DISCLAIMER: All the characters except the OC's, belong to Rick Riordan.


Chapter 7: I—We Greek are not Alone.

"Oh, I dunno, I don't want to be a pain.." Percy tried to refuse without his real intentions surfacing on his face.

The MMA studio he had joined was going to participate in the Inter-state competition in the summer. Most of the participants from the studio are aiming for the championship and to advance their rankings. It's a three-week on-site tournament in Phoenix, Arizona and all the participant's boarding was taken care of by the management.

Though he and Piper were younger than most of the people at the studio in the youth category, they were one of the best there was in close-combat events. It goes without saying about the popularity too.

The trainers and participants had invited them both to watch the tournament once they politely turned down the offer to participate in the youth division. Piper absconded at the first chance she got and left him to fend off alone.

That little shrew!

Some of the participants urged him to go along with them while some even threatened to beat him to a bloody pulp if he skipped the tourney.

So here he was, aboard a plane to Phoenix, with the other members from the studio, wondering how he got caught up in such a situation. He felt unnatural and queasy being in the sky for such a long time. He'd long ago decided to travel in the sky only because it was the fastest way and only when he had no choice or for emergencies. He had remained tense until they touched down in the Phoenix Sky Harbor International airport.

I don't belong in the sky.

The only reason he accompanied his seniors was to have an eye-opener watching the adult combat moves in close quarters. Though the tournament is mostly a competitive demonstration of skill and conservation, he had to bite the bullet and come along with the others. His mom shared the same sentiment.

"Brat, if you don't come along, we'll make your time at the you-know-what, a memorable one. You can kiss your peace goodbye." that was the only response he got for his rejection after Piper bailed out on him. They totally disregarded the fact they were acting like school bullies, despite being adults. So he had been forced to grovel and beg his mom to let him leave with the others. The only reason his mom had agreed to let him go was to surround him with as many mortals as he can.

After checking in at the hotel, Percy went for a walk before the actual tournament begins. He felt slightly claustrophobic to be stuffed in a room after his time on a plane. He had lived his entire life in New York and never had the chance to visit other places, much less semi-arid regions like Arizona. He searched the suburbs for something interesting and collapsed on a bench at a nearby park due to the heat.

"This heat is going to be the death of me!" he muttered.

While he was relaxing and considering whether to continue his walk or return for the day, an aura storm broke out from the woods behind the park. It was the resulting flashes and auras amidst a fierce battle. He made a quick decision and approached the location to watch the scout situation.

He sensed a couple of monsters one klick away, chasing after someone. He was almost certain the prey to be a demigod and dashed after them. He darted between the trees, crawled up one and reduced his breathing to hide his position and presence, and coldly watched the drama unfold before him.

A group of five snake-woman surrounded a wounded female teenager, about fourteen or fifteen years old. She was badly scratched up with a limp in her steps. There was a sword, glistening in golden lights and a short dagger in her hands.

Percy observed the terrain for a while and came to a few conclusions. The parties involved must've come across at the edge of the park. With the hunter lineup, they wouldn't have to fight so hard to deal with a lone godling. That confirms the Dracaena had planned to chase and tire her out. The prey—the young demigod—would never want to get into a tough fight with the enemy lineup and so she took advantage of a strike to escape.

The aura-storm and shockwaves during their first clash had been minimal, asserting his conclusion. Both parties tried to restrain their strength to avoid losses. But the resulting shockwave were a few notches higher during the second clash. It means their fight had escalated to a life and death match, which the exhausted prey couldn't match up to. If she had the capability, she wouldn't even try to escape.

"This is a death-bed struggle," he concluded. The lone demigod was tired, injured, and outnumbered. There was no way for her to escape alive unless a miracle happens. She had tried to save her strength for a breakthrough, which landed her in her current predicament.

Why did she act like a dunce and lure the semi-reptiles into the wild, where they can gang up on her?

"The battle seems to have reached its conclusion," he observed from the tree. The best course of action would be to surprise them once they finish off their prey and grow complacent. Common sense told him that he should wait for his opportunity. But...

There was a touch of despair and sorrow in the girl's eyes. Her lips trembled and her body bled further. Watching her fiercely struggle to survive softened his heart, a bit.

"I'm going to regret this.." he muttered before flying like a wind among the trees, approaching them cautiously.

Just as he positioned himself for a surprise, one of the Dracaena grew impatient and lunged at the demigod with her claws wide. Coincidentally, she was just in Percy's range of attack.

Percy drew out hurricane and jumped down, just to fall behind the monster in question, and sliced her back—scalp to tail—with his sword. The female-demon blew into yellow dust before she had the chance to shriek.

He hefted his sword on his shoulders, showing a lackadaisical attitude. "You know, five on one isn't fair, right? Let's make this a little more balanced." there was an obvious disdain in his tone.

Unlike monsters with zero brain capacity, taunts and trash-talk work like wonder on monsters that retained their rational thinking. They think highly of themselves and never let humiliation go.

Two from the company split to deal with him, while the other two approached the wounded girl. He internally cursed the demigod once again for luring the snake-women into a forest where reptiles stand to be at an advantage.

He needed to be faster to immobilize their agile movements and deal with them as quickly as possible before the situation gets out of hand. He's still in the dark regarding the girl's background.

He observed the tall trees that surrounded them and a quick plan fell into place in his mind. Quick as lightning, he darted out of their sight and used the trees as catapults to propel him to attack the monsters from all directions.

Duck, parry, and slash.

He became a pinball amidst the trees and made the monster his end target. The longer range of his weapon dealt a final blow to Dracaena No.1. She collapsed like a sandcastle on a beach.

One down, one more to go.

"You will pay for that, you meddlesome demigod." The second one hissed but remained cautious. Nothing he could do but attack head-on. The more he delayed the more the situation might turn ugly. He took care of her quickly with a few feints and surprise attacks and watched the other battle.

He had already involved himself in a strange case of a fight and was not going to do the charity work for the girl and clean up the remaining ones too.

She blocked the claws with the golden sword before stabbing her dagger into the reptilian torso. She handled herself well, for an injured one, that is. But collapsed on the ground, panting, once the last Dracaena fled in panic.

He heaved a sigh and chased after the last one to tie all the loose ends. Since he decided to act on it, the snake-woman had no choice but to return to Tartarus. He returned and observed the teenager in annoyance. Whatever favorable impression she had gained, completely lost when she let the snake-woman slip away. She has been cleaning her wounds with nectar from her pouch, watching him from the corner of her eyes.

The girl was taller than him, with chestnut brown hair and hazel eyes. There were claw marks all over her but she wasn't in any immediate danger. The more he looked at her, the more he felt an odd annoyance and irritation flare up inside him. It got nothing to do with the her lack of sense or her way of doing things.

It was deep within his conscience, a voice whispering to him to raise his blade against her. If he had listened to it any more than necessary, he might have committed a serious crime. He took a deep breath to steady his thoughts and waited for her to clean up.

She wiped off the yellow dust from her clothes and walked up to him—with a little limp—and observed him. Her eyes were all over him curiously. "Thank you for the help. I was caught off-guard and outnumbered. I'd be in serious trouble if not for you." though she expressed her gratitude with a slight bow, her eyes were wary.

"I'm Gwendolyn Davis, daughter of Ceres." she introduced herself. Percy searched the list of known gods but came up blank.

"Ceres?" he asked in a bland tone. He still hasn't figured out the faint animosity he felt towards her. He doubted she could plan and arrange everything to trap him this elaborately. No one knew which route he had taken from the hotel and no one knew about his visit to Phoenix either.

Gwen looked surprised before standing a little straight. "Ceres, The goddess of agriculture, harvest, grains..." she frowned when no recognition flashed past his eyes.

"Isn't Demeter the goddess of Agriculture and everything you mentioned?" he kept his face stoic and expressionless, but waves surged within his heart.

"Oh, Demeter was the goddess of Agriculture before she faded away when Rome took over Greece, remember," she said like it was given.

Percy remained silent but his thoughts were all over the place. He tried to remember everything so far... her features, her fighting style, the weapons. He glanced at the sword, made of different metal, and then about her fighting style which leaned more towards stabbing and piercing.

He was so lost in thought that he forgot he has audience in the middle of the woods. He snapped out of it when Gwen waved her hands before him.

"You okay? What happened?" she asked with mild concern.

"Nothing. I was trying to remember everything about...Ceres." he shook his head.

"I see. You're so young but far more skilled than I am. Bet you're popular at camp. Which cohort do you belong to?" she asked excitedly.

Percy wanted to cry but had no tears to shed. It looks like they weren't even on the same page for one freaking thing.

"I'm not from the camp." he kept his responses to a minimum. For some unknown reason, he felt wary of her.

Before she could continue her questions, he gestured for a time-out. "Mind if we take this somewhere else. We're still not in the clear." he glanced around. Gwen agreed and they quietly slipped off from the forest and settled under a tree shade at the park.

While moving away from the forest, he replayed the conversation he has had with Elaine after his trip from Rome last summer. The roman gods had piqued his interest and he tried to learn more about them. Unfortunately, he couldn't find much from her.

"The Roman religion was based on a belief in a variety of different gods and goddesses, with each playing an important role in different aspect of everyday life." Elaine had said.

"That's okay and everything but there were a few gods completely unrelated to Greek. Where did they go after Rome fell?"

"Yeah," Piper chimed in. "I noticed a lot of the gods with unknown origin in Rome too. Pax, Janus, Mithras, Romulus, Lares, so many..." she paused when they both gave her a look.

"The increase in Greek influence and Rome conquering Greece led to the Roman pantheon becoming more or less equate to Greece. About the gods you mentioned, I don't know." Percy had noticed Piper flinch at that and dropped the questioning to a later date.

"So," Gwendolyn—she insisted on Gwen though—interrupted his thoughts, "You said you're not from the camp and have never joined the legion. Do you want me to recommend you? I'm a centurion from the Second Cohort. We could use a skilled demigod like you." she kept talking.

"Who are you? Where did you learn to fight like that? I've never seen monsters get blown so easily and effortlessly." he once again interrupted her with a time-out.

What the heck! What do you mean easily and effortlessly? You nutcase of an idiot almost killed me with that bean-curd brain of yours. He furiously thought.

"Slow down the rapid fire. One question at a time," he replied, to which she nodded before repeating her questions.

Percy gave away his name and location but refused to disclose his heritage. He informed her about the tournament and his duration of stay but refused the venue. He rejected her invitation with a straight face and bland tone. About his skills...

"I've been training in combat and self-defense at a studio and picked everything there."

Though Gwen was upset at some of his replies, she grew quite excited about his training methods and his opinions about disposing of monsters.

He raised his hand to stop her. "My turn. What is your sword made of? It's glowing and high profile."

Gwen pulled her sword and dagger from her scabbard and gave it to him for a look. "Imperial Gold; mined from Mt. Olympus. That's a gladius. Kills monsters all the same. What about yours? Where is it?" she searched for his sword unsuccessfully. He picked the pendent and showed Hurricane to her.

"It's a Celestial bronze Xiphos. I guess it was even older design than yours. I found it in a museum."

The more he talked to her, the more confused he became. Gwen talked about the camp, cohorts, recruitment, and positions at camp like it was a military regiment. But Elaine had only mentioned the camp as some sort of a summer training ground for teenagers.

Then again, Gwen came back to visit her father during the summer, instead of staying at the 'summer camp' and train to survive. And she mentioned coming back for a vacation from the legion. Like she stays at camp year-round...

The weapons she used, the gods she referred to, the different terms and phrases in her speech...

"You kept talking about this... camp. Can you tell me more about it?" At the mention of this 'camp', she grew excited and started on a long spiel.

"Camp Jupiter is a safe haven for us, demigods. Since demigods are chased around by monsters because of our scent, the camp erected a magical barrier to keep the monsters out. Once the mandatory service to the legion is finished, one can lead a normal life in New Rome, the city built inside the boundaries for demigods and their descendants. I've been in the legion for four years."

"Descendants?" he asked, gobsmacked. Percy's current goal was to survive the following day, by all means, and it had been like that for the last three years. To grow old enough to start a family wasn't even in his wish list.

"Yeah, when you can lead a worry-free life inside the boundaries, that's ought to happen right." she said like it was a given, which once again astounded him. This made him more and more curious about the camp.

"And where is this camp located?" it sounded stupid, but after talking to her, he wanted to be certain.

"We're prohibited from disclosing the location to outsiders." she smiled apologetically. "But if you ever want to join the legion, I'll prepare the necessary steps for you. The general location of Camp Jupiter is in San Francisco, California."

Percy felt his head spin with that revelation. No wonder nothing had ever matched with what Gwen talked about the camp. There existed two camps for demigods, on the far ends of the continent following classic Greek and Roman traditions respectively...

But Why? What for?

oOo

Percy woke up on a cool dune on a beach. He remembered going to bed in his hotel room but found himself standing before San Diego bay. The location came to his mind automatically. He looked around cautiously, wondering why he was where he was when his gaze landed on the figure before him.

A man stood on the shore, facing the beach. His back was turned to him. He was tall and sturdy in Bermuda shorts and a Tommy-Bahama shirt with parrots and palm trees all over it. He had a hat decorated with fishing lures that said: Neptune's Lucky Fishing Hat over his long, dark, wild hair.

He reminded Percy of beachcombers from Key West with his scarred hands holding a fishing rod and Birkenstocks. Now that he recalled the appearance, Percy remembered a faint memory of a similar person at his school. He stood a few feet away from the man and waited.

"Hello, Perseus."

He internally cringed at that. Not many knew that he was named after the legendary Greek hero, Perseus.

"Lord Poseidon." he greeted cautiously.

This was the man...err...god, who left his mom and him as a toddler to fend for themselves. This was the man who he resented for the past few years before it turned to indifference. He refused to acknowledge Poseidon as his father. A father is one who's supposed to be around...

"You don't intend to leave me some peace of mind, do you?"

Percy stared at the god with disappointment in his eyes. Here was the god who had fathered him and was visiting him for the first time in ten years. And the first thing he blurted out was about some trouble.

Percy was not some dumb idiot to think that Poseidon summoned him in a dream to have some father-son bonding time. Poseidon needed something and it most probably has something to do with him.

When an immortal needed something from a mortal, it was never a good thing for the latter.

"I didn't mean to trouble you. Even so, couldn't you send one of your subordinates instead?" There was a sarcastic undertone to his reply, which implied: Even if I caused you some troubles, don't you have your lackeys to deal with me. Why come yourself and show off?

"They aren't suitable for such tasks," Poseidon quipped. His implication being the problem this time was far too serious for just about anyone to handle. Not that Percy was some big shot for him to come down.

The first round in the battle of wits ended with a draw.

Percy was pissed and frustrated. There was already a bounty on his head, where Poseidon's brothers would stop at nothing to hunt him down. Now to add the remaining one to the fray. How messed up could his life get?

"I had wanted to keep my distance from you but you left me with no choice, so whatever. I should simply settle for the second-best course then," he informed. Percy was a tad bit surprised that Poseidon would prefer to visit him for some business over remaining distant and memorable. So he amended his next sentence.

"What can I do for you?" he asked politely.

Poseidon turned around. He had the same sea-green eyes and brooding look that labelled him as a troublemaker at school. He doesn't know what to make of the god just yet. There was neither happiness nor disappointment on his face. It was like an ocean; calm, cool, and collected no matter the storms brewing inside the churning eyes.

"The Roman demigod you've met before. How much did you disclose..?" Poseidon trailed off, not preferring to directly ask the question.

"Nothing worth mentioning. I didn't even try to find information from her either. I've made an impression and left a way to meet up later. I'm still not sure how should I go about her. There are a lot of missing pieces." he answered truthfully.

If Poseidon had visited him regarding Gwen, part of him wanted nothing from it, and the rest of him wanted to get involved in this quagmire.

"Is there a problem with her? Her identity isn't sensitive like mine, is it?" he probed.

Poseidon sighed. The god probably has figured Percy's line of thinking and cautiousness and couldn't help bemoan over his misfortune. Here he was anxious over the entire situation, but to learn it was within the marginal limitations...

"Is that all you want to know? Don't you have some questions to ask for yourself?" Poseidon looked genuinely baffled at his non-committal response.

"I don't need sensitive information that lands me trouble later on. My problems keep my hands full, as it is," he replied blandly.

"Your approach is a bit flawed regarding this matter. You have already crossed the threshold and cannot abstain from your involvement anymore. My presence indicated that, have you not guessed it?"

"One can hope for pleasant surprises. I know I'd regret saving her but did anyway. So, am I under attack now?" though he kept his voice emotionless, intense turbulence rocked his heart continuously.

He had only intended to provide a charity by helping a struggling demigod but never had he hoped to tie a noose around his neck by doing so. He doesn't even know who might come after his life now.

"Your caution saved you today. Since you abstained from revealing anything noteworthy, you're clear for the time being. But..." Poseidon looked struggling to make a decision. Whereas Percy was thinking at the speed incapable of human cognition about the whole debacle.

what could I reveal to Gwen that would place me in harm's way?

"Well, It's better to give you the details rather than you investigate and poke hornet's nest. If left to your devices, who knows what might happen." the god pursed his lips before starting solemnly.

"The gods exist in several planes but are a single entity. We are Greek, but also, we've counterparts in Rome too. So there exist two sets of demigods, hell-bent on killing each other." he looked at Percy to understand everything from that single statement.

And he did actually. He understood the difference between the demigods and most likely guessed the difference between the gods and their counterparts. He had guessed several sets of gods occupying the sphere of ruling and are against each other from all the clues he had so far.

Better for the demigods to fight than gods.

He nodded and posed the question he wasn't aware of. "And these two sets of demigods are killing each other because...?"

Poseidon proceeded to explain the resulting aftermath of the American Civil war and the facet hidden from the world.

"The Greeks found out about the Roman settlement in the country and intended to wreck vengeance on them. The Romans replied in just to wipe out the last remnants of their enemy forces. As a result, the battle lasted for many days. It was fought with terrible losses on both sides. The war mirrored the American Civil war."

"Horrified by the bloodshed, the gods forced the Roman and Greek demigods to opposite sides of the country, and manipulated the Mist, strong enough so the two camps would never meet and the incident could never repeat itself. They ultimately ended up forgetting about each other."

"Who won the war, then?" he asked stupidly. Poseidon looked annoyed at being interrupted.

"It is unknown if there was a winner in the war. It is however implied, that the Greeks emerged victorious over the Romans, as the Greeks represented the Union side, whereas the Romans fought on the Confederate side." he resumed his history lesson and Percy wisely kept quiet.

"As a fail-safe, we designed a system to alter the memories of whoever came across the other group accidentally. It works most of the time as the immortal watching over their children would do the honors. But we have a wrench in the system." Poseidon's sharp eyes settled on Percy when he said that.

And Percy genuinely understood the crux of the matter. He was an undetermined demigod, as times stand now. No one knew of his existence to alter his memory without revealing the truth first. Since he abstained from disclosing information to Gwen, she was safe too.

His identity, the balance among the Olympian council, the dispute between Greek and Rome, all hinged on Percy's decision. But Percy can't even decide. The decision has already been made in his stead. And Poseidon had summoned him to give his verdict.

The Percy, in his best moments, cannot even make a scratch on Poseidon, much less injured. However, if Poseidon wished to kill Percy, he wouldn't even need to breathe. He would only need to stare at him and Percy would just die.

That was the gargantuan gap between their strengths. How could Percy not be frustrated?

The god before him looked like an insurmountable wall.

A sign of appreciation flashed past Poseidon's eyes as he watched Percy come to his conjectures without relying on him for information. What he was about to do would irate the Council, if known, but Poseidon doesn't have it in him to stop the growth of his only demigod son.

"So, as a preventive measure, either choose to have your memories altered or swear an Oath on River Styx to not breathe a word about this." he offered.

Percy looked surprised for a moment, then he looked at the god with admiration and respect. Poseidon has given him the chance to choose from, even going so far as to disregard the Olympian council's opinion.

"But be warned. An oath on River Styx is the most binding one. One cannot escape suffering the consequences should he perjure it. Even the gods cannot abstain from suffering." he genuinely warned Percy, but to the demigod, it sounded like words of mockery. The appreciation flew into thin air and the respect Poseidon earned just a while ago hit rock bottom.

What do you want me to do? You're forcing me against my wishes but still want me to cater to you and do my utmost to carry out your duties.

You don't want to alter my memories without suffering backlashes. You warn about the consequences of breaking the oath, yet still, want me to swear one. You revealed everything to me on your own and dropped the bomb on me to carry in your stead.

If the oath was broken by an accident, the one to suffer the repercussions would be him. As for Poseidon, he would simply go sire another demigod for his purpose.

He took a breath to push his thoughts away. Better the oath than losing his memories.

"I swear an oath by the River Sty to never reveal the existence of demigods from one camp to another..." he paused for split second, "...without the consent of an Olympian god," he smirked at the rare loss of composure from Poseidon. Thunder rumbled, sealing his oath.

Poseidon narrowed his eyes and observed his son. Percy refusing to take the loss completely fell right up his alley. But this was a rare sight where he lost his momentum, that to his son.

"Modesty and obedience don't come naturally to you, huh?" his tone was less demanding.

Percy displayed a rare sign of obedience when he lowered his head and responded. "No, sir." He understood things, just like Poseidon. The god leaving him unrestrained was his way of showing approval.

The first meeting between a godly parent and their demigod child should be refreshing, harmonious even. But these two are a lot more calculative than the other one hoped for.

Percy was neither servile nor overbearing. He knew his limits and showed his presence of mind impeccably and earned the approval of his father. Poseidon understood Percy's nonreactions and took half the blame for it, but he remained non-accommodating too.

Neither of them liked their flaws being pointed out, and neither crossed the boundaries the others placed on them. For now, it was enough for both of them.

"With your intelligence and logical thinking, I'm quite excited about your future. I eagerly look forward to it." Poseidon praised before disappearing in a breeze of sea spray and his vision turned blank.

The following weeks in Phoenix were exhausting for Percy. He remained vigilant during his time with Gwen. Since he was involved in the quagmire, he didn't feel good being the ignorant one, so he grilled her for some answers during their spars.

Gwen had asked him to spend time together during their stay since she hoped to exchange pointers with him. What she didn't reveal but Percy guessed was her recruitment trials have already begun. She didn't give up on him just because he refused to join the legion.

Her style was refined and elegant but the patterns were repetitive and easily see-through. Her techniques would render her helpless against erratic movements which non-humanoid monsters preferred to. The probability of identifying her next likely attack is high in her technique.

Fighting against a completely different style made Percy identify the flaws in her technique and had the rare chance to identify and correct the discrepancies in his style. By the end of their time together, they both gained an ally and experience worth a life-death duel.

Gwen tried to copy Percy's technique but found out that a gladius was not suited for slashing. It was balanced for stabbing and trying to slash with it made her unbalanced during a fight. Though Percy had no problem incorporating more stabbing techniques into his play, he doubted facing monsters with a thick hide for Celestial bronze to glide over.

He also used random conversation during breaks to learn more about Camp Jupiter. After a long spiel, he summarized the camp as a military regiment with administration and combat units under the two-person leadership and a council. They have all the powerplays, politics, and underhanded schemes, just like any empire.

Though he wanted to visit and observe the training programs at the military-operated camp very badly, he held it in and remained expressionless during her recruitment trials. Gwen was set on honoring her cohort with talented recruits and Percy commended her for that.

"You're so young yet more skilled than I am. Though you're using an unorthodox style, you're one of the most talented demigods I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot of legionnaires. Why don't you agree to join the legion?" she drawled towards the end and cried out miserably.

"As I said, I don't need a camp's protection just yet," he replied and thought about disclosing his technique. "Actually, I've learned a technique to mask one's aura from monsters deliberately seeking us out. So, I'm safe even in the open, for now."

Just like Thalia, Gwen's expression turned from dubious to suspicion to excitement to ecstasy with his confirmation and proofs. She couldn't deny that she had failed to sense him when he came to her rescue.

"Can anyone master it? Can I? Will you teach it to me? Please... Please...!" she shook his arm like a kid demanding candy.

I honestly doubt who's the kid here?

"I don't mind teaching it to you, nor do I mind you passing it along. But listen to me before you forge ahead." his solemn declaration made Gwen sit straight. He nodded in appreciation.

"Our scent and aura are our identities in this supernatural world. They separate us from normal mortals and attract monsters to us. But the divine aura is not something one can restrain and mask simply, just because it hindered us. Restraining it for a long period leaves a backlash."

"What backlash? Are there pre-requisites?" she failed to see the point.

"Take your ambush as an example. I masked my scent and ambushed the monsters and quickly dealt with them. It took me nearly a minute to deal with them. Now to mask my scent for a couple of minutes before and during the fight, I'll be releasing even more aura for monsters to track us. If the Dracaena had reinforcements, I'd be a toast." she nodded.

"I can pass it to you. I'll even guide you in masking your aura. But if you want to spread it among the camp, you need to make preparations beforehand to not be swept by the repercussions and criticism when something goes wrong." he warned her.

"What do you mean, criticisms? It's a life-saving technique, right? It's alright for it to have some backlashes, but it's not deteriorating our life force or anything." she questioned.

"It's not your fault you think like that. But let's consider some casualties in your legion because someone suffered a backlash amidst an important operation. It would lead to severe losses on your legion's part. And who's going to get blamed for this?" he scoffed at her acting.

"You mean, they would blame the technique and in turn us?" she asked, partially getting the point.

"Why involve me? What do I have to do with your camp? I only gave you the technique. Use it or not is your choice. But if you decide to pass it to your camp, you need your superiors' assent first and take their word not to make you a scapegoat to absolve the emotional turmoil in the future. Never bring up my name. Say you found an older demigod hideout and found the technique there." he warned her repeatedly because he was passing only the rudimentary technique to her.

The rudimentary method involved identifying the source and retracting the spilled aura back into the body. This was the same technique he had given to Thalia. He was contributing to both the camps, but not alleviating one for the other. He was not some charitable person to spread the technique he had worked his ass off to everyone to benefit from.

"Percy, are you suspecting the legion's council to use foul play to capture you?" her eyes grew sharp when she asked this. It was accurate to say that her loyalties lie with the Roman camp.

"Whether or not I trust them is not the issue here. You revealing my name would drag us both into never-ending troubles. It's your choice after all." he left the truth half-open for her to choose from.

From their interactions, he knew Gwen was not a fool or an airhead—which she acts like—but was very sharp and shrewd in doing things. If not, she wouldn't be raised to a Centurion—captain—level, with just her combat level. All the silly questions and act was her probing his reasoning skills. She knew the repercussions more than him, but acted like she doesn't and drew answers from him. This was a sort of test for him. The gleam in her eyes told him everything he needed.

The reason he insisted on doing this way was that Bill's stories from Atlantis had shaken him to the core. In the name of power and profits, emotional bonds and fraternal ties are like paper fliers, what more mere companionship among mortals. Percy did not doubt the presence of some power-hungry people in the legion's council. They were required for the successful operation of such a huge community. These old foxes would always tend to fill their pockets first. If he got caught up with them...

With his guidance, she quickly mastered the technique in two weeks and planted a big kiss on his cheek in jubilation once she successfully retracted her aura. They both enjoyed the remaining time watching the tournament and exchanged numbers.

oOo

"I have a surprise for you, both of you," Sally announced to the demigods munching blue chocolate chip cookies. His mom made a habit to celebrate every occasion with blue cookies. Anything blue works for her. It became an inside joke between the two by now.

They were relaxing in their apartment, blasting the conditioner and snacking on his mom's homemade cookies after his short trip to Phoenix.

"What is it, Sally?" Piper, the chipper, quickly gave in and asked excitedly.

"Since we're visiting somewhere every summer, and we're more or less visiting the same places, Your dad and I talked about this and picked spots to enjoy the summer together. All four of us." the declaration made Piper squeal in delight. Both girls—one old and one young—hugged each other in excitement.

"Where are we going? Where are we going?" Piper jumped.

"Since Greece and Rome turned out to be more educational rather than entertaining, how about some exotic lands like India and Thailand? I've searched and found the weather in India this month is going to be beautiful."

Percy observed a gleam of jubilation pass Piper's eyes and asked her about it. She hesitated for a moment before spilling the beans.

"Perce, how cool would it be if our parents forgot about Poseidon and Aphrodite and got together. Then we don't have to separate ever again. What do you say? Should we try something about this?" she asked as if it was not her dad she was talking about.

"Wow. I never knew you were eager for a step-mom." he tried to sound upbeat and teased her.

"Mom or stepmom, I'm not that keen on the details, dummy." she pouted in protest.

But they both knew the truth deep down, despite their imagination and hopes. If Sally and Tristan had even had thought about giving up on their respective partners, they would've found someone else by then. That was more like a wishful dream for the kids.

The beauty of India didn't disappoint them. They spent a lot of time in Kerala— a state known as God's own country for its beauty. As his mom said, a monsoon hit the state between June and July, turning the whole state into a living paradise in summer.

The group enjoyed trekking at a place called Munnar. It was a hill station with a many resorts and they enjoyed the Folk arts known as Mohiniyattam. They toured around the southern region before reaching Goa; the place with the best beaches in India. The group of four looked like one happy family and Percy didn't want to spoil the mood.

The moment he landed in the waters, he found his presence repulsed by them. He didn't feel at home in these waters either. They mutually opposed each other's presence. He tried to take control of them but utterly failed while receiving a backlash. The water completely turned hostile to him. He could try and wrestle control over them, but something powerful had obstructed him. The presence was all-encompassing and Percy couldn't even escape even if he wanted to either.

He tested a horrible possibility by firing an arrow in an archery field mid-day. As if Apollo's curse didn't seem to have a slight impact on him, the arrow flew straight at the target. The sun above still burned bright, but the god's presence or his curse did not affect him.

The startling conclusion made the demigods break out in cold sweat. The lands they stood on doesn't belong to the Olympian council, nor do they come under the Greek Pantheon. These lands come under a completely different pantheon, ruled by a completely different set of gods.

The vacation suddenly became gruesome torture to them. The slightest of sounds or shuffle startled them. The tiniest movements brought forth varying reactions. At their insistence, the group left for Thailand immediately but the situation with the two remained the same.

The duo tried their utmost for their parents' and tried to enjoy nature and the trip. The Elephant cave in one of the islands is a place to visit, but they simply couldn't enjoy the beauty with their lives on the line. The ancient cities distracted them for a while and the clean beaches calmed them down a little before returning to NYC.

"We should consider a lot more before running off on vacations. I was nearly scared to death.." Piper cried out in fear.

"Yeah, no kidding." they both nodded in agreement.

xXx

A/N: There must be other Parthenon along with Greek, Roman, Norse, and Egyptian, right. I took my shot at it. It's too little to consider as a shot, but whatever.

The Gwen in the story is not the one in the canon. This roman character was already in the fourth year of her service. By the time Percy turns 16, she'd have retired for college.