AN: A short break before the drama begins. The calm before the storm.

Time: The next day

Percy flashed right outside the former Camp Half-Blood, now the first branch of Camp Othrys, which was spread all across the world. In every major city.

The day was well on its way. The sun shined brightly overhead, taking away a bit of the chill that the weather carried. A slight fog still hung about in the Camp, creating a white haze in a few areas. It being mid-November, a slight drizzle added to his discomfort. Not a soul was in sight, all the demigods still comfortably tucked away under their sheets.

Not if Percy had anything to say about it.

A stepped up beside the dragon that guarded the golden fleece, Peleus. On one of the lower branches of the pine tree that was Thalia, the gilded leathery fleece glinted back at him.

Percy patted Peleus' leathery neck, and the dragon put its head at the Titan's feet, recognising him as Lord of all animals, mythical or not. Percy absentmindedly scratched the sharp, black scales on its head, as he watched the deserted Camp. The dragon purred in comfort, steam curling up from its nostrils. It arched its scaly, snake-like neck to nuzzle the Titan, who laughed and patted his snout. His claw, each as large as a dagger, left marks on the ground where he pawed at it in pleasure. The spines on his back arched, forming a perfect sail, the skin that stretched between them catching the rays of sunlight, and appearing shiny white, like opal.

Percy left its side to step into the Camp, heading towards the renovated Big House.

Now, the House was more like the Senate Chamber of New Rome, with added accommodations for Chiron, Iapetus, and the two praetors, one Roman and one Greek to ensure harmony. An entire wing was dedicated to the Greek Oracle, a clear-sighted mortal called Rachel Elizabeth Dare, who was much more nice and reliable than the Roman augur.

Percy stepped into the white marble building, making his way to the living areas. His leather combat boots formed not a sound on the soft carpet as he hurried along, hugging himself tightly to keep the cold out. He only had a thin coat on over his shirt, he had not assumed that it would be so cold. It wasn't so cold back home at Ogygia. He ran his fingers through his hair, showing his nervousness. After all, today was an important day.

Today was the beginning of the end of his hard work. A few examinations conducted by the Titan Council, and then he would be free to pass time as he wanted.

Provided he and his work passed in all of them.

He entered the common room, where an equally nervous Iapetus paced back and forth in front of the dying fire. The common room was nothing much, and it was mostly used by Rachel only. It had a large television and speakers for music and movies, and couches to lounge about.

"Are you ready?" Iapetus was shaken out of his thoughts by Percy's soft voice. His words did not betray his nervousness. The silver-haired Titan schooled his features to appear emotionless. "Yes."

"Is the conference room ready?"

"The projector is ready, and everything will be available once the guests arrive. Delicacies will be distributed in the middle of the conference, I've arranged everything else. The only thing that remains is for the Powerpoint presentation that you made."

"I have it right here." Percy held up a small pen drive, shaped like Nemo. He paused for a few moments, letting his foster father settle his nerves, before continuing. "I have done everything I could in this small time. This affects me as much as it does you. Don't worry, the demigods and demititans are absolutely ready."

Iapetus ran his fingers through his hair. "Leto, Oceanus, Perses, and Hades will be there, too, won't they?"

Percy sighed. "Yes. Don't worry, though, I have helped everyone. All the five kingdoms will thrive, and pass the test. You have only one examination, I've five."

Iapetus stopped before the fire, staring deep into the glowing embers. "Yes. That's true."

Chiron entered the room, followed by Rachel. "Have you debriefed her on the matter, Chiron?"

The centaur pawed the ground nervously. "Yes. I'm just afraid..." He trailed off.

"Don't worry, everything will be okay," Percy reassured, spreading his arms to invite Rachel into his hug. The red-haired girl sank into his warm embrace, smiling into his chest as she felt herself being embraced by his strong arms. Percy kissed the top of her head. "How are you, Rachel?"

"Much better, thanks." She replied with a bright smile, looking up at the Titan.

"That's great. Do you mind blowing the breakfast horn to wake the heroes? The three of us will get ready. You can get yourself breakfast, and debrief them for us. Don't worry, my children already know, and will help you along the way." He shooed the girl away, before turning to the others. "Full armour and weapons, quick thirty-minute march of the entire force, right?"

Iapetus nodded in confirmation, but Chiron hesitated. "What about individual displays of skills?"

"We have several arenas prepared for the event. The judges will split between the arenas, and the individual combatants will be assigned to different arenas. Individual battles, winner gets to fight against Atlas. Then, just for fun, Ragnarok will duel Saturn and Iapetus." He spoke, before adding, "The extra duels will help boost spirit, and may appeal to the judges good mood."

"Who are the judges, again?"

"The Othrygian Council, with the obvious exceptions of Iapetus and myself," Percy spoke, moving towards one of the private rooms to change into his armour. Chiron nodded, moving to their own rooms to change into armour.

Percy stripped down to his boxers, summoning his armour to him. The metal suit appeared instantly in front of him. The black metal shined in the light, the golden patterns beautifully contrasting the dark colours. Black spikes protruded from the back of his legs, newly sharpened and polished, making it look like it belonged to some supervillain.

Snow slithered out of nowhere, making Percy chuckle as she climbed up his arm to rest around his shoulders, enjoying the warmth that his body exuded in the cold weather. Percy booped her snout, making her hiss indignantly, before he spoke. "Don't worry, I will take a cape over my shoulder, Snow. Both you and I will be warm." He smiled.

Unbeknownst to both of them, a red-haired girl with bright green eyes spied on the muscular arm, slightly rubbing herself in arousal as she stared hungrily at the scarred, muscular, godly body of the fallen god.

Percy stepped out an hour later, having dressed himself, and Iris-Messaged Calypso, having paced down the blank room several times. He could tell that the room was twenty feet by ten. Not so large by Titanly standards, but ok.

He paused outside the room. Iapetus and Chiron were already outside, he could tell that. But that was not what concerned him. He could smell female arousal in the air.

He sniffed; its whiff was strong, it was recent. He shuddered, unless Iapetus, or Chaos forbid, Chiron, had brought a girl back to their rooms, there was only one other person who could have been here.

His eyes caught the glistening puddle of feminine juices that lay beneath his foot. He hadn't realised that he had stepped on fluid because of the metal boot he was currently wearing. Stepping back slightly, Percy licked his lips. It was really just a ploy to taste the air like the snake around his shoulder, and he chuckled slightly to himself.

Hearing Snow hiss on his shoulder, he turned to her, "You think so, too?"

Snow nodded. Percy chuckled. Rachel had been masturbating as she spied on him, clad only in boxers. Percy didn't mind much, it had helped his mood, and this wasn't the first time that had happened. He didn't care, he was loyal to Calypso.

Stepping outside, he was met with the sight of all the demigod/demititan forces already kitted out in armour and carrying weapons, in perfect formation. He smiled as he swept his eyes over the sight, casually stepping up to stand beside Rachel.

Iapetus was giving them an inspiring speech, leaning on his spear, and Chiron was walking up and down the lines, correcting the armour of some, or those who were even slightly out of formation.

Percy laid an arm casually around the smaller girl's shoulders, pulling her to his side. Rachel blushed, enjoying the attention, completely oblivious that she had been caught.

A flash lit up the clearing, and once it died down, they were met with the sight of the Othrygian Council, who were to judge them. Percy caught Hestia's eye and smiled warmly at her, receiving one in return. His eyes searched the small crowd, picking out a bright blonde head with glowing blue eyes and a bright smile to match, who was walking right by Kronos, as Perseus' substitution.

Iapetus and Chiron moved to greet them. Percy squeezed Rachel slightly, before leaning down, and brushing her ear with his lips. "I don't think my girlfriend will appreciate some other girl masturbating while watching me." He whispered in her ear, taking satisfaction at the shiver that ran up her spine. She smiled at her, before moving to greet the Titans, leaving a blushing, spluttering, and thoroughly aroused Oracle behind.

He turned towards the assembled heroes, shouting at the top of his voice. "Attention!" Immediately he was greeted with the slamming of weapons on the ground or against shields as everybody stood up straight, eyes sharp and attentive.

Several Titans nodded approvingly, even Atlas, and a few jotted something down in the notebooks they were carrying.

"Stand at ease!" He commanded, immediately met with the same sound. Everyone widened their stance, but none lost the attentive look. Percy smiled at them for a brief moment, before assuming his business face. "Thirty-minute full march! Begin!"

The examinations went without a hitch.

Right now, Percy watched with a proud smile as his 'firstborn' son thrashed another demititan, a particularly dim son of Atlas. When the two finished, Rex did not have a scratch on his person, and the other demititan was a bloody mess of flesh and broken bones. It was a surprise how the son of Atlas managed to make it to the final match. Maybe it was because Rex had already eliminated all his other children.

The firstborn son of Ragnarok raised his hands, one still holding the morningstar he had used to bash the other's head in. Immediately the crowd broke into cheers, applauding wildly for the Champion of Camp Othrys. The applause was deafening, and several flowers and bras found its way into the ring. Rex smirked up at them, his eyes sweeping the Titan Council for his father. Percy smiled proudly down at him, once he found his eyes. Rex waved the morningstar back at him, before the metal melted back into his skin.

Percy flashed down to the middle of the arena once Rex had made his way back to the dressing rooms, where all his other siblings were waiting for the white-haired teen. Percy waited for the crowd's excitement to die down a little, before he raised his hands. Immediately everyone fell silent as they beheld the strongest warrior and asset to Olympus. "Champions! Rejoice yourselves!" He shouted, making everyone burst into cheers. Once it had quietened down a bit, he continued. "But wait! The battles are not over yet! I would like to invite the Titans Atlas and Saturn to face me and my son on the arena floor. Atlas shall face my son on a one on one, while Ragnarok will duel Saturn and Iapetus at once. What say you?!" He did not need to wait, the applause was even louder than the one Rex had. "But hold!" Percy interrupted, his voice miraculously carrying over the entire crowd. "First, we feast like Titans! Off to the dining hall!" He shouted pompously, making several people laugh as the crowd slowly trickled away in twos and threes to the marble dining hall.

Percy was the last to enter, when everyone had already to dug in. He smiled as he joined Kronos for lunch, nodding and smiling towards his children, ruffling Rex's hair on his way. The white-haired metal wielder pouted.

It was almost an hour before Percy stood in the middle of the arena again. "Now, ladies, gentlemen... and Atlas." He added as if an afterthought, making several people laugh. "The first after battle! Rex, firstborn of Lord Ragnarok, versus the Titan of Strength, Atlas! Here come the combatants now!"

He flashed away to his seat at Kronos' right, with Iapetus on his other side.

Rex entered the arena like a normal person, walking through the gates. The crowd cheered at him, but the volume turned up a few decibels at Atlas' dramatic entrance. Said Titan jumped into the arena, creating a crater where he landed, and making a cloud of dust fly up. Percy smirked at Atlas. The buffoon at least had the brain cells required to abandon all metal stuff, instead opting for leather armour and bare fists.

Rex saw it, too, smirking. He looked up at the stands to catch Percy's eye, nodding subtly at his father.

Atlas roared, thumping his chest with his fists to appear intimidating. Rex, least affected, crouched low to expose his well-armoured back, feeling the ground beneath his feet. He already had a game plan forming in his mind.

He was right so far as Atlas' game plan was considered. The mindless monster rushed forward, his fist held out foremost. However, what caught the demititan off-guard was the speed at which he approached.

Percy had warned him about Atlas' absolute speed. He had said, "Atlas does not have fast movements per se. The amount of time required to move his bulk individually slows him down, which means that his arm movements and reflexes would be comparatively slower. So, you'll do good to keep him at close range. However, beware of his charges. Because of the overwhelming muscle mass in his legs, he can propel himself faster than I would like to admit." He winked at Rex, as he made to get up and leave. "You're a Roman, I'm sure you have something planned."

He was right. Rex did not only make iron or steel weapons. Those were for buffoons like Atlas. Hidden all over his body so that he could summon them without any delay, were several surgical syringes, modelled after those used for Atlas specifically, in Apollo's hospital. Those syringes had a strong system by itself, required to bypass the Titan's thick skin. So strong, Rex had experimented, they could even pump mercury (the metal) into the Titan. He smirked, it did not end there. Because he could not summon glass, and because glass was structurally weaker, his syringes were made of solid lead, with doses of other toxic metals like arsenic and cadmium.

It was a matter of sticking it in, and hanging on for long enough for the effects of the metals to kick in.

Even as he stared at the Titan charging at unreal speeds, time slowed down around the two. Rex's pupils dilated a bit as Gambler's Luck kicked in subconsciously. He could feel the ground near him, the air around him.

Just in time, two metal platforms erupted from the ground, vaulting Rex over Atlas' head, and making the Titan crash into the pillar of metal that had erupted from the ground. Rex saw his opportunity, and fired one of his deadly syringes, taking advantage of his dazed opponent. He looked on in pleasure as the thick syringe sank into the Titan's neck, making him grunt at the small pain.

He could feel the syringe's individual elements, and gave it a slight push, feeling the mercury beginning to pump, mixing with the ichor, and making a black bruise appear.

Rex smiled to himself as he charged the Titan with two daggers, summoning several other daggers to guard him. He fought not with two arms, but a hundred. He knew that Atlas was still much faster than him, whatever Perseus might say. But that didn't faze him, all of Atlas' fists would be met with a dagger, either held by himself or floating in mid-air, controlled by the metal wielder as if held in his own hand.

The crowd watched in fascination as Atlas' fists blurred, and the white-haired demititan's floating daggers closed around protectively. The battle had already been going in for almost thirty minutes, and suddenly, someone shouted, pointing at the black veins that had now popped up all over Atlas, and the few black syringes that lay on the floor. The news spread like wildfire.

Almost as if they were one being, Kronos, Percy and Iapetus leaned forward in anticipation, their eyes following every single movement. By now, the entire arena was covered in craters.

Kronos suddenly laughed beside him. "Its a plan worthy of you; Perseus."

Percy smiled himself. "If it hadn't been for his adrenaline rush, Atlas would have died a hundred times over from the among of heavy metals in his body." He chuckled. "Apollo would have a hard time with this." Making Iapetus and Kronos chuckle and nod in agreement, as the blonde-haired Titan of the sun groaned from two seats down.

Rex was at his wit's end. He had run out of syringes, and Atlas' entire body was covered in black veins pumping deadly mercury. And he was still fighting, not showing any sign of slowing down.

Almost on reflex, as soon as he saw an opening, Rex's hand moved towards his waist out of reflex, before he realised that he had run out of those. His eyes widened.

Seeing his opening, Atlas punched Rex, aiming straight for his face. The son of Ragnarok only had enough time to block the punch with his right arm; hardening the skin and bones in his limb. However, he was blown away anyway.

He crashed into the wall, groaning as he let all the floating daggers drop. He opened his eyes to see Atlas flying towards him, and only had enough to raise his right arm. The arm melted into a steel spear, which pierced the Titan's shoulder, even as he punched Rex in the face as he was weak. And with that one single ungodly punch, Rex blacked out, immediately followed by the Titan.

Percy stood from his seat. "A tie, then?" He spoke unsurely, before his hair turned white, his black armour following suit. Following his example, Kronos and Iapetus shifted into their stricter Roman forms.

Lord Ragnarok placed Yggdrasil on his back, extending an arm for his King. "Lord Saturn, now is our turn to spar."

Snow, who was now a jet black snake, merely hissed maliciously.

AN: Some more scenes for you, Ihave4cutedoggos. Cheers!Keep calm and CR7!! Keep calm and LM10!! (Messi)