Disclaimer: Check previous chapters

Author's note: I just want to sat this chapter was a very challenging one for me to write and it took me a while to come up with the action sciences. I hope you guys like it and Please review! I really appreciate the 7 individuals who reviewed for the last chapter. Also follow my community Awesome PJO Fanfictions

Very important: This story is AU which stands for Alternate Universe. This means that it is very likely that some things will go against the canon's plot and characteristics so when something is off like Leo defeating Frank just remember that. In this story, Leo is Roman and he trained with Perseus so he is a good fighter.

I have adopted this story from the Jamerican and the first four chapters belong to him

Jason

I could not believe my eyes when the fog cleared. I could have sworn that Leo was a goner after the first round of arrows. The simple fact that he was smirking when the fog cleared was enough to make my blood boil. In addition to Leo's smirk, Perseus' laughter was aggravating me as well. I glared at the sea spawn and returned my attention to the battle. 'Come on Frank, you need to wipe that smirk off that boy's face", I whispered.

The fight began again and it was surely an extraordinary scene. I watched in awe as Leo and Frank traded blow for blow. I was happy that it seemed like a stalemate because at least Leo was not winning. However, my hopes were crushed when I noticed that Frank's movements were becoming slow and sluggish. After closer observation, I realized that Frank was receiving more damage than Leo. I started to become worried for my friend as the tide of the battle was turning against him. Just when I thought Frank was done for, he surprised everyone by disarming Leo. Everyone was shocked by this development, even Leo himself.

"Finish him", I screamed from the sidelines. I do not know if he heard me but he reacted directly after my statement. He angled his knives for a knockout blow and I knew that this fight would be over in a couple of seconds. However, Leo managed to do the impossible once again as he managed to dodge Frank's attack. Not only was he able to dodge it but he was also able to counter it. His fist engulfed in flames as he delivered a powerful uppercut to Frank's chin. Frank's head flung upwards and Leo followed up his attack with a shield slam to Frank's face. The slam by Leo's shield sent Frank flying into a nearby wall. I wanted Frank to get up but I knew that the chances of getting up after such a combo were slim. I don't even think I could have gotten up after that combo.

"The winner of the first match is Leo Valdez of the 5th cohort", Amanda announced proudly. The crowd literally went wild after Amanda's announcement. Leo pointed his sword at the sky and said something before he collapsed. The medics quickly rushed onto the battlefield to get Leo and Frank.

"I guess Frank's destiny as a result of being a son of Mars was not enough to beat Leo", Perseus said tauntingly. Anger rushed through my veins and I activated my gladius. Without even thinking, I charged at Perseus angrily. Perseus did not even bother to arm himself, he just laughed at me. I guess he knew that I was blinded by my anger so he decided to make a mockery of me instead. I jabbed at him with y gladius multiple times but he just dodged them easily. He was playing with me and I was just getting angrier by the minute. I could feel my body being electrified but I did not care. All I wanted to do was land a hit on the sea spawn. I eventually managed to cut him and I guess Perseus got tired of playing with me because he brought out his sword. He looked extremely pissed off when he glared at me. I smiled evilly and charged again. Our swords clashed and there was an explosion which alerted everyone in the arena to our little fight. The explosion also sent us flying and both of us landed on our butts. I got up to finish Perseus but I was stopped by Darrel. I looked over to Percy and noticed that his centurion was restraining him as well. We made eye contact and glared at each other. The glares were a form of nonverbal communication though, they meant that this fight was not over yet.

Narrator

The explosion by the collision of Perseus and Jason's sword alerted everyone to their scuffle. Their centurions quickly ran over to the explosion to restrain the boys while the crowd was itching for more. This was the fight that they were waiting for and they just got a glimpse of it. If the explosion was a sign of the fight to come, then it would be even better than the matchup between Frank and Leo.

"Please keep those two boys away from each other. Centurions Chris and Darrel, you both are responsible for the actions of your soldiers. Your cohort will be severely punished if those two do not learn to control themselves soon", Amanda announced. The centurions shook their heads in response to Amanda's command and dragged the boys in separate directions.

"The next matchup shall be between Hazel Levesque of the 2nd and Ben Lee of the 3rd", George announced. Hazel and Ben gathered their weapons before they marched onto the field. Once they were on the field, both individuals met in the middle to shake hands. After they shook hands, they took up their battle stances. They circled each other and waited for Zeus' command to begin. Lightning finally struck the ground and it signaled the start of the fight. Ben and Hazel charged at each other. Both individuals traded blow after blow and each blow was parried by the other person. They both depended on their speed so the battle was a stalemate thus far. Hazel caught on to this and began to devise a plan for victory. Hazel figured out a way to end the fight quickly and she decided to do it. Ben on the other hand, did not pick up on it. His plan was to trade blows with her until she was tired. He came up with this plan because he noticed that her attacks were getting sluggish. He started to push harder as Hazel began to step back.

Finally, Ben saw an error in Hazel's sluggish movements or so he thought. He saw an opening and took it but Hazel deliberately left an opening for him to see. Ben jabbed at Hazel's opening but Hazel sidestepped his jab and brought her spathe down on his spear. The spear fell from Ben's hand and he turned around to try to counter Hazel's attack but he was too late. His neck met Hazel's spathe as he turned around to counter her attack.

"Yield", Hazel commanded.

Ben dropped his shield and said, "I yield". Cheers erupted from the crowd and Hazel waved in response. Ben collected his weapons and left the arena sadly.

"Hazel Levesque will advance to the next round", George announced loudly and the crowd erupted again. Hazel gave a slight bow and left the arena.

"The next match up will between Reyna of the 2nd and Alexis of the 4th", George announced. The aforementioned names began to gather their weapons and walk unto the battlefield. The two girls walked to the middle and shook hands. They then separated from each other and waited for Zeus' command to begin. Lightning struck the ground but the girls did not attack right away. They began to analyze each other. Reyna noticed that she was thick so it could only be assumed that thickness comes with slowness. Reyna decided that she would have to win with speed. Alexis tried to analyze Reyna in a similar fashion but she simply could not find a weakness. Both girls had decided that it was time to fight but neither was willing to start.

Eventually, Reyna decided to attack first. Reyna attacked with a first of speed and Alexis struggled to keep up with Reyna. Both girls traded blows but Alexis was taking more damage than Reyna. Both girls continue to trade blows but it was obvious that Alexis was losing; it was obvious because more cuts decorated her body than Reyna's. Reyna eventually managed to disarm Alexis as she dropped both of her hunting knifes. Reyna smile evilly at Alexis when her blades fell.

"Any last words before you are forced to surrender?" Reyna asked tauntingly.

"Yes actually, your cockiness will lead to your downfall in this tournament. You shall come very close to winning and then you will lose", Alexis replied smugly. Alexis' words angered Reyna so Reyna charged at Alexis foolishly. Alexis anticipated this and got ready to use her trump card. When Reyna was close enough to hit Alexis, she summoned a ball of solar energy and aimed it at Reyna. Unfortunately, Reyna had thrown her spear and it knocked out Alexis before she could fire it. Alexis fell to the ground slowly and the crowd erupted once again.

"The winner of this match is Reyna from the second cohort", George announced. The crowd cheered in approval of Reyna's advancement and Reyna took a slight bow before exiting the arena.

"The next fight shall be between Perseus Jackson of the fifth and Samantha of the third", Amanda barked. Both participants gathered their weapons and walked onto the battlefield. When they arrived on the field, they shook hands and took up their battle stances. Perseus opted to just use riptide while Samantha wielded a spear and shield.

"Where is your other sword?" Samantha asked curiously.

Perseus smirked before saying, "I won't be needing it". Samantha became upset after Perseus' comment.

'How dare such an inexperienced fighter of such a disgraceful lineage disrespect me" Samantha thought angrily. However, Perseus had seen her fight before and he saw many flaws in her movements. Perseus opted out of using his dual blades because he did not want to embarrass her too badly. Both participants were brought out of their consciousness when lightning struck the ground.

Samantha charged at Perseus with all of her might; anger was evident in her attacks. Her anger made her stronger instead of weaker like it made most people. Her attacks were more ferocious and coordinated than Perseus had observed in her previous fight. Both participants traded blows back to back and Perseus was starting to get tired. He knew that he could not waste too much energy on this fight so he had to end it quickly. Perseus jumped backwards and said, "My apologies but this fight ends here".

"We'll see about that", Samantha said before charging at Perseus again. They both engaged in an exchange of blocks and parries once again but Perseus had a plan. They exchanged blows for about 2 minutes before the ground began to shake. It was just a little tremor but it was enough to knock Samantha off balance. Perseus seized this golden opportunity and slammed the butt of his sword against her head. This blow effectively left Samantha unconscious and the crowd was literally stunned. They were stunned because at one point there was a stalemate and then Samantha was knocked out shortly after. Perseus received a small applause from the fifth and fourth cohorts but most of the crowd was quiet. He waved at those who acknowledge his victory then he waited for the Praetors' announcement. One could easily come to the conclusion that Perseus was not a fan favorite. He was not a fan favorite because he was a threat to the cohort hierarchy system and most people were starting to realize that he was a serious one. Many did not want change and that is what Perseus' victory signified.

"The winner of this fight is Perseus of the fifth cohort", Amanda announced with a smile. Perseus gave her a small smile before he left the arena. "The next and final fight of this round will be between Jason of the 1st and Robyn of the fourth", Amanda added.

At the sound of the announcement, Jason and Robyn walked towards the center of the arena. They shook hands and prepared for battle. As Jason was waiting for his father to start the fight, he kept on replaying Perseus's fight and what it signified. Jason knew that he needed to send a sign to everyone to prove that he was stronger than Perseus. To do this, he knew that he had to end this battle quickly.

Jupiter's lightning finally hit the ground and Jason attacked quickly with his sword. Robyn was caught off guard by his quickness but she managed to block his attack. She and Jason went on to trade multiple blows. Jason began to get frustrated because his intention was to end his battle quickly. Jason then decided to end the battle with a display of his powers. He jumped back from Robyn and smirked. He held his gladius to the sky and summoned a lightning bolt. The lightning bolt struck the gladius and the sword absorbed it. The sword then began to cackle with electricity and Jason pointed it at Robyn.

"Any last words before this battle ends?" Jason asked smugly.

"Yes, Perseus is going to win this tournament and he is going to kick your ass. Luck is not on your side", Robyn replied with a smirk.

Jason glared daggers at her before saying, "I am destined to be great and neither you or that pathetic spawn of Neptune can stop me". He then attempted to blast her but Robyn would narrowly dodge the lightning bolt each time. Luck was truly on her side and it made sense to Jason since she was a daughter of Fortuna after all. Jason was beginning to get even more frustrated than he previously was and charged at her. Their blades clashed and they begin to trade blows again. The only difference this time being that Jason summoned for lightning in the midst of the exchange. Luck could not save Robyn at this point as she was struck in her chest with it. She was immediately knocked out of consciousness and the crowd went wild with excitement at the display of power. They even stood up to give Jason a standing ovation. He had succeeded in his goal as even the fourth and fifth cohort were starting to believe that he was going to win this tournament.

"The winner of the final match of this round is Jason Grace", George shouted and the crowd erupted once again.

The crowd quieted down and Amanda said, "The participants who advanced to the next round are Leo Valdez, Hazel Levesque, Reyna Arellano, Perseus Jackson and Jason Grace. Just a reminder that one of these participants will be the uneven one. This means that you will automatically be in the semi – finals but you will have to fight both semi - finalists. If the uneven defeats the first participant, then his/her second battle will be the final battle".

"It is now time to start the second round of this tournament", George said as he took out the first two names out of the jar. He looked at the names before saying, "The first fight of this round shall be a clash between the children of two members of the big three". George added. The crowd waited anxiously for George's announcement. They wanted it to be Perseus vs Jason but at the same time they wanted that fight to be last. A fight such as the one they expected should be a grand finale.

"The first match shall be between the sons of Neptune and Jupiter. Or as you all better know them as Perseus Jackson of the 5th and Jason Grace of the 1st. The crowd erupted in cheers once again but this time it was different. It was different because everyone was cheering and there was no division. This was the fight that everyone was waiting for and the fight that may change this camp forever. This was the fight that would either break or uphold the cohort hierarchy system. This was also the fight with two individuals who possessed extraordinary powers. Everyone in the arena expected a good fight and they knew that the boys would deliver especially after their little scuffle that sent shockwaves through the arena.

The anxiety levels of both boys overflowed when they discovered that they would finally be going against each other. Both boys wanted to fight each other but now the moment was here and the moment felt surreal. Both boys knew that a lot was riding on this fight and that a lot of people including their fathers were watching this battle. The boys had fought in many battles previously but the pressure for this one was overwhelming. Perseus was determined to fulfill his promise to the fifth and bring honor to Neptune's name while Jason was determined to defend the camp's structure and follow his destiny of dominance that was given to him as a son of Jupiter. One thing both boys knew was that they had to win. In that moment of anxiety, Perseus finally decided what to name his other sword. He decided to name it 'Aestus' which means tide. He decided to name it this because he shall rise just as the ocean's tide and those who oppose him shall fall.

Perseus and Jason grabbed their weapons before they started to make their way towards the center of the arena. The crowd fell in silence as both boys walked towards the middle. Everyone in the arena was on the edge of their seats. Even the immortals tuning in to watch the fight were a little anxious. They boys walked to the middle and just stared at each other. Neither of them attempted to show respect by shaking the other's hand and to be honest, no one expected them to.

"Your charade ends here sea spawn. I will expose you for the weak bastard you are", Jason announced loudly.

"Oh but my dear cousin, it has only just begun. I think I am more worried about that big ego and how it's going to be damaged after this fight", Perseus replied just as loudly. The crowd heard what both boys said but no one responded.

"You seem to forget that I am destined to lead this camp. Lupa even said that I have the potential to surpass Romulus and Remus", Jason said boastfully. Jason expected to anger Perseus by saying that but he did not get his desire.

"Do you want to know something funny?" Perseus asked with a chuckle. Jason remained silent but it was evident that he was getting angry. Perseus really knew how to get under his skin. "Well I guess that you no longer possess the courage to speak, you must be scared. How disgraceful", Perseus added. The crowd gasped in response to Perseus's comment, there were even a couple of boos as well.

Jason's body began to cackle with electricity as he said, "You are dead as soon as my father gives the signal to begin". Jupiter heard his son's statement and struck the ground a couple seconds after. Jason summoned a lightning bolt once again and it struck his sword but he did not plan to blast it this time. He planned to use it to increase the amount of damage done when his sword pierces his opponent's skin.

"Isn't it a little bit too early for a light show?" Perseus asked tauntingly. Jason growled before he charged at Perseus. Perseus parried Jason's attack and the two boys began to trade blows. Perseus wielded his two swords skillfully and was able to match Jason's sword/shield combination easily. As they traded blows, Jason began to realize that Perseus was a superior swordsman compared to him. His only advantaged was that his blows packed a bigger punch than Perseus' because of the lightning that it absorbed. They traded blows for about ten minutes and everyone could see that both boys were in horrible conditions. They were decorated with deep gashes and cuts plus they were bleeding profusely but they continued to trade blows as none of them wanted to lose ground.

They traded blows until Perseus finally managed to disarm Jason. Perseus and Jason clashed swords for the hundredth or so time and shockwaves perpetuated the entire arena. As the swords clashed, Perseus quickly used his other sword to cut Jason's sword arm and Jason screamed in pain. Jason tried to hit Perseus with his shield but he did exactly what Perseus wanted him to do. He stepped on the ground and it shook which threw Jason off balance. Perseus smirked and kicked Jason in his chest. After his kick, Perseus followed up quickly by smashed Jason's head with tide's sword handle. Perseus's combo sent Jason flying a couple feet away from where he stood and he landed on the ground motionless.

The crowd fell in a deep silence as they watched Jason's motionless body on the ground. Perseus leaned on his two swords for support because he was tired. He wanted to believe he had defeated Jason but he felt like that attack would not keep the son of Jupiter down. And he was right because Jason started to get up as the countdown was coming to an end. He slowly rose to his feet and the crowd erupted in cheers. Perseus took up his blades once again and got ready for round two. Jason grabbed his sword and touched the bruise that Perseus' combo left on his face.

"You thought you would defeat a son of Jupiter that easily huh sea spawn. Well no worries, I shall show you why Jupiter is the king of God and also why I am destined for greatness because of this fact", Jason screamed. Then he pointed his sword to the sky and fired a lightning bolt into it. The sky began to darken and the entire arena was eventually completely covered by dark clouds. As the clouds came, so did lightning. Lightning danced around the arena and it occasionally struck some part of the arena. Jason laughed as he saw that he succeeded in summoning a lightning storm. "Die sea spawn", Jason screamed. Jason pointed his sword at Perseus and multiple lightning bolts soared towards him.

Perseus tried to dodge the lightning bolts but he was not fast enough. The bolts connected with Perseus and he was electrocuted. He slowly fell to the ground and the crowd erupted in cheers. The Praetors assumed that there was no way that Perseus would get up from that so George announced, "The winner this battle is Jason…".

"No wait!", Amanda screamed as she pointed at Perseus. He was struggling to stand up but he was standing up slowly but surely. Everyone stared in disbelief when they saw that Perseus was standing after that attack. Jason on the other hand was extremely pissed off and his anger was reflected in the lightning storm as it started to bounce around all over the place. Jason was about to strike Perseus again when a massive earthquake shook the arena. The earthquake lasted for a couple seconds but it's impact was evident. There were cracks all over the arena as a result of the earthquake. Jason looked at Perseus and realized that he was the only one that was not affected by the it. It was at this point that he realized why he fell off balanced earlier, he remembered that Lupa had taught him that Neptune was also known as 'the earth shaker' so it only made sense that his son had some control over that domain.

Perseus smiled evilly as he looked at Jason. He held out his arms and summoned water from the cracks. Water flowed out of the cracks and rushed to the tip of Perseus' sword tips. "Are you ready to end this battle Grace?" Perseus screamed.

"Bring it on", Jason screamed as he channeled all the lightning he had control of into a blast directed at Perseus. Perseus sent the water that he controlled with riptide to counter Jason's attack and sent the other wave around to catch Jason off guard. Jason saw this and took to the skies. He blasted Perseus again but his blast was cancelled out by water that channeled his lightning into the ground. Jason landed because he was getting exhausted by the intensive use of his powers. He knew that he could not last much longer and that he needed to end this fight quickly if he had any hopes of winning. Jason came to the conclusion that he could only afford one before attacked before he collapsed from exhaustion.

Jason put away his sword and held his hands to the sky. He summoned as much lightning as he possibly could. Perseus saw what he was doing and he was beginning to get worried. He did not think that his water shields would protect him from that much lightning. Perseus suddenly came up with an idea to counter Jason's attack. Perseus began to summon as much water as he possibly could. The crowd stared in awe as both boys summoned an enormous amount of water and lightning. Everyone could tell that these boys were still not fully in control of their powers but yet they were so powerful already.

"It's time to end this once and for all", both boys screamed as they unleased their attacks. Jason released his lightning but also added a gust of wind to repel the water. Perseus released his wave of water and then summoned his two swords. He plunged riptide into the ground and water exploded all around the battlefield. Perseus then ran towards Jason but Jason could not see around him because he was blinded by the water. He summoned his sword and tried to anticipate Perseus' attack. Perseus burst through the water wall and attack Jason but he parried the first blow. However, Perseus was given a burst of energy when he broke through the water wall. This energy enabled Perseus to disarm and knock out Jason in his next move. Perseus slammed the bottom of his sword against Jason's head with so much force that he knew that Jason would not be able to get back up like how he did before.

Perseus planted tide in the ground and leaned on it. The water around the arena began to simmer down and the crowd finally got the chance to see the outcome of the fight. The crowd was in absolute silence. Even the Praetors were too shocked to announce Perseus' victory. When Perseus realized that everyone was in shock he announced, "You all doubted me because I was the son of Neptune and a member of the 5th cohort. You all thought that I was destined to be a loser automatically as well. Well now your precious chosen one is unconscious as a result of my hands and this is just the first blow that I have delivered to the system that oppresses me and my family. You all will treat Neptune and the 5th cohort honorable before I die and that is a promise".

The 5th, 4th and some members of the 3rd cohort roared in response to Perseus' declaration. The other cohorts were just silent because before Perseus was all talk but now everyone knew that he had the muscle to back it up. Shortly after his declaration, Perseus collapsed from exhaustion. "The winner of this match is Perseus Jackson and he will move on to the semi – finals", Amanda announced. Medics then rushed onto the battlefield to take the two boys to the medical center.