(I don't own any of Rick's stories or characters, only what I put them through.)

Because this obviously isn't canon, I feel as if I should explain some changes that I've made, and how I plan on going about things.

To start, the primary pairing in this will be Preyna. Annabeth's role in this story is essentially nonexistent, as I've taken some liberties in explaining why they broke up. This won't be one of those scenarios where she starts going at it with a random OC, because it's pretty out of character for her. It'll be explained in the story, but I'll try to make it feel as natural as I can.

I'll try to work on chapters whenever I feel like it, but I can't promise a solid schedule of uploads, because that's a pretty good way for me to burnout and lose motivation. While I'm on the topic, I'm trying to make each chapter at least 5K words each, so that I can upsize them if I feel like I need to. These won't be the longest chapters, but this gives me room to plot things out and adjust components as needed.

It may be some time between chapters, with school and life going on, but I'll let y'all know if something serious comes up. I've got a couple new side projects going on, and I'm trying to distribute my time evenly amongst them. If there are any long content droughts, I may post another single-chapter fic from my archive, but hopefully that won't be too often.

But now, without any further ado, here's the first chapter:

—

"Come on, Percy, we're on guard duty."

Peeling his eyes open, he wasn't too happy to see that it was still dark. That wasn't to say that he was surprised either, because he woke up at this time everyday, for the last three weeks. At this point, he just wanted eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. Alas, his partner was waiting for him, and he couldn't let him down.

He pulled himself from the warm recesses of his bunk and put his helmet on, grasping the worn grip of his shield. "Well, let's go."

Marcus nodded and followed him out of their barracks, and the cool night air seeped through their armor. It took some getting used to, but he'd finally adjusted to the lorica segmentata of the Legion, though he still prefered the leather chest piece he'd worn with the Greeks. Except for his sword, he blended right into the rest of the legionnaires, even going so far as to learn how to use pila correctly.

As for their patrol, the duo walked along the Western border of the camp, along the waters of the Little Tiber, and past the now-collapsed Caldecott Tunnel. It was small remnants like that which reminded Percy of the current state of the camp, and why the patrols were now increased.

After the siege of the camp at the hands of the Triumvirate, the losses were astronomical. Their forces were already weakened because of the isolated instances of Tarquin's probing, but when he saw the legion barely number strong enough to fill the Senate House, he'd realized how many had truly fallen. Frank's injuries had put him out of commission for the time being, and Hazel took over his spot at Praetor, accompanying Reyna as she tried to manage the battered shell of the Twelfth. The siege made Percy feel weak and helpless, primarily because he didn't get the opportunity to fight against those who laid waste to his new home. Once smaller siege weapons had moved into range, they'd fired upon the camp, and as he was ushering civilians away from the area, the building next to him was hit, sending all of the rubble on top of him. He was lucky to survive, but he was buried for the duration of the battle. When he was finally recovered, he saw dozens of bodies being readied for pyres, and other than a couple broken bones and cuts, he was fine.

At the time, he was merely visiting New Rome, but after witnessing the loss, and how beaten the legion was, he offered to enlist as a legionnaire, and was placed back in the Fifth Cohort. He expected the transition from the loose ranks of the Greeks to the organized Legion to be rough, but he appreciated the change in doctrine, at least in terms of teamwork. He could rely on those fighting beside him, so long as they don't separate.

"Hey, Perce, you good?"

He nearly tripped over a stone as Marcus stirred him from his thoughts, and he nodded. "Yeah, just thinking a bit."

"Well, try not to think too hard, I still need someone to talk to for tonight's shift," he said, giving a small grin before looking back at the trail.

Marcus was a seasoned legionnaire of the Fifth, and one of the few with several years of service to back up his record. He was also someone that Percy had talked to a bit while he was readjusting to the Legion, so that made it easier to talk to the man. On top of that, he was one of the most experienced in the Cohort when it came to fighting, and that meant he and Percy would often train together. Taking that all into account, getting Marcus as a patrol partner was welcome news.

As they reached their lookout spot, Percy sat on a weathered log opposite of Marcus, who unceremoniously flopped onto a stump, sighing. "Ready to sit here for an hour, again?"

"Can't wait," he huffed, blinking the sleep from his eyes. Then, a rumor came to his mind, one that had been plaguing his thoughts for a while. "Hey, have you heard about the groups of monsters that have been spotted around the perimeter of camp?"

His eyes scanned over the rolling Oakland Hills from their spot on the edge of the camp, as if the monsters were stalking him as he sat. "Yeah, I have. One of the guys in the shift before us saw something move away as he got closer, but he said it was too sluggish to be a normal animal. Usually when you get close to one it'd just dart off, but it slowly sank back into the treeline, according to him."

Percy found himself staring at the edge of the hills, where the trees met the valley. Others from different patrols reported similar experiences, and this only added to the growing occurrences. "Leila and her buddy saw something just like that last night. While they were on patrol near the Field of Mars, she kept seeing flickering movement near the trees, and eventually decided to shine her light over it. It was like it all stopped at once. What's worse is that it all started again once they started to move again."

The silence seemed to overtake the two of them as they reflected on the happenings over the last week, and the consistent nature of them. Percy was acutely aware of how the surrounding nature was nearly silent, with even the bugs reduced to the occasional, lone buzz. Breaking the silence, Marcus muttered, "It's probably just monsters."

After the battle, the bodies of Tarquin's undead were mostly recovered and put to rest, but there were still some left unaccounted for. Like most superstitious scenarios, rumors spread about some fallen legionnaires returning as lemures, or restless spirits that had not received a proper burial, often harassing the living. Obviously, these rumors were quickly stamped out because of the lack of respect for the fallen, and the already abysmal morale of the camp, but you couldn't stop everything. Everyone knew of the rumors, and as he sat facing the hills, the thought of the rumor being true was far more unsettling than it was earlier.

"Wait."

Marcus dimmed the lantern and pointed over to a small pile of boulders near the base of one of the hills, squinting.

"I'm not fucking with you right now, I promise," he said, not breaking his line of sight, "but I think I just saw something over there move."

As Percy started to turn, Marcus hissed, "Wait, shine your light on it, but keep it off until you're facing it. Move slowly."

Despite part of him wanting to groan and just flood the entire place with his light, he heeded Marcus's request and as he flicked the light on, a shape slipped away.

"That's… fuck," he cursed, and Percy flicked his light off, suddenly feeling a little more vulnerable.

A crunch echoed from nearby, and their attention was drawn behind them, the light going out. Both Marcus and Percy gripped their swords and drew them slowly, fearing that any noise would make their stalker pounce. Footsteps marched closer and closer, until the bushes rustled and a figure emerged, arm outstretched. Marcus raised his sword and prepared for a strike, but just as he was about to swing, a lantern came on, held by their guest.

Reyna jumped and bit back a curse as she raised a hand in alarm, all while Marcus rammed his gladius back into his sheath, nearly impaling himself in the process. She recovered and muttered, "Warm welcome."

"Praetor."

"Re— Praetor."

"I just came up to check in and see how things were going, everything considered. Did something have you guys scared?" She set her lantern down on the stump, looking at the two of them.

"Something's out there in the treeline, but it moves away whenever we shine a light on it." Percy answered, and she nodded knowingly.

"That's another sighting added to the rest," she sighed, "that reminds me…"

She turned to Marcus, who straightened up at the attention. "Marcus, stand guard over by the entrance to the outcropping. Percy and I need to have a talk."

"Yes, ma'am," he spoke, moving away.

"Let's grab a seat," she said, and Percy sat beside her on the log.

"So, what'd I do this time, Praetor?"

The shadow of a smirk surfaced on her face, but Reyna shook her head. "Whatever you did, I don't know about, and let's try to keep it that way. But for now, you can drop the formalities with me."

"Okay," he said, shrugging, "you needed me for something?"

Her shoulders slumped, and she managed to actually look like a normal demigoddess for a moment, at least like one from his old camp— casual, a little downtrodden, maybe, but generally normal. "Percy, how to you feel about Camp Jupiter and New Rome?"

"Oh." The question caught him off guard, but he nodded slightly. "I haven't been here as long as I have been at Camp Half-Blood, but I'm getting used to it, and it's nice to have an actual haven for demigods, where people can live full lives."

Saying it like that made his chest heavy, just by a little bit. It sounded a lot like how he and Annabeth would talk about their future, and what he imagined it'd be like after the quests were over and they had time for each other again. Hiding that thought, he brought his attention to his superior, who was waiting for him. She sighed, kicking the grass.

"I'm not supposed to tell you this now, but there was a vote today, to determine what to do about these sightings. From what we gathered, the remnants of the Triumvirate and Gaea's army have banded into small tribes of monsters, and some are growing strong and bold enough to prod our defenses, and there are even reports of isolated groups doing the same to the Greeks," she explained. "In the senate, they came to a decision that it'd be best to hunt down and destroy these parties, and they wanted me to select the person leading those forces. Seeing how we're down too many legionnaires, and most of our reinforcements are either too old or too fresh to field, it was implied that they wanted to send you."

It was quiet enough to hear the crickets in the distance, but Reyna sighed. "I know it's a lot to ask, and I completely understand if you don't want to go, honestly. I can—"

"I'll do it."

She looked at him like he'd just volunteered to be the first to distract Hannibal during a War Game, and she asked, "Are you sure? Really, it's not an issue if you don't go."

"If I don't, then someone else will go in my place, someone potentially less experienced. If they think that I'm best for this, then I'm sure they have good reasons to think that way, so I'll go. If it can potentially save a life, then it's worth it."

They sat in silence again, and Reyna seemed to be processing what he said. He mostly just said what he felt was right, even if he knew that things like this had a tendency to go south. Still, he felt an odd desire to lead, and it matched what he felt on the Argo II so many months ago. Leading was starting to feel natural to him, for reasons beyond morality and his experience.

"Percy, this isn't some easy, week-long trip, this could potentially be a couple months away from camp, on your own. We don't know what we're facing, or if they've got divine backing. Are you sure you want to go?"

"You and Frank are swamped with the recovery effort and senate dealings and the legion is mostly crippled. I can help, so I will."

"That's…" She lingered on his decision, but nodded after some deliberation. "I'll inform the Senate tomorrow morning, and I'll also let you know about the forces you'll be taking on your campaign. They'll be legionnaires from all of the cohorts, but they'll be experienced in combat and field operations."

"Alright, thanks for the heads-up."

For being such a sudden revelation, Percy felt oddly at ease with everything. It was nice, but uncanny, because it seemed almost easy compared to his past tasks. Now, he was tasked with doing a cleanup of whatever monsters had the courage to reform following their defeats at his hands. This? This was a piece of cake. Although, Reyna seemed much more conflicted.

"You've been given every opportunity to back out, but you still want to go. This won't be easy."

Sighing, he met her inquisitive gaze, and shrugged. "Look, I appreciate your concern, Reyna, really, but this isn't too big. I've led my Camp against Kronos, been on several quests, and I've walked through Tartarus. This almost sounds like a vacation compared to everything else."

As the words left his mouth, he wished that it didn't come out the way it did, but it was true. Compared to everything else, this was simple— look for monsters, then kill them. No prophecies, no hostile deities trying to destroy humanity, just a simple goal for a good cause. Even if it came out like he was boasting, Reyna nodded and stood, giving him a look that he couldn't exactly read.

"I'll see you tomorrow." As she walked back into the bushes and towards the camp, she turned her head, barely visible in the sparse light. "And thank you for doing this, Percy."

All he could manage was a nod, and he echoed, "See you tomorrow."

After she had vanished once again, Marcus cautiously walked back to the small clearing, nodding to him. "What'd she want?"

"Just an assignment, and some clarifications," he said, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, "it's not too important."

"Did she say anything about the monsters?"

Just a little bit, he thought, before shrugging. "There's been more activity along the borders, and that we should be on the lookout. Nothing that we don't already know, really."

Once again, he felt some shame for not being truthful with his friend, but he knew that the real news would only burden him. Nobody likes being told that their home was on the brink of another raid, especially when it's the only place where someone can really have a true life while still being a demigod. With the constant battering and low spirits, it seemed like their safe haven was crashing down around them, and he didn't like to think of how long it could remain this way. Either their defenses would break or their will to fight would, and he wasn't eager to find out.

A nudge to his side stirred him from those morbid thoughts, and Marcus sat beside him, holding half a sandwich.

"I hate sitting here for a couple hours without doing anything. Want half?"

Even with the bombshell that Reyna had dropped on him, a grin tugged at the corners of his mouth and he nodded. "Sure, thanks."

He took the food and ate a bite, humming in satisfaction. Sandwiches always tasted better when they were made by someone else, and apparently Marcus had a natural gift, and good taste. While he ate, Marcus worked at his half, eventually sighing, "I hope we have War Games tomorrow. It's been forever."

"Probably not," he said, "with all the security needed, we're probably gonna be on our own for a while."

That was one of the many aspects he enjoyed about the Greeks, and to have games stripped from him, it felt oddly cruel and sad. Then again, that game would leave the entire camp vulnerable, so it couldn't be done.

"Good point. I don't like it, but it makes sense," he grumbled, staying silent for a few seconds. "Did I ever tell you about the Bathhouse Incident a while back?"

The name alone caught his attention, and he shook his head. "That's a very intriguing name, but I haven't. What happened?"

Setting his sandwich down on the wrapping paper, Marcus clapped his hands. "I've got a story for you, Perce, and I'm surprised that you haven't heard of it. Lucky for you, we've got plenty of time."

After that, the shift seemed to pass like a blur, and between stories and meaningless banter, Percy found himself to be in better spirits than before. By the time their chat came to a close, it was time to head back to the barracks, and it was all downhill from there. Getting out of his armor felt divine, and his bunk was still just a little warm, melting away the chill that accumulated in his tired limbs. This time, he seemed to find sleep easily, but that meant that his dreams followed right behind.

—

The first thing he noticed was the surroundings.

The woods weren't like those near camp, and it was much more mountainous. It was at the crack of dawn from the looks of it, and part of his subconscious told him that this meant it was still nearby, or at least in the same time zone. He tried reaching out to that spark of lucidity, but it escaped his grasp as his attention was torn elsewhere.

"Are you sure that he said that this was the right place?"

A small group of cyclopes were trudging around the scene, and one with a map nodded. "It says that we're here, I think."

"Let me see that!"

The larger one snatched the paper from his brother, and grunted in annoyed confirmation. "Then where are they?"

On cue, a horn blew and the tribe jumped, watching as various banners seemed to rise from over boulders and behind trees. Out of the darkest part of the forest rode a single figure on top of a horse, towering over his guard of other riders. Before Percy could catch a glance, the scene shifted.

—

This time, he sat in the Senate House, and his eyes found Reyna within moments, dressed as formal as ever at the front of the building. The Senate was notably emptier than it had been in months, but that was the cost of being attacked. Still, he listed to what she was saying, and he noticed the dark bags under her eyes.

"That being said, I have to request that we pull another legionnaire. I know we're short on numbers, but if we can't, the team will be undermanned and underpowered. There's not a big force to begin with, so the aid is necessary."

A younger man in his twenties shook his head, though he wore a mask of understanding. "Praetor, I'm sorry, but we can't spare another. Between the border guard, the repair efforts, standard security and construction crews, there's not a single legionnaire available. We've had to call for volunteers on the lighter work, and if we could spare someone, we would, but we can't do that right now. We're undermanned as it is already."

Nods of agreement and confirmation were shared throughout the senators, and Reyna seemed to ponder that for a moment. He never paid too much attention to her, given her authority and the somewhat important war against Gaia, but his time in the legion allowed him to pick up on a couple noticeable habits of hers. Her free hand had started to fumble with her ring, ever so slightly, and her brows were furrowed as if she were debating with herself.

"I believe I have a solution to this problem."

—

As his eyes opened, he sat up to ram his head into the outstretched arm of Reyna, who jerked back slightly in surprise.

"Hmm, oh, R—Praetor."

She gave him a look that he'd seen many times whenever he'd asked a stupid question, or said something mildly amusing. "You don't have to be that formal with me, just when we're around the other officers."

He nodded and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, sitting on the edge of his bed for a moment to collect himself.

"The Senate held a meeting this morning, but everything's covered. Everyone else is heading to the briefing, so they can get a better understanding of the attacks."

"Speaking of that," he said, "I had a dream last night, about a forest and some monsters."

"You too?"

Nodding, he asked, "Do you have any idea where that forest is? It had a lot more rocks and greenery than around here."

"The mountains looked like they were definitely to the east, but I'll have to check my maps." Her eyes glanced over you before nodding to the door of the barracks. "I'll let you get ready, and I'll be outside. You can pack afterward."

As she turned and left, Percy stood and dressed himself in a fresh shirt and pants, quickly washing his face before departing. A familiar weight appeared in his pocket the moment he stepped out the door, and Reyna joined him, guiding him towards the Via Praetoria.

Only in the light did he see that she wore a different armor today, and not her usual decorated and nearly ceremonial set. It was uniquely unroman, and it seemed to look more greek in origin than anything else. That wasn't to say it looked bad, because it seemed to fit well while also balancing a low profile with adequate protection. The dark leather was studded with imperial gold and some decor, but it was generally minimalistic in its design. Naturally, she noticed his staring.

"Where'd you get the new armor?"

"Some of your friends in New York, actually. We commissioned a small set of armor meant to be less bulky and suited for fighting in adverse environments, and this is what we got. I still like my own set of segmentata, but I think I'm starting to appreciate how simple this is," she said, and he looked closer at a small stamping, one of the number nine beside a small hammer. The thought of the forges and craft lodge made a small smile work its way onto his face, if only for a passing second. His focus turned back towards his praetor, looking as impassive as ever.

Without anything else to say, he decided to ask about the other part of his dream. "So, what's the situation with the other legionnaire we needed?"

She slowed her pace for a moment, before asking, "Your dream?" Once more, he nodded, and she continued, "One of your team was injured last night due to a shattered ankle, so I had to look for another option."

"What happened to them?"

"He got too close to one of the destroyed buildings and a column fell on his foot. When somebody finally came to help him, his foot was…" She trailed off, shaking her head with a slight grimace. "The medics should be able to heal him, but he won't fully recover for another week."

That led into his follow-up. "Who's replacing him, then?"

"Well," she said, "I am."

"What?"

Her pace slowed as she sighed, taking a breath to compose herself. "The Senate couldn't spare any legionnaires from the reconstruction effort, and with all of the other programs, it wasn't going to happen. Luckily, we happen to have two praetors, so I decided to leave the legion under Frank's control while I go with you."

"Then why do I have to attend these briefings?"

"Even if I'm a praetor, this is officially your campaign, and I'm willing to honor that. I'll do as you order, and I'll at least help you with the leadership part." A slight hum left her throat, and she pointed out, "At least you're only in charge of nine legionnaires. It's a lot more frustrating trying to lead five cohorts of demigods."

"Just please don't call me 'sir' or anything," he said, "it's gonna be weird enough with me leading this."

"Only if you stop addressing me as 'praetor' each time you see me," she countered. "I hear enough of it already, and if you're calling me that during the entirety of your campaign, there will be some issues."

As if to emphasize her point, they walked past a returning patrol from the last shift of guards, and they both muttered a tired 'praetor" as they passed. Reyna simply put on her stoic expression and nodded in acknowledgement, before it fell away again.

"Sure, but why are you pushing it so much? You didn't seem to mind it before."

She crossed her arms as she walked, her fingers drumming the edge of her bicep. "That's a conversation that's a lot more than I can comfortably get into right now, but you deserve some slack, given everything you've done. At the very least, you shouldn't have to stand at attention and address my rank like a probatio each time I see you."

Her eyes never once met him during her explanation, so he took her word for its seriousness, and nodded. He and Reyna were never too close during their time knowing each other, but ever since he rejoined the legion, he noticed that they'd chat a little bit more, even if it was mostly about current events within the camp. Still, for her to open up, even just that much, it showed him that there was at least an opportunity for him to make a friend, or get to know her more. "Well, I appreciate the thought, and as you said— this hunt may take a couple months. Might as well try to talk a bit while we're at it, because gods know how painful things like this can be."

"That, I agree with." Her arms fell back to her sides, and they stayed to the left of the path as they walked towards New Rome itself, where things were already starting to wake up. The reconstruction effort had already brought its workers to the sites, where the ruined shells of buildings were being dismantled, and new framework laid. Some sites had also been cleared on Temple Hill in anticipation of the planned additions, and Percy felt a dull ache at the thought of his friend's last wish. His temples had to be postponed because of the attack, but they would be constructed. Among the first few was a revamp of Neptune's Shrine, and his blueprints had shown it to be a spectacular improvement over the tool shed that existed now, and he only wished that Jason could've been there to see his projects through.

His thoughts fell away as a familiar bust came into his view several yards in front of him, accompanied by Julia, who gave him a toothy grin that he'd become somewhat accustomed to over the last few weeks.

"Another meeting, Ms. Reyna? Oh, and if it isn't Mr. Rule Flouter, what brings you to the city?" Terminus spoke, and Julia held up a tray for their weapons.

"Percy and I have to attend a special meeting on behalf of the recent issues with border security," Reyna stated matter-of-factly, which was something that seemed to sit fine with the statue.

Reaching into his pocket, he placed Riptide on the tray, and Reyna handed over a bit more, including her sword, dagger, and a small pocket knife.

"Is that all?"

"That should be it."

"Well then, enjoy yourselves, and have a good day," Terminus said, letting them pass.

Once safely out of earshot from him, Percy muttered, "Enjoy ourselves during a meeting, will do."

"It won't be that bad," she shrugged, "it's not an official meeting with senators or other groups. Also, where did 'Mr. Rule Flouter' come from?"

He smirked at the memory of that name, and explained, "I got into a bit of an argument with him when I tried to bring Riptide into the city, then proceeded to offend him a bit. It was unintentional, but it is what is is."

"In hindsight, that makes sense, considering that you still don't even follow standard legionnaire practices, like fighting with a shield or having tactics," she jabbed.

"Hey, I'm a Greek, and we have tactics, just not a lot of organized ones."

"Don't worry, we all know," she said, taking one last shot at him before she quieted herself. The small grin on her face was fairly hard to ignore, but he let her win, partly because he was still tired, and because they seemed to be nearing the meeting. As they approached the door of a moderately-sized building, Reyna paused with her hand on the handle, taking a deep breath and letting it out. With a pull, it opened, and she stepped inside, where a few legionnaires were in various states of disarray. Of those few, he noticed Marcus, still clad in a pair of running shorts and a faded camp shirt.

Their eyes shot to their praetor as she made her way to the head of the table, with Percy following and finding a seat to her left. After clearing her voice, she spoke, "Good morning, everyone. We'll give everyone a couple more minutes to arrive before we start."

The last two legionnaires trickled in whilst rubbing the sleep from their eyes, and Reyna produced a map from a nearby shelf, unrolling it on the table for all to see. It was showing a topographic map of California, and she placed an additional few maps next to it, each showing nearby swaths of forests and and mountains.

"As I'm sure you all know, you've been selected for an operation to push back the monsters that have been probing our defenses, and hopefully, we can try to find a source of these issues, if there is one."

Her hand trailed to the maps of the forests, and she added, "These are areas that have shown higher levels of activity as of recent, and they're not too far away from the Camp. Ideally, we'd all split up and check each area at once, but we'll have to split into two teams if we want to still remain efficient and effective. That being said, I've narrowed down the two places that I believe may hold a notable monster presence— The Las Trampas Wilderness, and near Mount Diablo. Because of how close Las Trampas is, we've been able to scout it more thoroughly, and we've found signs that it might be a rally point for monster forces. As for Mount Diablo, it was previously the site of Enceladus, and a frequent place for monsters to bring prisoners, or to pass through on their way elsewhere."

Pausing, she turned to face Percy, nodding. "Percy will be leading this operation, and I will remain in a supervising position to ensure that he carries out his duties. With that out of the way, Percy…"

Oh, okay.

He stood and tried to think of what needed to be done, and he found a point to start on. "Thank you. How is our transport being handled?"

"We have two vans left over from the war against the giants. We sold the rest to make up for lost funds."

"So, two teams of five. I'll lead one with Reyna advising, and I need one volunteer to lead the other."

"I can do that," Marcus said, shooting a finger gun at him as he sat up in his chair.

"Got it. As for the rest of you, unless you have issues with compatibility, let's just split this table." His hand cut diagonally across the group. "Everyone on the far side will be part of Marcus's team, and the ones closest to me will be part of mine. Any complaints?"

Nobody shook their head, so that was good in his eyes.

"Marcus, I'm assigning your team to investigate Las Trampas, and my team will go to Mount Diablo. Before we do that, though, we need to discuss strategy." His attention drifted to a whiteboard, before getting flashbacks of his previous times drawing on one, which weren't too great, especially when he swapped to writing entirely in greek that one time. Instead, he opted to just explain his ideas.

"Because of how small our teams are, and how large the search areas can be, I'd recommend looking for vantage points, like peaks or ridges that offer a view of the area. From there, look for potential signs of activity— old campsites, trash, even visitor centers. My guess is that if there are monsters, they might use those places to help organize or supply themselves, or use them to get an idea of who comes in and out of the places."

"So that means we need to blend in," Reyna interjected, "Wear some normal shirts, and if you wear armor, conceal it. Even with the Mist, it may look like a bulletproof vest for all we know, and that'll draw attention."

Afterwards, she nodded to Percy, who then continued. "Building off what Reyna said, don't make a scene or do anything to alert monsters, or authorities. They've already been scouting our camp, and if they happen to be nearby, they'll report it. Where those reports go, we'll find out, but play it safe."

"What do we need to bring?" One of Marcus's legionnaires asked, and he recognized her from the Second Cohort.

"Let's pack for at least a few days, but we'll source water and some food from the nearby towns. Still, pack food and extra water, along with your camping supplies and other essentials. If we find anything actionable, we'll probably return here to resupply and reorganize."

"For Percy's team, I'll pack my maps, and Marcus, I may have some spares, but you can plot out your courses and means of getting there on the drive up," Reyna said, looking back to her new leader. "It's over an hour for either one of us, so we'll have plenty of time to figure out the intricacies."

He mulled over what else he should discuss. Travel? Nope. Packing? Covered that? Locations? That too. With a small grunt, he asked, "Any questions before I release all of you to go pack?"

"One thing."

This time he recognized the legionnaire and Senator, Hank, and he waited for him to continue.

"How are we going to communicate with each other? Phones aren't too great with us, even if they're just payphones."

Oh, sometimes I love not being a roman.

From his pocket, be produced a few drachmas and passed a couple to Marcus, who eyed the gold curiously.

"How many of you have heard of Iris-messaging?" Unsurprisingly, nobody raised their hands. "Well then, time for a crash course."

For being someone that was never great at teaching, he found it fairly simple to get the legionnaires acquainted with the process. To avoid risking his relationship with a certain nebulae he met a while back, he opted to not bombard her line with calls, instead writing the phrase on a slip of paper for Marcus to remember. He was also fairly certain he'd misspelled 'Offering', but hey, you can't win every battle.

"Anything else?"

Nobody spoke up, and Percy concluded, "Unless our praetor has anything to add, let's pack and meet by the Entry Road in thirty minutes. From there, we'll take accountability one last time and leave."

"You've covered everything," she said with a pleased undertone, "and in that case, the meeting is adjourned."

While everyone filed out of the room, Reyna pulled him aside and waited for everyone to pass before going. With the now-relaxed atmosphere, she spoke, "You did really well during that meeting, even if I did shove you into that leading role. Have you done this before?"

"First time really leading, actually. I always kind of assumed the role because nobody else took it. Now, I don't know. It just feels… right? I guess?"

A smile worked itself onto her face, and she nodded. "I get where you're coming from. That first, real step is always the strangest, even if it comes naturally. You did well, though."

"Um, thanks," was all he could muster, and she led him back to the road towards the legion's camp.

On the way, most of the city had woken up, and streets were already starting to get busy, with shops opening their windows and doors to those who passed by. On the way, Reyna seemed to slow as she approached a small coffee shop, and she seemed to get the same idea as Percy.

"We won't have a chance to get breakfast, so I'm going to pick something up."

"I'll go with you," he agreed, "I could use a good coffee right now."

And good it was. It was the same stuff he'd got during his first time at camp, and he topped off the nostalgia with a cherry muffin, which was as delicious as he remembered. Though, Reyna's cocoa and her scone were just as enticing, and their moods seemed to lift, despite the impending hunt for monstrous forces. By the time they'd retrieved their weapons and reached the barracks, he'd inhaled his breakfast, and said, "I'll meet you at the gate whenever we get done. It shouldn't be too long."

"See you then."

With a wave, he watched as she retreated to the praetorium, which he always envied. To have a private building like that would be nice, and the size of it suggested that she had a full-size bed to sleep on, as opposed to the worn and compact bunks of the rest of the legion. He would complain about his current sleep conditions, but seeing as he'd be sleeping on the floor of a forest for a few days, he realized that it could be worse.

Either way, he had quite a bit of stuff to gather, and as he approached the door of his barracks, he sighed.

Well, it's time to pack.

—

With that, I conclude the introductory chapter to the story that I've been working on. I hope it wasn't that stale, but I just needed to set some things up in order to give some context. I'm also still trying to figure out Percy's characterization, because even if he's the most prominent character in the books, it's a bit tough trying to pin him, at least for me.

I'm not going to ramble for much longer in this note, because there was already that large one at the beginning, but hopefully y'all liked it. Drop a review if you want, and if it's asking a question, I'll probably answer in whenever I finish the next chapter. Either way, thanks for reading, and I'll see y'all next time. Cheers.

XIII