A/N: Only 10k words!? I'm losing my touch. Anyway, I'm thinking about changing my review response to direct correspondence, instead of next-chapter replies. It would get rid of some page length as well as put the word-count closer to what it actually was. I'm sure some people might prefer such a system, while also giving faster responses and more privacy to have conversations should one so choose.

Reviews-

some fucking random guy: Moister than an oyster baby.

Death Fury: Thanks for the kind words. You know what the old proverb says, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions." Sometimes it takes another perspective to be added to the mix for somebody to learn that what they are doing is wrong and that in their arrogance of believing they were doing the right thing, all they did was make things worse.

drbakerarcho2008: Thank you for the review and your kind words. More fights are on the horizon, though some of them will just go faster for Percy than others. It all depends on his opponent.

theweird1234: Quite right!

TheYoLOMan: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! Yeah, you spelled Scathach correctly.

saske92ii: A rock and a hard place, as they might say, is where Percy finds himself. You're right, of course, that the deaths that would have the most impact would come from those Percy interacts with and cares for in some way. Worry not, the Fates aren't gonna be killing anybody in this story. Percy would rather burn the world before he lets his loved ones get hurt. Glad you're liking the story so far!

Trigger-Happy Texan: You're right that the next serious foe Percy faces won't be having a fun time. My top crackship might be Pera, though I've gotta wonder about doing a less serious Fem!Kronos x Percy story. Thanks for the review!

Altair25: Hey, these kinds of stories could always use more love in my opinion. I'm happy you're enjoying the story so far, thanks for the review!

NONAME2002: Yup! Azathoth will be mentioned, though not directly included into the story. For anybody who knows about Azathoth, they can just assume he's still asleep, since according to the Greater Lovecraftian Mythos, he can basically erase the universe by sneezing. Too powerful to incorporate properly.

Shigure Toshiro: Thanks for the review!

divineboss2000: Glad you liked it!

MasterTrident: The price of peace is always going to come at the cost of conflict. It's a vicious cycle. Perhaps if humanity became a Hive-Mind biomass of collective consciences then there could be peace. Eh, maybe not even then. Thanks for the review and your continued support!

Sibyis Langdon: Thanks for your kind words of support!

Kindred Scarlet: When writing I couldn't find a good spot to fit that in there. Gotta have the proper flow so that the dialogue doesn't veer off oddly. I'm glad you enjoyed last chapter though.

Six Foot Assassin: I think we can all agree that kittens are dangerous. Perhaps the kitten doesn't want to be saved. Either way, thanks for the feedback.

Disclaimer: I do not make any money off this work of fanfiction. All rights for the characters in Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus go to Rick Riordan and all who were involved in the creation of the novels.

18. You're the Devil in Disguise

A large hand slammed in front of the lone occupant of the Poseidon table. Percy's plate full of food jumped an inch into the air before crashing to the floor, spilling his breakfast. The young man grimaced at seeing the spilled milk. He couldn't cry over it, that much he knew, so he ignored the impulse. Instead, he chose to look at Clarisse, who removed her hand from his table and crossed her arms.

The daughter of Ares hadn't changed much since he'd last seen her. Her face was slightly longer and she had a new scar running from the corner of her mouth to her jaw. Apart from that, he'd be able to recognize her anywhere.

"Clarisse," Percy intoned, glancing at the broken plate on the ground. "What a surprise. Last I heard you were at the University of… what was it… California? No, Arizona? You have something to say or was this just your special way of saying welcome back to me?"

The girl stared long and hard, her beady eyes never leaving Percy's own. "I graduated, still haven't found out what to do with my degree though. Came back here to see how things were going, then lo-and-behold, the prodigal son comes back just a couple of days after I get here, being the bearer of bad news."

Percy met her gaze with a raised eyebrow. "Was there a question in there or were you just giving me background info? Oh, congrats on graduating by the way. Not gonna lie, I never thought you had it in you!"

"You punk. You're lucky I haven't kept up with my training, otherwise I'd turn you into a cream puff," Clarisse replied with a growl, though a small smirk crossed her face. "Or maybe not. The way you fought yesterday was pretty incredible. As much as I want to pass on this war and just try to find my own way in life… well… how could I call myself a daughter of Ares if I did that? I don't like saying it, but I need your help to get back into the swing of things."

The son of Poseidon nodded. "Makes sense. After so long, I'm sure some good ol' fashioned ass kickings will bring back those razor sharp instincts of yours. You wanna be signed up for the top level or just below that?" He asked, pulling Anaklusmos and a piece of paper out of his pocket. Tapping the cap of Riptide to the handle, he transformed the sword into an actual working pen. Percy felt it odd that he had to first change his pen into a sword just to turn it back into a pen that could write. Very cumbersome indeed.

"Even if it hurts for a bit, I'd rather take the harder path," Clarisse replied calmly, her gaze hardening when she spoke. "I need a kick in the ass for being so soft even when we finally got a bit of peace… and… I guess…" She trailed off, her tone sinking uncomfortably.

Percy nodded and marked Clarisse under the appropriate category, ignoring whatever else she was about to say. "You and I walk a very lonesome road, La Rue."

At seeing the woman's quirked eyebrow he waved away her impending question. "Forget it, not important. What I meant was that we're similar in more ways than you might think, Clarisse."

The brunette's jaw fell a few inches. "Wh-"

Tired sea-green eyes met her astonished face without remorse. "Nevermind. I've had some time to think about things, so if you hear me spouting nonsensical bullshit just ignore it for the most part. The veteran's training block starts at two forty-five tomorrow afternoon, but you can come at any time really. I'd start today… but I have a few things I want to try out first. My main lessons with you guys aren't how to hold a sword, what stance to go through for fighting against certain enemies, et cetera. For us, it'll mainly be going over survival first, honor second. Then, we'll go through some friendly fights between me and the rest of you, followed by friendly fights between yourselves while I watch and point out some things that could be worked on and whatnot."

Clarisse crossed her arms and gave a stiff nod. "Good to know I ain't gonna be treated like a toddler."

"Nope. I'll be doing my best to make sure nobody feels like that, even the younger campers. Of course, I expect more out of the older generation," Percy replied noncommittally while he put away his pen and the paper. "I'm surprised there are as many of the vets as there actually are still here at camp. Katie, Lou Ellen, Drew, your brother Sherman, Butch, Miranda. I mean, there's about ten more that I remember from my time here. It's weird, I thought they'd move on and leave this place."

"You have more reason than they do to want to forget about camp," Clarisse grunted with a scowl. "And for some reason, you decided to come back even though you had no good obligation. I'm sure there's just something about this place that calls to us. Good thing the Stolls aren't here, otherwise I'd probably up and leave."

Percy hummed. "Yeah, Katie said they went their separate ways a few years back. Definitely strange that they'd split up like that, though I suppose they couldn't always be joined at the hip, pranking people for giggles. Can't say I'd blame them either, after what happened to Travis. Now if you don't mind, I need to grab more food, since you decided to spill mine all over the floor."

The daughter of Ares had the decency to look a little abashed, though she hid it well. She muttered an apology before walking out of the mess hall, leaving Percy alone again as he gathered a new meal.

His morning up until that point had gone about as well as he could have expected. Shortly after he'd stepped into the mess hall a veritable swarm of campers met him to sign themselves up for his training program. When he'd finally managed to free himself from the throngs of people asking him incoherent questions and welcoming him back after so long, the young man felt relieved.

He really didn't need people groveling to him for his good grace. In fact, he truly had no time for it. Percy understood that if he didn't temper himself, he could well end up squandering his power in arrogance. Prideful warriors tended to allow their superiority complexes to dictate the terms of a battle. In the war he found himself, Percy knew that he couldn't have lapses like that.

If he allowed himself to indulge in his pride, first he'd need to earn a spot at the top. Power was a universal language, one that all manner of creatures spoke and comprehended. He would need a lot of power to fulfill what he wanted.

The son of Poseidon gripped at the edge of his table until it cracked.

Once, long ago, he'd had great power. His status as a half-blood spawn of the sea ensured that he was formidable, frightening, even. While it didn't stop monsters from coming after him, his power had been enough to kill those who disregarded what he held.

And yet, he'd squandered his power out of fear.

Mount Saint Helens was his first wake-up call to what he could potentially do. In his panic and will to live, Percy caused an eruption the likes of which not only displaced tens of thousands of people, but also rustled Typhon from his millennia-old nap.

As more time passed, Percy came to fear his own birthright. He and Annabeth had spoken more about the extent of his abilities after the Second Titanomachy before Hera took his memories. Through her, he learned more about what he could potentially do. None of it was pretty.

The human body contained more than enough water to manipulate if he saw fit. Plasma in the body was made up of primarily water and constituted nearly fifty-five percent of a person's blood volume. There were plenty of fluids in the body that also had high water content, ranging from places like the brain, to the lungs, to the muscles, and even bones. It would be difficult, however with practice in proper manipulation, he could potentially force the water out of a person's body, boil it, or freeze it. The cruelty of causing such pain wasn't lost on him.

He'd already learned that he could 'solidify' water and form shapes that held their cohesive properties in order to do serious damage. It wouldn't be a stretch to imagine he could create weapons out of his 'solidified' water.

When he looked back, the young man shook his head at how reluctant he'd once been when it came to using his birthright to its fullest. There was so much more he could have done.

All his potential had been held back by his fear.

Under his vice-like grasp, the edge of his table shattered, sending splinters and small pieces of wood bouncing to the floor. The son of Poseidon took a deep breath when he realized that people were staring at him with apprehension in their eyes. He cleared his throat and stood up, realizing that breaking things out of anger was childish. Throwing a temper-tantrum wouldn't help him. After all, adults handled their anger in productive ways, like drinking heavily or binge-watching all ten seasons of Friends.

Percy left the mess hall. A hunger filled his stomach, gnawing at the rest of his person with fire and gluttonous desire. Knowing that food would never satisfy such voracity, the son of Poseidon made his way to the beach, hoping to lose himself in a long overdue session of inner acceptance.

The first few days of training went smoothly for both Percy and Scáthach. The campers, whether they be new to camp or thought of it as a permanent home, put a great deal of effort into improving themselves. For the son of Poseidon, it was a welcome sight to see so many young campers with fires burning in their eyes to prove that they could be useful. He was sure that many of them, much like many other half-bloods, never had the best home lives. Many of them found camp to be an escape from the mundane world that often mocked them for their dyslexia or their hyperactive tendencies. Away from the educational and administrative systems that often failed them, along with the teachers and caretakers that couldn't help.

Camp was a place where the divinity in their blood could sing, spending time with half-siblings and distant cousins who could share in their experiences. It was a place that allowed them to revel in some of their more violent aspects like almost all demigods were wont to share. The Greeks were less competitive than the Romans, true, but such a fact wouldn't smother the embers of their heritage.

Most of the youngest half-bloods, those who signed for the beginner's block of his program did not, in fact, remind him of how he was at age twelve. They were preparing for war, true, however he doubted any of them felt the true weight of such a concept bearing down on them. He, on the other hand, from the moment he'd been claimed, felt like things were going to change for the worst. Every year, though he'd tried to remain positive, was another tedious drag of hoping that his fears wouldn't be realized. Disappointment always came for him in the end, with each year that passed him by.

The young campers that he took to training in the morning seemed so unburdened. They were attentive, eyes wide and shimmering in the early morning light that tended to shine through the trees of the woods. It had been argued by his mentor that an open area would be best to train them in to start, but she'd been convinced to allow for training in the northern part of the woods, near the beach in case they wanted to move locations.

After four days, Percy could say that whatever they were being taught at camp normally was adequate. Most of the campers who'd never experienced fighting monsters had a good grasp on weapon-play. Of course, they had no idea what it was like to be in real, heated combat, so that soon became lesson number one. Apparently, Daedelus' idea of bringing in monsters from Triple G Ranch had been reimplemented, though such monsters were pushed deep into the woods, held in celestial bronze cages and guarded by a menagerie of nymphs and satyrs. Only campers approved of by Chiron could practice their skills against these monsters, which made sense to Percy in the end.

Those who'd fought before against monsters both in camp and outside were perhaps the oddest for him to train. While they understood what it meant to be in a life or death situation, they still didn't grasp the intricacies of battle against intelligent opponents. Many monsters relied on their physical advantages instead of utilizing their brain. He was stuck in limbo for teaching them anything further, and he contemplated simply combining their group with the war veterans.

Most of them were decent enough in combat terms, however their mindsets still needed to be sharpened. Like a knife cut through soft objects, so too did the campers have to cut through whatever may stand in their way. It was unfortunate that so few of them had the potential to become great.

Or rather, that he saw so little potential left in each of them. While all of the older campers could improve a bit more, doubt lingered that any of them would go on to reach greatness.

As it was, Percy knew he couldn't stagnate in his own growth. Too much hinged on his own power, meaning he couldn't become glacial. He needed to become more, so much more, in such a short amount of time. Due to his time constraints, Percy felt more pressure than ever before. He doubted that he could find more ways to squeeze raw power out of the curse. Another avenue was needed, one which was already left wide open to him. It was a road that he'd walked away from years before. One that was cracked and littered with old world fears.

Once, his half-blood abilities were fearsome, not only to his enemies but also to himself. With earthquakes, tsunamis, and hurricanes at his fingertips, it was easy to fear what he could do if pushed to the edge. Those around him, the people he cared for, were always in danger when nearby. He was a walking disaster, much like many children of the Big Three. A time bomb ready to explode upon proper provocation.

Percy chuckled hollowly. He was seated on the floor of his cabin, legs crossed as he attempted to concentrate. He found it odd how his mind could wander so easily to other topics.

A glass of water was placed a foot in front of his body, mocking him for his weakness. The son of Poseidon growled a little at the random and utterly ridiculous thought. His distractions came often and in a variety of forms. Most times, it was his own mind wandering that led him astray from his task. Occasionally, it would be an outside force, such as a knock at his door or the rumble of his stomach.

Every afternoon, after he finished training, he would sit down with a glass of water. His main purpose was, of course, to hopefully find a way to use his demigod abilities once again. It was a daunting task, along with being especially infuriating, since he'd once been able to move thousands of gallons of water with little effort.

'How low I've fallen,' he ground out bitterly, a baleful glare directed at the innocent cup of water.

When he and his father spoke last, a glimmer of hope was ignited within his conscience. When he'd felt the barrier to Camp Half-Blood falter slightly, probably having barely registered him as having divine blood, the embers grew warmer. He would have included speaking to the Bathtub Barracuda as evidence of his divinity being intact, however when he'd tried to speak with Blackjack, his old friend was only been able to whinny sadly and shake his head.

The pegasus had also seemed a bit skittish when they met, which Percy contributed to Blackjack's keen senses. If Nico smelled like death, then he probably smelled like suffering. Overall, he wouldn't assume that suffering smelled good.

The young man snarled as he felt his concentration slip once more, his mind wandering once again outside the parameters he'd forced upon himself.

"Damn it!" Percy felt his anger boil forward, twisting and tearing at his gut. The pull that normally accompanied using his abilities became intensely uncomfortable as he focused on simply spilling the water over the cusp of the glass. It was filled to the brim and then some, a small curve appearing over the edge demonstrating surface tension. The smallest of nudges should have been enough. Instead, he found himself grinding his teeth in frustration at being unable to do something so simple.

He couldn't understand why it was fighting him. He used to wield his power with efficiency, with vigor and might that could give immortals a run for their money. His name had been able to send shivers down the spines of those who knew what he could do with his mastery over water. Even when he was starting to learn about his abilities he'd been able to succeed in controlling them. With his years of experience, it should have come easily to him. Instead, he clawed and grasped at even the smallest shred of light that came to him.

The discomfort in his abdomen grew into a frenzied ripping sensation. Through the anger and the indignance, Percy knew that he was taking it too far. Even so, he didn't dare stop. It was a form of punishment, for his failure to control what was rightfully his. Agony lanced through each nerve in his body, reaching the furthest corner, the last cell and embedding itself there for eternity. The pain tore into him, reaching deeper than ever before, yet not being the worst he'd ever experienced. It was simply... a very unique form of pain. There were no true words to describe what he felt, only vague concepts that chaotically ebbed and flowed into the streams of his conscience.

His curse was mind-breaking, Kronos' scythe was soul-rending, Ahriman's torture was spirit-crushing, the new pain that absorbed him was essence-defining. In the deepest reaches of what he assumed was his existence, something screamed at him to stop, begged and pleaded to be released, snarled and raged to be understood.

Through the suffering, he refused to make a noise, never letting his eyes leave the glass of water that stood defiant of his supremacy. His heart beat frantically in his chest while the blood roared in his ears, drowning out everything around him. The strain on his body felt immense, on par with holding up the sky, and worsening as time passed.

Bone creaked.

Muscle knotted.

Blood and fluid boiled.

It was his liver that failed first. Then his stomach that burst inside of his body, spilling its caustic contents. Soon, his intestines ruptured, as did his appendix. His spleen and right lung followed shortly after, leaving him struggling to maintain his focus while his body shut down at an alarming rate.

As soon as the left side of his body went numb, vision blurring and head pounding sharply, Percy released himself from concentration. A stroke was nothing to mess around with.

Doubling over, he grimaced as his body regenerated from the self-inflicted damage. Percy closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair in irritation. With his stomach acid inside his body, he'd need to visit a doctor to get his abdominal cavity rinsed out. It would do him no good to be constantly fighting infection.

When he opened his eyes, the son of Poseidon was greeted with a sight that made him pause.

The glass was half-empty.

He stared for several seconds, mind registering what he'd wrought. It had taken four days.

Percy could do nothing to stop the discordant and riotous laughter that soon filled his cabin.

The cool night air greeted his face eagerly. Gingerly, the Hero of Olympus closed the door behind him, so as to not wake his sleeping mentor. It was late, nearly midnight last he checked, which meant that they would both need to be up and ready for another day's worth of training in about six hours. From the start of their tenure at Camp Half-Blood, Scáthach chose to stay in Cabin 3 with him over the Big House, sleeping on the bed across from his own.

Already, two weeks passed Percy by. While most of his days were spent training campers, he enjoyed the occasional stroll in the evening to keep his mind clear. His time at camp was not only beneficial for the others, but also himself. Since there were no threats, he'd been given the grace of focusing on his own development.

Spilling the water from the glass was his first step. When it'd happened, Percy was nothing short of hysterically enthusiastic. It should have been easier after the initial challenge. Once he knew what he needed to do, things should have fallen into place by all rights. His power should have come to him, if not willingly, then by force. After all, it was his birthright.

Unfortunately, he'd only managed to take one more step since then. From eight fluid ounces to sixteen. At first, he'd only managed to spill half the glass, however, with more time and practice he'd finally been able to push the rest over the edge. As much as Percy wanted to mark it down as an accomplishment, he knew that it was a sad one at best. It still took his full concentration, in the company of the same odd pain, to manipulate sixteen fluid ounces a few inches in one direction.

Adding insult to injury, that step was taken only two days after the first. For a full week, Percy couldn't advance, a seemingly impossible obstacle placed before him. Each afternoon he spent drawing on his half-blood powers only brought him an ungodly amount of anguish.

When Hestia heard about his visit to the infirmary, she'd grilled him as to why. After learning about his extreme methods of reclaiming his power, she'd made him promise not to go to such lengths. Percy agreed to do so when he saw the concern plastered on his aunt's face.

Of course, he broke the promise easily enough. It was necessary to continue his growth, which meant that he couldn't bog himself down with ridiculous notions of safety. Too much was riding on his success and he'd be damned if he allowed absurd sentiment to block his progression. He felt slightly guilty about lying to Hestia, knowing that she placed her trust in him not to go overboard, however it was easy to replace the guilt with pain and forget his promise.

Yet, even with his resolve strong, he was stunted.

Percy looked up at the sky, seeing the stars glittering in the black backdrop. He let out a breath, long and slow, putting in a pair of earphones. Taking out an MP3 player from his pocket, he selected the playlist titled "Old But Still Gold" and began to jog away from his cabin. The thin polyester running shirt along with his shorts did little to stop the air from biting at his skin.

The camp was empty where he ran, something that didn't surprise Percy considering the time. He took a sharp left from his cabin area and moved toward the strawberry fields, shoes slapping the dirt rhythmically while his breathing steadied.

His mind wandered toward the problem of his demigod abilities. Try as he might, no good answer was presented to him. Percy was sure that part of the problem was Angra Mainyu and whatever he did those years back. The God of Evil claimed that he was fully human, but Percy now knew that not to be true. Certainly, he was still divine in some aspect, his father's blood flowing through him.

It occurred to Percy that he'd never really tried to use his power when in Purgatory. A few half-hearted attempts scattered across several years didn't paint the picture of a desperate man. He very well might have been able to access his birthright sooner if he'd just tried instead of accepting his status. Of course, he'd still been scared of his power at that time, which likely granted him no favors. Not for the first time did Percy mentally berate himself for his fear.

He had been too trusting. Too gullible, when dealing with Angra Mainyu to see through the half-truths that flowed from the charismatic deity's mouth. It cost him years upon years of once again training with his half-blood abilities, no doubt time that could have proven beneficial. Though, it was clear that Ahriman, for some reason, didn't want Percy to use his divine birthright. Just before he killed the God of Evil, Percy would make sure to ask why.

With his thoughts continuing to race, Percy barely noticed the change in scenery until he reached the edge of the northern woods. He slowed in his movements, soon stopping his jog and entering into a leisurely walk. Pulling out his music player, he realized that he only ran for ten minutes, not quite a strenuous workout. Shrugging to himself Percy walked onto the beach, a place he found himself drawn to despite the years.

Taking a deep breath, the son of Poseidon squinted in the bright darkness, staring at the calm waters. The moon cast its glow down with more flair than usual, which made Percy frown at the notion. Artemis was either in a good mood, or she was prepared to hunt something particularly dangerous and her excitement was illuminating the West. Then again, both things could go hand in hand.

From the corner of his eye, he caught someone standing near the surf. If it had been any darker, he probably would have missed their figure completely, considering they wore dark colored clothing. In his mind, Percy noted that only two people he knew wore so much black at all times, both of who he wouldn't mind speaking with.

One such person was Nico, who he hadn't seen since arriving back in New York. Of course, he hadn't yet met again with Jason, Piper, or Leo either, though from what he understood they were all at Camp Jupiter to help Frank and Hazel oversee a bit of training there.

The other was Thalia, who he hadn't seen for a few days. Since the Hunt decided not to participate in his training sessions, Thalia often chose to train with them instead of him. He understood her connection with the Hunt, as well as her distance from him and Scáthach, though he would have preferred seeing her more often.

'No time like the present.'

Taking out his earphones, he strolled to where his cousin stood, watching to see if she would notice his approach. When she made no move to acknowledge his presence, even with him standing not three-feet away from her, the young man reached out and poked Thalia's ribs. The response he received was expectedly amusing.

"YOU MOTHERFUCKI-" The girl stopped short when she saw who had molested her peace. The rage in her face fell and she let out a huff of air while crossing her arms. Thalia gave her cousin a frown. "Fish Face…"

"Now that was one hell of a reaction," Percy said with a soft chuckle.

"Just surprised me is all…" Thalia grumbled, pointing her face toward the water. "What're you doing here, anyway?"

He hesitated in his reply, opening his mouth partially only to shut it and thin his lips. "I don't know."

The hunter's brow crinkled as she cast her back toward her cousin. "So… what? You're just out here, wandering the night, sneaking up on poor defenseless girls?"

Percy snorted loudly. "Defenseless? Are you seriously calling yourself defenseless? Who are you and what've you done with the real Thalia Grace?"

"Compared to you, I'm basically as defenseless as a newborn." Thalia's voice wavered slightly when she spoke, causing Percy to frown. The daughter of Zeus ran a hand over her chin. "What could I possibly do against somebody who can regenerate at the rate that you do? I saw most of that fight between you and your new mentor."

The young man nodded. "Most people in camp did. It was part of the plan, after all, to attract as much attention as possible so that you'd all be more… agreeable to being trained by two of All The World's Evil's warriors. People might implicitly trust me because of who I am and what I've done, but Scáthach is a different story. The spar was to show that she wasn't out for blood, mine or anybody else's."

Thalia laughed. "Yeah, I wouldn't be too sure that the message got through. You and her were going at it like you were actually trying to kill. At least, that's the impression I bet most of the campers got… Hell, I was thinking that you two were having an argument through the way you moved. It was almost like a physical… how did Annabeth say it… erm… dialectic. Yeah, a physical Hegelian dialectic, where she gave one point of view, which you disputed, and when the spar ended, something new was formed, a synthesis. At least, that's what Annabeth kept rambling on about."

Percy thought about the concept, contemplating what Thalia told him. "I suppose you could look at it that way, especially for what Scáthach and I did in the last part of the spar. Could you hear us from the sidelines?"

"No," she shook her head. "You weren't talking loud enough to get over the chatter. I could see your faces though. Definitely could tell that something was off at some point. She said something that pissed you off, that much I know. After that, you were all over the place. Cold, apologetic, hot…"

"Thanks, you're pretty hot yourself."

"Very funny, Seaweed Brain."

"Eh, it was partially meant as a joke, though I'm serious that you're hot."

Thalia shook her head with a smirk tugging at her mouth. "I'm sure you were. I wasn't saying that you looked hot, though. I was talking about the way you acted. That's not saying you aren't good looking…"

The son of Poseidon raised an eyebrow. "I'm flattered that you should think so. I'm not particularly vain, but I've caught a few eyes lingering here and there. Hell, even Nico had a crush on me for some time, though apparently, he's over it now."

"A regular lady-killer," Thalia rolled her eyes. "And man-killer, I suppose."

"I only kill the ones that try to kill me first," Percy shot back.

"Should I be worried then?"

"Hm, probably. You've come at me with your Zap-Zap 2: Electric Boogaloo a few too many times."

Stifling a loud guffaw, the daughter of Zeus cleared her throat instead. "Alright then Dr. Seuss, I'll be sure to watch my back from now on. Wouldn't want to make the near-invincible monster of strength angry at me."

Percy grasped at his chest suddenly in a faux gesture of pain. "You wound me, Thals. Going around, throwing hurtful words like 'invincible' and 'Dr. Seuss' at me without a care in the world! Keep talking like that and you'll end up making me cry."

"Oh yeah, sure, whatever you say, H₂Overlord," Thalia chuckled.

Faking a gasp, Percy moved forward and tightly hugged his cousin. Thalia stood nearly five inches shorter than him, leaving her at about five foot seven inches in height. Even though she was stuck at a physical age of sixteen, it was likely she'd already reached her maximum height through puberty before being given partial-immortality. As it was, Percy managed to affectionately rub his cheek into the top of her head, ruffling her hair a bit.

"You're the first person to actually call me H₂Overlord!" Percy cried, holding her tighter around the midriff. "It feels so good to hear it out loud!"

The girl grunted slightly as the air was pushed out of her body. She cautiously returned the hug, managing to free her arms to gently pat Percy's back. "Uh, hush now, little one. No need to cry. And stop messing up my hair!"

Grinning, the young man loosened his grip and locked eyes with Thalia. His eyes danced with mirth while his cousin gave him a bemused, yet dry, glance. Her confusion was warranted, though, considering even Percy found his actions odd. In truth, he wasn't particularly trying to accomplish anything, no clear goal in mind, therefore his deeds were mostly done in spontaneity. He was going with the flow, so to speak, enjoying the presence of the one person who'd given him so much when he felt he had so little.

"You're pretty cute when you're angry about your hair. You make it seem like you don't care about it, since it's almost always kinda messy, but you really must take some pride in how good it looks on you, right?" Percy asked, his crooked grin widening. They were still in close proximity, though they'd pulled their heads away to speak at a respectable distance.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Thalia sniffed, turning her head away from him.

Percy laughed and moved back, letting go of his cousin. He took time to stare at the sea as it washed onto the shore. A longing that he hadn't felt in quite some time reared its head, making him ache for the feel of being surrounded by his element. The thought of testing himself again, trying to move into the depths of the Atlantic, popped into his mind, though he suppressed them. There would be no point in such an attempt if he couldn't even control more than sixteen fluid ounces of water.

Thalia lightly tapped on his shoulder, gaining his attention. "You okay? Looking kinda bothered there."

The worry in her voice put him at ease a bit. She cared more than she might ever realize, and Percy loved her for it. "I was just… thinking…"

Silence pervaded them as Thalia waited for an answer. When it became clear she wouldn't receive one, the hunter tapped again.

"I guess… when I was in Purgatory... after I'd gotten there, I was just in so much shock of everything that I never took the proper time to grieve," Percy started, not bothering to glance at his cousin. He instead opted to stare into the ocean, his voice still carrying over to Thalia's ears. "I'd lost nearly everything I once thought was dear to me. Mom, Dad, Paul, Annabeth, Hestia, you… my power… it was basically all dead and gone from the world I was given. It was scary… I was scared…"

She moved her hand forward, grabbing his in a gesture of comfort. "That's fair. With everything you went through, it's understandable that you'd feel that way."

The young man shook his head. "I know. Trust me, I know and have come to terms with that fear, especially since it isn't the most I've ever felt. Still, I should've known that he was lying. I should've done something, tried something, looked for something, fought for something to get myself out of that state. I wouldn't call myself weak as I am―because I'm not―but it's only now that I've come to push past my fear that I understand everything I lost. Once, my demigod power was both a blessing and a curse. I had to walk on eggshells, knowing that with my abilities I could potentially kill everybody around me.

My rage, my greed, my lust, every undesirable emotion had to be tempered so that I wouldn't blow up. It was like I was living a lie, never being able to just let go and be all of me. There were a lot of times that my power could have been used differently. Hyperion and Kronos were good examples. I couldn't just let loose, though, since each time I had people I cared about around me.

After that, Annabeth and I spoke about my abilities in depth. Controlling the water inside of things… living creatures who could feel pain and happiness and fear… my thoughts were 'does anybody deserve that kind of terrifying power?' I was scared of that power, of being seen as another kind of monster in everybody's eyes. Once, it was my fear that gave rise to my strength, in Mt. Saint Helens. I was scared of dying, of burning, so I drew on everything that I was, that I had... and let it go in one moment. Afterwards, it was my fear that held me back from fulfilling my potential. All for the sake of other people's opinions."

Through his diatribe, Thalia listened with rapt attention. She kept her hand entwined with his, giving him a squeeze when he finished speaking. "Was it worth it?"

"Not even close," Percy replied harshly and immediately.

The daughter of Zeus gave a dry, apologetic smile. "I didn't think so. Just wanted to make sure you were right-in-the-head, though."

"I'm not sure if that's an insult or veiled compliment," Percy retorted snidely. He twisted his face and let out a long-suffering sigh. "I've been practicing, you know? Trying to get back to where I once was, then pass that level to go even further beyond. Not much progress so far, though."

Thalia frowned. "It sounds like you've at least made a little progress. Why are you having trouble going on?"

"No idea," he shrugged, his tone displaying his annoyance. "The most I can control is a cup of water. Every time I try to command more, it never works out well. I've never had that problem before, so I couldn't tell you why it's happening either."

"Weird. I wish I could help you, Percy," the hunter said, her eyes dropping slightly. "I doubt that you've overlooked anything though, since you already have a good idea of how to use your half-blood abilities."

"Yeah, that would make sense," Percy muttered. "The tug in my gut is strong as ever, or rather even stronger than before, which means I'm doing something right. I just can't… do more."

"Tug? In your gut? I always feel this jolt in my spine when I use my powers," Thalia's eyes narrowed and she allowed her confusion to show. "Maybe there is a way I can help you. Apart from the tug in your gut, what else do you feel when you use your power now?"

The son of Poseidon scowled. "Frustrated. Angry. I hate not being able to use my power like I'm supposed to. It takes all of my concentration to move such a little amount of water, not to mention all the pain that comes with it."

"Anything else you can think of? No offense, what you just told me actually gives me close to no information," Thalia replied. "I want to help you, Percy. Really, I do, but you really gotta give me more than that to work with."

Shifting through what he recalled, Percy tried to bring his mind back to training. There was always a swirl of emotions, mostly negative about his failure, with only the hope of regaining his power keeping him going.

When nothing came to the forefront of his mind he shook his head. "No, I can't really give you more than that. I… I don't know that I'll ever get my power back to the way it once was. I guess that's always been in the back of my mind during my personal sessions."

"You idiot."

The tone used made Percy glance at his cousin with raised eyebrows, his visage incredulous. "What? What did I do?"

Thalia released his hand and rubbed her face. She pursed her lips and sent the son of Poseidon a very irritated glare. "Our abilities are tied to willpower, you know that as much as I do."

"Yeah, I know," Percy replied haughtily.

"Then why the hell are you constantly putting yourself down!?" Thalia's exasperation was made apparent through her hissed words. "C'mon, Kelp Head, you can't go into practice expecting to fail at something. True enough, you may want something to the extreme, but there's no point in chasing it if you aren't going to be positive and actually get into the right mindset for succeeding. Do you know why I can't fly or control the wind like Jason?"

Percy took a few seconds to think about the question. He'd always figured that it was just because some demigods were given a certain subset of powers determined at birth. Then again, his thoughts on the subject never went too deep. Semantics, after all, was the bane of any sane person.

"No idea."

"It's because I don't have the right mindset for it. I'm scared of heights, which is something I might never get over. Controlling the wind needs a certain amount of weightless acceptance to it that I just don't have. Jason, on the other hand, doesn't have that problem," Thalia explained somewhat impatiently. "You can't just want it, Percy. It needs to be a part of who you are. Even if it doesn't seem like it, these things should feel instinctual. It needs to feel right, like there's nothing that can stop you from getting what you want."

'That… makes a lot of sense actually. After all, demigod powers are technically instinctual. My first bout of hydrokinesis was completely accidental against Clarisse and those Ares bullies. I wasn't thinking about it, I just didn't want to have my head dunked in a toilet.' Percy jittered at the thought.

"How… how am I supposed to make it feel instinctual if I don't even know what instinct feels like in the first place?" The young man asked anxiously.

His nervous demeanor was met with Thalia's fist to his arm. "What are you even saying? What the fuck's with that meek response? Percy, it's okay to be scared, but you can't let it bog you down. You talk about how control is the answer and, while that's technically true, are you really saying that the ocean is a concept that can be controlled? No, Percy, our powers are forces of nature. Control isn't the complete answer.

Let yourself be swept away in the current. You did it at Saint Helens and look what happened. Yeah, it was destructive, dangerous, terrifying, but that was the moment when you literally shook the earth and brought the sea to you, hundreds of miles inland!

You're more powerful than me, Jason, Nico, and Hazel as a demigod! You beat Ares when you were twelve, fought Atlas and held up the sky and survived a volcanic eruption at fourteen. Even when you held back, you fought against Hyperion, then Kronos, armies of monsters, and even Polybotes―who's technically your bane just like your Dad's.

You can do incredible things if you just damn well accepted that you can't keep us safe forever, that using your power comes with inherent risk. For fuck's sake, Percy, as half-bloods our lives were never going to be easy! There would always be risks involved, always suffering, but we can't let that change the way we look at things. You can't half-ass this, otherwise, you'll keep failing to do what you want!

It sounds cheesy but you just have to go with the flow! Connect with the ocean again, remember what it was like to be the spawn of the sea. Do what you need to do so that you remember who―or rather, what―you are. Meditate, start zen yoga, eat seaweed, drink spinach smoothies, watch porn, I don't know! Just snap out of this funk and keep your head up!"

As Thalia panted from her long-winded and impassioned fulmination, Percy stood silent. He stared at the rolling waters before him, watching each soft wave as it crested and fell in on itself, bubbling and foaming as it approached the shore. The sound built in his ears, undulating turbulence against the backdrop of anarchic loathing that filled his brain. His teeth clenched and his abdomen ached, the water that came and went mocking him in its casual dismissal of his demands.

He was the Hero of Olympus.

He was the son of Poseidon.

He would not be denied what was rightfully his.

He was part of the sea, the sea was part of him, and he would be damned if his power were to be lost because of his doubts.

The water stopped moving.

No longer did the ocean encroach upon the sandy beach. Instead, it pushed back, further away from shore. It stormed and raged wildly, thrashing even as it was forced to recede from its natural position, the moon holding no more say in what the tides did. The violent and unpredictable nature of his domain fought every step of the way, though the resistance was a bit less than the past two weeks. It was a slight change, though it helped nonetheless.

Even then, however, the fight could not be won, not by him.

In the blink of an eye, Percy lost control. Both the pain in his gut and his head cost him any form of concentration. The sea spat its final vitriolic obscenity and smashed through his force of will, tugging at the divinity that still ran low in his very being. The waves soon resumed their typical motions, as if nothing ever stopped and bent them before. The ocean returned to its unchained state, leaving a taste of victory in Percy's mouth.

With nature back in control of its own power, the beach was filled with the sounds of swelling water. The occasional howl from deep within the woods reached the duo's ears. Between the two, neither opted to speak, allowing the action to hang in the air as if it were a momentous occasion.

"W-W-What was that?" Thalia finally asked, eyes wide at having witnessed the occurrence. She directed her attention away from the waters and to her cousin, whose countenance bore satisfaction. Though he still faced forward, his profile almost seemed to glitter in the unnaturally bright moonlight, brimming with cold confidence.

"I think…" Percy's powerful and dominating voice cut through the air. "You just verbally kicked my ass into gear. The first and second steps were already taken… and I just took a few more in the right direction."

The hunter stared disbelievingly. "You think? Well… I guess I'm glad to have helped in some way then. Still though, to go from a glass of water to... that?"

Bringing his face around, the young man gave a lopsided smile, his previous expression having warmed exponentially. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder to pull her closer. "Yeah, pretty cool right? Thanks for the pep-talk, Thals." His chipper voice set the hunter at ease.

Nodding, Thalia kept silent as the two of them stood together under the moon's glow. Idly resting her head on Percy's shoulder, she took a deep breath, the scent of the sea filling her nose. Her eyes briefly flickered up to his face, then to the waves, wondering which of the two she was actually smelling.

After a while, Percy separated himself from Thalia, a grin still plastered on his face. "You up for a little dancing?"

"Dancing?" Thalia scoffed, crossing her arms. "Can you even dance, Seaweed Brain? Last I heard, you weren't exactly the dancing queen, young and sweet only fourteen, at Westover Hall."

"Ha. Ha. Very funny," Percy waved her concerns off. "Slow dancing may not be my thing but I wouldn't say I don't have any moves. Besides, I'm feeling pretty good after controlling the fucking ocean again. Humor me?" He held out a hand imploringly.

With an exaggerated sigh, his cousin opted to comply. "Alright, what're we dancing to then?"

Percy thought about it for a moment before pulling out his music player and scrolling through the playlist he was already on. He unplugged the earphones and let the music play out loud, having selected a song that his mom adored: The Loco-Motion by Grand Funk Railroad.

As the song began, Thalia cocked her eyebrow at the choice. "Really? Is this what you listen to?" Even so, she began to move along with the lyrics and the beat, allowing herself to fall into an easy tempo of stepping and swaying. "I feel like a grandma dancing to this, jeez."

"Don't knock the oldies," Percy retorted as he twirled Thalia around his arm, struggling to dance smoothly on the sand. "I'll have you know, my music tastes vary. Alt Rock and Punk are great-"

"A man after my own heart."

"-But there are so many great songs in so many other genres. Like the sea, I can't be tied down to just one thing."

Thalia snickered softly. "Well this is an okay song, that's for sure."

The son of Poseidon grinned as he began to sing along, trying and failing to do both the main verses and the backup vocals. Even so, he continued undeterred as Thalia laughed loudly at his ridiculous attempts.

"Now that you can do it well let's make a chain now~

(Come on baby, do the Loco-Motion)

A chugga-chugga motion like a railroad train, now~

(Come on baby, do the Loco-Motion)

Do it nice and easy now don't lose control, a little bit of rhythm and a lot of soul

So come on, come on, do the Loco-Motion with me~"

They swept around one another, chuckles rippling through their bodies even as their feet stumbled due to the uneven grounding. Eventually, it was Thalia who lost her footing, falling to the ground and pulling Percy down along with her.

Sea-green met electric-blue as the two lay next to one another. Their laughter came back in full force, both half-bloods moving closer together to share each other's warmth. When they gathered their wits, neither moved away. Instead, they studied one another, eyes flickering over the features that they each already knew well.

Percy leaned toward his cousin.

His lips ghosted across Thalia's earlobe. His warm breath tickled her skin, bringing a nearly imperceptible shiver to the hunter's body. He gently nibbled at her ear before placing a soft kiss against her neck.

A low sigh left Thalia's mouth as goose bumps crawled across her skin when Percy descended from her jugular to her clavicle. Though it was difficult to angle his head properly because of their position, Percy kept going, focusing on nothing more than the woman before him.

Moving some of her jacket to the side, the son of Poseidon reached her collarbone and traced his way back up. Propping his upper body on one of his arms to gain a bit more leverage, he kept close to her, not willing to let the moment fade because he drew back too far.

"I love you," he mumbled, pressing his forehead against her own when she brought her face around. They looked at one another for several seconds, Thalia's gaze occasionally dropping to his lips before they flickered back up.

"I love you too."

She pushed him back onto the sand, rolling and swinging one of her legs over his waist. Thalia settled on his midriff, face looming over Percy's own. Without further hesitation, she kissed him, catching him slightly off guard and bumping teeth with him.

She pulled back and smiled sheepishly when Percy began to chuckle. "Sorry, I've… uh… well, I don't have practice with this. I'm probably not going to be any good."

Percy smiled. "No problem. I wasn't some kind of expert at first either. Hell, I still think I can learn a few things."

Thalia nodded and descended once again, moving slowly so as to avoid hurting herself or her lover. Once their lips met, she decided to follow Percy's lead, knowing his experience outclassed hers by a fair margin. She felt his mouth begin to move slightly, molding with her own, which led her to do the same thing, hoping to reciprocate his advances.

Idly, the hunter realized why people enjoyed kissing. The thought passed through her brain, knowing she wouldn't mind more in the future.

Another thought soon ate up her attention. Thalia knew that what she was doing violated the vow she'd taken in becoming a hunter. For two weeks, she'd wrestled with the question of whether she loved Percy enough to leave the Hunt. There was a time when her perceptions were tinted, seeing the choice as an easy one to make. Percy was a light, one that she enjoyed staring at and basking in, pulling her from the darkness that the rest of the world seemed to be enamored with. He was a charismatic leader, even if he didn't realize it himself, one who she could easily see herself standing beside. He was a good person who she would happily sacrifice herself for if it meant his safety, to allow his heroic life continuation.

When he returned to Camp Half-Blood, things felt like they were going to be perfectly fine, with him there to help. Yet, her conceived notions were bent when they'd spoken on the beach. Even though he didn't explicitly ask her to leave the Hunt, he'd given her his words of affection, which put her in the same position. Furthermore, he told her about his two other romantic interests, only disillusioning her even more. She'd rejected him, out of confusion and hurt and betrayal. It was only later that she understood that the only thing that betrayed her was her own ridiculous glorification of Percy Jackson.

He was not perfect, nor had he ever claimed to be. Instead, she came to see him as he always should have been. Flawed, prone to mistakes, selfish... human. While she knew before then that he was not perfect, for some reason his flaws were only superficial, instead of defining. They were small scuffs on an otherwise immaculate piece of art.

Through everything that happened, though, Thalia was surprised that she was only mildly disappointed. Moreso when she came to the realization that her disappointment was not held against Percy, but rather herself. Even though his personality wasn't the essence of virtue she'd once thought it was, he was still the same Kelp Head that she loved. Perhaps there was more she couldn't see, however, she would endeavor to restrain herself from presumptions.

Leaving the Hunt wasn't an easy decision, but she'd made her choice as soon as they started talking. While Percy wasn't the shining light that she fooled herself into believing he was, such an ideal was never what she loved him for in the first place. She felt the comparison of moving on from the Hunt to be with Percy was like choosing to listen to blink-182's best hits versus Green Day's best hits. While she was a fan of both bands, she preferred Green Day, and would, therefore, choose accordingly. She supposed in a way it made sense, considering Percy's eyes were green, in their own interesting way. Then again, the situation was far more serious than trivialities like choosing what kind of music she would listen to.

"And so it happens."

The voice that spoke immediately broke the two demigods apart. Thalia rolled off of Percy, standing up straight as she stared at Artemis, her mind racing at the sheer coincidence of it all. The goddess quirked her eyebrow at the flushed face of her lieutenant. Percy stood a bit slower than Thalia had, rubbing the sand out of his hair irritably.

"Lady Artemis," Thalia greeted, eyes dropping a few centimeters when Artemis narrowed her gaze. "How did... why...?"

"I've kept an eye on the Hunt for some time, meaning I've noticed your withdrawn behavior the past several days. A few nights ago I took to watching you, hoping to see what troubled you. It seems as though I finally found out."

Thalia swallowed. Her voice quivered for a moment before it was steeled. "This… is exactly what it looks like. I've broken my oath to you, milady, seeking the company of men and becoming romantically invested. This was my own fault, not Percy's. If you punish anybody, I ask that it be-"

"No, this wasn't her fault. If you're gonna get pissed at anybody then I'd be the one to blame," Percy interrupted, garnering a glare from Thalia. He ignored the look and set a passive smile on the goddess in front of him. "Of course, don't expect me to just sit still while you try to castrate me or turn me into a jackalope. Crom Cruach was much scarier than you could ever be. Also much more fabulously dressed."

Artemis bristled slightly at the jab, her eyes flashing bright silver. "You've grown in many ways, Perseus. Arrogance doesn't suit you, though, so stop trying to incorporate it into your character, boy."

"Milady, please, don't take what he says seriously," Thalia said, stepping in front of Percy defensively. "You know how he is, smart mouth and all that."

"I'm well aware of how he can run his mouth," Artemis droned, frowning at the young man. "You would do well not to speak so quickly on things you've no comprehension of. I didn't come to attack anybody."

Thalia saw Percy's shoulders relax minutely. She too felt a bit of tension drain from her body with Artemis' words. "Milady, why have you come then? Surely… this isn't a pleasant meeting…"

The goddess thinned her lips. "It certainly isn't pleasant for me. However, I can't say it would be very unpleasant for you. As a leader, I am so very disappointed in you, Thalia. As a friend, I am hurt that you wouldn't come talk to me about this sooner."

"I'm not sure I follow…?" The daughter of Zeus puzzled over the relatively calm demeanor Artemis adopted.

"You should have just told me what the situation was, Thalia. I would have understood your reasons for loving him, for wanting to be with him. The oath that you took does not bind you to my service forever," Artemis stated with a shake of her head. "If a hunter were so displeased with my Hunt they could ask to be released from their vow. You could very well have done the same, though it would have been for different reasons, obviously."

Thalia gaped slightly at the flippant statement. "B-B-But I thought… the wording sounded… it just felt so… complete. Why does it sound so final if there's a way to get out of it? Can't you… I dunno… add a little fine print section or something to explain these things for people!?"

"You mean I never told you?" Artemis asked with a frown, holding her chin, obviously perturbed. "I could have sworn that I did during your orientation as my… lieutenant… ah of course… you didn't go through the proper channels and I made you my lieutenant shortly after… yes, now I recall."

Both half-bloods palmed their faces. Percy chuckled ruefully, patting his raven-haired cousin on the shoulder apologetically. "Looks like you were forming ulcers for no reason, huh?"

"I do believe that Zoe also forgot to mention this to our newer recruits when she was still part of the Hunt. You see, there was a time when my vows were quite binding. It was only at the turn of the 19th century that I changed my mind on the wording and whatnot," the goddess explained with a nod. "I suppose I should also inform the other hunters… just to avoid any undue conflict in the future, much like now."

"Milady, no offense, but what the actual fuck?"

Artemis waved off Thalia's vulgarities and gave the young woman a squeeze on the arm. "That frivolity aside, tell me, are you sure that this is what you want? Leaving the Hunt is no small decision, especially if it is for romantic love. Should you wish to come back, it would need to be before you two have sex, so try not to move too quickly in the relationship."

The daughter of Zeus stared at the goddess with unmitigated surprise. "Yeah… this is what I want… it hurts to say goodbye to the Hunt and it wasn't a decision I made lightly... but for some reason, it feels like I'm making the right choice. I thought you'd be more upset at all this."

"Saddened by the loss of another lieutenant and good friend, not so much upset," Artemis replied softly. "And I can understand what you feel. Recall, once I found myself beginning to harbor romantic feelings toward Orion. I did not love him when he died, however, given more time, I might have. These things are natural, Thalia." She turned her attention to Percy. "I hope you'll treat her the way she deserves."

"I'll do my best," Percy affirmed with a nod.

The two powerful beings exchanged stony glances, neither backing down in the face of the other. Thalia looked between the two, worried that her cousin might start something due to his usually brash nature. He'd always had a way of annoying even the calmest of deities in the past.

"Thalia," Artemis' voice cut through the awkward silence. "It's late, why don't you go to bed. We can explain your decision to the rest of the Hunt tomorrow morning. It is during that time that you may surrender your title and leave the Hunt."

"I…" the daughter of Zeus bit her lip, thinking better of saying anything else. "It was a pleasure serving, My Lady." She bowed toward the Goddess of the Hunt and turned to her cousin. "I think my actions already told you my answer, but if you need me to say it I will."

Percy shook his head. "No, I think I got the message. Thanks for tonight, Thalia. I won't be forgetting it anytime soon."

The former hunter smiled and pulled her lover into another kiss. They stayed connected for a few seconds, both still aware they were in the presence of a deity, though neither with the inclination of ruining the moment. Eventually, Thalia moved back and grinned widely at the son of Poseidon. They nodded to one another before she walked away. The daughter of Zeus hoped that the hunters, those she could see as her sisters-in-arms, would be able to accept her decision without too much difficulty. As her legs carried her off the beach, she sent one last glance back at both the goddess and the mortal, watching as the waves churned behind them. She sighed, hoping that her cousin had enough sense to keep a level head.

Getting between two powerhouses the likes of Percy and Artemis would be suicide, meaning she wouldn't be able to stop them should a fight break out.

From the corner of his eye, Percy watched Thalia leave the beach. His attention was then solely directed at the goddess who stared at him shrewdly. The young man waited for her to speak first, not knowing why she'd wanted to keep him with her on the beach. He was only slightly annoyed that she interrupted the intimacy between himself and Thalia, which probably helped her odds of not suffering through his more venomous sarcasm.

"You're strong," Artemis stated calmly, holding her hands behind her back. She thinned her lips. "Dangerous too. Very dangerous indeed. Back when I wanted to spare your life, I could never have imagined that your path would lead to how you are now. Seeing what you've become almost makes me wonder if I made the right choice."

Percy smirked. "Is that so? Why do you say that, Artemis? Are you scared of little ol' me? I'm flattered, really I am, to have a goddess admitting that she was so short-sighted to leave a potential threat alive. Too bad that it's way too late for anything to be done about it, huh?"

The goddess sneered back at the young man, her eyes shining brighter. "You think highly of your strength. Perhaps too highly, boy. The Olympians are gods, whereas you still remain mortal. Difficult to kill, however you are mortal nonetheless. It would be in your best interest not to get on our bad side."

"I wouldn't be so sure that my mortality is something you can so easily exploit," Percy replied flippantly. "Why so much hostility in the first place anyway, Artemis? I'm surprised that somebody like you would go and pick a fight with somebody who's done nothing to you first. Seems more like an Ares thing to do."

"Tell me something, Perseus. What is driving you forward?"

"A goal. To reach the goal that I've always been stretching for."

Artemis gave him an expectant stare. "What would this goal be? Your answer may very well put my mind to ease if I could be content with whatever it is. I didn't mean to sound so… aggressive… I'm merely trying to understand you better."

Percy snorted derisively. "Hell of a way to do it then. My goal is to be happy. It's not a noble goal, it's actually pretty damn selfish, but it's what I've got going for me. I'm sure that actually just makes things more complicated for you to come to terms with."

"Yes, not exactly trying to inspire confidence in me, are you, Perseus?"

"Ha, no, not exactly what I was aiming for. I gave you an honest answer, which should count for something in my mind," he shrugged.

Artemis mulled the answer over in her mind, closing her eyes as she crossed her arms. Eventually, the goddess opened her eyes and pinned Percy with a skeptical stare. "Your answer is vague and troubling, however, out of respect for you I won't ask for elaboration. Instead, I'd like to hear your thoughts on what my sister once told you about your Fatal Flaw."

The young man's eyes lit up amusedly. "Oh... that. Well, she told me that to save a friend, I'd sacrifice the world. Back then, I really didn't understand why my loyalty was so terrible."

"And what about now? Do you understand now?"

"I do. That's beside the point, though. Athena was wrong. Rather, she's wrong now, after the past few years. I wouldn't sacrifice the world to save a friend. I would drown the world with my own hands... so that I could save the people that make me happy."

"Living with such an extreme mindset..." Artemis stared at him curiously. "I wonder if you were always a monster... or if it was just a matter of circumstance. Tell me, if those people stopped making you happy, what would happen after there was nobody left in this world for you? Do you truly think that you are limited to them for your happiness? Are you so narrow-minded that you can't see the larger picture? Or instead, do you delude yourself into thinking that going through with such extreme measures will keep you happy for the rest of your life? If you think that because you disproved Athena's words, you've somehow subverted your Fatal Flaw, then you've only shown me that you cannot think beyond what is in front of you. Your flaw is still personal loyalty... because it was always about you and your selfish desires. Learn to temper it... or one day it will eat at you from the inside... consuming what makes you human... until there's nothing left of the man I've come to respect, leaving only a rabid beast that needs to be put down."

With that, she turned on her heel and walked away, her form beginning to shimmer.

Percy averted his eyes before the flash came. When he looked back, there was nobody else on the beach with him. He stared at the rolling waves, then glanced at his hands.

The goddess' words repeated in his mind even as he allowed a gentle smile to cross his face. The night, while completely unexpected, had been an interesting one indeed.

A/N: I don't own any rights to the song "Do the Loco-Motion" by Grand Funk Railroad or any of its various other forms, including the original by Little Eva. Just wanted to throw that out there, in case, I dunno, somebody did think that.

(EDIT) For about an hour I'd accidentally posted a second-draft version of this chapter, which left out some key parts of the chapter when it came to Thalia's thoughts. I took that version of the chapter down to upload the final draft. Those who managed to read the unfinished product before I took it down may want to re-read that section, though it's totally up to you.