I own nothing Rick Riordan owns it all.

Everyone was screaming and fire grew until it was covering everything in the clearing. Suddenly it stopped and started retreating leaving everything unharmed. When it was gone there stood Percy.

"Percy!" Nico shouted in recognition so the Romans wouldn't attack.

"Nico!" Percy exclaimed hugging his 'little' cousin. "Hey, I heard we were reading and I was like no way! But then you were here and Hestia explained everything. Speaking of which you have a surprise next chapter who I already spoke/apologized to. Anyway so I came. Now," He cleared his throat. "WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU! YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE FOR MONTHS WITHOUT TELLING ANYONE! WE WERE WORRIED ABOUT YOU!"

Nico flinched. The Romans were surprised at the outburst. Percy gave off a calm, friendly aura.

"Uuuuhhhhh... Sorry?" Percy glared at Nico.

"Um, hi. My name's Jason Grace son of Jupiter. This is Re–" Jason started while Percy gave Nico a we'll talk about this later look.

"Grace? Jupiter? Like roman form of Zeus right?" Percy asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Oh, Nico. You are in so much trouble." Percy sang.

"Why?" Nico asked.

"Really?" Percy asked.

"Who do you know who also just so happens to be a child of the king of the gods with the last name Grace? Who also the day before you left told you that she had a missing little brother?"

"Wait. Her last name is Grace."

"Yep, and she's going to kill you now." Nico paled.

"Oh Shit."

"Um what are you talking about?" Asked Jason. Voicing the thoughts of all the Romans. Percy turned to him still smiling.

"Well Jason I was just about to help my little cousin plan his funeral." Percy replied.

"It isn't my fault! I didn't know!" Nico defended.

"You're telling me like I'm the one who's going to kill you for it. No, she'll be here soon though. Then you'll have to face her wrath for hiding two things. You know she's never been the most… understanding person."

"Excuse me, but who are you talking about?" Jason asks getting irritated.

"My other cousin. Her name is Thalia Grace daughter of Zeus . . . Your full sister." Percy replied.

"My…? You mean half-sister?"

"No. Full sister. As in the same mom, same dad. Well same being as a dad, different aspects. . . I'm still working on that part. Anyway she said she lost you when you were two and you had a scar on your lips from trying to eat a stapler." Percy said the last part trying not to laugh. Jason's hand went to his mouth but he still looked confused/suspicious.

"C'mon you really don't remember? Try to picture her. She has short spiky black hair and sort-of punk style clothes when she's not in her hunters uniform."

Jason tried to picture it. As he thought just the faintest memory came into his mind of a girl with piercing blue eyes taking care of him while his mother was gone.

"Y-yeah and blue eyes." He added.

"That's her!" Percy exclaimed.

The Romans just watched in bewilderment. Apparently their praetor had a sister he could never remember who apparently looks nothing alike except for their eyes.

"So, that girl in the last chapter was my sister?" Jason turned to Nico.

"Apparently, and-" Nico was interrupted by his aquatic cousin.

"Anyway she's pretty scary when she's mad, and her powers are directly linked to her emotions. She doesn't have the best control for them when she's upset. So I was just telling Nico about how much trouble he was in with her." Percy said cheerily.

"It'll be fun to watch."

"You're not going to help me!?" Nico asked.

"Nope. Why should I?" Percy replied.

"Because it wasn't my fault!"

"So. Tell that to Thalia."

"That won't help!"

"Good luck then."

"Percy!"

"Alright I'll help you.…maybe."

"Percy!"

"We'll see. If your nice."

"That's not fair."

"It's better than a flat out no."

"Fine."

The Romans didn't know what to do they never seen this side of Nico before.

"Let's just read it will be explained when Thalia gets here and Nico dies." Percy said.

"Hey! I'm not scared of Thalia. I can beat her!" Nico exclaimed.

"I'll tell her you said that." Percy said smirking. Nico paled.

"Please don't."

"Maybe." Percy smirked again. Nico groaned.

"Your mean."

"Says you."

"Whatever let's just start reading. Who wants to read now?" Nico asked.

"I will." Gwen said.

The Vice Principal Gets A Missile Launcher

Skipping Some Sentences.

Thorn marched us into the woods. We took a snowy path dimly lit by old-fashioned lamplights. My shoulder ached. The wind blowing through my ripped clothes was so cold that I felt like a Percysicle.

"Wait, when Hestia said we were reading about you she didn't say we would be reading it from my point of view!" Percy exclaimed.

"Yup. Haha." Nico laughed at his misfortune.

"Oh, laugh it up. It's still about you, you know." Percy smirked.

Nico scowled at the reminder.

"There is a clearing ahead," Thorn said. "We will summon your ride."

"What ride?" Bianca demanded. "Where are you taking us?"

"Silence, you insufferable girl!"

Nico scowled deeper drawing in the shadows.

"Don't talk to my sister that way!" Nico said. His voice quivered, but I was impressed that he had the guts to say anything at all.

"Wow. I don't know whether to thank you or be offended." Nico stated.

"I don't know either." Percy replied.

"But, these are your thoughts." Frank said confused.

"It's OK Frank. Nobody can understand what happens in Percy's head." Nico explained.

"Hey!"

"You know it's true. Not even you know!"

"Whatever."

The Romans just watched in curiosity as they learned this new side to Nico.

Skipping Stuff.

The woods had opened up. We'd reached a cliff overlooking the sea. At least, I sensed the sea was down there, hundreds of feet below. I could hear the waves churning and I could smell the cold salty froth. But all I could see was mist and darkness.

"Sounds creepy." Dakota mumbled.

"It was." Percy said.

"Was not." Nico argued.

"Your face said otherwise. You looked pretty scared."

"Was not."

"Whatever you say Nico. Just wait."

Dr. Thorn pushed us toward the edge. I stumbled, and Bianca caught me.

"Thanks," I murmured.

"What is he?" She whispered. "How do we fight him?"

"I…I'm working on it."

"Great job with that Perce. Don't strain yourself."

"Shut up di Angelo." Percy shoved Nico.

"I'm scared," Nico mumbled.

"I'm sorry what were you saying Nico? The almighty Ghost King, Son of Hades was scared?"

"Shove off Jackson."

"Hey that is not how you get people to help you with zap happy cousins."

"Are you blackmailing me?!"

"So what if I am?" Percy challenged.

"I will get you for this. Watch your back."

"Yeah right I could take you in my sleep."

"Hey that was one time a long time ago and I was trying to help you."

"Yeah afterwards."

"I said I was sorry." Nico grumbled.

"Uh-huh whatever.…I'm just messing with you jeez lighten up Nico."

"Whatever."

"Awww, is Nico sulking?"

"I don't sulk."

"Yeah just like your not goth."

"I'm not!"

"Or you don't spend more time with the dead than the living."

"At least I talk to people even if they're dead. You spend most of your time talking to fish and horses."

"That is when you actually talk."

"I talk!"

"Yeah from the farthest corner in the room so no one hears you."

"If they really cared they would listen."

"If you really cared you would come out of the shadows."

"Better than being known as the dude always kissing his girlfriend in public."

"I don't do that!"

"Yeah, and black isn't my favorite color."

"Black isn't a color."

"Yes it is."

"No, it's a mix of all colors. Not one single color."

"Black is a color."

"Then why isn't it on the rainbow?"

"Because the rainbow is stupid."

"That's not logic that's an opinion."

"My opinion is logic."

"Says the goth that eats Happy Meals in graveyards trying to find a ghost who knows how to play myth-o—"

"I'm not goth!"

"Changing the subject. What are the Happy Meals ruining your reputation. Or was it myth-"

"Yes! Now Shut Up!"

"Ooh touchy. They'll read about it anyway."

Nico groaned. The Romans all watching deciding between laughing and be shocked Nico spoke so much in one setting. Before anyone could say anything Reyna spoke up.

"Are you done?" She asked a smirk playing at her lips.

Nico and Percy turned obviously forgetting they had an audience.

"Yeah, Sorry." Percy said giving Nico a look that said this clearly wasn't over and him returning it.

"Please continue." Reyna nodded not missing the looks being exchanged.

He was fiddling with something—a little toy soldier.

"Will you tell us now?" Gwen asked.

"No." Nico huffed.

"I will." Percy said excitedly.

"It's calle-"

"Shut up!" Nico growled.

"Nico!" Hazel admonished.

"Why should I?" Percy challenged ignoring the girl with the golden hair.

"I will hurt you."

"Tell Thalia that then."

Nico glared at his cousin but stopped talking. Percy smirked.

"Moving on." Jason said looking at the two weirdly wondering about his sister.

"Stop talking!" Dr. Thorn said.

Mini Skip.

I glanced behind me, wondering how far the drop was.

Dr. Thorn laughed. "By all means, Son of Poseidon. Jump! There is the sea. Save yourself."

"What did he call you?" Bianca muttered.

"I'll explain later," I said.

"You do have a plan right?"

"Of course not, this is Percy." Nico interjected.

"Hey!"

"Don't be mean Nico." Hazel reprimanded.

"What about him?! He was being mean earlier!"

"I don't know him and you're my brother."

"Yeah Nico I only heard like one person's name." Percy interrupted.

"Where are your manners?"

"Right next to your respect and intelligence."

"Nico!" Hazel shouted.

"What! OK fine. Percy that's Hazel my half-sister daughter of Pluto. Frank her boyfr- I mean 'friend' son of Mars. Dakota son of Bacchus and his 'friend' Gwen undetermined. Then the praetors are Reyna daughter of Bellona and you know Jason son of Jupiter. Oh, and everybody else." Nico finished while the 'friends' were blushing.

"Wow. There were a lot of 'friends' there. Which one is Everybody Else? Do they have a 'friend'?" Percy smirked. The 'friends' blushed.

"Moving on." Frank said while Nico shook his head exasperatedly.

Skipping A Bit.

Maybe I could get both the di Angelos to jump with me into the ocean. If we survived the fall, I could use the water to protect us. I'd done things like that before. If my dad was in a good mood, and listening, he might help. Maybe.

"Thanks Percy. Very reassuring." Nico rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. Like you could've done better." Percy shoved Nico.

"Yeah, actually. It's called shadow travel." Nico pronounced the last part slowly as if speaking to a child.

"Yeah?" Percy challenged. "With that many people? You'd probably get stranded in China and then pass out and everyone would die of hunger before you woke up."

"Hey, that was an accident." Nico defended, "and it's not my fault I'm so powerful. You know how it goes. 'With great power-"

"-comes great need to take a nap.' Whatever. The only time my powers made me pass out, was after I blew up Mount Saint Helens."

"...That's not how the saying goes." Frank said.

"You blew up Mount Saint Helens!?" Dakota asked. "Dude!"

"You just must not have as much power as me." Nico ignored their companions.

"Nope, I've got more!" Percy grinned, "and I have better control!"

"Excuse me? Do you know how hard it is to control ghosts!?"

"Very hard I'm sure, but do you know how hard it is to control the ocean? I mean, I've seen the underworld, several times in fact, and those ghouls could be mistaken for statues. And how fast does a shadow move? 15° an hour! But the ocean? That's alive! And it is constantly changing moods and very stubborn."

"Sure you're not talking about yourself, Perce?"

"AS enlightening as this is, can we resume the reading now?" Reyna asked with a raised brow.

"I think you can." Percy sassed.

"Percy!" Nico scolded. "Sorry. Continue."

"Thank you." Reyna eyed Percy as Gwen continued.

"I would kill you before you ever reached the water," Dr. Thorn said, as if reading my thoughts. "You do not realize who I am, do you?"

A flicker of movement behind him, and another missile whistled so close to me that it nicked my ear. Something had sprung up behind Dr. Thorn—like a catapult, but more flexible… almost like a tail.

"Unfortunately," Thorn said, "you are wanted alive, if possible. Otherwise you would already be dead."

"Who wants us?" Bianca demanded. "Because if you think you'll get a ransom, you're wrong. We don't have any family. Nico and I…" Her voice broke a little. "We've got no one but each other."

And just like that the joking mood was gone. Percy looked guilty about Bianca's death, Hazel and Frank looked concerned for Nico, Nico looked depressed, and the rest of the Romans felt guilty about ignoring him and shying away when he came near. Only some of them were showing it though. Most were just feeling it. Apparently emotions make you weak, but they were slowly coming around.

"Aww," Dr. Thorn said. "Do not worry, little brats. You will be meeting my employer soon enough. Then you will have a brand-new family."

"Luke," I said. "You work for Luke."

"Who's Luke?" Dakota asked.

"Luke was a hero." Percy said with a finality that no sane person challenged.

"Doesn't sound like it." Dakota said tipsily. Hey no sane person.

Percy glared at him.

Dr. Thorn's mouth twisted with distaste when I said the name of my old enemy—a former friend who'd tried to kill me several times.

"I thought you said he was a hero!" Jason exclaimed.

"He is!" Percy insisted.

"You have no idea what is happening, Perseus Jackson. I will let the General enlighten you. You are going to do him a great service tonight. He is looking forward to meeting you."

"The General?" I asked. Then I realized I'd said it with a French accent. "I mean… who's the General?"

"That was sort of funny." Nico said.

"Glad I amuse you." Percy rolled his eyes. Nico stuck out his tongue. Percy narrowed his eyes. The Romans were surprised at his childishness.

"Nico!" Hazel shouted.

"Yes?" Nico asked looking innocent.

"Mmhm." Hazel hummed disbelievingly.

Thorn looked toward the horizon. "Ah, here we are. Your transportation."

I turned and saw a light in the distance, a searchlight over the sea. Then I heard the chopping of helicopter blades getting louder and closer.

"I've always wanted to ride in a helicopter." Frank said randomly.

"Maybe some other time. This doesn't seem like the ideal situation." Hazel replied.

"Where are you taking us?" Nico said.

"You should be honored, my boy. You will have the opportunity to join a great army! Just like that silly game you play with cards and dolls."

Percy snickered. Nico blushed.

"They're not dolls! They're figurines! And you can take your great army and—"

"Yes Nico now's the time to defend Myt-" Percy was cut off by a sudden hand to the face.

"You play with dolls?" Frank asked amused.

"No! They're figurines and I DON'T play with them." Nico corrected with red cheeks.

"Sure Nico. Whatever you say." Percy laughed at his cousin's face.

"Shut up, Percy." Nico grumbled.

Percy just kept laughing.

"Now, now," Dr. Thorn warned. "You will change your mind about joining us, my boy. And if you do not, well… there are other uses for half-bloods. We have many monstrous mouths to feed. The Great Stirring is underway."

"The Great what?" I asked. Anything to keep him talking while I tried to figure out a plan.

"The stirring of monsters."

"No really?" Gwen interjected.

Dr. Thorn smiled evilly. "The worst of them, the most powerful, are now waking. Monsters that have not been seen in thousands of years. They will cause death and destruction the likes of which mortals have never known. And soon we shall have the most important monster of all—the one that shall bring about the downfall of Olympus!"

"Well that wasn't dramatic." Dakota said into his cup.

"Okay," Bianca whispered to me. "He's completely nuts."

"We have to jump off the cliff," I told her quietly. "Into the sea."

"Oh, super idea. You're completely nuts, too."

"I like her." Gwen stated. Nico had a small sad smile.

"I never got the chance to argue with her, because just then an invisible force slammed into me."

Reyna raised an eyebrow.

Looking back on it, Annabeth's move was brilliant.

"Isn't it always?" Nico asked.

"True." Percy relented.

Wearing her cap of invisibility, she plowed into the di Angelos and me, knocking us to the ground.

"That hurt." Nico complained.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Next time, we'll just LET THE MONSTER GET YOU!" Percy reprimanded. "I'm sure that will hurt much less."

"Whatever."

For a split second, Dr. Thorn was taken by surprise, so his first volley of missiles zipped harmlessly over our heads. This gave Thalia and Grover a chance to advance from behind—Thalia wielding her magic shield, Aegis.

"Like Minerva's." Jason asked.

"The only other." Nico confirmed.

Even Dr. Thorn winced and growled when he saw it.

Thalia moved in with her spear. "For Zeus!"

Dr. Thorn roared and began to change. He grew larger until he was in his true form—his face still human, but his body that of a huge lion. His leathery, spiky tail whipped deadly thorns in all directions.

People gasped.

"A manticore!" Annabeth said, now visible. Her magical New York Yankees cap had come off when she'd plowed into us.

"That's cool." Someone said.

"Who are you people?" Bianca di Angelo demanded. "And what is that?"

"A manticore?" Nico gasped. "He's got three thousand attack power and plus five to saving throws!"

The people who played Myth-o-Magic in the crowd raised their eyebrows at Nico while Percy was laughing his head off ignoring the glaring son of Hades.

I didn't know what he was talking about, but I didn't have time to worry about it. The manticore clawed Grover's magic weeds to shreds then turned toward us with a snarl.

"Get down!" Annabeth pushed the di Angelos flat into the snow. At the last second, I remembered my own shield. I hit my wristwatch, and metal plating spiraled out into a thick bronze shield. Not a moment too soon. The thorns impacted against it with such force they dented the metal. The beautiful shield, a gift from my brother,

"There's another child of Poseidon?" Hazel asked.

"Yup." Percy said proudly. "He's a cyclops and his name is Tyson. He made my shield and my armor."

The Romans just looked at Percy as if he was crazy for consorting with a cyclops.

was badly damaged. I wasn't sure it would even stop a second volley.

I heard a thwack and a yelp, and Grover landed next to me with a thud.

People started getting worried.

"Yield!" the monster roared.

"Never!" Thalia yelled from across the field. The searchlights blinded Thalia, and the manticore swatted her away with its tail. Her shield flew off into the snow.

Her spear flew in the other direction.

"No!" I ran out to help her. I parried away a spike just before it would've hit her chest. I raised my shield over us, but I knew it wouldn't be enough.

Dr. Thorn laughed. "Now do you see how hopeless it is? Yield, little heroes."

We were trapped between a monster and a fully armed helicopter. We had no chance.

"Just like usual." Nico stated.

"Yup." His Greek cousin replied.

Then I heard a clear, piercing sound: the call of a hunting horn blowing in the woods.

Nico scowled. The people who understood gasped.

The manticore froze. For a moment, no one moved. There was only the swirl of snow and wind and the chopping of the helicopter blades.

"No," Dr. Thorn said. "It cannot be—"

His sentence was cut short when something shot past me like a streak of moonlight. A glowing silver arrow sprouted from Dr. Thorn's shoulder.

The people who didn't understand were very confused.

He staggered backward, wailing in agony.

"Curse you!" Thorn cried.

Then the archers came from the woods. They were girls, about a dozen of them. The youngest was maybe ten. The oldest, about fourteen, like me. They wore silvery ski parkas and jeans, and they were all armed with bows. They advanced on the manticore with determined expressions.

"The Hunters!" Annabeth cried.

"I don't know if that's good or bad." Jason admitted.

"Well considering your sister is one…" Percy said.

"I'll go with good then."

"Not what I was implying, but sure."

Next to me, Thalia muttered, "Oh, wonderful."

"I thought she was a Hunter?" Jason said.

"They had a rocky start."

One of the older archers stepped forward with her bow drawn. She was tall and graceful with coppery colored skin. Unlike the other girls, she had a silver circlet braided into the top of her long dark hair, so she looked like some kind of Persian princess. "Permission to kill, my lady?"

I couldn't tell who she was talking to, because she kept her eyes on the manticore.

The monster wailed. "This is not fair! Direct interference! It is against the Ancient Laws."

"Not so," another girl said. This one was a little younger than me, maybe twelve or thirteen.

She had auburn hair gathered back in a ponytail and strange eyes, silvery yellow like the moon. Her face

Mini skip

was stern and dangerous.

Hazel gasped. "Lady Diana."

"Artemis actually." Nico corrected.

"Wait a second. Who are these people?" Gwen inquired.

"The Hunters of Artemis." Percy answered. "It's Artemis's way of beating her virginity vow. Since she can't produce children of thought like Athena, she takes young girls, who swear to be virgins and loyal to her forever, and makes them immortal to hunt with her for eternity."

"Cool." Gwen responded.

"The hunting of all wild beasts is within my sphere. And you, foul creature, are a wild beast." She looked at the older girl with the circlet. "Zoe, permission granted."

The manticore growled. "If I cannot have these alive, I shall have them dead!"

He lunged at Thalia and me, knowing we were weak and dazed.

Now people were listening intently to see what happened.

"No!" Annabeth yelled, and she charged at the monster.

"Get back, half-blood!" the girl with the circlet said. "Get out of the line of fire!"

But Annabeth leaped onto the monster's back and drove her knife into his mane. The manticore howled, turning in circles with his tail flailing as Annabeth hung on for dear life.

Percy looked sad remembering what happened.

"Fire!" Zoe ordered.

"No!" I screamed.

But the Hunters let their arrows fly. The first caught the manticore in the neck. Another hit his chest. The manticore staggered backward, wailing, "This is not the end, Huntress! You shall pay!"

And before anyone could react, the monster, with Annabeth still on his back, leaped over the cliff and tumbled into the darkness.

"Annabeth!" I yelled.

Everyone looked sad even if they didn't know the girl she was a brave fighter.

I started to run after her, but our enemies weren't done with us. There was a snap-snap-snap from the helicopter—the sound of gunfire.

Most of the Hunters scattered as tiny holes appeared in the snow at their feet, but the girl with auburn hair just looked up calmly at the helicopter.

"Mortals," she announced, "are not allowed to witness my hunt."

She thrust out her hand, and the helicopter exploded into dust—no, not dust. The black metal dissolved into a flock of birds—ravens, which scattered into the night.

The Hunters advanced on us.

"What? I thought they were helping you?" Frank asked.

"More or less." Nico replied sourly.

The one called Zoe stopped short when she saw Thalia. "You," she said with distaste.

"Zoe Nightshade." Thalia's voice trembled with anger. "Perfect timing, as usual."

"Yeah I can see the rocky start. What happened?" Jason asked. Percy and Nico just shrugged.

Zoe scanned the rest of us. "Four half-bloods and a satyr, my lady.

"Yes," the younger girl said. "Some of Chiron's campers, I see."

"Annabeth!" I yelled. "You have to let us save her!"

The auburn-haired girl turned toward me. "I'm sorry, Percy Jackson, but your friend is beyond help."

I tried to struggle to my feet, but a couple of the girls held me down.

"You are in no condition to be hurling yourself off cliffs," the auburn-haired girl said.

"Let me go!" I demanded. "Who do you think you are?"

The Romans looked at Percy as if he were crazy. He just smiled and waved back at them. Nico face-palmed.

Zoe stepped forward as if to smack me.

"No," the other girl ordered. "I sense no disrespect, Zoe. He is simply distraught. He does not understand."

The young girl looked at me, her eyes colder and brighter than the winter moon. "I am Artemis," she said. "Goddess of the Hunt."

"-Done. How are you not a jackalope right now?" Gwen asked.

"I'm special." Percy replied.

"Yeah. Special Ed." Nico muttered.

"I heard that!"

"Good."

Before they could start fighting again the air began to shimmer signaling someone's arrival.

A/N: I know you probably don't care but I am rrrrrreeeeeeaaaaaallllllyyyyyy sorry it took so long.

P.S. No offence to special ed. people. I actually think they're really fun to be around they're really funny.