Disclaimer: All rights to Rick Riordan. I do not claim possession of his property. I am not going to repeat this every chapter so this disclaimer applies to this entire fan-fiction.
Leo
I honestly hate guard duty. Nothing interesting ever happens. All I do is just stand in one place for countless hours. Some people have the great fortune of at least finding a recruit on duty but not me. Plus, I always get assigned the worst partners. My current partner is John and he is a son of Minerva. Don't get me wrong, the guy is a genius but just imagined having to listen to him talk about science for hours. Yeah, now you feel my pain. I mean he is a pretty…. I was brought out of my train of thought by John's scream.
"Leo look", John shouted as he pointed towards the entrance. I followed his finger and I blinked twice as I could not believe what I was seeing. There was a boy walking towards us and I am pretty sure he was a demigod because his attire was partly destroyed. I mean his shirt was filled with claw holes and his pants were no better either. Plus, he was bleeding profusely from the numerous cuts that he had. I caught up to John as he jogged towards the stranger. When we got close enough to him, two swords sprang to life in his hands. He took a battle stance and bellowed, "Leave me alone or perish".
John put up both hands in the air and I followed his example. "Relax, we come in peace. We are the guards for the gates of Camp Jupiter", I said seriously. I do not know why but something about this guy gave me the feeling that he is not someone who you want to mess with.
"Did you say Camp Jupiter?" the mystery man asked. We nodded our heads in response and the swords disappeared The guy started to jump up and down screaming that he made it. As I saw the show he was putting on, I instantly knew that we would get along perfectly. It was at this point that I finally got a good chance to look at mystery guy. He was about my height and he had brown, unkempt hair. He had sea green guys and was very built for his age. He looked like a soldier already and he has not even been to camp yet.
He finally calmed down and regained his composure.
"My apologies but it's been a long two weeks if you know what I mean", mystery guy said with a chuckle.
"No I don't actually, it took me a couple of days to reach Camp Jupiter when I left the Wolf House", John said.
"Yeah same here and I did not look like a zombie when I arrived either", I added. John glared at me for my remarks but mystery guy laughed.
"Good one uhhhh, wait what are your names?" mystery guy asked.
"My name is John and I am a son of Minerva", John said softly.
"That's cool John. You must be very smart. What about you funny guy?" he asked as he pointed at me.
"Oh me? My name is Leo Valdez and I am a son of Vulcan", I said proudly.
"That's pretty cool as well. You must be pretty handy with your hands. Okay so what's next? I want to get something to eat and have a shower. Please tell that you guys have those here", the mystery guy pleaded.
"Well now we escort you to the senate hall to meet our Praetors and yes we have showers and food. What's your name though?" I asked.
"My name is Perseus Jackson and I am the son of Neptune", Perseus said confidently. I did a double take at his announcement and I noticed that John did too. It was not often that children of the big three came to camp especially those of Neptune. Romans do not give Neptune much respect and that lack of respect was inherited by his children. Hence, the reason why it is unusual for Neptune's children to come to camp. I feel sorry for the poor kid. He will be treated worse than Minerva's kids and the sad part is that he seems pretty cool. Nevertheless, I escorted Perseus to the senate hall while John stayed to guard the gate. I gave him a half of my sandwich that I was saving for lunch as we left the gates for the senate hall. Perseus thank me and started to devour the sandwich
We were on our way to the senate hall when Perseus asked, "So what is camp like?"
I debated internally whether I should be honest or just lie to him. He seemed like someone I could be friends with in the future so I decided against lying. "Camp is great if you are in the 1st cohort, good if you are in the 2nd, 3rd or 4th cohort and horrible if you are in the 5th cohort", I responded. Perseus seemed a bit taken back from my response but it was the truth.
"Why is it great in the 1st and horrible in the 5th?" Percy asked curiously.
I took a deep breath before saying that, " The 1st cohort are where all the prized jewels of the legion are kept. Only the best of the best are presumably allowed in the 1st cohort. One has to be promoted into the 1st cohort normally while individuals are just placed in the other cohorts based on the need for soldiers. The only exceptions as it relates to placement in the first is if you are the child of a major Roman god such as Mars or Jupiter as they do not want to disrespect them by placing their children in a lower cohort. Another exception is if you are the child of a lesser Roman god such as Minerva or Neptune then you will most likely be placed in the fifth which is basically where they keep the spoiled eggs of the bunch. Well that is how they treat us at least. They treat us as lesser beings than them and they make us feel like we do not belong here. That is why the 1st is great and the 5th is horrible. The system I just described to you is known as the cohort hierarchy system. Does my answer satisfy you?" I asked.
"Yes", Perseus replied sadly. The poor lad must be disappointed with the news that I just shared with him.
"Don't look so down. There is a chance that you might get placed in one of the higher cohorts and worst comes to worst then you will have me", I said with a smile.
Perseus returned my smile and said, "Thank you Leo. I really appreciate it".
"No problem", I replied as we entered the senate hall.
Percy
'The senate hall was huge and magnificent', I thought when I walked into the senate hall. There were statues lining the walls and the entire room was mostly white. The walls were white while everything else such as the statues were gold. There were two golden chairs in the front of the senate hall and there were rows of benches directly in front of them. In the two golden chairs sat a boy and a girl who I assumed were the leaders of the camp. Leo walked forward and gave the leaders a slight bow. I followed his example afterwards.
"Greetings Sir George and Lady Amanda. I have brought before you a new recruit that I found while I was on guard duty", Leo said respectfully.
"Well done soldier, you may return to your duty now", the guy said. Leo gave them a slight bow and then he whispered 'good luck 'to me. Afterwards, Leo left the senate hall.
"Do you have your letters of recommendation?" the girl asked.
"Yes, I do", I replied. I reached into my back pocket and gave them to the Praetors. They took a second to inspect them and then they returned their attention to me.
"Welcome to Camp Jupiter. My name is George Ford and I am the 1st Praetor of the Twelfth Legion. I am also a son of Mars", George said.
"My name is Amanda Gordon. I am the 2nd Praetor and I am also a daughter of Venus", Amanda added. No surprise there, she was easily one of the most beautiful girls that I have ever laid my eyes on. "What is your name and lineage if you know?" she asked.
"My name is Perseus Jackson and I am the demigod son of Neptune", I announced proudly. To say that the praetors were shocked would be an understatement but they quickly recovered their composure.
"Well I guess that saves us the trouble of assigning you a cohort. You will be in the fifth as it is your destiny", George said smugly. I was slightly angry that he placed me in the fifth cohort but not entirely surprised as I was told that this would happen.
"Wait what happened on your journey here?" Amanda asked as she looked at my destroyed attire.
"I fought a couple monsters on the way here. They were troublesome but I managed", I replied. George was once again shocked and Amanda seemed curious.
"How much is a couple?" she asked.
"About ten hellhounds", I answered.
"You faced ten hellhounds and survived?" George asked incredulously. I inwardly fumed with anger at the amount of disrespect that was being directed at me because of my heritage but I remained calmed on the outside. The only troubling thing was that I think that Amanda was reading me and she knew that I was barely containing myself.
"I believe him. You read what Lupa said in his recommendation letters", Amanda said in my defense.
"Yeah but it's still hard to believe. Jason is a son of Jupiter and he barely escaped the manticore much less ten hellhounds", George replied. Wait did he just say son of Jupiter? I am pretty sure he just said that. Well that means I will have a cousin at camp. I hope that he is as cool as my other cousins were back when my life was normal.
"Well Jason did not have Percy's letter of recommendation now did he", Amanda replied tauntingly.
"It does not matter. He will be assigned to the fifth cohort regardless. Assigning him to anything higher would cause an uproar within the camp. Centurions would think that we are dishonoring their cohort by assigning them a son of Neptune", George retorted.
"You have a point there. I will be the one to escort him to the fifth cohort though. His letters of recommendation grant him at least some honor", Amanda replied. She got up after her statement without waiting for George's reply and instructed me to follow her.
We left the senate hall and she said that she would give me a tour of New Rome before she introduced me to my cohort. As she gave me a tour, I could not help but admired the city. It was truly a sight to behold. The streets were made of marble and the houses looked like mini mansions. On the tour, we passed the green fields, the training arenas, the mess hall and now we were finally approaching the barracks which were where the cohorts are located.
"I would like to apologize for George's disrespect earlier. He holds the cohort hierarchy system very dear to his heart", Amanda said apoloetically.
"It's okay, he is 1st praetor after all. Thank you for defending me though", I replied. She gave me a smile in response and it felt like my heart melted.
"I like you Perseus. I hope I live long enough to see you become something great in this camp. Many people at this camp will not believe in you because of your father but I will always believe in you", Amanda said sincerely.
"Thank you Lady Amanda. That means a lot coming from you", I replied honestly. She gave me another smile and I realized that we were entering a barrack. We entered the barrack and everyone stopped what they were doing. They gave Amanda a slight bow and stared at me pitifully.
A tall boy with blond hair and about 6'0 feet tall stepped forward. He looked the most regal so I assumed he was the centurion. "Lady Amanda, to what do I owe the honor of you gracing my noble cohort", the guy said politely.
Amanda smiled before saying that, "Good evening Chris, I bring with me another recruit for the 5th. I was just escorting him here as a result of his letters of recommendation. I am sure that he will be a fine addition to your cohort". She looked at me one more time before leaving. After she left, everyone was looking at me as if I was an alien. Finally, the centurion came to his senses and greeted me.
"Welcome to the 5th cohort. I am Chris Polo and I am your centurion. I am also a son of Bacchus", Chris said. When he was finished introducing himself, he looked at me expectantly.
"Oh my name is Perseus Jackson and I am the son of Neptune", I announced. Gasps were heard around the room and everyone started to whisper to each other.
"Well it's nice to meet you Percy, if you need any help then you may find me but good luck otherwise. I will see you in two hours for training and feel free to take any bed without a name tag", Chris said before he went away.
I ignored the continuous whispers of my fellow legionnaires as I searched for the showers. I eventually found them and took one of the best showers of my entire existence. It was so good that I was in there for 30 minutes. After I took a shower, I found an empty bed and decided that it would be in my best interest to take a nap before training so I did.
Jason
The Arena
"Are you ready for the next round?" Darrel asked.
"No I need just a little more time to rest", I replied.
"Okay you have five minutes and then we are going back to dueling", Darrel commanded. I plopped down on the ground because I was extremely tired. I am tired because I have been dueling Darrel for the last 3 hours and it was starting to weaken me. Even though we have been training like this for the past two months, I am still just ten years old.
"Jason!", Frank shouted as he came inside the arena.
"Over here", I answered. He came towards me and it looked like he ran all the way here since he was out of breath. "Wassup bro?" I asked.
"Did you hear the rumors?" Frank asked.
"What rumors?" I asked curiously.
"That a son of Neptune came to camp and he killed 10 hellhounds on his journey to Camp Jupiter", Frank said. I was flabbergasted at his statement to be honest. I barely killed the manticore and this new boy supposedly killed 10 hellhounds. He could the big change that Juno was talking but that seems farfetched in a way.
"The boy was probably lying. He is a son of Neptune after all and they are not known for their battle prowess", Darrel said mockingly. I thought about Darrel's words and they made sense. It was not his destiny to become great like me, his destiny was probably to become a fisherman or something.
"You're right Darrel, he probably did lie. What cohort was he placed in Frank?" I asked.
"He was placed in the 5th cohort", Frank replied. Darrel doubled over with laughter but Frank looked uneasy. "He looks like a fighter though and Amanda even escorted to his cohort. That must mean something", Frank added.
"Amanda is known for being pitiful of weak soldiers though. She probably just did for political reasons", Darrel replied. "Relax Frank, you are a member of the great 1st cohort; you have no reason to worry about someone of the dishonorable 5th cohort", Darrel added.
He was right. I am a member of the 1st cohort and my biggest concern right now is preparing for the gladiator tournament. "Darrel's right Frank plus we need to continue preparing for the tournament. We need to be the two aces of the 1st cohort in order to participate in the tournament", I said.
"You're right, we do need to prepare", Frank said as he withdrew his two hunting knifes. I withdrew my gladius and shield. We stared each other in the eye and then we attacked. I tried to jab at his chest but he parried it easily with his hunting knife and he threw a jab at me with his other knife. Luckily, I was able to stop it with my shield or it would have ended badly.
"That's what I'm talking about", bellowed Darrel. Me and Frank smirked at each other before we charged again.
Narrator
5th Cohort Barracks
"Perseus", Leo said as he woke up Perseus. "It's time for training, it's time for you to get up", Leo added. Perseus slowly rose out of bed and scratched the back of his head.
"Thanks Leo. I probably would have been late without you", Perseus said.
"No problem bro but let's get going before we are late", Leo said. Percy agreed with him and both of them jogged to the arena.
The Arena
The arena was similar to that of a basketball court except it was outside and there was sand in the middle instead of a court. There were spectator stands for an audience to watch and a special section where the Senators and Centurions watched the fight. The spectator stands had black seats and gold seats alternatively while the special section had white seats. The Praetors had a booth box where they could watch and control the fight from.
Perseus took in the arena when he walked in with Leo. He thought it was beautiful and he planned on spending a lot of time in there. He and Leo continued towards the fifth cohort. Both boys realized that everyone was waiting for them. They quickly joined the ranks and then Chis began to address the cohort.
"The first rounds of the gladiator tournament are quickly approaching. Two gladiators from each cohort are chosen during the first rounds. The gladiators of each cohort will be chosen in two weeks. Individuals who are interested please remain here. Everyone else may find a sparring partner and begin training", Chris announced.
Almost everyone disappeared. It was like no one wanted the chance to put their skills on display and Perseus could see the reason why when some people started to practice. Luckily, Leo had stayed with him. When he looked around, Leo was actually the only one who stayed with him. Everyone else left to spar.
"Well it's an improvement from last year at least", Chris said desperately.
"How can two people be an improvement? That is a disgrace", Perseus replied.
"Don't be so harsh on them Perseus. They just don't want to be used as punching bags for the other cohorts", Chris replied.
"There is no honor in cowardice. They are disgracing the 5th cohort", Perseus said indignantly.
"I agree with Perseus, there is not any honor in cowardice", Leo added.
"I also agree with Perseus but the 5th cohort is used to being regarded as a disgrace. It has been like this since a centurion of the fifth lost the eagle standard of the Twelfth Legion. The 5th cohort was once a very prestigious cohort but it became a disgrace after that loss", Chris said sadly.
"The past is the past and there is nothing that can be done to change it. But the future has not happened yet and we possess the power to change it. The dishonorable era of the 5th cohort will come to an end at the end of this gladiator tornament. I shall bring honor to the 5th and my father. I shall make the other cohorts fear the son of Neptune of the 5th cohort if it is the last thing I do", Perseus announced loudly.
Perseus spoke in such a loud voice that everyone in the arena heard him. Individuals stopped in the middle of their spars to listen to him. Nobody said anything but they all heard him. Some legionnaires brushed him aside as just a delusional ten-year-old but a decent amount actually believed in him. One of those individuals was Chris. Perseus inspired the centurion of the 5th with his mini speech. Chris had lost hope in the redemption of the 5th until Perseus' speech. Perseus was a beacon of hope for the 5th cohort and Chris would do the best to help him achieve his goals.
"At first I was just interested in this tournament because it sounded fun but I will join you Perseus. I will help you to bring honor to the fifth", Leo said. Him and Percy gave each other a high five whilst Chris chuckled at the sight before him.
"Well let's get started then. We have two weeks to turn you guys into the best gladiators that this camp has ever seen", Chris said. Perseus and Leo smiled at him. Chris returned the smile and then he attacked the two boys.
Time skip: Two weeks
Summary: Perseus, Leo, Jason and Frank have been training ferociously for the past two weeks. Perseus and Leo were trained personally by Chris while Jason and Frank were trained personally by Darrel. Within two weeks, Perseus and Leo had caught up to Chris as it relates to battle prowess. This was partly due to the fact that Chris had never really trained intensely prior to teaching Perseus and Leo. He was out of shape while Perseus and Leo were bursting with energy. His only advantage was his experience but Perseus and Leo were quick learners so they caught up. Perseus and Leo also trained by themselves. They would stay up late at night to spar and they would go to the library early in the morning to research new fighting styles. They would also practice with their powers even though they still barely had control over them. Jason and Frank on the other hand were not even close to challenging Darrel. Unlike Chris, Darrel was a season fighter with intense training and experience. Jason and Frank had grown tremendously in strength despite their failure to challenge Darrel. Both boys were confident that either one of them would win the right to the representatives of the 1st cohort and it was finally time for them to fight for that right.
Present Day….
The arena was packed. Literally, every single seat in the arena was occupied by someone. The atmosphere and environment reflected that of the Super Bowl. Individuals were extremely excited and ready for the show to begin. The Senators and Centurions were the rowdiest of them all. They were placing bets on soldiers and against others. It was truly a sight to behold but it was also normally. The arena fell into a silence as they participants walked into the middle of the arena.
"Greetings Legionnaires, Centurions and honorable Senators", Amanda announced. "Welcome to the first round of the Twelfth Legion's annual gladiator tournament", she added. The crowd gave a big round of applause at the end of her remarks.
When they finally quieted down, George spoke. "As most of you know, this round of the tournament is solely dedicated to choosing the representatives of each cohort. Each cohort shall have a battle royal and the last two standing will be the chosen representatives", George said.
"The only rules of this tournament is that thou shall not kill. Anyone that kills someone will be banished regardless of which cohort he/she hails from", Amanda announced. She looked directly at the 1st cohort as she finished her statement.
"Let the tournament begin!", George announced and the crowd cheered in response. "The 5th cohort shall be the first to go and they will be fighting monsters to prove that they are worth since there was only two volunteers", George added. The cheering immediately stopped at the mention of the 5th cohort. The previous cheers were transformed in an overwhelming melody of boos and jeers.
Everyone except Perseus and Leo left the center of the arena when it was announced that the fifth would go first. Perseus and Leo glanced at each other before they took out their weapons.
"Let's do this Leo" Perseus said and Leo nodded in agreement.
Review Replies:
ToLazyForAccount: I am glad you like the main idea. I like it too especially since I plan to make it significantly different than any other Roman story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter too.
Woman613: Thank you for reviewing and I hope you liked this chapter as well. P.S - I did hurry up and write the next chapter already ;)
Guest: It's not a hoax. I lost motivation for my previous stories but I was bursting with ideas for a Roman story so I made one. I hope this story compensates for the conclusion of the other two. Thank you for reading.
Iloveyou: I am glad you think my previous chapter was amazing. I hope you think this one is as well. Also, I have not considered any pairings yet as my characters will not be getting romantically involved any time soon. But I will take your suggestion into consideration when the time comes.
I hope you guys liked this chapter. I know I enjoyed writing. Please don't forget to review! It's very nice to see that someone took their time to review after I spent hours writing a chapter.
See you guys soon!