The Male Hunter | Olympus' Traitor #1

Chapter 12: Guilty Conscience

"Which one?" Leo joked

Will gave him a pointed look. "You know who I mean."

"Well, where is he?"

"That's- That's the problem," Will responded sadly. "We don't know. Him and his girlfriend disappeared eight or nine months ago."

Leo's face fell. "What do you mean, 'disappeared'?"

"Jacob and Hannah, they were here one day. . . and then they just weren't. This isn't even the first time this has happened," Will said sadly.

"Not the first time?" Calypso questioned.

Will shook his head. "People that speak out against Annabeth, they tend to disappear." Leo frowned at this. "I mean, it was pretty common knowledge that they didn't agree with what we did to. . . him. . . all those years ago. I guess it was only a matter of time before this happened.," Will explained. "They were accused of working with Periplanómenos to oust Annabeth, and there are many of us who hope it is true, and that he is still alive. Percy may have been a traitor, but at least he was nice."

"Who is Periplanómenos?" Leo asked.

"A demigod, we think. All we know is that about three years ago they started sending demigods here," Will explained. "There is some good news though, we don't think Jacob and Hannah are dead. There's been rumors coming from the Ares cabin floating around about some prisoners they've been guarding."

"Then we shall find them!" Calypso exclaimed.

#      #      #

Percy sat shivering into the fire he had made. It may have been spring and the nights were getting shorter, but they were still cold where he was. For the millionth time, Percy cursed his idea to come here. Sure, Alaska was away from the gods, but it got cold. Percy really regretted leaving the Hunt. He missed Thalia, Artemis, little Clara, even Atalanta. Besides, he felt absolutely awful for breaking his promise to Thalia. Hoping to escape his guilt and the cold with the abyss that was sleep, Percy curled up in his sleeping bag beside the fire and fell asleep.

Percy found himself in Artemis's tent where Thalia and Artemis stood over a map.

"Where could he be?" Thalia said in anguish.

"Let us start with what we know," Artemis replied, to which Thalia rolled her eyes. Clearly this was something they did often. "Two months after he disappeared we were able to track Percy here," she said, pointing at a spot on the map. "Vancouver. Now, in the last four months we have searched the surrounding area as far east as Edmonton, south to Sacramento, and north to the Alaskan border."

"What if we try Vancouver again?" Thalia mused aloud. "It's possible he never left."

Artemis sighed. "I suppose you are right. He is either there or in Alaska, and I hesitate to take you girls there."

Thalia nodded. "I just don't understand why he left," she said sadly. "I just don't understand how he could break his promise," Thalia finished softly.

Percy startled awake, feeling worse than he had when he went to sleep. "Alaska is such a hypocrite," he muttered under his breath. Seriously, dreams could come in but an IM couldn't make it out, how was that fair? Even though it was still dark Percy started gathering his things and stomped out the remains of his fire, leaving no trace he had ever been there like the Hunters taught. Satisfied that everything was taken care of Percy started his trek south, hoping that Thalia could somehow forgive him. I won't blame her if she doesn't, I deserve to be hated, he thought bitterly.

#      #      #

It had been about two weeks since Leo and Calypso had arrived at Camp Half-Blood, and they had been there two weeks too long. This was not the camp Leo remembered, and the more he saw the more he lost respect for his former friends. He longed for the days on the Argo II. Life was simpler then, full of laughter and kinship. Now, he didn't even recognize the people that he called friends. They had become cocky, cruel, and vindictive. They had become bullies, and Leo hated bullies. Traveling with Calypso into the forest Leo decided to do something that was absolutely forbidden by Annabeth, he was going to call the Romans. "Oh Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering," Leo prayed as he threw a drachma into the rainbow that had been created by the stream in the woods. "Show me Hazel Levesque at Camp Jupiter."

The image shimmered, and showed Hazel. At first she looked confused, then her mouth dropped open and the helmet she had been carrying under her arm fell to the floor with a loud clang, causing the voices in the background to cease. "Leo?" she eventually managed to squeak out. Leo simply smiled his crazy smile and gave a small wave. "Frank, get over here!" Hazel finally shouted, joy evident on her face. "Leo's alive!"

Running could be heard in the background before a flustered Frank came into view, clad in full armor and a purple cape on his shoulders. "Leo?" he said incredulously.

"Hi. Long time, no see," Leo responded.

Another figure came into view to investigate what all the commotion was about. "Leo Valdez, you're alive," Reyna said, surprised. "Centurions, please give us a moment."

Once multiple footsteps and a door closing had been heard, the questions started. So, Leo told his story once again, ending with his experience and impressions of Camp Half-Blood so far. The three Romans sat pondering what Leo had said when he suddenly started speaking again. "Could me and Calypso come live with you guys?" Leo blurted out. "I know that I fired on you guys from the Argo II when possessed by that eidolon, but I'm not sure how much more I can take here."

This request shocked the Romans, this is the last thing they expected. "Of course," Frank replied. "You are always welcome in New Rome, as long as no eidolons are with you."

Calypso let out a small giggle while Leo, Hazel, and Reyna stared at Frank in shock. The three were all thinking the same thing, Did Frank just make a joke?

"Thank you so much," Leo said, relieved. "I just have some business here, and then I'll come on over."

"We look forward to it!" Hazel said cheerily before Leo cut the connection.

"We need to find Jacob and Hannah, and fast," Leo said to Calypso. "I'm not sure how long they, or I, can survive here."

#      #      #

"Lady Artemis, Thalia!" a huntress exclaimed breathlessly as she burst into the motel room they were currently in. "A male looking similar to Periplanómenos was just spotted entering the northern edge of the city on foot!" Artemis and Thalia ran out the door after the girl, gathering hunters as they went.

Maybe half an hour later Artemis, Thalia, and the rest of the Hunt found themselves stalking Percy from along the rooftops as he walked the streets. "He looks like he's been traveling for a while," Thalia noted.

"Indeed," Artemis agreed. "He clearly has not been staying here as we had hoped. Nevertheless, the fates have pushed us together again."

After maybe another fifteen minutes Percy turned into a quiet side street holding a motel. Knowing that this was their chance Artemis clambered down the side of the building to the ground below, motioning for her girls to do the same. Within seconds Percy was completely surrounded by nearly two dozen girls clad in silver. He seemed surprised by this, and slowly turned in a circle to analyze the situation, pausing when he saw Artemis and Thalia. "Hello again, Lady Artemis," Percy said, bowing.

"Periplanómenos," Artemis growled. "You better have a good explanation, or Chaos help you."

He looked sheepishly at the ground, shuffling his feet in embarrassment. Then, he did the last thing that anyone expected, including himself. "Look, I'm sorry," he said as he removed his sunglasses. 

A/N: I know this chapter was a shorter than usual, but this one was kinda hard to write. I wasn't sure what direction to go, or what characters to have scenes based around. Not to worry though, I have a pretty solid idea about what happens next chapter!

Have a great day!