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The hunters got into the bus reluctantly, all of them complaining about how they would have to suffer the company of Apollo, along with the hyperactive half-blood boy. Yet, the usual hostile environment that would've been normally seen, wasn't there. They were still mourning, feeling the loss of one of their comrades, along with a defenseless maiden.

The hunters that knew Perseus personally were taking it harder than the others. It had been millennia since Perseus had gone missing, even longer that he had created the hunt, handpicking the first members himself. Their loyalty and faith in him hadn't waivered in all the years that he had gone missing.

For millennia they had all suffered in the guilt of hiding the truth about Orion and their mistress' relationship with him. Caught in the thought of not betraying their mistress' trust, they ended up betraying him. It was due to their own fault that Perseus ended up finding the truth in such a harsh way. His reaction was understandable, he wasn't the kind of man to show his anger or grief to anyone.

So, he did what he always did, suffered alone. This time, not even giving anyone a chance to be there for him, as he vanished from the ends of earth.

While the older hunters were lost in their own thoughts, the younger ones were confused and worried. For all their time in the hunt, it was always their assumption that it was Artemis who created the hunt. Now, to hear that it was someone else, a man no less, had them doubting everything they knew about hunt.

"Zoë," one of the girls called out to their lieutenant, "Is it true that it was that Perseus god who created the hunt?" While it was an innocent and understandable question, a huge crack of lightning followed her statement. A warning from the King of skies to name his brother with more respect.

Zoë looked up to the sky, then towards the hunters who were waiting for her answer and nodded slowly. "The hunt as we know wasn't created for the purpose of slaying monsters or defending Olympus against enemies. The Gods were more than enough to protect it and the half-bloods were powerful enough to decimate any stronger monsters that would cause problems."

She looked out the window, lost in her own melancholy of the time she had joined the hunt. Whilst she wasn't the first, second or third to join the rank of hunters, she was the oldest member now. So many of her sisters had died in her time in the hunt, some who came before her, and many who after. She had understood the burden of immortality long ago, watching those younger than her die and perish in battles.

However, now looking at the faces of her sisters, she felt the burden to be a little heavier. She realized that her, Atlanta, Phoebe, Maia and Helen were all that remained from the time the hunt was created. They were the last to know the truth and the ones who carried the knowledge of their existence with them.

"Then what was the hunt created for?" Another hunter asked.

Zoë smiled at her sister and answered, "It was meant to be a gift. Artemis was always the odd one amongst the gods, while the others rejoiced in praises and worships sitting on their throne, Artemis enjoyed being on the ground more so than the others. She and Perseus were wedded because at that time, even an unmarried Olympian wasn't safe from the lecherous nature of men."

A look of pure disgust appeared on all the hunters' face.

"Someone had captured Artemis hoping to claim her maidenhood, but couldn't due to Perseus, Zeus and Apollo intervening at the same time. It was later declared that Perseus and Artemis were to marry, as Artemis didn't want to give her maidenhood away to anyone, even her husband. Perseus was the only one who would respect her decision."

"Artemis and Perseus were always the closest among the gods, you could say they were best-friends. Perseus had feelings for Artemis, but Artemis didn't. Or I should say that she didn't want to acknowledge her feelings at the time, so she shunned him, cursed at him and despised his presence. To avoid her husband, she started spending more time on earth hunting than on Olympus."

"Whilst he was saddened himself, Perseus noted that Artemis was more alone than she had ever been. She might have despised him, but he still cared for her. So, he created the hunt to be her attendants forever, so she never had to be alone, and also to provide a sanctuary for maidens who didn't have anyone. Kallisto was the first one he recruited, who would soon be followed by many. Artemis might have hated her husband, but it was the greatest gift that she had ever received, which she cherishes to date."

The hunters were silent, not knowing what to say. They had always thought that the hunt was created by their mistress herself, to think it was someone else responsible for their group to exist was strange. Along with knowing that the fiercest maiden they all knew, the goddess of chastity was once married, was a lot to take at once.

Zoë let her sisters take their time to digest the new information. She was thinking back to the time when Perseus had left, it was a hard day for the hunters as well. All her sisters had been devastated that their lord had left without giving any signs of when he'll be returning. Everyone that day knew what had happened, they had all watched Artemis carry the body of their fallen comrade, bloodied and raped.

For the first time ever, Zoë had felt disgust about the actions of her best-friend and mistress. To spit on the face of Perseus' loyalty by engaging with another man in an illicit relationship. They had all objected to Orion's presence within the hunters, but Artemis had assured them that he would not harm them. However, Artemis didn't want to hear their comments and they could not force her too much.

Later the very same man turned against the goddess and tried to rape her, after successfully defiling one of her sisters.

"If you're going to tell the truth, tell the whole truth." Apollo's voice came from the front of the bus. It wasn't the casual and fun-loving voice they all were used to hearing from Apollo, rather a serious tone. Zoë wasn't blind as to not notice that the visits from Apollo had been decreasing year by year. He was angry at his sister, rightfully so. Still, it put her at unease when the cheerful Sun-God lost his smile.

The hunters looked confused, waiting expectantly to hear what Zoë had to say. The daughter of Atlas sighed, reminiscing about the ancient days when it wasn't so hard, when she was just a recruit and didn't have to be responsible for the entire hunt. She loved them, but at times like these, her position as the leader of the elite group of hunters was heavy.

"Milady once met a young man, a son of Poseidon, Orion. He was charming, a smile as wide as ocean, and equally mysterious. He was a hunter that could rival any of us hunters, even though we were blessed by the goddess of hunt. Artemis was intrigued and invited him to hunt with her, from there their friendship started. He was the first and only male to this day that has ever been allowed to join the hunt."

If it wasn't for the words coming out of their lieutenant's mouth, it would be the angry aura Apollo was radiating that filled the hunters with dread.

"Artemis was attracted to Orion, while it wasn't love, she had always had problem dealing with her feelings. She mistook her mere attraction for love and got involved with Orion. Perseus came to check up on Artemis one day, and found her kissing the son of Poseidon." The hunters all collectively gasped hearing that, while the older ones closed their eyes, remembering the day all that clear.

"Perseus didn't rage, he didn't lash out, he went to Olympus and had their marriage annulled by the queen of heaven. He left after that, none of us had seen him since then until today. Artemis didn't care about it and left to find Orion, who was waiting for that exact moment. Since Perseus had left, he knew he could carry on to what he really wanted. He raped one of our sisters and bound Milady in celestial bronze chain, wanting to defile her."

The hunters all felt blinding rage as they heard that, their hatred of men reaching a new zenith. Still, they kept silent, not wanting to disturb Zoë.

"Thankfully, Apollo intervened before Orion could defile Milady, and informed her that Perseus had left. No one knew where he had gone except the elder gods, no one knew when he would come back."

It was a testament to how shocked the hunters were that none spoke anything. All of them digesting what they just heard. To know that their mistress' fault in judgement ended up with one of their sisters getting defiled, it was a slap in their face. They all thought that their mistress could do no wrong, it came cracking down.

Even gods made mistake. It was a harsh reality. Before they could ponder over their thoughts anymore, Apollo's voice came from the front of the bus. "We're here."

As everyone hopped off the sun chariot, the only person left inside was Hades' son, Nico. He was just quietly listening to the hunters chatting away; most of it went over his head. All he really got was that his uncle took off because Artemis was locking lips with someone else.

Didn't bother him much, though. The only thing on his mind was his sister. He wanted her back, she was his only family left, and he didn't want to lose her like they lost their mom.

"Chill, dude," a friendly hand plopped down on his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Your sister's going to be alright. The future's like a fog to me, lots of stuff I can't see happening. But, since I'm your trusty neighborhood god of knowledge, I can clue you in on one thing."

Nico glanced up at the god whose eyes were hiding behind sunglasses, even though he could feel the god's eyes burning as bright as the sun they were cruising in. "My uncle took a hit today, but he won't keep losing." Apollo kept quiet for a sec, both of them staring out at the lush view. The god took off his shades, and those blue eyes were locked onto Hades' kid. Nico almost felt like the god was peering straight into his soul.

"And don't forget, your dad's got your back, and so does Perseus. They've gone pretty far to keep you safe. Family stuff, you know. So, choose smart, I'll be keeping an eye on you."

Line-Break

Apollo wasn't having the best of day. As soon as he had dropped Nico and the hunters at camp, he hastily returned the sun back in its path and teleported straight to the Olympus throne room. Unlike his usual cheerful demeanor, the smile was wiped from his face as he thought about the situation in Maine.

He tried to stay calm, but the more he grew worried, the more it affected the nature around him. The sun was burning brighter than it had for decades, while not a fire god, embers of fire were letting loose from him. He couldn't help but wonder what was happening right now to his uncle. Tartarus was a purgatory, even elder gods and Titans were afraid of him, he could only imagine what Perseus and the demigoddesses would be facing down there.

He was also worried about Artemis, despite his strained relationship with her, he was still worried about his little sister. She was emotional after seeing one of her attendants die and their uncle jump into the pit, and Apollo knew that she didn't make good decisions when she was emotional. He just hoped she wouldn't do anything stupid as fighting a Titan she couldn't defeat.

Not wanting to waste any more time pondering over the situation, Apollo summoned his golden bow and shot an arrow that left a golden trail. When the arrow reached the sky, it shone a golden light. Signaling that Apollo was calling for an emergency meeting.

As Apollo sat on his throne, he saw various flashes of light as the gods flashed on to their thrones. He watched as everyone bar Perseus and Artemis took their thrones, the air around him buzzing with power as the Olympians turned their heads towards him.

Apollo looked at their faces, most of them looked confused except Hestia and Zeus. He figured that both of them already knew everything that had happened. Very little stayed unknown to Hestia, and Zeus was probably worried about his daughter and keeping an eye on her.

Poseidon looked at Zeus, wondering why their brother hadn't acknowledged Apollo yet. Sudden dread filled his heart as he saw the downtrodden expressions of Hestia, Apollo and Zeus. Gripping his trident he asked, "Apollo, why have you called for this meeting?"

Similarly to Poseidon, the rest of the council silently gazed at Apollo, wondering the same, wondering the significance of what Apollo had to inform the council. He wasn't one to summon council meetings without a valid reason, unlike his father who'd summon a meeting for every little thing.

"Today, Perseus, Thalia Grace and Annabeth Chase went out to retrieve the children of Hades." This caught Hades' attention as well as those who saw the children as a threat to their reign. They all listened as Apollo informed them all of what had happened. With Bianca Di Angelo getting kidnapped, a hunter dying, Annabeth falling into the pit, Perseus and Thalia jumping in the pit to rescue her. Artemis going out on a solo hunt.

It was a testament of how serious Apollo's words were that none dared to interject or disturb him. All of them feeling various degrees of emotions, ranging from rage to sadness to grief. However, none were worse Athena, Zeus and Hades. The trio keeping their emotions in check, yet it was clear to everyone how worried they were about their children.

Even as his heart clenched in worry, Zeus decided to take control of the meeting. With the absence of Perseus, the rule of Olympus would be reverted back to him. War was coming faster than they thought, it wouldn't do them good to sit idle and wait for their brother to come back.

"Hades go back to the underworld and try to get as much information from the pit as possible. Ask Thanatos, the Keres and anyone who visits the pit regularly to gather information and bring them back. We all know our father, he isn't someone who does things randomly, he took the daughter of Athena knowing that Perseus would follow. I want to know why he wants our brother there. While you're at it, try and contact the Primordial Tartarus." A visible shudder ran through his body at the thought of the Primordial of pit. "We know that Nyx cares for Perseus, so while we don't know if she will support us, at least we know that she won't side against us."

Seeing Hades nod his head, Zeus turned towards the sea god, "Poseidon you should start checking on our allies spread across the sea. Keep an eye on those who would miss no chance at revenge against us, Oceanus hadn't fought in the Titan war, I am afraid that might not be the case this time. Gather your council and discuss possible counter strategies and defenses in case you face a sudden attack."

Turning to their eldest sister, "I would like you to keep an eye on the demigod camps sister. When the news of Annabeth and Thalia falling into the pit spreads, it would cause panic. Keep the children calm and placate their worries, in a time like this it would do us no good to have our own children distrust us."

"Athena, I know that you must be distressed about your daughter, but I want you to scour everything available to you that could help us. Look into the trail our enemies are leaving, find out if there are any patterns to how they're working or what they are planning. Devise strategies to best protect Olympus and counter-attack our enemies should the need arise."

"Ares, Hermes, Dionysus, start checking on the confined and friendly Titans, make sure to check on all those that supported the Titans in the first war. Sniff out any signs of betrayal. While violence would not be our first choice of action, we should also make it clear that those who want to oppose us know the might of Olympus."

"Hera, go and visit our mother. Explain about our brother's recent exploration decision to her. Convince her to come to Olympus for the time being, it would do us no good to worry about her well being while fighting a war. We can protect her better here. If she doesn't listen, tell her that we are willing to offer asylum to all the friendly Titans who don't want oppose us and want to stay out of fight."

"Apollo, go visit your mother. Inform her about your sister's recent hunt. As of this moment her punishment is lifted. If she wants to stay, she can either stay in your or your sister's palace. Demeter, go check in on the minor gods, many of them have come out and renewed their vow to us hearing Perseus' call. Find those who haven't and inform the council."

"Hephaestus, go and check in all your forges. Find out about the standing of the elder Cyclops, start working on Olympus' defense. Make adjustments after discussing it with Athena first. Also, check on him." Everyone present inside the room shuddered. They had forgotten about him, the King of storms, Typhoon.

"Aphrodite, help Hestia and Hephaestus with their tasks. You're familiar with your husband's works and your presence might soothe the demigods better. Also, inform your children to not cause any ruckus from now, the last thing we want right now is them meddling with people's life right now and causing mayhem."

Zeus closed his eyes, feeling his forehead ache with tension. He missed the other gods' look of respect aimed towards him. "Now leave."

One by one everyone left except Hades and Poseidon. "You know, this was what our brother saw in you from the start. The king he knew you could become." With that being said, the god of the seas vanished with a flash of light.

Hades gripped his brother's shoulder and smiled. "Perseus will be proud." He too vanished being swallowed by shadows.

Zeus smiled, pride and a sense of affection riding inside him. He too left with a crack of thunder, he had to talk to some wind gods.