The group made their way seamlessly to Manhattan. They roared towards the gates of Camp Half-Blood early in the morning just as Apollo was rising up in the horizon. They dismounted at the base of half-blood hill and proceeded to walk the rest of the way. The entire way Percy explained to Jason and Mathan what camp was like for the Greek demigods. They were impressed and jealous that the gods favored the Greeks over the Romans. As Percy thought about it, he too was wondering about that, but considering Rome's treatment of him he didn't care much.
"Just remember that we Greeks are no longer as weak and frail as we have been in the past," explained Percy as they neared Thalia's tree. "Over the last few years, we have really amped up our forces."
"So explain to me again why you need us then?" asked Jason. He and Mathan were both still wary about meeting the Greeks.
"Because despite our increase in strength, the Titan army is still much too strong." Percy stopped them for a moment. "You, Jason, have tremendous strength inside of you in regards to godly power. You are arguably the most powerful demigod in history. We need you to help lead our forces into battle." He turned to Mathan. "And you, not only are you strong in battle, but you are an incredible mechanic. Your ingenuity will be highly beneficial towards our victory." The two Roman demigods shared a smile, their nerves calmed ever so slightly. Percy motioned for them to continue.
The guards immediately let them into the camp and Jason and Mathan eyed Peleus warily as they past Thalia's tree, but seeing as how the others did not seem unnerved, they ignored their fears. They were Roman after all. The rest of the camp was unusually empty. Percy felt the pang of grief seeing so few demigods running around.
"Girls, head over to my cabin. I will go with Percy and these boys," she said with a sneer in the guys' direction. The hunters nodded and headed off towards the Artemis cabin.
"Come on. I'm sure Chiron is waiting for us in the Big House," said Percy, leading them all towards the center of the camp. It took longer than usual since the Hephaestus campers had erected several more defensive walls around the center of the camp, but finally they reached the Big House. Chiron was standing in full centaur form barking orders at a couple of campers when he noticed Percy and his entourage. He trotted over to them, his face grim. He bowed to Artemis before turning to Percy.
"Gabriel, did you manage to-"
"No," said Percy cutting him off. "The Romans are not willing to send any troops to help." Chiron nodded but eyed Jason and Mathan.
"Who are they?"
"This is Jason Grace and Mathan Foley," Percy told him. Chiron blanched.
"Grace? As in-"
"He's Thalia's little brother, yes."
Chiron smiled brightly at Jason.
"A son of Zeus is always welcome," he said. "And who's your parent?"
"Vulcan," responded Mathan before grimacing. "I mean Hephaestus." Chiron wasn't fooled.
"You're Roman?" he asked with narrowed eyes. "And you, Jason?" They both nodded. "What's the meaning of this Gabriel?"
"Lupa wouldn't send troops, but she's allowed these two to aid us in defending Olympus," Percy explained. "Trust me. I've seen these two in battle. They are more than enough."
"I'm trusting you on this," Chiron said cautiously. Percy smiled and nodded.
"Have I ever let you down?"
Chiron shook his head with a small smile. "No, Gabriel. You haven't."
Percy clapped his hands together and looked around.
"Now, Chiron. Did you have the Hephaestus cabin do that little favor I asked you before I left?"
Chiron laughed, his laughter deep and soothing.
"Of course. Follow me, this way."
Artemis and the Romans followed Chiron and Percy confused as they walked towards the cabins. As they walked, Mathan and Jason eyed the cabins in awe, particularly the Hephaestus and Zeus cabins.
"Why don't we have these in New Rome?" asked Mathan under his breath. Jason shrugged.
"Because we don't separate according to our parents."
Chiron led them towards the end of the line of cabins. The Artemis cabin used to be the last one but beside hers was a small, rustic cabin. On the outside it did not look like much. The only adornment was a shield with a golden sword engraved on it above the door. Percy smiled wide.
"I must go, Gabriel. We still have more plans to go over before the big battle." With that Chiron trotted off towards the Big House.
"I need to check in with the girls as well," said Artemis. She pecked Percy on the cheek before walking to her cabin, but not before shoving the Romans to the side. Percy turned and smiled at Jason and Mathan.
"Welcome to the Gabriel cabin," he said with a wide smile. "You'll be bunking with me here." The Romans shared smiles; glad they didn't have to bunk with strange Greeks.
For the next several months leading up to Percy's sixteenth birthday, the Romans integrated into the Greek's remaining army. Jason helped teach the Greeks new styles of fighting, resulting in a very well-rounded fighting force. Mathan joined the Hephaestus cabin in coming up with new armor, weapons, and defenses. His ideas were inspiring and the children of the god of the forge began mass production. Pan too had brought the nearby satyrs together to help spread the word throughout the world to all of the nymphs and sprites that Olympus needed to be defended. Despite their limited numbers, Percy felt confident that they would survive the coming battle.
A week before Percy's sixteenth battle, Percy entered the arena. Jason was sparring with Thalia while the hunters and several campers stood watch. Percy eyed them with scrutiny, trying to find any faults in their technique.
"Thalia! Widen your stance," barked out Percy. Thalia flinched at his sudden shout causing her to leave her midsection open. Jason took the advantage and landed a punch to her side sending her sprawling to the ground. He smirked down at Thalia and looked up at Percy. Percy frowned. Jason gave him a questioning look when he suddenly felt his legs go out from underneath him and he landed on his back with a grunt. Thalia stood above him, her spear right at his neck.
"Yield?"
Jason glared up at her. "I yield."
Thalia smirked and the hunters cheered.
"At attention!" shouted out Percy. The hunters and the campers scrambled to line up before him. They all stood in precise military formation. Percy walked in front of them, eyeing them all up and down, a training staff resting in his hand. He noticed that some of the campers were shaking ever so slightly in their place. He stood directly in front of one of them.
"Are you scared, Gardner?" he barked out. Katie, to her credit, didn't flinch.
"No sir!"
"Are you nervous?"
"No sir!"
Percy eyed her for a moment before walking onward to the other campers. He was pleased to find them all reacted similarly.
"Pair up!" he shouted at them all. The hunters paired up together as did the campers. "We will go through the seven forms slowly. Shii-Cho!" They all began going through the motions of the first form. Their movements were fluid and perfect.
"Solace! Square your shoulders!" A few moments later, when Percy felt that they had done well enough he moved on. "Makashi! Soresu! Ataru! Niman! Juyo!" They moved through all the seven forms quickly. Each one was done fluidly and precisely.
"At ease!" commanded Percy. Everyone dropped their shoulders and took deep breaths. Sweat rolled down each of their faces. Despite their slow movements, the forms were incredibly difficult to perfect. "You have ten minutes before we do it again!" Everyone grumbled and walked towards the walls of the arena where they kept their water bottles. Since Percy had returned to camp he had kept the campers on a continuous rotation of teaching them forms of combat. It had taken several months, but eventually they perfected all seven. Percy was very impressed.
"Where did you learn all of this, Percy?" huffed out Jason. His hand was shaking as he lifted his water bottle to his lips.
"I spent centuries in different places," said Percy with a guarded smile. "I guess you could say I went beyond this world to learn the best forms of swordsmanship."
Jason nodded, too exhausted to press any further. Percy smirked and eyed the others. They all seemed to be as tired as Jason.
"Alright!" cried out Percy after ten minutes. "Line up!" They all lined up, and despite their fatigue, they did so quickly. "We start again, faster!" A few hours later, they finished their training.
"You all did well," Percy said with a smile. "Hit the showers." The campers and hunters sighed in relief and headed off to their cabins just as another group of campers walked into the arena. Percy smiled manically. "Alright you lot! Line up!"
[LINEBREAK]
"How go our plans?" asked Kronos.
"We will soon be ready to march on Olympus, milord," said Helios. "Typhon is preparing to launch an aerial attack on the gods themselves while we hit the city on the ground."
Kronos nodded as he eyed the map spread out before him.
"How long before we are ready?"
Helios shrugged. "About a week or so."
Kronos sneered and slammed his fist on the table, scattering the small wooden figures that were on the map all over the floor. Helios paled.
"We march in two days," Kronos said and began marching out the room.
"We won't be ready in two days!" said Helios before his eyes widened in fear. Time itself stopped. Kronos turned around and, in the blink of an eye, had Helios lifted up by his throat.
"What did you say?" Kronos asked. His voice a lethal whisper.
"I- I said- we'll march- in- two days," rasped out Helios. Kronos eyed him for a moment before letting go. Helios dropped to the floor, clutching his throat. Kronos glared at him one last time before leaving the room. Olympus would fall in two days.
[LINEBREAK]
"Percy? Can I talk to you?"
Percy looked up from the book he was reading. Artemis was standing in the door way to his cabin with a look he just couldn't place.
"Of course, come in," he said, his voice holding a hint of worry. "Is everything alright?"
Artemis nodded but didn't speak. She walked into the cabin, closing the door shut behind her. She sat down in the chair beside Percy and looked around.
"Are the other boys here?"
Percy shook his head.
"They're at the mess hall eating."
Artemis nodded and turned back to Percy. This time he could clearly see something was eating at her. He reached out and cupped her cheek.
"Are you okay?" he asked softly. Artemis closed her eyes and leaned into his hand.
"I'm worried."
"About the battle?"
She shook her head. "About the prophecy."
Percy paled.
"I'm so scared I'll lose you. For good this time." The worry was clear in her voice.
Percy leaned back in his chair and put his book on the coffee table in front of him.
"The prophecy doesn't expressly say that I will die," he reasoned. Artemis glared at him.
"It doesn't say you'll live either."
He didn't know how to counter that.
"Do you even know what all the lines of the prophecy mean?" she continued. Percy shrugged and pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket.
"I've been trying to work it out for the last couple of months. I think I've got some of it down. A half-blood of the eldest god, that obviously refers to me. I'm a half-blood but not like the others. I am Gabriel, the eldest god. Shall reach sixteen in total awe, I'm not sure what the 'total awe' part means but I guess the prophecy will be fulfilled in a few days. See the world in endless sleep, I have no clue what that part means. The hero's soul, blessed blade shall reap, the hero could be anyone, but I believe that my sword Isorropia is the 'blessed blade.' A single choice shall end his days, Olympus to preserve or raze, that part is the worrisome part. It's vague and could possibly mean that I will die." Artemis choked a sob. "Or it could mean that I simply lose part of my double life. I could remain just a demigod, or I could return to being fully god. But obviously, whichever choice it is I have to make, one option leads to Olympus being saved and the other leads to its destruction."
They sat in silence for a while, contemplating what Percy had said. Artemis closed her eyes, trying vainly to hold in her emotions.
"If you die," she said very carefully. "I will find you. And I will personally send you to the underworld."
Percy smiled at her attempt at diffusing the tension. "Of that I have no doubt."
Artemis smiled back and moved over to sit in his lap.
"I'm not letting you go. I lost you for too many years. I won't lose you again," she said determinedly. Percy nodded and kissed her cheek.
"I don't plan on going anywhere."
They stayed that way for a while, content to be together even if it was just for a few minutes. Finally, Artemis stood up.
"I need to go," she said slowly. Percy stood up and pulled her into one last hug. Artemis rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.
"Are you hungry?" asked Percy. Artemis narrowed her eyes and looked up.
"I'm a goddess, Percy. I don't need to eat."
Percy smiled sheepishly. "Oops. I forgot."
Artemis chuckled and kissed his cheek.
"Go on and get something to eat. I'll be in my cabin with my hunters."
Percy laughed and they walked out of his cabin. She looked around to make sure they were alone, and kissed chastely on the lips. Percy smiled as she pulled away and walked into her cabin, blowing him a saucy kiss as she closed the door. He shook his head. I'm going to need a cold shower.
The mess hall was full of campers, all scarfing down food by the pound. They looked up when Percy walked in and waved at him. Percy smiled and waved back. In the arena he was their teacher. Here he was just another soldier. Mathan and Jason were sitting at his table whispering to one another. After getting his food, offering a blessing to himself and Artemis, he walked over to his table. The Romans never noticed him approaching.
"What are you two ladies whispering about?" he asked, slamming his tray on the table. They both jumped with girlish squeals. The campers sitting nearby burst into laughter. Jason and Mathan glared at him.
"We were just discussing some battle plans," Jason said. Percy nodded, though he couldn't wipe the grin from his face. "Oh, stop that." Percy laughed and took a moment to compose himself.
"Alright. Tell me what you guys are thinking."
Jason passed over a sheet of paper. A rough sketch of New York city was scribbled on the page.
"We should place wooden barriers in these spots," pointed Mathan at a few 'X's marked on the paper. "Archers can line the windows of the apartment buildings on either side. While the Titan ground force is trying to push past those barriers, archers can rain down hell from either side." Percy nodded, impressed. "At the same time, the ground will be sprayed with a thin mist of gasoline. One camper will be in control of a Greek fire bomb. One throw at the ground will cause it to go up in flames."
"What about the streets not blocked off?" asked Percy.
"Since the barricaded streets will only need to be manned by hunters and archers and a small contingent of ground troops, the other streets will host a legion of soldiers each," said Jason.
"A legion of soldiers will not hold fast against an army of Titan monsters."
"Yes, but they will be in phalanx formation. According to the textbooks I found in the Athena cabin, General Epaminondas used a phalanx of fifty men to hold of the Spartan armies at the Battle of Leuktra."
Percy nodded. He had fought in that battle. He didn't think it was necessary to explain that he was Epaminondas.
"Even though we don't have enough troops to have fifty per street, only around twenty campers or so should be able to hold their lines using a combination Shii-Cho and Juyo," continued Jason. Percy nodded. He was very impressed by their quick thinking.
"Those are very well thought out plans. I'm hoping that we will be adding more defensive mechanisms throughout the city, right?" he asked Mathan. The son of Vulcan nodded.
"We will be adding hundreds of traps throughout the city. They will be placed in random places so that the enemy will not be able to discern any pattern." Mathan paused. "Plus, Pan's army of nymphs and satyrs will be defending Central Park along with the Demeter cabin."
Jason looked up at Percy expectantly. Percy looked at the map for another minute before looking up with a smile.
"Congratulation you two. You've both just been promoted to captains." He pointed at the central street leading to the Empire State Building. "Jason you will be leading the phalanx here." He pointed at the building itself. "Mathan, you will be stationed here, deploying traps and defenses throughout the city. You will lead the last line of defense for Olympus."
Both Romans squared their shoulders and straightened their backs at the honor.
"We will not let you down," said Jason seriously. Percy nodded and stood up, finishing the last of his meal.
"I know you won't."
A/N: Alright guys. I know I promised a longer chapter this time and this isn't the longest I've written, but this is mainly a filler chapter. The next chapter will be the last chapter of Balancing Act which will continue in Balancing Act: Civil War! Thank you to all of you who have read this story! You guys are amazing!
As a little incentive, I want to see if we can reach let's say… 20 reviews for this chapter/story. If you reach 20 reviews I'll post chapter 24 AND chapter 1 of the sequel.
Thank you to all of you again for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! You guys are the best! And before I go, if anybody catches the reference in this chapter send me a PM telling me what the reference is in the story and what it's a reference to. Whoever figures it out gets an internet cookie and a mention next chapter!
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