Sidelined. Something that has become normal as of late

Percy watched on as the war games ensued. Today was Siege. He liked Siege.

The Fifth was currently getting hammered on the wall. A majority of them were either stuck in testudo formation and unable to move or unconscious in a trap.

The Fourth was somewhere inside the fort as reserves, likely just as bored as he was. And the Second was busy systematically dismantling the defenses. Percy didn't care much to watch the other two.

He only kept track of the interesting ones.

The Fourth was explanatory enough, and the Fifth had the Legion's golden boy, Jason Grace. But Percy didn't care about the Second until a few months ago when a new recruit had joined the cohort.

Admittedly, Percy had never talked to them, but he's seen everything he needed to know. They were going to be a prodigy.

He groaned and rubbed his eyes, tired of squinting to see what was happening. He was posted so far away from the battle that they all looked like ants scurrying around. It was starting to annoy him.

"You better not be getting any ideas, Jackson," Damien said, looking up at the grey clouds that had formed above. "You caused a lot of injuries with that little stunt of yours last week."

He rolled his eyes. The Praetor had been glued to his side, watching him like a hawk since the first - and only - war game he was allowed to participate in.

"It's not my fault your legionnaires can't adapt to weather," Percy tried to defend. "What good is a soldier if they're only useful in the sun?"

Of course, Percy didn't believe that. It was just the excuse he used whenever he got bored.

"You poured rain on the tracks and scared the horses off course," Damien reminded him. "Fifteen chariots were overturned - all of them except the one your friend was in."

Oh yeah… Percy had almost forgotten about that.

"It was pure luck," he said.

It wasn't.

Percy had definitely interfered with that race, but not in the ways they thought he did. The horses weren't scared by the rain at all.

"I can't tell the horses what to do," Percy continued.

He could.

It was a shock to him at first, but speaking to horses was an ability Percy used very often since his discovery, mostly to embarrass the other legionnaires. He assumed it was a gift from his dad's side - last time he checked, Mom didn't speak equestrian.

Percy turned to Damien, only to find the Praetor glaring down at him. For a moment, Percy thought he might've pushed his taunting a little too far.

"Take a hike, Jackson."

Percy left without complaint, leaving the Field of Mars behind him. He was getting fidgety there anyways.

———

With this newfound time under his belt, Percy struggled with what to do with it.

Going to the Little Tiber was his first choice, but then he remembered that shirt he saw on sale in the Via Praetoria. He also needed to get his shield repaired at the forges and write back to Mom. There's also that —

Percy's decision was made for him when he ran into a marble statue.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the trouble maker Perseus Jackson… I've heard a lot about you recently," Terminus said as if this was entirely normal. "On your way to Temple Hill are you? Good, good. It's about time you paid tribute to other gods.

Percy rubbed his head, worried he might've gotten a concussion, "How do you know—"

"— Your name?" The statue raised an nonexistent eyebrow at him. "I'm a god, boy."

As if that explained everything, the statue-god continued on his tirade. "On your way back, go get a haircut young man. That mop on your head is hardly regulation. "

Percy's head rattled and it wasn't just from running into Terminus's elbow. He wasn't going anywhere near Temple Hill when he left, and since when did Terminus —?

"Your sword is properly sharpened. Well done. Standard boots - perhaps a bit uncomfortable. There's a sale at Mercury's Moccasins if you're interested. Hmm… Locally bought clothing, paid in full I assume. Very nice."

Terminus checked off imaginary boxes using his one arm. Percy had seen him at work a few times, but resisting the urge to laugh at a deity playing charades never got easier.

"Alright, you may pass." And just like that, the statue disappeared, vanishing without a trace.

Whatever that was, Percy put it behind him and tried to walk up the hill. He didn't know why he had suddenly arrived at Temple Hill, but Percy had learned over the months that if you can't explain something, it's probably the gods' fault.

He would bet good denarius that there was another grilled fish in Neptune's offering bowl that his father wanted gone.

Strangely enough, on his way up, no faun came to ask him for money. Percy would've enjoyed this fact if it wasn't hindered by the eeriness of the situation.

Dodging Don's constant hustling had become somewhat of a routine.

Matter of fact, as Percy looked around, he realized there wasn't a single creature in sight. Nobody except for the shady guy that always stood in front of Mercury's temple, but he's been there for a couple of weeks now.

Percy left him alone, despite his instincts telling him to go talk to the man.

Percy had watched enough horror movies with Mom to know that's how the dumb characters die. He had no intention of being casted by Alfred Hitchcock.

That was, until he saw the man arguing on the phone. Deciding against his better judgement, he went up to the guy. If the man didn't have a knife hidden up his sleeve, the monsters he attracted definitely would.

It was clear he was a demigod, the winged moccasins on his feet gave as much away. However, Percy wondered how the man had smuggled a phone into camp - and if he could get his hands on one himself.

Percy tapped him on the shoulder, interrupting the man mid call. "Do you mind not doing that?"

The man jumped at Percy's touch, nearly dropping the phone in the process.

He looked at Percy like he had fallen from space.

Percy would've laughed at the man's shock if the feeling in the pit of his stomach wasn't so profound. Slowly, the man's shock morphed into anger.

"I'm going to have to put you on hold for a moment." The man said, slowly pulling his phone off the side of his head.

Before Percy could tell him how that solved nothing, a glowing light emitted from the man's phone as it transformed into a caduceus... the Caduceus.

"Just my luck," Percy mumbled.

———

Mercury walked circles around him, tapping a tune on the ground with his Caduceus. At what glance Percy could catch of the god, he could almost swear he saw a smile.

Between the happy-go-lucky attitude and the slick grin across his face, Percy decided that Mercury was enjoying this far too much more than what would be healthy levels for a demigod.

Since the god had started his unending circling, Percy was forced to stand there and stare straight ahead, unmoving. Every time Mercury had passed his vision, he was fighting the desire to follow the god's movements with his eyes, and it was getting harder and harder to restrain himself.

He couldn't tell what was going through Mercury's mind, and it drove him to madness. In a fight, Percy could always predict his opponents moves and react accordingly. He didn't have that luxury with the smiling god of thieves. Percy was forced to stand there, unable to escape or fight back.

He had tried to grab Stormbringer from his pocket many times, but every attempt was met by his hand being swatted away by the Caduceus.

He felt like a mouse being toyed with, being used for a few moments of entertainment before the cat went in for the kill.

"As much as I would like to, I can't disintegrate you," Mercury finally said, almost disappointed.

Percy could feel the tension in his shoulders release at his words. Through all of his restless nights and countless hours, being turned into a pile of ash wasn't the grand and dramatic death he had always imagined.

It didn't take long for Mercury to notice the change in his demeanor.

"Don't count your blessings yet, Son of Neptune. I am not being merciful out of the kindness of my heart," he snapped. "Your father has made quite clear—"

Before Mercury could finish his sentence, the ground began to shake. The walls around them trembled, and Percy could feel his skull rattle at the might of the earthquake.

Fortunately, his body quickly adjusted to the shaking and he was able to keep his balance - unlike the various priceless decorations scattered around the temple.

Percy could feel the shockwaves of the earthquake resonate within him, knocking down barriers that have long stood tall in his mind.

"While your father protects you, he is nothing if not fair," Mercury continued. "Even the Lord of the Seas would agree that offending a god - in his own temple nonetheless - is a crime that doesn't go unpunished."

This time, Mercury's words weren't met with a grand show of power.

"Marvelous."

Percy could already tell where this was going, and he knew that it wasn't going to end well. The expression Mercury now wore only confirmed his suspicions.

What was previously a gleeful smile was now a devilish grin, one that sent shivers down Percy's spine. Before he could blink, Percy was grabbed by the shoulders and enveloped in a shroud of golden light.

"It's time you earn your stripes, Son of Neptune."

Guess who's back. Back again.

It's me.

I know, I know, not the longest chapter, but it wasn't meant to be the size of a short story.

The chapter may not have been long, but I thought it was filling. I set up the plot further, sprinkled a few details, whispered a few secrets and showed Percy doing the exact opposite of fitting in.

Hopefully the timeline matches up with canon, if not, oh well. Time is merely a construct that we use to stem the ever growing madness in our minds when we gaze upon the stars and realize our insignificance.

Anyways, Terminus has an arm! That wasn't a mistake. It's called details!

I've uh got nothing else left to say.

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That's All Folks!