(A/N) I got the idea of Aarão Hunter from "The Masked Legend" on Wattpad/Fanfiction. The part about Theseus is basically copied, pasted, and slightly changed from "The Titan's Curse" by Ricky.
Disclaimer: Since I do not look like my grandpa, I do not own the characters at all. I do, however, own my twisted plot (Insert Sinister Smile). Will not repeat this. It applies to the whole story.
Don't worry! :) I'm not pairing Percy with Octavian! Or Artemis! Or any other god(dess) out there!
Percy loves Annabeth. He really does. But he was afraid that she might not feel the same back. That's part of the reason he wanted to get Athena's blessing. So that's why he was currently walking through the noisy terrain of New York. Towards Olympus. He understands that people call him a Seaweed Brain for a reason, but it still hurts inside of his heart. He still had a brain, contrary to popular belief. He just.. we can say... locked it away. When he fell for Annabeth, he wanted to make her feel useful, so who cares what they think about him.
So when he was walking on the sidewalk, he was going through his mental list:
-Annabeth away, check (Cabin 6 had a book meet)
-Mental list of reason, check (In his opinion, falling in Tartarus is enough reason)
-Backup list of reason, check (If Tartarus didn't work, he'll mention his 3rd quest)
-'In case everything goes his uncle' reason, check (He remembered Annabeth during 'The exchange' because she was in his heart, not memory (Yes, he knew, too cheesy, but hey, he played higher stakes!))
-'In case he has to be a complete idiot but hey sometimes it works' plan, check?
He knew that Athena did not like him at all, because of this possible list:
-Poseidon's kid
-supposedly dumbass
-likes her (maybe favorite) daughter
-Maybe too sassy for her tastes
Then an idea light-bulbed in his head. Maybe he shows her that he does actually have a brain, and maybe she'll let him go for the rest of the reasons! But then he thought, another reason I act oblivious is because then people underestimate you, and he likes having an advantage.
He reached the grand Empire State Building, and came in through the doors. Coming up to the security guard, he asked "May I have the key to the 600th floor?"
The security guard, who was currently reading a book, said in a monotone, practiced voice "There's no such floor, kid. Come back when you feel better in your head"
Percy laughed out loud "Then maybe you'll have to wait a long, long time for that. I hope you're immortal like the guys way upstairs!"
The guard finally looked up. "Oh, I remember, it's you. The one who once came with an army a couple months back." He looked around to make sure nobody was looking "Here you go, kid. Make sure nobody sees you"
Percy nodded and took the key. As he was going up the elevator, trying not to have a flashback, he so wanted to correct the music gods taste for his own domain. But the flashback was nearly too hard to prevent. He saw himself choking the protogenoi of misery on her own tears. He knew deep, deep in his heart, that Annabeth was scared of him. Percy had no doubts if the rest of his messed up family found out, he, no doubt, would be either killed, or just avoided. After the battle with Gaea in their camp, many of the newer campers are already shunning him and his power, even though all he did was kill a bunch of monsters. Okay, and maybe helped destroy a primondi. But details, details.
The elevator dinged open. He marveled at his Wise Girl's work. Only she could do such a beautiful job, even if it isn't finished because Zeus decided to take up the title 'God of ignoring very dangerous threats to pretend they don't exist' and 'King of Paranoia'. He was upset with the way his uncle handled that. Shutting down Olympus only created problems.
He waved to all the nymphs and naiads he saw, as well as a few gods he knew. He reached Athena's place. It was designed awsomely. 'Annabeth probably designed the Throne room and her mothers palace first', he thought to himself. He hesitated, knowing many years ago, she had told him to stay away from her daughter. Then he's like, 'oh well, I should survive'.
He knocked on her massive doors. Once. Twice. Thrice- "What the (Bleep) do you want Ares!? If it's to argue about our domains, feel free to get the (BLEEEEEEEP!-insert plenty of colorful and creative language here-) out of her!". Clearly she was sleep derived.
"Oh. It's you" She said not in a much better tone then the moment before.
He nervously shuffled on his feet. He was not prepared for angry, sleepy goddesses. "I, um, I wanted to, um, ask for, um, ablessingtomarryyourdaughter!" he finished quickly.
Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, at this point he really didn't know, Athena understood what he had said as she sighed and beckoned him to her palace "I knew that this time would come, but not this soon"
Translation-"I was hoping you were not serious about loving her but you are and you finally grew some guts to come to ask for a blessing"
She again sighed tiredly and closed the door behind him. It was dark and gloomy for some reason, only lightened by a candle. Athena suddenly smiled in a way that suggested that she had, indeed, waited for this moment, and her blessing involved a very creative quest. Her smile looked evil and crooked in the candlelight. That did not improve his nerves.
"Save your breath for your reasons. If you do, indeed, want my blessing, you have to be willing to take up a quest"
Percy knew very well how torturous and dangerous her quest could be. Take the Mark of Athena for example. How many children of hers died or gone mad from that? Besides, who cares about a statue of themselves that bad? A narcissistic? Right, he forgot (insert sarcasm). She's proud and vain. Maybe she needs to-
"Your thoughts aren't going to change my mind, you know."
Her voice and statement jerked him out of his dangerous and ADHD induced thoughts.
"Let me be hospitable and invite you to my table as a guest" her frosty voice said as she smiled at him. That smile was starting to creep him out.
He reluctantly sat down at the table. On that table there were pages and pages of plans and mathematical calculations. One had said in Greek 'Make him do the 12 labors of Hercules'. Another 'Force him to learn how to weave as fast as Arachne'. Percy finally understood how badly Athena hated him. And how bad she was expecting him. Heck, it looks like she spent days and nights awake planning this. At least that explains the sleepy grumpiness.
She was staring at him like a predator at a prey. The light from that angle, bags under her eyes, and feral smile made her look very evil. It occurred to him that maybe that's what the mathematical calculations could be. A perfect angle and factors to look sinister.
"Are you willing? After all, your siblings in the past broke hearts. I suppose you heard of Theseus. If not, I honestly wouldn't be surprised. So what do you think happened? They got married, Happily ever after? The end?" Athena sneered as she continued. "Not quite what happened. Theseus said he would marry her. He took her aboard his ship and sailed for Athens. Halfway back, on a little island called Naxos, he dumped her. That old drunk found her there. Alone. Heartbroken. Crying her eyes out. She had given up everything, left everything she knew behind, to help a dashing young hero who tossed her away like a broken sandal. Or take Orion. He tried to take on a Maiden Goddess. Thankfully her brother finally grew some brains and stopped whatever sorcery was at work"
Percy caught on to what she was saying "And you're trying to prevent another heartbreak by your rival's child. But I'm not like that, I promise. I won't do that to your daughter." he promised
She somehow sneered even further "Isn't that what they always say?"
"Soooo..., the blessing?" he tried to change the topic
"Maybe if you pass my quest, and essentially, test." Her sinister sneer was very unnerving
Time for 'In case he has to be a complete idiot but hey sometimes it works' plan.
He sneezed.
"Bless you."
"What did you say?"
Her face took a confused look. "Bless you?"
"Yes!" He pumped his fists in the air
"No, sea spawn! It doesn't work that way! You will either take my quest or suffer my curse!"
He didn't want to risk it, but that doesn't mean he can't be disappointed.
She took the silence as a sign to continue. Her face was once again a sinister sneer "Your test is...
Rumors. People say they always contain a seed of truth, but honestly Athena never believed them. She believed straight facts and words of wisdom. She never had time for those spawns of lies and truths woven so tight that you can't even tell which string is which. But this certain piece of gossip caught her ear. Ever since she heard it, it hasn't left her head. So she decided to look into it.
There was a rumor in the mortal world that there was this hunter with blonde near white hair, and a golden eye. The hunter always wore a mask, and went by "Aarão Hunter". The mortals were trying to find him, or at least they thought it was 'him', because he killed many people. However, the pattern is that he always showed up in abusive homes, and took the children somewhere.
You might wonder, what was this doing in the mythological world? Well, most of the abused children are demigods, legacies, or clear-sighted mortals. Children were deposited in one of the camps, her half-sister's club, or with the Amazon's. Many monsters were also disappearing, but obviously hunted. She didn't know what happened with the other mortal children, but that didn't matter to her. She needed to know the identity of the hunter.
Well, based on the name, Aarão, it's a male. The name is Portuguese and it means 'peace'. That doesn't tell her much. It could be sending a message 'peace', or the hunter could be of Portuguese origin. But then again, maybe that person just saw the name and thought 'cool'. The name is also a Portuguese version of Aaron, but then again, that could mean nothing. It was frustrating not knowing. That, perhaps, why she always ignored rumors.
Could The Ghost and Aarão Hunter be connected? No, that can't be. The hunter was not transparent at all. Could either of them be the forbidden hero? NOOOO!...
Ah, yes, the Hero. She tried not thinking of him at all. How it was partially her fault. How an unknown feeling coursed through her every time she thought of him. Guilt. That's a perfect example why she tried to just use wisdom, not feelings. But then again, it was her reasoning that also caused this. Her pride was also at fault, after all, who had encouraged Annabeth to break off the relationship? Who had later assumed it was him that had cheated? Who had taken the broken hero and reasoned that he is too powerful because they weren't sure where his loyalties lie?
The Ghost was probably the hero, because Athena had most certainly seen him die. She felt disgusted by herself by the way she watched with sick fascination when the King of the Gods had used his Master Bolt to dust him into billions of pieces. The way Thanatos had come, and exclaimed that his soul was also destroyed. How she went nearly hysterical with delight when he no longer existed. She felt sick with herself and her actions. With such thoughts, she knew this was why she tried to avoid feelings, they brought nothing but pride and pain.
With a decision to move away with such thoughts, she had resolved to ask her half-sister of the moon about this hunter. Perhaps she knows something. What Athena didn't know is that Aarão Hunter was the subject of The Hunt's hunting currently.
The world was grey and black to Percy as he moped around Camp Half-blood. He didn't eat or drink. Okay, he did eat a little, for his mother. Oh, his mother... The last time he had seen her was before Miss Cow Head decided to abduct him. He heard that he was handsome, but that doesn't mean that Goddesses are allowed to kidnap! But a rational part of him somewhat understood her plan, however much he dislikes it. He knew that his life is short compared to The Assholes in the sky™, But that doesn't mean that they can just take 8 months of his short life!
He didn't know why, or rather how, he could go so long without water. Perhaps it is a son of Poseidon thing, but with no other demigods to compare, he can't really say. But what really mattered at the moment is the fact that he was afraid to call his mother. She will alarmed by his lack of skin, bags nearly the size of Drachmas under his eyes, and his pale skin that rivaled his cousins. No, it would do no good to worry his mother more than needed. He'll maybe send he a letter instead to assure her that he is alive at least.
Octavian was doing much better. Well, maybe if he started smiling more and cursing Percy out less, he would be good as new, but hey, what can you do if someone hates you to the very existence, even if you are technically saving their life? It was hard, trying to keep him hidden. When the roman legacy first woke up, he started yelling and cursing so badly, that whatever sleepiness he had disappeared, and Chiron came to check on him. The rest on the camp were so used to his and other Tartarus induced nightly screams that they just slept through it.
While it seemed that the son of Poseidon was a bad liar, he was actually good enough to fool Chiron. Again, advantages, pretending he can't lie, so when needed to, he could. Anyway, he spewed a lie that he couldn't sleep, and accidently stubbed his toe. Chiron bought it, never noticing a wide eyed, broken in every way, boy.
Percy had explained to the boy that if he had brought him to the infirmary, he would just killed, after all, not everyone would just save someone who attacked their home. He also explained that it would probably be best to keep him quiet, for basically the same reason.
Octavian took it very well, and started cursing everyone out under his breath. Percy honestly had wished that he will never kill an Arai again.
Percy was afraid to even call his mother, but then he remembered he could just use the mist to his advantage, after all, how else would he hide his wrist marks? He always had a natural talent for the mist. He found out about it after learning about Tyson's eye, and he got interested in manipulation of it. He controlled to make him look about the same before he disappeared because that's the appearance he took when he came out of his cabin. Then he called his mother.
Artemis was very perplexed when she got a few random arrivals a couple months ago claiming to be rescued by Aarão Hunter. They had said that he had fixed them up, fed them, led them away for a moment while they heard screams from their full of abuse parents after asking for permission from themselves. Then if they were female, he had given them a choice of where to go. The ones she got had chosen The Hunt. The children had described him as male, with blonde near-white hair, tall, kind-worded, and golden eyes. Or perhaps one eye, since he wore a mask at all time with only his left visible. That alone had made her want to hunt down this male.
But when he had the audacity to hunt down her monsters, whatever restrained her from hunting him down broke. She first sent her lieutenant and older hunters. But they returned in a... not so good shape. Then she lost it and she went herself.
I'll show the male how not to mess with my hunt, was her last thought before she left her camp
The shadows on the forest floor danced as a figure ran silently upon them. This figure had spiky black hair and electric blue eyes. Those same eyes were carefully watching her surroundings as a few more figures in silver-camo parkas came just as silently as she had.
"I don't understand" The girl in the silver circlet whispered in frustration as she stopped "There was a trail right here. Some pesky males can't just disappear!"
There was a sudden noise in the trees. The hunters turned to the sound so fast that unless you have enhanced vision, you're lost. They waited in silence for a moment. Nothing happened. The youngest one in the group sighed quietly in relief, but the more experienced knew that it could be faux.
Another sudden noise in the opposite direction showed them that they were correct. Two of them turned to that sound while the rest stood in the same direction. Then something-someone-dropped out of the trees right in front of the lieutenant.
He had a mask that covered the top half of his face except for his left eye. The mask itself was white with black and red along the edges. The lower half of his face was a smirk. Whatever part of his face was seen was extremely pale. He himself wore a black outfit with army boots that covered all his other skin. In his gloved hands was an elegant black bow. It seemed like black was his favorite color.
"Well, Lieutenant Grace, this pesky male actually can just disappear. Would you like to test that?" His smirk was getting into Thalia Grace's nerves so much that she almost missed the fact he knew her name.
Almost.
"How do you know my name?! Why do you know my name!? What are you doing here!?" She snapped at a rapid pace.
His smirk increased "Why, thank you for confirming your name! However, if not for the questions themselves, I might have mistakened you for a child of Athena. So, to answer your questions; Somehow, maybe guessed, can't say."
"I have been sent by my mistress to capture a pesky male. You seem to match that description. Fire at will! We need to bring him back alive!" She exclaimed
"Well, if you want to play a game, you can just ask!" he said excitedly as he dodged incoming arrows
"Stop being such a pig! You vile creature!" she screamed from frustration
"I'm sorry not sorry that I'm pushing all your buttons, but I'm just trying to find the mute button!" he yelled as he dodged another set
And he was indeed pushing Thalia's buttons perhaps ever too hard.
He tsked as he shook his head in mock disappointment while continuing to dodge and run "Manners, manners ladies! This is not how we nicely ask someone to come with you! You know, you can at least say please!"
Suddenly he jumped high into the trees and seemed to produce a rope from nowhere as his bright, twinkling golden eye took a darker, molten color, indicating he was not amused any longer. His smirk remained however, bringing a flash of fear to some of the hunters, who had stopped their shooting to bring out their daggers.
"You want to play another game? I'm tired of the violent version of Tag. How about I choose the game this time?" he mocked deep thinking "I know! How about Hangman!"
When the Hunter's mistress found them hours later, some of them who had thought that they were going to die as hangwomen, she nearly laughed. But that only encouraged her to find him.
