Percy watched Zoe leave.

His lips still tingled as he stared at the entrance of the volcano way above him. There was a feint buzzing in his ears drowning out the Telchines banging on the door just a couple feet away.

He was sure he would have sat there all day, if the knife Zoe had lodged in the door handles hadn't broke, the door swinging open hitting the rock wall with a resounding crack.

Dozens of small Telchines pooled out of the door and upon spotting Percy, let out to what appeared to Percy to be a battle cry as they charged.

Finally snapping out of his senses he scooped Zoe's sword from the ground and swung the gleaming bronze in a wide arc, leaving dust in its trail and a clang of weapons on the ground.

The Telchines slowed down, but still approached as they watched a quarter of them get slain in one swing.

Percy turned and ran as he got back to the main path, the cry they made had obviously alerted the rest of the monsters. There were a lot more than he expected, hundreds of them appeared out of holes in the walls, heading exactly to where he was. Some marched down any remaining paths while the braver few scaled down the rock walls cutting off any of his escape routes.

Luckily he didn't need a escape right now, he just needed to find the Scythe. Glancing behind him as the younger Telchines started to catch up to him, he took a right path that sloped downward, that looked like it was heading to the main forge where he spotted the scythe earlier.

His orange camp half-blood shirt stuck to his skin as he ran, trying to delay the fighting as much as possible as the monsters closed in. He didn't have a choice, if he wanted to find that scythe he had to get through them.

Percy liked to say he was pretty experienced in fighting monsters, he didn't like to brag but he did hold his own with a titan while fighting side by side Scott, Granted it was for about 10 minutes. But there was something different sprinting at a army of creatures with just a sword to protect him, he would be consumed in seconds if he wasn't careful.

Percy's fingers tightened around his sword as he neared the black mass. He sidestepped a sword that was thrown at him, and collided with the Telchines.

His ears was filled with the sounds of snarling monsters and the clanging of metal as he tore his way through them.

Duck. Slash. Sidestep. Thrust. Parry.

His mind was on autopilot as put down anything that got in his way.

Percy crouched right as one of the smaller ones lunged at his chest, swing his sword in a overhead arc cutting the beast in half before it even hit the ground. Then turned around just in time to block a strike that was aimed at his head.

The younger Telchines clawed at his arms as he continued to barely block the swings from any of the monsters with a sword. There were to many close calls, his luck was bound to run out.

He rolled backwards, getting to his feet. His hair was soaked with sweat, clinging to his soot covered face. His sword was sliding in his hands with each of his slowing swings.

Pain suddenly erupted in his calf as he screamed right as a sword hit his, ripping it out of his hands and sending it flying over the edge. Percy fell to his knees, to exhausted to put up a fight.

The Telchines swarmed him, the younger ones clawing at his clothes and the adults went for the kill.

Was he really going to die like this, all that training being stuck at camp, all that time stuck in that stupid maze just to die by a bunch of mutated otters. Rage filled him as his eyes flashed a pearlescent green as he threw out his arms and screamed, "GET BACK!"

A ring of wind and water exploded from him, sending every Telchines within a 20 yard radius flying backwards. Some hit the rocky walls of the volcano and exploded in a mess of dust on impact. Others went over the edge, screaming until they were silenced by the bubbling magma at the bottom. While the rest were blown back down the path they came from.

The sound of sizzling water on rock was all Percy could hear as he knelt on his hands and knees. Blood slowly dripped from a stab wound in his calf were the knife was still hilt deep in him.

Percy slowly got to his feet, he had no idea where Zoe's sword went and honestly he didn't know were he was. It was either the result of the adrenalin or the amount of blood running down his leg.

The Telchines had regrouped now, and were walking closer to him. Now that he was without a sword, they no longer saw him as much of a threat.

"A decent effort, son of sea", one of the adults said as he plunged his hands in one of the forges, bringing out a handful of molten rock. "But your going to have to pay for what you did to all of our brothers and sisters".

As if on cue the Telchines that had been sent over the edge, were emerging at the top, lava still spilling off there skin.

Percy limped backwards, "Is there a chance we can just call it even", he asked gesturing to his leg. His voice sounding hoarse.

As if answer his question one of them flung the molten rock at him, hitting Percy square in the chest. He flinched expecting pain but instead it felt like a warm towel that was getting slowly hotter.

"The sea protects you demigod, but for how long?" one of them said as they threw some more. Percy swatted the lava off him, splashing it to the ground where it landed with a hiss.

More Telchines joined in, throwing handfuls of lava at him, as much as Percy tried to dodge and scrape it off there was just to much for him to keep up with. Percy fell backwards, starting to scream from the pain, it felt like he was being boiled alive.

He thought he understood what it meant when your life flashes through your eyes, but somewhere in all the immense pain and screaming there was a small moment of clarity.

His saw him mom smiling brightly at him after finding his hiding spot behind the couch.

Tyson and him playing checkers on one of the few game days at the orphanage.

Him and Scott running from the Stoll brothers after putting itching powder in there clothes.

Zoe and him staying up past curfew to walk through the forest as she talked about her time in the hunt.

What happened next he didn't think he could explain. An explosion, whirlwinds and torrents of water blasting him into the pit. Seawater colliding into magma making a superheated combustion. With one final ear drum busting explosion he was sent flying out of the volcano before he blacked out.

The first thing to come to his mind was pain. Everything hurt and he hadn't even tried to move yet.

Percy opened his eyes, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room. No not a room, it was a cave.

He shot up thinking he was still in the volcano, the blanket covering him dropped to the ground where he joined it, throwing up what little he had on his stomach from the sudden pain..

Cool hands gently touched his back as Percy coughed, feeling like he hadn't drank anything for days. "Slow down", a soft voice spoke as they rubbed circles on his back.

Percy slowly caught his breath as questions formed in his mind. What happened? Where am I? Where's my shirt?

Percy turned back to ask the voice who they were when suddenly he lost his breath again. She was gorgeous, auburn hair, dark brown eyes, caramel skin. He was convinced this was a god. "Who", was all Percy could get out.

The girl giggle at his shock, she had the perfect smile. "Lay down, your hurt", she said trying to get him to the makeshift bed he was on.

Although that sounded like the best thing in the world at that moment, he needed to find his friends. "I can't, I need to find-".

"Zoe?" the girl asked, giving a small smile to the look he gave her. "You talk in your sleep".

"My friends", he corrected, but main Zoe. he wasn't going to tell her that though.

Percy put a shaking hand on his knee as he stood up, prepared for the pain this time. He tried his best to hide the groan escaping his lips.

"Your friends are not hear", the women said again as she had both her hands ghosting over his chest and back ready to catch him at any moment. To be fair it probably looked like he was gonna collapse.

"Where's 'hear'", Percy said as he walked toward the suns rays falling over the entrance of the cave they were in. He tried his best to gather his surroundings incase he needed an escape but it took everything he had to just put one foot in front of the other.

He stumbled a bit and caught himself on the wall as he finally made it to the entrance, looking out of the cave to see where he was.

The girl had stopped trying to help him walk and stood next to him, "Ogygia", she said as she spread her arm out as if to gesture to the lush green island and endless sea, although there was a hidden sadness to her voice. "My home"

The place was beautiful he would give it that, but he still had so many questions.

"How did I get here", he asked turning to her. "Where's the volcano and the Telchines. Who even are you and why are you helping me". He was so confused, "Am I dead? And where's my shirt?".

He didn't mean to overbear her with so many questions but this was so freaking weird.

She turned back away from the oceans view and looked up at Percy's confused face and giggled, "Your not dead". That was a sound he could listen to forever. "There are no monsters here, or volcanos" she said reaching up to brush the hair out of Percy's eyes.

He flinched back on instinct. He wasn't against an attractive girl touching his hair, he just wasn't used to people touching him in general.

"You see that chair on the beach?" she asked and Percy nodded still so confused, "I was sitting there when you fell from the sky and landed in the tide".

"And I'm Calypso", she said looking up at him again to try to see recognition in his eyes.

That name literally meant nothing for him, Zoe and Annabeth were the ones with all the knowledge he was just good with a sword.

When Percy didn't say anything Calypso smiled and went on, "You've been unconscious for few days"

That caught his attention, a few days? Zoe probably thinks he's dead, and gods knows what happened to Annabeth and Scott. He needed to get back to camp now.

"I need to go now!" Percy said stepping forward as he stumbled a bit and would tumbled onto the rocks if calypso hadn't caught his arms.

"You can't leave, at least not right now your still hurt", she said as she helped him back into the cave.

Percy just nodded, he seemed to have used up whatever energy he had gained from being knocked out the last few days that even the adrenaline from needing to save his friends couldn't keep him going.

"I don't even know how your alive", Calypso said laying him on his bed, she was mainly talking to herself at this point. Percy had already checked out. "Your the first hero to visit me in ages".

Her soft hands brushed his dark hair out of his eyes again as he started to fade off. She looked toward the ceiling, "What is going on out there", she said to no one.

When Percy woke up again Calypso was gone.

He still struggled to get up, but Percy could tell he was healing. It wasn't nearly as much of a struggle as last time. Percy walked out of the cave and into the sunlight, admiring the beauty of the ocean as he heard voiced down by the beach.

Percy walked towards the noise as he tried to tell who was there. One of them was definitely Calypso, he could hear her soft but clear voice. The other was gruff and hoarse, like someone who screamed until there voice gave out.

Once they came into view he was greeted by the contrast of beauty and horrendous. It was weird to look at, but at least he recognized them.

Hephaestus stopped there conversation when Percy appeared. "Just the half-blood everyone's been looking for".

Calypso looked away from Percy, like she was suddenly embarrassed of him.

"Do my friends know I'm here" Percy asked, maybe the didn't think he was dead after all.

"No", Hephaestus said nonchalantly, "Your friend came back with that other sea kid and the blonde, right before you blew up my forge".

"I blew up your forge?", Percy interrupted. He remembered an explosion, but he didn't know how serious it was.

Hephaestus laughed to himself, "Kid you destroyed the mountain". He waved his hand as mist shimmered showing a fly over to what appeared to be the volcano, or what was left of it. Broken trees and boulders littered the base and the top was caved in on one side, dark grey smoke still coming out of the top.

The scene changed to the neighboring town showing debris and ash covering streets and cars, large rocks and trees in the middle of the highway. Local police helping people evacuate the area.

Percy just stared in horror at it, "I did that", he paused for a second before looking at the god, "I cant be that powerful can I".

Hephaestus waved his hand and the mist disappeared, "There's a reason we don't allow demi titans to live kid".

Percy looked up at him, "Are you here to kill me?"

"No", he said, "Not yet at least, and I doubt I'll be the one to kill you. The other gods are still split on the vote on whether or not to let you live".

Percy looked back at where the mist was, the images of the family trying to drive out of town or massive crowds of people trying to evacuate. Maybe he shouldn't have been spared on the solstice.

"Then what are you here for", Percy asked.

"You've been here for over a week. Here to make sure your actually coming back before I make my decision about letting you live", Hephaestus said.

"Of course I'm coming back. Wait I've been here for over a week?" Percy asked.

"Its been 8 days Perseus", Calypso said, it was the first time Percy heard here talk since he woke up again. He almost forgot she was there.

"I need to get back to camp", Percy said giving a look to Hephaestus.

"There's only one way off this island kid" he said, standing up as he could feel an awkward conversation coming "And I think you guys have a lot to talk about". With that he walked off and disappeared in a flash of fire.

"He's never been one for talking", Calypso said as she looked at where Hephaestus disappeared.

"I'm ready to go". If he really had been here for 8 days he needed to get back to camp, he couldn't imagine how his friends are feeling right now.

"Your still hurt Percy", Calypso said laying a hand on his arm.

"I'll be fine. Just please", he looked at her, "I need to get back to my friends".

"Get back to Zoe, you mean".

His silence answered her question.

Calypso looked at the sky and let out a long sigh, "Why do you have to do this to me", she sounded so defeated.

"Do what to you"?

"Send a hero who can never stay".

Percy looked at her questionably, "There's been other people here?"

She gave him a sad smile, his cluelessness was cute. "Yes Perseus, its my curse".

Even though Percy had just met her he hated seeing her so sad, "What curse? Why are you cursed?"

"Ever since the Titans lost the first war I've been here", she said gesturing around her island. Percy used to think this island was gorgeous but now it made him uncomfortable knowing that this was a prison.

"It seems like every time there's a new important hero they send him here, just for them to leave me alone again for a few centuries"

"I'm sorry, but there's a war going on and they nee-"

Calypso put her hands up stopping him, "I know, I know. I've heard it to many times", she replied sadly.

"Why don't you come with me, you can come to camp", Percy said to her.

She laughed softly, "I'm imprisoned here, never getting older".

There was a moment of silence before she broke it again, "I'm not helping that war by keeping you here", she said getting up, rubbing her eyes that burned from keeping the tears back.

Percy followed her to the beach in silence, trying to think of something to say. He really never was good at cheering people up.

They finally got to a small wooded raft and she stopped, "This is it, just think about where you wanna go and it'll take you there".

Percy looked at the raft and then back at her. As much as he wanted to get back to his friends it was hard to just get on and leave.

Calypso took a step forward and gave him a hug, butterflies erupted in his stomach. It wasn't everyday a pretty girl hugged him, "I'll be ok Perseus, just don't forget me ok?"

"I figure out a way to get you out of here", he said to her. "I can bargain with the gods"

"The gods are currently deciding whether or not to kill you, I don't think your on there good side at the moment".

Percy let out a small laugh as they pulled away. She gestured to the raft as he helped her push it deep enough into the water where he could hop on.

Percy sat on the edge of the raft as it took him out to sea, watching Calypso getting smaller and smaller until the island disappeared.

Percy just laid on the raft starring at the open blue sky for hours. He didn't know how to feel. Yeah he barely knew her but he knew in his heart that she didn't deserve that punishment. But the gods don't exactly take pity, surprisingly the only one who seemed to like him was Artemis. And she had every reason to hate him.

The raft suddenly came to a stop.

"Percy?" a familiar voice said to his left. "PERCY!"

He immediately snapped up and looked over to see Scott and Annabeth running toward him.

The hug he got from Scott hurt almost as much as exploding the volcano. It seemed to last an eternity before he finally pulled away.

"How the hell are you alive man", Scott asked, "We thought you were dead". Scott's face suddenly got scared, "Zoe is going to kill you".

Percy had no idea how to answer any of those questions, "I blew up".

"We know", Annabeth said also stepping forward to hug him, "they had to evacuate an entire town".

"Wait, wait, wait", Percy said, "What happened with you guys, how did you get out of the maze"?

Annabeth was about to start talking but Scott beat her to it, "Well after we got separated we tried to find a way out, ran into the sphinx, killed her, we kissed" he said winking at Annabeth who rolled her eyes, "and started dating, ran into Zoe who was alone, she took us to Hephaestus. Then there was an explosion and the labyrinth started collapsing and we just appeared at the entrance of camp".

There was so much information there that Percy could barely follow. "You guys are dating?"

"Yes sadly", Annabeth said to stop Scott from talking again. "Look he's just a little worked up because your alive. We all thought you were dead, we burned your shroud Percy."

"I woke up at the bottom of the ocean", Percy lied, he knew he would tell them eventually but right now he didn't want to explain everything that had happened the past week. "Found this raft and came here. That's about it".

Annabeth looked at him like she could tell he was lying but she didn't push it. "Ok", she said, "Theres a meeting at the big house in an hour, some things have happened since you've been gone Percy"

Percy was going to ask but there was someone else he needed to talk to first, "Where Zoe, is she ok?"

"She's in the Artemis cabin", Annabeth said her mood suddenly going down a bit, "and I don't know how she is, she won't talk to anyone".

"You can't just let her sit in the cabin alone", Percy told her.

Scott spoke up again "Percy you died". Percy looked at him, this might've been the first time he's seen him this serious. "I had Annabeth to help me through it, but your death hasn't been easy on anyone".

Percy looked away from him, he didn't like how guilty he was feeling for not leaving Ogygia sooner. He could face these emotions later, he needed to see Zoe.

"Me and Zoe will meet you guys at the big house", he said giving them a tight smile and walking past them deeper into camp where the cabins were.

Percy was sure he would enjoy the shocked faced on the other kids faces seeing him alive and running off to go tell someone else, but all he cared about was getting to the Artemis cabin.

He hesitated at the door for a second, part of him wanted to barge in but with her reputation he would probably end up with a knife in his throat.

Percy knocked three times loudly, looking around awkwardly at camp. The confidence he had walking over here had disappeared.

"Go away Annabeth". He heard Zoe's voice from inside the cabin.

"Its Percy". He didn't know what else to say.

Percy suddenly heard her voice getting louder as she approached the door, "I swear to Artemis whoever is behind this sick joke I'm going to have you crawling to the Apollo Cabin with a dozen arrows in your-"

Zoe opened the door of the cabin and froze, the knife she had in her hand dropped to the floor. At least she wasn't gonna use that on him. "Hey", he said awkwardly.

They starred at each other for a second, until Zoe lurched forward so quickly Percy thought she was gonna tackle him. Her arms wrapped around his back pulling him into a tight hug as she buried her head in his chest. "I thought I told you to be careful" she muttered into him.

Percy had one arm on her back as the other was on the back of her head, running his fingers through her hair. This beat the hug calypso gave him by miles.

Percy had hoped it would have gone on for longer but just as quick as she came to him she pulled away, turning her head to wipe a tear away so he couldn't see it. "Explain".

I'm gonna end this chapter here, sorry it took forever but I don't have a good excuse besides me not really wanting to write lmao. I hope you enjoy the Zoe/Percy thing right now because there gonna go back to hating each other for like a chapter or two. I could use future ideas for the story ngl, I am not very good at being original.