Author's note: I got this idea after reading 'I Love Thee' by RacRules. So you could say that story inspired me. This would mostly be in Zoe's point of view.

Chapter 1—Meeting

Percy had thought that all of them were a goner. They were trapped between a monster and a fully armed helicopter. They stood no chance.

Then, he heard a clear, piercing sound: the call of a hunting horn blowing in the woods.

Percy was puzzled. Where had that came from?

But it had been what saved their lives: for the manticore froze, terrified. For a moment, no one moved. There was only the swirl of the snow and wind and the chopping of the helicopter blades.

The monster's face contorted into one of disbelief. "No," He murmured. "It cannot be—"

His sentence was cut short when something shot past Percy like a streak of moonlight. A glowing silver arrow sprouted from the manticore's shoulder. He staggered back, wailing in agony. Percy figured that the silver arrow had similar abilities to a Celestial Bronze.

"Curse you!" The monster cried. He unleashed his spikes, dozens of them at once, into the woods where the silver arrow had come from. But, just as fast, silvery arrows shot back in retaliation. It seemed as id the silver arrows had intercepted the spikes. Percy blinked in disbelief, he was amazed at the accuracy of the shooter. For no one—not even Apollo's kids at camp—could shoot with that much accuracy.

The manticore pulled the arrow out of his shoulder with a howl of pain. His breathing was heavy; eyes filled clouded with haziness from the pain. Percy finally managed to gather his wits—just enough to swipe at the monster, in hopes of destroying it. Unfortunately, the manticore wasn't as injured as he looked. He dodged and slammed his tail into Percy's shield, knocking him aside.

Rustles were heard, then the archers came from the woods. They were all girls, about a dozen of them. The youngest was about ten; the oldest, about fourteen perhaps. All of them wore identical silvery ski parkas and jeans, and they were all armed with bows. They advanced cautiously on the manticore with determined expressions.

"The Hunters!" Annabeth exclaimed. It appears, that she knew what they are.

"Oh, great." Thalia muttered sarcastically. It was obvious, for some reason, she hated them. Percy never got the chance to ask what his cousin meant.

One of the older archers stepped forward with her bow drawn. Percy's breath hitched as he gazed at the archer. She has long, silky black hair tied back in a braid, coppery-like skin, a silver circlet around her head, a slightly upturned nose and black eyes in reminiscent of volcanic rocks. She looked like some kind of Persian princess—which, in Percy's opinion suited her.

"Permission to kill, my lady?" Her voice carried an odd accent.

The monster wailed again. "This is not fair! Direct interference! It is against the Ancient laws!"

"Not so," This time, another girl younger by a few years than Percy, stepped forward and had been the one that spoke. She has auburn colored hair and eyes as silvery yellow as the moon, and was incredibly beautiful—even if she appeared as a child. "The hunting of all wild beast is within my sphere. And you, foul creature, is a wild beast." She looked at the older girl with the circlet. "Zoe, permission granted."

The manticore growled a threat. He lunged at Percy and Thalia, knowing they were still weak from daze and pain and confusion.

"No!" Annabeth, not wanting her friends to get hurt, yelled and charged.

"Get back, half-blood!" Zoe, the girl with the circlet cried. "Get out of the line of fire!"

But Annabeth leaped onto the monster's back anyway, and drove her knife into his mane. He manticore howled in pain, turning and running in circles, trying to dislodge Annabeth; who barely managed to hung on for dear life.

"Fire!" Zoe ordered.

"No!" Percy screamed, panicked. They will hit Annabeth!

But the Hunters let their arrows fly. All of the arrows hit their target, surprisingly, managing to hit their target without injuring Annabeth. The manticore staggered towards the cliff, wailing in agony. Spitting and cursing. "This is not the end, Huntress! You shall pay!" He promised.

Before any of them could react, the monster turned and leaped off the cliff, Annabeth in tow. Percy's jaw dropped.

"Annabeth!" He made to jump after them but was stopped by an arm. The slender, coppery colored arm was attached to the body of one Zoe Nightshade.

"Fetch him for me, Zoe." Artemis ordered.

Zoe Nightshade, the ever loyal follower of the goddess, nodded. "As you wish milady." She stood, turned on her heel and left Artemis' camp. Darning a distasteful look, she walked towards the son of Poseidon. Upon reaching him, she noted that he was in the company of Bianca di Angelo's little brother and the satyr.

"Percy Jackson," His name rolled off her tongue easily. It was, truth to be told, quite an odd name. But it had a nice ring to it. Zoe's eyes narrowed, she did not just thought that. It was all the boy's fault. She glared at the half-blood, who looked back at her with those, infuriatingly innocent sea-green eyes. It stirred something inside her that was best forgotten—a feeling that was best buried and ignored.

"Come with me," She said flatly. "Lady Artemis wishes to speak with thee."

Percy frowned at her. Obviously, he was still holding a grudge at her for not allowing him to jump of the cliff in search of his friend—even though Lady Artemis had told him that his search would be futile.

Turning around, she sniffed. She wasn't about to be affected by his childish behavior.

Honestly, men.