I've figured out how I want this plot to go, somewhat. Expect some liberties to be taken regarding characters.


The first thing Percy did was trip. Stupid rock.

He immediately reversed his thoughts when a hunting knife shot past where his head had just been.

Without another thought, he caused the river to explode again, this time towards Artemis who had just reached him. The waters blinded her temporarily, causing her to miss impaling him, though he hissed as his leg got nicked by her knives.

Artemis leaned forward, avoiding a strike from Tisiphone before grabbing the Fury's outstretched arm and throwing her at Percy's general direction. Percy let out a gasp of pain as he caught her - not with his arms, but with his stomach, sending the two of them tumbling into the river.

The goddess then rolled forward, taking out her bow fluidly and intercepting a blow from Megaera aimed at her head. Jerking her head, she grabbed an arrow from her quiver with her teeth and notched it with her mouth. Before Megaera realized what the goddess was doing, she felt the arrow whizz into her wing. It wasn't nearly as strong as Artemis's normal arrows, but the surprise was enough to stun the Fury for a brief second, giving the goddess the opportunity to swing around and nail her in the head with a solid kick.

A snarl came from behind Artemis, and she swung her quiver just in time to block a blow from a sogging Tisiphone, grimacing as she saw the claws pierce through the leather. Instincts screamed at her, and she used her free arm to swing her bow in the opposite direction, narrowly blocking Percy's attack. She clenched her jaw as he forced her into a stalemate using both of his hands.

The water behind Percy exploded outwards, and the goddess only had time to widen her eyes before a geyser of water shot up from directly beneath her, knocking her into the sky. The two Furies raced upwards at her, but Artemis came back to her senses sooner than they anticipated, grunting as she knocked them back down with a spinning kick. Still airborne, she pulled yet another knife out of her boot and threw it at Percy, embedding it in his shoulder.

"I think I see why Father was so adamant in your death, boy," Artemis declared, after getting back on her feet. Percy was not as graceful, clutching his arm and groaning in pain as he yanked the blade out, the river's water gradually healing him. She flicked her wrist and the knife reappeared in her hand, before tasting it briefly.

"Really now?" he replied sarcastically. He cupped some water and grimaced as he poured it onto the wound, glancing at it as the wound closed faster. Must have been a son of Poseidon thing. "I sure as heck don't."

"You taste different," she confirmed. She cracked her neck before materializing a different dagger, this one golden and longer than the previous knives. "Ancient blood flows in you, giving you strength beyond a normal demigod, Survivor of Pallas. You are an anomaly. And anomalies-"

She dashed forward, far faster than Percy could register, and impaled the weapon into his chest. He could only look down in surprise as blood pooled out, before falling flat on his face

"Do not belong in this world."


Pain.

That was the only thought that came to Percy's mind as he gritted his teeth, gripping the blade buried in his chest. Although he felt the river slowly mending the wound and keeping him conscious, the pain was still there, overwhelming his senses. He could only watch helplessly as Artemis's shadow loomed over him. She notched an arrow and aimed it, only to jerk her head when she heard a howl.

The two Furies flew at Artemis, forcing her to jump back as grabbed a few arrows with her teeth. She unleashed the arrows at the two monsters, but this time they were ready. Tucking their wings into their bodies, they dove at Artemis while the arrows bounced off their skin, and slammed into the goddess.

Although Artemis had put up her arms in anticipation that her flurry failed to stop the two, it didn't do much against the force of two Furies crashing into her, which sent her flying into a tree. Before she could put some distance between them, they immediately flew at her, forcing her to fight back.

Her bow disappeared, replaced with two knives. In one swift motion, she blocked the two monsters. With a kick, she forced Megaera away before slamming her right knife onto Tisiphone's shoulder. The Fury reacted in time to avoid getting impaled, but she hissed as the knife nevertheless left a cut down her back. Undeterred, Artemis grabbed the Fury's left hand with her right, and headbutted her, disorienting her and throwing her into a tree.

"You cannot beat me, Kindly Ones," Artemis warned. "Do not get in my way."

The two Furies looked at one another and laughed. "Forgive us, Lady Artemis, but we refuse."

The goddess arched an eyebrow. "And why is that?"

"The boy has done no wrong," explained Megaera, wincing as she clutched her gut. "And Alecto died protecting him. We will do the same."

Artemis sighed, before cracking her neck. "You know the consequences already, don't you?"

The two grinned in response, adopting stances of their own.

"Allow me to put you in your place then."

The three charged at one another. Artemis landed the first blow, landing a slash across Megaera's front. Rather than recoiling, Megaera pressed her assault, flames erupting from her wound, leaving Artemis unable to finish the job. Tisiphone took advantage of the distraction and thrust her claws at Artemis. Recognizing the danger, the goddess tossed several arrows at her, wincing as they exploded once they made contact with the Fury.

"'Vengeful destruction,'" she sighed, bringing out her bow. "Right. That'll be a hassle."

Artemis ran forward, jumping far higher than any person should be able to, a waggle of her finger taunting the two Furies to follow her. Megaera and Tisiphone replied in kind, flying upwards, fully ready for the ensuing onslaught.

Arrow after arrow rained down, the goddess firing them off at supernatural speeds. Many landed their mark, but many more flew by them. Undeterred, the two braved the storm of arrows. As they neared Artemis, Tisiphone slowed down just barely enough for Megaera to overtake her. Seizing her chance, Megaea exploded, flames roaring out of her orifices and wounds and igniting every arrow that Artemis sent her way. Tisiphone gave a violent howl and spun, creating a column of wind around her that sent the arrows going back at the goddess.

Despite this, Artemis wasn't shocked. She allowed herself to fall backward and began sniping the incoming arrows with just as much speed as before. As she neared the ground, a net appeared in her hands and she caught it on a tree branch, swinging to safety.

As the two Furies dove towards her, Artemis leaped towards them, knives in hand. She went for Megaera first, parrying away the monster's claws and tackled her out of the sky. Once they crashed onto the ground, Artemis gritted her teeth and slammed her knife deep through the Fury's chest, holding firm as flames erupted from Megaera's eyes and wounds at full force. Despite the heat licking her body, she forced it deeper, until the Fury eventually exploded into dust. Not a moment later, she had to roll aside as Tisiphone slammed where she was just at, causing a massive crater.

"I don't think Lord Hades would be pleased with having all three of his enforcers in Tartarus at the same time," commented Artemis. With a shake of her hair, the minor burns she got from Megaera's fires faded away.

Tisiphone bared her fangs. "I will ask my Lord to forgive me when I return." The goddess sighed.

"I don't suppose you'll be back by the summer solstice?"

"Not before autumn, I'm afraid," laughed the Fury. "It seems we sisters will be missing one of the bigger Hunts this year."

Hunts. The way Tisiphone said the word caused Percy to involuntarily shiver. There was a certain depth to it, that made it clear to him that she meant it with a capital H.

The goddess shook her head, before firing arrows at Tisiphone. Before the arrows hit, a massive wall of water rose up, shielding the Fury. Artemis glared at Percy, who was clutching his gut while holding it up.

"I wonder, demigod," she asked. "How long do you think you can survive against me?"

Percy shook his head, spitting out a wad of blood. "Mom didn't raise a quitter."

The corner of Artemis's mouth twitched before she dashed towards Percy. This time, he was prepared, holding up Anaklusmos just in time to block her daggers. He tightened his core, and a geyser erupted beneath him, sending him into the sky. Artemis leaped after him, but was smacked down after Tisiphone crashed into her, causing an explosion upon collision. Percy slammed against the water as she recovered, generating waves that knocked her aside.

"Gods damn it," spat Artemis, pushing herself up. "Stay down!"

She began glowing a faint silver and raced towards Percy. Though he brought up his sword again, she instead overshot and went above him, before jumping off a tree behind him to grab an incoming Tisiphone. Not missing a beat, she hurled Tisiphone at Percy, eliciting a scream from him as Tisiphone's body exploded upon contact.

She then began firing arrows at Tisiphone's body, face unchanging as each caused a mini-explosion on hitting the Fury's body. Eventually, Tisiphone released a pained sigh, and her body dissipated into golden dust.

"It's over, boy," said Artemis. Percy was left in a pathetic state, covered in burns and charred clothing. "No more monsters to the rescue."

Percy gritted his teeth. It wasn't fair. He wasn't told about the stupid bolt, about the gods. And now he was staring down the shaft of Artemis's arrow, ready to kill him with a single shot.

And he never even got to see his mom again.

He gave a bitter laugh. "Are you happy? Doing this to an eleven-year-old?"

"Hermes stole Apollo's cows as a newborn," retorted Artemis. "Age means nothing to gods."

"But I'm not one!" snapped Percy. "I'm just a stupid kid, who was doing stupid kid things until the past few days! This isn't fair!"

'No, it isn't.'

Percy felt the sensation of cold arms enveloping his own, but he couldn't see anything.

'You are owed to me, Perseus. For Zeus to forget his promises yet again, this is unforgivable.'

The arms left him momentarily and then he felt them hug around his body, causing him to shiver at the cold touch.

'Feed me a happy memory, child, and I will grant you power.'

Maybe if he wasn't in a life-or-death situation, Percy would have been more cautious of the voice inside his head. But with Artemis staring down at him, he didn't think twice before imagining the first time his mom baked him a birthday cake. It was blue, and Smelly Gabe hadn't entered their lives yet. It wasn't perfect, being misshapen and slightly overbaked, but Percy loved it.

The voice chuckled. 'A beautiful memory. Very well, Perseus. I, Styx, grant you the strength of the Lethe.'


Artemis felt the danger before even her instincts kicked in.

Her arrow had already been released by the time she dove off to the side, just in time to dodge a geyser where she was just standing.

It wasn't the same as the previous water pillars. They were thinner, but she could feel the force that they erupted with.

The water also happened to have a milky white sheen to it.

Percy didn't let up, running at the goddess while the same white water swirled around him. She blocked a strike, only to stagger under the sheer force of the blow. She went on the offensive, but in contrast to before when Percy needed both hands just to bring one arm to a standstill, he was easily holding her back with one arm.

That pissed her off.

His blows were heavier now, but much slower, and she took advantage of that by staying back and firing arrows. Percy was unable to block them all and grunted in pain as a few pierced his skin.

The white water stopped swirling around him and stabbed into his wounds, causing him to scream. He clutched his head, flailing left and right as though trying to force something out. Sensing an opportunity, Artemis kept unloading arrow after arrow, though each wound got plugged up by that same water.

And then, he leapt at her.

Well, it wasn't a leap so much as the water below him exploded and propelled him at her. Artemis moved to dodge but acutely became aware of the danger she was in as the river erupted again.

She gritted her teeth and unslung her bow, just in time to block an impossibly strong blow from Percy.

Block was a strong word though. More... survive. Whatever incredible strength he had displayed moments ago paled in comparison to this one single hit.

Artemis was no weakling. Though she was not around when the Titans were driven back, she had defeated the Gigantes before. Her host of hunters fought what the gods deemed a threat, and she was their teacher. All while shouldering the passing of mantles with as few complaints as possible.

And yet, for the first time, Artemis became acutely aware that this was not her fight to win.

"Where is this strength coming from?" she demanded, catching Percy by surprise when she rolled out of the way and he lost his balance. "What have you done, demigod?"

'Oh nothing,' Percy thought. 'Just listened to the crazy woman voice in my head. Don't worry about it.'

What came out of his mouth instead was "Nghth."

Artemis blinked before her nostrils widened for a second. "You smell... empty." She hissed, cracking her neck.

"Hngh."

"I don't know what game you're playing at Styx," warned Artemis. Her tone was colder now. "But you of all people know I am bound to hunt Father's targets."

Percy felt his face curl into a sneer. "Your oaths mean nothing, Huntress."

"Hnghrh," the demigod added, this time in his own voice.

"Giving a child the Lethe is foolish on a level that I cannot comprehend," muttered Artemis. With a flick of her hand, her bow transformed into a silver spear. "You would have him burn up to delay the inevitable?"

Percy's mouth gave a bared smile. "I am using what is rightfully mine."

He felt himself lurch forward. Percy could tell that he was walking, but it was as though he was trying to walk through a swamp, with how painfully long it took for him to move each step.

Maybe it had to do with all the stupid white water circling around him and plugging up arrow wounds.

He gave a grunt and the water propelled him again towards Artemis. This time, she didn't bother trying to block, now that she realized what the milky white liquid was. She dodged so quickly that he swore she had disappeared.

And then he felt the knife to his back.

Percy fell down hard, gritting his teeth as the waters of the Lethe painfully sealed up the wound immediately. His head was throbbing now, and each movement took more and more effort to perform.

It would be easier to just... sleep. And forget all this happened.

Maybe this was all a dream. A very painful nightmare. And when he woke up, he'd be back at his apartment, go to the kitchen and his mom would have blue pancakes freshly made and ready to be eaten. Smelly Gabe would be out drinking with his friends, and he'd have the place to himself and his mom for a few hours, just enjoying the peace there.

No monsters, no crazy gods, no son of Poseidon. Just a normal life.

'Would you accept that?'

He felt his limbs go slack for a brief second, before pushing him up, ignoring the incredible strain they were under.

'The Lethe will nibble on your mind, dull your thoughts, yearn for you to slumber with no memories - not of your friends nor your loved ones. Could you live with that?'

Memories.

Percy thought back to all summers at Montauk. All the snacks Mrs. Dodds snuck for him during lunch, him and Nancy pranking the annoying gym teacher that got a kick out of tossing kickballs at kids, Grover scaring away some stalker with his crutches.

And Sally. His mom, who put up with all his nonsense, every hardship he brought onto her. Who still loved her difficult son despite her deserving the whole world and even more. She gave him the chance to survive while they were being hunted down. He'd given up a memory of time spent together to this voice in his head.

So what the fuck was he thinking, just losing and going to sleep?

'Fight, my prize, Twice-Broken Oath. You are the son of the sea. And you would let a river dominate you so?'

"Shut up," breathed Percy, taking control of his arms and legs again. "Screw you, screw the gods, screw everything!"

At his scream, all the remaining milky waters of the Lethe forced itself down his throat. He ignore the growing headache and clenched a fist as he felt the river's power surge through his body. With the last bit of his strength, he lifted his arm up.

And with it, an enormous chunk of the Mississippi River rose with it.

Artemis stepped back. Then again.

Taking a deep breath, she aimed one last arrow at Percy, who was panting heavily. She knew she had a clear shot, that he wouldn't be able to get out of the way or even dodge with the Lethe slowing him down. No, her thoughts were more focused on how she'd get out of having one of the biggest rivers in the country dumped on her head. She'd be knocked unconscious at the very minimum.

Still, it was nothing that she wouldn't recover from in a couple of minutes.

Tears streaked down Percy's face as he struggled to keep the river up, aiming it at Artemis. "I just want... to see mom again," he managed out.

And then promptly collapsed as something hit him on the back of the neck, the river falling down with him.

Artemis looked at the culprit with surprise and disdain.

"Ares. You knew there was no way he was stopping my arrow."

The biker chuckled before hauling Percy's limp body with one hand. "Dad changed his mind again. Wants his bolt back more than the kid's life."

Artemis blinked before pinching the bridge of her nose. "I work for idiots."

The god shrugged before manifesting a backpack and slipping Percy's arms through the straps. "I like the kid. Fights hard. Even if he barely touched you."

The goddess sighed. She shook her head and all the scrapes and injuries disappeared in an instant. "He put up more of a fight than most, I'll give him that. Tell Father that the next time he wants me to kill an eleven-year-old, he should make up his damn mind first. I have a Hunt to attend to."

"Sure," sneered Ares. "Hunt? You hunting the Fomor or another drunk catcaller?"

Artemis didn't reply, flashing away.

The god of war chuckled, shaking his head as he draped Percy over his shoulder.

"Let's get you back to your friends, little demigod. Time is ticking."


Percy awoke to three pairs of eyes staring down at him, and a massive migraine.

"Um," he chuckled. "Hi?"

The longest second ever passed before the three crushed him in a tight hug.

"We thought you died!" blurted out Annabeth. "But Goat Boy said-"

"-told you," exclaimed Grover. "I told you the connection-"

"woke up and you were just-" rambled Katie.

Percy gave a weak smile. "Guys, look, I appreciate it. But I've got a massive headache right now and have no clue what's going on."

Annabeth was the first to break off. "It's a miracle you managed to survive," she huffed. "Lady Artemis is infamous for not liking males. We were sure you would have been a goner by now."

"I put up-" began Percy, before correcting himself. "The other two and I fought back. I'm not too sure what happened after, but looks like I'm alive."

After a brief period of catching up, the group began heading westward again.

"So some god just... showed up?" asked Percy, baffled.

"An Olympian," scolded Annabeth. "Show some respect. I don't think your savior would be pleased to just be referred to as some minor god. But yes, an Olympian just showed up and dropped you off with a backpack full of supplies."

Percy blinked, before pawing at his back. "Oh, huh. Looks we have more food now. Who was it, anyways?"

The three looked at each other.

"I was sleeping while it happened," Katie sheepishly admitted. "And from what the other two told me, the Olympian made them swear not to reveal them until you met them in the west."

"Gods aren't supposed to interfere in quests," explained Annabeth. "And he kinda did a big thing for us-"

She was about to say more but Percy just raised a hand. "You know what, nevermind. I've had enough talk about gods for today. Just lead the way, Wise Girl."

From what Percy could tell, the god - Olympian, he mockingly corrected in his head - had not only dropped him off, but dragged them all the way to Nevada. Annabeth said something about the Lotus Hotel, but he got bored halfway and just nodded absentmindedly, letting her guide them.

And for the first time... it was peaceful.

No monsters, no gods, no stalkers, no weird voice in his head that claimed he was her prize.

Just four teenagers walking through Nevada.

He watched as Annabeth haggled with shopkeepers, Grover finding different paths and shortcuts they could take through the state. He watched Katie plant some sticks in the ground and will them into forming a tent frame, and even himself as he lifted some river water to a makeshift bathtub to clean up.

No fighting, just kid stuff.

"Percy."

Percy opened his eyes and looked up to see Katie staring down at him.

"What's wrong?"

The girl stared at him for a few more seconds before pulling back. "Annabeth says to wake up. She said that the Hotel is close enough that we can go rest there."

Percy raised an eyebrow. If there was one thing he learned over the past few days trekking through Nevada, it was that adults were generally suspicious of four kids traveling together. And given that none of them had had a real shower in nearly a week, he doubted that something as nice as a hotel would let in a bunch of dirty teens.

Couldn't hurt to try, he decided.

His first thought when they neared Las Vegas was that it was loud.

Not even sounds, just all the lights. Bright neon signs, flamboyant colors, casinos with flashing lights.

Well, soundwise it was also really loud too, but that was beside the point.

"Here it is," said Annabeth, once they got to it.

Percy suppressed a gasp as he looked at the Lotus Hotel and Casino. It certainly... stood out compared to the other casinos in the area. Although it was flashy, it wasn't as provocative as the others around it. He could tell it was loud, but it also seemed to be drowned out by the casinos around it.

Oh, and it was shimmering. Did casinos shimmer?"

A bellhop greeted them with smiles. "Ah, Mr. Jackson and his friends! I believe your benefactor told you to come here?"

The group looked at each other warily. "Yeah," replied Grover. "You, um, how did you kn-"

"Don't worry, Mr. Underwood," the bellhop said cheerfully. "Your benefactor provided me with identification ahead of time. Your rooms have already been prepared."

He handed them each a golden key card, and led them in. Percy's gasp caught in his throat.

Stalkers. They were everywhere, hidden among the crowds, across all the massive floors.

And all staring down at him.

"It's huge," breathed out Annabeth. A waitress came around and offered them some flower cookies. She and Grover took one while Katie eyed it warily and politely declined.

Percy was too frozen to even acknowledge her.

"Now then," clapped the bellhop, bringing Percy out of his stupor. "Go have some fun, children! We'll send someone to find you once it's time to deliver you dinner."

He turned to Percy. "Mr. Jackson, if you don't mind, we'd like to discuss something briefly with you."

Percy turned around to look at the others, but Annabeth and Grover were already long gone into the crowds of people playing games. Only Katie was near him.

"Ms. Gardner, you can go on ahead. I won't keep him too long."

Katie shook her head. "I'm not leaving him alone with you, Lotus-Eater."

The bellhop blinked before giving the two a wide smile. "I suppose this will make the meeting much easier then. Come, my boss is waiting up ahead."


"This place is a trap," the bellhop's boss, Phagi, stated. "The person who sent you here wanted you to fail your quest."

Percy blinked before looking at Katie. "How did you know who they were?"

"The cookies," she replied. "They smell... sleepy. Like I want to go take a nap for weeks."

The boss nodded. "Yes, our trademark fruit can be quite... narcotic. I imagine it was child's play for a daughter of Demeter like you to figure it out."

Percy frowned. "Back up a minute. You said this was a trap?"

"Yes," replied Phagi. "We provide all the entertainment in the world, and mortals stay here - forever. Time stands still inside this casino."

"Why are you telling us then?" asked Katie.

Phagi sighed. "I am in a difficult position, Ms. Gardner. Your benefactor is no mere god, and has demanded that I keep you here. However, this one-" He pointed at Percy.

"I refuse to keep him in my building."

"Why?"

"The insurance premiums!" he moaned. "The slayer of Pallas, who fought Artemis and lived to tell the tale! Son of Poseidon, enemy of the Chimera - do you have any clue how expensive it is to insure against one demigod, let alone one like him?"

"Hey," protested Percy, somewhat lamely.

The boss took a deep breath. "Pardon me. I just... dislike rebuilding if it can be avoided. "

Percy heard Katie mutter, "I could tell," under her breath, and gave a light snort.

"In any case," said the boss. "I will ask that you please vacate the facility. I will keep your friends here, so as to not breach my contract with your benefactor. Well, I suppose benefactor is the wrong word here but-"

"I'm taking Katie with me," interrupted Percy. "We're going to the Underworld and I need some help."

The boss raised an eyebrow. "That's for the lady to decide. Well, Ms. Gardner? Will you risk your life attempting to enter Hades's domain? Or would you rather stay here and be safe? We recently added a floor exclusive to Platinum card members, and someone of your caliber qualifies for a free upgrade."

Katie thought for a moment and for a minute, Percy's heart lurched at the thought that she'd pick the Hotel over him. Her answer though, washed all that stress away.

"Your hotel is loud and smells like burnt flowers," she said. She turned to Percy. "Let's go finish this quest."

The boss sighed but nodded. "Children, children. Terrible taste in games, terrible taste in luxury. So be it then. I'll have one of my cab drivers bring you closer to your destination. The farther you are away from my establishment, the less I have to worry about the wrath of an Olympian damaging my property."

"Where to?" asked Percy. The boss flashed a wide smile.

"Did you not say you were going to the Underworld? We'll drive you right to Los Angeles, DOA Recording Studios itself."