A.N Yes I know this update is waaaay overdue. Unfortunately life seems to have caught up to me. I know many of you are probably foaming at the mouths wanting to rip my head off since you may have had to restart the story due to how long ago I updated I apologize if that is the case. But as I promised originally, I shall not give up on this story I shall type when I can and finish this creation of mine and not let it die abandoned and alone. Thank you my devoted readers oh and since this chappie was a bit late I am changing the content of this chapter. This chapter WILL create the official pairing for this fic. Now go forth and read my brethren! (I own nothing you know the spiel)

POV :WILL SWITCH A LOT IN THIS CHAPTER SO JUST BE AWARE

CH.25 (1 week later)

Mars leaned against the veranda smirking darkly his eyes glittering with malice and the power he now wielded since he controlled Jupiter. Everything had fallen into place following the death of Athena's spawn. As he had predicted Perseus had become enraged and attacked Rome; but then his plan fell apart. Poseidon's brat had allied himself with Nemesis and Hecate granting him powers and gifts that would make him nigh impossible to stop…well for a demigod anyways. Mars had altered his plan in an attempt to make it workable still; he had the council informed from an "Anonymous" source that a monster was ravaging New Rome. The council had been going as he had hoped it seemed that an all out hunt would be declared for Perseus. Until Athena and Poseidon emerged abandoning the council. Mars slammed his fist against the banister in anger as he remembered how his scheme had frayed further apart. With the gods in civil war torn between their Greek and Roman sides his hope of casting the Greeks as the cause of all the problems was in shreds. If things had gone as planned Perseus would have been found with the roman blood on his hands still entirely human. Mars could have safely ordered the entire extermination of all the Greek half-bloods. Yet half of his plan had made it he now was the de facto ruler of the gods…well the gods loyal to Jupiter who was now nothing more than a figurehead. He hadn't planned for Jupiter's insanity but honestly it made for a smoother transition than all the backstabbing and skullduggery that he would've had to commit to obtain the position he was in now. Things weren't perfect for Mars but they had never been better. The only thorns he had in his skin were the rebellious gods and one Perseus Jackson…now Perseus Ultor. He had watched from the eyes of one of the fallen soldiers who served him as Perseus had dived into the pit. He had been on the verge of crying with joy, why couldn't all his enemies just off themselves? he had thought. Then less than a week later what was left of the council had assembled Apollo betrayed Rome and convinced Diana to as well. But besides losing two major gods to this rebellion the fates had made a major announcement. One that enraged him and caused the passing tingle of fear to touch his mind; Perseus Ultor was not only alive…but a god. Clenching the banister tightly he recalled the following days Reyna had disappeared from New Rome. He had felt Bellona's presence in New Rome immediately before the disappearance of Reyna and when her presence had faded he noticed that Reyna's was missing as well. He had dismissed the connection between the two as coincidence…until Bellona had failed to show up for the war council he had held last night. Mars prided himself in being a judge of character but he had never once believed that Bellona formed attachments with her children. From hers and Reyna's disappearance he could safely say that belief he had held was erroneous. However he still had a card to play Rome was built upon loyalty and any disloyalty could be punished with death, even a god's children could be held responsible for their parent's treason. Mars turned around noticing Venus lounging against the door staring at him as he was in thought.

"How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to know you've got some plan forming in that head of yours dear." Venus replied sashaying up next t him and wrapping an arm around his waist.

Mars looked down at her his smirk broadening "And whatever would make you think that dear one?"

"Well how long had you been planning to use poor Perseus to wipe out the Greeks, or to steal Jupiter's throne? You know as well as I do that your always planning something either long or short term."

"You got me love, I was just planning on how to deal with a little rouge war goddess we have."

"Bellona?"

"Right in one."

"I was meaning to tell you something I've been feeling lately concerning Bellona's daughter Reyna."

Mars face turned serious knowing that Venus unlike Aphrodite didn't bring up people for no cause. "What was it you needed to tell me?"

"Reyna is falling for the new god…she may be in a relationship yet but the emotions are there burning within her."

Mars' eyebrows rose in surprise "And…Perseus' feelings towards her? Can you sense those?"

"To a degree, being a god his emotions are harder to read and there is…a dark energy that blurs his mind. I can get a vague sense of him but nothing concrete. I would say from what I can tell he has lost someone close to him, and his emotions are turbulent because of them, the few times I have caught him when his emotions are focused on Reyna they seem to be a mixture of guilt, respect, and perhaps love it is hard to say when I am only doing a surface reading and not able to bring my entire willpower onto him without giving away the game." Venus replied her mouth set in a wry smile.

Mars nodded if anything developed between the two of them Perseus would have another weak point that he could be struck from.

"What is your plan for Bellona love?" Venus asked pressing herself closer to Mars.

"She has betrayed us I suspect…so I think we need to lure her back out. I will go down to New Rome today and order the execution of her children at dusk. She will come I believe to try and save them then we take her out." Mars said his face calm as if he had just been discussing what his dinner plans were.

Venus lifted an eyebrow "Why not go now? Word will reach Bellona faster and she will be more likely to come if she believes she has any advantage at all including prep time."

"That's why I like you dear one, smart and beautiful."

"I know." Venus replied smugly

"Shall we?" Mars asked holding his hand out towards her.

"We shall." Venus replied grabbing his hand and both of them flashing away to New Rome.

-3 hours later Hecate's Palace -

Bellona paced back and forth in her rooms conflicted. The moment she had felt her children praying to her about their dilemma she had brought it to the council knowing time was of the essence. Present had been Athena, Nemesis, Hecate, and a few of the minor gods. Their advice had been a bit mixed but all had seemed fairly sure of one thing. It was a trap. Athena being the women of logic and a bit detached had offered the cold hearted advice that she let them die, since the Greek's could not spare any resources to spear head a rescue and if she tried alone she would most certainly be caught and her children still killed.

Bellona bit her lip as her hand fingered the hilt of her sword. Could she let her children die without trying anything? Would she? These questions competed with her rational mind that was reminding her how the entirety of the god's thought it was a trap at the council and her knowledge that they were right. She was not the goddess of war for nothing she knew when she was being played. As her thoughts raged a tear trickled down her face knowing that she couldn't save them without help. Letting out a soft moan of grief she collapsed into a chair wanting to go but knowing it was futile. She sat there for all of two seconds when she felt herself get roughly yanked upright. Opening her eyes in shock she saw Perseus' eyes boring into hers.

"And what do you think you are doing Bellona?" Perseus asked anger tinting his voice.

"What… what do you mean?" Bellona sputtered confused by the anger in Perseus' voice

"I mean why are you sitting here mourning your children's deaths when you should be doing something about it?" Perseus replied staring at her his eyes glittering dangerously.

"I…I would but we can't spare the men to fight…it's a trap…I would be taken they would still die nothing would be gained by going." She replied her mind still wallowing in despair.

"Well I hate to hear you say that but I'm afraid I'm still going." Perseus said turning around and beginning to leave.

"WHAT?! What do you mean you're going? How did you even know what was happening to them?" Bellona choked out in shock.

Perseus turned his head back towards her "Your children didn't pray only to you, many of them prayed to me as well…they know that I hate stuff like this and a few of them gave me a pledge I didn't ask for."

"A….a…a pledge?" She sputtered.

"An oath to serve me in this life and the next if I exact revenge for this wrong being done to them.' Percy winced at this slightly' I never asked them for their oaths, I never would have. But they were made and by the gods I wouldn't deserve to be an immortal if I treated them as expendable and left them to die."

"What are you planning?" Bellona asked.

"We haven't sent the demi-gods to Greece yet so I shall be taking my hellhounds and launching an attack on New Rome to divert them. Reyna will slip through the lines and free her siblings."

Standing Bellona grasped Perseus' arm firmly "I think I can help you out with that Perseus."

"By the way Bellona…my name is Percy stop calling me Perseus too formal for my tastes."

Bellona grinned "Alright Percy shall we go?"

"Indeed." Percy said pulling Bellona into the darkness with him and reappearing at the hill outside of new Rome. What Bellona saw shocked her at least a legion of hellhounds was present an especially large one had jumped over her knocking Percy over and licking him. As her gaze shifted she saw one of the hellhounds approach her and shift into her daughter dressed in her war regalia. Her jaw dropped causing Reyna to chuckle.

"I'm guessing Percy didn't tell you I can shift now?"

"Ummm…no, no he didn't." Bellona said looking back at Percy who was now standing upright covered in his own armor his sword held in his hand.

"We'll have to catch up later but for now just stay near me when we infiltrate the camp you and I will be getting them out."

"What about Percy?" Bellona said all business now.

"Percy's doing what he does best…acting without thinking. Don't worry too much over it." Reyna said smiling.

Just then an earsplitting howl erupted from Percy causing the hellhounds to all perk up as the command was given.

"What was that?" Bellona asked.

"It's time." Reyna said before she started sprinting down the hill at an angle off to the side to approach from a different angle as did a dozen of the hellhound's, Bellona morphed her armor on before she ran after her daughter her sword already in her hand as she felt the thrill of battle looming.

Percy waited for Reyna's crew to make it to their starting position then running forward he threw himself off the crest of the hill morphing into a hellhound that rivaled Mrs. O'Leary in size. At his movement the remaining hell hounds took off after him as they rushed towards the main entrance to New Rome. As he reached the entrance he shifted into his human form and let a blast of energy come from his hands blasting the guards through the door behind them. Letting loose another blast the doors went flying inwards leaving a hole for the army of hellhounds to pour through. Snarling Percy ran forward towards the massed Romans his eyes fixed on the person's behind the roman defenders Mars, and Venus.

Mars face was in shock as he saw not Bellona as he had been expecting but Perseus blasting his way into the compound. He saw the way Perseus ignored the Demi-gods arrayed before him his gaze fixated on him. Standing straighter Mars opened his hand his double handed sword appearing in his grip. Mars expression grew grim as he realized that Perseus was not alone but had brought his own army of monsters with him and by the looks of things they rivaled the Romans in numbers.

Percy let out another howl his sword pointed towards the massed Romans causing the Hellhounds to launch themselves forward and into the Roman lines thus starting the battle.

Reyna's party waited until the sounds of howling and steel mingled with cries of pain and war cries rang throughout the air before commencing phase two of the operation. Advancing forward she made it around to northern face of the wall surrounding New Rome (Entrance is on south side). Gesturing to her mother she pointed at the wall. Nodding Bellona gathered her strength which had increased dramatically due to the battle that was raging inside the compound. Pointing her sword at the wall she released a great deal of her energy blasting a hole through the wall which Reyna and the hellhounds poured through instantly followed closely by herself.

As they ran towards the complex where prisoners were housed Reyna shifted morphing back into a hellhound before leaping onto one of the guards backs who managed to cry out before his jugular was ripped out. A few dozen Romans came out of the prison at the cry and immediately lunged into battle with Reyna's party. The hellhounds were faster and the buildings cast long shadows as the sun started setting enabling them to attack from all directions. Reyna morphed into her human for as the few remaining guards pulled back into the prison trying to prevent their charges from being rescued. Reyna smirked to herself Idiots once inside the building the Romans stood no chance the building was dimly lit allowing for shadow travel to anywhere within easily. Appearing in front of the fleeing guards she stepped forward ramming her sword through the first man's throat and just as quickly withdrawing the blade and kicking the man towards his comrades causing them to trip over their fallen comrade resulting in their quick dispatch by Reyna and her half a dozen remaining hellhounds. Picking the keys off the corpse of one of the guards she ran shadow traveled to the cells and began opening the doors and letting her siblings out. All told there were two dozen of them and they smiled at their sister gratefully.

"Perseus is distracting Mars and the legion right now so we have to hurry. Grab a weapon off the dead as we escape but ignore the armor speed is essential right now." Reyna said motioning towards the exit. Nodding her siblings started running grabbing weapons from the fallen as they went past their bodies.

When they made it outside Reyna noticed her mother wasn't alone anymore but was facing Venus. Reyna pointed towards the whole in the wall getting her siblings out of harm's way before stepping forward with the remaining hellhounds and encircling Venus.

Venus smirked "Do you think you can best me child? I am not some minor god like your mother."

"Do I think I can best you? No…I know we can best you, you haven't started fighting my mother yet so you must fear her. If you fear a minor goddess then you must be weak." Reyna snarled before lunging forward.

Venus smirked sidestepping the blow a dagger appearing in each of her hands. Lunging to the side she sliced a hellhound's throat before throwing the other at the hellhound jumping at her from the other side the blade reappearing in her hand as soon as it passed through the hellhound's body. In less than a minute the remaining hellhounds were settling dust and Reyna and Bellona stood across from their opponent gauging her movements as Venus circled them.

"To answer that question of yours Reyna…I didn't attack Bellona because I knew you might run off for reinforcements. This way it's just what you bring to this party no newcomers allowed." Venus said a feral grin on her face before leaping towards Bellona and Reyna.

Percy ripped through the Roman ranks his swords aura causing most of them to shy from his path towards Mars but the unlucky few that stood their ground met their end quickly. Finally Percy reached Mars but noticed Venus had disappeared conjuring a shield onto his left arm he advanced towards Mars his shield up defensively. Mars raised his sword in a salute before rushing towards Percy swinging his sword in a downward cleave Percy adjusted his shield to meet the blow and struck under the rim of the shield with Harbinger hitting nothing as Mars backed out of range before making a sweep at his legs which Percy dived over landing in a role before coming up on Mars' flank and launching another flurry of blows on him from the side.

"Have you wondered where She's at yet Perseus Ultor? Hmmmph you aren't even worthy of my title whoever gave you it was stupid and should have known you were undeserving of it." Mars sneered.

"I'd imagine Venus is off cheating on you with another man I'd assume. That is what she does best right?' Perseus replied sardonically ducking under the swing of Mars' sword before lunging forward and locking their swords together.' And as for the name I earned it. I didn't have to kiss someone's butt to get the title like you did."

Snarling Mars disengaged their blades kicking out knocking Perseus' shield off his arm. "Venus is taking care of that little goddess you brought. Just as I am taking care of you."

Reyna gasped for air as she weathered the onslaught that was Venus. Never had she thought that the goddess of love as anything warlike which made fighting her all the harder. Venus fought but with no set style she was neither entirely Greek or Roman in her fighting style but a mix. Bellona had endured the first twenty minutes of the engagement before being knocked back and away with a lacerated arm and leg. Reyna was into her fifth minute fighting the demon that Venus had become trying to think of a way to end the fight with her still living. Slowly she gave up more ground eventually being covered by a shadow. Venus realized her mistake to late.

"NO!" Venus shouted swiping at empty air as she whirled around looking for the daughter of Bellona knowing she was gone. She looked to where she had knocked Bellona out of the fight but she was gone as well. Snarling in rage Venus threw both of her daggers into the corpse of one of the fallen soldiers her eyes set in rage at her foes escape.

Percy's fight with Mars while at the start was going well was now a one-sided affair. Losing his shield early on forced him to be defensive and he was only now realizing something about Mars. Mars was a lot more annoying than Ares when it came to fighting he wasn't rash but calculative he moved with a deadly grace that fit a veteran warrior which he was. Finally he found himself on the edge of a pit unable to see the bottom.

Mars smirked "And this is checkmate Perseus Ultor. That is my own personal doorway to Tartarus and I doubt you'll be getting out the same way again."

Saying this he blasted Percy into the abyss and started walking away when he heard a laugh that set his teeth on edge slowly turning around he saw Perseus just floating there the shadows of the pit wrapping around him replacing the silver and black armor he had had on before so now he was covered in pure onyx armor that looked like it came from the Medieval times. Perseus raised his sword causing darkness to erupt from the pit and cover everything a loud piercing howl and the sounds of battle ceased. During the darkness unable to see Mars felt a sharp pain in his gut as a blade passed through his body. Throwing himself forward and off the blade Mars rolled turning around with his blade held defensively. But it was pointless Perseus as well as his army was gone.