Ch. 14

Cassy felt her grip on the gladius involuntarily tighten; the look on Percy's face was sending chills down her back. She knew her body had reacted instinctively to the threat, but she was a Roman. Romans were strong, and fearless, not weak. Allowing her guard to drop in the face of, what the raised hairs on the back of her neck told her, danger was showing weakness. Cassy schooled her face into a neutral expression, however she still felt the cold shiver of fright run down her spine.

Percy, who was holding his sword 'Riptide, was it called?' in his right hand, gripped the hilt lazily. With his free left hand, he beckoned her to come forward and attack. If he was trying to incite her, he was doing a fine job of it.

Cassy shoved aside the last vestiges of her fear as her face hardened. She rushed him, hoping to catch her opponent by surprise. Percy, she noticed, was still grinning that same, sinister smile that he had been wearing the entire time. He was waiting for her to close him in. Discovering his strategy, Cassy improvised. As she neared, Cassy raised her shield and shoved with enough force that would have definitely broken some ribs…

If she had actually landed the blow to his chest.

Percy gracefully stepped to the left, as her shield sliced through the air creating a whistle. As he moved, Riptide lashed out in a blur of bronze and gold grazing the small of her back, uncovered by the armor as she leaned forward following the weight of her shield.

A thin red line appeared and blood trickled out in small, sparse drops. Mixed with the sweat cascading down her back from this heavy bronze upper torso armor, the blood turned a light pink and was absorbed by her black athletic mesh shorts that swished around her legs as she moved.

Cassy hissed in pain when his blade made contact and swung her left foot (which was in the air as she had been falling forward) behind her to quickly withdraw herself from the demigod's range. She couldn't find her balance when she did this, so she overcorrected and in her stumbled turning, she rolled her right ankle.

The cut was shallow, so she could push through it, but the ankle... she didn't think she could. Breathing labored to prevent herself from screaming out in pain, a string of curses (mostly in Latin) flew through her mind as she tried to think of a strategy. She wasn't good at improvising with this man… look where her attempt had gotten her! A small but painful cut on her lower back and a rolled right ankle.

She prayed to the gods that he wouldn't notice. If he noticed this change in favor, he would exploit it and she would be done. His reflexes were sharp and his speed was unmatchable.

'I seriously underestimated this demigod' she thought.

She was good. She was really good. If he hadn't stepped aside and dodged that blow to his chest, he probably would have needed medical attention.

Percy was currently running on pure instinct, adrenaline coursing through his veins as his synapses fired with commands to his limbs. He figured he was very much ahead of her skill, stamina, speed and strength. However he also knew that this fight was being fought with instinct and muscle-memory, not by experience.

Percy's memory was great, but he had holes. These holes were big, and he couldn't remember anything that these holes were usually filled with. Probably with experiences that he lacked, but he could tell they had a huge impact on him. Percy knew these past experiences were what gave him incisive instincts and the facility to pull strategies and moves out of thin air.

But, Percy rationalized, if he had his memory, this fight would also have been over before it even started. Percy smirked at that thought as he twirled Riptide's glowing, bronze blade in circles.

Watching her back out of the range of his weapon, Percy knew Cassy was analyzing the situation. He could see the cogs turning in her head as they circled, hot sand crunching under their feet as the sun beat down on the back of their necks. He knew the only way she was going to win was if she came at him with a series of forceful and connecting surprise attacks. Percy's reflexes were amazing, but not that amazing.

Ergo, he needed to find an opening in her defense and stance and end this fight before she ended him.

Percy scanned her armor, looking for weak points. She was wearing a heavy bronze vest, arm, wrist and shin guards that glinted in the sun as she moved, and a Roman helmet. He could try using brute force to knock her onto her back so she wouldn't be able to get back up, but he wanted to conserve his energy. If what Hazel said earlier was true, then he had four more fights coming his way.

Percy's smirk vanished as his eyes narrowed. Riptide stopped its spherical motions as Cassy shifted her weight.

There!

Percy saw it. She was favoring her left side.

The people in stands were getting bored.

Cassy had jumped out of the fight as soon as she was injured to recollect and reorganize, and they were cheering for her. They were!

But this new guy… who was he? The question was on everyone's minds as he dodged, seemingly at the last second, Cassy's would-be devastating blow. They saw the stumbling, and they knew she was injured. Cassy was one of the best fighters in the Legion, and if this guy was beating her without even trying, then she was in serious trouble.

Now they were orbiting each other, scanning armor and cataloging weak points. The spectators, who had formerly been jumping up and down with glee at the prospect of the newcomer's test, were feeling the heat from the sun and the sweat dripping onto the coliseum seats and sat down. This analyzing was boring. They wanted action!

To their surprise, they got their wish.

Without hesitation, Percy shot forwards making everyone's eyes widen in surprise. He sidestepped right a swipe from Cassy's gladius that would have gutted him and pushed out with his right palm so the sword hilt flew from his right hand to his left. Percy flung out his left arm in a wide arc, the blade heading straight for Cassy's head.

Cassy's eyes widened, and she had just enough time to raise her shield to block a lightning fast strike of his sword that would have decapitated her. She fell to her knees when she ducked, while her back bowed in a semicircle backwards to avoid the blow.

Percy grinned victoriously and his left leg shot out, striking Cassy in her ribs. The legionnaire was thrown back with a pain filled grunt, her sword and shield flying from her grip when she landed on her back with a hard thud. Before she even had the chance to regain her bearings, Cassy felt the cold sting of Percy holding Riptide to her throat.

"Yield." He commanded gently. Cassy glared up at him and, after a few seconds of contemplation, nodded her assent as much as she could without his blade nicking her throat. Percy smiled kindly and pulled her up by her hand. She hobbled away from him, putting as much distance as she could manage between them that would look like she wasn't afraid of him.

Percy clicked Riptide back into pen form and stuffed it back into his jeans, which now had a light dusting of sand. He looked around, and saw her weapons laying on the ground, absorbing the heat of the sun. Percy picked them up, and walked back to his opponent.

"That was fun. Thank you. I'm sorry if you're hurt; it wasn't intentional." He spoke happily as he handed over her weapons. Cassy stared at him in shock. No one had thanked her for a fight, not even if she had lost. He also apologized for hurting her, and Cassy sensed that he would never intentionally hurt someone who had not done anything to him first.

All the awestruck girl could do was nod and hobble back to her seat with her weapons in hand. A trainer ran over to her with a giant bag of ice as Cassy seated herself and took off her armor. She placed the ice on her ankle and leaned back on her bench, taking off her helmet and vest to attempt to cool herself down. Her eyes glazed over as she visualized the fight, trying to see where she needed to improve herself.

She would not lose again.

Percy glanced at Reyna, who returned look with a surprised one of her own at him. Reyna couldn't believe it. Cassy hadn't even landed a single blow on him in the very short amount of time the fight lasted.

"Um..." Reyna was at a loss of who to choose. She could pick anyone, and Percy would still probably win. Finally, she decided to go down the list of fighters.

"Next up will be… Blake from the fourth cohort." She voiced after the shock wore off.

The crowd erupted in cheers at the sound of their praetor's voice. A group of soldiers, no doubt the fourth cohort, jumped up and down in their seats, chanting 'Dakota'. Finally, from the center of the mass, a kid no older then Percy with jet black hair and a scar over his right eye made his way down from the stands. His chest plate was polished and glinted softly as he moved.

Percy grinned at him and waved. He was trying to be friendly, but Blake just watched him with narrowed eyes and he drew two gladii from a sheath on his back before taking an aggressive stance. Percy knew this rival would be more aggressive than his predecessor.

Blake had been observing how fast and strong Percy seemed to be. He couldn't believe that this guy had sent Cassy flying with just a simple kick. Blake also discerned that Percy wasn't using all his strength, either. Cassy's mistake was assuming that this guy was just the run-of-the-mill demigod and rushing him without a back-up plan. Only after she got hurt did Cassy take a step back, but it was already too late for her.

Blake wasn't going to make the same mistake.

Percy held Riptide down at his side, preparing himself for the fight. He felt guilty, but this was the only way to get into the Legion. Percy hated fighting for no good reason. Sparring was okay, because it was just for fun. But deliberately trying to injure someone so one could prove his worth to a specific cohort was ridiculous.

There were more important things in battle than just fighting.

Percy's kind smile turned into a shadow, and the arm holding Riptide twitched in anticipation. Percy's brain developed a line of attack as soon as silence rang, and all he needed was the signal.

Reyna blew the whistle, signaling the start of the match.

She watched with awe as Percy sent a flurry of strikes towards Blake; he was testing the waters, to use the vernacular. Reyna gazed as Percy moved. He was graceful but strong, fast but precise. A breathing contradiction. The way his body moved, twisted… one would think he was an acrobat.

Reyna recognized this man. That style… she remembered back to when she was young and a servant girl with her sister on Circe's Island in the Sea of Monsters. She remembered in shocking vividness how this boy had come to the island and, after turning back into human from a guinea pig, released pirates (who he then fought and won against) and escaped with his blond girl friend in tow.

She couldn't even believe that this was the same person, he had changed so much. But his fighting style… that didn't change at all.

Reyna was taken back to the fight by metal clashing. She regarded the current scene in surprise. Percy, on the defensive, had been exchanging blows with Blake before changing it up and going on the offense. Blake couldn't switch fast enough. It was like he realized what had happened and hesitated to plan for this new side.

Before long (a few sword clashes and a thud with a cloud of sand later), Blake was on his back, gasping for air with Riptide at his throat. After a moment's hesitation to allow Blake to yield and catch his breath, Percy, with a small smile, helped Blake to his feet.

Rou, centurion of cohort one snickered at something that his brother Rai, centurion of the second had commented on. Reyna snapped a glare at the two, her brain coming out of the post-round haze.

"What is so funny, Rou?" She asked, her tone icy.

Rou looked at her in surprise; he had not known she could hear him. Oh well. The male demigod huffed, and puffed out his chest in pride.

"That Roman-rookie is nothing but a coward, and so are Cassy and Blake." He gloated. "I could take this wannabe down, and do it faster than it took Cassy and Blake to lose."

Reyna's eyes narrowed dangerously. As she opened her mouth to speak, Percy spoke up.

"Don't worry, big boy." He taunted. "You'll get your chance very soon." He winked.

Reyna's anger vanished almost instantly as amusement took its place. She had to cover her mouth with a hand to muffle her laughter.

Rou's face heated up to four different shades of red as he tried to shrink back into his seat. His brother guffawed and doubled over holding his stomach as the crowd roared with laughter.

Once she could get her breathing under control, Reyna held up her hand, effectively silencing the noise. She cleared her throat.

"Up next… Devon, from the third cohort!" She yelled loud enough for all to hear.

Devon blushed when clapping erupted from her friends in her cohort as she made her way down from the stands. Once she stood in front of Percy, she gave him a soft smile.

"Hello! I'm Devon." She kindly introduced herself, and held out her hand for him to shake. Percy smiled broadly back as he shook the offered hand.

"I'm Percy. It's a pleasure to meet you." He replied. Devon nodded her head in response as she pulled a bow from her back. She notched an arrow and awaited her Praetor's signal.

Percy watched her closely. She was an archer. Percy's specialty was close-range fighting, so he needed to find a way to get in close for the take down. However, that would prove difficult once the flying arrows were factored in. For now, he would bid his time and wait for an opening.

As soon as Reyna gave the signal, Devon released her arrow. Percy dove to his right as it flew by his head. So close by his head that Percy could hear the sound of the arrow cutting through the air next to his ear. When he got to his feet and began advancing, he was forced back by arrow after arrow coming his way. Percy flipped and rolled his way to a safe distance, showing his agility. The attacks stopped, and he stood with Riptide in his hand.

His beautiful eyes narrowed as he looked at Devon. Percy had misjudged how fast she was with that bow.

Devon stood about fifty yards away, an arrow notched. She focused her gaze, waiting for him to rush her, which would put him in her range. Percy growled softly. He needed a way to get close without being perforated by wooden shafts. As his mind raced to find an answer, he became more and more agitated. All of a sudden, he felt a tug in his gut, and the moisture in the air condensed. A small shape about the size of a softball formed in front of him and then launched itself at a high speed toward the archer.

To say Percy was surprised at this turn of events and to see Devon dive under the fast moving orb of water was an understatement. The same could be said for everyone in the arena, especially Reyna.

'He couldn't be, could he...?' She thought.

The shock wore off, and Percy's frown was replaced by a dangerous grin that flashed his fangs.

Once Devon was on her feet again, she watched in surprise as Percy put away his blade and hold his hands out. She was slightly shaken up at the completely unexpected attack, and was not at all prepared for what happened next.

Percy saw water beginning to form in his outstretched palms. The crowed had become deathly silent as Percy held the newly-formed, orbed weapons in each hand.

'Let's see what I can do.'

He stepped forward and threw an orb, which flew much faster than should be possible. This was followed closely by the second orb, moving as fast as the first.

As Devon ducked to avoid the watery projectiles, Percy glanced down at his hands as more water began to form. He quickly made out that he was commanding the water in the air, and his eyes lit up as an idea struck him. Moving forward, step by step, Percy launched orb after orb. His attacks were fluid; no breaks in the time they were formed to when they were released.

Percy was not giving Devon a chance to attack as he had the advantage, much like she did with him.

As he neared the girl, who had curled up into a ball to avoid the water balls, Percy ceased fire. Devon glanced up to see Percy two feet away with a ball of water swirling in his hand, which was poised to strike her if she moved. Percy grinned as he let the water dissipate while he took a few steps back. Devon, taking the chance notched two arrows to be cautious. She did not know what he had planned.

When he stopped walking backwards, Percy suddenly brought his fists up and slammed them together, much like a boxer would. Water exploded between the knuckles and coated his balled fists, wrists, and the upper part of his forearms, forming some type of gauntlets. He grinned menacingly at his opponent as he took a defensive stance, gauntlets raised in front of his face.

Devon nearly dropped her bow in shock before her face hardened. There was a reason she was called the best archer in New Rome, and she was determined to live up to that title. She fired her arrows only for Percy to throw a punch at the closet one.

The daughter of Apollo snickered, as the arrow was still too far for him to block with his fist. Her victory was short lived. A small tendril of water lashed out from his extended arm and batted to arrow aside. Her mouth fell open when her other arrow met the same fate.

Percy smirked as he beckoned her, much in the same way he had done with Cassy. His smirk grew into a dangerous grin when Devon's eyes narrowed as she began to fire off arrows so fast that the now silent crowd had trouble following.

Percy started to advance as he sent blast after blast from his gauntlets, preventing any arrows from getting to close. Devon reach behind her into her quiver only to find it empty. With a frustrated growl, she threw her bow to the side and drew her gladius. She was not as good with a blade as she was with a bow but she had to try. She would not just give up because of an empty quiver.

When she fired her last arrow, Percy halted his whip-like water strikes. He held his hands similar to that of a boxer and dug his toes into the earth as he bent his knees.

Frank gasped. 'No! There's no way he knows!'

He rubbed his eyes, thinking he was seeing an illusion. But when he reopened his eyes, Percy was still in the same stance as before. Frank shook his head. He refused to believe that Percy knew that fighting style. Only a few had that precious tutelage, and the son of Mars' mother was one of them.

Devon narrowed her eyes and charged her opponent, her gladius raised for an overhead strike. Percy took a step back as she neared and brought up his left palm. Using the water as a buffer, he knocked her strike off its course, before he struck with his right hand. Percy cringed slightly as he felt, and heard, a few ribs crack.

He hadn't meant to hit her that hard.

Guilt-ridden, Percy tossed the blade he had ripped from her grip to the side as he helped Devon struggle to her feet.

"Yield?"

Devon glared at him as she held her chest in pain before she nodded. Percy nodded and, hooking one arm around his neck, helped her shuffle to the first aid tent. Percy picked her up and gingerly laid her on the cot. After making sure she was going to be alright, he stood from his slightly crouched position and walked out from under the open-air tent, glancing at Reyna before observing the arena around him.

The once noisy members of the legion were now silent. Their mouths hung open in awe and amazement as they saw what this stranger did for their "sister."

Perhaps he went a little over board.

Percy chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. The water gauntlets now gone. "I guess we know who my father is now." Percy called out to the praetor with a chuckle.

Reyna was shocked out of her third stupor with a shake of her head. Something was different about Percy, and she was sure of it know. Putting her thoughts aside she looked into the crowed and glanced at Rai. But, once again before she could speak, Percy beat her to it.

"I've got an idea."

Reyna raised an eyebrow at him.

Taking that as a nonverbal cue, Percy continued. "How about those two fight me at once?" He pointed at Rou and Rai, the ones who had mocked their fellow brethren.

Mockery of the people one was supposed to support was one of Percy's pet peeves. To him, people just shouldn't do that. Not matter how much you may dislike an ally, tormenting them shouldn't be allowed. Maybe in battle one day, a soldier would be in jeopardy and the only thing that could save that life would be the person who he had tormented.

Reyna looked back at the brothers. "Well?"

Rou puffed out his chest and started making his way towards the arena. Rai on the other hand looked more apprehensive as he eyed Percy, but followed his brother anyway.

After all, they were family.

Once the two stood in front of him, Percy smiled and resumed his previous form. The moisture in the air began to cling to his arms until the gauntlets reformed. Rou drew his gladius along with his brother but unlike Rai, he didn't wait for Reyna to begin the match.

Percy let his smile drop and his eyes narrow as a loud howling begun in his ears.

This would be fun.

A/N: Okay this is the new and improved chapter done by my wonderful beta. She has tought me a lot and I plan to take to heart what she said. And hopefully I will become as good as her one day. Review and I might talk her and myself into cranking out another chapter soon.