Gnat - Eminem

AFTER SEEING DR THORN TURN into a monster and plummet off the edge of a cliff with Annabeth, Y/N might have been unable to be any more shocked that he already was. But when a random twelve-year-old girl turns a helicopter into a flock of birds, and walks through fire like it's nothing, he decided to say something real smart.

"Uhhh... what?"

That was nothing compared to Grover. He gasped, then knelt hastily in the snow. "Thank you, Lady Artemis! You're so... you're so... Wow!" He stammered.

"Get up, goat boy!" Thalia snapped. "We have other things to worry about. Annabeth is gone!"

"Whoa," Bianca di Angelo said. "Hold up. Time out." Everybody looked at her. She pointed her finger at everyone in turn, like she was trying to connect the dots. "Who... who are you people?"

Artemis's expression softened. "It might be a better question, my dear girl, to ask who are you! Who are your parents?"

Bianca glanced nervously at her brother, who was still staring in awe at Artemis. "Our parents are dead," Bianca said. "We're orphans. There's a bank trust that pays for our school, but..." She faltered, glancing at the disbelieving faces that surrounded her. "What?" she demanded. "I'm telling the truth."

"You are a half-blood," Zoe Nightshade said in an old-fashioned accent, like she was reading from a old book. "One of thy parents was mortal. The other was an Olympian."

"An Olympian... athlete?" Bianca said.

"No," Zoe corrected. "One of the gods."

"Cool!" Nico exclaimed, a wild grin on his face.

"No!" Bianca's voice quavered. "This is not cool!"

Nico danced around like he needed to use the restroom. "Does Zeus really have lightning bolts that do six hundred damage? Does he get extra movement points for—"

"Nico, shut up!" Bianca put her hands to her face. "This is not your stupid Mythomagic game, okay? There are no gods!"

Y/N sighed internally. He remembered what it was like for him when he first learned about demigods. Thalia must have been feeling sorry for them as well, as the anger in her eyes subsided a little bit. "Bianca, I know it's hard to believe. But the gods are still around. Trust me. They're immortal. And whenever they have kids with regular humans, kids like us, well... Our lives are dangerous."

"Dangerous," Bianca said, "like the girl who fell." Thalia turned away. Even Artemis looked pained.

"Do not despair for Annabeth," the goddess said. "She was a brave maiden. If she can be found, I shall find her."

"Then why won't you let us go look for her?" Y/N retorted, his voice rising a little.

"She is gone." Artimis turned to Percy expectantly. "Can't you sense it, Son of Poseidon? Some magic is at work. I do not know exactly how or why, but she has vanished."

Y/N glanced at Percy. One look was all it took to confirm the goddesses' words. Y/N had no doubt if Percy could still sense Annabeth, he would jump down to save her.

"Oo!" Nico raised his hand. "What about Dr. Thorn? That was awesome how you shot him with arrows! Is he dead?"

"He was a manticore," Artemis said. "Hopefully he is destroyed for now, but monsters never truly die. They re-form over and over again, and they must be hunted whenever they reappear."

"Or they'll hunt us," Thalia added.

Bianca di Angelo shivered. "That explains... Nico, you remember last summer, those guys who tried to attack us in the alley in DC?"

"And that bus driver," Nico said. "The one with the ram's horns. I told you that was real."

"That's why Grover has been watching you," Thalia said. "To keep you safe, if you turned out to be half-bloods."

"Grover?" Bianca stared at him. "You're a demigod?"

"Well, a satyr, actually." He kicked off his shoes and displayed his goat hooves. Bianca turned as white as a sheet.

"Grover, put your shoes back on," Thalia frowned. "You're freaking her out."

"Hey, my hooves are clean!" Grover complained.

"Bianca," Percy said, "we came here to help you. You and Nico need training to survive. Dr. Thorn won't be the last monster you meet. You need to come to camp."

"Camp?" she asked.

"Camp Half-Blood," Thalia explained. "It's where half-bloods learn to survive and stuff. You can join us, stay there year-round if you like."

"Sweet, let's go!" Nico said excitedly.

"Wait," Bianca shook her head. "I don't—"

"There is another option," Zoe mentioned.

"No, there isn't!" Thalia interrupted, a dark look in her eye.

Thalia and Zoe glared at each other. Y/N could immediately tell what was wrong. They had met before and had possibly argued about something. Or even worse.

"We've burdened these children enough," Artemis announced. "Zoe, we will rest here for a few hours. Raise the tents. Treat the wounded. Retrieve our guests' belongings from the school."

"Yes, my lady." Zoe bowed slightly

"And, Bianca, come with me. I would like to speak with you."

"What about me?" Nico asked.

Artemis considered the boy. "Perhaps you can show Grover how to play that card game you enjoy. I'm sure Grover would be happy to entertain you for a while... as a favour to me?"

Grover just about tripped over himself getting up. "You bet! Come on, Nico!" Nico and Grover walked off toward the woods, talking about hit points and armour ratings and a bunch of other geeky stuff. Artemis led a confused-looking Bianca along the cliff. The Hunters began unpacking their knapsacks and making camp.

Zoe gave Thalia one more evil look, then left to oversee things.

As soon as she was gone, Thalia stamped her foot in frustration. "The nerve of those Hunters! They think they're so... Argh!"

"I'm with you," Percy agreed. "I don't trust—"

"Oh, you're with me?" Thalia turned on him furiously, poking a sharp finger into Percy's chest. "What were you thinking back there in the gym, Percy? You'd take on Dr. Thorn all by yourself? You knew he was a monster! If we'd stuck together, we could've taken him without the Hunters getting involved, and Annabeth might still—"

"Alright! Shut up!" Y/N yelled, pushing apart the demigods. "There's no point in arguing about it. Annabeth wouldn't want us to..." His voice cracked slightly, and he swallowed the lump in his throat. "She wouldn't want us to fight like a bunch of kids. Just chill out, you two." Percy narrowed his eyes at Thalia, before turning on his heels and marching away. Thalia didn't say another word. She wiped a tear from her cheek, turned, and stomped off, leaving Y/N alone with a trampled cap in the snow by his feet.

.

.

.

The Hunters set up their camping site in a matter of minutes. Seven large tents, all of silver silk, curved in a crescent around one side of a bonfire. One of the girls blew a silver dog whistle, and a dozen white wolves appeared out of the woods. They began circling the camp like guard dogs. Falcons watched from the trees, their eyes flashing in the firelight, and Y/N got the feeling they were on guard duty, too. Even the weather seemed to bend to the goddess's will. The air was still cold, but the wind died down and the snow stopped falling. Y/N was sitting at the fire, twirling the flames in his hands absentmindedly. Percy sat next to him, holding his shoulder and wincing. They talked about what Dr. Thorn had said.

Finally, one of the Hunters brought them their backpacks. Grover and Nico came back from their walk, and Grover fix up Percy's wounded arm.

"It's green!" Nico said with delight, staring at the gash.

"Hold still," Grover told him. "Here, eat some ambrosia while I clean that out."

Nico rummaged through his own bag, which the Hunters had apparently packed for him. He laid out a bunch of figurines in the snow—little battle replicas of Greek gods and heroes. Y/N recognized some of them. Zeus with a lightning bolt, Ares with a spear, Apollo with his sun chariot.

"Big collection," Y/N said.

Nico grinned. "I've got almost all of them, plus their holographic cards! Well, except for a few really rare ones."

"You've been playing this game a long time?"

"Just this year. Before that..." He knit his eyebrows.

"What?" Y/N asked.

"I forget. That's weird."

He looked unsettled, but it didn't last long. "Hey, can I see that cool bracelet you were using?" Y/N showed him Aithon, and how he could change it into any weapon with just a thought.

"Cool! Can it really turn into anything?"

"Um, well... Yeah."

"Anything???"

"Yeah..?"

"Like a machine gun!?" Nico exclaimed excitedly.

Y/N looked at Percy, who was trying hard not to laugh.

"Jeez, Nico," he said. "I've never really tried. I can't form anything too big. It's still technically a manifestation of my mental state. If I try to think of something large, I get tired way too quickly."

He went on asking questions. How come Hestia was able to have kids if she was a Virgin Goddess? (Y/N didn't answer that one.) If Annabeth's mother was Athena, the goddess of wisdom, then why didn't Annabeth know better than to fall off a cliff? (Y/N tried his best to keep calm.) Was Annabeth his girlfriend? (Y/N rolled his eyes to that one. As if she would ever be.)

"Y/N." They turned around. Behind Y/N was Zoe Nightshade. She had dark brown eyes and a slightly upturned nose. With her silver circlet and her proud expression, she looked so much like royalty that Y/N had to resist the urge to sit up straight and say "Yes, ma'am." She studied him with a strange look. "Come with me," she said. "Lady Artemis wishes to speak with thee."

.

.

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Zoe led him to the last tent, which looked no different from the others, and waved Y/N inside. Bianca di Angelo was seated next to the auburn-haired girl, Artimis. The inside of the tent was warm and comfortable. Silk rugs and pillows covered the floor. In the centre, a golden brazier of fire seemed to burn without fuel or smoke. Behind the goddess, on a polished oak display stand, was her huge silver bow, carved to resemble gazelle horns.

"Join us, Y/N," the goddess said.

He sat across from her on the tent floor. The goddess studied him, which made Y/N uncomfortable. She had such old eyes for a young girl. Although, Y/N had met his mother before, so it wasn't totally weird.

"Are you surprised by my age?" she asked.

"Uh... not really. My mom kinda looks like you."

"I could appear as a grown woman, or a blazing fire, or anything else I want, but this is what I prefer. This is the average age of my Hunters, and all young maidens for whom I am patron, before they go astray."

Y/N had a good idea of what Artemis's version of, 'Astray' was. Zoe sat down at Artemis's right.

"You must forgive my Hunters if they do not welcome you," Artemis said. "It is very rare that we would have boys in this camp. Boys are usually forbidden to have any contact with the Hunters. The last one to see this camp..." She looked at Zoe. "Which one was it?"

"That boy in Colorado," Zoe said. "You turned him into a jackalope."

"Ah, yes." Artemis nodded, satisfied. "I enjoy making jackalopes. At any rate, Y/N, I would rather you here then Percy. Familiarity with your mother would ease a lot of the hunter's nerves."

"Even though she broke her vow?" Y/N questioned.

"That vow held no significance." Artimis shrugged. "She did not swear on the river Styx, or any other oath. She simply made a promise to herself that was broken. Not the worst thing a god has done in the last millennia, anyway."

"I... see..." Y/N seemed a little confused.

Artimis waved her hand. "Bah! Small talk leads us off topic. Bianca has reported some of the... mmm, disturbing things the monster said. But she may not have understood them. I'd like to hear them from you."

And so Y/N told her, what Percy told him. When he was done, Artemis put her hand thoughtfully on her silver bow. "I feared this was the answer."

Zoe sat forward. "The scent, my lady?"

"Yes."

"What scent?" Y/N asked.

"Things are stirring that I have not hunted in millennia," Artemis murmured. "Prey so old I have nearly forgotten."

She stared at Y/N intently. "We came here tonight sensing the manticore, but he was not the one I seek. Tell me again, exactly what Dr. Thorn said."

"He said somebody called the General was going to explain things." Y/N recalled.

Zoe's face paled. She turned to Artemis and started to say something, but Artemis raised her hand.

"Go on," the goddess said.

"Well, then Thorn was talking about the Great Stirring, and he said, 'Soon we shall have the most important monster of all—the one that shall bring about the downfall of Olympus.'"

The goddess was so still she could've been a statue.

"Maybe Percy misheard him?" Y/N offered.

Artemis shook her head. "No. He was not. I've been too slow to see the signs. I must hunt this monster."

Zoe looked like she was trying very hard not to be afraid, but she nodded. "We will leave right away, my lady."

"No, Zoe. I must do this alone." The goddess shook her head.

"But, Artemis—"

"This task is too dangerous even for the Hunters. You know where I must start my search. You cannot go there with me."

"As... as you wish, my lady."

I will find this creature," Artemis vowed. "And I shall bring it back to Olympus by winter solstice. It will be all the proof I need to convince the Council of the Gods of how much danger we are in."

"You know what the monster is?" Y/N asked.

Artemis gripped her bow. "Let us pray I am wrong."

"Can goddesses pray?" Y/N mumbled to no one in particular.

A flicker of a smile played across Artemis's lips. "Before I go, Y/N, I have a small task for you."

"Another small task from a god, huh?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I want you to escort the Hunters back to Camp Half-Blood. They can stay there in safety until I return." Artimis said.

"What?" Zoe' blurted out. "But, Artemis, we hate that place. The last time we stayed there—"

"Yes, I know," Artemis said. "But I'm sure Dionysus will not hold a grudge just because of a little, ah, misunderstanding. It's your right to use Cabin Eight whenever you are in need. Besides, I hear they rebuilt the cabins you burned down."

Zoe muttered something about foolish campers.

"And now there is one last decision to make." Artemis turned to Bianca. "Have you made up your mind, my girl?"

Bianca hesitated. "I'm still thinking about it."

"Wait," Y/N demanded. "Thinking about what?"

"They... they've invited me to join the Hunt."

Y/N gritted his teeth. Great. A potential camper lost to the eternal girl squad. What fun. He glanced at her expression. It was full of pity.

"You've already made up your mind, haven't you?" He said, bitterly. She cringed slightly.

"I'm sorry, Y/N. But I want this. I really, really do. I've had to basically babysit Nico my whole life. I can finally have a life free of responsibility. Please, try to understand."

"I understand just fine." Y/N replied glumly.

Bianca looked at him gratefully, before turning to Zoe. "What do I have to do?"

"Say this," Zoe told her, " 'I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis.'"

"I... I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis."

"'I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt.'"

Bianca repeated the lines. "That's it?"

Zoe nodded. "If Lady Artemis accepts thy pledge, then it is binding."

"I accept it," Artemis said.

The flames in the brazier brightened, casting a silver glow over the room. Bianca looked no different, but she took a deep breath and opened her eyes wide. "I feel... stronger."

"Welcome, sister," Zoe said.

"Remember your pledge," Artemis said. "It is now your life."

Y/N stared at the floor, his eyes glinting angrily in the dark. The fire in the centre seemed to flare just a bit brighter, and embers began to fly out like tiny fireflies. Artimis seemed to notice this, and she smiled wryly. "Do not despair, Y/N," Artemis said. "You will still get to show the di Angelos your camp. And if Nico so chooses, he can stay there."

"Great," Y/N said, trying not to sound surly. "How are we supposed to get there?"

Artemis closed her eyes. "Dawn is approaching. Zoe, break camp. You must get to Long Island quickly and safely. I shall summon a ride from my brother." Zoe didn't look real happy about this idea, but she nodded and told Bianca to follow her.

Then they were gone, and Y/N was left alone with the twelve-year-old goddess.

"So," He huffed, trying to keep his temper in check.. "We're going to get a ride from your brother, huh?"

Artemis's silver eyes gleamed. "Yes, boy. You see, Bianca di Angelo is not the only one with an annoying brother. It's time for you to meet my irresponsible twin, Apollo."