Chapter Six: Victory For The Fifth!

"Well," Percy concluded as he looked at his watch, "I'd better get back to my cohort, see you around."

With that, Percy Jackson left Reyna's house.

Jogging his way back to the fifth cohort's barrack, Percy almost ran into Gwen on his way back.

"Gwen!" Percy called out.

Gwen jumped a bit in surprise, reaching for her Gladius in the process. Her facial expression clearly relieved when she saw it was only Percy.

"Percy," She greeted calmly, "You startled me. I take you've just finished your talk with Reyna?"

Percy nodded, "What was that all about."

"I just came back from a meeting with the other centurions from the third and the forth to discuss the strategies."

"And?"

Gwen sighed, "As usual, the fifth will be attacking the fortress first to draw the first and the second cohorts' attentions, while the third and the fourth watch as being crushed for amusement. Leo and Frank wanted to help, but their cohort is pissed with you choosing us over them"

Percy shock his head.

Gwen raised an eyebrow at him, "Why did you choose the fifth cohort anyway? We are considered the worst cohort in the legion and nothing more but laughing stock and human shield. You could have chosen any cohort you wanted, even the first."

Percy chuckled, "Why start with the best? What's the fun with that? Why not start with the worst and turn them into the best step by step yourself! I don't want to have people's respect because I'm in the so called "Best" cohort, I want to earn it. Besides I'd rather die than work under Octavian. And those centurions from the second are just douchebags."

Gwen's eyes widened in shock, before replying seriously, "Interesting reasoning Percy, that's a very un-Roman thing for you to do. I look forward to work with you."

Gwen then chuckled a bit, "Oh I bet Piper is going to kill Octavian when she finds out about this, that idiot just cost her the best recruit I've ever seen."

Percy laughed too, "Yeah, I'd like to cut out his silver tongue and shoved it down his throat myself as well."

Gwen laughed again, "Well, you'll have to get in the line. You have about the entire New Rome ahead of you."

Percy just smiled, "Come on, let's get back to our cohort. I'd say winning the war games tomorrow would be a good start."

Gwen shock her head a bit, "Good luck Percy, you are going to need it. The fifth hasn't won a single war game ever since I first came to the legion."

Percy's face morphed into a serious expression, "We can do it, trust me."

Line Break

The fifth cohort line up at the sight of their centurion. Percy, however, stood beside Gwen, much to their confusion.

"Legionaries!" Gwen announced loudly in a commanding tone, "Today during senate meeting, Reyna has chosen the new junior centurion of this cohort! Allow me to officially introduce you to my new co-centurion, Perseus Jackson, Son of Vesta, Champion of Apollo, Diana, Mercury, Minerva and Pluto, Ambassador of Mercury! Percy has been performing tasks for Olympus in the last five years, lady Diana and lady Minerva vouched for him themselves, he is to treated with respect just as I am."

The legionaries of fifth cohort stared at Percy for a few seconds in shock, before saluting in unison, "Ave, centurio cohortis legionem quintam of Jackson Perseus fulminata Romanum!"

Percy saluted back, "Thank you everyone. Now, I heard that we are going to play the war games tomorrow and fifth has won for years. Well, I don't like it, and I plan to change it. Those idiots from the first and the second cohort take us for granted, and we are going to show them just how wrong they are tonight. Who's with me?"

The legionaries stared at Percy in disbelief before smashing their shields against the ground loudly.

Percy grinned, "Good. Dakota, when the game starts I need you to lead the fifth into an attack to draw defenses. Hazel and Gwen, you girls are with me."

Line Break

"Percy, are you certain this can work?" Gwen whispered quietly as the trio of demigods sneaked their way into a secret tunnel Hazel found.

"Positive," Percy replied firmly, "Hazel knows her way around underground and we can take out every single soldier Octavian has on us. Besides, Dakota has most of them occupied right now."

Hazel nodded in confirmation and led Percy and Gwen further into the tunnel. After a few more minutes, she held out a hand to halt the pair behind her and pointed above them as ground started opening up.

"Why can't we just tunnel straight into the fortress?" Gwen asked, confused.

Hazel shock her head, "The engineers were smart. The walls went all the way down to the bedrock."

"And if we can go through the wall, do you think we can keep going from there?" Percy asked.

Hazel nodded, "Yes, but why? It's not possible."

Percy smirked, "Everything is possible cousin, it's only yet to be done."

Both Hazel and Gwen stared at him, more confused than ever, but Percy just grinned and grabbed their hands.

Without warning, shadows engulfed their bodies as the trio disappeared into darkness, only to reappear on the other side of the wall.

Gwen dropped to a knee, panting hard while Hazel just stared at Percy with wide eyes, "How did you just do that?" She asked.

Percy smirked again, "It's called shadow travelling. I'll teach you some other time, we'd better get moving now, I have no idea Dakota can hold on up there."

Hazel nodded, "Yeah, let's go."

The trio kept venturing through the tunnel for a few more minutes until Hazel gestured them to stop again. She pointed to an opening with a set of stairs leading into the fortress.

Percy nodded and went up first, soon followed by Hazel and Gwen.

They walked in silence until they spotted a group of five unfamiliar demigods on patrol. Percy grinned and uncapped Anaklusmos, while Hazel and Gwen unsheathed their Spatha and Gladius respectively.

Not making a sound, the trio sneaked onto the demigods. Percy slammed the hilt of Anaklusmos onto the back of one of the demigods' head before turning his arm to connect his elbow with the head of another demigod.

With a loud thuds, the two demigods hit the ground. The others turned only to be hit on the head hard by the blunt of Gwen's Gladius as swept off their feet by Hazel's ridiculously long Spatha before having a foot stomped on his face.

The trio continued to move forward until they came out to an opening. From the fortress, they could see the first and the second cohorts firing water cannons at the legionaries from the fifth cohort who were only barely able to keep their lines of shields together.

Percy grinned evilly before waving his hands at the direction of the water cannons. The cannons all turned, much to the defenders' confusion and the fifth's relief, then opened fire directly at the first and the second cohorts.

Closing his eyes to concentrate, Percy closes his fists, causing the streams of water to burst out even more rapidly, dunking and putting dozens of legionaries out off combat at once.

The fifth cohort quickly got over their shock and followed Dakota into charge, pouring into the fortress and engaging the legion's finest soldiers in combat.

Percy dropped to a knee, panting hard, clearly exhausted while Hazel and Gwen just stared at him with wide eyes.

He turned to look at them, opening his eyes as they temporarily flickered into a bright sea green before shifting back to the usual flaming orange again.

"You are a son of Neptune!" Hazel gasped.

Percy's face hardened for being called a son of the sea god, "I'm no son of Neptune. My mother is Vesta and I have no father."

Gwen nodded and eyed Hazel to keep her from saying more things that would just make Percy snap.

"Let's go." Percy ordered emotionlessly and the trio found another set of stair which led them down in a different direction.

They ran into a room and saw a few legionaries from the first cohort playing mythomagic, the game Nico used to play once.

Percy smirked as darkness suddenly engulfed the room, causing the surprised demigods to scream in panic.

"Oh don't let us bother you," Percy said casually as he shadow travelled right in front of the demigods, "We'll just grab your banner and be on our way."

The legionaries quickly reached for their weapons and tried to stand up, key word, tired. Only to find they couldn't move their legs in anyway. They looked down to see canes wrapped around their ankles and legs while the plants kept growing rapidly. Some managed to cut a few canes off with their daggers, but more canes would take their places.

Percy turned to see Gwen who was smirking wildly at her master piece and gave her a thumb-up. Raising his hand, Percy called down a blast of lightning and sent it flying at the panic legionaries who passed out almost immediately at the shock of thousands volts of electricity.

Also grinning, Hazel lunged forward and grabbed the banners then followed Percy and Gwen out. They came across a few more guards, but nothing they couldn't handle. Followed by a loud cheer from the fifth, Percy ran out off the fortress first with a bright smile on his face, soon followed by Gwen and Hazel who had the banners in her hands.

"Victory for the fifth!" Gwen shouted, soon followed by every single legionary in the fifth cohort.

Hazel just laughed happily as the Mural Crown was given to her. Never before during her time in the legion had she been this happy.

The cheers came to an abrupt stop with a loud scream.

Well, hello everyone!

What do you think?

To update faster and more, I need more reviews, so review!

A little spoiler, expect the presence of two Olympians in the next chapter.

Thanks for reading

have a nice day

and til the next time!

T.C. ya!