Present Day

POV: Perseus Jackson

Location: Camp Half-Blood, Long Island, New York

Was I nervous? Yeah, a little. Scared? No, not really. I was going to leave camp no matter what. It's not like it was that difficult of a decision to make. I sigh as I trudge up Half-Blood Hill, passing Thalia's Pine and entering the camp itself. From what I've heard about the daughter of Zeus, it sounds like she could've made even a Guardian like Xander run for his money. Annabeth had told me a lot about the girl. So had Luke, before he'd gone turncoat on us.

"Is everything alright Perseus?" Artemis falls in step with me.

I shake my head to clear the thoughts, "Yeah, I'm fine. I've just got a lot on my mind."

She smiles softly, "It must feel weird, having close to five thousand years of memories come rushing in all at once."

I shrug, "I'm used to processing a lot of information really fast. It's kept you alive for three thousand centuries."

The moon goddess bumps her shoulder into me playfully, "And what makes you think that I needed your protection?"

I open my mouth to reply with a snappy comeback when someone coughs behind me, "Oh, get a room you two!"

I turn to look at Zoe. Thankfully my hood is up so that none of the Hunters could see my blush. They were all staring at their lieutenant in shock, as if they couldn't believe that she suggested what she did. I'd gotten some of the new Hunters to open up to me, but it was only a handful of the total amount.

"Really Z?" I ask, "Are you really being childish? We're practically siblings, let's not imply anything more."

"Whose is implying anything?" Zoe asks innocently, causing Catania to burst out laughing.

"You're all terrible people." I mutter, then turn around and continue into the camp.

I'd opted not to wear my Guardian cloak into the camp. Not only would it be out-of-style, but a few of the smarter demigods (Annabeth) may see the connection and that is something I'd rather not deal with. Explaining why the Hunters haven't killed me will be a task on it's own. I also wanted to be in and out as fast as I can. Don't get me wrong, I love camp, but now that I've got all of my memories back, camp doesn't feel like home anymore. The Hunt is my home.

"Percy!" I internally sigh.

There's also the slight problem of an overly-attached daughter of Athena.

Meet Annabeth Chase. She was one of my closest friends for the longest time. She helped me get settled in on my first day at camp, and went on almost every quest I went on, exept the one where she was kidnapped, but that's a long story involving her, a cross-counrty journey, Athena, Atlas, and a random red-haired mortal who talks like a machine gun and can see monsters.

"Hi Annabeth." I say triedly as the blonde-haired girl wraps me in a hug.

Annabeth had gotten really attached to me over this past school year. She started off by surprising me in homeroom on the first day of school, and ever since then, it's like I've had a personal stalker. It's vexing. She's been trying to get me to date her since the first day of school. I may not know anything about dating, but I do know that a girl that desperate is a bad sign. Besides, I've got bigger things to worry about right now.

I feel Artemis' eyes on my back as I gently peel the daughter of Athena off of me, "Listen Annabeth, do you mind helping out the Hunters. Lady Artemis and I have a few important things to discuss with Chiron."

"I'll go with you" She says excitedly.

I shake my head, "This is not the sort of thing for just any ears. Please, it needs to be kept confidential."

I can see the wheels turning in her head. She's trying to figure out what could be so important that it has to be hidden from everyone at camp. She then notices the Hunters.

"Why haven't they killed you yet?" Annabeth demands.

I shake my head and shrug, "That's a story that would take far too long to tell."

"I've got all day." Annabeth starts becoming insistant. She doesn't like to be stone-walled.

"You may have all day, but we do not." Artemis says, "Come along Perseus."

"Yes, Lady Artemis." I follow her as the Hunter head down to Cabin Eight. Annabeth just stares after us, looking completely confused.

The two of us reach the BIg House, and I enter the building with Artemis trailing behind me. Chiron was in the middle of a very intense game of Pinocle with Mr. D and two invisible players. I walk over and snatch a hand out of the air and look at the cards.

"I'd like two." I say causally.

"Ah, Percy." Chiron smiles at me, "It's good to see you back here safe. I take it the monster nest was destroyed?"

I nod, "And that's the least intersting part."

"Oh? then perhaps you would like to enthrall us with the tale, Perry." Mr. D looks completely uninterested with the discussion.

"You know," I say, almost at random, "for the longest time, I'd thought that your annoying habit of getting names wrong was just to amuse yourself, but recently, I realized that it's a remanent of your time with Sheena. She used to do that too. Not to me, of course."

Dionysus spits out his diet coke and stares at me for a long minute, before disappearing. Chiron looks at me in slight confusion.

I sigh in mock exasperation, "Come on Chriron, I know that five thousand years is quite a hit to the memory, but I thought you would remember your old friend. I never did congradulate you on reaching your goal of becoming a teacher of heroes. Why you would want to train us crazy people is beyond me though."

Chiron looks at me for a long time, then notices Artemis in the room. He bows his head slightly, then stops suddenly. I smirk, and next to me, Artemis smiles softly.

"Percy..." Chiron whispers.

"It's good to see you again, and actually remember you, old friend." I say, and step forward to embrace an old friend from the past.

After a short time, the two of us disengage. He looks over at Artemis, who'd remained relatively quiet this entire time. He looks at her sadly.

"Am I to assume you are here to take Percy back into the folds of the Guardians?" He asks.

Artemis nods, "Yes. He will go to Oympus to reinstate himself into the Order, then return to his duties."

Chiron nods, then his eyes widen, "So that is why you were not the one!"

"What?" I ask.

Chiron smiles, "How did I not realize who you were? You haven't changed one bit. The Great Prophesy it is supposed to happen the day a child of the Big Three turns sixteen. You are older that sixteen, thus taking you out of the equation."

I nod, "Of course. That's why you're the teacher, and I'm the fighter. Though that does now leave the slight problem of a Great Prophesy looming over us again."

"We may need you in the upcoming years, perhaps you should stay a while longer?" Chiron asks hopefully, but I shake my head.

"I have been away from my charge for far too long." I say sadly, "It is time I returned to my duties."

He nods, "I expected you to say as much. At least try to visit from time to time"

"With Lady Artemis' permission."

The goddess of the Hunt smiles, "Of course you may."

I bow to Artemis, "Thank you, M'Lady." [From now on, if Percy bows, it's that Guardian bow thing. That just get tedious to write]

"How many times do I have to tell you? Formalities are not necessary."

"Okay, okay." I put my hands up in defeat.

"Good. Now perhaps you would like to gather a few things from your cabin?"

I nod and turn to leave the Big House. Just as I'm about to open the door, I sense an aura on the other side. I glance out the window, but see no one. At first, I find that strange, but then I remember a certain dughter of Athena who owns an invisibility hat. Great. I really don't need this right now, but I have no choice. Sighing, I open the door and step onto the porch. The instant I shut the door behind me, Annabeth appears.

"Alright Seaweed Brain." She says, "What were the three of you talking about? Chiron was acting completely different."

"Don't call me Seaweed Brain." I growl out.

She recoils slightly at my tone. She's been calling me that for the past couple of years, and I really haven't said anything. Now it's different. A couple of my friends from my time training to become a Guardian used to call me that. Now that I remember them, she has no right to call me that.

"What's gotten into you?" The daughter of Athena demands, "You left on that quest, and return with the Hunters, who haven't killed you! And you're all serious now. What happened? And why can't I call you Seaweed Brain? I made it up."

I shrug and start walking towards my cabin, "Nothing happened. I went on the quest, killed some monsters, and came back. The Hunt just happened to be there. As for the nickname, you didn't come up with that."

I can't tell Annabeth the truth. That would cause a lot of problems. Especially considering that fact that the story of the Guardians is regarded as a true myth even by the demigods. We used to tell the story around the campfire to the little kids. One of them asked us if she would ever get to meet a real-life Guardian. I'd laughed, and told her that the story was made up. We were just having some fun. Hey, if the myths aren't myths, we have to make up our own.

Annabeth stops me and stares at my face, "You look older."

"Excuse me?"

"Well, not older. It's more like you're eyes have seen more. You look more experienced than you should." She examines my face.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I put on an insulted face, “Are you saying that I don't know what I'm doing?"

"What? No! Well...sometimes." Annabeth seems a little thrown.

I wave it aside, "Doesn't matter." I continue walking towards my cabin, then stop, "Oh yeah Annabeth?"

"Yeah Percy?" The daughter of Athena runs to catch up with me.

"You may need to rework you strategy for capture the flag tomorrow. I'm going on a mission and leaving soon."

"You just got back!" She cries out, "Let me come with you."

"You can't come." I reply. She opens her mouth the respond, but I cut her off, "Not won't, can't. You're smart enough to know the difference."

Annabeth closes her mouth as I enter my cabin.

"At least tell me how long you think it will take." She demands.

"A long time." I say, and close the door.

Turning around, I sigh and slide down the door to a sitting position. Thank the gods that's over. I don't know how much longer I could've held out. I tand up and stretch, looking around my cabin as I do so. There's not much here that I would want or need to take. I grab a change of clothes, and a spare knife. It's always good to have a back-up weapon. Everything fits into a single duffel bag. I look around the cabin, realizing that this may be the last time I see it in a long time.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road." I open the door to my cabin, duffel bag in hand, and walk back to the Big House.

"Are you ready?" Artemis asks.

I nod. Thankfully, the trip back to the Big House had been free of a certain pesky daughter of Athena who thinks that she needs to know everything.

"Ok, then let's go." She comes over to me and we clasp hands. Her hand is cool, like the night air.

We appear in the lobby of the Empire State Building, and I look at her in confusion. She looks down at our hands, which are about her chest level, and quickly lets go and turn away from me, hiding her face behind her auburn hair.

"I dislike teleporting Olympus itself." She mutters.

"Of course, Lady Artemis."I say as I walk over to the security booth.

"Six hundreth floor." I say to the guard.

"Building only has one hundred and three kid." He says tiredly, "Go prank some other poor chap."

"So I'm guessing you don't want to see my celestial bronze weapons?" I ask innocently, "Perhaps you would like a demonstration of my earthshaker powers? Besides, that over there is LAdy Artemis, and the two of us are almost late for a meeting."

THe guard looks over my shoulder, "I apologize for my lack of recognition, Lady Artemis."

"That is quite alright." She says, "Thank you Jarvis."

Jarvis hands Artemis the key and the two of us step into the elevator, simutaneously tensing for the onslaught of terrible elevator music.