Hey Guys! This is the longest one-shot I have ever written, and took a lot more time than I thought it would. Basically, I was rereading MoA and thinking about the guy in the Rome cafe and why he wasn't surprised that the only two people in his restaurant were teenagers who disappeared with a couple who looked like they were from the 50s. aka, that time I made up a story about a character who shows up for half of a chapter.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy!

WGG

Disclaimer: If you recognize any dialogue, its most probably straight from Mark of Athena (especially in the present-day scenes). All rights to Rick Riordan

Many, Many Years Ago

Athens, Greece

Alexandros was just minding his own business, walking quickly through the streets of Athens in order to avoid the mean demigods who kept chasing him away from their training ground. Alexandros just wanted somewhere to hide from the monsters and get some food from. Alexandros didn't mean any harm. But Alexandros was a son of Poseidon and Demigods in Athens didn't like the sons of Poseidon because Athena didn't like Poseidon. So Alexandros avoided both the monsters and the demigods as he walked.

Suddenly, Alexandros saw The Magic Lady (her name was very hard to pronounce and Alexandros knew that if he said it wrong he could be turned into an animal so Alexandros just called her The Magic Lady) and Athena running from a giant hydra. Hydras scared Alexandros. Alexandros thought that a monster that can grow extra heads must be especially evil and mean. Especially since many monsters had told Alexandros that he doesn't have a very good head to begin with, and Alexandros thought it was unfair that a mean monster got to have a lot of them.

Alexandros wondered why the Magic Lady didn't just change the Mist so she and Athena could escape. Alexandros also wondered why Athena didn't just use her weapons and fight off the Hydra, or ask her Demigods in the city to help her. Alexandros thought it was stupid to have your own city if the people don't help you.

Then Alexandros noticed that the Hydra had Athena's scary monster shield in one of its mouths, and that the Magic Lady had a gag around her mouth and cuffs around her hands. Alexandros realized that the Goddesses were probably disarmed and that he should probably help them. Maybe if he did Athena could tell the Demigods to be nice to Alexandros. Or maybe the Magic Lady would teach him how to hide his face so the stranger mortals wouldn't stare.

Alexandros grabbed his celestial bronze knife that he hid in his toga pocket and charged at the Hydra.

A Few Minutes Later

Athens, Greece

"Alexandros, Wake Up."

Alexandros opened his eye. It hurt to move, but he could tell that he was lying face-up in a white building. Because there was a statue of Athena in one corner, Alexandros knew they were in a temple, and Alexandros was happy because he had never been allowed inside a temple before. Except those of Poseidon. But Alexandros had stopped praying to Poseidon ages ago. He didn't think Poseidon was a very good father.

"You did very well, Alexandros. You saved us from the Hydra- not that we needed saving," The Magic Lady told him with an uneasy glance at Athena.

Athena crossed her arms and began pacing around the room. She said, "I agree. I for one am surprised that an offspring of Poseidon could be so honorable. We owe our dignities to you. I detest your father and many of your brethren, and should kill you on the spot, but I will make an exception for your courageous behavior. I know what you will ask for in return, but I cannot grant it. Only Lord Zeus has that power."

Alexandros cocked his head to the side. Alexandros was glad he wouldn't be killed, but had no idea what Athena was talking about, so he decided to ask.

"Why, immortality, of course!" Athena narrowed her eyes. "Unless that is not what you desire?"

The Magic Lady placed a hand on Athena's shoulder. Her eyes twinkled, and Alexandros swore he saw her wink as she said, "Calm down, Athena. You yourself said that we cannot gift him immortality anyway, and besides, I have a better plan in mind."

She knelt down and looked at Alexandros. Alexandros had always been scared of her followers, the empousa, but felt instantly at home with The Magic Lady. Her eyes changed from blue to green to orange and many other pretty colors as she studied him. She stood back up and whispered something to Athena.

Athena turned to Alexandros and said, "We are forever indebted to you for sending that Hydra back to Tartarus. In return, I will gift you intelligence equal to mine, a complete arsenal of Celestial Bronze weapons, and as many books as you would like." She looked at him expectantly, but Alexandros didn't know quite what to say. Actually, Alexandros could not read. Nobody had taught him how. But Alexandros knew that reading was a very nice thing to know, and he would soon be able to do so with his new knowledge. So Alexandros said thank you, sat up (his head hurt with the effort) and knelt in front of Athena.

Athena placed her hand on his, and Alexandros felt a surge of power rush into his brain. He shut his eyes until the feeling passed. When he opened them again, they were in a library filled with books Alexandros had never seen before - The Iliad, The Odyssey, Harry Potter - and Alexandros suddenly realized that he could read the titles on the books! He could read! He smiled widely, and Athena smiled back, saying, "these are books from the past, present, and future. That means you have to keep this library a secret from everyone else, okay?" Alexandros nodded eagerly. Athena then handed him a large box and told him it contained two of every type of weapon in the world, all modified so they only kill monsters. He was just about to open it when Hecate (he now knew her name was pronounced Heh-ka-tay) The Magic Lady coughed.

"Athena, you were not planning on letting him forget my gifts, I hope?" she asked, shaking her head. Hecate then turned to Alexandros. "You now have superb intelligence and the ability to defend yourself, but you will never truly fit in with others because of your appearance." She sighed.

"It is a cruel world we live in, where your appearances and where you come from are judged before you can truly show your abilities. Therefore, as my part of the gift, I will give you this-" she held out a small metal pin with Alexandros' name on it, like what some demigods wore when the convened in the city. "It looks like a Roman probatio tablet, but releases a powerful mist that will fool even the Gods into thinking that you are human in appearance. The Demigods and humans will no longer terrorize you."

Alexandros took the pin and fastened it to his toga. Athena took a step back in shock, and Hecate smiled in satisfaction. The mist had worked!

"Thank you, Athena and Hecate," he said, kneeling once again.

The two goddesses disappeared into the mist.

Two Centuries Later

Rome

Alexandros, being a cyclops, could not die unless he was killed and sent to Tartarus. That is why he wisely stayed out of the conflicts that occasionally erupted around him, citing "bad eyesight" (it is hard, after all, to see clearly out of one eye) to keep him out of the army. However, living in Athens, where everyone knew him, became quite hard after people started to wonder why he was still the same age even though ninety years had passed.

So Alexandros packed up and moved to Sparta, then to Corinth, Argos, Thebes (where he met a man named Hercules who seemed to be everywhere), and many other places to avoid suspicious glances. To his delight, Alexandros found that his library followed him on his travels and situated itself in an abandoned location close to each of his new homes. Everyday, Alexandros sacrificed some of his food to Athena and Hecate for granting him the gifts that allowed him to live without fear.

Recently, Alexandros had moved to a city called Rome (Hecate had mentioned it all those years ago) that was supposedly founded by a son of Aphrodite. Rome was not like any other place Alexandros had lived before - they worshipped the same Gods, but with different names and characteristics, used Gold instead of Bronze for their weapons, and the army fought all together instead of groups of three. In addition, Rome was seemed to be more sound and advanced than anywhere else. They seemed to conquer another area every other day. There was even talk that they had taken the Athena Parthenos from its temple! Alexandros was fairly certain that this was just a rumor, but it unsettled him nonetheless. Luckily, unconquered areas outside of Rome still held on to old principles, and Alexandros was planning to move away from the Roman Empire in a few decades. Despite the advancements in Rome, their new ideas startled him.

Alexandros had been managing his stall in the market for many years now, selling homemade wooden items and ornaments. It was a good job, allowed him to work with his hands, and earned him enough denarii to maintain and add to the library. Still, he was desperate for company. Despite having a human-like appearance, Alexandros was weary of forming friendships with anyone other than cyclopes because of his previous experiences with the Demigods in Athens. He wished Athena or Hecate would drop by once in awhile, but he knew that as Goddesses, they probably forgot about him or did not have the time to visit.

Alexandros was surprised when a pretty young women with startling gray eyes started coming to his stall almost every day, buying one if his more intricate designs (a wheelbarrow, a mechanical horse, and a miniature flying owl, amongst others), and paying him almost double the price before leaving. In the beginning, she would flash him a small smile, but lately, she had been getting increasingly sullen.

Meanwhile, people even outside of Rome starting telling myths of the Gods being more strict and disciplined, and temples had started using the Roman names and adorning the statues with purple togas as opposed to the white chitons usually used. Alexandros was curious about this, but assumed it was just a fad that will pass over soon.

However, he changed his opinion the day he saw the grey-eyed woman accidentally drop a silver drachma while paying for a bag of olives at a nearby stand. Alexandros ran over to pick it up, and when he did, he noticed the markings on the drachma: AOE - Of the Athenians. Alexandros had not seen the symbol in a long, long time, especially since many greek city-states switched to using denarii as well. The coin grew warm in his hand as he held it, and he almost dropped it in surprise. That was when he noticed the owl symbol on the back.

Slowly, Alexandros began piecing together the clues that had been lingering at the back of his mind. He now understood why the grey-eyed woman was so interested in his designs, why she carried around silver drachma, and why she has become so unfriendly. The woman was none other than Athena, and Alexandros was fairly certain she needed his help!

Alexandros quickly pocketed the drachma (ignoring the searing pain against his thigh as he did so) and ran after Athena. He caught up with her a few minutes later as she stood in the middle of a bridge, and made the mistake of tapping her shoulder to get her attention. She whirled around, grabbed his wrist, and was about to flip him over her back (and surely, into the ocean), when she suddenly dropped his arm. Alexandros landed back on his feet, safe and sound. Athena then turned around to face the ocean over which the were standing, and murmured, "I used to be strong, but they have changed me. I no longer have power or influence. I am a shell."

Alexandros looked at her, feeling confused. He took the drachma out of his pocket and held it out, saying, "Excuse me, Athena, I believe you dropped this? Are you feeling alright? I have some extra ambrosia if you wish…"

Athena jumped, as if just noticing that Alexandros was still there. She grabbed the drachma back, then stared at him with interest. "They call me Minerva now, cast me from their prayers, made me gentle." She spat the last word as if she had swallowed a jug of vinegar while saying it. "You…I know you. We have met in the past…yes, such a long time ago. You call me Athena, so you must be my son, and you will avenge me. Fix me, restore me, and you will be awarded."

Alexandros took a step back. Something was terribly wrong, and he had to fix it without getting killed in the process. "I am sorry, um, Minerva. I am not a Demigod, I am a cyclops. You gifted me superior knowledge and weapons, and Hecate gave me a human-like appearance when I sav- I mean, when I killed a hydra back in Athens, remember?" Alexandros asked pleadingly.

Briefly, Minerva changed appearance, wearing armor and carrying her shield. Her eyes sparkled again, just for a moment, before she turned back into the sullen woman Alexandros had grown accustomed to. She rubbed her eyes, saying, "Yes…I remember you. You are from a time long gone. Your people, my people, have long since betrayed me," she grabbed his wrist, "but you have not. You have remained loyal. And so, Alexandros, even though you are not my son, you will still avenge me."

Suddenly, Minerva became Athena again. She now wore armor, carried her shield, and her grey eyes were filled with intelligence and warmth. She whispered quickly, "I cannot control what I am about to do. You must help, or my children will forever be cursed. You must take this drachma. If a Demigod comes to you with a matching one, help them. Keep them safe until Tiberius comes. But don't tell them who you are. This is a journey that they must complete by themselves. Promise me you will keep them safe for as long as you can. Promise me." Her grip on his wrist tightened and Alexandros nodded fervently, unsure of what exactly Athena was saying, but understanding its importance. She smiled, then immediately changed back into Minerva.

Minerva pressed the drachma into his palm, and with a quick nod, disappeared into the mist.

December 2014

Rome, Italy

Alexandros never left Rome. Athena's last words to him made him certain that the demigods in danger, whoever they were, would start their journey in Rome. So in Rome he stayed.

As soon as Minerva left him with the drachma all those years ago, Alexandros had immediately gone to his library and read up on why Athena's personality kept changing. He learned that Western Civilization was a phenomenon in which the God's center of power shifted westward. When he met her so many years ago, Athena was in the midst of the shift from Greek to Roman. Her Roman aspect was much more demure, and she was no longer as respected - which explains her anger at the time. This thirst for revenge manifested itself into a trail called the Mark of Athena, which her children followed in hopes of uniting the Greek and Roman sides of the Gods.

In the years that had passed, Alexandros had moved into a building near the River Tiber, where he apprenticed himself to a cook who taught him to make the traditional European food that most demigods craved. When his master died, Alexandros took over the restaurant and placed protections around it to ward off monsters. He also conducted a simple spell (using the pin Hecate gave him and a book he found in his library) to make any child of Athena suddenly feel an urge to enter the restaurant. He met many demigods over the next few centuries, and always made sure they ate enough and had enough nectar, ambrosia, and water with them (if they didn't, he discreetly slipped some into their packs) before he called Tiberius to take them wherever they would be going. He never saw any of them again.

With the rise of Christianity and the so-called "fall of the Roman Empire," Alexandros saw, at most, one demigod a year. As the Gods passed out of rome and into France and Britain, most of Athena's children who were sent to follow the Mark did not make it to Italy. Even if they did, they were ill-equipped to deal with the ancient monsters found in Rome, and did not survive far enough to reach the restaurant.

Then, the Gods moved to the Americas, on the other side of the world. The demigod count reduced to about one per decade, but Alexandros still remained in the restaurant, just in case. With everyone more concerned with the phone in their pockets than with the world around them, no one noticed the fact that he had been managing the restaurant for more than a millennia, so Alexandros saw no reason for leaving anyway.

For the better part of the last decade, the Gods had been in a panic because Kronos was rising again. Alexandros was terrified - he wasn't even aware such a thing was possible! For whatever reason, the rise of her grandfather seemed to have made Minerva more intent on revenge, for Alexandros saw no less than fifty-five demigods pass through his doors in the past two years alone. It is for this reason that Alexandros talked Hermes into dropping care packages for them wherever they went - he wanted to give them a fighting chance. Even then, Alexandros knew that none of the demigods survived.

And now, with Kronos defeated, Alexandros had hoped that things would settle down again. Then one day, Hermes appeared again in the restaurant, and handed Alexandros a note, before leaving quickly without saying anything. Concerned, Alexandros read the note:

Dear Alexandros,

Technically, I can't talk about this. It could upset the balance of power in Olympus and destroy the world. But you should know that a new prophecy has been issued- (It was not new, Alexandros knew of the Prophecy of the 7 since he read the Sibylline Books, but the Greek demigods were decidedly behind on their method of fortune telling)- and the demigods believe this prophecy will take place in the very far future. However, Perseus Jackson, the son of Poseidon who lead the Army against Kronos, and Jason Grace, the son of Jupiter who lead the attack against Mount Othrys, have "gone missing." In other words, Hera has taken them hostage with the intent of switching them to the other camp in order to facilitate good relations between the Greek and Roman Demigods so a mixed group will form the Prophecy of the 7.

Now, you know as well as I do that this will not work. The only way to get peace is for the Mark of Athena to be completed. This means that there will soon be another civil war, as well as a war against the Giants.

I have talked with Apollo, and he has predicted that one of the 7 of the Prophecy will be a child of Athena. They stand a very good chance of finishing the Quest, should they be selected - and I'm fairly certain that they will be, especially since Minerva has recently taken an affinity for the New York Subway.

Because they will be following the Mark during the larger quest, they will have monsters, giants, and Gaea herself on their trail. Please keep a lookout for them. Athena pleads with you to keep them safe at all costs. Do not let them out of your sight until they are safely with Tiberius.

Thank You and Best Wishes,

Lord Hermes on the behalf of Lady Athena

Alexandros reread the letter, memorized its contents, then tore the paper up and put it in the fire. He couldn't risk having the information fall into the wrong hands. Privately, he thought that this new demigod could not possibly be stronger than the hundreds that had come before him. And much as Alexandros wanted to see the Mark of Athena finally completed, he had no hope in the next chosen son of Athena. They would be too preoccupied with the Prophecy and the Civil War and the Giant War to focus properly. Still, Alexandros began placing orders on Hermes Express for nectar, ambrosia, and bandages. Even if the demigod doesn't need them, extra supplies wouldn't hurt.

July 2015

Rome, Italy

Alexandros smelt the boy from a mile away (he was a cyclops, after all). He and his girlfriend (tall and blonde: a typical american teenage girl) were holding hands and wandering around the city, asking everyone they passed for directions to the river that was right in front of them. Judging from their expressions and the reactions of the people they stopped, it seemed as though neither of them had bothered to brush up on their Italian, nor did they have water or euros to purchase a drink (for a son of Athena, the boy seemed to be quite stupid). Alexandros watched them with a mixture of pity and annoyance.

Suddenly, the girl stopped and opened her backpack. She took out the strangest laptop Alexandros had ever seen, typed something into it, then grinned triumphantly. To Alexandros' shock, she now held what appeared to be a credit card. The boy looked at her with amazement before running into the soda shop nearby. Alexandros shook his head and suppressed a smile. The girl acted more like a child of Athena than the boy did. If Alexandros did not know any better, he would have thought the girl was the one following the Mark. That was nonsense, of course - Minerva only ever picked boys to complete the quest.

Alexandros turned back into his restaurant to attend more customers. He figured the children would find the river at some point, and he still had work to do.

A Few Minutes Later

Rome, Italy

The demigods were surprisingly quick. After what seemed like five minutes after stopped watching them, Alexandros saw the children just outside their restaurant, watching the river. He looked at the clock: it was Noon, still too early to eat. They would probably go see the Colosseum or something before coming back for lunch.

Alexandros was mistaken. Not only did they come in, but the girl ordered a large panini, while the boy ordered an entire pizza to himself. Alexandros looked at the boy, annoyed. He had not even started preparing the dough he had kept aside for their arrival (he had anticipated that pizza would be necessary; American demigods had strange taste buds).

Without meaning to, Alexandros replied condescendingly, "Of course you would, signor. And let me guess: a Coca-Cola? With ice?"

"Awesome," the boy replied, with a confused expression. Perhaps he wasn't quite so daft after all.

Alexandros went into the kitchen to begin preparing their giant meal (no pun intended). As he cooked, he overheard the girl saying, "I think Italians eat a lot later in the day. They don't put ice in their drinks. And they only do pizza for tourists." Finally, a demigod with some knowledge other than how to best maim a person. Alexandros was seriously thinking that she would be better off following the Mark than the boy would be. Especially when the boy replied, "The best Italian food, and they don't even eat it?"

This boy was seriously starting to irritate Alexandros. He could tell the he was actually quite intelligent, but did not seem to have a lot of common sense. Still, perhaps his muscles would be of help when he was battling whatever it was he would face on the quest.

Alexandros watched to the two demigods talk for a while. They were now sitting outside, holding hands across the table. The boy was especially fidgety (that would be his battle reflexes, or perhaps just worry), and he could tell the girl was trying not to show how scared she was. Alexandros had read enough love stories to know that these two had been a lot together, and felt a pang of sympathy for them. He took the pizza out of the oven, and began walking their lunch to their table.

He was about to place the food down, when he overheard the girl saying, "Percy, you can't carry the weight of this whole quest. It's impossible. That's why there are seven of us. And you'll have to let me search for the Athena Parthenos on my own."

Alexandros almost dropped the plates in surprise. For as long as he could remember, Minerva had never chosen a girl hero to complete the Mark. And the quest involved searching for the Athena Parthenos? Alexandros was quite certain the ancient statue had been destroyed centuries ago. Or, perhaps, it was merely hidden…

Now that he realized that the girl would be the one following the Mark of Athena, Alexandros was much calmer and less worried. She stood a much better fighting chance then the boy - Percy, the famed son of Poseidon - would have. Alexandros set the plates down, saying, "It is a beautiful view," nodding toward the river, "enjoy, please."

Alexandros left the teenagers alone while they ate, and took the opportunity to open the box Hermes had dropped off that morning. When they were not looking, he slipped the girl's backpack from her chair and into the kitchen, where he placed extra clothes, water, ambrosia, and a spool of string inside. When he came back out, he saw Rhea Silvia and Tiberius already there, despite the fact that Alexandros had not called them. Perhaps Hermes had payed them a visit too. He quickly put the girl's backpack back in its place and watched as the demigods shook hands with Tiberius and the girl climbed onto the motorcycle and rode away into the city.

September 2015

Rome, Italy

Alexandros had not heard back from Tiberius, Athena, Hermes Percy, or the girl, Annabeth Chase, so he had assumed that Annabeth did not survive either of the quests. He had heard a rumor that Percy and Annabeth's blood was used to awaken Gaea, which confirmed his assumption. Alexandros was not surprised, but quite sad. It would have been a great thing for a female to have retrieved the Athena Parthenos.

So Alexandros was shocked when he received a letter from Athena. It read:

Dear Alexandros,

When Hermes told me that he told you that Percy and Annabeth's blood were used to awaken Gaea, I was ready to slap him. For whatever reason, he chose not to say that the two demigods are still alive. They survived the war!

But prior to this, Annabeth successfully rescued my statue and had it transported to Camp Half-Blood to unite the Greek and Roman demigods, completing the Mark of Athena and uniting my two forms. She could not have done so had you not taken her in so Tiberius could find her. The string and water you placed in her backpack proved to be very useful during the quest.

Unfortunately, she and Percy were dragged into Tartarus by my old foe Arachne, who had been guarding the statue. They trudged through the Pit for days and would not have survived had it not been for the extra Ambrosia you placed in Annabeth's backpack before she left your restaurant. Luckily, she had put the Ambrosia in her pockets, so it was not lost along with her backpack during her fall. Regardless, without you, I would not have my child alive today. I cannot thank you enough for your service to me and the thousands of my children who have come before Annabeth did.

I still have not come up with a suitable reward for you, but you will receive some large gift for your courage and kindness.

Love,

Lady Athena & the rest of the Olympians

Alexandros was so happy he offered everyone who came into his restaurant free desserts for the day. He did not care for a reward, but his joy stemmed from the fact that finally, a demigod survived the quest. And the recognition from the Gods themselves were a huge bonus as well. Alexandros carefully placed the letter inside his box of weapons in the library for safekeeping.

When he came back out, he saw the entire Olympian Council (sans Apollo, for some reason), along with Chiron, Annabeth, Percy, and the five other demigods of the Prophecy in his restaurant.

Lord Zeus stepped forward, and said rather pompously, "I still have one final gift to give today to a hero from the Giant war. For helping Annabeth Chase complete the Mark of Athena and reunite the Roman and Greek camps, I give Alexandros, Cyclops and son of Poseidon, immortality."

The demigods clapped and cheered, and Alexandros swore he saw Percy whisper, "he has no reason to say no" (Annabeth responded by kissing him on the cheek). The two of them walked forward and hugged Alexandros. Annabeth handed him a small replica of the Athena Parthenos inside the Parthenon, and said, "I made this as a small gift for you, as a thank you." He placed it gently on the counter behind him before kneeling in front of Zeus.

After all the time he spent looking after the demigods, Alexandros could now look after himself. He had always wanted to see Paris, and New York, and London. But first, he would go back to Greece - back home.