A/N: It looks like Octavian's death was taken well, which isn't too surprising. I only placed a warning against flames in case there were any Octavian fans out there who happened to be reading this.

Euphoria Tides: Leila is not Clare. They are half-sisters. She is one of Rick Riordan's characters who only shows up in the last book. The fact that they have the same mother is coincidental since I created Clare long before Riordan wrote the HOH series.

The W1inter King: Thank you for your kind words. I'm glad you and so many others appreciate Seth Hunter as an OC character. It's encouraging to see that my efforts aren't wasted.

Guest: I'm glad you like my writing style! Thanks for taking the time to review this story, and FYI to you and my other readers, it doesn't matter which of my stories you review as long as it's relevant. I still take the time to respond to reviews to my previous stories when needed.

WARNING: Very dark content.

Thank you all for the reviews and support!

Enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 34: Break In

It takes 48 minutes by car from San Francisco to Mount Tamalpais.

Jason and Michael sat in the front. I was seated next to Jacob, while Leila and Nathan sat in the back. The Senate had given Jason permission to use the spare van, and Michael was the designated driver—the only member to have a driver's license. Jacob had slowly dozed off, and Jason looked austere as always, keeping his attention focused on the road. Michael had already set the GPS to Mount Tamalpais State Park, so my assistance wasn't needed yet. Despite having less than three hours of sleep last night, I remained alert. It's been awhile since I last rode in a car.

My eyes flickered to the window, and I could see the towering lights of the Golden Gate Bridge. The view was stunning. With its bright gold lights, the bridge was like a streak of gold in the darkness. Despite how captivating it was, my stomach began to feel queasy, reminding me of the limiter Poseidon had placed on me. I must have looked unwell when Nathan asked if I was okay.

"I'm fine," I dismissed. I resisted the urge to move my arm over my abdomen. I wasn't about to expose one of my weaknesses. I changed the topic. "What's the plan?"

Jason answered. "Our scouts have informed us that the camp is heavily guarded. Going in together would attract too much attention. To avoid that, I decided that we'll split into two groups. One group will be responsible for planting the bombs, while the other group will be the distraction."

That made sense. I had wondered why Jason needed five other people when two would have been sufficient. Three has always been an important number in Quests, and while this wasn't an official quest, it was just as important. "Who's doing what?"

"Nathan, Leila, and I will be in the second group," Jason said. "Jacob is in charge of the bombs and he will be placing the bombs where he thinks is best. Michael will also be with him."

To serve as his bodyguard, I thought. Appearance wise, Jacob didn't look much like a fighter, but he recognized good chances. As a son of Victoria, he could determine which places would provide the best results, and he would have Michael, a swordsman, to protect him. As for the other team, Jason was obvious. As a son of Jupiter, his aura would attract too much attention for him to be in team one (whether he thought of that factor or not was a mystery). His priority would be to take down any strong opponents that crossed their path. Nathan's and Leila's abilities, I could assume, were best for defense. Their priority was the safety of their praetor and each other.

"What about me?" I asked. Jason looked surprised. "Or did you expect me to leave once I guide you all there?"

The praetor swallowed visibly. "I told you I wouldn't force you to stay."

"I don't do things halfway," I said sternly. "I will see this mission through to the end. Put me in a group. I don't care which one. Unless...you don't want me to join?"

Jason and Michael glanced at each other.

"You can join Michael and Jacob," Jason said at last. "You're also an archer, right? Be sure to watch their backs."

"Will do," I muttered.

-o-

Surprisingly, I knew what I was doing.

Once we arrived at Tamalpais State Park, we ditched the car, and the six of us started the tour up the mountain. Since I came here a different way last time, I thought I'd have some trouble guiding my new group. The memories I had as 'Seth' were hazy, but the vibrant aura of monsters and immortal beings soon put those worries to rest.

We made our way up another steep hill. The two hour journey was mostly silent until Jason asked, "how much further?"

I thought about it. "We should soon be approaching the Garden of the Hesperides. The Mist is very heavy there."

"How can you tell?" Michael questioned. He looked skeptical.

"I sense it," I said.

"You sense it?" he said incredulously. I suppressed a sigh, knowing full well that Michael had been silently assessing my tracking skills, and it appeared that I've fallen short of his expectations.

"I know where I'm going," I said slowly, trying to sound calm even though his doubts pissed me off. "I've been here before. That's why Jason asked me."

We continued our hike. My silver eyes wandered about endlessly, my gloved hands brushing through tall weeds. I also took out Nightwalker, making distinct scratch marks on some trees we walked past. While I had no trouble finding my way back, I doubt the others were as adept. The air was getting denser and Mist-laden as we traveled up. I was also conscious of the time: if it got too dark, we'd make slower progress. After an hour, I stopped at the base of a small mountain. The amount of auras I sensed was so vibrant that I knew the Titan camp was close.

Nathan asked, "Why did you stop?"

"The camp is on the other side," I answered briskly. "We need to make our way over this hill." I turned around to face them all. "Anyone bring any climbing gear?"

"Leila," Jason said. The daughter of Ceres nodded.

After murmuring a few words, Leila placed something on the ground, her hand raised over it. I felt a slight rumbling, and the ground suddenly erupted. Large vines sprung forth, and I saw the others grab hold of the vines before I did the same. Once I had a firm grasp, my whole body was lifted high into the air as the humongous plant grew bigger and taller. Soon, my feet landed on firm ground, and I saw Leila causing the beanstalk to shrivel up, hiding all traces of the abnormality.

That was convenient.

On top of the mountain, there were bushes and a couple trees with boulders scattered around. I climbed one of those trees swiftly, and noticed many glowing fires below. The Titan camp was right below us, placed together in niches. My sharp eyes noticed armored dracaena and hellhounds patrolling. At a distance, I saw the veiled Garden of the Hesperides, and I swallowed uncomfortably when I saw it, for it was the site of Zoe's death. Atlas still remained under his burden, and I didn't want to encounter him a second time. If Atlas saw me, he would undoubtedly expose my true identity. Unfortunately, since the Garden of the Hesperides was the only route in, I could only hope that I made myself insignificant enough to avoid Atlas' attention.

I heard someone knock on the bark. I looked down and saw Jason.

"What do you see?" he asked.

I made my way down before answering. "There are a couple patrols out, and their numbers are scattered everywhere. We'll have to sneak past the lower grounds before making our way to the Garden of the Hesperides. That's where their main base is at."

"How tight are the patrols?" he questioned.

"They're sparse," I said, "but I can't determine their times."

Jason took that in silently, analyzing his options. "Keep your eye on their patrols. We need to know when it's safe to maneuver. We're setting up camp tonight. For now though...help me gather some firewood."

I complied, and Jason and I started to gather up spare wood. While doing so, I noticed a large stick buried deep in the ground. I tried to yank it out with a bare hands, but it didn't budge. Frustrated, I thought about summoning one of my steel knives, but thought better of it when I noticed how close Jason was. If he saw me summoning things, he wasn't going to leave it alone. So instead, I reluctantly took out one of my daggers to cut it off and add it to my growing bundle. Jason took notice of the action, and stared at my weapon curiously.

"Where did you get those daggers?" he asked.

I hesitated, "they were a gift."

"Can I hold them?"

Again, I hesitated. I didn't like it when others touched my things, especially my weapons, and out of all my weapons, my daggers were the most precious to me. They were the first weapons to be in my possession, and since they've been given to me, I've always remembered to polish them whenever I had the chance to. It wasn't that I'd favored them over all my other weapons—I still used my bow and arrows just as frequently, along with my added arsenal of modern weaponry and swords. I judged each weapon by its utility, so I had no 'favorite'. Rather, the special treatment was because it came from Camp Half-Blood. It was different from my bow, which had been remade many times from me. The daggers were a gift from Camp Half-Blood, my second home, and by taking care of this gift, I felt like I was honoring the Camp in turn.

Jason must have noticed my discomfort when he retracted his words. "It's okay if you don't want me to. It's just...I've never seen someone use Stygian Iron weapons before. The material is very rare, and I've heard mentions of its special properties. I'm curious."

"What are you curious about?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Is the metal as strong as celestial bronze or imperial gold? Is it better for quick rapid strikes or brunt attacks? Do downward and upward hits differ in damage? How is a monster's essence absorbed after its death? Stuff like that."

I smirked at his inquiries. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were a child of Vulcan. I didn't think you'd be interested in those kinds of things."

Jason smiled. "I always believe every soldier should know their weapons. How else would you be able to use them properly? It helps me come up with different techniques."*

I nodded in approval. He and Lynetta agreed on the same thing. "What weapons do you use?"

Jason rummaged through one of his pockets and took out a...coin? I was about to question how a gold coin could be used in battle before Jason flipped it high in the air, my sharp eyes widening as I saw the coin morph and twist rapidly into a double-edge sword. Jason caught the sword's handle expertly and held it upright. I had my mouth agape in astonishment before I quickly closed it. I gave myself a mental slap on the head. Of course the coin was magical. It was just like Percy's pen, Riptide. Duh.

"This is one of its weapon forms," Jason informed, looking proud. He must have noticed my shock earlier. "It depends on which side the coin flips. Since it landed on heads, it turned into a sword. But if it had landed on tails, then I'd be holding a javelin instead."

"That's pretty neat," I said, impressed. "Can you control which side the coin lands on?"

"Not quite," he admitted, "which is why I made sure to be adept with both forms."

"Does it have a name?"

"Not an official one," Jason said, "but the word, Ivlivs- Julius- is engraved on both sides. That's what I call my weapon." His gaze lingered on my dagger once more. "What are yours called?"

"Nocte Ambulare," I translated in Latin. "Nightwalker." I placed my bundle of wood down so I could take out Dark Hacker. "This one is called Tenebris Circumdatos."**

"Fitting," the praetor said. "How long have you had them?"

"Awhile," I said ambiguously. I didn't know if Jason was testing out my story, but I rather not give him any doubts. I strapped my daggers behind my back and picked up the bundle, trying to ignore the disappointment on Jason's face. "We should be getting back."

When we returned, the food had already been prepared and the tents set. Nathan and Leila were sitting together, sharing a plate of roasted food. Michael was sprawled on his back, his hands placed behind his head. His dark brown eyes glanced our way when Jason and I approached before closing them again. There was an empty plate beside him. Jacob was kneeling by the fire, his back towards us. Eventually, he noticed our presence and quickly gave Jason and me a plate of food. I quickly muttered my thanks and had my fill. There were only four tents. Nathan and I shared one tent, while Michael and Jacob shared another. Leila and Jason each had their own. The fire was extinguished, and Michael was assigned first watch.

While I settled down in a sleeping bag, I was once again impressed with the Romans' efficiency and preparation. They had the tools for every possible scenario thus far, and when they lacked tools, they made it up with power and collaboration. Each member here had their specialized roles, and I had to admire Jason's insight in his choices. Maybe it was because they had funds and a Senate to back them, but I wished the Greeks also followed this format. I've lost count of how many times Seth starved or ran into accidents that could've been easily prevented during his Quests.

Nathan had laid down in his sleeping bag with one arm propped up to hold his tilted face. His blonde hair was in disarray, and for a moment, he almost reminded me of Will-if not for the age gap. He noticed how I was still sitting upright. "You should get some sleep, Hadrian. Big day tomorrow."

"I know," I said. "I'm just...thinking."

"About what?" Nathan questioned. "If you don't mind me asking."

I shook my head. "Do you guys do missions like this often?"

"Not really," the older teen said. "We only do missions when something major comes up. Otherwise, we'd just send out scouts to deal with it. Why do you ask?"

"You're all very organized," I admitted. "Nothing seems spontaneous. This camping arrangement? What Leila did back there? Jason's strategy of dividing us up? None of you seemed ruffled by the risks that may happen."

Nathan smiled and gave a mirthful laugh. "You give us too much credit."

"What?"

"Hadrian, would you believe me if I told you that this is the first mission Leila, Jacob, and I have ever been on? Or that Jason has never led a group outside the camp boundaries? Or how this is only Michael's second time outside San Francisco?"

My eyes narrowed, not expecting those details.

"We've been trained for this since the day each of us entered the Legion," Nathan replied. "By birthright, we are descendants of the Roman Empire. It's in our nature to be adept in war matters and achieve our own ambitions. It's wouldn't be Roman-like to do anything unprepared."

"Still," I insisted. "Training doesn't account for life experience. There must be something..."

He shrugged. "That's all there is to it. If there must be a 'something', then it's Jason. He's our praetor, but more than that, he is our friend and comrade. We know he has our interests in mind. That's why each of us tagged along to support him."

"How can you be so sure?" I said dubiously. Then, I decided to ask what had been bothering me since the start. "Isn't that like blind loyalty? I'm not saying that Jason's a bad leader. He's competent, and he's better than some I've met, but he isn't perfect. None of you question his judgment."

During the first Quest, Percy had been in charge, but even though he was the one leading, Annabeth and Seth always questioned his decisions and added our input. If we hadn't, then we'd be stuck in Medusa's Emporium or Percy might have sacrificed himself to save his mother. He made better rational decisions later on, and as a result, was able to command leadership. It was important for any leader to listen to his or her peers' advice and be open-minded. Otherwise, they'd be another Antiphates. Or, in what I could deduce from Jason, they'd be overburdened by the responsibility.

"It's not that we don't question Jason," Nathan said carefully, "it's because he has already proven himself. I sometimes forget you're new to the Legion's customs, but Jason had to complete five years of service to the Legion before given permission to run for praetor, and of those five years, he has to have been made a high ranking official. If he was inadequate, then he would not have been elected. That's why we have two praetors. Reyna and Jason keep each other in check. They have the authority to question each other, as well as the Senate."

"Reyna and the Senate aren't here," I pointed out.

"True," he relented, "but they gave Jason permission to be out here. That gives Jason enough credibility." He looked at me strangely. "You…you're not a trusting kind of guy, huh?"

My jaw tightened. "No."

"Did Jason offend you? Is that why you're questioning him?" he said quietly. He was suspicious, but his tone didn't belie any malicious intent. I decided to satisfy his inquiry.

"Jason's a good guy," I said honestly. "I might even say I understand him. He's respectful and charismatic, and he reminds me of an acquaintance. He didn't offend me..."

...but I'm wary of him all the same, I thought. I was asking these questions not because I doubted Jason's decisions, but in order to comprehend his situation. In history, children of the Big Three have always played big roles. With so few of them due to the Big Three Pact, I've no doubt that Jason was a game-changer. Just like how Percy and Thalia have proven themselves to be. Even when I leave Camp Jupiter and its people behind, I'd make sure to keep track of Jason with Walt's help. Octavian may have reported the Great Prophecy, and believed Jason to be its key player. If Percy failed, then Jason (not Bianca) was next in line. The Titans would think the same thing, and now Jason was running headstrong into their direction. I'd be damned if I allowed Thalia's brother be caught, or worse, corrupted by them.

I needed to make sure that someone would be there for Jason if he slipped up. Someone needed to be by his side to keep him in line, keep him grounded. From what Nathan told me, that someone was Reyna. I could only do so much from a distance. So, I'd leave the rest to Reyna, even if I didn't like her that much.

Now that I got the information I wanted, I forced a subtle yawn. "You're lucky to have Jason as your praetor, Nathan." Let's hope you guys keep a good hold on him.

"I know," he said, grinning. He lied back down again. "Wake me when it's my shift."

-o-

My hands were bloody.

I twisted my waist, my knees bent halfway to dodge a leaping hellhound. My hand brushing against dirt before I propelled my whole body up, doing a series of acrobatic turns and flips before securing my legs around a dracaena's neck, grinning as I heard its neck snap! I quickly heard the hellhound come back again. I quickly flipped over, doing a reverse hand stand and clasped my legs around the barely dissolved dracaena before tossing the monster at the incoming hellhound. The beast was pushed back momentarily before charging at me again. As it ran at me head on, I timed its movements before jumping as high as I could, my feet barely touching the passing monster's head before it slammed down at its neck, its nerves and bones threatening to break.

We were close to the Garden of the Hesperides. I glanced over to see Nathan and Leila engaging a group of telekhines, his arrows and her plant defenses allowed them to push them back. Michael had his hands full against two cyclops before I saw him sidestep a club swing and lop off an arm with his broad sword. The cyclops screamed before Michael plunged its sword into its chest and proceeded to finish off the other. Jacob was scurrying about, dropping tiny detonations of explosive fire. His speed nimble and accurate as he dodged incoming arrows and knives, sliding under them before tossing his hand-made grenades. Jason was a surprise: he was flying, sword in hand, as he directed lightning strikes at numerous monsters with a swing of his weapon. I never knew children of Zeus or Jupiter could fly. None of them seemed to be in a predicament.

I flipped over its limp body, about to engage another opponent before I caught its hushed whimper. The hellhound wasn't dead yet. The monster lied flat on its side, making tortured, erratic sounds. I walked up to it, and looked down at its helpless form, insulted that this thing was still breathing. I pinned a mental note, reminding myself to improve my combat strength before I crushed its esophagus with my foot. The filthy beast quickly vanished, and I smeared my dirtied shoe on the ground to get rid of the traces.

I cracked my gloved knuckles. My daggers were still secured behind my back, and my bow and quiver had been transferred out of sight before the battles started; I didn't want my arrows falling out while I moved. Even after facing teams of dracaena, hellhounds, and Gegeines (Earthborn), these dirt-faced, six-armed loincloth wearing turds—I felt no need to draw them out. I already had a gist of what my limits were when it came to archery and dual wielding at the Wolf House. Now, I wanted to test my hand to hand combat. Seth prefers using weapons of precision, keeping his fights clean and efficient. I like using my hands and feet. It kept fights interesting and personal, and I'd always look out for monsters that could force me to use my weapons. Those were the big baddies, the fun challengers. As for these wimps I was fighting? They didn't deserve a taste of my arrows, much less my prized daggers. Unless I was short on time or there were too many of them, I wasn't going to let their pathetic blood stain my possessions.

More monsters were arriving, drawn in by the flashy storm and loud explosions (courtesy of Jason and Jacob). I heard Jason yell at Michael, who nodded and said something inaudible before Jacob joined him. When he looked at me, I knew the plan was starting. We were splitting up.

Michael, Jacob, and I quickly left the scene and entered the Garden. I was in the front, with Michael taking the rear, making sure we weren't followed. My silver eyes spotted the familiar fruit and vegetation. I flicked my fingers, signaling them to cover up their noses. I had warned them of its alluring scent. We kept going until I heard someone talking. I lifted my arm and stopped abruptly, causing Jacob to collide into me.

"Hey, what-!" I shushed him with a stern look and the three of us hide behind a berry bush as two figures appeared, a man and a young woman. Both of them wore army uniforms: camouflaged jackets and pants with ankle length combat boots. The man had on a pair of shades. His black hair was moussed and he had very tanned skin, like he spent hours under the sun. He had a large frame, his jawline very defined and there was a celestial bronze bo staff (in retractable form) strapped behind his back, and a jagged knife tied to his waist. His aura was radiant and recognizable. The woman beside him was petite. She was Hispanic, and had wavy dark hair tied in a low pony tail with an army beret on her head. She carried no weaponry, as far as I could tell anyway. She also had a noticeable aura, but it was one I couldn't distinguish. Behind me, I heard Michael suck in a harsh breath, and we could hear snippets of their conversation as they approached.

"...predictable," the man was saying. "Of all the days! Carmela, give me the damage report."

The woman, Carmela, responded, "At least half our forces in the east has been taken out. Some reported seeing large storm clouds and an abnormal amount of lightning and Venus fly-traps."

The man sneered, his hand almost itching to take out his staff. "I know it's him. Only Jason Grace would be this bold." I heard Jacob give a startled gasp. "If Lord Krios calls, and I'm not there to take it, tell 'em I'm taking care of a pest problem."

"Yes," Carmela muttered, looking bored. "Anything else?"

"Take care of his friends," the man ordered, "but leave Jason to me."

Carmela sighed, and followed the man out, vanishing from our line of sight. When the coast was clear, I turned and looked at Michael, whose eyes were downcast. For once, I almost felt...sympathetic for the least likely person here.

"Who is he?" I asked him. I already knew the answer, but I wanted Michael to confirm it. To express permission for me to know what I knew. Jacob looked worried.

The son of Venus looked at me, his dark eyes narrowing as he discreetly analyzed my countenance. His mouth tightened in a thin line, and then he looked away, but not before giving me a glimpse of his hidden turmoil.

Sensing his comrade's discomfort, Jacob answered instead. "That's Marcus. He was our praetor, before Jason."***

A praetor. So that explained how the man knew Jason, and why the two Romans with me had become very nervous. Seeing their old leader as their enemy wasn't easy, especially when said enemy was once...

"You guessed," Michael said, sounding very certain. I nodded once, causing Jacob's eyes to widen, looking at both of us with uncertainty.

"Why did you join this mission?" I questioned, suspicious. "You knew that there was a chance he would show..."

"...and it's because I knew there was a chance that I insisted that Jason bring me," Michael said sternly. "I had to meet Marcus-!"

"For what?" I interrupted. This conversation was starting to sound familiar. "So you could convince him otherwise? To save him?"

"No," he said sharply, "it's so I can kill him."

I wasn't going to deny it. The conviction I heard in his tone was absolute and left no doubts. I never expected such a cold answer from him. I'd never admit it out loud, but it was...admirable. For a son of the godly queen bitch anyway. Michael lowered his gaze, and seemed to take slow, deep breaths, like he was trying to keep his thoughts under wraps. Who would have thought that Michael would be this determined to break the very obligations his mother enforced?

War isn't a game. Lynetta had said. It seemed so long ago. Murder is justified. Betrayal is common...war punishes both good and evil...

I sighed at the depressing words. The official war hasn't even started, and we've already got half-siblings trying to kill each other. Talk about overrated.

"I don't expect you to understand," Michael said quietly, "but I know which side I'm on. My loyalty is to the Legion, and no one can change that." He clenched his sword tighter. "It won't be long before Marcus realizes that Jason is the bait. We need to set the bombs quickly before he and Carmela returns. Guide us there, Hadrian."

"Can do," I said.

We traveled through the Garden of the Hesperides. We were also getting closer to the site of Atlas' imprisonment. I saw the overgrown titan asshole still under his heavy burden. Tough luck, fella. The large ruined fortress stood tall and ominous as it came into view. There were monsters still, but their numbers were fewer here. My guess was that most of them had gone to where Jason's group were. Just as planned, but getting inside wasn't going to be easy. I swallowed uncomfortably, never did I think I'd come here again.

"There should be an open air corridor down...that way," I said, pointing my index near the right side of the fortress. "Problem is, we still have a bunch of monsters in our way and we don't have the time to plow through them like before."

"He's right," Jacob confirmed. "It's been fifteen minutes since we last saw Marcus. There's an 88 percent chance that he's engaging Jason in battle right now. We need to get inside fast. If we could do that within the next...say, 10 minutes—that will give us the best chances of a successful outcome and getting out alive."

Michael asked, "What's our best shot? Sneak past them and hope none of them notice?"

"That didn't work well the first time, and frankly, I don't see any decent hiding places, and there's many of them. The likely chance of that happening would be less than 40 percent," Jacob announced.

"We need a Plan B," I said suddenly, an idea coming to mind. It wasn't perfect, but with the time we have, it would have to do. However, if I was to use this plan, I didn't want Michael or Jacob witness me doing it. "I'll create another distraction. You and Michael get inside and plant the bombs."

"No," Michael protested. "That's too risky! You'd be alone with hundreds of monsters for company with no back up! We're going to stay as a team, and follow Jason's instructions."

"There isn't enough time!" I argued. "It's either me or the mission, and don't bother with the statistics, Jacob. I'll be fine."

I knew I was right, and I knew Michael knew it. Still, it was rather flattering for the son of my enemy to concern himself over me. Then again, he didn't know who I really was. I briefly wondered what would happen if he did.

"Jacob, lend me some of your bombs," I replied. He quickly handed three of them in my outstretched hands. I pocketed them carefully. "Move when you hear the first go off. Got it?" They nodded.

I slid down the side of the hill, staying low and creeping past various monsters. I was running on light feet, keeping my movements as quiet as possible. I dropped down and halted behind a tent as a young boy came out, yawning. From his aura, I deduced that he was a legacy. He didn't notice me, and kept going about his way. I also sensed other godly auras in the surrounding tents. I knew there were Roman traitors, but I didn't expect this many to be here.

I continued on, and I spotted a truck pulling in. The cargo was covered with a dusty brown cloth and pinned down tightly. I saw a couple Roman deserters speak with the driver, saying something about food supplies. I smirked, reaching into my pocket for one of Jacob's bombs. I found my first target.

I only had a moment to carry out the plan. I prepped myself ready before I charged into the clearing. I saw enemies turn their heads in shock, another reached for their weapon, but I had already tossed the bomb onto the truck. I only had a second to turn my head before it exploded. I felt the heated shockwave as my body was flung into the air before collided against one of tents. The truck was set aflame, serving as a large flashy beacon that basically said 'Hey look! Here's an enemy! Get him!'

Despite my bruised joints and scabs, I pushed my haggard body up and sprinted to the other side as fast I could. Michael and Jacob must be on the move, and I had to make sure all our enemies pursued me. I saw monsters coming up to block my path, and I threw another bomb. The explosion pained my ears, but it also created a smoke screen to assist my escape. I threw the last of my bombs behind me as I got to higher ground.

With no bombs and too many enemies to count, the weapons I had in hand were no good. I had limited arrows, and my energy was already too well spent to summon any celestial silver weapons for a long period of time. It was time to use my last resort.

Walt was going to be pissed.

Ever since Artemis had abruptly barged in to grab my counterpart, I knew Walt had his own stash of weapons outside the ones I've seen in the Training Room. The guy was a son of Vulcan—I'd be more surprised if he didn't have his own private toys. One of his toys, in particular, was a high-grade celestial bronze M20 Super Bazooka. I had wondered where Walt had hidden this gem since Seth returned, and when I finally revealed myself, I had secretly snuck into Walt's room, the place where Walt had expressively told me to stay out of since Seth's first day there.

That didn't stop me. It was easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, right?

Eventually, I had located the big guns behind one of the cabinets. I only looked at the row of different editions of rocket launchers, and there was even a grappling and machine gun. Above, there were rows and rows of celestial bronze and imperial gold ammunition. I had let out a gasp, awed by the sight. Walt is a genius, and I wondered why the gods didn't use his inventions more. I resisted the urge to touch them, in case of alarms, and rearranged the cabinets back to how it was.

When I finally reached a good angle, I turned around to face the incoming swarm of monsters. Michael and Jacob should be inside, leaving no witnesses of what I was about to do.

I raised my arms up, gave a jolly big smile before something large, metallic, and heavy landed in my outstretched hands. I propped up the rocket launcher, squinted one eye as I gave my enemies, who suddenly backed off in surprise, a salute.

"You all have five seconds to evacuate before everything goes ka-boom," I said solemnly. "Please be sure to take your arms, legs, and other belongings with you or else risk losing them." I heard the monsters make irritable noises as they charged at me. I counted down as I placed my hand over the trigger. "One way trip to Tartarus coming up! Enjoy your trip."

I fired the loaded M20 Bazooka, the blast demolishing all the monsters in sight. I raised my arm to shield my eyes from the vibrant smoke, lowering the weapon in my hand. Normal bazookas had a lot of firepower, but this bazooka, I realized, was anything but normal. It was custom-made by Walt with celestial bronze rockets, and the firepower was a lot stronger than I calculated. I had expected to take out half of the forces and maybe injure the rest with the explosion's shockwave. Not only did it kill or fatally injure my enemies, but it even took out some tents and vehicles they had parked nearby.

Surveying the damage with satisfaction, I allowed the M20 to vanish. Shame it was only a one-time use. This time, I had two guns in my hands. I did a quick walk-through, placing a bullet into any survivors. It wouldn't be responsible of me if I didn't clean up my act.

I shot another charred monster, about to join the others when I caught a muffled gasp. I turned my head slowly, craning my sharp ears to listen. When I heard the noise again, my eyes narrowed as I stalked towards a pile of destroyed rubble. The 'rubble' consisted of a burnt truck that had keeled on its side, spilling different fluids and grain. I walked around it and discovered...a young boy.

His head was bleeding profusely, and there were burned marks on his arms and right leg. One of his arms had fractures in three different places, and his lungs had inhaled too much smoke. However, no matter how grievous his injuries appeared, I somehow knew he'd recover if given the proper treatment. All of this, I was able to diagnose within ten seconds by sight. The boy looked scared out of his wits when he saw me. He looked no older than thirteen.

"Who are you?" I demanded.

The boy took a moment to answer. I noticed how he tried to swallow but could only manage halfway. His whole body trembled in pain and fear. "P-P-Patrick," he rasped.

I grew impatient. "I didn't ask for your name. I asked 'who are you?'- Do you work for Kronos?"

When he didn't answer, I took that as a yes. "You work for Kronos. So even little kids like you are getting hired to do the dirty work, huh?" I lowered my gun as I tossed my head back for a laugh. "Oh man, why am I even laughing? The gods do the same shitty-ass thing..." I sighed, and knelt down so he and I were eye-level, my weapons clenched tightly. "What should I do with you...?"

The kid, Patrick, seemed to shrink away, his eyes (which were a dark hazel color) never left my guns. "P-p-please d-d-don't k-kill-!"

"Don't kill you?" I finished. "Why shouldn't I? We're enemies. It's your own damn fault for getting caught in my explosion. I mean, really, I even had the courtesy to give a warning."

"I...I'll leave!" the boy cried. "I-I-I won't say anything!" I shook my head.

"See, this is the tricky part," I said like I was talking to a baboon. "You're young, kid. Got your whole life ahead of you and all that shit. I'd like to let you go. Really, I do. Except...there's no absolute guarantee that you would carry out what you just promised. You could be lying to me. I could let you go and then you'd go tattle on me to your superiors. Or, you could be a vengeful son of a bitch. You see a common theme here? There are too many 'coulds' and I don't like that."

I stood back up and pointed my gun at his head. The boy's eyes started to water. "It's really too bad we got to meet this way, but you are an enigma, and the best way to prevent this enigma from becoming an obstacle is to take it o-!"

STOP!

I felt my weapon hand freeze in place, like I suddenly lost control of it. I gritted my teeth. Now's NOT a good time, Seth-!

LET THE KID GO! Seth shouted. He's only a boy!

He's an enemy! I snarled. Age should never matter in a battlefield! He made his choices-!

And he's regretted them! Seth yelled. DON'T do this, Hunter. This isn't you-!

"You don't know me," I said icily. "You've never cared to know me unless I pushed for it. You don't get to tell me what to do."

For the first time, I made Seth speechless, but as soon as the shock went out, I felt a wave of anger as Seth tried to seize control. If he wasn't able to convince me, then he was going to force his way in. I involuntarily dropped the guns as I placed my hands to my head. I was experiencing a massive headache, like hot needles were poking at my brain constantly, but I held on. I was forced to stumble back and fall to my knees, letting out a scream. I was in too much pain to focus on anything, much less notice how the kid had slowly inched forward and grabbed one of my dropped weapons...

By the time I noticed, it was too late. Seth had been yelling his nonsense until he finally saw what happened.

N-no way...he said in disbelief.

He fired without hesitance.

There was a scream, and it wasn't from me.

The bullet didn't even graze me; it was completely off the mark. Instead, it was the boy who yelled. He had held the gun poorly, too feeble to grasp it correctly and suffered from the gun's sharp recoil. Lynetta had told me that without proper training or knowledge, placing a gun in the hands of a rookie would be nothing short of disastrous. I was glad she was right.

Taking advantage of Seth's shock, I quickly gained full control of our body once more. Before the boy got the chance to fire again, I threw a summoned celestial silver knife. The knife embedded itself into the boy's chest, killing him instantly. With a flick of my fingers, the knife disappeared and revealed a bloody hole.

For a while, there was silence. I sensed Seth's turmoil over what had occurred, and if I wasn't so furious, I might have comforted him.

"Do you realize what just happened?!" I yelled at my stunned counterpart. "You nearly got us killed! Next time you want to butt in, try not to act so stupid!"

I could feel Seth's struggle to counter, but he couldn't find the right words.

"This, is the type of scum we are dealing with," I said coldly. Slowly, I let my ire go down. I wasn't going to add more salt into fresh wounds. "This, is what happens when you show mercy to those who don't deserve it."

I waited for Seth to reply, but he still hasn't recovered. I didn't know when he would, honestly. Seth wasn't used to this kind of brutality like I was. I feared that he may never return to that blissful state of ignorance. I felt him retreat further into our mind, and the words I had wanted to lash out died in my throat.

He finally gained an inkling of understanding of what I've been trying to tell him all along. It was what I wanted, what I've yearned for—to have Seth accept me for who I am.

But at what cost?

-o-

* Jason's interest in weaponry is added by me. I believe that Rick's depiction of Jason is too shallow, and he isn't given enough characterization to make him distinct like the rest. Riordan could've done so much with Jason, like explain his past with Camp Jupiter better. Instead, he had to knock Jason out with a brick during MOA. I'll try to keep Jason as canon as possible, but remember this Jason is before he has amnesia. His thinking is bound to be different, and I'll be adding more developments.

**I had used Google translate for the Latin terms for Nightwalker and Dark Hacker. By verbatim, they mean 'Night walk' and 'Dark cutter' (there was no Latin term for Hacker).

***I decided to introduce Marcus much earlier than expected. He's almost like a Roman-version of Luke, but with a lot more charisma and leadership experience. If you didn't realize from the content, Marcus is a son of Venus. I had decided to have him be a previous praetor to explain Camp Jupiter's history before Jason rose to power. As you could probably guess, Marcus and Carmela will be appearing in future chapters.

A/N: Please review! I love to read what you guys think. Thanks for reading!