Annabeth / November 28th (2008)

The romans sure did know how to eat. Set of couches and low tables were sent up in the forum, resembling a furniture showroom. Romans lounged around in groups of around fifteen, with wind spirits swirling around serving food.

That was cool and all, but right I know just wanted to be with Percy... preferably alone. But I would have to wait because if we wanted to win, we needed the Romans, and they would need us.

Reyna and some of her officers, including the Octavian kid, sat with us. Given the looks that Percy, Jason, and Layton gave him, he looked and sounded pretty annoying. Percy joined us as well with the two kids named Frank and Hazel who had similar looks.

Percy leaned over and whispered, "I'll show you around New Rome in a bit. Just the two of us. This place is really great"

I was thrilled but at the same time I felt a sense of resentment. Percy was talking about it like it was his home. But what about Camp Half-Blood - our camp, our home.

Meanwhile, I was trying not to stare at the SPQR tattoo he had burned on his forearm like Jason did. Back at camp, we got bead necklaces to celebrate one whole year. Here, they just burned a tattoo straight into your flesh.

"Alright, sure" I said

"I've also been thinking... about this idea... uh..."

Percy stopped as Reyna called a toast to friendship and a truce. Once introductions had gone around, we and the Romans began exchanging stories. Jason explained his experience with Camp Half-Blood and our quest.

"So that's how we found about the earth Goddess Gaea. She's still kind of sleeping, but she's also the one freeing monsters from Tartarus and raising giants. Their leader Porphyrion, the big leader, wants to retreat to the ancient lands and awaken Gaea while also destroying the gos" Jason explained

"Alcyoneus said something about pulling them from their roots" Hazel said

"Exactly" Jason nodded his head

"Gaea's been busy lately. We had our own encounters with her" Percy replied

Percy told the story from his point of view. He explained how he had woken up at the Wolf House with no memories except for one name - mine. I had tried hard to not cry, and Percy told us about how he had made his way to Alaska and defeated Alcyoneus, freed Thanatos, and returned a lost golden eagle standard that repelled the giant's army.

"No wonder they made you praetor" Jason chuckled

Octavian scowled and snorted. "That means we have three praetors! The rules clearly say that we can only have two! This must be fixed at once!"

"We'll figure out that problem later" Reyna replied. "Right now, there's more serious issues"

"I can step aside for Jason. It's no biggie"

"No biggie?" Octavian's face went red with madness. "The praetorship of Rome is no biggie?"

Percy turned to Jason. "I didn't know Thalia had a brother. You guys don't look anything alike"

"Yeah, I get that" Jason said. "Also, thanks for helping out my camp while I was gone"

"Right back at you" Percy smiled.

By the time we were done with both sides of the story, there was one big similarity that stood out like a sore thumb.

Layton cleared this throat. "About that... you all should know exactly how Hera's plan was going to work"

"I'd love to hear it" Jason muttered

"It all started August fifteenth. At the time, I was tracking down one of Kronos's gangs that were attacking Greece that were hoping to do what Gaea hopes to now. I finished exactly on the eighteenth and I was approached by Hera.

Now, in order to understand our affiliation, you have to know this isn't the first time I lived"

Hazel swallowed. "You're like me?"

"Almost," Layton replied, "just without the time gap. When I was ten years old, I took a trip to Egypt where I explored the exotic pyramids. One of them stood out in particular - radiating with an evil energy. It was like some kind of magnet, I got attracted to it.

Before I knew it, I was standing in the middle of the pyramid. I activated something and the entire structure collapsed on to me. My barrier was enough to prevent me from dying, but when I clawed my way out the rubble,

hundreds of monsters awaited me and the moon had gone a dark red. And I died after a tough battle. Hera saved me somehow, she must have bargained for my soul with Hades.

In return, I carry out her bidding whenever she wants something from me. My latest mission - gather the great seven of the prophecy and unite the Greeks and Romans"

"So you knew about everything the whole time?" Piper questioned

"Not everything" Layton denied. "I didn't find Percy until the gorgons attacked on the cliff"

"But you're still a liar" Octavian pointed out knowingly. "You refrain the harsh truth from them. But of course, we should know better than to trust a Greek"

"Silence Octavian" Reyna ordered. "Let him speak his piece. So far, the Greeks have been nothing but peaceful"

"Your title" Jason said. "We've all been waiting to hear that"

"My armor and some of my abilities can be explained by one thing" Layton said. "After Luke Castellan was revealed to be the thief of Zeus's master bolt, Hera requested I go out and bring him in for questioning.

Following some hard tracking, I discovered his hideout and waited for him to leave where I could face him alone. The battle was quite even until the very thing that needed him alive interfered - Kronos.

Upon me, he laid a curse, but he couldn't use enough of his energy to fully go through with it, so he made a flaw. Originally he attempted to brainwash me like he did with Luke and turn me over to his side.

Instead, it only half worked, and with a twist. I don't know how people do it, but they hire me to take out their targets. It's tough... mortal doctors examined me and named it a mental illness. I have a split personality, and I can't get rid of it"

"So you kill people with magic?" Leo joked

"I have a different skill set for my work" Layton clarified

"And what's to stop someone from hiring you on one of us?" Jason asked

There was a brief silence and everyone recognized that he had made a fair point.

"In truth, nothing. In my normal state, I have no doubt most of you seven could take me on in a fight individually, even win. But my other half - he's powerful, deadly, and uncaring"

A sharp breeze blew by and I could hear the whispering again. It was a quiet but powerful and commanding, like a dark version of Piper's charmspeak.

The others seemed unaffected except for Layton who was looking around, trying to find something.

"What's wrong?" Reyna asked, noticing our facial expressions

"Something's wrong, but I don't want to name any names yet" Layton replied

"The greek's withhold valuable information!" Octavian exclaimed

"What are we up against?" Reyna once again asked

Layton closed his eyes. "Something is down by lake..."

Reyna ordered the campers to continue their meals while our table alone went go investigate whatever was going on by the lake which wasn't too far away.

As we got closer, it was getting colder and colder but I was the only one being affected again. I crossed my arms and shivered slightly.

"What's wrong?" Percy asked as he threw his arm over my shoulder, providing me his warmth I had wanted to feel for so long

"It's c-cold" I said

"You're cold? It's like eighty degrees" Percy replied

We arrived at the lake and it was immediately clear that something was wrong. What looked like beautiful blue lake that gleamed in the sunlight when we first got here, was now a darker, almost purple, shade.

Dark electricity occasionally appeared above the surface of the water, as if the lake had suddenly become cursed.

"What in the gods' name" Frank said

"I read nothing about this in the auguries!" Octavian announced. "This must be the doing of a Greek, or all of them! They've poisoned our river, and next our people!"

Layton knelt next to the water and put his hand in. Instantly, his entire long sleeve - including the majority not in the water - was soaked with a dark liquid.

He quickly pulled his hand out. "This feeling... only one person could produce it"

"Who?" Hazel asked

Layton froze and his pupils dilated like something out of those old horror movies. "Percy... sword... now"

Without question, Percy pulled out his ballpoint pen and tapped the end, transforming it into Riptide.

"What's happening Percy?" I inquired

"I don't know the specifics but I know what he wants me to do" Percy said, stepping forward cautiously

A light dark-purple shockwave erupted from the lake and caused us to stagger back. As it blew over me, I could hear the whispering again, but now it was a full voice - sounding as if it was next to me.

"Daughter of Athena, you will pay"

There was a light around Layton and on his forehead, a cursive letter m began to form as if it was being directly carved in.

"I don't believe it" Reyna said with a hint of fear

"What - what is that?" Leo asked

"The symbol of the dark sorcerer, the majin's curse..." Reyna whispered

Layton, or whatever was left of him inside, held out his palm and a column of fire shot out that hit the area behind us, exploding like oil barrels lighted by a match.

More fire began to burn on his hand, and another attack was coming, but Percy summoned a wave that blocked the column of flames before it could make contact with us.

"What the heck is a majin!" Leo shouted

A loud and dark voice that sounded like it belong to an extremely old man echoed in the vicinity. Layton clenched his fists like the name angered him.

"You must not speak the name!" Reyna said

"But you just did!" Leo retorted

Reyna gritted her teeth. " I whispered it"

"Ok, whatever it is, how do we defeat it?" I asked

"I have no idea, the last time I encountered... it should just wear off" Reyna answered. "But we can't let him injure us or the other campers. At the same time though, the curse exponentiates the power of the infected"

Reyna was right. Layton shot another column of flames and Percy once again blocked it with a wave, but this time, the water evaporated into a steam that raised the temperature of the area.

In the distance, horns went off and I could hear far away voices murmuring about some kind of commotion.

"You guys protect the campers, me and Percy will handle this" Jason said

"Percy..." I took his hand

"I know, I know" He smiled apologetically at me. "Go help them Annabeth, I'll be fine"

"Don't you dare hurt yourself Percy, or gods forbid, die" I strictly put and he nodded his head

Jason

The others evacuated the scene with Octavian attempting to use this to prove his point on how Greeks were bad and couldn't be trusted.

Layton held out his other palm and shot a lightning blast that I managed to redirect to the water.

Using this distraction, Percy summonsed up and a wave that swallowed Layton up and dragged him into the water.

I concentrated hard and a few moments later, a thunderbolt crashed down - electrocuting the entire lake and Layton with it. A layer of smoke formed over the water, hiding the result of the attack.

Eventually, a dark red rope shot out of the smoke and wrapped around my leg. I fell on my back as it began to drag me towards the water. Percy quickly ran over and slashed the red rope with his sword and freed me.

"Thanks" I said as he held me up

Layton emerged from the smoke and shot another column of the flames. This time, it was an extremely hot white and me and Percy both knew that rolling out of the way would be much better than dodging.

"We have to close the distance!" Percy said

"You go ahead, I got it from here" I assured

Percy nodded and charged in. Layton swung a fist but I summoned a wind that made him stagger back.

Swinging riptide, Percy aimed for the legs in order to avoid any major damage that might be caused. He was successfully and managed to trip Layton who landed on his back.

Funem Celer formed in his hands as he titled back and jumped back to his feet. He swung the blade and I once again summoned a wind that stopped the blade's extension from whipping Percy.

A sword fight began but it was clear from the start that Percy was the much better swordsmen. Layton swung but Percy quickly dodged to his side and disarmed him using some technique that was too fast for me to describe.

I summon up another thunderbolt that crashed down and narrowly avoiding Percy, only electrocuting my target.

It still wasn't enough of as Layton waved his hand, causing a line of blue flames separated him from me and Percy. In addition, it began to rain heavily, but it wasn't take out the fire either.

"This should work for both of us" Percy pointed up to the storm clouds rolling in. "He knows that, he's in there summoning it"

I nodded my head and Percy summoned one more wave that crashed down, putting out the flames and causing Layton to hit his head on the ground. Using the last of my energy, I concentrated hard and a massive thunderbolt crashed down onto our fallen friend.

The smoke from the impact cleared and Layton was still standing, but the cursive letter on his forehead had disappeared. His clothes were tattered from the fight and the cuts were slightly bleeding.

He held a thumbs up as he exhaled deeply. The rain stopped, leaving me the only one that was soaked somehow.

Percy was still blinking into the distance as if he had been in battle mode the entire time, and was now only processing what had gone down with his actual brain.

"What... what just happened?"

"We have another big thing to worry about" Layton muttered as he approached