some rules. Only Thalia may know. No physical contact beyond necessary in front of the girls. We cannot openly show any affection, even verbal, when around them. And we can continue meeting on the island," she demanded.
"Understood, drill sergeant!" Percy saluted, puffing out his chest.
Artemis rolled her eyes as she grabbed his shoulder, and the pair vanished in a spark of silver.
(Line Break)
"Oh come on, we could've set up camp anywhere else," Percy whined as they appeared in narrow woods.
Artemis looked at him quizzically, unsure of why he'd be so upset. The demigod scrunched his nose in true New Yorker fashion, staring at a massive bridge in the distance that he realized he was on the wrong side of.
"I hate New Jersey."
Standing in the center of camp, they were immediately mobbed by the hunters in the vicinity. Thalia laughed when Anna tackled Percy in a hug, the young huntress hysterical about how worried she'd been about him. The rest of the hunters spoke cordially to the returned demigod, expressing awe that he wasn't confined to a wheelchair or coffin.
Percy laughed it off as the crowd dispersed, amazed by the group's collectively dark sense of humor. Artemis smiled seeing how well he'd integrated with her hunters, but she felt a soft pang of remorse that she would be keeping a secret from them going forward. Her guilt only worsened when Phoebe walked up after everyone else left. Artemis wasn't sure what she was going to do, but she couldn't help but worry a little.
The huntress walked with soldier-like posture as she approached, as if she deliberately wanted to appear dignified. Within melee range, Percy unconsciously tensed his legs in case he needed to dodge. But when she moved, he wasn't fast enough, mainly due to shock; Phoebe had held her hand out to shake. Seconds passed before Percy clasped it.
"Thank you for what you did for me. And I am sorry for misjudging you, brother."
The huntress turned on her heel and walked away in the same stately manner. Percy stood shell-shocked, his arm still outstretched as he shook hands with thin air. Artemis stifled a laugh as the demigod looked at her with wide eyes. He needed a word more intense than 'disbelief' to describe how he was feeling.
"Now that everyone has been reintroduced," Artemis said, "go rest. We leave early tomorrow."
"Camp Half-Blood… Home, sweet home," he said solemnly.
"Actually, the name is Camp Olympus now."
"What?"
(Line Break)
The hunters were roused and running before the sun had even risen. They tore through New Jersey under the night's waning darkness, on pace to make it to Camp Olympus before the Pavilion would stop serving breakfast. During the trip, Artemis and Percy weren't doing a great job of sticking to their rules.
Anna was clinging to Percy's head, seated in her normal position on his shoulders when the group needed to move quickly. She'd revealed several of her and Thalia's operations, earning sheepish chuckles from the pair. In return, the two had let her in on their secret situation, making her promise not to tell the other hunters.
But the young huntress didn't need to reveal anything herself. Artemis and Percy were running together in clear view at the head of the pack. They jostled each other trying to earn an inch of distance over the other, ignoring their deal of 'no physical contact.' Running with the bulk of the hunters, Thalia could hear little whispers regarding the pair. To her, that was a plus, because she was confident that the girls could slowly be won over, even with something this crazy.
"You don't think Lady Artemis…" Thalia picked up from Rachel's conversation with Alia, another huntress.
"No, she's not allowed to, right? Could she?" Alia asked.
"I mean, look at them," Rachel retorted.
Thalia stifled a smirk, addressing the collective to "Shut it and keep running."
By midmorning, the party arrived atop the hill overlooking a new Camp Olympus. Furnished cabins and newly constructed buildings further filled the valley while still leaving the forest untouched. From their perch, the hunters could hear the clang of blades within the massive arena and the rumble of the forge that had tripled in size. A mixture of Greek and Roman demigods milled about in the open field at the bottom of the hill. Percy felt a deep nostalgia standing astride the camp's pine tree, looking out at the home he'd left behind.
Artemis stood next to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. But she retracted it quickly, remembering the rest of the Hunt was watching. Instead, Thalia took her place while the goddess briefed the rest of the girls. The daughter of Zeus squeezed Percy's arm while the duo visually mapped the new camp.
"I know there's so many bad memories here, but you're back with a new family now. Cameron's gone, and I know your friends miss you so much. Let's go meet them again," she said softly.
Artemis watched out of the corner of her eye and listened as Thalia spoke. She noticed that the huntress didn't mention Annabeth, which was probably a good idea. A small part of the goddess hoped that she wasn't at camp at all, but that was a childish thought that deserved to be quickly erased. The idea of relationships was largely new to Artemis, but she wasn't going to let something as mortally trivial as an ex-girlfriend affect her.
Percy steeled himself and nodded, donning his hood that covered his eyes. Artemis led the short walk to the Big House, where a familiar centaur stood in waiting.
"Lady Artemis," Chiron said as he bowed. He went to address the hunters but stopped when his eyes found a man stepping out at the goddess' side.
"Who is this?" the old centaur asked, apprehensive.
"It would be better discussed inside," Artemis decided, dismissing everyone but Percy to her redesigned cabin.
The band of girls nodded and began their stroll towards the silver building that had recently gained a second story. On the way, they shot venomous glares at any male campers that strayed too close. The remaining trio stepped into the Big House while Chiron tried to gauge the familiarity of the hooded man.
They seated themselves in the living room, greeted by Seymour the leopard mounted in his signature spot. Percy couldn't help but recall the meeting with his 'father' that'd marked the first day of the worst year of his life. The demigod was pulled out of his thoughts by Chiron's scrutinizing eyes.
"Who are you?"
Percy sighed. The old centaur had never done any wrong to him, which was why he felt so anxious to reveal himself. What if his mentor had never forgiven him for leaving, only to suddenly return when he was mandated to? But Percy had to accept his consequence, no matter what it was. He dropped his hood.
Instantly, his feet left the ground, his body scooped into the tightest hug he'd felt since Leto, and he was grateful for how much stronger he'd become since then. The centaur didn't let go for several minutes. Embracing him just as tightly, Percy's eyes welled with tears that Chiron held nothing against him.
"My boy, it is so good to see you," the centaur said shakily as he let go, "How has everything been?"
"It's great to see you too, Chiron. It'd been a lonely few years until I recently kind of tripped and fell into the Hunt," Percy said, smiling.
The centaur couldn't help but laugh.
"It does not surprise me as much as it should that you found yourself in an organization that historically does not accept men," he said before shifting his attention, "Milady, I hope you've also been well. All of the campers are currently gathered in the Pavilion if you wish to deliver the prophecy."
Artemis nodded before addressing Percy.
"Due to your relevance to the prophecy, I will also be revealing your return," she said impartially.
Artemis may have let her guard down around her hunters, but campers were another matter entirely. Percy simply nodded, and the trio left for the dining hall.
(Line Break)
Artemis stood at the forefront of the Pavilion, looking out across all of the campers as she recited the prophecy. On one side of the goddess stood a dutiful Chiron staring gravely ahead as he thought on the words. On her other side, to the campers' collective bewilderment, stood a tall, muscular man with a hood covering his eyes and a huntress perching on his shoulders. When Artemis finished speaking, the room fell into an even deeper silence. Most of the people in the hall hadn't known any prophecy was issued, let alone that it was the one foreboding what they'd been training for. Whispers slowly broke out among the campers, but nobody had yet raised their voice.
Percy looked out across the audience, finding many familiar faces. All of his old friends from Camp Half-Blood, Reyna, Leo, Nico, Calypso, Piper, Jason, and.. Annabeth. The sight of each one sent a pang through him, none worse than the last. He wanted to back out, to take flight and disappear into the sky. But Anna being on his back squashed those thoughts.
Jason was the first demigod to speak up.
"I believe we should break down the prophecy by subject, starting with the first two stanzas. It seems to refer to a single individual as, one, a champion, two, on a divergent path, three, carrying a burden, and four, being called by someone to fight 'the Dark One.'"
He addressed the crowd as well as Artemis. The demigod's oration had significantly improved since becoming Pontifex Maximus in New Rome. Percy smiled in his direction, glad to see he was doing well. There was a sharp gasp in the audience, and all eyes turned to the source
"Percy?" Annabeth whispered, but the whole room heard her.
The daughter of Athena would have recognized his smile anywhere; she was too brilliant not to. Percy winced from the tightness in his chest. His shoulders slumped slightly as he pulled his hood down.
The Pavilion went nuclear, a mixture of gasps, shouts, confusion, and the rumble of some demigods shoving to the front of the room. Percy surged forward to meet them after softly dropping Anna from his shoulders. For a moment, all seemed to already have been forgiven as Leo, Jason, Piper, and Nico rushed into a massive ball-hug that quickly hit the ground.
Percy realized his hope of non-retaliation was short-lived when they all began whaling on him for disappearing without a trace. Every fist hit the demigod at an awkward angle; their owners' tear-stained vision made it difficult to aim. Percy was crying as well, a mixture of euphoria at seeing them and regret at the pain he must have caused. Their sobbing dogpile looked much less friendly from the outside.
"Back up!" a rough voice shouted over the ruckus still being made in the Pavilion.
Everyone turned to find Phoebe, along with several other hunters, training their bows on the bundle of bodies. Percy scrambled to his feet, hands outstretched in surrender.
"Wait, wait, wait, they're fine," he said, eyes red, and he realized that the blows probably looked real to them.
The demigod felt strangely warm that his new family was willing to kill for him at such short notice, but these were his friends. As the hunters retracted their arrows and sat back down at their table, Chiron reconstituted control of the room, announcing that any other reunions could be done after the meeting. Percy's friends found their ways back to their seats, recouping from both seeing him again and almost getting skewered. Though Chiron continued speaking, Percy drowned it out when he found Annabeth's seat empty. And, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a blur of blonde hair disappearing behind a pillar at the edge of the Pavilion.
Percy's body moved on its own, in spite of how unwilling the demigod felt about meeting her again.
"I'll be back in just a minute," he whispered to Artemis before he drifted towards the hall's outer columns.
The goddess had watched Annabeth leave her seat. As Percy walked away, the ugly feeling again festered in her stomach. She did her best to quash it, instinctively rationalizing that Percy had proven himself to be trustworthy. But Artemis quickly realized that that wasn't her worry at all; there didn't seem to be any logical reasoning behind her discomfort. Clenching her jaw, she continued to stare straight ahead.
Percy slipped between two columns and quickly reached the one Annabeth had disappeared behind. Stepping past it, he heard sniffling from the other side of Pavilion's furthermost pillar. The demigod trudged ahead reluctantly, his body unwilling to stop. Rounding the column, he stopped just before running into her back.
"Annabeth," he whispered.
She tensed before slowly turning to look at him. Percy stared at the grey eyes he'd fallen in love with all those years ago. That feeling had long gone, but the anguish of looking into them again felt very real. Annabeth was crying, and her hands gingerly cupped an object. She didn't even try to hide it as Percy lowered his eyes, fixating on the ring he'd abandoned on the beach years ago.
"Percy," she replied, nearly silent.