Ah Octavian, you gotta love him
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OO OO OO OO
The battle was hard.
Octavian had expected it of course, he'd seen the signs, he's seen the visions.
He knew the battle would be hard.
Though the body was not quite as filled with bodies as he'd seen. Was that a different time?
Jupiter, he hoped not.
Regardless, the battle was hard. They were losing.
It was… bad.
And then he heard a shout, Reyna's voice echoing in command.
"Romans! Rally to the eagle!"
The Eagle?
The Giant was crying out in confusion, but that hardly mattered when a second later, like a late like the sunrise, light bathed the field.
Thunder shook the valley and lightning exploded across the field, leaping from monster to monster and demolishing their forces in an instant.
Octavian couldn't help but gape. That-
He'd known about the power of the eagle but-
That was something else.
This is what Percy brought the legion?
He'd foreseen Percy's importance but-
Octavian hadn't even begun to imagine that.
It was more powerful than Jason's bolts!
Jason, who was gone.
Gone thanks to Reyna.
Octavian focused himself once more, there was still a battle to fight, and the troops were cheering.
"Rome! Rome! Rome!"
He kept the smile that wanted to spread off his face as Percy Jackson, the force of nature that was the Romans new soldier, stepped dismounted and headed for Polybotes.
The battle was as good as over.
OO OO OO OO
Despite everything, Octavian had not foreseen Percy becoming a praetor.
Perhaps he should have expected it, New Rome desperately needed a new praetor. But Percy was new.
He was (uncontrollable) (a force of nature) (power given form) new to the camp.
Octavian was against it. Even had Percy been a normal Roman, he was new. He'd barely been there a week and they were making him praetor?
And besides that, Octavian didn't want anything to happen to Percy.
Afterall, the last praetor to be raised on a shield was missing.
And the one responsible was still in power.
OO OO OO OO
The feast after the battle was… frustrating. The Amazons were not to Octavian's liking. How they treated men was distasteful.
But he smiled anyways and acted civil.
And then there was the speech.
"My sister and I haven't always seen eye to eye—"
Hylla interrupted with a laugh, "That's an understatement."
"She joined the Amazons," Reyna continued, unbothered. "I joined Camp Jupiter. But looking around this room, I think we both made good choices. Strangely, our destinies were made possible by the young hero you all just raised to praetor on the battlefield—Percy Jackson."
Octavian was silent through the speech, and the demands for a speech from Percy.
What was he supposed to think of this? How could they approve this?
He thought Percy was wonderful, a bright light in this troubled time… but Percy was new. It was foolish to raise him up just for being skilled at fighting. He didn't even know the laws!
Nonetheless when Reyna beckoned him over he went.
A scowl on his face as he glanced at her, Percy next to her, but he went nonetheless.
He pulled out one of the teddy bears (from a twelve-year-old girl in the city who decided she'd outgrown it and wanted it to help others by telling the future) and sliced it open neatly.
He read the future just as he always did, confirming the good omens he'd already known and assuring the crowd that Fortuna would bless them.
And then he reluctantly called upon the Gods and passed his hand over Percy's arm.
"Percy Jackson, son of Neptune, first year of service!"
The words rang hollow in his voice, wrong in a way Octavian wasn't certain of.
Son of Neptune.
He was… wasn't he?
The symbols burned onto Percy's arm: a trident, SPQR, and a single stripe. No doubt it was as painful as when Octavian got his.
He embraced Percy, still unhappy with the situation, but he did attempt to joke with him as he did with other Romans when giving them their brands.
"I hope it hurt," he whispered teasingly.
It always hurt. One didn't need to hope for it.
The pain was it's own joke these days with the Romans.
He stepped back as Reyna stepped forward once more, handing Percy an eagle medal and purple cloak.
He resisted the urge to scowl at her again.
He didn't want Percy near her. He didn't want another powerful demigod disappearing.
But there was nothing he could do.
Yet.
He wouldn't let her be the fall of Rome.
OO OO OO OO
Octavian was infuriated. This was the stupidest idea they'd had yet!
Percy had barely been Praetor a day and was already-
And he was Greek. How had Octavian not seen it? Well he had but he hadn't realized-
And it didn't help that Reyna was nodding along.
The Greeks were threats. This was why Percy wasn't ready to be praetor! Perhaps he wasn't nearly as bad as the rest of the Greeks, he had helped, but he didn't understand! He hadn't seen-
Oh… those visions…
Was it possible that-
No… he wouldn't allow it. But first to make them see reason.
"Why should we trust these Greeks?" he asked, continuing his point. "The camp is safe. I'll be the first to congratulate our heroes for bringing back the legion's eagle and so much Imperial gold! Truly we have been blessed with good fortune. But why do more? Why tempt fate?"
Encouraging them couldn't hurt, maybe they'd see reason-
"I'm glad you asked." Percy stood.
Wait- "I wasn't-"
"-Part of the quest," Percy finished. "Yes, I know. And you're wise to let me explain since I was."
Octavian bit back any reply and sat. He wasn't happy with this, but perhaps Percy would give him an opening to show him why this was a horrible idea.
He had no idea what would come of this.
The death.
The destruction.
The war.
Octavian needed to explain it.
He needed them to know that they couldn't do this.
Or else-
Or else-
Gold eyes flashed in my mind, screaming filling the air, Rome burning down.
He swallowed, zoning back in to hear a Lar interrupting Percy.
Octavian smiled, at least some of them understood.
His frown appeared again as Gwen interrupted, but when Reyna started speaking he was grudgingly pleased. For once she was seeing sense.
Percy continued, speaking up and insisting the Greeks and Romans had been fighting together. Claiming that-
"One of them is Jason Grace, your old praetor."
"Oh, come on!" Octavian shouted, fury filling him at the claim. "He's making things up, now."
He'd Seen Jason.
A spear in his back.
Shock on his face.
He'd died.
Died because of Reyna.
Percy was clearly delusional. And Octavian was not pleased.
"It is a lot to believe," Reyna murmured with a frown.
Shocked at someone saying the one she killed was alive?
"Jason is coming back with a bunch of Greek demigods? You say they're going to appear in the sky in a heavily armed warship, but we shouldn't be worried."
"Yes." Percy looked out at everyone, projecting confidence. "Just let them land. Hear them out. Jason will back up everything I'm telling you. I swear it on my life."
Octavian scowled, fury burning in him.
"On your life? We will remember that, if this turns out to be a trick."
Right on cue they were interrupted, a messenger rushing into the Senate House.
"Praetors! I'm sorry to interrupt, but our scouts report—"
"Ship!" the Cyclopes said happily, pointing at the hole in the ceiling. "Yay!"
Octavian looked up, horror and fury filling him. They couldn't just let a warship into Rome! Especially not one manned by their enemies!
"Praetors!" the messenger cried. "What are your orders?"
What are your- what kind of stupid question was that?
"You need to ask?" He snapped, shooting to his feet. His hands were clutching a teddy bear (from the orphanage in the city, hand made by one of the older orphans just for prophecy) far too tightly. "The omens are horrible! This is a trick, a deception. Beware Greeks bearing gifts!"
He spun to face Percy, their salvation, their damnation, "His friends are attacking in a warship. He has led them here. We must attack!"
And yet somehow Percy and Reyna refused.
Somehow Percy refused.
"No."
No?
No? They-
"Hold your fire," Reyna said.
Like a fool, like a coward, like a backstabbing traitor.
His visions would come true because of their praetorship. She opened her arms to the enemy and they would slit her throat.
Rome burned in front of his eyes, but he could do nothing to stop it.
OO OO OO OO
How-
It had to be a trick.
Jason was dead.
Octavian Saw it.
His visions were never wrong.
Did that mean it had yet to come to pass? That it would come to pass? Was Jason doomed to die by Reyna's spear-
His gaze landed on the girl with Jason.
Were they together?
He took a breath, shoving the bundle of rage, pain, and confusion aside.
Somehow Jason was alive.
Somehow he had misunderstood his visions.
He had a job to do though, and despite everything he knew the Greeks were threats.
The visions coming then, right when they'd heard of them, those were unmistakable.
"…tell the legion to stand down. Dakota, alert the spirits in the kitchen. Tell them to prepare a welcome feast. And, Octavian—"
I shoved forward, fury alight once more.
They had a Pluto damned warship there and she was-
"You're letting these intruders into the camp? Reyna, the security risks—"
"We're not taking them to the camp, Octavian." Reyna said sternly. "We'll eat here, in the forum."
How in the name of fuck was that better?
"Oh, much better," he grumbled. "You want us to relax in the shadow of their warship."
"These are our guests," Reyna clipped off. "We will welcome them, and we will talk to them. As augur, you should burn an offering to thank the Gods for bringing Jason back to us safely."
Oh she would like that wouldn't she.
He didn't look at Jason though. Didn't look at him and that girl.
"Good idea," Percy said. "Go burn your bears, Octavian."
"You have my orders. Go."
The officers around him dispersed and Octavian couldn't keep the anger off his face as he scowled at the two of them.
To think he'd held faith that Percy could save them all.
Their savior. Their doom.
This was the most idiotic thing he'd ever heard of.
He shot one last suspicious look at Percy's girlfriend, then stalked away to complete his duties.
OO OO OO OO
The feast was… something.
He couldn't help but stay tense the whole time. He was sitting with the intruders, the Greeks, the ones who would aim to destroy Rome. And Reyna, the backstabber. Oh, and Percy, who was a Greek, and on their side, despite everything Octavian had hoped.
Octavian gaped in horror at the claims Jason made.
No memory. Was that why-
He shook his head, listening as they explained Juno being imprisoned at the Wolf House.
"Impossible!" Octavian interrupted. It was preposterous, the wolves would've told them! "That's our most sacred place. If the giants had imprisoned a Goddess there—"
"They would've destroyed her," Piper said. "And blamed it on the Greeks, and started a war between the camps. Now be quiet and let Jason finish."
He tried to counter, tried to point out how the House was theirs, the wolves should've gone them. He tried to point out how they hadn't even known the Greeks were alive until that very day. He tried to say anything at all.
But no sound came out.
A spike of fear went through him.
She'd silenced him.
He listened silently then to the rest of the speech. How Gaea was apparently rising.
Percy gave his own story in turn, and it was good to hear. Knowing how they had retrieved the golden standard was important information.
He couldn't help his eye twitching when Jason whistled at the end, "No wonder they made you praetor."
That was not how it worked!
He snorted, then straightened as he realized he could make sound again.
"Which means we now have three praetors! The rules clearly state we can only have two!"
Which meant one of them needed to be removed, hopefully Percy. He knew literally nothing of New Rome.
"On the bright side," Percy said, "both Jason and I outrank you, Octavian. So we can both tell you to shut up."
His face flushed as they fist bumped. They were treating this like some small matter! This was incredibly important! A conflict in leadership was more than capable of causing nations to fall, and the delay in getting a new leader and then the return of the old would only make that worse. Plus with the Greeks present it would just-
Did he just say it was no biggie?
"No biggie?" He choked out. "The praetorship of Rome is no biggie?"
They ignored him, continuing their conversation.
He'd never wanted to stab someone so much, which was saying something because he'd been tempted to pull a Mark Antony on Reyna since Jason di- went missing.
He hadn't died.
He went missing.
"We call it the Prophecy of the Seven. Octavian, you have it committed to memory?"
What a stupid question, he had all the prophecies memorized.
"Of course, but Reyna—"
"Recite it, please. In English, not Latin."
Octavian huffed, how idiotic.
"Seven half-bloods shall answer the call. To storm or fire the world must fall—"
"An oath to keep with a final breath," Percy's girlfriend interrupted. "And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death."
I stared at her, along with everyone else.
Why was I even asked to recite it if they knew it? It wasn't like it was a long prophecy, not like some of them.
Frank leaned forward, "Is it true you're a child of Min—I mean, Athena?"
"Yes? Why is that such a surprise?"
He scoffed, a surprise? That was a virgin Goddess! "If you're truly the child of the wisdom Goddess—"
"Enough."
He bit back a snarl and let them talk once more. Silent as he considered his options.
Obviously, the others would not see sense, perhaps he could at least get them to consider a proper vote? Make sure the people involved were skilled? Or at least not likely to support the Greeks when they inevitably attacked.
And Octavian knew they would, he'd Seen it.
"Seven half-bloods must answer the call," the girlfriend said. "It needs to be a mix from both our camps. Jason, Piper, Leo, and me. That's four."
"And me," Percy said ignorant to Octavian's growing indignation. "Along with Hazel and Frank. That's seven."
"What?" he snapped, shooting up. "We're just supposed to accept that? Without a vote in the senate? Without a proper debate? Without—"
"Percy!" The Cyclopes called, interrupting Octavian once more.
He hated everyone.
He was ready to just leave when the harpy that came in with the Cyclopes focused on the girlfriend.
"Bad luck. There she is. Wisdom's daughter walks alone—"
"Ella!" Frank stood suddenly. "Maybe it's not the best time—"
"The Mark of Athena burns through Rome," she continued, cupping her hands over her ears and raising her voice. "Twins snuff out the angel's breath, Who holds the key to endless death. Giants' bane stands gold and pale, Won through pain from a woven jail."
Octavian's breath caught, his hands reaching instinctively for one of the teddy bears to use as an offering for clarification.
Was that-
Was that a prophecy?
"I know!" Percy chirped in a very un-enthusiastic enthusiastic tone. "How about you take Ella to get some fresh air? You and Mrs. O'Leary—"
"Hold on," he snapped, his hands tightening. "What was that she said? It sounded like—"
Of course they couldn't let Octavian finish one Pluto damned sentence.
They were trying to leave, trying to dismiss it.
"That was a prophecy," he insisted, not letting them get away. "It sounded like a prophecy."
How could that harpy know prophecies?
The girlfriend interrupted once more with a laugh. "Really, Octavian? Maybe harpies are different here, on the Roman side. Ours have just enough intelligence to clean cabins and cook lunches. Do yours usually foretell the future? Do you consult them for your auguries?"
"I, uh…" the looks of the others made Octavian pause. He would be a laughing stock to keep insisting. "No, but—"
"She's just spouting lines from some book," Annabeth said, "like Hazel suggested. Besides, we already have a real prophecy to worry about."
He let them go, unhappy by the situation as Reyna gave them permission to leave. He held back a snarl when the Cyclopes hugged him before he left.
"Well," Ryena set down her uneaten apple. "Octavian is right about one thing. We must gain the senate's approval before we let any of our legionnaires go on a quest—especially one as dangerous as you're suggesting."
"This whole thing smells of treachery," Octavian grumbled once more. His eyes were drawn to the ship above. "That trireme is not a ship of peace!"
"Come aboard, man," Leo offered. "I'll give you a tour. You can steer the boat, and if you're really good I'll give you a little paper captain's hat to wear."
Octavian snarled, how dare that boy treat him so patronizingly!
"How dare you—"
"It's a good idea," Reyna said. "Octavian go with him. See the ship. We'll convene a senate meeting in one hour."
"But…" he stopped at her expression. She was not in the mood apparently. "Fine."
He let the obnoxious boy lead him to the ship.
He didn't like this.
He didn't like it at all.
Something was wrong.
Gold flashed in the corner of his eye and stiffened.
Gold eyes, augury cries, the fires burn to the ground.
OO OO OO OO
The boy was giving a normal tour, but something was wrong.
Octavian was tense the entire time, watching for any sign that anything was wrong, but he hadn't realized until it was too late.
The boy turned his weapons on Rome.
Eyes glittering gold he grinned at Octavian who was coughing up smoke. The heat of the weapons burned at him.
"What? You didn't see that coming?"
Fury, and fear, filled him. He was not a fighter, he was an augur who could fight some. But this was a death trap of a ship, with the commander clearly an enemy.
He chose returning to Rome over fighting a battle he would lose.
The boy laughed behind Octavian as he fled, scrambling down the rope ladder with as much grace as he could manage.
He barely managed to reach the bottom of the ladder as the chaos continued. His gaze landed on Percy and his girlfriend.
"Annabeth!" Percy called. "What—?"
"I don't know!"
"I'll tell you what," Octavian snarled towards them, stuck on the ladder. "The Greeks have fired on us! Your boy Leo has trained his weapons on Rome!"
"You're lying," she said after a moment of surprise"Leo would never—"
She was trying to counter him? Did she expect Octavian to die on the ship?
"I was just there!" He shrieked. He was furious. He was terrified. He was grieving. The city was burning and he knew every person that would die in it. He knew every injury.
How dare they try to trivialize it.
"I saw it with my own eyes!"
The ship opened fire once more and a catapult was destroyed.
"You see?" He screamed. He had been right. He'd known this would happen. "Romans, kill the invaders!"
Percy grabbed me off the later a bare minute later, tossing me to the crowd. I glared up at them as the ship jolted, then groaned, and then shot up and away.
Traitors.
Every one of them.
OO OO OO OO
Bare hours later he was busy. He couldn't rest, not with war on the horizon.
He'd called it. He'd Seen it. He'd known it would happen.
But none of them had listening.
So now it was his job to make them listen.
He stood before the crowd, speaking to them. He lectured, he paced, he told them exactly what he'd seen. He told them what the Greeks would do.
He didn't let Reyna, the backstabber, get a word in.
She'd had her chance and Rome burned for it.
Now it was his turn.
He would send out the forces. He would handle this.
He would not let the Greeks destroy Rome.
OO OO OO OO
:D Hope you enjoyed. Don't forget to leave a review, they feed my soul.
What do you think of his reactions? His shifting views on characters? Him realizing Jason is alive?
Come yell at me on my tumblr: Percabeth4Life
Come chat with me on discord: : / discord . gg / 3tGNJhu