A/N. Reviews.

"I actually fukin love this soo muchhhh" -Sankarea396

Thank you. I love it too!

"GODSSS! I can't immagine what Artemis' reaction to all of this when she finds out hehehehe" -Sankarea396

It's certainly going to be something.

"Cant wait to see what happens next!" -Prenicolado

Well here you go!

"Nice chapter dude, keep it up" -Guest

Thanks man, will do.

Onto the chapter!

Chapter Eight

The nightmare started off as a really good dream. Percy was back in his apartment, years ago, laying in his bed. He was cuddled up with Annabeth, as a thunderstorm raged outside. They barely fit on his twin sized mattress. A lamp on his nightstand provided them with light.

Annabeth's fingers idly played with his hair as he listened to the sound of rain splattering against the window. It was nice, quiet moments like this. They hadn't had many since the end of the Second Giant War.

The door to his room was cracked open. In the living room, his mom was probably writing and Paul was probably grading papers. Estelle had just been put down for the night. It was so domestic, the thought made him smile. His family was together, and safe.

Percy's eyes dropped, the rain making him feel sleepy. He felt happy. The last time he had would have to have been before he found out he was a demigod.

"What next?" Annabeth muttered.

"What do you mean?"

"After college? What then?"

"Jobs, I guess."

"Hm."

Percy shifted, rolling onto his stomach and almost off the bed. He looked up at her. "We'll figure it out. We always do."

"Except you never did." A voice spoke from the shadows. Suddenly everything around him froze like someone had paused a video. Annabeth's mouth was open, like she was about to say something. Outside, a lightning bolt was in the air, trying to reach the ground and failing.

From the shadow created by his window frame, emerged Lucifer, looking far too rich to ever be in his apartment. His tuxedo was perfectly tailored. The button alone probably could've been sold to pay their rent for a year. "She left you."

"You're dead." Percy said. He wanted to go back to the way things were. But much like real life, it simply just wasn't happening.

"You know what they say. No one is ever truly dead until everyone forgets them."

The apartment melted into darkness. Suddenly he was standing, surrounded by nothingness. A fine layer of mist obscured the ground he was standing on. The mist swirled around him like he was in the center of a tornado. The sound of the mist whirling buzzed in his ears, overpowering his mind. He closed his eyes and put his hands over his ears, but to no avail.

He opened his eyes to find himself back on Olympus in the throne room. Dionysus's throne was damaged, with holes in the walls. This was just after his fight with Kronos. In front of him, he could see Luke on his knees, holding Annabeth's knife. With one swift motion, Luke stabbed himself in the armpit, his mortal point. He howled in pain, his eyes wide. Blood poured from the cut like a burst water pipe. He laid his eyes on Percy. "Ethan… me… all the unclaimed" He said through dying gasps. "Don't… Don't let it happen again."

The mist swirled around him again, before falling away to reveal the Princess Andromeda. A giant had a hand wrapped around Beckendorf's neck. He mouthed to Percy, "GO!" He brought up his hand to his watch and pressed the small dial on the side. Percy was thrown to his side and off the ship falling into the water below.

Except he fell into a pile of trash. He looked up to see a giant automaton of a man, blue electricity arcing around him. The bronze man stumbled, falling to a knee, before collapsing in on itself with a mighty sound akin to that of thunder. 'Bianca.' Percy thought to himself, a promise he had now broken.

The trash pile disappeared into grass and white mist. Next to him was the dying body of Zoë Nightshade. Her side was oozing red blood and green poison. Her white shirt and silver parka were torn, her side mutilated. Her black eyes reflected the stars in the sky above. Artemis had unshed tears in her eyes. "Stars." The dying huntress whispered, almost inaudibly. "I can see the stars again, my lady."

Artemis grasped Zoë's hand softly. A lone tear trickled down her cheek. "Yes, my brave one. They are beautiful tonight."

"Stars…"

The mist swirled around him once more, taking him from the scenes of death. His vision clouded. He almost thought he could hear the sound of flapping wings through the sound of swirling mist, but it could have been his imagination.

Suddenly Percy was on a stage. The spotlight shined on him. Before him was a packed stadium, a venue of fans cheering for him. In front of him was a microphone. From the corners of his eyes, he could see a couple of people holding various guitars. He understood.

He was supposed to be singing. But his throat was cracked, his mouth dry. Sweat dripped down his brow as he grasped the microphone. His hands were clammy. He tried to sing something, any song that he could muster, but it all evaded him.

He watched as the fans started to leave, one by one, with shouts of "BOO" and angry clambering echoing their displeasure. He was alone now, his band mates having left him. He sighed and looked out on the empty venue.

He turned around to see Lucifer standing there, a glock in his hand. The gun was pointed at Percy's face. He could see down the barrel, where a bullet was waiting.

He didn't even hear the sound of the round being fired before he felt the immense headache. He fell backwards, but just before crumpling on the stage…

He sat up in bed, breathing heavily. His entire body was covered in sweat. He calmed himself down. That wasn't a demigod nightmare, but there were definitely some underlying problems there. Did he need therapy?

Probably.

He threw the covers off and sat at the edge of the bed. He held his hands up to his mouth, feeling his breath as he still calmed himself. His eyelids still felt heavy. He hated that he never knew how long he slept now. Not with the sun above the castle. It was always fucking noon in Hell.

He stood up and walked over to the wardrobe. He picked out an undershirt and threw it on. He headed out of the room and down to his throne room, where Mephistopheles was standing next to the throne.

"Do you just always stand there?" Percy asked, yawning and wiping the sleep from his eyes.

"Sometimes. Did you sleep well, Lord?"

Percy snorted. "The day I sleep well is the day I die."

Mephistopheles chuckled.

Percy collapsed on the throne and sighed. "Anything planned for today?"

"No. Today you may rest."

Percy leaned back on his throne. "That's good. I could really use a rest day."

"You deserve it, Lord Perseus. You have worked so hard the past few weeks."

Percy waved him off before he noticed the shadows of the room getting longer, a sudden chill filled the air. The shadows stretched across the floor before they collected into the form of a young man—Nico.

He walked through the hall towards Percy. When he was a few feet from the King, he knelt.

"Get up, Nico." Percy said. "It's been a week, already?"

Nico stood up and stuck his hands in the pockets of his black skinny jeans before nodding.

Percy turned to Mephistopheles. "No rest for the wicked, eh?"

"It appears so, sir."

Percy stared at his butler, debating whether he should once again remind him that no formalities were required, before deciding that Mephistopheles was going to die on that hill. He turned back to Nico.

"You wouldn't happen to know where Artemis will be waiting for you, would you?" The Son of Hades asked.

"No. Because when is it ever easy when it comes to the Gods?"

Nico cracked a smile. "Never, man, never."

"Just take me to Camp. She'll surely look for me there."

Nico nodded, before raising an eye. "You're going on a date dressed like that?"

Percy looked down. He was wearing sports shorts and an undershirt. "I have some clothes in my cabin. I think."

"You think?"

"It's been three years, dude. I don't know."

"Didn't you leave during the school year? Your cabin should be packed up."

Percy let out a breathy, "Shit. You're right." He took a deep breath. "Take me to my mom's apartment. I definitely have clothes there."

Percy stood up and walked down the steps. He placed a hand on Nico's shoulder. Within a second they melted into the shadows. He closed his eyes as he felt wind whirling around him, like he was standing behind a jet engine. His skin felt threateningly close to being ripped off of his body.

He opened his eyes to his room in his mom's apartment. Nico sat on Percy's bed while the Son of Poseidon rushed over to his dresser and started to rummage through his pants. He paused when he realized it was dark in his room. He glanced over at his nightstand, where a digital clock read 1:37 AM. He shifted his focus to Nico. "It's one thirty in the fucking morning!" He hissed as to not wake his family.

"I didn't know when you guys were going on the date. Better safe than sorry."

Percy sighed. "I guess." He went back to digging through his drawers. He picked out a nice looking pair of jeans. He opened another drawer for a shirt. As he looked through the drawer, he realized that he did not have anything suitable for a date with a literal goddess.

"I mean, it's Artemis. She's not gonna show up in anything fancy, is she?" Percy asked, leaning against the furniture.

Nico shrugged. "She's your fiance, not mine dude. I'd think you'd know better than I would." A playing smile on his face.

Percy rolled his eyes. "I think I liked you more when you were a depressed little shit."

"Womp womp."

Percy paused, not believing what just came out of his cousin's mouth. "Did you just fucking say, 'womp womp'?"

"I don't know, did I?"

"Gods, Will changed you." Percy muttered. "I'm hungry, I'm gonna get something to eat. You coming?"

"Sure."

Nico followed Percy into the kitchen. With some difficulty in the dark, Percy got down two bowls and a box of Cheerios. He poured the cereal into both bowls, before filling them with milk. He got two spoons, put them in the bowls, then handed one to Nico.

"Cheers." Percy said, holding his spoon out.

Nico clinked his spoon against Percy's before taking a bite.

It had been a long time since Percy had had something like this to eat. The chef that made his food seemed to have a taste for rich people's food. Don't get him wrong, it was good. Really good. But sometimes you just wanted a bowl of Cheerios. He reveled in the simplicity.

It was a strange sight. Two boys in a pitch dark kitchen, quietly munching on cereal. You'd think they were high.

Percy drained the milk in the bowl before washing it out and putting it in the dishwasher. Nico did the same a few minutes later.

A wave of exhaustion suddenly hit Percy like a truck. He fell forward and grabbed the edge of the counter to prop himself up. Why was he tired, he just woke up? Although, maybe his sleep wasn't that restful with his nightmare and all. He yawned and turned to Nico. "I'm going to go to sleep. I'll see you soon dude."

"See ya." Nico waved, before disappearing in the shadows.

Percy silently walked back to his room and collapsed on his bed. While it wasn't as nice as his bed in Hell, he welcomed it just the same. He climbed under the covers and fell asleep.

LINE BREAK

He snuck out of the house after his family left. He couldn't see them, not yet. Not while he was chained to the throne of Hell. It would just be another bittersweet goodbye, and he wouldn't have been able to take it. A majority of him was telling him that he was making the wrong decision, but he resisted.

The sun was high in the sky. His pocket was full of spare change he had taken from his piggy bank on his dresser. He walked along the streets of his hometown, years of navigating coming back to him. He effortlessly weaved his way through crowded sidewalks.

He walked for a while. He finally reached his goal, a Ross. He walked inside and immediately went to the men's section. He looked through the shirts, trying to ding one that was nice, but not too nice.

He finally found one, a nice navy blue shirt. He paid for it, then left. He put it on and sighed. Nothing to do but wait.

He decided to head to Central Park. He sat on a bench and waited for Artemis. He figured she would look for him there, with all the nature and all.

Waiting was torture for his ADHD. His leg bounced rapidly as he looked for anything to occupy his attention. People passed by and he would count how many were wearing blue shirts (a total of twenty-eight by the way) or how many birds he saw (a whopping three hundred and fifteen).

It was when the sun started to set that someone walked up to him. "Is this seat taken?" She asked.

"No." Percy said, not paying her any attention. She sat next to him while he continued to count birds or blue shirts.

After a while, the girl said something. "Some date."

Percy turned to her. "Hm?"

"I said, 'some date'."

"You're on a date?" He asked, making conversation.

She nodded.

"That's cool. I have a date tonight, I'm just waiting for her. I have no idea where we're supposed to meet, or at what time."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?"

Now he nodded.

"How about that?" She muttered before letting out a breath. "They said you were obtuse, Percy, but holy shit."

"How do you—" His eyes widened. "Oh Gods. Shit. I am so sorry, Lady Artemis—"

"Just Artemis"

"—I didn't recognize you. I didn't expect you to look older."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "I am not so naive to go on a date with an adult looking like a child. Unless you would have rather…" She narrowed her eyes accusingly.

Percy's eyes widened. "No, no, no, no, no. Not at all. I just haven't seen you ever in a form older than like, what, twelve?"

She waved her hand. "It's a recent thing I've been trying out. I did not always appear as a child. You have seen the older statutes of me, I am sure."

"Uhhh, sure?"

Artemis sighed. "Besides, it pays to reach the top shelf. That's where the good stuff is kept, you know."

"You drink?"

"You've met my family."

Percy let out a single nervous chuckle.

"What about you?"

"Uh, no. No, I don't drink. I'm not old enough and—"

"You are half God, Percy, I do not think your age really matters when it comes to alcohol. Especially mortal alcohol."

"—I don't want to."

"Oh. Okay then." Artemis paused. "Twenty One, right? To drink?"

"Uh, yeah. Twenty one."

"And you are?"

Percy opened his mouth before hesitating. How old was he? Ignoring the fact that time worked differently in both the Underworld and Hell, he didn't celebrate any of his birthdays while in hiding, he had no idea. He didn't feel any older than when he first left for the Underworld. He still felt like he was eighteen. If Nico was right, and three years had passed… Holy shit, was he actually twenty one? Was he legally allowed to drink now? That didn't change the fact that he didn't want to, but it certainly made him feel old.

Percy licked his lips, them having gone dry from the revelation that he was an age that most demigods only ever dreamed of reaching. "Actually, I think I might be twenty one."

Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Lying to me already? Bold move."

"No, no, no, no!" He said quickly. "It's just, time is strange in different places, like the Underworld. "Uh, what day is it, if you don't mind? And the year?"

Artemis blinked before frowning. "Umm… you know, immortality messes with your sense of time. I always find myself not knowing what year it is. It all kinda just, blurs together after a while."

"Hmm." He said before sighing.

An awkward silence enveloped the bench. Sweat dripped down the back of Percy's neck. What was he supposed to say to a Goddess? Especially this Goddess? One wrong word and suddenly he would be a jackalope and given to her wolves as a present. His leg started to bounce.

"You have had a relationship before." Artemis said.

"Uh… yeah. Annabeth. Why?"

"So, you know what people do on dates, correct?"

"For… For the most part, sure. Again, why?"

"What do mortals do on dates?"

"Umm. That really depends on the couple. Sometimes they watch a movie, sometimes a dinner. It's just something where they spend time together."

"What should we do?"

"I don't know. What do you want to do?"

Artemis looked off to the side, thinking. She turned back to him. "I don't know. You pick."

Percy sighed and looked around. They were in central Park, the only green space in the Concrete Jungle. What around them would interest the Goddess of Nature?

He knew that to the south of them was the Central Park Zoo, but if Artemis was anything like Grover when it came to animals, she would try to lead a jailbreak and suddenly they would be wanted criminals. Him a second time.

To the west of them was the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Surely a Goddess would like art, right? A place of culture. However, the last time he visited, he had been attacked and accused of theft. But the past was the past, right?

"There's a museum over there." He pointed to the museum, blocked by the trees.

"Sounds great." She stood up.

Percy stood up too and was struck by just how tall Artemis was in this form. She was just shorter than him by an inch. Her red hair was done in a three strand braid, thrown over her shoulder, resting on the left side of her chest, just over her heart.

They began to walk to the museum, Percy leading the way, as he knew how to get there. It wasn't hard, just had to walk down 79th Street Traverse. Artemis followed closely behind him, taking in the beauty of Central park. While it didn't hold a candle to almost any other forest in the wild she had seen, it was a lot better than the city that surrounded it.

They reached the museum. Percy paid for their tickets, and they entered. The Great Hall reminded him of Olympus, bright white marble walls and floor, a domed ceiling letting in natural light. To their left was the Ancient Greek exhibit, to the right Ancient Egyptian. The front of them was Medieval Art. They decided to start with the Ancient Egyptian exhibit and circle around.

The museum was just as Percy remembered. After a couple of minutes, his attention was roaming around. As much as he tried to pay attention to the pieces of art, he just couldn't. He tried to read the plaques but his dyslexia wasn't having it. Artemis evidently didn't have that problem and was looking at everything and reading every plaque.

They didn't talk to each other at all. An awkwardness filled the entire room, suffocating him and smothering every sound.

When they passed the Temple of Dendur, Percy actually found it really cool. Unknown to him, Artemis walked off while he was looking at it. He looked up to find her missing. He looked around but couldn't find her. He followed the path, entering the American exhibit, but he found himself at a fork. He could go forward, deeper into the American exhibit, or go left, down a hall into a courtyard.

He decided to go deeper. Artemis was checking all the art out, so she must likely have gone to check out more. He walked through the hall, looking for a tall girl with fiery red hair. Yet, there was no one who matched her description. He turned the corner, and still, didn't find her.

Did she not go this way? His heart started to beat faster. He didn't know why, but he felt pressured to find her. Maybe he felt like it was a bad idea to lose his date on the first date. He could just imagine the hell she would give him, before deciding to make the rest of his life a living hell by transforming him into a jackalope.

He hurried down the hall. He turned another two corners before coming to the hallway he had debated coming down before. He hurried down towards the courtyard and found himself smelling something delicious. A nice, home grilled burger. He was hungry. He hadn't eaten since this morning, that bowl of cereal.

Unsurprisingly, against his better judgment, his stomach won over his brain. He couldn't help it. Whenever food was involved, it was like some deity had bound him to its' service. Like a chain was tied to his soul.

He headed into the American Wing Cafe. The scent of the burger was overwhelming. It made sense that a place named after America would smell like a burger, stereotypes and all. He also felt calmer. Which was strange. Smells never really made him feel calm. If he drank a soda, sure, the caffeine always seemed to settle his mind, but a smell? No.

In the back of the cafe, sitting by herself, a bunch of uneaten food in front of her, was a young girl, no older than eight. She wore a simple brown dress, almost a tunic, with a shawl. Percy walked over to her and sat down.

"Hello, Lady Hestia." He greeted.

"Hello, Percy." She returned, sliding the food across the table, over to him. "Eat."

Percy hesitantly grasped the burger and bit in. Immediately, he was sent to heaven as the flavors washed over his tongue. The buttery bread, juicy beef, and melted cheese. With a splash of ketchup.

"You smell of brimstone." Hestia commented.

"I've been on a quest for Hades." Percy said, the well rehearsed line coming out easy.

"Hmm. And how is my grumpy brother?"

"Grumpy." He said, before taking another bite.

"Sounds like him. I do hope he is eating enough, And getting plenty of sunlight."

Percy had to resist the urge to snort. He didn't want to offend who was probably his favorite Goddess.

"How have you been?"

"Uhh, fine. You?"

"I'm… apprehensive. The council thinks another threat is coming. But they don't know what."

"Do you?"

She shook her head. "I'm not sure what threat we could face. After Gaia, I couldn't imagine anyone else trying to rise, nay, anyone who would want to."

"Some sorned husband of Zeus's flings, maybe?" Percy joked.

Hestia smiled quickly before changing the subject. "How is Artemis treating you?"

Percy swallowed the bite of a burger he had just taken before answering. Manners and all. "Fine, I guess. She hasn't really threatened me, so I guess that's a plus."

Hestia nodded. "She's trying, Percy. Trust me on that. She is trying to make the best out of a… less than ideal situation. And it's hard for her."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"You will. Or else you will find yourself a jackalope. She quite likes jackalopes."

"So I've heard."

"Really, Percy. Take this to heart. Be patient with her. This is all new for her. She has gone her whole life not doing this. You know what she has done to past suitors."

"You don't need to remind me of that. I am fully aware. But it's not like I chose this."

"I know." Hestia hesitated. "What I'm trying to say is… the past… it is not so easy a thing to let go of. Something I feel like you know well."

Percy looked down at his burger that was almost gone. His dream this morning came to the forefront of his mind.

Hestia sighed. "I would hate to see yet another dysfunctional marriage in the family. That's all."

"We're trying. Don't worry about that."

"I know."

Percy finished the burger. And wiped his hands on a napkin before placing it on the tray. Hestia waved a hand and the trash disappeared.

"The Greek and Roman Art exhibit."

"What?"

"That's where Artemis is. The Greek and Roman Art exhibit."

Percy stood up. "Thank you, Lady Hestia."

The Goddess bowed her head before disappearing in a pillar of fire, no trace of her having ever been there.

Percy exited the cafe and walked across the courtyard, followed the hallway down to the main hall, then turned right into the Greek and Roman Art exhibit. He assumed that Artemis had skipped everything else and came straight here.

There were a bunch of people in the exhibit, but he quickly found her staring into a glass case. She had a hand pressed against the glass and a somber look in her eyes.

Percy walked up to the case. Inside was an expertly carved wooden bow. The name 'Euthalia' was carved into the wood.

"I felt something drawing me here." She said. "And here I found this."

"One of your hunter's?" Percy asked softly.

Artemis nodded. "She was a tree nymph. Joined just after Zoë did. She served for just a couple of weeks before a… before the Hydra got her. I personally buried her, her bow with her. I still think of her every now and then."

"The past is hard to let go of."

She looked at him for a second before saying, "Yeah. It sure is."

"We can't do anything but move on."

She narrowed her eyes. "I know that."

He held up his hands. "Sorry."

Artemis sighed. "It's fine. Let's go."

"Okay." He said.

He followed her out of the museum. She sat down on the steps and looked up at the sky before feeling disappointed in the lack of stars.

"Some date." He said, echoing her earlier words as he sat down next to her.

She cracked a smile before rolling her eyes. "It certainly was… something."

"So, are we still on for next week then?"

She nodded. "Yes, we are."

"Meet at Central Park again?"

"Sure."

"Well then."

"Well then." She held out her hand for a handshake.

Percy shook it. "Next week then."

"Next week."

A silver convertible pulled over to the side. Artemis nodded once at him before walking over to it. She turned around. "Do you need a ride anywhere?"

"Percy shook his head. "I'll just walk home. Fresh air and all."

She nodded before getting in the driver's seat. The car drove off before disappearing around a corner.

Percy sighed. He pulled the knife out of his pocket and cut the air, a rift appearing. He wasn't too worried about anyone seeing him, it was New York after all.

"Some date." He muttered again. And yet, he was interested to see how the next one went.

A/N. So this finally came out. I wish I could say I have an excuse but in reality, I'm just fuckin lazy lol. I've been playing video games instead of writing.

I tried to do some hidden meaning in Percy's dream, so if there are any English teachers reading this, take a crack at that.

Thoughts?