Percy Jackson, the embodiment of hope.

Chapter 53: Sneaking around a Monster Donut. (Oh, no...)

Zoe invisibly hopped through the trees, thinking. It had been three days since they left. She wondered if her teammates had finished their business in HarpGuard and if they had come to help. Artemis was far behind her, running with her now healed hunters. Some nectar, ambrosia, and a little godly healing magic had fixed them up enough to run.

She was lost in thought as well. Was Percy okay? Had he already began lose himself? But most importantly, how would he react to Estelle being in Erebus's employ? She was so lost in thought, in fact, that she didn't notice Zoe becoming visible again and gesturing to stop. Thalia grabbed Artemis's quiver, forcing her to stop. Zoe breathed a sigh of relief and walked over, motioning for everyone to get down.

Everyone crouched, and Zoe spoke in low tones. "Over that bank of trees is the biggest Monster Donut I've ever seen."

"How big?" Artemis asked.

"Like, five monster donuts mashed together big," Zoe answered.

"That's... worrying," Artemis said.

"What's happening?" Thalia whispered, causing Artemis to immediately reach for her knife.

Zoe chuckled softly. "There's a massive Monster Donut. I think we have to sneak around it."

Thalia nodded. "Got it. I'll take half, you take half?"

Zoe nodded and turned to Artemis. "Do you think you could distract the monsters if we're found?"

Artemis nodded. "Of course. Let's go."

Once the groups got situated, they started moving quietly, low on the ground.

They progressed silently, slowly making their way around the ridge. Once they got past it, they had to hold in surprised shouts and gasps. Zoe had understated how big it was. It was the size of a shopping mall, and it was crawling with monsters. Some of which, only Artemis recognized. But more worrying, there were some that only Zoe could recognize.

Zoe tried to contain her worry as she slowly made her way around the establishment, silently begging that no monsters looked that hard through the trees. Thalia, on the other hand, was hoping one would straggle away so she could get rid of at least one.

Artemis sat just below the ridge, watching as her hunters slowly made their way around the building. Everything was going fine. Heck, it was going well, but then, of course, something went wrong.

Artemis noticed one of the monsters, a familiar looking manticore, suddenly stand up and drop his donuts. His skin was dotted with black spots that pulsed, as if alive.

He turned to look at Zoe's group and pointed. "HUNTE-"

A silver arrow went clean through his arm, causing him to grasp it and scream, looking in terror in the direction the arrow came from.

Instantly, every monster perked up and followed his gaze, only to see the goddess Artemis standing on the top of a ridge, bow drawn. Shrieks and yells could be heard as monsters started to rally, quickly grabbing for their weapons. Artemis started firing arrows at rapid speeds, raining silvery death upon the monsters.

Then the Donut shop's door burst open.

Monsters surged out of it, quickly pushing monsters further and further towards Artemis. They started advancing, only just barely being held off by Artemis's bow. She frantically fired arrow after arrow as the monsters got closer and closer, wishing for the hunters to get past the back ridge.

As a hellhound pounced at her face, a silver arrow whiffed past her ear, signaling the hunters safety. She instantly teleported away, leaving behind a massive crowd of monsters and one incredibly angry manticore. She reappeared next to Thalia.

"Should we start running?" Thalia asked once she got over her surprise.

Artemis nodded. "Yes. I would rather not have to fight that many monsters without reinforcements."

They all started to move away from the ridge, and soon, they were speeding away. All except for Artemis. She stood in a running position as if she were stuck. Because she was.

She struggled against whatever was keeping her in place, but she couldn't move. Her body slowly turned around, looking back at the ridge. It slowly walked above the ridge and poked its head over, so it could see the building. She stared at the building for a moment, wondering what would happen, when the roofs cracked and crumbled, as if something was pushing outwards.

And then something massive came through the roof. The enormous neck of a hydra. It lowered its head and stared directly at Artemis, keeping her terrified and frozen in place. Slowly, four other necks rose out of the building as well, also staring at Artemis.

She couldn't believe what she was seeing. A massive hydra, each one its necks thicker than a school bus and longer than Zeus's ego. (Maybe that last part was an exaggeration.)

The first head flicked out its tongue, and a voice played through Artemis's head.

You are Artemis?

Artemis felt control come back to her, and she nodded. The heads all flicked their tongues, satisfied.

Good. You can get my message. Turn back on the quest now, or I will kill Percy Jackson.

Its main head slowly floated towards Artemis's, eventually stopping right in front of her face.

And believe me, I very much wish to kill Percy Jackson.

It retracted its heads, slowly sinking back into the establishment.

Return to camp, goddess. You will save both yourself and Percy from destruction.
--------
Zoe looked around, noticing the groups missing member.

"Where's Artemis?" She said, stopping in her tracks.

The hunters all stopped as well, confused and worried, when Artemis ran up to them.

"Why did you slow down?" She asked.

"We thought we lost you," Zoe said.

Artemis shook her head. "You didn't. Let's continue."

And with that, she took off, leaving her hunters to follow her.
----------------------------------------------------------
"Hmm, let's see..." Erebus said, reviewing his options.

He was in a small room with two walls, a door, and a see-through mirror. On the other side of the mirror was a blank, sterile white room with a cot and stains of black sludge and blood. His assassin was laying on the cot, tied to it.

He finally landed on something he wanted. The final two items on the list. How...

 "Perfect. These two will work nicely."

He walked through the mirror and into the room. "Hello," he said simply.

She glared at him. "I h-hate you."

He smiled as he pushed a tray of surgery supplies in the room from the other side. "Hate me all you want. It won't get you anywhere."

"What is is this time?" She asked quietly, practically whimpering.

Erebus laughed and pointed at things he brought in. A pair of black wings and a pitch-black, magical, prosthetic arm.

His assassin's eyes widened. "No. Please no. Please, Erebus! Please, I'll do anything!"

She started to thrash in her restraints. "Please! I'll kill anyone or- or do anything, just please don't!"

Erebus smiled to himself as he pulled a mechanical saw off of the cart. "Let's start with the arm, shall we?"

The saw turned on, and the rest of the night was filled with the sound of sobs, begging, a saw tearing apart flesh, hysterical laughter, and the combining of magical components.

"Hmm," Erebus said to himself as he looked at his handiwork. "I don't know what else to add. Oh well, I guess she'll only spend one night here," he said with a shrug.

He left the room, leaving behind a passed out, tortured assassin, and the four crying ghosts who held her.