Co-written by Engineer4Ever.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
Son of the Earthshaker
II
"Enter." Terminus said to the two boys, the gates of the camp slowly opening out to them. Once they were open, the statue continued. "Go to the Praetors' Chambers. They await you and you will address them appropriately. Timothy, from the First Cohort, son of Mars and Rachel, also from the First, daughter of Victoria."
"Rache and Timmy, got it." Naruto said. The two guards posted on the outside of the gate snorted in amusement while Jason tilted his head at them. He missed their presence, and so did Naruto by his fellow blond's reaction to their noise. Lupa would be disappointed in that. Terminus rolled his eyes and looked at the guards.
"Take them, keep it quiet and don't disrupt anything unless absolutely necessary." He said. The guards nodded and the taller guard turned.
"Follow me." He said, leading the sons of Jupiter and Neptune through the camp to the Praetors' Chambers. Naruto saw several other Terminus statues as he looked around. All of them were either holding different conversations with other kids older than the two blonds, or they were barking out orders. Either way, it baffled Naruto how all of the statues were alive. Naruto was forced to stop walking when he walked right into the stopped form of his guide.
"Ow! Why'd you stop!?" he asked the guard, getting a smirk from him.
"Wait here." He said, going up the steps into the large building they were stopped outside.
"Meanie." Naruto said, repeating a word he heard another child use.
"He's just doing his job." Jason said, making Naruto frown.
"Doesn't mean he gets to be mean."
Before Jason could retort, the guard returned and towered over the two. "The Praetors and the Augur will see you now. Follow me."
They walked up the steps, following the guard as he entered the large building. Statues of tall men and women surrounded them, empty spaces where other statues could be outnumbering the amount of currently occupied ones. Naruto was in awe, openly gaping at them as his poor unfocused mind tried to take them all in. Jason stopped Naruto this time before the son of Neptune could walk into the guard again. Both boys stood at attention before the Praetors.
"So, these are the two that have caused Terminus to nearly pass a cow?" The amused male Praetor, Timothy, asked, a thick Texan drawl in his voice. He was tall, muscular and brutishly handsome. His head was shaved down to the skin and two hard brown eyes with a bit of malice in them looked over the two blond boys. "I don't see what makes them so impressive."
"Think, Tim. You have a brain in there somewhere." The other Praetor, Rachel, said, also looking over the boys. She was a beautiful teenage girl with chocolate colored skin and dark hair that cascaded down over her shoulders. Light forest green eyes looked over the boys with an impressed glaze to them. "Jason Grace, son of Jupiter, and Naruto Uzumaki, son of Neptune. Two sons of the two kings on Olympus' council, what does this mean for our camp?"
"We could ask our resident Augur." Tim said, snorting at the title. Rachel rolled her eyes and looked to the left at the girl that walked over to them. Naruto and Jason followed her gaze and looked at the girl just twice their age, but still very beautiful. A long blonde braid fell over one shoulder while two light blue eyes looked at the son of the sky and the son of the sea. She hummed for a moment before smiling pleasantly.
"A son of Jupiter is a gift of great fortune, but combined with a son of the Earthshaker, quite the mixed signal." She said, her voice light. Her smile hadn't died once as she continued. "But, I believe two strong additions to the Legion are given to us, nothing more and nothing less. Lupa would've never let a threat come to camp."
"They're weak." Tim said, frowning. His words had Naruto scowling and Jason glaring at the son of Mars.
"Of course they're weak." Rachel said, shaking her head. "Think, Tim. Think. They are blank slates to be sculpted into the pinnacle of Roman men."
"Show them the tusks." The guard said softly to Jason during the Praetor's argument, prompting him to show Rachel his trophy. Naruto quickly followed Jason's example, raising his chipped tusk eagerly in front of Tim.
"What're these?" Tim asked, taking the tusks and looking them over. "Ivory. Thirty years by the weight. Monster from the smell...A son of Ermy's boar."
"The Erymanthian Boar? Not an easy feat." Rachel said, making Tim's brow crinkle in thought. "Do you see? They show potential. Lupa must have foreseen it."
"Yes, but the last time we had a legacy-!"
"The Earthshaker wouldn't have had a sire if he'd have thought we'd reject him." Rachel cut her fellow Praetor off. She took the tusks and gave them back to the boys. "Together they fought, so together they shall remain. I doubt they have letters of recommendation."
"The Third will take Jason without one, but I am not sure of Naruto." The Augur said sadly. "I believe he would do no harm intentionally, but my word would only get so much pull."
"If I may, Praetors. Abigail." The guard spoke up, stepping into the light and removing his helmet, showing a boy around the Augur's age with wild black hair and blue eyes. "I believe the Fifth will accept the both of them."
"You're Zachary, Fortuna's son, yes?" Tim asked, getting a nod. "Why should we place them in the Fifth and not the Fourth? We could separate them if we must."
"Call me Zack. Praetor, I don't want to insult you, but please listen to your fellow Praetor when she speaks." Zack said, getting an amused smile from Rachel and a grunt from Tim. "I know when bad luck is around, and nothing of the sort lingers over the son of Neptune. And as Rachel said, the two worked together, probably raised together with Lupa."
"We're pack-brothers." Naruto cut in proudly, Jason getting a bit of a flush at his friend's daring interruption.
"Shut up!" he hissed to his fellow blond. Only Tim seemed to be insulted at this, Rachel and Abigail both looked amused more than anything. Zach grinned back at his leaders.
"See what I mean? They are brothers in everything but blood. Besides, you really don't want to waste the Fourth Cohort's time with raising children, do you?" he asked.
"A fair point." Tim said, huffing. He waved them off and crossed his arms. "Fine. Do what you want. Get them initiated and put 'em in the Fifth. But one lick of trouble comes from the sea-born boy and he's done."
"I'll see to it that he doesn't." Zack said, saluting the Praetors before turning to the boys. "Come with me, Naruto, Jason."
"I would like to come, too." Rachel said, putting her hand on Tim's arm lightly before leading the guard and the newcomers out of the room. Abigail left after bowing to the other Praetor, leaving him alone in the room. Tim huffed and went back to his chambers, a frown on his face.
"Those two are going to cause problems...I just know it." He said, having a gut feeling about their presence.
"There, there, Jason. It's done. No more tears." Rachel said, giving the small boy comfort through a hug as he hiccupped out tears after getting his father's symbolic eagle tattooed into his arm. Naruto was faring no better, not screaming in pain, but crying heavily as the mark of the trident was burnt into his arm. It was a bit unusual to have to comfort a new member of the Legion like this, but she understood that they were still very young. She had cried when she scraped her knee after learning to ride a bike, and that was a good three years before she even knew she was to be a member of the Legion.
"We're done, Naruto." Zack said, putting the instruments of pain away after marking on the small boy's arm. "There, see? I told you it would be over fast."
"It hurts." Naruto said, tears rolling down his cheeks and sniffling as he held his arm at the elbow, looking at the mark of his father. The large trident was carefully etched into his skin, hard to miss above the signature SPQR.
"Yes, but you'll both be stronger for it." Rachel said, wiping away the tears from Jason's eyes. She continued softly. "Enough crying, Jason. You must be strong now. Members of the Legion do not cry."
"O-Okay." Jason said, sniffling like his friend. His emotional struggle had caused a storm to brew over the camp, though the heavy rain hadn't been able to pierce whatever magical field protected it. He wiped his tears away and tried to make the pain go away through sheer will.
"Alright, now for the worse part." Zack said, holding a wet cloth for Naruto's burn. He had to clean it so it would heal properly. "If Abby was here this would go smoother."
"She has to consult the Senate about the tremors, you know that." Rachel said, watching as the water was introduced to Naruto's arm. Unlike Jason, he didn't shriek in surprised pain when it was put on his arm. He seemed to actually sigh in relief, making Rachel arch a brow in interest.
"Wow, kiddo. You've got some thick skin to handle this." Zack said, cleaning away the dead skin from Naruto's arm. "There. Now we're done for sure. Welcome to the Legion, Naruto Uzumaki."
"T-Thank you." Naruto said, sniffing as he held his arm protectively. An instinct Jason was following, favoring his arm as well.
"Now come. Zack will take you to the Fifth Cohort." Rachel said, standing and nodding to the guard, who bowed lightly as she left.
"You're not coming with us?" Jason asked, a bit sad over that. Rachel gave him a small smile.
"Not today. I will visit you tomorrow after you have rested." She said. With a final goodnight to the two newest members of the Legion, the Praetor returned to her chambers, her mind racing with the possibilities that these two could do in battle.
"C'mon, guys." Zack said, putting his hands on the two four-year-old's backs and leading them to a small building with a large V above it. Zack opened the door to quiet conversations, all eyes turning to face him and the newcomers.
"Legionnaire." A short boy with a mechanical right arm said, nodding at Zack from where he sat at a table where a card game was going on. He had short blond hair and emerald green eyes that had specks of black in them. "Who're the kids?"
"Centurion-"
"No formalities, Zack. That's my job." The Centurion said, smirking as he crossed his mechanical arm over his real one.
"Edward." Zack said as he rolled his eyes and put his hands on the blondes' heads. "These are the two newcomers I'm sure everyone's heard about."
"The sons of Jupiter and Neptune?" Edward asked, looking at both critically.
"Yes." Zack said, nodding. "Jason Grace, son of Jupiter, and Naruto Uzumaki, son of Neptune."
"...Is he...?" a member of the cohort asked from the side. Zack shook his head.
"No. Naruto has no bad luck on him. The Praetors have assigned them to us." Zack said.
Edward snorted and leaned back in his chair. "Great. Not only are we on latrine duty most of the time, but now we're on diaper watch." He sighed and stood up. "Guess I should be the one to say it. Welcome, Jason Grace and Naruto Uzumaki. I am Centurion Edward Allen, son of Trivia and co-leader of the Fifth Cohort. The other Centurion is on watch tonight so you'll meet her tomorrow. Find a bunk and get some rest, you've got a big day ahead of ya."
"In other words boys," Zack said, grinning as he patted their heads. "Welcome to your new home."
"Three years have passed since their arrival." A member of the Second Cohort said softly as he put on his armor, catching the attention of a young girl sitting at a table behind the speaker. "And we've yet to have a game against the whole Fifth. Favoritism from the Praetors?"
"You kidding me?" asked another seated boy. "Those runts would get killed faster than you could call Pluto. If anything, the Praetors have been keeping Jupiter's wrath from falling upon us."
"Like that would matter if the other one died. He's bad luck."
"Don't let the Augur hear you say that. She'll have the gods against you in an instant."
"Shame she's going to be giving up her job for a seat soon."
"Her apprentice is a member of our Cohort that can actually read the future."
"Misaki!" The eavesdropping girl jumped at her name being hissed by her friend and mentor. The older girl by the name of Samantha was of Aesculapius' blood and had taken the young seven-year-old daughter of Venus under her wing. Samantha was a brown haired girl with sky blue eyes, much like the Augur of whom the two boys spoke and was taller than Misaki by at least a head and a half. She was everything a Roman girl was supposed to be.
Misaki herself was a contrast of this, her hair a long curly golden blond and her equally golden, star-filled eyes gave her the appearance of a pampered princess. The silk gloves she was obsessed with wearing didn't help this image at all. Had it not been for her letter from a cousin in New Rome, a former Centurion of the Second Cohort, she would've most likely ended up in a lesser cohort stuck with duties that were far beneath her. She had her trusty gold colored purse over her shoulder and in it she had concealed her curved dagger given to her by her mother on her second month alone. Not directly, but through careful directions and the whispers of a dove.
"Were you listening? This is your first War Game and I want you to be ready." Samantha said, frowning at the girl.
"Of course I was, Sammy." Misaki said, smiling sweetly. Samantha rolled her eyes, used to the charming behavior of the Second Cohort's 'princess'. The daughter of Venus had the slyest of tongues and if one wasn't careful, she could easily trick you into doing something she didn't want to.
"Then what did I say?" Samantha asked.
"Stay close, listen to the orders and don't use charmspeak." Misaki said, frowning at the last one. "Why can't I use charmspeak again? Magic isn't illegal."
"The last thing we need is for an actual fight to break out over the regulations of charmspeak in a War Game." Samantha said. "It's two against three, and while the First and Second cohorts are considered the best of the best, we're outnumbered and there's always a few gems hidden in the rough."
"Of course there is, Sammy." Misaki said. She and Samantha finished dressing for the game and went to where the fort was, the Fields of Mars. The Cohorts were mixed together, most of the First and Second wearing the color of purple while the other three cohorts wore the color of gold primarily. Misaki was set next to a boy her age that was bouncing in his place out of nerves, or so she believed it to be nerves.
"Would you knock it off?" another boy asked quietly as the Praetors went over the rules. "We're going to get in trouble."
"I can't help it. It's the first game we get to be apart of! I want to give 'em payback for what they did to Zack's eye." The boy said, the sword in his hand trembling under his grip. He looked about ready to just drop it and run, in Misaki's opinion.
"You'll have your chance, just do as Ed says for now and we'll be back at the barracks soon enough."
"But Jay..."
"Would you shush?" Misaki asked, annoyed by their conversation and the hyper boy's whine. "In case you two haven't noticed, you're standing next to the enemy. I could cut you down here and now with how loud you're being and no one would care."
"Oh who asked you?" the hyper boy said, frowning at her. He got shoved by the other boy, Jay, for retorting to the threat. "What?"
"Shut up, Nar." Jay said.
"What'd I do? She started it!"
"We can't afford to do this now, idiot." Jay said.
"What, is she Vulcan's daughter or something?" Nar asked. Misaki bulked at the question and then seethed. She was not the daughter of the disfigured smith god, thank you very much! She was a member of the Second Cohort and already making a name for herself. This-this boy should know exactly who she is!
"Not now, Naruto!"
"But Jay..."
"You, Naruto." Misaki said, grinding her teeth as the boy looked at her with sea green eyes. "You're my first target."
"Go ahead and try to hit me." Naruto said with his own challenging grin.
Misaki laughed and smirked at him. "It'll be easy to take out a few members of the Fifth."
"Oh yeah? Well I'm gonna be the first one through that wall!" Naruto said, determinedly.
"Sure you will." Misaki said, waving his claim off with her smirk still on her face. "Now get going. I don't want to take you out too easily. Might as well give you a handicap."
"Naruto." Jason said, grabbing his friend's arm before he could act. "Just let it go and come on."
"Yes. Go on, Naruto. Go back to your Cohort." Misaki said with a smirk as Jason led him away. That boy was full of hot air and just as new to this as she was. She had the better soldiers to train her. She'd squash him flat, and if that didn't work, she could always charm him into cleaning her barracks or something.
"Oh, I'm so gonna make her eat her words!" Naruto said, scowling as he tightly gripped his sword, bending the handle in his grasp.
"Naruto, your sword." Jason said, nudging him and making the blond look at his handle.
"Aw man...That's the third one this month," Naruto said. He grunted and tossed the sword aside and picked up a small circular shield once he got to the assault cohort base. "Stupid weak metal handles..."
"Naruto, you can warp pure gold with your bare hands. They aren't exactly weak," Jason said with dry amusement.
"Yeah, but now I'm down to a shield. Can I borrow your sword?"
"Julius is mine, Naruto." Jason said, rubbing his coin with a grin on his face.
"Not that one. The regulated one."
"No."
"What?! Why not?"
"You need to learn restraint."
"Ugh, you know I hate that word. So...restricting."
"That's the point."
"But it's no fun! Just give me the sword."
"Abigail said you should learn to control yourself."
"...Low blow, Jay." Naruto said, pouting at the now smirking son of Jupiter. It was no secret between the two boys that Naruto idolized the Augur. She had put more faith in him than anyone else in his cohort aside from Zack. Her word had a lot of pull with the senate as a legionnaire and the Augur that interpreted the gods' wishes, and it was her word that protected him from being shafted after a small tremor hit San Francisco. Jason even went as far to say Naruto liked the pretty daughter of Apollo, which was met with vehement denial and blushing.
"If it works, it works." Jason said.
"Jason, Naruto!" The two seven-year-olds rushed into the hut, gathered near the now eye patch wearing Zack, his left eye having a vicious scar over the blinded orb. The son of Fortuna let the two slip in front of him and listen as Edward and his fellow centurion Michelle, a daughter of Somnus who was exceedingly energetic because of the caffeine constantly flowing through her veins to keep her awake, stood around a table.
"Alright, you know what comes first. We're being sent in to weaken the defenses." Michelle said, making the room groan. "Oh come on, we're good at that."
"Yeah!" Naruto said, his fist raised. His exuberant cry got him punched in the arm by Jason. "Ow. What? I can break the door down in a snap."
"Our own little battering ram." Zack said, ruffling Naruto's hair affectionately. The one-eyed son of luck smirked at the amused Centurions. "What the hell, even if we're just going to be cannon-fodder, I got a good feeling about this."
The rest of the cohort grinned at that. It was always a good sign when Zack had a good feeling. His last good feeling was when Naruto and Jason were inducted to their cohort. Since then, he's had nothing but bad feelings about War Games, his last game being Deathball and getting a new splinter ball shot in his eye.
"You heard the lucky charm." Edward said, twisting his mechanical wrist and letting a gold sword slide out. "Let's go kick down a door."
The cohort cheered and rushed out, Naruto holding his shield at the ready. The blond clanged his shield against Jason's with a grin on his face. "Let's bust some heads!"
"You're way too into this." Jason said, flipping his coin and gripping the spear that formed from it.
"Just cover me, Jay. And stay close, we might need to try that thing we've been working on out." Naruto said.
"...Not the thing."
"Yes, the thing."
"...We're doomed."
"See, it's attitudes like that that led Rome to fall the first time." Naruto said as Rachel blew the whistle. The Fifth Cohort rushed forward with battle cries, Naruto and Jason falling behind because of their shorter legs. Lucky for them, since they weren't targeted by boulders launched by catapults or arrows shot by bows. Naruto ran up to one of the boulders, bringing his shield-wielding arm back over his shoulder before bashing the giant rock at the fort. One of the archers was encased in the shadow and was forced to jump from the top of the fort to the ground, landing with a scream on the ground as his legs broke.
While Tim rushed in and got the injured legionnaire out, Naruto focused on rushing through his fellow Fifth Cohort members. Zack called for him to fall back, but lost him as the small wave of defensive soldiers from the First and Second Cohorts held off the Fifth Cohort. Naruto kept running, bringing his shield up in front of him and plowing through the door, the shock of it all bringing the soldiers in the fort to a standstill. Naruto looked up from his spot on the downed stone door and blinked two large green eyes up at the one girl he didn't expect to see.
"Uh...Hi?"
Misaki blinked in surprise as her star-filled golden eyes met his green, taking them in for the first time. They were rather nice, dare she say very nice even. It was like looking at two pieces of sea glass.
"I gotta wreck this place now. Bye!" Naruto said, hopping to his feet and rushing to a wall. Bringing his shield-baring arm back, he slammed it against the wall, creating a large hole just large enough for a small adult.
That seemed to snap the opposing demigods out of their surprise, clambering over each other in an attempt to get him. Naruto slipped through, only to be tripped and grabbed by the ankle, held in place by someone stuck in a pileup caused by the attempt to catch him.
"I don't think so, shrimp!" The son or legacy of Mars, based on his similar appearance to Tim, who held his ankle said.
Naruto struggled to pull himself free, and when that didn't work, decided to try something he'd only been working on for a few weeks. Throwing his shield like a discus to take out an approaching opponent, Naruto intertwined his hands and brought them over his head. He brought them down, hitting the solid dirt ground he was dropped to and watching as a fissure formed from the impact.
Hit the wall, hit the wall. Naruto thought, watching as the cracking continued and stopped at his target. The wall started to shake before crumbling apart, leaving a large gaping opening in the enemy's defenses. The glaring holes were enough of an inspiration for the Third and Fourth Cohorts to rush in and overtake the fort, winning the Siege for the first time in months.
Misaki had her eyes glued on the boy pulled from the grasp of the son/legacy of Mars by an older boy who hoisted Naruto onto his shoulders, the entirety of the Fifth Cohort chanting his name. Her eyes gleamed and her mouth curled up into a small smile as he was put down and high fived the other boy, Jay. She just discovered something very interesting. Misaki liked things that were interesting.
She liked them a lot.
"The victory goes to the assault team, Cohorts Three through Five." Tim said, making several First Cohort members groan as he gave them a disapproving look. They were supposed to be the best of the best, and being beat by a boy not even in his teens was humiliating. Tim looked to his fellow Praetor and Rachel smiled.
"And our MVP of the match is the young member of the Fifth Cohort, Neptune's son, Naruto Uzumaki." Rachel said, all eyes turning to the blond as he blinked in confusion. Jason shoved him forward, getting a look of annoyance from the blond boy. He turned around and saw that everyone was looking at him.
"Uh...Hello..." he said shyly, not really used to all the attention. He mainly stuck close to Jason, Zack or Abigail and in rare occasions the Praetor Rachel. She took great interest in training two of the big three's sons. Rachel beckoned him over to her and she smiled, giving him a small token.
"For the offering." She said softly. "After we finish here, you must go to Neptune's temple. Abigail has told me the gods wish it to be so." Rachel pulled away and Tim walked over to Naruto, holding a golden laurel crown in his hands.
"For the infiltration and the sabotage that led to victory, I proudly present the Mural Crown to the Most Valuable Player." Tim said, placing the crown on Naruto's head. Naruto grunted at the slight weight added before he was saluted by the players.
Jason was grinning proudly for his friend. The hardheaded idiot deserved it after all the looks he's been receiving because of Neptune's connection with him. Plus, they didn't have to use that stupid thing Naruto was adamant about using. Heck, Jason was just happy he didn't get eliminated before Naruto. Sure, Naruto was in first, but Jason was having more fun fighting the defensive team anyway. He got three 'kills', how many did Naruto get? Exactly.
It was during the feast that Naruto slipped away. Rachel said the gods wanted him to go to his father's temple, which was pretty much almost an outhouse, and so that's where he went. The small token in hand, Naruto dropped the token into the small bowl of water set on the wooden bench. The water shone brightly before two leather wrist braces appeared where the token was. They had gold tridents imprinted on the back.
"Whoa..." Naruto said, reaching into the water and pulling the two braces out. As soon as he pulled them out of water they opened and shot to either of his wrists, melding with them perfectly. The act made his eyes go wide as the information of how to use them entered his subconscious. Naruto stumbled back, falling out of the mockery of a temple onto his backside with a grunt. He stood up, rubbing his sore butt from where he landed as he looked at the temple.
"Thank you, Lord Neptune." Naruto said, getting up and closing the door. "I'll repay you somehow for this gift." Frowning, Naruto decided Neptune deserved a bit more dignity of a temple. A genius idea hit him and Naruto grinned. "Don't go anywhere!" He said, running past the temple to the temple of Mercury where he quickly got on his knees as he came up to the likeness of the god. "Lord Mercury, god of the merchants, travelers and messengers, I ask for your help." The relatively human sized statue said nothing, simply staying in its position while Naruto continued. "In return, I shift my victory banquet to your honor and give you my crown."
Jason woke up with a yawn, scratching his head as he got out of his cot. He was ready for a day of relaxation, the three victorious cohorts being let off for the day because of their victory and most of the punishment falling upon the First Cohort, while the Second focused on demolishing the fort. He walked over to the Fifth Cohort's breakfast table, where a bowl of oatmeal-like slop was set in front of him.
"Eat up, Jason and relax while you can."
"Thanks Edward." Jason said to the Centurion. He eagerly dug in and looked over to where Naruto's cot was. He swallowed a bite and blinked at the lack of his sleeping blond pack-brother. "Did Naruto already eat?"
"He was gone when I woke up." Edward said, shrugging as he scooped another slop out into a bowl and handed it to the bleary Zack. "Michelle said she'd go look for him after her shift."
"Oh, okay." Jason said, digging back in.
Zack woke up after a few bites and grinned at Jason. "So how many did you get?"
"Three." The son of Jupiter said proudly. He got a ruffle of the hair, making him groan while Zack and Edward laughed.
"Alright, Jay!" Edward said with a clap on the shoulder. "Look at you, already taking out three men."
After a few more jokes at his expense, Jason set out to find his friend. As soon as he stepped out of the cohort, though, he saw that girl that got into a tiff with Naruto before the Siege began trying to hide behind the side of the Fourth Cohort's barracks. Arching a brow, because he knew she was supposed to be helping take down the fort, he decided to investigate her presence instead. Jason doubled around the other way of the Fifth's barracks and snuck up behind the girl.
"Boo!" he said, making the blonde girl turn around and throw a fist at his face. "Hey, watch it."
"Oh, it's you. Jay-Jay, right?" she asked as she took her fist back.
"Jason." He said, scowling at the massacre of his name. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be taking down the fort?"
"Oh I would, but I gave that to someone far more suited with dismantling the fort than myself." She said. "You see, I'm not too keen on physical labor. Fighting, oh I can do that if I have to, but physical labor. Ick. I'll pass."
"Uh-huh. Whose your parent?" Jason asked, already having a feeling.
"Venus, of course. Couldn't you tell, Jay-Jay?" the girl said with a smile on her face and a flutter of her eyes.
"My name is Jason." Jason said with a frown.
"And I'm Misaki." Misaki said, smirking as she held her hand out. "Misaki Shoukuko. Pleased to meet you, Jay-Jay."
"...Stop calling me that." Jason said dryly as he shook her hand.
"Hm...No, I like it now. I'm going to keep calling you that." Misaki said, smirking at him as she took her hand back. She looked around for something.
"Can I help you?" Jason asked.
"Yes, actually. Where's your friend, Jay-Jay?" Misaki asked slyly.
"I don't know." He said, making her frown in disappointment.
"How can you not know?" she asked. "Are you not all that good of friends? I could've sworn you two were closer than that."
Jason glared at the girl. "We are. He's my best friend. I just don't know where he is right now."
"Really? So are we going to go find your not best friend?" Misaki asked, smirking at the glare she got. Oh this was so entertaining. She giggled lightly. "I'm only teasing, Jay-Jay, no need to be so mean."
"It's not funny."
"It is to me." Misaki said. "In fact, I find it very entertaining. I may have to do it more often."
"Joy." Jason said dryly, once more making her giggle. They walked around the camp, searching for Naruto and all the while Misaki would ask questions about them. Jason answered as best he could, but after a few too many questions about Naruto's favorite things, he asked. "Why are you looking for Naruto?"
"Why? Do I really need a reason?" Misaki asked in return.
"Yes." Jason said as they turned towards Temple Hill. Maybe Naruto was asking Neptune for guidance. As unlikely it would be, it was still possible.
"Well...I just want to get to know him a bit more." Misaki said with a smile. "I like having friends, too."
"Right..." Jason said in disbelief. "So why were you stalking him?"
"I wasn't stalking him." Misaki said in mock outrage before smirking. "I was...surveying him, is all."
"Sure you were." Jason said, giving her a wary glance. He was going to have to keep his eyes on this one. She was dangerous.
They finished their climb up Temple Hill and went to the temple of Neptune...which was now gone. In the outhouse's place was a small marble building, a golden Trident hung above the doorway. Jason moved his mouth several times before he found his voice. "He couldn't have...not in a night..."
"They say Rome wasn't built in a day, but I think we found one boy who could've helped do so." Jason and Misaki turned to look at the speaker, finding the amused Abigail kneeling nearby under an ash tree, Naruto sleeping with his head on her lap. Abigail ran her fingers through Naruto's hair, smiling lightly at the softness. "He was called to speak with the gods after his victory. Gifted unto him by Neptune were two bracers, the abilities unknown or unseen by land dwellers since the sinking of the Greek isle Atlantis, and in return, Naruto sacrificed his crown and feast to Mercury for some supplies."
"Abby...did Naruto build this on his own?" Jason asked softly. Abigail looked up with a smile.
"Yes he did." She said. She carefully moved Naruto's head back to the ground and stood. "Well, now that you two are here, I believe I can go inform Michelle not to worry about finding Naruto."
She walked away, leaving Jason to go wake his friend up while Misaki watched the Augur go. Misaki frowned a bit, crossing her arms at the closeness between the older girl and the boy that snagged her interest. They were probably just friends, but still.
"Wake up, Nar." Jason said, nudging Naruto with his foot. Naruto blinked his eyes and yawned, sitting up and rubbing the sleep away.
"Jay...? What're you doing out here? You come to help me?" He asked.
"No. You slept out here all night." Jason said with a smirk.
Naruto frowned, falling on his back. "That explains a lot." He noticed Misaki's presence and frowned. "What do you want?"
"I just wanted to see you again, Superboy." Misaki said, kneeling down and poking him in the arm with a smile on her face. "Guess I was wrong about you. I don't like being wrong, you know."
"Meh, get used to it, Sparkles." Naruto said with a smirk.
"Oh pet names already? This is moving a bit too fast for me. We just met after all." Misaki said, holding her cheeks as she closed her eyes in thought. Naruto and Jason shared a confused glance before Misaki regained their attention by tapping Naruto in the nose. "I can't wait to see you in action some more, Superboy."
Before Naruto or Jason could say anything more, Misaki got to her feet and skipped away down the Hill back towards the barracks.
"Hey Jay?"
"Yeah Nar?"
"Girls are weird."
"Yes they are."
AN: Alright, chapter two and the character that Engineer4Ever picked to make a strong impact has been revealed. Misaki Shoukuko from is whom he chose to be inserted, but don't complain to me I just went with it.
Look her up and tell us your thoughts!
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