Note/Disclaimer: I don't own the world/characters etc. Rick Riordan does. (Yay for Rick & his awesome world).

Also, I hope you enjoy this chapter : )

Many years later…

Chapter 1 : PERCY

When Percy saw the one called Annabeth, he was sure he would die. Which he found kind of ironic, because he'd always assumed that it would be some sort of monster or god that put an end to him. Not a demigod, certainly not one with startling grey eyes. You know, the kind that are stormy but also weirdly mesmerising… which was, of course, completely besides the point! Because she was an enemy. Who was about to kill him. Percy gritted his teeth. Stupid Octavian, he thought, that no good piece of…

Although it wasn't all Octavian's fault, Percy still believed the Augur was responsible for starting this whole mess. A group of water nymphs had come to Camp Jupiter asking for help because their friends had been captured by an old sea god who was imprisoning nymphs, among other creatures, in an aquarium in Atlanta. Octavian had jumped at the chance to send Percy on this quest.

"Neptune's son is the only person for the job, really," he'd insisted in New Rome, the senators nodding along like bobble heads. "Would anyone disagree? The mission should be simple enough; he need not take many supplies, nor many companions." When Percy had scoffed at that part, Octavian had raised an eyebrow. "Well, we should definitely admire how you know your limits." Percy had set his jaw. Don't punch him again, he'd had to remind himself, don't punch him again. "If you really feel a bit… hmm, concerned about your competency, I will send my faithful comrade Felix to assist you. He's very trustworthy. And Reyna can join you too, she's certainly very skilled." Yeah, and she's also a strong candidate for Praetor. You'd love to get her out of the way. Percy wasn't exactly sure what, but he knew Octavian was up to something.

Praetor elections were quickly coming up and it was no surprise that Octavian wanted the job. Thankfully, there were a few candidates even more popular than him, probably because they didn't have to buy half their votes.

In front of the senate, in front of Octavian, Percy had frowned. He had found it weird that the nymphs had come first to Octavian, instead of the Camp's Praetors; Jason and Helen (who was resigning after many years of service and was heading off to college). It was also weird that Octavian had called this meeting so quickly, enthusiasm practically pouring off him. "So it's settled." Octavian had smirked. "After all," and here he had turned his back to the senate, shooting Percy a special look of hatred, "such a strong candidate for future Praetor should find quests like this easily doable. And we really can't spare that many soldiers, what with our effort to rebuild and renew the city after that Titan War."

What was a son of Neptune to do? Percy couldn't have declined, not after being put on the spot like that. He hadn't wanted to decline either-he'd wanted to help...

But, now, actually carrying out the quest, he wished he'd been given more supplies. Plus, he wished more of his friends had come along; Jason, Hazel or even his newest friend, Frank.

Reyna and Percy worked well together, but Felix was very snippy and degrading. Mind you, he'd gone from initially being a pain in Percy's podex to actually saving his podex (well, sort of; Felix had, just five minutes ago, pushed Percy aside and stopped him from being squashed by a flying sea monster).

The three of them were currently sprinting out of the Georgia Aquarium as fast as they could, having worked together with some water nymphs to free the imprisoned sea creatures, who they'd managed to transport back into deep sea waters magically (hey, you gotta love the power a very large group of water nymphs have to create a water portal). Phorcys and Keto, the two gods in charge of the whole enclosure, were not pleased. Phorcys wasn't an issue (Percy and Reyna had taken care of him) but Keto was, unfortunately, alive and ANGRY.

She yelled behind them. "I WILL FEED YOU TO MY BABIES AFTER CHOPPING YOU INTO BITE SIZED PIECES!" But thankfully she wasn't in sight yet.

"Okay," Percy panted, noticing that the aquarium-tunnel branched into three different pathways ahead. "Does everyone have the weapons Hazel gave us? Good, new plan. Those weapons can blow any tunnel's wall open. We split up and escape. That'll make it harder for Keto, hopefully." The other two grunted their agreement.

"Meet up at the rendezvous spot," Felix reminded. Then each demigod took a separate pathway.

Percy's tunnel was the left path. It was essentially a maintenance tunnel that must only have popped up because the magic of this place was fading. The cages and boxes that lined the walls were empty, thankfully… Hang on. Except one.

Percy paused. He glanced at a cage, devoid of water, and saw the most unusual thing. A faun. Sitting in the cage. With a rasta baseball cap clutched nervously in his hands.

Percy's eyes widened.

The faun was much older than when Percy last saw him, but Percy recognized him instantly. Percy felt like Phorcys had just summoned another ice cold tidal wave to flatten him. He froze and suddenly an old memory danced at the forefront of his mind. One in which this faun was screaming. One in which a minotaur was chasing them. One that he hadn't thought about in many, many years.

No, not faun. Satyr. No, not Satyr. Grover.

"Yeah, that's me." Grover looked at Percy nervously. Percy hadn't realized he'd spoken aloud. "Um, you don't work for Phorcys do you? Because, I swear, I'll pay you triple what you're getting now if you let me go. I mean, maybe not right away-I don't have good credit right now-but maybe we can work out a 12 month interest free plan-"

"Grover, no-"

"Okay, okay, six months interest free! If you agree right now, I'll throw in my hat. Plus a year's supply of tin cans."

"Grover, it's me!" At Grover's blank look, Percy faltered. "Er, Percy. Percy Jackson. Um, you saved me when I was younger, remember? Dude what happened? I never saw you again."

Grover's eyes widened. "Percy…? Wait a minute. Percy!" He rubbed his eyes. "You look so… Gods, your aura, it's like you're a sea god…! So I'm guessing your father was Poseidon?" Percy blinked. "Um, just double checking… you don't work for Phorcys, right?" Grover asked nervously.

It was then Percy realized this was not the time to stand around and catch up. He raised Riptide and slashed at the glass cage, breaking it on the fifth try. Grover looked grateful as he tripped and tumbled out. You know, before he fell flat on his face.

Percy was about to lower his sword and help the satyr up when-

"Hey! Fish face!" Yelled a girl. Percy looked back the way he had come but there was no one there. He whipped to face the other end of the tunnel, the exit.

"Yeah, right here seaweed brain." A girl glared at him. She had blonde hair and startling grey eyes. Even from this far away he could catch the glint of a dagger. "Let - my - friend - go." She spat the words and charged.

Too late Percy realized how the scene looked from her point of view; here he was, still holding Riptide above his head, Grover sprawled at his feet, looking like he had a minor concussion. Plus, it didn't help that this was an aquarium run by evil sea gods and Percy was apparently very identifiable as a 'sea person'.

Then she tackled him to the ground and he realised this girl had moves. His shoulder hit the wall hard and his left arm was pinned under his body. Percy grunted in pain. In an instant the girl's dagger was at his throat. Her grey eyes were big and bright and completely focused on him. "Don't you dare move," she snarled. She continued to study him as she added, "Grover, you okay?"

"Annabeth," Grover groaned and slowly got to his feet. "He's … a demigod too…"

"A Loner? Someone from Camp Half-Blood? I've never seen him around," Annabeth glared at Percy.

"Well, no, I don't think he's any of those things," Grover admitted groggily.

"I thought so." Annabeth still didn't look away. She was smart; she didn't underestimate him. "We've met plenty of evil demigods," she reminded Grover. "Don't worry, I can handle this."

"But, he's… not bad," Grover protested, regaining his strength. "Actually, maybe he is a loner..." Grover suddenly sounded anxious, like he was trying to correct a mistake.

"Listen to Grover," Percy added, "And get off me! Before I-"

"What? Continue to be pinned down and pose absolutely no threat?" Annabeth's expression was unreadable. "Grover, he's an enemy. Can't you sense it?"

Percy wanted to protest; Grover certainly was. But the thing was, she was absolutely right. Percy had a strange feeling gnawing at his gut that this was wrong, that being in this girl's presence was dangerous. His instincts told him that he was extremely close to being a demigod shish kebab. And that, if by chance he got the opportunity to turn the tables, he should take it…

But, this girl, Annabeth. Was an extremely strong 'feeling' that she was an enemy enough for him to attack? She was protecting her friend, Grover, and he could understand that.

He glanced at her orange t-shirt. Being dyslexic, words always seemed to get jumbled in his mind. He had assumed the shirt had said Hamper Flood. Weird, right, but Percy hadn't thought much of it. Now, this close up, he realized it actually said Camp Half Blood…

Keto yelled behind them, causing all three of them to jump. She was still far off, and Percy used the opportunity to push Annabeth back; she cursed in another language - Greek, Percy realized - and her blade moved towards him. He met it with his sword (quite an achievement in such close quarters) and they were at a stalemate, neither demigod keen to actually put enough power in their strike to hurt the other.

As Keto's voice got closer Annabeth made an old gesture with her free hand, so subtly he was sure she hadn't realized she was doing it. But he knew it was to ward off evil. He'd seen Greek gods doing it (whenever he went on quests alone he would weirdly sometimes meet the Greek aspects of gods and goddesses. He obviously chose to not mention this to Octavian or the rest of the Camp.) Which meant…

A crazy thought started forming in Percy's head. One in which Annabeth was Greek and Octavian was right. One in which Greek demigods actually existed...

Suddenly, he was back in the passenger seat of an SUV, asking Grover what Camp he was being taken too. Then he was talking to his mom three years later; the same conversation they always had, where he asked her to explain why she'd not been happy when they'd reached Lupa. He'd assumed Camp Jupiter had been the correct camp after all. Each time, she gave a vague answer. Percy began re-living how he'd been mocked during his first few months at camp, called Graecus scum by Lares and Octavian's friends ('You just look of Greek heritage,' Jason had assured him). Percy recalled Octavian's stories about Greek demigods being evil creatures. Scheming Greeks, Octavian would lecture them, they're traitors! All of them!

Annabeth was a... Greek demigod. Instinctively, Percy knew this was true. Grover was Greek too, most likely. So. They were enemies then.

So get rid of them already, Octavian's voice spoke in his head, high and angry. Getting rid of them... That would be what the Augur, what the Romans, what his home, his Camp, would expect him to do. As a soldier of Rome, a potential Praetor, it was his job to eliminate threats to the Legion. If legends were anything to believe, Greek demigods were major threats. Then eliminate this girl, this threat, now! Percy could just imagine Octavian screaming those words at him.

But, Percy thought, I don't want to.