Percy POV:

"What are you so worried about?" Zoe asked me as we crouched atop a tree overlooking the valley where the Roman camp stood. The basin floor was rumpled with smaller hills, golden plains, and stretches of forest. A small clear river cut a winding course from a lake in the center and around the perimeter, like a capital G.

"Plenty of things," I replied. "Besides the Labyrinth quest my sister is undertaking, there's a lot of main events that happen this year that will decide the outcome of the final battle."

The huntress managed a soft giggle. "Every time you speak of the oncoming future, you sound like an Oracle, minus the snakes."

I chuckled. "Yah, it's really hard to imagine that the Oracle was once an alive person huh? But no, the Oracle will also have a better future, trust me on that."

"Of course."

We returned to silence, carefully observing the camp's peacefulness. I recalled what I believed was true about the camp at the time. Reyna was most definitely praetor, and probably searching for someone suitable (not Octavian) to partner with her. Given what I knew about the camp's history from just listening, neither Hazel nor Frank would be here yet, since Jason had yet to defeat Krios and become praetor. Jason was most likely still in the 5th cohort then.

"I don't know how they'll take it," I voiced, making Zoe turn. "The Romans fear the sea much more than they do death, and may see my presence as a bad omen for things to come."

"Since when have you cared about what other people think?" Zoe asked.

"True," I shrugged, but remained serious. "However, there's this jackass blonde in camp named Octavian. He's a legacy of Apollo, and even though he looks thin like a scarecrow, he's quite an effective talker. That guy can make Tartarus look like the victim of the gods as if they were the bullies. Plus, he hates anything remotely related to Greeks."

"Not a pleasant person then," Zoe concluded.

"Worse still," I realized suddenly. "Octavian is the Roman's equivalent of an Oracle. So far, our Oracle can only respond to questions asked in front of it. Octavian is a living, walking person however. He can choose to pulverize a stuffed animal in front of you anytime he wants, and read your future from the stuffing."

"Pulverize?"

I smirked. "Yah, this guy reads futures based on the fluff inside toy animals. He's always got a few hanging on his belt, with a knife on the other side."

"That's messed up," Zoe made a face. "Of all things..."

"But, I have to do this for the sake of Atti's future, and the Camp's," I said. "If I can save all the lives of my friends who lost theirs in this war, I'll do it."

"And you won't be alone this time," Zoe smiled.

I laughed. "Well, technically, I had Annabeth and–! Zoe?"

My girlfriend pounced on me, something only a Hunter could do without falling out of a tree. Her eyes glowed possessively, her face near mine. "No offense, but I don't think it's wise to say your previous lover's name in front of me."

I should probably explain the whole girlfriend thing. Sometime after Thalia joined, Zoe decided that in order to avoid having to ditch the Hunt into CHB every time we wanted to make a trip, she'd hand the lieutenant title over to Thalia, both girls having forgiving each other for their past reasons for hating each other's guts. Zoe's reasoning was that Thalia wasn't a bad leader, and that Zoe herself wouldn't have to worry so much whenever she went with me on extreme training missions or trips out to the city. I felt that the arrangement might've annoyed Artemis just a tiny bit, as the goddess was nearly scowling the whole time when Zoe was talking.

After the arrangement was made, Zoe and I were able to move more freely, able to stay out in the various biomes the planet has to offer longer because we didn't have to go back to the Hunt, since Artemis and Thalia were there. While Atalanta attended orientation, I was able to return to the rainforest cave Zoe and I had set up camp in somewhere in the Amazon and spar with the Hunter a bit, training her to use her hydrokinetic abilities more and more. I figured we'd start in a rainforest for our first above-land location, a biome with water pretty much everywhere before we officially hit drier places, like grasslands and deserts so that Zoe could get used to sensing water content in the air and drawing it out to fight with. Like always, I confiscated her bow, quiver, and daggers, placing them in Tiber metal cases so that they wouldn't teleport back onto her, which at first led to a bunch of cute tussles between us as Zoe demanded the return of her precious armaments. I made a deal with her that I would give them back on the day she defeated me in a spar.

She has yet to do so.

Of course, during these spars and missions and visits to everywhere around the world brought the two of us closer together, if we weren't already, and on the third "date" I brought her on, I gave Zoe the last remaining parts of my Tiber metal nanotech that I formed into a custom bow. The bow had the ability to shift into a metallic wristband that currently was wrapped around Zoe's left wrist, and upon mental command would snap open into a fully sized bow fit to Zoe's tastes. Like my katana, the bow was invincible to pretty much anything, and all projectiles fired from it would attack the opponent's soul, just about as effective as Luke's double edged blade. The bow could also be infused with our water abilities, another part of training that I made sure to include, much to Zoe's simultaneous exhaustion and excitement. However, the bow wouldn't disintegrate if I died; instead it would do so if Zoe passed.

Eventually, after much beating-around-the-bush, I asked Zoe out formally, after one) checking her age with Apollo, who guessed around 18 or 19, and two) making sure I had an escape path in case everything went wrong. Thankfully nothing bad happened, and the ecstatic girl jumped into my arms in explosive joy. Since then, every mission and raid or espionage trip I've made, I've had Zoe beside me, watching my back and vice versa.

Back to the tree, I pushed Zoe off, grinning. "Alright, alright, nothing suggestive of that sort."

"I'm kidding," Zoe chuckled, then turned serious suddenly. "So do we go now?"

I peered back down at the camp, squinting as if I was trying to see the centurions running the streets, or Terminus the border god criticizing unfortunate demigods about their untucked shirts.

"Let's go," I said, leaping down from the tree. I landed lightly on my feet and darted down the hill, closely followed by Zoe. We moved like shadows in the night, swift and silent through the bushes and trees until we reached the road that stood between us and the Caldecott Tunnel, otherwise known as the entrance to the Roman encampment, New Rome.

"Is that it?" Zoe asked.

"Yes," I nodded. "Last time I was here, I had my memory taken from me and held a goddess on my back."

"Was any memory you had in New Rome memorable?" Zoe laughed into her hand.

"Some," I shrugged. "It wasn't all bad after I got my memories back. You'll find that New Rome's environment is much more... organized than Camp Half Blood's."

"Should we sneak in?" Zoe asked, drawing her bow, already armed with two sleek silver arrows.

I shook my head. "I came here to find an alliance in these people, not hurt their entrance guards. Just put the bow down alright? I'll find you something to shoot later."

"Fine," Zoe huffed. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but hunting animals that can't fight back is getting kind of boring."

"I get it," I said. "Now let's go." I grabbed onto Zoe's shoulders and we vaporized, before reforming on the other side of the road in front of the two half awake guards, whose eyes snapped open when we appeared.

"Holy Mother of–!" One guard stammered-yelled, his gladius hastily raised.

I rolled my eyes and disarmed him, flipping the golden blade onto the ground. "You know, you really shouldn't fall asleep on guard duty."

The guard dropped on his ass and scooted back, eyes stuck on my unsheathed silver katana. He had most likely never seen a demigod wield such a weapon, or anybody really.

"What do you want?" The other guard had the nerve to ask, hands tight on his own sword. His eyes flickered between me and Zoe, who held her bow in pretended non-threatening way, though ready to shoot at a moment's notice, given the two arrows stuck in position.

I chuckled, then sheathed my blade on my back. "I'm an ambassador from Neptune. I'd like to have a discussion with your praetor, Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano."

The guard gaped. It wasn't that surprising, as many people would've lost a few years of life from simply saying Reyna's full name. "N-Neptune?"

"Yes," I said, holding a hand up as I gathered water into the shape of the Roman tattoo of Neptune, the very same on my currently hidden arm. "Would you be so kind as to let us in?"

"Only you," The guard said stiffly. "I don't know about your partner."

I nodded. "She's also an ambassador. Nightshade?"

Zoe did the same as I did, summoning water from nowhere to form a bow construct in her hand.

"What is your name?" The guard asked, kicking up his downed friend and handing him back his gladius. "I'll send a message first, and then bring you in when backup arrives."

"Sure, sure," I agreed. "My name? You can call me Riptide."

§§§§§

Minutes later, it seemed that the Romans knew at least how to send a welcoming party for strangers like ourselves. At least 10 armed Romans had arrived to escort us, most likely 2nd or 3rd cohort members that could be trusted fight in case Zoe and I decided to attack them suddenly. We walked through the tunnel, which cut through solid rock, about the width and height of a school hallway. At first, it looked like a typical maintenance tunnel, with electric cables, warning signs, and fuse boxes on the walls, lightbulbs in wire cages along the ceiling. As we walked deeper into the hillside, the cement floor changed to tiled mosaic. The lights changed to reed torches that burned but didn't smoke. A few hundred yards ahead was a small square of daylight.

When we finally burst through the tunnel, the sight of the whole camp up close brought back nostalgic memories. New Rome was a small city of white marble buildings with red-tiled roofs. Some had domes and columned porticoes, like national monuments. Others looked like palaces, with golden doors and large gardens. I could see the open plazas with freestanding columns, fountains, and statues. A five story tall Roman coliseum gleamed in the sun, next to a long oval arena like a racetrack.

"Wow," Zoe breathed next to me. "It's so much larger and more beautiful. We would never burn a building here."

I sighed. "Really? You're Greek, and you like the Roman camp more?"

"It's so neat and tidy, and there's flora everywhere..." Zoe continued. "And the buildings, they're magnificent!"

I slapped my forehead. "Zoe, c'mon. Don't betray us so fast."

We continued to head towards the bottom of the valley where a military encampment stood. It was about a quarter mile square, with earthen ramparts on all four sides, the tops lined with sharpened spikes. Outside the walls ran a dry moat, also studded with spikes. Wooden watchtowers rose at each corner, manned by sentries with oversized, mounted crossbows. Purple banners hung from the towers. A wide gateway opened on the far side of camp, leading towards the city. A narrower gate stood closed on the riverbank side. Inside, the fortress bustled with activity, dozens of kids going to and from barracks, carrying weapons, polishing armor. We could hear the clanking of hammers at the forge and smell the rich scent of meat cooking over a fire.

The only thing that stood between us and the camp was the Tiber River, or the Little Tiber. Even now, the river's water felt unfriendly, the naiad's chuckles more like sinister hissing to my ears. Clearly, I wasn't the only one who felt this way, as Zoe cringed, putting her hands against her ears momentarily.

"Why does the river sound so... almost threatening?" Zoe asked quietly.

I leaned towards her. "This is the Little Tiber, which flows with the power of the original Tiber River in Rome. Since we're of Greek origin, the river's spirits will feel hostile compared to usual rivers near camp and everywhere else."

"Oh," Zoe said.

"You seem to be somewhat familiar with our camp," One of the guards said, his tone lined with both curiosity and edge. "Have you been here before?"

I shrugged. "Once or twice in my life. It was a long time ago though."

The guard nodded in acceptance. He pointed to the river. "Our praetor is waiting for you just across the Little Tiber."

When we neared the encampment, a familiar and younger looking girl in a purple cloak stepped out, followed closely by a pair of gold and silver hounds. Like always, Reyna looked stern and regal, her visage one of a fierce warrior, suggesting that she wanted to run someone through with a knife if they bothered her the wrong way.

"So, two ambassadors of Neptune," she said coldly. "And one who knows my full name?" She glanced at me warily, her eyes trying to read mine.

"Yes," I said. "My name is Riptide, and my partner's is Nightshade."

The dogs growled, but I didn't back down. I knew they could sense lies, but my real identity needed to be hidden until I was sure that it could be revealed.

"Right," Reyna said. "I am Reyna, praetor of the Twelfth Legion. I... am interested to see how much you have to say."

"Lead the way," I said.

"Lennon," Reyna turned to the head demigod of our escort. "Bring him inside. I want to question him at the principia. Then we'll send him to Octavian. We must consult the auguries before we decide what to do with them."

"What do you mean?" Zoe asked.

Reyna's hand tightened on her dagger. "Before we accept anyone into camp, we must interrogate them and read the auguries. This way we know if you're sincere new recruits of sorts, or..." Her gaze became strangely excited. "If you're enemies of Rome."

I put a hand on Zoe to calm her down, because the huntress had become tense throughout Reyna's little speech. "Sure, we'll do whatever is required, unless it crosses a moral line."

"Then let us go," Reyna turned, her cloak whipping around. "Welcome to New Rome, ambassadors."

§§§§§

We followed Reyna through the streets. I was half-tempted to bolt away and grab myself a quick muffin from the nearby coffee shops, but reminded myself that I wasn't supposed to show that I had already been here before. While I felt perfectly comfortable in the Roman camp, Zoe looked more or less how I had felt back when I lost my memory. She held onto my arm tightly as her gaze whipped back and forth, observing everything in sight.

"What are those?" Zoe asked, gesturing to the shimmering purple figures floating around us, polishing ethereal swords outside the armory, or hanging out near the barracks.

"They're Lares," I said. "House gods. Like, smaller than real gods and bigger than apartment gods."

"Huh?"

"I'm kidding," I said. "They're ancestral spirits, kinda like mascots of Rome."

"Lennon wasn't lying," Reyna turned her head to the side. "You do seem to know much about our camp already."

"I've traveled far and wide, been many places and seen many things," I shrugged. "Rome is a pretty nice place to go vacationing at the right time of year."

We continued, the roads labelled with distinctive street signs and banners. Along the Via Praetoria, rows of shops advertised food, armor, weapons, coffee, gladiator equipment, and toga rentals. A chariot dealership had a big advertisement out front: CAESAR XLS W/ANTILOCK BRAKES. NO DENARII DOWN! At one corner of the crossroads stood the most impressive building: a two-story wedge of white marble with a columned portico like an old-fashioned bank. Roman guards stood out front. Over the doorway hung a big purple banner with the gold letters SPQR embroidered inside a laurel wreath.

"Senatus Populusque Romanus," I said, feeling a warm feeling on my arm near my tattoo, as if even my body knew that I had returned to a place I also recognized as home. "The Senate and the Roman people."

"That's right," Reyna nodded. She turned to the rest of the crowd of campers who had followed us curiously. "Everyone back to your duties. I'll give you an update at evening muster. Remember, we have war games after dinner."

The crowd dispersed, and Zoe and I followed Reyna and her dogs into the principia, New Rome's main headquarters.

Zoe gasped at the sight of the principia's impressive inside. On the ceiling glittered a mosaic of Romulus and Remus under their adopted mama she-wolf. The floor was polished marble. The walls were draped in velvet, so I felt like I was inside the world's most expensive camping tent. Along the back wall stood a display of banners and wooden poles studded with bronze medals, most likely military symbols for various achievements. And in the center was one empty display stand, which I knew was responsible for holding the golden eagle, lost eons ago and now more like an embarrassment stick for whoever was designated to carry it.

In the center of the room, a long wooden table was cluttered with scrolls, notebooks, tablet computers, daggers, and a large bowl filled with jelly beans, which seemed king of out of place. Reyna's two metallic hounds flanked the desk, eyeing Zoe and I distrustfully with their glowing ruby eyes.

"I want one," Zoe turned to me. "Alas, wolf automatons are far above our budget in the Hunt."

"Yah, I can see why," I smiled. "Reyna's dogs are pretty unique in terms of the automatons that I've met."

Reyna walked behind the table and sat in one of two high-backed chairs. She set her dagger on the table, observing us carefully. "Lennon, leave us for now. I'd like to discuss with our ambassadors privately."

"Of course," Lennon replied. "I'll guard outside then?"

"Yes," Reyna said. "And now, you said your names were...?"

"I'm Riptide," I introduced, ignoring the dogs' growling. "And my partner's name is Nightshade. We've chosen to use monikers for now until we've developed a stronger trust between us and the camp."

"I get the sense that you aren't here entirely just to be ambassadors," Reyna hypothesized. "What's your real purpose here?"

I chuckled. "I knew it. We can't get past you even here."

"Sorry?"

I unmasked myself, taking off the face mask and pulling down my hoodie, revealing my face and hair. Reyna's eyes widened, her reaction telling me that she recognized the close similarity. "See anyone you recognize?" I asked.

"Atalanta," Reyna murmured. "You can't be related to an Atalanta Jackson somehow can you?"

I bowed. "My real name is Perseus Jackson, a son of Neptune, and Atalanta's brother."

The praetor smacked her hands on the desk and leaned closer. "It's uncanny. You look so similar to her, but a male instead of female."

"Yup, I get that a lot. I also have something else to show you that might shock you," I said. "I think it's safe to trust you, given the type of person you are."

"What else?" The praetor quipped. "I'm sure nothing else you show me can surprise me that–... much..."

I smirked, rolling up my sleeves to show her my SPQR tattoo with the mark of Neptune with three marks of service. "This might explain why I know so much."

"You've served?!" Reyna gasped. "That's impossible, I've never seen or heard of a son of Neptune joining our ranks before! Certainly no one as old as you is still fighting. You'd have retired."

I chuckled. "You're right. You would have never heard of me, not in this world. We met in a different time, a different world."

"What are you saying...?"

"Your dogs can testify for me here," I said. "I come from the future, specifically an alternate reality from this one."

"...WHAT?!" Reyna lost her composure for a moment. "You can't be serious..." She stared at her dogs, who stared back like What do you want us to do?

"And, I became praetor," I finished.

"What about your partner?" Reyna asked.

I tugged down Zoe's hood, pecking her on the forehead as she removed her mask. "This is my girlfriend, Zoe Nightshade. And no, she's not from the world I'm from."

"So you've already settled down in this reality?" Reyna concluded.

"Yes," I said. "To tell you the truth, I came to make an alliance agreement with you and the Romans. War is coming, and I'd rather not lose so many friends to said wars."

"Are you speaking of the Titans?" Reyna said.

"Them and the others afterwards," I said seriously. "Perhaps you've heard of the Prophecy of the 7?"

Reyna's eyes narrowed. "I have. Our augurs have tried deciphering it and deciding when it comes into effect for decades. And you're telling me that..."

"It's coming," I said. "Not soon, there's still quite a bit of years and months before it reaches."

"Oh, and another thing," I laughed nervously. "You know that empty pole over there?"

Reyna glared at me. "Are you serious?! You're the one to find that bird too?"

I laughed. "Yah. Together we some 5th cohort newbs, we find the eagle and the rest of the imperial gold armor that you guys lost."

Reyna smacked her forehead. "Why can't the legion find it until and outsider comes from nowhere to help us?"

I shrugged. "Believe me, when you learn of my real identity, it'll be a lot worse."

"There's more?"

"This, unfortunately, I have to keep secret for now. Like, if I reveal this, I might actually be killed on the spot."

"Oh..."

"It's really hard to kill me though."

Reyna sighed. "Could you perhaps tell me the location where our weapons are?"

I closed my eyes, then opened them. "I can, however, you must swear not to send a quest to retrieve them. The time is not right yet. Also, it's completely suicidal without the right people handling it."

"Where?" Reyna asked worriedly.

"Alaska," I said. "The land beyond reach of the gods."

The praetor paled. For us Greeks, most of us don't know that Alaska is forbidden area for demigods, since we all live on the East coast, and unless we need to go to the Underworld for whatever reason, we leave, but otherwise, there's no point in going west. We also don't have a history with Alaska's land. However, the Romans lost pretty much their sanity, their best armaments, and their eagle in Alaska, and with the fact that even the gods refuse to go there, Alaska is just as much of a taboo as a Greek on Roman soil.

"You have my word," Reyna managed. "I won't send anyone there unless Jupiter himself requests it so."

"Good," I breathed. "Because that would suck."

"Now, onto more important matters," Reyna said. "Where would you like to be accommodated?"

"Don't you just usually assign recruits to cohorts through a ceremony?" I asked.

"We do," Reyna said. "However, you're a unique case. You've served three years already, making you a senior despite having come from another world. You also said you've served as praetor, which I assume came from finding the golden eagle?"

I nodded. "More or less."

"I would place you in the 1st cohort, or even have you join me as a returning praetor," Reyna said. "I don't believe you have any credentials with you though?"

I shook my head. "Look, don't worry too much about it. Zoe and I, we have our own living arrangements. We'll set up near the barracks or something. Or do you prefer a place where you can keep an eye on us?"

"That's not necessary," Reyna said. "Your arm is proof enough of your loyalty to the Romans. But please, leave it uncovered for a few days so that people are used to seeing you as one of us, and not a stranger. May I ask though, if your girlfriend is also a demigod?"

"She has a rather unique heritage that isn't usually discussed," I said. "But yes, generally speaking, she would be a demigod."

"I won't pry," Reyna waved her hand. "Just making sure, you know. And you, Perseus or Riptide or..."

"Just call me Percy," I said.

"Percy," Reyna said. "Don't ever say my full name in front of people ever again. GOT IT?!"

I backed up, suddenly reminded of Reyna's ferocity. "Uh, yah. Stay cool, stay cool."

We turned to leave before I remembered something. "Hey Reyna?"

"Yes?"

"Do you mind if we participate in tonight's war games?" I asked. "Zoe here has been itching to shoot something, and if I don't get her a target soon, she is going to start aiming her bow at me."

Reyna laughed into her hand. "Of course. I'd like to see both of your abilities in a fight anyways, and war games is a simple way to do so. Please do. Do you have a preference on who to side with?"

"Put us with the 5th cohort," I said. "Cause one, I don't want to be on the same side as Octavian, and two, the 5th is kinda my home group."

"Sure," Reyna nodded. "I'll take note of that. Make sure you visit Octavian before you go visit the rest of camp."

"Will do," I said in salute.

§§§§§

I bought Zoe and I espresso drinks and blueberry muffins. Zoe inhaled her muffin, then one half of mine, before sipping calmly on her coffee.

"Geez, if you were so hungry, you could've just asked," i chuckled.

"It wasn't appropriate before," Zoe said. "So, we have to go to this Octavian now?"

"Unfortunately," I said. "He's an ass, so try not to revert to your threatening-to-castrate mode."

We passed a bunch of kids in swimsuits and towels head into a building that had steam coming out of a row of chimneys. Laughter and watery sounds echoed from inside, kinda like it was an indoor pool. I sighed happily at the scent.

"What's that?" Zoe asked.

"Bath house," I replied. "One of the things the Romans do better at. You haven't lived life to the fullest yet until you've been in one of those. Those are literal heaven!"

"I bet you'd like me to go with you?" Zoe asked, almost flirtatiously, if I had to guess her tone.

"Uh, yes?" I said uncertainly. "Not like, in a perverted way or anything..."

"All you boys," Zoe snickered playfully. "You just want to see us in swimsuits."

"That's not true!" I said hotly. "Okay, maybe a little."

"Well, we've got plenty of time." Zoe said. "After today, maybe I'll think about it."

I sighed with anticipation.

As we approached the front gate, the barracks got bigger and nicer. Even the ghosts looked better – with fancier armor and shinier auras. Zoe peered at all the hanging banners.

"So, I suppose they aren't divided by godly parent?"

I shook my head. "You're right. The Romans live together by cohorts, each cohort amounting to about 40 kids and split up into barracks of ten. The Romans weren't big on putting you with kids that were born with the same parent; they preferred a system where troops could be trained and gain status based off of deeds or something. A lot of kids aren't even full half-bloods, like many of them are Legacies, or descendants of demigods that are now retired or something. I guess, kinda how like the Hunt doesn't care about your parentage."

"They're really organized too," Zoe said.

"Yah, that's another main difference." I said. "You'll see in war games that cohorts work best like a well-oiled machine. Compared to our solo freestyle chaotic Greek style of fighting, the Romans pretty much cave under what they would call "unorthodox" skills. Like, with a sword or spear, a Roman would stab while a Greek would slash. Romans are masters of defense, while Greeks are at offense."

"So do you know anyone's parentage here?" Zoe asked. "And why did you say that Neptune is treated like death?"

"Like how we worship the Greek versions of gods, the Romans worship the Roman side of them. So, Jupiter, or Zeus is the most important. In ancient history, if I remember correctly, Romans were so afraid of the sea, they didn't even have a navy, versus us Greeks, who excelled at naval warfare. In Rome, Jupiter, Juno, Apollo, and Mars are treated as high class gods, you know Mars for war, Apollo for prophecy and whatnot. As for parentages, Reyna's mother is Bellona, who doesn't have a Greek version. Bellona is like, the Roman goddess of war or strength, I think. This Octavian we are going to meet is a legacy of Apollo."

We were about to reach the main gates when a familiar voice interrupted us. "Wait!"

I turned, grinning. "Ah, Vitellius, is that you?"

"You know me?" The ghost was an old man with a medicine ball belly and toga so long kept tripping on it. He caught up to us and gasped for air, his purple aura flickering around him. "I don't seem to recognize you though."

"I'm a returning veteran," I said, showing him my arm. "Maybe you missed me or something."

"What about the beauty next to you?" The ghost asked.

I stared at Zoe, like 'just humor him.' "She's new."

"I don't know," the ghost grumbled. "Does she have all her teeth? Can she fight? Does she clean stables?""

"Yes, yes, and no," Zoe replied. "Percy, who exactly is this?"

"This is Vitellius." I introduced. "He's one of the Lares; takes an interest in new recruits."

On a nearby porch, other ghosts snickered as Vitellius paced back and forth, tripping over his toga and hiking up his sword belt.

"Yes," Vitellius said, "back in Caesar's day – that's Julius Caesar, mind you – the Fifth Cohort was something! Twelfth Legion Fulminata, pride of Rome! But these days? Disgraceful what we've come to."

"Hey, don't get your hopes down," I said. "The 5th cohort may suck now, but trust me, it'll redeem itself. You just gotta be patient."

The ghost laugh. "If you were the augur, I'd believe you more."

"Anyways, we have to go," I waved Vitellius off. "Maybe we'll have time to chat later."

We left the ghost behind, and after about ten steps, I sighed in relief. "Thank goodness it's over."

"He's a big... strange," Zoe agreed. "He called the legion though... Fulminata?"

"Armed with Lightning." I translated. "That's the Roman's motto. In fact, they were literally armed with lightning decades or centuries ago. Remember that empty pole in the prinicipia?"

"You're saying..."

"That pole used to hold an eagle, a golden one representing Ze-er Jupiter I mean," I said. "The 5th cohort was the most impressive back then, like Vitellius said, but during a prematurely led mission, the eagle was lost, as was most of the army's Imperial Gold weapons. That's why everyone thinks the 5th is a disgrace, and anyone in it is trash."

"Imperial Gold?"

"The Roman version of Celestial bronze. You'll notice all their weapons are gold. Does about the same thing. In fact, we probably have to use our normal gear tonight, because I dunno how the Romans are gonna react to soul sucking metals."

"Good point," Zoe said. "So..."

I smirked. "No bow tonight then!"

"NO!" Zoe yelled, eyes frantic. "You can't! You promised to let me shoot!"

I broke out into a fit of laughter. "Aww, you're so cute when you're pissed."

"PERSEUS! I SWEAR, IF YOU TAKE MY BOW TONIGHT..." She let the threat hang, melting when I pulled her into a tight hug.

"I'm gonna take your bow," I said. "What are you going to do about it?"

Zoe threw her head back. "Please don't." She pleaded.

I laughed. "Alright, alright, I did promise you. I won't take your bow tonight. You get a break from training."

"YES!" Zoe cheered, breaking out of my grip.

"Alright, let's keep going. If Reyna finds out that all we did was wander aimlessly in the streets before meeting Octavian, she's going to explode."

§§§§§

We followed the main road over the valley, seeing the city of New Rome below. Even from our distance, we could still see the chaos below, the kids running around the city streets, the people gathered in the streets, shoppers milling around an open-air market.

"There are even families here?" Zoe said.

"Yah," I said. "When you're accepted into the legion, you do ten years of service. After that, you can retire if you choose. Most kids go out into the mortal world, but you know, it's pretty dangerous out there even for grown demigods. So many stay here, in this Roman sanctuary. Unlike Camp Half Blood, you can stay here, go to college, get marries, have kids, and retire when you get old."

"Beginning to end all the way." Zoe said. "Is this where you went after you know, your service?" She gestured to my arm.

"Yah, pretty much." I said. "Went to college in New Rome after the Greeks and Romans made up, lived quite a decent college life. I didn't live exclusively here though, cause I was mostly out hunting."

"Would we stay here then, you know, in the future?"

I stared at her. "Seriously? Well, I mean, yah sure, if you want. I figured though, since you're a Hunter at heart, you'd prefer if we both were living in the wild all the time."

"You know me too well," Zoe chuckled. "No offense, but screw college. I went 2000 years of life without it, I'm going to continue that streak."

"I already did college," I said. "Hell no, I'm not doing it again."

I pointed south across the river. Dark clouds were gathering over Temple Hill. Red flashes of lightning washed the monuments in blood-colored light. "Octavian is busy," I said. "We'd better hurry."

We hurried across the river and towards the massive temple up front. "Jupiter really be getting all the jazz," I muttered. "Egotistic prick."

Thunder boomed. "Yah, yah I get it, you're awesome." I shouted into the sky. More thunder, though it sounded more like Zeus was laughing.

We entered the temple. The marble floors were etched with fancy mosaics and Latin inscriptions. Sixty feet above, the domed ceiling sparkled gold. The whole ceiling... what am I saying, there wasn't a ceiling. It was completely open to air. In the center stood a marble altar, where a kid in a toga was doing some sort of ritual in front of a massive gold statue of the big dude himself: Jupiter the sky god, dressed in silk XXXL purple toga, holding a...

I slapped my face. "Out of everything they messed up, they messed up the lightning bolt." I chuckled. "C'mon, who actually believes that the lightning god holds a thunderbolt that looks like a cartoon lightning bolt?"

"It doesn't look like that, right?" Zoe asked.

"I should know; I mean, I went on a freaking quest to retrieve the damn thing," I said.

The kid on the altar raised his hands. More red lightning flashed in the sky, shaking the temple. Then he put his hands down, and the rumbling stopped. The clouds turned gray to white, then broke apart. It might've been impressive, but I had seen much more cooler shows of power, namely by me.

The kid was tall and skinny, with straw-colored hair, oversized jeans, a baggy T-shirt, and a drooping toga. He looked like a scarecrow wearing a bedsheet. The kid had a crooked smile and a slightly crazy in his looks, like he'd just been playing an intense video game. In one hand he held a knife. In the other hand was a pulverized stuffed animal.

"This, Zoe, is Octavian." I introduced unenthusiastically.

"Ah, the graecus!" Octavian announced. "How interesting."

I raised an eyebrow. "Yes, well done, we're Greek."

"Technically, you'd be traitors on Roman soil, but I guess Reyna is being quite lenient nowadays."

"Traitors?" I said. "Really, how do fake this?" I bared my arm, showing my three lines of service.

"Huh," Octavian seemed lost for words once. He turned randomly, showing off his 7 lines of service.

"Doesn't matter, just read the augury," I said. "Can my friend join the legion?"

Octavian took another specimen in his hands, specifically and weirdly a Bargain Mart panda pillow toy. He took it and slashed it open, pouring its stuffing over the altar. He tossed the panda carcass aside, muttered a few words over the fluff, and turned with a big smile on his face. If I hadn't told Zoe about Octavian pulverizing stuffed animals, the poor girl would've bust out laughing.

"Good news!" Octavian said. "Your friend can join the legion. We'll assign you both a cohort at evening muster, assuming that you're a returning veteran. Tell Reyna that I approve."

"Sure," I said, grabbing Zoe's shoulders and turning her away. "Thanks Octavian."

I walked Zoe away before the legacy of Apollo could get in more words edgewise.

"He's sort of... like how you described him," Zoe said after we made quite a distance. "He's got eyes of a predator."

"Octavian," I began. "He's not the best fighter or warrior in the world. But he's a powerful speaker. In the Senate, he can control the court with one sentence alone. That's why Reyna prefers another warrior to become a praetor with her. Cause if Octavian becomes praetor, and he is aiming for it, Reyna will have no power pretty much."

"Is that why she asked you?"

"Yes. Reyna wants someone who's experienced in battle, and can judge and decide based on what a warrior has experienced. This way I suppose, our ideas would disagree less often, which makes overall decision making much easier. The past Reyna in my world did the very same, offering me the praetor position because of the fact that I was a seasoned warrior."

"So there are usually two praetors," Zoe said.

"Yes, it's just that Reyna prefers to choose her partner in arms, so to speak. And if she can avoid Octavian, she'll do it as long as she can."

"She's smart." Zoe said.

"Really, anyone's smart to not listen to Octavian," I said. "That kid is cruel, using his seniority and legacy over others to scare them into submission. Of all the most annoying demigods, Octavian is the one I hate most. Luckily... well, let's just say karma eventually catches up to him."

§§§§§

"Whoa," Zoe gasped.

"Whoa is right," I said, standing with her at the front with a few guards.

Even now, watching the legion assemble was one of the most satisfying views one could witness in Rome. The first four cohorts, each forty kids strong, stood in rows in front of their barracks on either side of the Via Praetoria. The 5th Cohort assembled at the very end, in front of the principia, since their barracks were tucked in the back corner of camp next to the stables and the latrines.

The campers were dressed for war. If you hadn't realized how much the Romans valued orderly neatness, you would now. Polished chainmail and greaves gleamed over purple T-shirts and jeans. Sword-and-skull designs decorated their helmets. Leather combat boots festooned with iron cleats for marching through mud or stomping on faces.

In front of the legionnaires, like a line of giant dominos, stood their red and gold shields, each the size of a refrigerator door. Every legionnaire carried a harpoonlike spear called a pilum, a gladius, a dagger, and about a hundred pounds of other equipment. If you were out of shape when you came to the legion, you wouldn't be staying for long. Trust me, if you want the easier load of armor and gear, go join us Greeks. Just walking around with the legion is a literal full-body workout.

"All that armor seems so unnecessary," Zoe said. "Wouldn't it be difficult to move quickly in that?"

"Different fighting style, remember?" I said. "Trust me, they may not be able to jump through trees like we can, but a group of these guys charging you is no laughing matter. It's like... a massive rhino charging you."

Reyna cantered back and forth in the air on her pegasus Scipio, nicknamed Skippy because he was the color of peanut butter. It was strange to see her not on Guido, her newly adopted pegasus after Scipio passed from their harrowing journey across the Atlantic to reach us in Rome.

The Lares were the last ones to fall in, the purple forms flickering as they jockeyed for places. They had an annoying habit of standing halfway inside living people, so that the ranks looked like a blurry photograph, but finally the centurions got them sorted out.

Octavian shouted, "Colors!"

The standard-bearers stepped forward, wearing lion-skin capes and holding poles decorated with each cohort's emblems. The last to present his standard was Jacob, the legion's eagle bearer. He held a long pole with absolutely nothing on top. The job was supposed to be a big honor, but Jacob obviously hated it. Zoe and I could feel the embarrassment rippling through the legion as the pole was raised.

Reyna brought her pegasus to a halt. "Romans!" She announced. "You've probably heard about the arrival of newcomers today. Two ambassadors from Neptune seek to join the legion. What do the auguries say?"

"I have read the entrails," Octavian announced, as if he'd killed a lion with his bare hands rather than ripping up a stuffed panda pillow. "The auguries are favorable. They are qualified to serve!"

The campers gave a shout: "Ave!" Hail!

"Recruits," Octavian stepped forward as the most senior centurion, followed by the rest of the senior officers. "Do you have credentials? Letter of reference?"

"No." I replied for Zoe.

Octavian didn't wrinkled his nose however. "Ah, but the auguries have also mentioned something else that might work in placement."

I raised an eyebrow and glanced sideways at Reyna. The praetor looked as confused as I was.

"Riptide, was it?" Octavian smirked, as if he were about to reveal a big secret. "I've read the auguries and the auguries don't lie. Not only are you a returning veteran of Rome after serving for three years, you've also been raised to the rank of a praetor!"

I smirked back. "That's right. Question is, how exactly does that place me anywhere?"

"Only leaders with such great backgrounds deserve to join the first," Octavian invited. "Don't you agree Reyna? However, your friend has no credentials."

I closed my eyes, trying not to punch Octavian across his stupid stupid face. "I will stand for my friend, even if you don't see me as a full member of this legion yet. That being said, I hope no one would feel offended if I requested to join the 5th?"

Octavian's face of surprise almost broke my serious face. "You... but you're so prestigious!"

Reyna coughed to bring order back to the legion. "Very well. Dakota, does your cohort accept the new recruits?"

Unlike my previous initiation, the cohorts seemed to be holding their breath. Because after Octavian had revealed my "history," many of them were suddenly eager to have a "praetor" in their ranks.

Dakota and Gwen pounded their shields into the ground, followed by the rest of the cohort. Their sideways glances were a mix between here-we-go-again and hopefully-this-will-be-good. "My cohort has spoken," Dakota said. "We accept the recruits."

Reyna glanced at us. "Congratulations Riptide and Nightshade. Only Nightshade will stand on probatio. You will be given a tablet with your name and cohort. In one year's time, or as soon as you complete an act of valor, you will become a full member of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata. Serve Rome, obey the rules of the legion, and defend the camp with honor. Senatus Populusque Romanus!"

The rest of the legion echoed the cheer.

Reyna wheeled her pegasus around. "Centurions, you and your troops have one hour for dinner." She said. "Then we will meet on the Field of Mars. The First and Second cohorts will defend. The Third, Fourth, and Fifth will attack. Good fortune!"

A bigger cheer went up: for both the war games and dinner. The cohorts broke ranks and ran for the mess hall.

Soon, Zoe and I were the only ones left on the field. Reyna flew over to join us moments later.

"Well, how do you say it? I'm officially whelmed?" Zoe said.

"Yup, more or less," I laughed. "The legion can have that effect on you."

"Sorry about the revealing of your praetorship," Reyna breathed, looking annoyed. "Octavian..."

I calmed the girl down. "Hey, Rey, it's alright. Octavian is Octavian. Honestly, I wasn't too surprised."

"Well, maybe you can take me up on my offer then?" Reyna asked hopefully. "I really, really don't want Octavian on the council."

I grinned warmly at her. "Hey, don't worry. If this world's anything like my world, you've already got someone you work well with. Any blonde blue-eyed demigods you interested in?"

Reyna blushed. "WHAT?! You know about that too?"

"I honestly hope you get along together earlier," I said. "Better he remember you so that when he loses you, he'll come back."

Reyna spun her dagger nervously in her hands. "You must now my plight with love then?"

I nodded. "Unfortunately. I hope though, you won't suffer from that prediction. As we know, Venus isn't exactly the nicest goddess."

The praetor sighed. "The praetorship position is always open for you, Perseus. Please let me know if you would like it. And..." She paused, then shook off whatever she wanted to say originally. "Prepare for tonight's war games. I hope dinner is on par with your tastes." Then she flew off.

"What did she mean by plight with love?" Zoe asked. We turned off the fields and began heading to the mess hall.

"Years ago," I said. "Reyna got a message from Venus. The goddess of love told Reyna that "no demigod would heal her heart, and she will not find love where she wished or hoped."

Zoe winced. "Before, I might've believed that was good for a girl, but that comes from a huntress' point of view. Now, for someone who seeks love, that's a painful message to hear."

"You're learning, that's good," I said. "But yes, in fact, I was one of those demigods referenced in that curse. At the time, I was dating Annabeth, and because I would never betray my girlfriend, I had to turn Reyna down, both for love and the power of offered praetorship. As for the boy I mentioned with blonde hair and blue eyes, his destiny lay with someone else completely, and so even my warning might've just laid false hope for the poor girl."

"And this is why we in the Hunt avoid love," Zoe said. "It's too complicated."

"You don't seem to be so disagreeable with it," I chuckled, bringing Zoe to the side on an empty street. I lowered my head. "Even if it's complicated."

"Percy," Zoe breathed. Our lips connected, and I kissed my huntress between the quaint red-roofed buildings of the Roman city. "In fact, you've shown me sides of love I never thought possible."

"I told you it ain't all bad." I chuckled.

The girl blushed. "I'm learning alright?"

"You are, you are." I agreed. "Now, even though I'd love to kiss you until the next sunrise, I think that tonight's war games are going to be more exciting."

"Yes, let's hurry and go eat," Zoe said. "Though... I wouldn't mind kissing you till the next sunrise." She darted off before I could say anything else.

"Zoe!" I yelled, chasing her. "Wanna say that again?"

The girl turned and stuck her tongue out playfully. "Nope! Now quit dawdling. I'm this close to using your crotch as a target."

§§§§§

The mess hall was just as I remembered: warm and chaotic. Invisible wind spirits – aurae – waited on the campers and seemed to know exactly what everyone wanted. They blew plates and cups around so quickly, the mess hall looked like a delicious hurricane. If you got up too fast, you were likely to get beamed by beans or potted by a pot roast.

Zoe was nibbling on a venison steak, her cheeks pink. When I caught up to her, I kissed her on the cheek one last time before entering the mess hall. Even though we've gotten to various degrees of intimacy plenty of times already, the cute girl still turned pink every time I kissed her near a public space.

I had gotten my usual: a cheeseburger New York style and an aggressively vibrant shade of blue soda. People looked at me a bit strangely, but that's cause they don't understand the true amazingness of blue foods.

"What is it with you and blue food, I never understand," Zoe giggled.

"Shut up, princess," I drank a sip. "I have my quirks, you have yours. Like who insists on having a designated set of pajamas that doesn't look exactly like their normal huntress uniform? Literally, just wear like, shorts and T-shirt."

Zoe punched me in the shoulder. "I told you already! THEY ARE DIFFERENT!"

"Really?" I rolled my eyes. "I could've sworn that they looked exactly the same. Besides the fact that it's a one piece robe pretty much. You ever realize what you're doing when you bend over to pick something up? It's like a free show."

"Percy!" Zoe tunneled her red face into my chest. "Stop teasing!"

"It's true!" I laughed. "Now get off, I'm trying to eat!"

"Hmph," Zoe huffed, returning to her seat. "No kisses tonight."

"Like you can resist me?" I wiggled my eyebrows, getting a slap in the face.

"Never do that again!" Zoe said.

I rubbed my cheek. "Okay, sorry, that was over the line."

"You know it."

We continued to eat, finishing our meal just as a horn blew at the end of the hall. "The games begin!" Reyna announced. The campers cheered and rushed to collect their equipment from the stacks along the wall.

"So, we're the attacking team, right?" Zoe's eyes glowed dangerously as she thumbed her bow.

"Well yes," I said.

The girl chuckled evilly. "Let's give these Romans a taste of how the Hunt's lieutenant is going to kick their asses."

"You're sadistic, you know that?" I said.

Zoe laughed. "You've kept me from shooting idiot demigods at Camp Half Blood. Surely, a couple arrogant Romans won't be off limits right?"

I sighed in exasperation. "I can't believe I'm saying this... Go crazy, but don't kill them for Artemis' sake."

"No promises," Zoe said gleefully.

§§§§§

We headed towards the field, following the legionnaires down to the Field of Mars. The 5th Cohort formed two lines behind their centurions, Dakota and Gwen. They marched north, skirting the edge of the city, and headed to the Field of Mars – the largest, flattest part of the valley. The grass was cropped short by all the unicorns, bulls, and homeless fauns that grazed here. The earth was pitted with explosion craters and scarred with trenches from past games.

At the north end of the field stood our target. The engineers had built a stone fortress with an iron portcullis, guard towers, scorpion ballistae, water cannons, and no doubt many other nasty surprises for the defenders to use.

"They did a good job today," I noted. "Then again, the Romans usually never fail at building forts."

"Wait," Zoe said. "You're telling me that they built that thing today?"

I grinned. "Legionnaires are trained to build. If they had to, they'd be able to break down the entire camp and rebuild it somewhere else. Take maybe three or four days, but it's possible."

"So, do we attack this thing every day?"

"No. The Romans have several different training exercises, or war games." I explained. "Sometimes deathball – I think you'll like this – which is basically paintball except with fireballs, poison balls, and acid balls. Sometimes chariot and gladiator competitions. And sometimes war games, like tonight."

I pointed at the fort. "It's like Capture-the-Flag, which you and I are pretty damn good at. Inside that base are banners. Our job is to get inside and capture them without getting slaughtered. We do that, we win."

Zoe rolled her eyes. "Is this seriously a challenge?"

I laughed. "For us solo fighters who are used to reaching the top against all odds, it might seem easier to us because we don't have to stick to a group. I think tonight, the 1st and 2nd cohorts are gonna have to actually try."

"They usually don't?"

"Well, you know how the 5th is the most disgraced cohort? You'll see what happens."

We joined the ranks of the 5th cohort, keeping in step with them despite Zoe's obvious distaste in doing so. Zoe was armed with her usual Hunter gear, her tailored silver bow and quiver of definitely-regulation-standard arrows and her twin silver daggers on her belt. I stood wearing normal combat armor, deciding to store away my Tiber gear entirely. I stood weaponless, drawing confused looks around me.

"Um, you realize you need weapons to fight right?" One of the legionnaires gestured.

I smirked, sticking my hands out as I collected water from the air that solidified into a set of dual wield katanas. "Don't worry, I've got plenty of weapons on hand." As I spoke, the katanas morphed together until I was holding a massive water longbow, like the golden one that Apollo wielded.

"What the heck?" The kids near me said.

Even Dakota and Gwen, both senior officers of Rome, looked surprised as they returned from war game discussion with the other cohorts. "That degree of elemental control is unfathomable," Dakota managed, chugging his spare thermos of Kool-aid. "I've never seen anything like it." He cleared his throat and turned to the rest of the group.

"All right, here's the plan!" Dakota took another swig of his flask. "They're throwing us at the walls first to soften up the defenses."

The whole cohort groaned.

"I know, I know," Gwen said. "But maybe this time we'll have some luck!"

"First line with Dakota," Gwen said. "Lock shields and advance in turtle formation to the main gates. Try and stay in one piece. Draw their fire. Second line–" Gwen turned to the back without much enthusiasm. "You seventeen, from Bobby over, take charge of the elephant and the scaling ladders. Try a flanking attack on the western wall. Maybe we can spread the defenses too thin."

I stepped forward. "That's all good, however, we need a third team, a small group that can sneak onto the battlements and create a scene of confusion."

"Why?"

I smirked. "I'm sure you all know, the war games usually deteriorate to beat up the 5th. That means that the 3rd and 4th sure as hell aren't going to help us, and the 1st and 2nd are going to be lax in their defenses. Everyone is going to expect you to try a double headed assault, with half trying to draw fire and the other attempting a breach. They won't be expecting a third team working behind the scenes, because they will be expecting you all to look weak."

"So what's your plan?" Dakota looked excited. "Who's on this third team?"

"First, does anyone here have wind or flying abilities?" I asked purposely, searching for a familiar face.

"Me." A familiar voice replied, stepping forward. It belonged to a boy much younger than I remembered, but that scar on his lip told me exactly who he was. "I'm Jason Grace, a son of Jupiter."

"Nice," I said. "Dakota, you still lead your half in turtle formation. Draw their fire, keep the 3rd and 4th's attention on laughing at you guys. Cruel, I know, but they won't be laughing when the 5th wins this game. You seventeen, pretend to attack, just enough to capture the defenders' attention, but don't actually get hit. Me, Nightshade, and Jason, we're going to teleport right into their ranks and throw up confusion. When you see the signal, you guys attack. Then Dakota, your group brings the rest. We'll bring down the inside easily. I doubt that they are even guarding the inside walls."

The cohort laughed. "We have a chance for once," Gwen said. "Let's do it then. Though, what do you mean by teleport?"

I chuckled. "Oh, I can vaporize myself at will."

Jason paled. "Say what now?"

"Don't worry too much about it." I said. "Now, let the real games begin!"

When the horns blew to signal the start of the game, I brought Zoe and Jason to the side, hiding behind a trench, waiting for the right time. The ground shook as we heard the thrum of cannons firing, scorpion bolts exploding as the defenders opened fire on the 5th. Kids shouted and Hannibal the elephant bellowed with glee.

"It's a shame that the legion acts so petty," I said.

"It's unfortunate," Jason agreed. "The 5th really doesn't deserve all the hate and disgrace people give us, just because of a failed mission most of us weren't even part of."

"So they just sit there and watch their teammates get bullied?" Zoe asked, gesturing at the 3rd and 4th cohorts.

"Not in real battle," Jason said. "But in war games, yes. Everyone teams up to bully the 5th, no matter what side they're on."

"For a group of demigods who value teamwork," Zoe said. "This behavior is very disappointing."

I peered up. "Okay, it seems that our defenders have been completely duped. It's our turn. Hold on tight Jason, this might feel weird."

"Uh–" was all he got to say before I grabbed him and Zoe by the shoulders, dematerializing into water molecules before rematerializing inside the stone fortress. Jason took two glances at his surroundings before he retched, throwing up in an empty barrel caused more likely by confusion than actual nausea. He wiped his mouth on a 1st Cohort banner. "Ugh, that was… quite an experience."

"Are you ready to beat up some kids off their high horse?" I smirked.

Jason drew his gladius, and Zoe her bow. "Yes lets!" We charged upstairs, eyes glowing like hungry predators. The Romans wouldn't know what hit them.

§§§§§

The battle was mayhem. When we broke through the top, the defenders spun around, unable to react properly before Jason flung them off the ramparts, controlling the wind to toss them like ragdolls off the walls. The eagles in the air snatched up the flying defenders, and at Jason's speed of tossing, were gaining quite a workout. The defenders who managed to stay on their feet received a blast of water in their faces, as I took the liberty to cause every single water cannon down the line to explode. Zoe began shooting a mix between tripwires, fart arrows, and normal blunt arrows at the flailing legionnaires, who lost all cognitive ability to fight properly under the sheer novelty of losing.

The only demigod any Roman could fight against properly was Jason, because he had been versed in similar tactics. Anybody else that came up against Zoe or me were easily thrashed aside. Zoe hunted each Roman onto their knees, laughing sadistically as she twisted their ankles every which way, tripping them off walls and turning their weight against them, or choking them in clouds of disgusting Febreze. I joined the fray, whirling like a hurricane with my dual katana constructs, slashing every offending piece of armor I saw, causing mass panic throughout the ranks. After taking down all of the top defenders, I shot a massive ball of water into the sky that spelled out the words, "COME KICK ASS, 5TH COHORT!" which caused the rest of the 5th to charge forward, undeterred by cannon shots and screaming for blood.

The rest of the game was absolute chaos. The 5th cohort absolutely decimated the 2nd and 1st, the pent up excitement collected from weeks and months of losses unleashed all at once like a deathly tsunami, not a single legionnaire giving mercy to the cohorts who mocked and laughed at them all day. Zoe put a stop to any officer who opened their mouth to shout a command, confusing them with flash-bang arrows before summoning a mace construct and slamming it into their stomachs or crotches to knock them out. For Octavian specifically, she slammed him on the back of his head, then his stomach, and finally his crotch for good measure. He had already collapsed like a sock puppet after the headshot, but I think Zoe didn't think that was enough.

For once, the entire 5th cohort appeared to be having fun. Dakota shouted with glee as he broke his pilum over a legionnaire's head. Gwen and three others clobbered five 2nd cohort members to the ground. Hannibal the elephant happily trampled confused legionnaires against the walls. Jason led a group of ten kids towards the center room, plowing down literally anything and anyone that got in their way.

Just as I guessed, the inner keep was virtually unguarded. Obviously, the defenders never imagined that an assault would get this far. Hannibal busted down the large doors. Inside, the 1st and 2nd Cohort standard-bearers had been playing Mythomagic, their emblems propped carelessly against one wall. They stood up fast in surprise as we charged in, unable to arm themselves before Jason and his team steamrolled their pilums and gladiuses into them, throwing them and the cards into the air. The rest of the cohort roared in, disarming the rest and grabbing the emblems.

The 5th cohort marched out of the fort, triumphant. The enemy colors were raised high above Hannibal, the grins of victory plastered permanently on the entire cohort's worth of legionnaires' faces. Together, we paraded the fort, past stunned enemies and lines of equally mystified allies.

Reyna circled overhead on her pegasus. "The game is won!" She sounded as if she were trying hard not to laugh. "Assemble for honors!"

Slowly, the campers regrouped on the Field of Mars. I saw plenty of injuries – some burns, broken bones, black eyes, cuts and gashes, lots of interesting hairdos from fires and exploded water cannons, and many kids holding their stomachs and retching. "Uh, Zoe, don't you think you went a bit overboard?"

Zoe smirked. "Boys… too weak even when Roman."

"You hit them in the stomach and crotch with a fucking mace!" I said indignantly. "Anybody, literally anybody, hit like that would look like those guys over there."

Zoe giggled. "Who was the one who stopped me from letting loose a few days prior?"

"..."

"That's right," Zoe said. "You are responsible for all this pent up energy. So you better deal with it."

"..." I was speechless.

"WOOOOO!" Dakota grinned like a madman, waving the emblems everywhere. In fact, he wasn't the only one. The 5th cohort lost all poise and polite manner, cheering as they good-naturedly made fun of the 1st and 2nd cohorts. "That was awesome!" The Kool-aid high demigod shouted.

"Where's like, half of the first two cohorts?" Reyna asked.

"Uh, most of them are unconscious." One legionnaire said, dragging one said unconscious legionnaire by the feet. "They got bruises on their heads and stomachs, and their crotches too."

I eyed Zoe sternly, who looked away shamelessly, putting on an innocent face like who did what now?

"At least it's nothing serious," Reyna sighed. "Congratulations on the 5th Cohort, for breaching the enemy's defenses successfully in the game!"

"How'd they even get in?!" grumbled one of the senior centurions. "I swear they came up from behind us!"

Jason snickered. "That's a secret only 5th cohort members get to know."

"Normally I'd go sleep our defeat off," Dakota said. "But now?" He chugged the rest of his Kool-aid, staining his lips redder than ever. "I'm in the mood to celebrate, baby! WOOOOOOO!"

I pulled the cheering centurion aside. "Has Jason gotten the Mural Crown yet?"

"Uh, no."

"Next Senate meeting or whatever you guys do, get dat boi his crown. He attacked the defenders first, yeeting them off into the air."

"Huh, sure."

As the rest of the 5th trampled off to tell the amazing tales of them bashing some poor soul's head in, Reyna flew down to us, her face serious yet light at the same time. "Riptide, do you mind joining me for a small talk?"

I nodded. "Zoe?"

"Of course," the huntress replied, strapping her bow behind her.

"Where are we meeting?" I asked Reyna.

The girl leaned down close to my ear. "My praetor house. Hopefully you know where that is."

I blinked. "Uh yah. Why don't you lead?"

It was her turn to blink silently. "You can fly too?"

"More or less," I shrugged. "Though I wonder…" I put my fingers to my mouth and gave my best New York taxicab whistle. FWEEEEEEEE!

Moments later, a black blur shot from the sky and landed impressively in front of me, tossing his mane around. Sup Boss' Bro.

I glanced at the pegasus. Really? Boss' Bro?

The flying horse neighed proudly. Yah. You're my Boss' Bro, so that's what I'm calling you.

I smacked my forehead. "Reyna, allow me to introduce to you my steed, Blackjack. Blackjack, Scipio and Reyna. Scipio and Reyna, Blackjack."

Scipio and Blackjack exchanged greetings as Zoe and I got on Blackjack's back. "Let's go."

The two pegasi kicked off into the sky, leaving the Field of Mars behind.

§§§§§

"Explain to me in exact detail," Reyna said, kicking her armor aside to lay on her bed, so freaking casually that I actually stared at her in shock for so long that Zoe started to think I was getting ideas in my head. "How powerful are you really?"

I held up a hand. "First off, that's the second time in my life I've seen you remove your armor. And trust me, seeing you without it the second time is no less strange than the first."

The girls' reactions were quite different. Reyna herself asked, "Only twice?" and Zoe: "What was she doing the first time?"

I shook my head. "Rey, you might be one of the strictest Romans I know. Like, you wear armor every freaking where you go. And the first time she took it off was because she had a long journey, and during said journey her armor got kinda wrecked, so we had to take it off to get it repaired."

"Back to my question," Reyna said, rubbing Argentum on the head. "Exactly how strong are you?"

I summoned a blob of water from nowhere and changed it into multiple different shaped constructs quickly, from a car engine, to a broadsword, to the barrel of a laser cannon. "I'm pretty adept at hydrokinetic control." I began. "I can pretty much make any form or shape with water molecules at will. I can also control fluids with water in them, like blood or poison."

"And Zoe?" Reyna gestured.

"She's a natural born hunter," I said, smiling. "Give this girl a bow and that's pretty much all she'll ever need."

"You both fight with very unorthodox styles," Reyna said. "Am I right to assume that you weren't raised in a Roman encampment?"

"You're right," I nodded. "I'm assuming you're making this conclusion from your past experience with Atalanta and Annabeth?"

Reyna growled. "They torched me and my sister's home!" She blinked, then stared at me. "Hang on, you would've done the same!"

I laughed nervously. "And here, I'll formally apologize in Atalanta's stead for burning down Circe's island and releasing the pirates. But to be fair, I got turned into a guinea pig!"

"You deserved it." Reyna snickered.

"What's this about a guinea pig?" Zoe asked, smirking.

"Oh no," I groaned as Reyna began retelling my girlfriend the story.

"Maybe I'll make Art– Milady do that to you someday," Zoe cut herself off, remembering not to use Greek terminology. "From what Reyna says, you must've made a cute guinea pig."

"Shut up," I rolled my eyes.

The girls exchanged evil giggles.

"Oh yah, Reyna, why don't you ever stand up for the 5th?" I asked. "Isn't a praetor's job to make sure that the entire legion is working at full capacity at all times?"

Reyna's face darkened. "It really isn't that easy. Usually when we have two praetors, one can ref, while the other joins the match, but there's only me, so I always ref. And plus, it's difficult to get the 3rd and 4th to both help the 5th."

I shook my head, disappointed. "I can help you with the praetor problem, temporarily. But we need to persuade the legion somehow that regardless of how disgraced they believe a group of people to be, war should set aside these beliefs. Look at today! The 3rd and 4th sat back and watched, observed my ass, instead of aiding their 5th cohort teammates. Without me teleporting Zoe and Jason into the base, war games would've deteriorated into another "Beat up the 5th" session."

"And also, I believe that you shouldn't put the 1st and 2nd together. You know what they're doing there? Instead of putting up patrols and guards and defenses, those guys were playing Mythomagic! A card game! During a fucking war game exercise! What is that?" I exclaimed. "Shameless little fucks!"

Reyna looked between laughing and crying in despair. "So what do you figure?"

I thought for a while. "Reyna, why don't we test the strength of your legion?"

"Sorry?"

I smirked. "A new training exercise. War games, but it's not split between cohorts."

Reyna blinked, then slowly widened her eyes. "No way… you can't be serious."

I chuckled. "You and your legion versus Zoe and I alone. If you can beat us, then your legion is well practiced, well-trained, and understands the mechanics of working as one. If you can't… then you have room for improvement."

The praetor gaped at me, putting Zoe into a muffled state of giggles. "Impossible. The whole legion against only you two? We'll crush you, no offense!"

I smirked, summoning one of my water construct Tiber metal enhanced water AIs. It appeared in the room, fully armored and armed in the usual Roman style.

"You're kidding," Reyna gazed, appalled and in awe simultaneously. "No." She stared back at me, then whipped her head back at the AI.

"An android controlled completely by me, subconsciously at least." I explained. "Not only can it fight like a Roman, it can fight like a Roman in any position, with any weapon. It also knows other types of fighting skills, including unorthodox Greek, ancient Japanese, guerilla tactics, tribal warfare, and brutal Indian assassination skills. Of course, much of those skills won't be used in training, as most would kill you if you've never learned to defend against them before."

"And I suppose you'll have an army of these?"

"Correct!"

"Shit." Reyna summed up. "Okay, I'll admit it. Now, I see how you would stand a chance."

"The true purpose is to get the legion to work smarter together to defeat the enemy, not harder necessarily." I said. "If the 3rd and 4th hadn't been sitting on their podex and making fun of the 5th, three cohorts working together could've easily breached the fort, since there were only defenders on the walls. Every member of the legion is important, no matter who they are, who their family were, or what background they have. Octavian may have ten tons of metal on his chest in full armor, but he lost to an archer in less than three seconds," I continued, gesturing to Zoe. "More proof, that even 7 years of service is nothing if all you do is sit in the legion with nothing but status."

Reyna nodded in agreement. "If only more of the legion had such respect and responsibility for said legion like you, Perseus."

"They don't yet," I said. "But we'll train it into their fucking skulls until they get it. Each warrior should be completely trustworthy in a Roman army. They aren't right now, because I'd rather be forced to clean stables for a whole day than trust Octavian or any of the 1st cohort for even a second."

The praetor twirled a lock of hair nervously. "So when do we implement this new training regime?"

I laughed evilly, rubbing my hands together. "Oh my dear praetor, when you ask? How about hmmm… tomorrow?"

Reyna sighed. "Okay then." She sounded sad, not depressing-like, but more like we're-so-going-to-get-wrecked sad.

"Hehehe," I chuckled. "Tomorrow night is gonna be epic!"

A/N: That is the longest chapter I've ever written for this series so far. I'm sure you all will understand why it took like, 6 days. (Lol 12,976 without the A/N)

So for the few of you that actually notice grammatical mistakes, I made sure to double check this time for any, and there shouldn't be any, but if there are, well... it's sort of hard to go back and change them after reading through the damn thing several times already.

For all you Perzoe readers and shippers, this chapter was full of it, so I hoped you greatly enjoyed, and there will be more Perzoe moments coming, I promise. Pertemis readers, that ship is still in the boat docks, getting slowly constructed, so y'all won't really see that ship coming until late in Part I and more so in Part II. Sorry, but that's how I planned this series to go in terms of romantic / intimate character relationships.

Longer chapters and longer days wait will most likely come from these chapter where I have to come up with more of the story line myself, so while I apologize for the wait, I also must insist that your patience won't be wasted, and that I'll have a quality chapter delivered to you at the very end. So, really, thank you for not asking me about chapter updates and simply waiting patiently.

That's pretty much all I have to say about this. Post comments about your thoughts, whatever, what you enjoyed or would like to see, questions or whatnot and I'll see you guys next chapter.

Peace out, you legends!

~ Zayden Shade