"Frank!" a girl's voice shouted to the archer, the one who had shot Eurayle. "Get them inside, quick! Those are gorgons!"

Gorgons, right… Weren't they Medusa and her sisters, converted by—Minerva, a voice supplied to me in my head.

"Gorgons?" the archer's voice squeaked. It was hard to tell much about him under his helmet (much like his girl ally), but he looked stout like a wrestler, about fourteen or fifteen. "Will the door hold them?"

The old hippy in my arms cackled madly. "No, no they won't. Onward, Perceus Jackson! Through the tunnel, over the river!"

"Perceus Jackson…. 'Percy' Jackson?" the female guard the asked this was darker-skinned—from what I could gather from below her armour, with curly hair sticking out the sides of her helmet. Her face looked younger than Frank—maybe about thirteen (though the infliction of her voice contradicted this).

"Okay, you're obviously a demigod," she called down. "But who's the-?" and she stopped when she glanced at June. "Never mind. Just get inside, I'll hold them off."

"Hazel," 'Frank' said. "Don't be crazy."

"Go!" she ordered, and from the way she said it, it could only be assumed that she was the one in charged.

"Maledicant illum," he cursed in—Latin(?)—and opened the door. "Come on!"

I followed, slightly staggering under the weight of June, who was definitely getting heavier. I had no idea how that Hazel would hold off the gorgons, but in all honesty, I was a little to tired to argue.

The tunnel cut through solid rock, and seemed to be as tall and wide of a school hallway—at least when they're empty. It looked a little too much like a typical maintenance tunnel, what with all the electric cables, warning signs, and fuse boxes on the walls.

However, the deeper we ran into the tunnel, the more it changed. The ceiling changed into a tiled mosaic, the lights into reed torches—which didn't emit smoke, strangely enough, since they were burning.

As I saw a little square of light at the exit, June had become heavier than a pile of sandbags, her weight making my arms shake from the strain. She began to mumble a song in Latin, which did NOT help my concentration.

Behind us, the voices I had become so used to hearing for the past bazillion months echoed in the tunnel, and a shout came down the tunnel—Hazel's, I recognized from the voice.

I was tempted to dump the old lady and run back to help her, but the tunnel shook with the rumble of falling stone the instant I thought that. There was a squawking sound, much like the one I heard when I dropped a crate of bowling balls on them back in Napa. I glanced back, and saw the west end of the tunnel filled with dust.

"Shouldn't we check on Hazel?"

"She'll be okay," 'I hope' I heard him mutter under his breath, possibly trying to keep me calm and wade away my worries—neither of which happened. "She's good underground. Just keep moving, we're almost there!"

"Almost… where?"

The hippy chuckled. "All roads lead there, child. You should know that."

'Rome?' I wanted to say, but instantly wiped the thought from my mind. Rationally, I knew it was impossible (I mean, I was all the way in San Francisco, on the west end of the United States, Italy was a good 10050.35km away), but a part of me, a part that had been growing stronger over the recent months was almost certain I was right.

"Rome, child!" June yelled when I didn't answer, looking at me like I was an idiot. "Rome."

'HOW!' I wanted to shout, but I froze. Spread out at my feet was a bowl-shaped valley several miles wide. 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 centre and around the perimeter—like a capitol G. The geography could have literally been anywhere in northern California—with the live oaks and eucalyptus trees, gold hills and blue skies. The big inland mountain—Mount Diablo?— rose in the distance, right where it should be.

But… I felt as if I had stepped into a secret little world. In the centre of the valley—nestled by the lake— was a small city of white 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 an open plaza with freestanding columns, fountains, and statues (with what looked like the gods). A five story tall Roman coliseum—most likely a replica of the Colosseum in Rome—gleamed in the sun, next to a long oval arena, somewhat like a race track.

Across the lake to the south, another hill was dotted with even more impressive buildings—Temples, that voice supplied again. Several stone bridges crossed the river as it wound through the valley, and in the north, a long line of brickwork arches stretched from the hills into the town. 'An aqueduct,' the voice said again. It had been growing stronger and stronger Frank and I got into the tunnel, and it seemed almost like a second mind now with how loud and frequent it was.

The strangest part of the valley had to have been right below me—about two hundred yards away, just across the river, was some sort of military encampment. It was about a quarter square miles, with eastern 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, and a wide gateway opened on the far side of the camp, leading to the city. A narrower gate stood closed on the riverband side. Inside, the fortress bustled with activity; dozens of kids going to and from barracks, carrying weapons and polishing armour. The clank of hammers at a forge could be heard and meat being cooked over a fire could be smelled.

Something about this place felt very, very, familiar. Yet… a part also didn't feel right…

"Camp Jupiter," Frank side. "We'll be safe once—"

Footsteps echoed in the tunnel, and Hazel burst into the light. She was covered with stone dust and breathing hard. She'd lost her helmet, so her curly brown hair fell around her shoulders, and her armour had long slash marks on the front from the claws of one of the gorgon; the other had tagged her with a 50% sticker.

"I slowed them down," she said. "But they'll be here any second.

Frank cursed again. "We have to get across the river."

The old lady squeezed my neck tighter. "Oh, yes, please. I can't get my dress wet."

I bit my tongue, keeping myself from snapping at the canis. If she was a goddess, she had to have been the goddess of smelly, useless hippies, 'cause that's exactly what she's been the entire time I've carried her. I'd come this far, I couldn't give up.

But… I hadn't exactly had the best history with large bodies of water recently. I much rather prefer the wind and storms, over bodies of water.

And the river didn't exactly seem non-threatening to me, it emitted this powerful aura of… something that a part of me didn't like—a part of me that I'd felt since I awoke, and every time a monster had attacked me.

But… 'It's a kindness,' she'd said. 'And if you don't the gods will die, the world we know will perish, and everyone from your old life will be destroyed.'

If this was a test, I couldn't afford to run way because of my fears.

I stumbled a bit as I ran for the river, Frank and Hazel ran forward to keep me on my feet.

I stopped and caught my breath. The current was fast, very, very, fast, but it didn't look deep at all. But the closer we got to the river, the more scared I felt, the stronger a part of me told me to flee.

"Go, Hazel," I heard Frank say. "Escort Percy so the sentries don't shoot her. It's my turn to hold off the baddies.

Hazel nodded and waded to the into the stream, but I stopped.

"The Little Tiber," said the old lady. "It flows with the power of the original Tiber, river of the empire. This is your last chance to back out, child. The mark of Achilles—she spat the name out—is a Greek blessing. You can't retain it if you cross into Roman territory. The Tiber will wash it away."

I was too tired to understand everything she had just said, but I got the gist of it. If I crossed the river, even if I didn't touch the water, I'd lose my invincibility that had kept me alive until now.

June smiled when she saw my face. "So what will it be? Safety, or a future of pain and possibility?"

Behind me, I heard the gorgons screech as they flew from the tunnel.

From the middle of the river, Hazel yelled, "Percy, come on!"

Up on the watchtowers, horns blew. The sentries shouted and swiveled their crossbows toward the gorgons.

'Annabeth,' I thought—the name of one of my best friends, from what I could remember—and forged into the river. The water was icy cold, much swifter than I imagined, and it started to sweep me away as it drained my strength.

June looked shocked, as if she expected me to regain strength or something—but I don't know why, water seemed to drain me since I woke up at the Wolf Lodge.

I quickly worked to the other side of the river, my strength draining from me even more and more.

Hazel turned with a worried look, the expression soon changing to horror. "Frank!"

I turned and stared in horror as well. Frank was halfway across the river as the gorgons caught him. They swopped out of the sky and grabbed him by either arm.

The sentries yelled at Frank's pain filled scream, but I knew they couldn't get a clear shot. They'd probably end up killing Frank. The kids that gathered at the shore drew their swords and got ready to charge, but they'd be too late.

There was only one way.

I put Juno onto the ground next to me, and thrust my right hand forward. My right arm tingled as if it were being shocked as dark storm clouds gathered in the sky, right above the gorgons and Frank. I preyed for Frank to be safe as I thrust my arm down, a bolt of lighting shooting down from the storm cloud. I clenched my fists within an instant, somehow knowing exactly when the bolt struck both of their wings at the same time, the storm cloud recalling the bolt.

The gorgons shouted in pain and dropped Frank as they felt into the water. The force of the landing broke them into dust, and it seems like the force of the river was making it harder for them to reform.

"June, if you're a goddess, I'm gonna' need you to protect Frank."

And without letting her answer, I repeated the motion, except for I didn't clench my fists as the lightning hit the water. I prayed that June would actually protect us, and my hope wasn't misplaced when I saw that Frank was fine. But the gorgon essence wasn't, as it was being carried downstream without any attempt of reforming.

Despite the energy I just used, I quickly willed the winds to lift Frank up and carry him to the shore. As soon as he hit the shoreline, I collapsed to my knees, trying to regain some energy.

It was only when Hazel ran forward to look at Frank, did I realize how quite it had become. I turned to look at their faces, and everyone—even June—was shocked at what I had just done.

"W-Well, that was a lovely and exciting trip," June said, instantly regaining her composure. Of course, a goddess couldn't be affected by human affairs. "Thank you, Percy Jackson, for brining me to Camp Jupiter."

One of the girls made a choking sound. "Percy…Jackson?" Seriously, had everyone heard of me?

She sounded as if she recognized the name, but when I looked at her, I didn't recognize anything about her face.

From her attire—a word I didn't even knew I knew. What? I wasn't exactly the smartest person.—, she was obviously a leader. She wore a regal purple cloak over her armour, and her chest was decorated with medals. She looked about my age, with dark piercing eyes and long black hair. She stared at me as if I was her truest nightmare, while I stared at her trying to remember who she even was.

June suddenly laughed with delight, though a could easily tell it was forced. "Oh yes, You'll have such fun together!"

Then, just because the day hadn't been weird enough already, the old lady began to glow and change form. She grew until she was a shining, seven foot tall goddess in a blue dress, with a cloak that looked like goat's skin over her shoulders. In her hands was a staff topped with a lotus flower.

If it was possible for the campers to look more stunned, they did. The girl in the cloak knelt, and she was soon followed by the rest of the kids,

Hazel was the first to speak. "Juno."

She and Frank also fell to their knees, leaving myself as the only one standing. Oh, I knew I should have knelt, but I didn't exactly feel like it. And after carrying her all this way, and losing my immortality because of it, why should I?

"Juno, huh?" I said. "If I passed your 'test', can I have my memory and my life back?"

The goddess forced a smile again, looking at me like I shouldn't even exist. "In time, Perceus Jackson, if you succeed here at camp. You've done well today, which is a good start—Even now, I could tell she was forcing it—. Perhaps there's hope for you yet."

She turned to the kneeling kids. "Romans, I present to you the daughter—she spat the word out again—of Jupiter. For month she has been slumbering, but she is now awake. Her fate is in your hands. The Feast of Fortune comes quickly, and Death must be unleashed if you are to stand any hope in the battle. Do not fail me!"

And then she shimmered and disappeared.

I will put up a poll for which story idea you guys think I should go with. The poll will be up for a long time so that I can get pretty far into both sides of the story.