Not Your Hero ✔

-4-

Percy, Estelle, and PJ have been out on their own for two days now. They found a river and refilled their flask. As Estelle and PJ laid down to go to sleep for the first time in two days, the world went out of focus and Percy saw his father, his aunt, and his uncle.

"My son, I tried to stop Zeus, but you didn't take godhood, so he considers you a threat. As a god, you're easy to control." Poseidon said. "I'm sorry." Percy hugged his father. "It's not your fault," Percy said.

"Jackson is correct, you know how much of a control freak Zeus is." Hades scoffed at his older but technically younger brother's personality. "He constantly has a stick up his derrière. His paranoia is a thorn in my side." He grumbled.

Hestia chuckled. "Ignore Hades, my dear nephew. We wish to offer you our blessings." She said. "And while we can't let you into our homes, we can give your younger siblings safe refuge," Poseidon added.

"Dad, they're mortals, Zeus would smite them," Percy said, defeated. "Not if they are adopted into the Greek world. They are already very much involved." Poseidon pointed out. "If they are your kids they'll be treated just like I would unless they were offered godhood."

"I'm not the one who's going to adopt him," Poseidon says simply. "Dad, he feels the same about Lord Hades and his children. But all of his children are under his command. He can't touch them." Percy replied.

"He's not adopting them either," Poseidon said. Percy's face twisted in confusion. "Who's adopting them the- OH," Percy said and Hestia chuckled. "You are correct young hero. I'll be adopting Estelle and Paul Jr." She said.

"But I thought you couldn't have kids! You're a maiden goddess." Hestia gave him a warm smile. "I swore off men, that doesn't mean I can't adopt children. Plus, Athena has children, does she not? And they all have her magic and power coursing through them." Hestia said.

Percy bowed to her, and he rarely does bow to any Olympian. "Thank you, Lady Hestia," Percy said, meaning it with every fiber of his being. "You are very welcome Percy. Now, Artemis is drawing near, your siblings are safe, and when you wake, you'll already have our blessings." Hestia told him.

"Wa-" Percy sprang up. He didn't remember going to sleep. He looked around and saw all of his supplies neatly in his backpack and his siblings gone with only a note in a child's overly neat handwriting in the place where they used to be.

Good luck Percy. We'll miss you!
~Estelle and PJ

Percy smiled. They were safe. But an arrow sliced through his thoughts showing how he was not. He ran like the hounds of hell were chasing him. But the dogs that were chasing him were faster than hounds. They were the wolves of Artemis. He knew hurting them would make Artemis want to hurt him more.

So he gathered the water from the river and made a protective bubble around his supplies and jumped sideways into the river. He continued to move as hunters and wolves alike started swimming towards him.

Arrows rained down from the surface. They were trying to smoke him out of the water, knowing that he was in his element. He'd left the hunters and wolves that were in the water far behind and soon the arrows stopped coming.

He kept going regardless and didn't stop until he was exhausted. With one final burst of his power, he propelled himself to land. He was still in a forest, but not camp half blood's. He gathered wood and made a fire with a rock and riptide.

He was alone now. The silence was unsettling at first. But after a few hours of sitting in it, he started feeling more comfortable. Ironic how he found the eerie silence more comforting than Camp Half Blood, even in his 'special spot' that was along the beach.