A/N: Chapter 14! This will include another meeting with Kira, and will also develop Percy and Reyna's relationship. Please review so I know if you all like it! Thanks for reading, enjoy! Unfortunately there is no action in this one, but the next one will have some for sure. It's gonna be intense.

Duskrend14: Thanks for the tip. I get a excited during my answers and end up spouting information. But don't worry, my vision for this story changes a bit each day so it might not exactly line up with what I put on answers. So nothing will be totally spoiled.

Redlox2: You'll see.

Hero of all: I've considered that but it wouldn't go in the direction I want it to.

ParadoxalPaladin: I don't think Jason could've reacted any other way. Remember, they were told when they were very young that their sister was dead, so he's grown up believing that. And Octavian could have given a harsher punishment, but in my mind I thought that he would make it reasonable so David would agree. That was just my thought process when writing it.

Redxlord: You just need to plan it out before you start typing. Long chapters can be easy if you already know what you're going to include in it.

Kakazustash: Me too. I'm hoping for some good plot chapters instead of the setup ones.

Chapter Fourteen: He Trusts Me, He Trusts Me Not

Percy

When the curfew time neared, Percy found his way to the empty cabin in which he'd be sleeping until David decided he had been punished enough. Percy, honestly, agreed with this part of his punishment. He hated being forcefully isolated, but the son of Jupiter knew that he couldn't hurt anyone if he was sleeping alone. Percy didn't want to injure any more of his fellow Fifth Cohort soldiers, and this was the only way to assure that.

He had been lying in his bed for half an hour, and the time was nearing 12:00. The longer he sat in his bed, the more he thought about what Kira had told him when he left their first meeting.

"If you change your mind and get sick of living in a place that would kick you out without a second thought, meet me here in two days, same time. Got it?" She had told him. And frankly, Percy had been considering rising from his bed and going to meet her in the temple. As more time passed, he began to realize that what Kira had said actually made quite a bit of sense. She had told him the senate feared losing control, and that much was obvious by Percy's reprimand by David and the other senators. They were afraid Percy would hurt more people, and he knew that David would have no chance to kick him out if it happened –especially if Randy had a say in it. Questions for Kira began to surface in his head as well. He wondered how many Exiles there were, where they lived, how they survived, and many other things that only she could tell him.

When the swirling questions in his mind became too taxing, Percy sat up and pulled on his hoodie before quietly exiting his cabin and heading for the temple. The frosty winter air nipped at his skin, making his teeth begin to chatter softly. But he pushed through the unforgiving weather, preparing to make his way towards the temple. But only a couple steps in, he noticed someone leaning against the side of the cabin next to Percy's own.

It was a slender girl with long, dark hair. She wore a purple, long-sleeved t-shirt and a pair of jeans, along with a pair of simple tennis shoes. Her eyes, surprisingly enough, were trained on Percy.

"Reyna?" Percy asked confusedly. He kept walking, however, so he could make it to Jupiter's temple on time. He needed to get rid or Reyna, though; Percy wasn't sure if he could trust her quite yet. Jason did, but Percy knew that it was probably thanks to his blinding crush that made him do so. Percy would form his own opinion on Reyna.

"Hey," she greeted simply, falling into step with Percy. "What are you doing out so late?"

Percy frowned at her. "I could ask you the same thing. I could also ask you why you were right outside my cabin. Were you stalking me or something?"

The moon provided just enough light to allow Percy to notice the faint pink blush appearing on Reyna's tanned face.

"Definitely not," she answered quickly. "I couldn't sleep so I was wandering around. I just happened to stop there."

"Oh," Percy said, nodding. He certainly did not believe that feeble lie, but they were getting closer to the temple and Percy really needed to make her go away. He didn't want to be rude, so he settled for lying.

"You know, I think I'm going to go for a short run. Alone," he added at the end, with a little bit of emphasis.

Reyna pursed her lips and nodded slowly, realizing that Percy was trying to hint that he wanted her to leave.

"Runs are more fun with a friend," Reyna supplied hopefully.

"Since when are we friends?" Percy had originally planned not to be rude, but a portion of bitterness had resurfaced about her killing his chance to reach the First Cohort. He asked himself quietly how he had managed to stay cordial with her so long, and how he hadn't "accidently" electrocuted her to achieve a bit of vengeance.

Reyna didn't miss a beat. "I'm not an idiot, Percy. I know you don't like me."

Percy let out a breath of laughter. "You don't know anything."

"I know that you have other powers besides your lightning and wind," Reyna replied smoothly.

Percy stopped in his tracks, his heartbeat elevating drastically. He stared at Reyna, astonished, and possibly even a little bit impressed that she had found out. This wasn't good—not by a long shot.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Percy lied.

"Don't bother denying it," the daughter of Bellona told him. "I was in the temple when you met with that Kira girl. I heard everything."

Percy put his face in his hands before sighing deeply, searching for a way out of this situation. Reyna had her hands on her hips, and the soft night breeze was blowing her unkempt, dark hair into her face—a sight that Percy had to tear his eyes away from.

"Relax," Reyna said, probably noticing Percy's panicky expression. "I won't tell anyone."

"Am I supposed to believe that? I don't even know you," Percy shot back.

Reyna frowned. "Have I done anything that makes you think I'm untrustworthy?"

Percy shook his head, reluctantly saying, "No, you haven't."

"Then give me a chance, please," Reyna pleaded, a serious expression on her face.

Percy studied her face—maybe a little longer than necessary—to see if he could detect any signs of dishonesty. Perhaps she truly wasn't going to tell anyone. But if life so far had taught Percy anything, it was to not trust everyone he met. Percy trusted his birth mother, but she had become an alcoholic and had supposedly—according to Trivia—abandoned he and Jason at the Wolf House. Percy had lately stopped trusting Trivia, who had practically sworn on the Styx that she had no children. And whom does Percy meet? A daughter of Trivia named Kira. He had been lied to too many times already, and he was hoping that Reyna was not trying to deceive him.

Percy unenthusiastically nodded. "Fine. I really need to go, so—"

"I'll keep your secret on one condition," Reyna interrupted.

Percy internally cursed. He should have expected some type of blackmail.

Percy raised his eyebrows, indicating that he was ready to hear Reyna's demand.

"Let me come with you to meet Kira tonight."

-X-

Trivia

Trivia sat in her small home on Olympus, watching Percy through an Iris message. She had seen him meet her daughter, and had seen the betrayed look appear on his face when he found out who Kira's parent was. Trivia had thought about going to New Rome to explain in person, but something was stopping her:

Trivia was scared.

The goddess of magic was frightened of losing Percy's trust entirely. She was supposed to be his mother, and she had knowingly lied to him, hoping that Percy would never meet Kira or the Exiles. Trivia had predicted that Percy would be a rule-abiding soldier who would progress through the ranks swiftly, and that no one would threaten to kick him out of New Rome.

Trivia hadn't spoken to her daughter in a year or two in person—not since she left New Rome. Trivia hadn't agreed with her daughter's decision to join the Exiles—Trivia had hoped that Kira could follow the rules and keep her true potential hidden from the leadership so she could live a long, full life inside the safe borders of New Rome. Unfortunately, her daughter was quite disobedient, and enjoyed ignoring authority figures—such as her mother.

Trivia knew she'd have to think of a way to earn Percy's trust back. In order to do that, however, she'd have to talk to him—the one thing she was currently terrified of doing. She still hadn't told him about Saturn and Krios, although with each passing day her worry of enraging the Fates—by disclosing that information to the twins—increased. For now, she'd have to keep that secret to herself until she figured out what to do.

-X-

Reyna

"So," Reyna said as they continued their walk to the temple of Jupiter, "what are your punishments for the discharge incident?"

"Well you already know I have to sleep alone now, so I can't hurt anyone else. Octavian suggested to David that I do some extra conditioning before training starts and that I should clean the stables each night," Percy answered, his face twisting into an expression of disgust as he mentioned the augur's name.

Reyna frowned. "David let him pick your punishments?"

Percy just shrugged. "David technically asked Octavian's father, but Randy claimed that it would be good 'training' for Octavian to decide."

"Oh," Reyna replied. She was at a loss for words—she hadn't found any common ground with Percy, and she couldn't think of any way to carry on the conversation. Luckily, Percy wasn't as tongue-tied as Reyna.

"You're close with my brother." It was a statement—there was no inquisitive tone.

Reyna nodded. "Yeah, I guess so."

"He talks about you a lot," Percy commented offhandedly. His voice sounded thick, like he had to force the words out.

Reyna felt her cheeks begin to burn, much to her chagrin. She tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear and shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans before looking back at Percy.

"Does he?" She managed weakly.

Percy didn't reply, and Reyna was actually relieved. She was sure the conversation was about to get a lot more awkward than it already was. The duo was now on Temple Hill, just outside the temple of Jupiter.

"I hope Kira doesn't get upset that I brought someone along," Percy muttered, more to himself than to Reyna.

The son of Jupiter pushed open the doors, and politely held one open for Reyna to enter. They walked to the center of the temple, where Kira was already waiting. She wore an outfit almost identical to the last time Reyna saw her, minus the biker jacket. The other noticeable difference was that she was not twirling a knife between her fingers like the first time Reyna was here.

"I thought you were smart enough to know what 'come alone' means," Kira commented drily, studying the daughter of Bellona.

"You told me to come alone the first time. You said nothing about bringing someone along the second time you invited me here," Percy retorted calmly.

Reyna raised her eyebrows as she acknowledged the loophole that Percy had discovered. There was more than met the eye when it came to Jason's brother.

"Touché," Kira replied, voicing Reyna's thoughts. Kira stepped forward and stretched out her hand to Reyna. "Kira Green, daughter of Trivia."

Reyna saw Percy stiffen slightly in her peripheral vision, but she ignored him. Reaching out and grasping Kira's hand, Reyna said, "Reyna Ramirez. Bellona."

"A war child, huh?" Kira muttered as she released Reyna's hand. "Yeah, you definitely look the part."

Before Reyna could say anything else, Percy began to speak.

"Alright. I'm back. Now what?" He asked Kira.

Kira shrugged. "It's up to you. Why did you return here?"

"Because I wanted to know more. About the Exiles, I mean," Percy told her.

Kira nodded her head as if she had expected it. "Sure. What would you like to know?"

"Lots of things," Percy answered, "are you their leader?"

Kira laughed. "No, I'm not. You can meet our leader another time, if you'd like to. I'm simply a recruiter."

Percy nodded. "Alright. Well . . . do you have a home of sorts? Somewhere safe from monsters?"

"Of course," Kira answered. "I can't tell you where it is unless you decide to join us, though. Protocol."

"I should have expected that, I guess." Percy murmured under his breath.

"What exactly do you do?" Reyna asked suddenly.

Kira raised her eyebrows. "What do we do? We survive. If our group hadn't been made, dozens of demigods cast out of New Rome would be dead. We are a haven for those who have nowhere else to go."

Reyna internally admitted that the Exiles did, in fact, have a noble cause. She couldn't fault them for wanting to save demigods out in the world with no homes. Reyna's eyes flicked over to Percy to gauge his reaction. Frankly, Percy was a professional when it came to concealing his emotions when he wanted to.

"How many of you are there?" Percy inquired, his sapphire eyes fixated on Kira.

Kira simply shrugged. "Thirty or forty, maybe. I can't remember the exact number. So does this mean you're interested?"

Percy didn't answer. Kira took that as a cue to continue talking.

"I heard about your little explosion and the psych evaluation. I bet they gave you some shitty punishments, didn't they?"

Percy still remained silent.

"You're starting to see it too, aren't you? They're afraid of you, Percy. You're a loose cannon."

Kira checked her watch before rolling her eyes. "I forgot I had somewhere to be."

"At 12:00 am?" Reyna asked incredulously.

The daughter of Trivia simply shrugged. "I don't exactly have a normal schedule. I'll be in touch, Percy. Nice meeting you, Reyna."

Reyna and Percy watched Kira disappear through the temple doors. The duo followed her out, but by the time they got outside, Kira was nowhere to be seen.

"She moves fast," Reyna commented drily. The cold weather started its onslaught, causing Reyna to shiver as they walked back towards the cabins, careful to avoid any patrolling night guards. In the corner of her eye, she saw Percy begin to remove his hoodie. Then, trying to act like he didn't care too much, he handed it to Reyna without looking at her. Reyna stared at the side of his face in a state of wonder; she wasn't sure she'd ever fully understand him. Nevertheless, Reyna took the hoodie and pulled it over her shirt, relishing in the almost immediate warmth it granted her.

"Thanks," she muttered quietly.

They reached Percy's isolated cabin, but Reyna still had a ways to walk. She reached down and grabbed the bottom of Percy's hoodie, beginning to pull it off, when he stopped her.

"Keep it for now. Goodnight," he told her before opening the door and stepping inside his cabin.

She gazed at his closed door for a moment before heading off for her own cabin. Reyna had originally set out with Percy to find out more about the Exiles; she was a curious girl, and the first conversation she eavesdropped on had really ensnared her interest. The daughter of Bellona, honestly, had found more truth than deception in what Kira had said in both meetings. The senators were definitely working for their own ulterior motives—most of which driven by avarice—and had no intention of losing control of they city in which they prospered. But Reyna had gotten more out of that meeting than information about their senate; Percy was actually quite more approachable than she previously assumed.

It was possible that Reyna had made a friend tonight—maybe a reluctant one, but a friend nonetheless. Perhaps this was the start of something.

-X-

Unknown

A man sat at his desk. He was young—around thirty, maybe—but had traces of grey hair in his blond curls. He wore a black leather jacket and a pair of jeans that had rips in them from previous skirmishes. His desk was covered by a map and other odds and ends, one of which being a beautiful, curved dagger. The splendor of the knife was almost entrancing; the hilt was made perfectly for his hands, and was embedded with multiple, shining gemstones.

The room he was in was small and—honestly—musty. The floor was cement, although it was covered in a thin layer of tan dirt that concealed its true grey color. The walls were of the same material, but were covered by steam pipes and vents in some areas.

The man was broad-shouldered—muscled from years of training—and had a lean face. His eyes were a glowing maroon filled with both pain and determination. His hands were constantly moving, whether it was putting small tacks in the map or fiddling with his knife. He had been absorbed in the map for nearly an hour when a sharp knock on his metal door tore him away from it.

"Come in." His voice was rough and throaty—like he hadn't used it in a while.

His eyes flicked up from the map long enough to identify the visitor as Kira. She wore her favorite shirt—a grey tank top—and a pair of tight fitting, black pants like usual. She wasn't wearing her jacket, however, which indicated that she probably left it in her room.

"Kira," he greeted politely, turning his eyes back to the map.

Tacks were impaled through the helpless piece of paper, indicating places of mass monster accumulations. Something was happening—he didn't know exactly what it was yet—but he'd find it. Monsters were mostly brainless creatures, and wouldn't gather like this unless there was someone more intelligent leading them there. They were being organized into groups, but the man still did not know why.

"Tom," she greeted in return. "I talked with Percy Grace again tonight."

This was enough to get him to look away from the map.

"Has he decided to join us?" Tom asked interestedly.

Kira shook her head. "No: at least not yet. I'm hopeful, though, since he came back a second time. He seems to be relatively curious about us."

Tom nodded in appreciation. "Good job, Kira. He must be seeing the corruption now. I heard a senator allowed his spoiled son to decide Percy's punishments. If that doesn't infuriate him, then I don't know what will."

Kira's face twisted a bit as she recalled the vote that cast her out of New Rome. Randy had been the one who brought her controversial powers into the spotlight, and the one who convinced nearly every other senator to vote against her staying. Kira was fourteen when she was kicked out—two years ago—and Tom knew it was hard on her at that young of an age to be betrayed and abandoned by those she called friends. Percy was only twelve now—even younger than Kira was. The senators were turning into dictators, but there was nothing that Tom or the rest of the Exiles could do except bring those in who are banished.

"Are you still trying to figure out that damn map?" Kira asked. "Give it a rest, Tom, you've been at it for a week."

Tom shook his head. "I can't. I'm missing something here, but I can't put my finger on it."

Kira sighed exasperatedly. "Alright then. Try not to stay up too late."

Kira left his office, and Tom continued to study his map.

-X-

Percy

Early the next morning, Percy began his extra running under the watchful eye of his Centurion, Daniel Watson. Daniel still wasn't taking it easy on Percy, even though the son of Jupiter had basically won the war games for them only several days prior. He was instructed to jog laps until Daniel told him to stop. This wasn't too horrible, considering that Percy was skilled when it came to long distance running. He had only run a single lap when he heard someone fall in line with him.

He glanced to his right and, shockingly, saw a dark-haired girl with her hair pulled back into a ponytail. Her obsidian-colored eyes were filled with amusement as she took in Percy's astonished facial expression.

"It's like I said last night," Reyna commented, turning her head forward, "runs are more fun with a friend."

This time, Percy didn't object.

A/N: Annnnnd done. Huge battle scene to come. It's going to be great and I know you guys crave fighting so I'm going to give it to you and truly begin the first war for the Romans. Thanks for reading! Review so I know how you all liked/disliked it.