"You better not be slowing down!"
Percy gritted his teeth and further picked up his pace. Callum didn't call anyone out by name, but Percy knew who he was talking to. He bit back a remark, swallowing down the insult his pride wanted him to throw at the centurion.
"You should pace yourself, Neptune-Spawn," a demigod to his left sneered, slightly short of breath. "There's no water for you to splash around in out here."
Percy glared daggers at the boy, still keeping pace with the rest of the cohort. Despite being much older than him, the boy shrank back a bit, letting his next comment die in his throat.
The entire cohort had been marching up and down the Field of Mars since breakfast, and while Percy could keep going for hours, he was quickly growing tired of the jabs thrown his way.
All he's done since he got here was bite his tongue and keep to himself. Percy loathed it. It went against his nature. He wanted nothing more than to sweep this entire city under the waves, but he could already imagine the scolding Fulgora would give him if he acted out now.
"You couldn't even last a day in New Rome?" She would say, likely throwing the closest object at him. "What hope do you have of ever surviving in the real world?"
While he agreed with her sentiment, Percy was already over the whole New-Rome-thing. It was clear he wasn't wanted here, and Percy didn't want to be here, but he owed it to his patron to stick it out and keep going.
She saved him - despite the risks that came along with it. She trained him and taught him how to wield a sword. It was more than anything anyone had done for him besides Mom. However, New Rome didn't intend on making repaying his debt easy.
Percy could hear the rest of the legionnaires whispering about him. He was the talk of the hour, and it hadn't even been a day since he'd gotten there.
They constantly questioned him, and there were always two sides of the spectrum. He was called dangerous. Vile. Untrustworthy. Even fishy. For each person that spoke about him with curiosity, another ten murmured with disgust. A few afformented people debated his purpose, while the latter debated which knife would take him out the quickest.
Even with their difference in opinion, none of them failed to mention an 'incident' that had happened with the last son of Neptune that was there. Percy figured it must've been pretty bad, but he hadn't been able to piece together what it was.
He shook his head and refocused on putting one foot in front of the other. His thoughts would get him nowhere and change nothing. Only actions would have a lasting effect, and the time for action would come —
"Would you both shut it!" A sudden voice shouted. "He's not a bad person!"
The entire cohort stopped and turned to see Leila scowling at the legionnaires to her left and right. They all started arguing vehemently, going back and forth between each other. Percy quickly realized that they were arguing about him.
He shoved his way through the crowd of people gathering, receiving multiple threats along the way.
The cohort was practically bursting with anticipation, waiting for a fight to break out, and so was Percy. He stuffed his hand into his pocket, putting a vice grip around Stormbringer.
Leila might be his only friend in New Rome, and gods be damned if he let her fight a battle alone.
Despite his previous reserves, Percy could feel a storm brewing above. With each second, more dark clouds gathered and more legionnaires joined the tightening circle.
Crashing into the circle, the three went silent for a moment before continuing yelling over one another. Percy couldn't tell what they were saying, as most of it was in Latin, but what few words and statements he did catch hardly made sense.
He spared a glance at Leila, taking his eyes off the two across from them for a moment to try and understand what she was thinking.
Backing him was just about the stupidest thing he could think of, and yet, here she was, screaming at the top of her lungs in his defence.
"Enough!"
Callum's voice boomed over the commotion. In an instant, forty shouting voices were snuffed. Every legionnaire stood stock still, paralyzed in their stance.
The centurion's trademark smile and cheer was nowhere to be seen. He made his way to Leila and the other two, whom Percy had yet to figure out their names. Any legionnaire blocking his way quickly parted, not wanting to be caught in the warpath.
Percy stood next to Leila, prepared to fight the entire Legion if it came to it.
"Which one of you is going to explain to me what's going on?" Callum asked, venom dripping from his words.
If the centurion was expecting a response, he didn't get one. He stared the four of them down with an icy glare.
"It was nothing, Sir," Leila said, her voice barely a whisper in the whipping wind. "A disagreement, that's all."
The others involved nodded along, and Callum looked to be on the verge of calming down.
"I'll be deciding a suitable punishment later," he said, walking back towards camp. "May the gods help you should this ever happen again - nobody else will be able to."
Percy looked at Leila, wondering what was going through her mind, but she didn't meet his eyes.
"You're all dismissed," Callum said through gritted teeth.
She walked off, going her own way, and Percy decided it was best if he did the same.
——————
He trudged through the Fields of Mars alone, an uneasy feeling hanging over him. The Fourth's dismissal allowed for a period of relaxation. However, Percy doubted that it'd last long - not after what just happened.
The rest of the cohort moved ahead of him, chatting aimlessly and making plans for the war games later - not a care in the world. Percy stayed behind, separating himself from the rest. A few spared glances back at him, whispering and murmuring, but turned away at breakneck speeds when they saw him watching.
Sick of being watched like some test subject, Percy broke off from the group, walking away from camp and down a dirt road.
He left the bustle of Camp Jupiter behind him, basking in the few moments of silence away from the Legion. He knew they wouldn't last long, but he desperately grasped at any uneventful moment he could get.
After recent events, Percy wanted nothing more than to be left alone - it'd save everyone a whole lot of trouble - and looking up at Temple Hill in the distance, he could think of one place no legionnaire would dare to go: The Temple Of Neptune.
Despite being overshadowed by Jupiter's Optimus Maximus, Percy could still see the wooden shack, in all of its glory, from where he stood. The sight left a sour taste in his mouth, one that was sure to stay for a long time.
He noticed a few fauns grazing about as he went. Many looked like they wanted to walk up to him, but either stopped themselves or were stopped by their friends. Percy wasn't sure why they acted like this, but he didn't complain.
According to Callum, all they did was lounge around and ask for denarii, and while they looked harmless enough, Percy wasn't looking forward to meeting any. Something about the horns didn't sit right with him.
"Hey man, I'm Don."
Percy's heart nearly jumped out of his chest. Standing a few inches from his face was a rainbow haired faun, evidently named Don, outfitted with shutter shade glasses and clothes taken straight out of a 70s disco movie.
"You wouldn't happen to have a few spare coins laying around, would you?"
How the faun snuck up on him was nothing short of a miracle - or a curse.
Percy quickly broke past him and acted like the faun didn't exist, trying to put as much distance between him and Don's oddly metallic breath as possible.
"Hey, you know it's rude to ignore —" Percy heard the rapid clopping of hooves behind him.
The faun sprinted in front of him, spreading his arms and legs out wide to block his path.
"Woah, woah, woah, you do not want to go in there, mi amigo. It's cursed! I had a buddy walk inside that place and come out as a piece of seaweed!"
Percy glanced up at the temple door and smirked. "I think I'll be fine."
——————
Inside, Percy was greeted by a faint sea breeze. He ignored it and slumped down against the wall, laying his head against the hard planks.
His head pounded from all the attention. Up until now, Percy had practically been alone, and being around this many people was an experience he had nearly forgotten. Percy hated it.
The lack of people in the temple reminded him of simpler times - and quieter ones too. It was even enough to calm his hyper-active nerves, but Percy knew he wasn't completely alone…
"Hey, Dad."
A droplet of water fell from the ceiling, splashing onto his head. He looked up to try and spot the source, but found the roof to be as dry as the dust he was inhaling.
The floor, on the other hand, was a different story.
A trail of water droplets across the floorboards led to the corner of the room. He followed the trail, finding a bucket and mop that Percy hadn't noticed before.
"Subtle." He noted, arching an eyebrow. "I haven't even met you and you're giving me chores."
Another drop of water fell onto his head, this one with much more force than before.
"Could've just asked nicely…" Percy grumbled, picking up the mop and tossing it to the side. He raised his hand, willing water out of the bucket.
The familiar tug in his gut returned. With a wave of his hand, Percy moved the water across the room, washing away years of dust and grime.
"So how was your day?" Percy asked, knowing he wouldn't get an answer.
"Mine was fine," he said, continuing the conversation on his own. "I have a friend now - I think."
He scrubbed the floors, up and down the walls, and through every nook and cranny, leaving a clean trail wherever the water went.
The temple may just be a shack, but by the gods, Percy swore that he would make it a shack worthy of Neptune.
By the time Percy had finished, the once blue water had turned a murky brown. He tossed the bonafide sludge back into the bucket, throwing away years of neglect and disregard along with it.
The temple was no Optimus Maximus, but it was far better off than before. The sight was almost comforting.
All it needed now were some new floorboards, a roof without holes in it, a fresh coat of paint, and you might even be able to call it presentable.
Percy wiped the sweat off his brow, looking to the ceiling expectantly. "Happy now?"
There was no response, but the shack seemed warmer than before. Percy hoped that was a good thing.
A gust of wind blew the temple door open, ushering along the sound of a war horn. Percy's ears perked up at the noise. The sound rang out twice more, repeating the same pattern after thirty seconds.
Percy racked his brain, trying to remember what the signal meant. One horn was for dinner, a second for drills, and a third for...
Percy's gaze landed on the Field of Mars. Even from temple hill, he could see the fortress that had been erected overnight.
Three horns sounded war.
The Field of Mars was littered with craters and fox holes. Some were dug, others were scars from the countless battles held here. Leila could pick out a few such holes that she had tripped in before, adding to her list of embarrassing moments in the Legion.
The stone fortress at the other end of the field stood proud and tall, boasting the standard ballista and water cannons. They probably didn't think they'd need anything else.
A low, appreciative whistle pierced the air beside her. "We're going up against that today?"
Lo and behold, Percy Jackson had arrived.
He was late.
To her surprise, Percy donned his armor and equipment like he had lived in it his entire life; not shifting or even complaining from the extra weight. Everything from his greaves to pilum was all uniform, all except for that steel sword he brandished so confidently.
"Try not to look too excited, we're up against three cohorts today - the First, Second, and Third. We don't have a chance," she said optimistically. "If we're lucky, we'll get knocked out early and sit in the infirmary the rest of the time.
Dark clouds moved above like a brewing storm. Leila watched them, more confused than anything. They shouldn't be here.
Weather had never been able to get through the camp's barriers before, but ever since Percy got here things have been... different.
She moved her gaze back to earth, only to find the aforementioned demigod also staring at the clouds, grinning like a mad man.
"We have an audience today," he said with a wink. "Better put on a good show."
The sky rumbled in response, making him laugh. Percy did a little salute to the clouds, and a bolt of thunder could be seen running across the sky.
Leila watched this interaction play out, bewildered beyond belief. It was like he was having a conversation with the lightning itself.
She shook her head and planted her pilum and scutum into the dirt. That was enough crazy talk for one day.
Leila turned Percy around to check his armor, ready to fix what she would've guessed would be countless mistakes.
She found none.
She checked again. Every strap was perfect, and every piece of armor was properly adjusted. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find a single flaw. "Did Callum do this for you?"
She knew the centurion had vouched for him, but Callum wasn't one to baby his legionnaires - and nobody else here would've helped him. From what Leila had gathered, he preferred to let them stumble around in the dark until they figured it out themselves.
"I've had some practice," Percy said simply, as if that answered all of her questions.
Before Leila could ask where he got the practice, a loud pounding silenced the whole field. She quickly recognized it and brought her attention to the fortress ahead of them.
"Here's the plan!" Callum bellowed, making his way to the front, still beating on his shield. "We're going in first to soften up the wall."
The whole cohort, Leila included, groaned. All except for Percy, who almost seemed excited by the prospect.
He'll learn quick enough, she supposed.
"Do that again and you'll be fighting without shields," Celia snapped, stepping through the crowd and to her fellow centurion's side. "Let today be a lesson."
The entire cohort tightened their lips. Callum being angry was one thing, but Ceila was a different problem entirely. Leila had only heard stories of what happens when she gets 'creative', and she would prefer if they stayed that way.
Daughters of Mars have many ways of inspiring fear, even off the battlefield.
"Right," Callum continued. "We'll split into two groups. One will hit the east wall and the other will attack from the west.
"From there, the first line will soften the wall and take the blunt of the damage while the second will load up with climbing ladders. Does anyone oppose this idea?" Callum asked, almost daring someone to speak up.
All around her, legionnaires shook their heads. Some even found the courage to vocally agree with his plan.
"Good." Callum momentarily paused, scanning the crowd.
He locked onto Leila and Percy. "Probies! You'll be with Ceila. Don't die."
Not dying. Leila thought she could do that.
Three horns blew, sounding the start of the war games. As if on cue, Celia grabbed her and Percy by their armor and dragged them to the frontlines.
"It's time to get moving!"
If Percy recalled correctly, Callum had said not to die. However, Celia seemed intent on doing the exact opposite.
Shields raised, the centurion led them straight towards the front gate, having them jump in and out of fox holes to avoid the ballista and water cannons raining from above.
"Dive right!" Ceila shouted at them.
On her command, he and Leila jumped, barely escaping the explosion behind them.
They have explosives?
Percy landed with a hard thud, spitting out a mouthful of dirt. Despite his body protesting otherwise, he managed to get back on his feet.
"A little heads up would be nice," he cursed. "Just saying."
With so little time to brace before each landing, Percy was already reeling. Armor could only protect so much, and he could already feel his arms and ribs start to bruise.
"You haven't impaled yourself on your sword yet," Ceila noted. "You're fine."
Before Percy could react, she was up and running, leaving them to catch up. He looked at Leila for help, but she just shrugged and followed the centurion's lead.
Percy jumped out of the hole and joined them, only to be met by an oncoming ballista bolt.
On instinct, he raised his shield to try and blunt the impact, but it wasn't enough. The bolt sent him crashing back into the ditch, slamming his head against the dirt.
He could hear Leila screaming his name, but he ignored her. A hand reached his shoulder, but he shook it off.
Stumbling, Percy got back to his feet, staring up at the battlements with a fury he hasn't felt in years.
He was being targeted.
His vision went red. Percy tossed his shield to the side. Half of it was taken clean off by the ballista and it was about as useful now as a piece of plywood. Besides, he wouldn't be needing it anymore.
Ceila jumped back down into the pit with them, anger written all over her face. "What are you probatios good for if you can't even defend yourself? All you two are worth is slowing down your unit."
Leila immediately rushed to his defense, but Percy didn't need it.
"You want to know what I'm good for?" He said through gritted teeth.
It was time to put on a good show.
Wobbling out of the hole, Percy reached to the sky. He felt the tug in his gut intensify, and the Son of Neptune pulled on it with all of his might.
Seeing him leave cover, the defenders let loose shot after shot, but it was far too late. The winds whipped around him, answering Percy's beck and call, throwing away ballista and arrows like rag dolls.
The grey storm clouds that had been merely floating above New Rome turned dark and angry.
Sheets of rain fell, blinding even Percy of anything further than three feet away from him, but it didn't matter. He already knew where his target was.
Right in front of him.
He raised Stormbringer to the sky, channeling his power through the Atlantean Steel. With a shout, the real siege began.
Bundles of lighting and thunder rained down from the heavens, destroying the battlements entirely. Each bolt shook the fort, rampaging through the defenses and striking demigods with a brilliant light.
It was a display worthy of Neptune.
At first, Percy had wanted to restrain himself and limit as many injuries as possible, but after remembering how little regard they held for him, Percy didn't hold back. Not for a second.
Not-so deep down inside of him, Percy knew the real reason behind it: he enjoyed it. He enjoyed not holding back.
The sheer power at his command. The elements responding to his will. He felt unstoppable - as a child of Neptune should.
Percy may have been born on land, but the sea would always be where he truly belonged, and at this moment, in the eye of the storm, he felt like he could drown the entire world and remake it as his own domain.
The world was in the palm of his hand, and all he had to do was grab it.
He pointed Stormbringer at the main gate, directing the power of the storm to one location. Lightning fell by the dozen, decimating the fortified gate and surrounding walls in mere seconds.
As the gate fell, Percy did with it.
The world around him spun like a top, and his vision went hazy. He could feel himself losing consciousness, but before he went off the deep end, a hand clasped him on the back, bringing him to his feet and forcing him back to reality.
Through droopy eyes, he saw Ceila with the largest grin he had ever seen.
"The battle has only just begun, Jackson! We still need those emblems!"
Before he could process what she had just said, Ceila grabbed Percy by the shoulder and dragged him, sprinting to the destroyed gate at full speed.
Around halfway there, Ceila apparently got sick of dragging him through the mud and threw him over her shoulder.
She carried him to the fallen gates like it was nothing. Behind them, he could see Leila smiling and giving him a thumbs-up, and the Cohorts charging in not too far behind them.
Suddenly, he was flying through the air. And dirty.
It didn't take long for him to realize that Celia had thrown him into a puddle of mud - the brown slop covering him helped.
He didn't know if it was purposeful or not, but Percy couldn't help but think that there were drier areas around them.
"Congratulations on your first medal," Celia said, helping him back to his feet. "Anyone else in the Legion would want it much more than you ever will —"
First medal?" Percy thought, trying to figure out which medal he could've gotten.
"But you've definitely earned it," Leila chimed in.
He started rattling off ideas in his head. Gold medals. First place medals. Silver medals. Olympic medals. Bronze medals. Participation medals - that's a possibility.
"We should get moving," Celia said, kicking dirt onto an unconscious legionnaire.
Percy nodded and tried to stay focused on the task at hand, but the pounding in his head and crumbling walls around him didn't help.
Suddenly, Celia's words connected in his brain, and all the pieces fell into place. Percy realized that she had thrown him inside the fort.
Adrenaline surged through his veins, rebooting his brain back to life.
He shot to his feet and held up Stormbringer, expecting a fight, but quickly realizing that there was nobody except him and the mud. All of the defenders outside and on the walls were either unconscious or groaning on the floor.
Embarrassed, he lowered his guard, only to hear Leila giggling behind him.
"Find those standards!" Celia shouted, running past him.
Percy picked up one of the unconscious legionnaires' shields and followed her, running head-on into battle.
Whatever cohort that had been defending was caught completely unprepared for the whirlwind running through their base.
Celia was a force to be reckoned with.
Percy watched in awe as she bashed and jabbed her way through legionnaire after legionnaire, going from target to target with glee.
He joined in on the onslaught, using his shield to slam into a demigod of his own. The legionnaire swung back, more so on instinct than anything, giving way for Percy to spin around and sweep their legs out, knocking his opponent to the floor.
Percy quickly stomped their head in, not giving them a chance to get up. He took satisfaction in the dirty boot print left on their face.
Someone started laughing. Percy looked around wildly, trying to find the source. Maniacal laughing in the middle of battle was never a good sign.
To no surprise, he found it coming from Celia, who was toying with her newest opponent, a blood red hue surrounding her.
"I like the way you fight, probatio," his centurion shouted back at him, throwing the staggering legionnaire into the fortress wall. "Keep it up!"
He made a mental note to not get on her bad side.
Before he could officially write it down, another legionnaire charged at him, hiding behind his shield like a turtle. Percy doubted they could even see where they were going.
To prove his point, he sidestepped and held his foot out, tripping the demigod and sending them tumbling to the floor.
"I thought you people were supposed to be good?" He asked, honestly confused.
"Some of them get in off endorsements," Leila said, running to meet him.
She saw the legionnaire Percy had tripped trying to get up and kicked their head like a soccer ball, officially taking them out of the fight.
Percy made a separate note to not get on her bad side either.
Together, the three of them cut a path through confused and shocked defenders, taking the fort by storm. However, it wasn't long until the cohorts had caught up, and the fight became a frantic search for the legion emblems.
Percy continued on his warpath with Leila at his side. Celia had gone off on her own, trying to find anyone to fight. It wasn't a typical Roman strategy, but he wasn't going to be the one that argued with her.
They ran through the fort, mowing down anyone in their path.
Admittedly, watching Leila fight at his side wasn't much of a sight to see, but she was able to hold her own against anyone they've encountered so far.
Lupa could only teach so much in a few months, he thought in fairness.
Percy, while enjoying the occasional fight, kept his eyes on the real prize. The Legion standards.
Despite multiple cohorts searching, finding the emblems was still a struggle.
With the increased workforce of an extra cohort, the defenders were able to make a complicated structure with plenty of winding corridors and pointless rooms to get lost in.
Although, while they were prepared, he wasn't blind to the fact that the cohorts hadn't planned to take them seriously. Along with the bodies of unconscious demigods, he found decks of playing cards and board games littered across the floor. Most predominantly was something called… Mythomagic?
Percy chose to ignore it for now and question it later. But despite the urgency he fought with to find those standards, he could feel his strength waning. Without anyone nearby to fight, the adrenaline boost he had all but disappeared.
Something must've tipped Leila off to his current condition and she rushed to his side. Percy wondered whether it was the labored breathing or his sudden reliance on her for support that gave it away. She looked back at him, concern etched all across her face.
"Are you going to be alright?" She looked him over, probably checking for any injuries.
"I'll be fine, just need to take a bath," he deadpanned.
The fact that it was his storm that put him in this state oddly irritated him. Usually, Percy could keep a storm going for hours without breaking a sweat. He could contain it, increase its strength tenfold, or even bring it down to a light drizzle without a problem, but the moment he tries to direct it, it resists.
Just thinking about it made him lightheaded. Matter of fact….
Percy's knees gave out below him, and he fell face first into the ground. It seemed to be a common trend today. Before the world turned dark, all he could think about was how Fulgora was never going to let him live this one down - and neither would Leila.
Well... it's been a while. I feel like an explanation is in order. But before that, a little on the chapter.
I feel like most things in here should be self explanatory (or not revealed yet). Romans don't like Percy because he's a child of Neptune and they're not scared enough yet to not say anything. Percy is a great fighter and powerful demigod (with limits, trust me on that one) after training under a goddess. Ya da ya da ya da. My PMs are open if there's anything more you'd like to know.
Now, back to that explanation (yay.)
Originally, I had only planned on taking December off for the Holidays and January for a break - I get stressed too y'know. Unfortunately, it didn't stop there.
Both me and my beta were swamped throughout February and March, and I didn't pick up the story again until April. Since then, I've lost a close family member to COVID, so I hope you would understand if the next chapter takes a little longer than you would want.
On another note, thank you for your support, and for still being here. Remember to wear a mask and try to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
If you're worried about the government tracking you:
1. You're not that important.
2. If you are that important, you have a phone. They already have your location, texts, ad preference and YouTube history.
Welp. That's my two cents and some change.
Until next time!