Disclaimer: I do NOT own Percy Jackson, nor Heroes of Olympus, Rick Riordan does.

Zoë Nightshade's POV: (A few hours after they first met)

I followed Percy as he led the way toward the Hunters of Artemis. I kept thinking to myself that maybe I was too trusting of this 'Percy Jackson'. But anywhere is better than the garden, I had been trapped there for my entire life and when Heracles came around I was excited for some excitement in my life. However, I trusted the 'hero' to fast as I thought he would allow me to accompany him to at least the next town. But he just said that I would slow him down and took the sword that I had imbued my immortal essence into. So, when I saw Percy appear and beat the 7 shades of Hades out of Heracles I got my hopes up that he was someone I could trust. But now I'm starting to doubt myself again.

"What if he is just tricking me... what if he is going to use me like Heracles?" I whisper to myself but I notice Percy stop walking and look at me

"You don't trust me? I guess that is to be expected..." Percy sighs and starts walking again

'Damn it... Why did I have to speak aloud... he probably won't take me anywhere now...' I think to myself as I look down and stop walking

I spend a few minutes looking down before a hand is gently placed under my chin and makes me look up. I stare into the sea green eyes that belong to Percy Jackson as he smiles.

"You alright Zoë?" Percy asks me softly and I shake my head a bit

"No... I probably hurt your feelings... and now you might not take me to the Hunters..." I say sadly expecting Percy to agree but to my surprise he just smiles and puts a hand on my shoulder

"Zoë, when I say I'm going to do something, I do it. And don't worry, you didn't hurt my feelings, I just had to realize that you may not be as trusting as you once were due to the fact that you were just betrayed not too long ago." Percy says calmly

I look at Percy for a moment before I take a hair clip out of my hair and hand it to him.

"I-I trust you..." I say hesitantly as I expect Percy to just take the hair pin and run off

Yet, he surprises me by just taking the hair clip and putting it back into my hair. I look at him with a confused look on my face.

"Thank you for putting your trust in me Zoë, but I know how much that sword means to you, and it wouldn't be right for me to take your sword. Besides I have a weapon already." Percy says with a small smile as he gestures to the spear that's on his back

I smile back knowing that I could trust Percy.

"We should get going. We still have a ways to go." Percy said as we started walking again

After a while I noticed Percy tense up as we neared what looked like a small camp in the distance. I look at him and I see him debating whether or not to continue walking. Eventually he relents and continues toward the camp. When we get closer I notice a group of about 3-4 girls in silver holding bows as they aimed at Percy. Percy stepped in front of me as he pulled his shield off his back as the girls fired volley after volley at us. Percy stood his ground as he protected me from the onslaught of arrows.

Percy's POV:

'I just can't catch a break!' I thought to myself as I blocked each of the volleys of arrows the hunters fired

After a minute or two I felt my eye start twitching as a sea green aura surrounded me, I heard Zoe gasp slightly as my aura increased. In a motion, quicker than humanly possible I jump into the incoming volley of arrows, I knew that my action stunned the hunters as I didn't hear them firing another volley at me. When I hit the ground, I sprint forward causing a streak of silver to be left in my wake, as I close in on the offending hunters I notice they pull out their hunting knives after they put away their bows.

'So, they are just going to attack me eh?' I think to myself as I come up on the hunters

Third Person POV:

As the hunters meet Percy's charge at the last second, Percy drops to the ground in a baseball slide and swipes one of the hunter's legs out from under her. At that moment, another hunter attempts to stab Percy in the chest with her knife. Percy rolls to the side before using his spear to push himself up and over the huntress, as he lands the hunter spins around quickly and unleashes a furry of hacks and slashes which Percy expertly blocks with either his shield or dodges out of the way. After a second or two Percy pushes the huntress back with his shield as he places the butt of his spear on the ground and uses it like a pole vault so he launches over the hunter before slamming his shield into the back of the hunters' head, knocking the immortal maiden unconscious. Percy then turns his attention to the two remaining girls as they charge him, albite hesitantly, after seeing him take down two of their sisters. The remaining hunters also notice that Percy's eyes are glowing pure silver.

"You will pay for hurting our sisters Boy" a hunter says as she closes in on Percy

The other hunter stops short and pulls out her bow and starts rapid firing arrows at Percy. Percy tosses his spear and shield away as he meets the hunter's charge, he dodges the first few slashes from the hunter before he opens himself up by spinning himself to the side to dodge the onslaught of arrows. The hunter seizes this opportunity and slashes her knives across Percy's chest. The hunters stop as they watch Percy stumble backwards as he holds his wounds.

"You're going to die boy. You're no match for the hunters of Artemis!" the hunter with the knives said as she charged Percy again

Percy let out a growl as his aura shifted from sea green to silver before he met the hunter's charge. The hunter attempted to stab Percy with both her knives but was shocked to see a small shield that seemed to be made out of pure silvery light, block her attack. Percy wasted no time in grabbing onto the hunter's wrists and twisting them so she dropped her knives in her shock. Percy then brought his elbow into the hunter's face before letting the girl go as she crumpled to the ground unconscious. He then turned his attention to the hunter with the bow, he charged forward as the hunter notched an arrow and fired it at him. Percy dodged to the left and continued charging, as he got close the hunter fired an arrow straight at Percy's head but it was deflected by another sliver light shield. He then threw a high left hook, the hunter ducked under it but Percy smirked as he threw a hard uppercut with his right hand. The hunter was unable to dodge and when the punch landed she flew back a few feet, when she landed she didn't get back up as she was knocked unconscious. Percy turned around as the silver aura around him dissipated and his eyes turned back to normal. He started walking toward Zoe but as he took his first step he stumbled from the amount of blood loss and he fell on his face motionless.

"Percy!!" Zoe yelled as she raced forward

When Zoe got to Percy she pushed him onto his back as Artemis ran up with a small bag of ambrosia. Artemis kneeled next to Percy and fed him the ambrosia.

"I knew those hunters were going to attack him... But my question is... why didn't they give up after he took out two of them?" Artemis said as Zoe helped her treat Percy "He will be fine. Just a few scratches as he would call them."

"I'm just happy he is alright. He saved me from a life of loneliness after I was betrayed by Heracles" Zoe says and Artemis smiles

"He really is the perfect guardian." Artemis says as she and Zoe pick Percy up and carry him to the infirmary tent "I just hope Phoenix doesn't see him like this... or he will lose his temper..."

Just as Artemis finishes speaking the tent flap opens and Phoenix walks in with a sleeping Heather on his back.

"I'm not even going to ask..." Phoenix says as he gently lays Heather on a bed and putting a glowing red, orange, and yellow feather in her dark red hair

When Phoenix put the feather in her hair, Heather smiled slightly as she continued to sleep. Phoenix then looks at Artemis, Zoe, then Percy.

"So, I do hope that you told the hunters not to do this." Phoenix says as he walks up to Percy and puts a hand on Percy's shirt and rips it off, he then puts his hand on the wounds that Percy received and his hand started to glow a soft orange "You two can stop staring any time you know." Phoenix says without looking at the two girls so he hides the smirk that appears on his face

Both Zoe and Artemis' faces turn a deep shade of red as they both realize they were staring at Percy's abdomen.

"I was not staring! I was just watching to try and see what you were doing!" Artemis says while trying to hide her blush

"Right..." Phoenix says while drawing out the word "I would totally cause harm to my best friend who I would give my life for." Phoenix chuckles as he takes his hand off of Percy and faces the two girls

Zoe looks at Phoenix with a slightly guarded expression.

"So, your Percy's friend?" Zoe asks

"Yup, and I believe Artemis here got distracted and is forgetting to ask you if you want to join the hunters." Phoenix says as Artemis turns towards Zoe "If either of you need me I'll be keeping watch. Also, Artemis, Heather is thinking about joining" Phoenix finishes before walking out of the tent

"What's your name?" Artemis asks and Zoe smiles

"Zoë Nightshade mi' lady" Zoe says while bowing to Artemis

"Well Zoe, do you wish to join the hunters?" Artemis questioned and Zoe nods "Then repeat what I say"

"Of course, mi' lady" Zoe says and Artemis smiles

"I pledge myself to the Goddess Artemis. I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt." Artemis says and Zoe takes a few minutes to memorize the oath

"I, Zoë Nightshade, pledge myself to the Goddess Artemis. I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt." Zoe recited and Artemis smiled wider

"I accept your vow, welcome sister" Artemis said as she pulled Zoe into a hug

Little did the two know that Percy was watching from where he was laying. He let a small smile grace his lips before he slipped into the realm of Morpheus.

A/N: How did you like the chapter? Sorry it took me so long to get a chapter out, ive been busy as Hades and haven't had much time to write. Anyways, make sure to Check out Stregger and Leonidas_son_of_Nike, they both are great writers and deserve the support! Till next time my fellow demigods and demigoddesses. Take Care!

~Major Nich