'Rescue'

24-Jun-2030, 0045S

Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt

Hunters of Artemis

Killdeer Mountains, North Dakota, USA

It was Mt. Tamalpais all over again. But somehow worse.

Once again, Perseus Jackson had, as my brother put it, "played the heroic sacrifice card." Not only did he save me from taking an arrow to the head, he had also helped to make sure several of my injured Hunters came back from the battlefield by staying behind to distract the monsters.

He told me to retreat back to the clearing that was the "rally point," as the monster force was too strong. I wanted to argue, especially considering that he was in no position to give me orders, but the look he gave me was, admittedly, unnerving. It was rough, calm, cold—the face of a hardened warrior. In his eyes, I could sense unease. He didn't scare easily, and this monster force was making him nervous.

A little while later, I was with my Hunters at the clearing where we met Perseus earlier. In his words, I "provided security" for the group while helping to heal the injured.

I believed that we could have easily won the battle. But as I looked upon the wounded—which consisted of more than half the Hunt—I realized why Perseus told me to retreat. All of my Hunters would've likely been killed if we tried to stand and fight.

However, at that point in time, I was not in control of myself. Nor was I in control of myself the whole time I was with Perseus. Not quite. That was Diana, my Roman counterpart.

Greece is older than Rome, but Diana is somehow "older" than me, staying in a form sixteen or seventeen years of age. She is also sterner and more serious, but ironically more cheerful and playful. How that makes any sense, I do not understand, although I suppose the difference comes from how she was more serious on the battlefield and less serious off it. Some pointed out that she is also more "fair" to males, which might explain why she was relatively congenial towards Perseus, or why during the age of Rome, she followed more of a "ask first, fire second" mentality. I've heard some say that the difference between me and her is one of the largest personality differences between gods and goddesses.

I was shaken out of my musings when I heard footsteps and rustles from the treeline. I raised my bow, preparing for an attack, but was met with the sight of five Hunters. One had her bow out, while the other four were carrying a sixth. My heart leapt into my throat when I saw who it was.

"THALIA!" I screamed, rushing forward with Carly, my only available healer.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Milady, the Lieutenant took a slice to her side. She was bleeding terribly," Jocelyn responded.

"'Was?'"

"Milady, her wound is immaculately sealed, but not by bandages. By something I can't identify," Carly explained, sounding puzzled as she looked at Thalia's wound. "It doesn't seem to be hurting her, however."

I couldn't figure out what this was, so I decided to call upon my annoying little brother. Despite it being the dead of the night, he would most likely be awake.

"Watch out, girls," I sighed. "APOLLO!"

It took a minute, but there was a bright golden flash of light, revealing a tired and angry-looking teenaged Apollo.

Wait... tired? Angry-looking? That's not like him at all.

He looked at me with an exasperated expression on his face, but his eyes widened as he noticed my wounded Hunters.

"What did you do?!?" he yelled, startling me.

"We attacked that group of monsters Father ordered us to. But forget that. What the Hades is this stuff?" I asked, pointing at Thalia's wound.

He took a look at the wound, his eyes widening even more and his mouth dropping open a little in shock.

"XSTAT," he whispered in awe.

"What? Will this hurt Thalia?" I asked worriedly.

"Quite the contrary. This stuff is XSTAT, invented by the mortals to seal gunshot wounds within seconds. The seal holds tight for up to four hours, allowing the injured to get a medevac and receive proper medical treatment."

"But how did she get this? None of the healers use this!"

"C'mon, Arty," he groaned. "Use your head. Who has had more contact with the mortal world and has been with the Hunt recently?"

I wanted to yell at him for insulting me, but it dawned on me what he meant. "Perseus."

"Right. Speaking of him, where is he?"

I looked around, but the Son of the Sea was nowhere to be seen.

"Has anyone seen Perseus?" I asked loudly.

"He's dead," Jocelyn replied.

"WHAT?!?"

We all spun around to see that the voice came from Thalia, who had awoken and cried out in shock, and was now wincing from pain.

Apollo knelt next to her in full doctor mode.

"Take it easy, Thalia. I'll give you a hand," he said calmly. His hands glowed as he sent waves of healing energy towards her. Within a few seconds, she looked back in fighting shape.

I knelt by her side. "How are you, sister?"

"I'm fine, Lady Artemis. Thank you, by the way," she said, addressing the last part towards Apollo, who simply smiled in return.

"How's the Hunt? And please tell me I misheard Jocelyn," she continued hurriedly.

"The Hunt is fine. Many injuries, but nobody has died. As for Perseus..." I stopped, grimacing.

"The boy is dead," Jocelyn said.

"How?" Thalia asked slowly, her face stricken with grief.

"The male rushed right into the monster horde and got himself killed. We were barely able to rescue you," she replied with a hint of... smugness?

Thalia hung her head, looking close to tears. It sounded like a typical way for an idiotic male to die. But then I felt something within me... pain?

Why do I feel pained by his death? He may be what I consider the few decent males, but... I shouldn't feel sad over him dying, right?

I shrugged it off, but felt something else: disbelief. I trust my Hunters not to lie to me, but something felt off about Jocelyn's words.

Perseus was a soldier. A male soldier, but a soldier nonetheless. He wouldn't be that stupid, right? Especially if he was considered one of the elite by his leaders.

Don't you mean "sailor?"

Ye—wait, why did I correct myself?

That was me, actually.

That voice in my head... it sounded almost... teasing?

Wait... Diana?

No, this is Salacia... of course this is Diana! Who did you expect?

This is new.

Really, now?

Well, yes. I haven't spoken to you directly for a long time.

No, no you haven't. That's because I've been mostly asleep, no thanks to you.

How did you form consciousness? I thought I was the dominant one?

Unfortunately, you still are. It was Perseus who allowed me to take control for that brief moment in time.

Why?

He's a warrior and, despite his Greek heritage, he's a Roman through and through. You haven't exactly been interacting with many Romans in the last several centuries. Why wouldn't you be in control?

I was shaken from my thoughts when I heard Apollo speak: "You lie."

I turned to see my brother, angier than I'd ever seen him for a long time. The last time I saw him this mad was during the Orion incident. Now, he only spoke two words, but he said it with such fury, such hatred, that it was unnerving.

Adding to the fear factor was that he had aged, now looking to be in his mid-twenties.

"I'm not lying!" Jocelyn protested. "He was a stupid male that—"

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT CRAP!" Apollo shouted, cutting her off. He was glowing gold with rage. "I AM THE FRICKIN' GOD OF TRUTH! I CAN TELL THAT YOU'RE LYING, GIRL! WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM? ANSWER TRUTHFULLY OR YOU'LL REGRET IT!"

Jocelyn looked terrified, along with the rest of the Hunt. I couldn't blame her, because I was too scared to tell Apollo off. A serious Apollo was unnatural. An angry Apollo could make even the bravest falter.

I noticed that Apollo no longer looked like a teenager, but an adult in his twenties. I silently cursed as I realized that my brother was in his Roman form. Gone was the laid-back playboy attitude I was used to from his Greek side, which was somewhat of a pushover I could deal with. Here was Phoebus Apollo, the bold and fierce archer of Rome. The long-ranged warrior that did not take much nonsense.

Finally, a look of disdain crossed Jocelyn's face. "Fine. The boy is still there. He used that concoction to attempt to heal Thalia, then he had the gall to order us to return here and bring Thalia with us."

Apollo raised his left hand and pointed at her, a beam of white light going from his finger to her forehead, causing her to gasp and shake.

"Apollo, what are you doing?" I asked with a hint of anger.

"Can it, Artemis," he responded cooly. "I'll need your help with this. Grab my shoulder."

"Wha—"

"Just do it, Sister," he said sternly.

I know I always said for Apollo to be more serious, but this is more than I think I can handle.

You got what you asked for. We Romans are disciplined. You know what? I'm just going to sit back and watch the show. It's not as if I can do anything anyways.

I slowly stepped towards him and grabbed his shoulder, looking questioningly at him.

"Since you're their leader, I'll need you to open up a mind link with the entire Hunt. Everyone should see this," he said firmly.

A mind link is used to open up a mind, allowing one to "read" another's memories and thoughts. While all immortals can do so, Apollo is particularly skilled in it, able to more easily navigate the mind and break through mental barriers, likely due to his truth domain. There are few immortals that match his skill. All the others, including me, are only able to do so reliably with our own children or devotees (if we didn't have any children of our own, like me). Thus, I was able to relatively easily allow the entire Hunt to see what I saw when Apollo tapped into Jocelyn's memories.

IN THE MEMORIES OF JOCELYN...

"Moving! Keep me covered!"

...

"Provide cover fire! Kill shots only!"

...

"Scorpions are coming out of the ground on our position!"

...

"Watch it! Scorpions!"

...

"Hunters! Hostiles are assaulting our position. They're too fast and too strong. I'll hold them here, you evac! Get yourselves and my cousin to the rest of your platoon!"

...

"I know a lost battle when I see one!"

...

"I don't care what you do, but you make sure Thalia lives, understand? Otherwise, I swear I'll haunt you beyond the grave so bad you'll wish I killed you instead! It'll be worse when you actually die!"

...

"Get to safety! Go!"

...

BACK TO THE REAL WORLD...

I was stunned, as was the rest of the Hunt, by Perseus's actions. He not only took command of the situation, he treated Thalia, protected her, saved my Hunters, and gave them a safe way out as he held off the monsters. The pure selflessness, courage, and sheer skill was, admittedly, impressive.

Apollo, for the first time that night, was smiling and all-out laughing thanks to Perseus's threat about tormenting the Hunters from beyond the grave if they failed in keeping Thalia alive. I rolled my eyes, but felt myself inwardly chuckle, simply because of how ridiculous it sounded.

However, as I thought about it, I wouldn't put it past him to still find a way to do so. To quote Apollo and Hermes, he's "Percy freaking Jackson" after all. Plus, he's rumored to be Uncle Hades's favorite nephew, so the Lord of the Underworld would probably give him a way.

He certainly would, if we're being frank.

Now that there was a chance that Perseus was alive, a new hope sparked in Thalia's eyes as she stood with my brother's help. "Milady, I'd like to take a team to go get Percy out of there."

Before I could answer, Jocelyn cut in, looking at Thalia with surprise. "Why do you care? He's a worthless male!"

"Jocelyn, that is the stupidest thing I've ever heard you say! And you've said a lot of stupid things!" she growled.

Everyone except Apollo gasped at this, but Thalia wasn't done.

I recalled how Thalia wasn't exactly on the best of terms with Jocelyn and some others. I would've rather them all be friends, as I accepted them all into my Hunt, but they clashed too many times to be on good terms. They barely had a professional relationship.

"You can't call him worthless in the slightest! This is Percy Jackson we're talking about, you moron! Twice-Hero of Olympus! Bane of Kronos, Gaea, Hyperion, the Minotaur, and monsters in general! But more than anything, he's one of my best friends! I hate to admit it, but he's saved my life too many times to count, and he just saved all of ours! So I'll be damned if I leave him to die. Even if he may be dead, it's my job as his friend to make sure he gets a proper funeral. And frankly, I don't give a crap what you all think! I'm going in after him and getting him out of there if it's the last thing I do!"

My eyes widened at her words. It almost sounded as if she was willing to leave the Hunt for this man.

Is this what I think it is?

"Thalia... that sounded like a confession of love. A violation of your oath," I said sternly.

She turned towards me, a fire in her eyes. "If it is the kind of love between comrades, between longtime friends, then I'm guilty as charged. And by that logic, so are you, Lady Artemis. You share that love with all the Hunters, especially Zoe. You two were great friends for a long time, like Percy and I. And I just got him back! We may not have that trademark loyalty of the Sea, but wouldn't you still give it everything you had to save your best friend?"

She's got you there. You almost pulled a double-standard!

I was initially furious at her for talking back to me, but the anger subsided as her words struck me, reminding me of my faithful lieutenant and friend. When she died, it was the saddest I had been in a long while. But, somehow, Perseus Jackson had gotten involved...

TWENTY-THREE YEARS AGO...

"Zoe!" I shouted, but Percy had already stumbled his way towards his injured form.

"Hey, hey, hey! Come on, Nightshade, you're not dying on my watch! We still have a lot we need to argue about!" he said sternly, waving his hand in front of her face. He then turned towards me. "Artemis, we need medevac!"

He quickly turned his attention back towards Zoe, snapping his fingers to get her attention. "Hey! Lieutenant! You're staying alive. That's an order!"

"But Perseus, you can't give me orders," she replied weakly with an undertone of... humor?

When did these two get close enough to use humor?

"Yeah? Well, if you want to reprimand me for it, you gotta stay alive. Understand?" he fired back as he opened up a canteen that he took from his belt.

She gave him a small grin. "Yes, sir."

What in Hades' name? "Sir?" How in Olympus have these two bonded?

He returned the smile as he poured nectar over her wound, trying his best to heal it.

"Keep your eyes on mine, Zoe. And keep breathing. This is no place to die," he muttered.

...

"I am proud to know that you carry this sword," Zoe whispered to Perseus when he brought out his sword at her request.

He put the sword away before replying.

"Gotta say, Zoe: while I sure as heck will never agree with your own views on men, considering that I think they're very much false, especially today, I cannot deny that you're a tough warrior, and a good fighter. It was an honor, Lieutenant," he said solemnly, lowering his right hand.

She raised her own right arm weakly, and the two clasped each other's wrists gently in a handshake.

How in—Zoe hasn't shown this much respect for a male in millennia!

"The honor is all mine. Thank you, Percy Jackson," she replied softly.

He gave her a small smile before releasing her hand and stepping back.

...

I wept silently as I put my best friend of several millennia into the stars. Everyone was quiet. However, Perseus did something I didn't expect.

He placed his right hand on my left shoulder, not flirtatiously like I'd assume, but understandingly, comfortingly. I had no idea how I didn't feel threatened in the slightest. I looked towards him, feeling confused, but I saw no malice as my eyes locked with his sea-green ones. I only saw sympathy, reassurance.

He nodded slowly, then brought out Anasklusmos, opening the blade and raising it to the heavens in a salute. I wiped away a few of my tears before I raised my own bow. Thalia and Annabeth followed suit, raising their spear and dagger, respectively, following the man's example.

"Lieutenant Zoe Nightshade. You have served Olympus well. Now rest in peace, comrade, and may the gods be with you," Perseus said somberly. Nobody spoke after that.

Looking back, it was Diana who responded to Perseus's comforting actions, not me. Even though Perseus knew nothing of his Roman heritage. It was also Diana who later discussed his plan, not me, even though I was perfectly aware of it. It was almost as if Perseus awoke my Roman counterpart after years of slumber...

BACK TO THE PRESENT...

I was brought out of my memories by the sounds of a furious argument. Jocelyn and seven others were adamant on leaving Perseus to die, while Thalia and three others, surprisingly, were ready to go back to the monster encampment to rescue the demigod. The majority were caught in the middle, confused. Not that I could blame them. The Son of the Sea had been confusing me for a long time.

The sea is unpredictable...

Can you just shut up?

No. Now get your head back into the game. I do believe Apollo is about to lose his temper.

As if on cue, Apollo broke his silence. "SHUT UP, ALL OF YOU!" he bellowed as he unleashed a burst of light, making everyone go quiet.

He then turned towards me. "Sister, you and Thalia take a team of the ones that aren't injured. Rescue Perseus. I'll patch up the wounded."

"Apollo, you are in no place to give orders," I argued. "This is my Hunt!"

"News flash, Artemis: I DON'T CARE!" he barked, making me flinch. This Apollo was no joke. "You owe him big-time. For the love of Olympus, we all do! And if you're seriously worried about me screwing around here, you need to stop and get your head in the game. Right now, my job is to exercise my domain of medicine. I will heal and protect the Hunt, yada yada yada, until my job is done or you call me for help elsewhere. I swear on the Styx."

Thunder boomed in the distance, sealing his oath.

"Plus, I'm the only one here, save for Thalia and three other Hunters, that is actually looking past your ridiculous man-hating beliefs and looking at the real situation, which a demigod—the same demigod that saved all of your lives—in imminent danger," he continued angrily.

I hated to admit it, but my brother was correct. Perseus was male, but he was a male that saved us all. He healed and protected Thalia, he gave the Hunters an escape route, he had saved me from the burden of the sky all those years ago... this man was getting to me. He threatened my beliefs against males, and thus my reputation.

Damn you, Perseus Jackson, for putting me in such a dilemma.

Like I said... he is a son of the Sea. He's meant to be confusing.

I nodded. "Fine. Thalia, Carly, Jessica, Helen, Jocelyn, Mary, and Jillian, with me."

"But Milady—" the latter three protested.

"Shut up," Thalia growled, glaring at them. She, Carly, Jessica, and Helen, were the four that openly advocated for rescue. The other three were looking at the protestors with disappointment. "Lady Artemis gave you an order, so follow it!"

"Hunters, move out!" I ordered.

The whole group was silent as we ran through the forest, bows at the ready.

Several minutes later, we finally arrived at the top hill overlooking the clearing that once held the monster camp. The sight that met us made me feel sick to my stomach.

Perseus was being mauled by some of those giant scorpions we saw in Jocelyn's memories. There was blood everywhere, his armor and clothing were torn to shreds, and even some small pieces of his flesh had been removed from his body.

To top it all, he was screaming in pure agony.

I had never seen physical pain this bad before. I had no idea how he was still alive.

Thalia looked horrified. Jessica, Carly, and Helen looked ready to cry and vomit. Jocelyn, Mary, and Jillian actually threw up.

Miraculously, I managed to keep my lunch down and shout out a single order: "FIRE!"

Everyone snapped back to reality and raised their bows, joining me in the attack. We targeted the scorpions first, then the rest of the monsters. We were in no danger, as they all had melee weapons, and we cut them down from afar.

Thalia fired with a vigor I had never seen from her. She even electrified her arrows, which vaporized the monsters she hit and shocked nearby monsters, making it easier to finish them off.

The battlefield grew silent as I shot the final monster.

"Do you see anything else?" Jessica asked.

"I don't see anything!" Helen replied.

"No monsters, girls! We're safe!" I announced.

Then, I remembered who we came here for.

"PERCY!" Thalia shouted as she ran forward towards Perseus's still body.

"Hades!" I cursed. "Carly, with me! All others, watch out for monsters!" I ordered as I started running forward.

"Yes, Milady!" they replied.

Carly and I reached Thalia, who was frantically trying to wake the unconscious Perseus. When she looked up at us, tears were leaking out of her eyes,

"His heart isn't beating and he's not breathing!" she told me, despair on her face.

After getting a better view of his mangled body, Carly and I threw up. Yes, it was that bad. I had no idea how Thalia hadn't reacted. Either she had experience or was so focused on saving Perseus that the sheer gore of the scene didn't affect her.

"I-I can't do this, Milady. I-I've never healed any injuries a-as bad as t-this," Carly stammered as she gasped for breath.

"APOLLO!" I screamed. Nobody else would be able to fix this, save Asclepius himself.

Seconds later, my brother appeared in a golden flash, looking a little confused. When he saw Perseus, his eyes widened for a split second before his horrified expression morphed into one of determination, like a doctor in an emergency situation.

"Thalia! Stand clear of Perseus! I'm sending him a stim burst!" he warned, his hands beginning to glow with golden power as he stepped towards the demigod. Thalia, however, did not budge from her cousin's side.

A "stim burst" is a healing technique Apollo developed to help someone that's hanging by a threat or needs revival. However, since it involves so much power, it only works for immortals. Any mortal would be burned to a crisp. For mortals and half-immortals, he uses the "stim shot," which uses less energy to make sure they aren't obliterated.

"Apollo, a stim burst is for immortals! Use a stim shot!" I called as I backed away with Carly.

"The shot won't save him! The burst is the only thing with any chance! THALIA, MOVE!" he ordered.

Thalia finally stepped away, although she seemed reluctant to do so.

"CLEAR!" Apollo bellowed, sending the beam of power at Perseus. The beam hit the demigod and created an explosion of light so bright that only Apollo kept his eyes on it. The rest of us turned away and shielded our eyes. Just like with every time he used the stim burst, Apollo dropped to one knee, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead.

Soon, the glow subsided and I was surprised to see a considerably better-looking Perseus in front of me. His weapons, clothing, armor, and pack were still destroyed, but all the gashes, wounds, and blood were gone. The ground was still stained red from blood, but color had returned to the demigod's face, and scars littered the man's body.

I watched as Apollo stepped towards Perseus, looking tired. His eyes scanned the unconscious demigod before he turned towards us.

"He's stable. All vital signs are looking good. He's in a coma for now."

"A coma?" Thalia asked worriedly as she stepped towards my brother and Perseus.

"Yes. It's a miracle he even survived the burst. Like Artemis said, it revives immortals, and it's too powerful for mortals and half-immortals."

"Will he make it?" she asked, her voice quivering a little as she crouched next to my brother.

"I'm honestly not sure. I've never used a stim burst on a mortal or half-immortal with the patient surviving, so this whole situation is unprecedented. Like I said, he's okay for now, but whether or not he'll ultimately survive, let alone awake, is unknown. We'll have to play it by ear."

She nodded glumly, looking down on the unconscious body of her friend. "You idiot, Jackson. Why'd you have to be the hero? You better wake up or I'll personally come down to Elysium and electrocute your face off," she growled. But her brief moment of anger dissipated, and was replaced by concern and grief. She reached for his much larger wrist and clutched it tightly.

"Please, Percy. Come out of this alive. I don't want to lose you," she whispered, tears brimming in her eyes.

Apollo placed his arm on her shoulder. I normally would have told him off, but something told me not to.

"Don't worry, Little Sister. He's a warrior. He's going to make it," he said softly.

"I know he's probably been through worse. It's just... he's one of my closest friends," she replied quietly. "And I just got him back."

Apollo turned her towards him and gently embraced her. I was initially furious, but he then locked eyes with me and sent me a mental message.

Calm yourself, Artemis. I'm doing my job of being a brother now. One of her best friends nearly died and it's unknown whether or not he'll survive. She needs comfort. But she could use a sister too.

I sighed, picking up on what he meant. I walked over and joined the hug. Thalia was clutching Apollo, sobbing softly into his shirt while he whispered some words of comfort. Their actions were certainly out of character, but I suppose it made sense, considering the strange situation.

After a minute or two, Apollo had finished calming my Lieutenant. He slowly let go of her but maintained a grip on her shoulders as he looked her in the eye.

"Sorry, Thalia, but I've got to take him up to my ward on Olympus to let him rest properly. I swear on the Styx, I'll do everything I can to keep him healthy and safe," he promised as thunder boomed in the distance.

She gave a small nod, then turned towards me. "Can I visit him, Milady?"

Normally, I would've said "no," but I had a feeling I needed to say "yes." Oddly, I was caring about this man's fate as well, and felt a desire to visit him alongside my Lieutenant.

"You can. Now let Apollo handle this. We need to get back to the Hunt," I said.

Thalia nodded and looked at Perseus one final time, then turned to my brother, as if sending him a silent plea.

He gave her a slight nod and a small smile before he grabbed Perseus's shoulder and locked eyes with me. I heard his voice in my mind as he sent a mental message:

Take care of her. The Hunters are all good, just a bit battered and bruised along with some broken bones. Nothing a little rest, nectar, and ambrosia can't fix. Good luck.

In a golden flash, the two teleported to Apollo's medical ward on Olympus.

I couldn't admit it, but just like Thalia, I hoped that Perseus would pull through.

He certainly earned that much.

Truer words were never spoken, Artemis.

[I know this is late, but may you rest in peace, Mr. Chadwick Boseman.  You were a helluva actor, and a helluva man.]

NOW BEFORE Y'ALL CRUCIFY ME...

I do apologize for keeping y'all waiting.  Truth be told, I've had a lot on my mind.  Classes are hard, very hard, and they've been hitting me along with work.

That being said, I have no idea when I'm going to be able to update this next.  I'm going to be extremely busy for the next couple of weeks due to assignments (remember when I said that things were getting hectic in the real world in the last update?  History is repeating itself).

It may even be a month-and-a-half until I can publish this story's next chapter.  But I am not abandoning this.  I'm simply putting it on the back burner.  I will see this through to the end.

Thank you for continuing to read, and I hope y'all are keeping out of trouble.  Once again, apologies for the wait.

Until we meet again.  Stay safe!

- ADF-2