I hated New Rome in the summer. Even before the city had become so crowded, New Rome had always been sweltering in the hot months. But now, with the city bursting at the seams and sprawling in every direction, the heat was oppressive. It was the kind of heat that made it hard to get your head straight. My thoughts felt slow and sluggish. It didn't bode well.

I was supposed to meet my informant at the corner of Jackson Square. The kid was late – as usual. I reminded myself to stop using street urchins to get my news. Most of the time they never showed up, and even when they did what they gave me was normally useless. I sighed and checked my watch. I'd wait another minute.

I slouched in the shade of an overhanging archway, and casually watched the passers-by. A statue of the great Percy Jackson stood at the center of the square, in the middle of a fountain that had long since stopped working. Water was too scarce, even to be used to adorn a monument to one of the city's greatest heroes. The teenager, etched in stone, gazed over the rooftops, a quiet smile tugging at his lips. I wondered what the guy had been like, and whether he was enjoying Olympus after Zeus made him a god. It made my stomach turn to think about Percy floating up somewhere in the sky, scoffing down ambrosia, while the rest of us suffered in the world he'd left behind.

Percy would not have recognised New Rome. It was amazing to see how much the city had changed in just the space of a few years. Unfortunately, the place had not transformed for the better. After Gaea had been defeated and the gods felt safe again, they'd started to recognise more and more of their descendants and legacies. They thought they were doing them a favour of course; who wouldn't be over the moon to find out that their parent was a god, right? Well, turns out it's less people than you'd think.

Once these people had their eyes opened to this new world of magic and monsters, there was no turning back. People who'd once lived ordinary lives as accountants and school teachers suddenly didn't know what the hell was true anymore. Their entire existence screwed up overnight. Must have been quite the headache.

For those that didn't completely lose their minds, there was only place to go; New Rome. With this giant influx of people, the once charming little town had become a giant, ugly metropolis. And you put that amount of people together in one spot… well, it's only a matter of time before they start rubbing each other the wrong way. Factor in that most of these legacies didn't even want to be here in the first place, and you had a simmering pot of anger and resentment just waiting to boil over.

I felt a tug at my sleeve.

"Hey Liam!" I turned to see a grubby little face grinning up at me, eyes bright beneath a mop of dirty blonde hair.

"What's up Jimmy" I replied, raising my eyebrows when I saw a large bruise beginning to blossom purple on his arm. "I thought you were keeping out of trouble these days?"

Jimmy shrugged nonchalantly.

"Got on the wrong side of a legionary's pilum. You know how it is."

I smiled.

"Certainly do."

Jimmy scratched furiously for a moment at an itch behind his ear, before shaking himself like a dog.

"How'd you get kicked out of the legion anyway?" he asked offhandedly. "Watcha do?"

I laughed.

"One of these days I might tell you, Jimmy. But your note said you have information for me."

Jimmy nodded furiously.

"Yup. Sure do. But I want my denarii first."

I shook my head.

"That's not how it works, Jimmy. Information first. If it proves useful, then you get your money."

Jimmy groaned.

"You're a real hard-ass, you know that?" he told me reproachfully. "Fine. I've heard from a couple of people that who you're looking for hangs out in an old apartment block on Caesar's Lane. Always lounging about there, apparently."

He held out his hand.

"Now, denarii."

I tutted.

"Not a chance. You're going to take me there. If what you say is right, you'll get what you're owed."

Jimmy looked like he was tempted to argue but thought better of it. He turned on his heel and headed off westwards, leaving me scrambling to keep up.

Hey everyone, this is my first fan fic so I hope you all enjoy! This is a darker take on the Percy Jackson universe, and will be in the detective/crime/mystery genre. New Rome has evolved (for reasons that will become clear) into a big, sprawling metropolis that is rife with crime and corruption. Liam Davis – the protagonist – is a classic anti-hero who gets involved in a giant conspiracy way over his head! If you're a fan of crime dramas, then you'll love what I have planned! Don't forget to review and dm me if you have any thoughts :)