Here we go, my lovely readers!

Point of View: Third Person

The Next Morning

Artemis wakes up before Percy and finds she is entrapped in his arms. She turns to look at him and smiles when she sees the peaceful look on his face. She lays there, watching him as he sleeps. 

After a little while though, he bolts awake, breathing heavily and covered in a cold sweat. "Perseus?" Artemis sits up next to him and touches his cheek.

His head whips around to look at her and his face softens. He smiles. "Don't worry about it, Artemis. They are just dreams. They cannot hurt me now. I'm afraid that they are coming back because I have accepted to return. I am again Perseus Jackson, as well as Moonlace. The Hunt must go to Camp Myth."

Artemis nods. "And you're sure you are fine?"

"Of course. The pollution is all but gone. I have worked on it. I will be tired today, however, and I will insist upon going slower for the demigods who cannot keep up with the rest of us. It will give me time to figure other things out as well." Percy says.

"There is a meeting today, I believe you need to go." Artemis says as she gets up.

Percy flits to the entrance of the tent. "Yeah, and I'm married to Aphrodite." He rolls his eyes, chuckling. "I'm not going until someone drags me there. You have fun." He laughs as he steps out of the tent. Artemis just giggles and flashes to Olympus.

Percy walks over to where a few of the Hunters look worried. "What's wrong?" He asks.

Thalia turns to him. "We can't find Lady Artemis." She frets.

"Wait, aren't you on a quest?" Phoebe wonders.

"I finished earlier than expected. I got back last night. Lady Artemis was in my tent with me discussing a few things. And she came back this morning after letting me rest. She's on Olympus at a meeting now." Percy explains.

"Oh, good." Atalanta sighs in relief.

'I did not expect Artemis to stay with me last night.' Percy thinks as he walks off. He heads over to the archery range and practices as he now has an actual target to practice with.

After about an hour of working on different techniques and drawing a crowd, Nico comes over. "I see someone has hidden a lot of things from me."

"Not hidden exactly, just never shown. Not even kept. Everyone assumed I was a horrible shot after seeing me once. They never bothered asking once they saw that. I can't help no one gave me a bow in the wars or asked for me to show them how I was doing. I was told to stay away from the archery range." Percy says as three arrows split each other dead center in one target. He sheathes his bow and cleans up his mess before starting again with a farther distance.

"You could have at least confided in someone." Nico murmurs.

Percy sighs as his arrow hits its mark. "Nico, I would have confided in you or Annabeth, but, after a little while, my mask became natural, a routine. Not really hiding except in plain sight, right under the noses of everyone. I trust you enough to tell you and I did back then. I just...disappeared and I had a lot on my mind whenever...and when I got a small break as a miracle, I didn't want to think about it."

"I understand, but it still feels like you didn't want me." Nico watches.

"I know how that feels, but," Percy fires his next two arrows simultaneously and then looks at Nico as he rearms his bow. "If you could see from my eyes, you'd know why immediately. My mask was there, but never really at the forefront of my mind. It was only present when I had to keep certain things and emotions in check. Reminding me when things got too close for comfort. I didn't think about it every day, I just got up, acted like Percy Jackson, the great hero who was supposed to save everyone and die at sixteen. Then became one of the famed Seven. What a great person he was. I'm not afraid to admit that I wish I was just a mortal. No clear sight. No nothing. I'm one of those people who want to be left alone, invisible, nobody know my name, go through life as a shadow until I court a girl, marry her, start a family, die of old age after watching tons of grandkids pop up, and go to the place where a mortal imagines when it's actually the Underworld. But a son of the Big Three? Why do I have that kind of personality?

I'm quiet, supposed to be shy, royal bastard son of Poseidon, and a listener, not a talker. But I can rise above and beyond my...whatever they are and be someone else. The leader, the warrior, the idol. Someone I don't want to be but had to be in order for some to survive. I didn't do it for myself and I have all this weight on my shoulders. I want peace and silence and love. I am not the kind of person to handle war and fear and blood. Not really. But I can be. That's who I was, for you. For all of you. And here you all are again, asking me to be that person once more. It will never stop. I'm eternally damned to fight for Olympus as long as a threat arises. And I will be there, as I always have been since I came to be, to defend the city, floating in the sky." Percy says and stands in front of Nico, the mess cleaned up and he leans on a tree, talking with his little brother in all but blood.

"I know we shouldn't ask you to come back. But if you don't, there is no point in staying out here. Monsters would gang up on you and drag you in front of their master, whoever it is, and you wouldn't have your peace." Nico says.

Percy smiles some. "I think you underestimate me, angioletto. I am not simply out here to hunt as my peace. I am out here to survive. I have a better chance than any to avoid anyone and everyone. I could remain undetected from monsters and immortals alike. I wouldn't be seen or heard, I wouldn't be in knowledge. I would make it so that my whereabouts are given up on and I am unimportant to find. I could survive in any condition. The likeliness of me ever being captured would have to be on my own terms." He chuckles.

"How are you so sure?" Nico implores.

"I am no arrogant fool, but I have confidence in what I am capable of. I don't boast, but I also know what I can do. I am sure because I know I am able to do as I say." Percy says.

"Why are you coming back?" Nico inquires.

Percy smiles warmly, if a bit weakly. "Artemis, you...a few others I guess."

"Oh." Nico nods.

A bright flash of light and Hermes is standing beside Percy, who's arms are crossed as he leans against the tree. "Percy, will you please come with me?"

"To a boring council meeting? You're joking." Percy chortles and Hermes frowns.

"Zeus is either mad or confused but he definitely wants you there." Hermes says.

"What about the rest of the council?" Percy asks.

"Well, yes, just for different reasons I believe." Hermes states.

Percy shrugs. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt."

Hermes grips Percy's shoulder and flashes up to Olympus with him. He takes to his throne as Percy stands in the middle of the throne room of the gods.

"Perseus, have you been given the third Great Prophecy?" Athena asks.

"No, I have not. And I don't really want to. But if I must, then let me hear it." Percy sighs heavily.

Athena smiles a little. "The Hunter stands against all evil, but his soul lies in mortal peril. To defeat the enemy wrapped in gray, the returning hero mustn't stray. For the enemy to fall on his blade, the Hunter's love need pervade."

Percy mutters to himself and then asks, "Enemy wrapped in gray?"

"That could mean a few people, some we have not seen or even heard of for a very long while." Hephaestus tells Percy.

"But who-" Percy starts and then a shiver runs down his spine, causing him to drop to his knees. He brings his hand to his throat and his eyes are wide.

A voice reverberates around the throne room. 'I have been looking for you for a long time, Perseus Jackson. Your beautiful power is tantalizing and you keep it stored up inside, not letting anyone know your limits. Which you have none.' The voice laughs coldly. 'My presence is new for you and invading your body is hard work. Frustratingly so. You won't let me in and I don't see why not. You should appreciate what I've done for you.

Once this is all over, I can give you anything you want, I would even give you half the world if you wanted it. This isn't a war of domination, it is a war of vengeance and blood. I, too, have a debt owed to me that is unable to be paid. But by one person. You. You alone stand in my way and I will stop at nothing to win this war. Join me, and I promise to make it worthwhile.' The voice sounds curious, irritated, and icy, dripping with venom.

"Perseus?" Poseidon asks.

'What was that girl's name? Annabeth? What about her? Those friends who died in the first two wars, I could return them all, give them another chance at their lives. Even the one in the stars. I would give you a little slice of the world as your own smaller version of it. Peace, happiness, surrounded by those you got killed. Think about it. What better way to make it up to them, than to give them another shot at life?' The voice cackles.

Percy's eyes glow white and his voice is around the throne room next to the unknown source. 'They're dead and nothing can bring them back. It would defile their memory to bring them back into this cruel world. I will not join you for anything. I have moved on. Now get out of my head.' Percy hisses the last sentence.

'You will turn, Perseus Jackson. I will get you to turn.' The voice promises and the presence leaves the throne room.

Percy's eyes stop glowing and he gasps for air. As he falls forward, Apollo flashes down and catches him. His chest rises and falls quickly and his skin is pale. A sheen of sweat on his forehead and his eyes are closed. Apollo lets Percy lean against him as he looks in surprise at the younger immortal.

"He's sleeping it off." Apollo announces.

"It must have been an extremely powerful enemy to have done that to him." Dionysus comments.

"He's also still cleansing himself of the pollution he rid the Styx of. He said he was tired from that still as well." Artemis says.

"But we still don't know who that being was." Hera murmurs.

"Perseus may know." Hermes chimes in.

"We should ask when he wakes." Demeter adds quietly.

"How long will he be sleeping, Apollo?" Aphrodite asks. "He looks like he's sick, not just sleeping off what just happened and pollution."

"Being invaded has made him sick. His soul was already polluted and such a powerful being would only make his condition worsen further. He will be up and about shortly. My best approximation would be a few hours, but he will still be a little weak." Apollo replies.

"You can't give us a sure time?" Athena raises an eyebrow.

"He's a bit different from others and this kind of thing depends on the soul it is affecting. Forgive me if I'm not specialized to Perseus." Apollo rolls his eyes and Athena huffs in annoyance.