Chapter 85 – The Golden Sailboat II

The eldest members of Artemis' Hunt were all stood at the fore-front of the mass of hunters that had all made it very clear that they wanted to try their hand at taking Percy out.

The Son of Odin wasn't sure quite where their logic was. If he beat the eldest and strongest of the lot then the youngers ones waiting in line behind them wouldn't have a tremendous amount of luck.

"Lady Artemis!" Phoebe called out, brandishing some throwing knives from Gods knew where. She got the Goddesses' attention before tearing her eyes away from Percy, "To what extent are we allowed to attack? I assume you brought the boy here for a particular reason and would not like to see him dead?" She asked, letting the question hang in the air for a moment.

Artemis didn't hesitate with her reply, "You may all try your utmost to kill this man." She answered. There were murmurs among the girls as to why she'd allow this. "He can take it, trust me. Long ago he survived a fight with me a full power." She told them, not listening to the next set of murmurs that followed. Most of them along the lines of how powerful this boy could really be? They could sense immortals and Demigods to some extent and to them he just felt like a particularly strong Demigod, nothing for them to even worry about in a fight, but for one to have fought against Lady Artemis' full power? That seemed impossible.

Percy splayed his hand out towards the air. His hand visibly strained ever so slightly before they all heard a crackling sound approaching. As if out of nowhere a gleaming silver axe exploded out of the treeline surrounding the camp and flew straight into his hand. An aura of power enshrouded him from head to toe while his platinum eyes lit up with bolts of arcing lightning.

"For I am the son of Odin." Percy announced with a wicked grin flashing across his features. He could see the disdain present in the more experiences hunters eyes. They weren't fools, they knew of other pantheons and it seemed that the concept disgusted them to their very cores.

Funny, it was literally the polar opposite for what their mistress felt, but that might have been inappropriate to bring up to them. He needed to formulate a plan because he wasn't about to fuck around with this cycle bullshit and be stuck in an endless loop where he and Artemis would do nothing new.

He needed to differentiate himself from the loop. His power was unique so he had no doubts that Chaos would rouse herself sooner or later just because of his presence, it wasn't going to stop his next goals, but perhaps it meant that he had a better leeway with the Gods of Olympus. Maybe he'd demonstrate his strength by literally throwing Ares off of Olympus.

It didn't serve much purpose he just liked the idea. Personal entertainment and all that.

He was exuding so much pressure that almost all of them had been rendered to falling to their knees almost immediately. The true power held by the King of Asgard was something that these hunters couldn't even comprehend.

The thought occurred to him that he would not have been granted his kingdom at this point in time, and he wasn't sure whether or not his father's all seeing eye would be able to view Percy's recent exposure to time manipulation due to how powerful his son had become.

Two silver throwing knives shot towards him despite the vacuum of pressure around them, cutting through the air like gravity wasn't a factor. He'd managed to dodge them but he'd actually needed to think about it rather than relying on his reflexes. He made a mental note to look into that later as his reflexes had been incredibly sharp before.

"That was actually not bad." He muttered with a slight smile. He knew that no matter how long it took him to beat them, he was going to enjoy the fight. They were obviously going to make him work for the win.

He gripped his axe tighter, collecting a torrent of lightning that seemed to erupt around his arm before it dotted around the axe itself.

"So, this should probably be obvious," Artemis shouted, "But DON'T get hit by that." She told them with no trace of sarcasm.

Thalia wasn't sure what the relation between them was but it was obvious that she seemed to know him from a long time past. Who the hell was he that he had this much power and still felt like a Demigod to her? Lady Artemis didn't even despise him, more so she seemed like him to an almost absurd scale, something that they didn't think was possible.

She desperately needed to figure out exactly what it was that was going on around him.

"I'll make sure that it doesn't kill you, but boy oh boy it would be more painful than listening to all of Apollo's haikus, back to back." Percy laughed as he saw the reactions of thirty odd immortal girls all cringe simultaneously.

He imagined that somewhere the sun God had just had a minor heart attack from wounded pride.

A few arrows were shot in rapid succession all heading in brilliant arcs towards his face. Their aim somehow seemed a lot better this time around which he was sure wasn't actually possible.

Finally a barrage of lightning came hurtling towards him to which he just sighed. "I thought we've been through this. Lightning does not work on me" He said.

"No, but you seem to think that lightning is the only thing I'd do." Thalia told him as they all heard the softest thud as a silver arrow embedded itself into Percy's shoulder.

Artemis looked on with raised brows, "Impressive. Well done Thalia." She said in a tone so neutral that Thalia almost thought she was being condescending.

However, as they all watched Percy simply pull it out of his shoulder with no apparent wound present anywhere, Thalia realized that Artemis was simply congratulating her on actually managing to catch Percy off guard, not because she'd managed to do any real damage.

"Now, if you'd shot that two hundred times harder, it would have pierced my skin." Percy told her with a smile. Even he was impressed that she'd managed to lull him into taking her lightning attack.

"So let's try again." Phoebe muttered as all three tried to close the distance and make an attempt at a new attack strategy. They all intertwined with one another, working in perfect synchronicity as they threw attacks together seamlessly on the immortal in their way.

"So what are we doing after this? I fancy a hunt, do you?" He asked Artemis, never once losing focus of where he was situated within this four way fight.

Four way was a pretty loose term as it was three on one.

"Shouldn't you be more focused on the fight at hand? The girls might get angry if you don't at least show them respect by giving them your utmost focus." Artemis pointed, getting him to show them the courtesy.

She'd found herself a comfy perch by this point.

"Right." He agreed, slamming his axe into the ground which sent a massive buildup of energy all out around them, incapacitating Phoebe and Atalanta immediately. Thalia was better off but only marginally. She was on her knees, keeping herself upright by the edge of her shield.

"Cool shield." Percy muttered as he looked at the horrifying picture on the front. "Didn't mean to use that much. You held yourself well." He said, holding his hand out for Thalia to help herself to her feet.

"Appreciate it but if I try to stand I'll just fall over again." Thalia laughed slightly as she reassessed just how much strength she was using just to not fall to the ground. Whoever he was, whatever he was to Lady Artemis; he was a monstrously strong being, that much was certain.

"I'm going on a hunt, can I borrow anyone's bow?" He asked, looking around at a few fearful faces. Most of them felt sorry for whatever he decided he was going to hunt.

"Shouldn't you ask for permission before you do that?" Artemis asked him coyly with a raised brow and a slight smile.

"From my wife?" He asked with an equally coy face. He knew that she'd likely rise to that given there was no way any of the girls would have figured out their unique story.

Most of the hunters deadpanned in absolute confusion.

"You're not married yet, jackass." Artemis growled. It was a clear warning that Percy shouldn't overstep it, especially not now when his presence to the Gods was that of Apollo being scared witless by him on an accidental encounter. They needed to wait slightly longer before they announced anything.

"I'm well aware of that, see, I was out getting my beautiful fiance a wedding gift that all the Gods would be jealous and or proud of, and then some assholes from the edge of the universe ambushed me and or got in my way, that bit's still fuzzy, so yeah, I pissed off yet another being of immense power and got sent back in time in a far more permanent manor which brings us to now." He told her without batting an eyelash. Artemis scowled at him but secretly couldn't help but love him.

She knew that he'd been getting her a gift, and she was convinced that she knew what it was but for the life of her she couldn't prove it yet.

"Fine, I suppose I don't have to move from here to conduct my hunt." Percy told her while he seemed to grip the axe harder. He turned on his heel and looked like he was visually aiming high into the sky. The next few moments passed them by almost instantly as he drew the axe back and launched it with a powerful throw.

It boomed through the sky, bringing thunder and lightning wherever it went. They all heard a distant explosion before Apollo flashed into their camp, cuts and scratches all over his body.

"Who here owns a weapon that can only be described as 'God Killer'?" He asked, looking around without making any jokes. Artemis almost face palmed. She remembered going through this once before. It was the spark that started her and Percy's hidden romance when she had found him drinking with Apollo in Europe.

"Me." Percy announced with an almost feral grin. It seemed like a standing challenge for Apollo to dare say anything back.

"Well, I must say," Apollo began before cracking into an immense smile, "That was AWESOME!" He beamed. The mood around the camp immediately got lighter but Artemis' headache became worse. It seemed that history was destined to repeat itself no matter what. Their first encounter had ended when Apollo called Percy a thunder pigeon, and now Percy had thrown his axe through Apollo's chariot which had apparently made the sun God extremely happy.

"So I was in my chariot, which now has a gaping whole in the side of it because what I can only describe as a nuclear powered axe came ripping right through it. Luckily I'd turned to chariot into a golden sailboat in an attempt to get a rise out of Poseidon." Apollo grinned immensely.

Percy couldn't believe that this was happening again. He'd meant to down the chariot for the second time but he wanted to have a face off with Apollo, not for Apollo to basically idolize him for the destruction he had wrought.

"We totally got off on the wrong foot. Who are you by the way?" Apollo asked, finally seeming to calm down.

Artemis watched this new encounter with refreshed vigor. She realized that this was probably not going to work out all that well for them as they still needed to go to Olympus.

"Not someone you should be thanking for destroying your chariot." Percy laughed at the somewhat disillusioned God.

"It was awesome, I hold no grudge, but I get that you probably wanna keep your identity secret, especially if you're hanging out with this lot and not dying. Like a Demigod Batman." Apollo laughed again before he disappeared in blinding light.

"He's an idiot, we were on Olympus only half an hour ago explaining to them who I am, how can he be that dense? I swear he wasn't that thick last time." Percy huffed.

Artemis could only sigh in response, "Things are different this time around, that much is clear. Perhaps it's time we told the girls." Artemis muttered, feeling the pit in her stomach as she watched them give her questioning gazes one by one. They had all figured out that something wasn't right with Artemis ever since the previous night when they'd found Percy but they weren't sure what it was.

"Tell us what?" Thalia asked, being the brave one and broaching the question.

"OK, bear with us on this, I'll try to be as clear as possible." Percy began as he subconsciously held his hand high into the air. A few seconds passed before the axe came throttling across the sky before stopping in his iron grip.

The King of Asgard promptly dropped the axe in such a way that it stuck itself into the earth, quite content with its new position as it gently hummed.

"Myself and Artemis are from a different time. We've already done this part of our lives, it was where we first met, but as time went on we grew closer, see where I'm going with this?" He asked, watching the shocked reactions of the hunters. They were all silent as the waited for Percy to continue.

"More time, more fights, a split personality, a lot of painful fights, and then some other x rated stuff in between and we're here." Percy smiled as a few of them looked like they were on the verge of attacking him again.

"Percy, we need to just be clear with them, and not goad them." Artemis scolded him as she came over to where he was standing.

"What he's trying to say is, well…" Artemis began before wrapping her arms around Percy's waist, automatically adjusting herself so that one of his arms fell over her neck and shoulders. The warmth radiated out from his body making her even warmer than she already was.

"We're getting married. And, you know, other stuff. Obvious stuff." Percy told them. At this point most of the hunters were on the verge of passing out, their words having been shattered in a matter of seconds.

Thalia for one was grinning like a delirious beast, she was leaning forwards clearly enjoying this news incredible amounts.

"So what you're really trying to tell us is that you two have, um, you know?" She asked, going rosy in the cheeks.

"Don't." Artemis growled quietly next to Percy. It was aimed entirely at the King of Asgard who had adopted a mischievous grin.

"We absolutely went for it after I punched my way out of Tartarus. Great day, better night." Percy laughed as dozens of arrows immediately shot towards him. He'd very much aggravated the pack and now they were going to try to take him down together because of his insinuations.

"Here we go again." Artemis muttered before walking off to her tent. The only one interested in questioning her was Thalia, all the others had gone on an Asgardian hunt. That was that she guessed.

He was never going to change, and she loved it.

A/N: How's it going? I'm still not sure how many more chapters there will be for this. Probably only a few as they face their next big challenge in trying to get back to the right time, but that's for the next chapter. Review?