On the way back to Camp Jupiter that Hazel tripped over a gold bar, good thing it was Hazel instead of Nico or Arabella. The gold bar, that Hazel tripped over, wouldn't have affect Emily due to her status as the heir to the underworld. Though the four of them were running and it was bound to happen that one of them was going to trip over something. For there punishments for being tardy were not good at Camp Jupiter, Emily was glad of the fact that being late for who she was that she wouldn't get punished. For she was the protector of Rome and her patron was the guardian, so the Romans don't dare insult Emily. It was due to the punishments for being tardy was one reason of why Emily was glad she was Greek and not roman. For Camp Jupiter was a lot more stricter than Camp Halfblood was, no matter in the 1930s and 1940s or now. Nico tried to catch Hazel but she fall anyway and scraped her hands, Emily knelt besides Hazel as Nico spoke
"You okay?" Nico reached his hand towards the gold bar but Emily spoke up
"Nico, don't!" Nico froze when Emily said that.
"Right. Sorry. It's just…jeez. That thing is huge." Nico knelt down besides Hazel as well as Arabella before Nico pulled out a flask of nectar from his aviator jacket. He poured a little on Hazel's hands and the cuts on her hands stated to heal, Nico put the flash away. "Can you stand?" Arabella and Emily helped Hazel up on her feet and the four of them stared at the gold that Hazel summoned up. It was the size of a bread loaf, there was a serial number and the words u.s. Treasury on it. "How in Tartarus ... ?"
"I don't know. It could've been buried there by robbers or dropped off a wagon a hundred years ago. Maybe it migrated from the nearest bank vault. Whatever's in the ground, anywhere close to me ... it just pops up. And the more valuable it is ... "
"The more dangerous it is. Should we cover it up? If the fauns find it…"
"It should sink back underground after I leave, eventually, but just to be sure…" Hazel pointed at the gold bar and tried to concentrate, the gold started to levitate off of the ground. Than the gold bar started to glow with heat, Emily panicked slightly as the gold bar started to glow. If Hazel hadn't been practicing with her powers than than this may not turn out very well, Emily was unsure of how much Hazel have been practicing.
"Um, Hazel, are you sure…?" Hazel made a fist and the gold bar bent like putty, Hazel forced it to twist into a giant lumpy ring. Than she flicked her hand toward the ground and the million dollar doughnut slammed into the earth. The gold bar went so deep that there was nothing but a scar of fresh dirt, Emily knows if any of her friends that had been here would have been surprised to see what just happened. "That was…terrifying." The horns blew again.
"Hurry!" Emily, Hazel, Nico and Arabella ran to the gates of Camp Jupiter, even if Emily hates of how stricter the Romans are and can be that Emily has to admit that it was an impressive sight to see the legion assemble. But honestly after standing in a circle with the avengers, that she felt that was more of an impressive sight. For there was no iron man, no hulk, no one was light up on fire or no one was covered in shadows, it was pretty much 200 hundred teenagers that were dressed for war. Ever since emily become an avenger and saw the legion assemble that she wanted to yell, Legion assemble like how either her or Steve yell Avengers assemble. Hazel run right down the middle of the legion to get to her place.
In front of the legionnaires stood their red and gold shields that reminded Emily of the colors of Gryffindor from Hogwarts. Emily was sure that the same thought accord to Arabella was well considering that Arabella goes to Hogwarts and was a Gryffindor. Every legionnaire was carrying different weapons, a pilum, a gladius, a dagger among other other weapons and equipments. As the four of them jogged down the street that everyone was coming to attention, so their entrance was rather obvious. Their footsteps echoed on the street, as they ran past Reyna, she was on her Pegasus Skippy, that Reyna spoke up. "Hazel Levesque, so glad you could join us." Hazel didn't respond when Reyna said that, if Reyna said that to Emily than Reyna would have regretted saying it. Reyna knows better than to say that to Emily to add to the embarrassment that Hazel had at the moment. Dakota called Hazel's name as Hazel barely got into line.
"Present!" Emily joined Nico, Arabella and Percy, of who was standing to one side with a couple of guards. Percy's hair was still wet from the baths of which Emily found amusing since she knows that Percy can decide if he wants to get wet or not. So apparently Percy allowed himself to become wet during the baths. He was wearing fresh clothes but he looked uncomfortable and she was sure that it was because he was about to be introduced to two hundred heavily armed kids. The lares were the last ones to walk in, Emily heard Arabella growl softly. Emily rolled her eyes for she knew Arabella hated spirits who decided to stay behind, that was proven at Hogwarts. However the lares were different from the Hogwarts ghosts for it was part of the roman history as oppose to he Hogwarts ghost of where not. Besides Emily explained that there Lares were in Italy as well as here, so it was not that uncommon to see a Lares if one was aware of them and know what and where to look for them. It was Lee-Ann that spoke.
"Colors!" The standard-bearers stepped forward, they wore lion-skin capes and held poles decorated with each cohort's emblems. The last one to present his standard was Jacob, the legion's eagle bearer, he just holds a long pole with absolutely nothing on top of the pole. Emily knows that this was the most important and biggest honor for the legion to have such a job to hold up the poles. Throughout the years she seen the ones who carried, with pride, and holding the poles up, though Emily was still was wondering why it was since a big deal. But ever since the eagle was lost that it was job that was shameful instead of being a big honor like it is suppose to be. Emily could sense the embarrassment rippling through the legion and Reyna brought her Pegasus to a halt.
"Romans! You've probably heard about the incursion today. Two gorgons were swept into the river by this newcomer, Percy Jackson. Juno herself guided him here, and proclaimed him a son of Neptune." The ones in the back had to craned their necks to see Percy, Percy raised his hand.
"Hi."
"He seeks to join the legion. What do the auguries say?" Lee-Ann stepped forward, Emily closed her eyes and prayed that the auguries were favorable to Percy.
"I have read the entrails! The auguries are favorable. He is qualified to serve!"
"Ave!" Frank was a little late with his ave, so it had come out as a high pitched echo, the legionnaires snickered. Emily rolled her eyes when they did that, Frank may not look like much and was clumsy, but Emily knows he was a good guy from the amount of time she talked to him. That if he was given a chance that he would be able to prove himself as a roman, but with how he was being treated, it wouldn't happen in the near future. Than again anything was possible in this world as she learned over the years. Reyna motion the senior officers forward one for each cohort. The most senior one was from the second cohort and he turned to Percy.
"Recruit, do you have credentials? Letters of reference?"
"Letters? Um, no." It was clear that the officer was not thrilled about this and that he expected letters from Percy with what happened that morning.
"No letters. Will any legionnaires stand for him?" Freak stepped forward.
"I will! He saved my life!" There was shouts of protest from the other cohorts, Emily looked at Arabella of who rolled her eyes as the Romans protested. Even though the Romans were more warlike an the Greeks, the Romans can be so whiny at times. Whiny and warlike don't mix, so Emily stepped forward and walked down the street, as she did so that the cohorts fell silent till Emily stood in front of the Romans in plain sight. Emily glared at all of the Legionnaires that were gathered around, there times of where emily finds it hard to believe that they were more warlike than the Greeks.
"He might be a probatio, but he has a fair point, Percy saved him. Not only that but Percy carried Juno over the little Tiber. He used the river to destroy the two gorgons. Tell me than, who here can say hey and done that." No one said anything, they lowered their heads than Reyna did the stupidest thing and spoke up.
"Ambassador, like you said, he is a probatio. He hasn't even been claimed yet or even earned his first stripe." As soon as Reyna said that, that Emily turned to face Reyna. As soon as Emily turned to face Reyna that Reyna shrunk away from the death glare that Emily was giving her. Emily was about the only person that could make Reyna feel small, weakness and helpless or any Roman soldier. Partly because of her Hades powers or aura, for her her aura was on full blast and Emily, long ago perfected her death glare. The other part was because none of the Romans have no doubts that Emily wasn't a warrior, for they seen her in action before. She even managed to defeat Reyna and Jason at the same time a couple of times, the last time was shortly before they become praetors.
"Are you question a goddess?"
"No. But he is still a probatio."
"If you are so insist about this this I will stand up for him and ask the fifth cohort to take him." Emily glared at the Reyna as well as the Romans and Reyna looked at the fifth cohort, hoping that they would say or do something to get her out of the mess that she put herself into. Than Hazel stepped forward as well.
"If Emily's backing is not enough, I will stand up for Percy. For not only did he save Frank's life but he saved mine." Emily looked at Hazel with a bit surprised, she didn't expect anyone else to stand up for Percy. But than again that Nico and Emily assured Hazel that Percy was a good guy.
"Very well, Rachel Blackthrone and Hazel Levesque, you may stand for the recruit. Does your cohort accept him?" No one moved or said anything for a few moments till Frank pounded his shield against the ground, the others followed Frank's lead. Frank was looking at Emily and it was a grateful look, Emily knows that he tried to help Percy and stood up for him. That Frank was glad of the fact that Emily stood up for him as well as Hazel, from how the Romans treated Frank reminded Emily of when she was younger when Steve got best up a lot because of how small he was. Emily always tried to help Steve and protected as best as she could and he did the same for her, but he was struggled with protecting her as oppose to the other way around. Eve if Steve was the older brother, but than Emily was taken away and hue found each other after fourteen years. Emily dragged herself out of her thoughts as Dakota and Gwen looked at each other with pained looks. Emily knew what the fifth cohorts' reputation was like and she hoped with Percy in the cohort that they may restore their glory.
"My cohort has spoken. We accept the recruit."
"Congratulations, Percy Jackson. You 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 away from Percy before she went on after the cheer died die. "Centurions, you and your troops have one hour for dinner. 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!"
Emily walked back to where Nico, Percy and Arabella were as Reyna spoke. Emily knew that the third and fourth cohort would try to make he fifth cohort look foolish when they reached the games that night. There times of when Emily wanted to knock out every roman that there was when they made fun of the fifth cohort. After Reyna finished saying that a bigger cheer had went up for both the war games and for dinner. The five cohorts broke ranks and went to the mess hall. Just as Emily reached Nico and the others that one of the guards gave Percy his probatio nameplate before Percy strung it on his camp necklace. Emily noticed that Nico was beaming at Hazel as Emily, Percy, Nico, and Arabella made their way over to Hazel. Hazel seem surprised that Nico was beaming, Emily was smiling as well, Hazel seen Emily smile before but just not Nico, Emily figure that was why Hazel seem surprised as they made their way to her. "Good job, Sis. That took guts, standing for him."
"Thanks, Hazel, you too Rachel. Um, what exactly does it mean—your standing for me?"
"I guarantee your good behavior. I teach you the rules, answer your questions, make sure you don't disgrace the legion."
"And…if I do something wrong?"
"Then I get killed along with you. Hungry? Let's eat." As they walked to the mess hall that Emily spoke to Percy.
"Well it's unlikely they will kill you since it's both me and Hazel standing for you. The legion knows I am one of the more powerful demigods here as well as a warrior. I am also immortal but I can still be killed in battle. Besides that if they managed to kill me as well as Hazel that the legion would have one really really angry lord of the underworld on their tails. I can promise you that he would show no mercy to them more so that I am his heir. But still be careful though Percy, the roman way is a tough to follow at times more so at the start when you have been by yourself for a long time." Percy smiled slightly. The camp food was god but Emily still preferred her own food, but she still allowed the aurae to wait on her. Emily used her powers that Hestia gave to her to have the good taste of what Emily was used to, homemade. Emily got the meat stew that she makes at the cabin or during her time at camp before the war, Hazel got shrimp Gumbo but Percy got a cheeseburger and blue coke. Emily chuckled when she saw the blue drink, Emily would admit that she was surprised that the cheeseburger wasn't blue. Emily always figures that the blue thing has something to with his parents, or that was what Emily was going to assume. Percy noticed the odd look Hazel was giving him and he shrugged before Percy spoke
"This makes me happy, I don't know why…but it does." One of the auraes became visible, an elfish looking girl in a white silk dress, she giggled as she topped Percy's drink before disappearing in a gust. The mess hall was rather loud that night, it was usually noise but it was more so with the laughter echoing off the wall and the rustling of the banners. Emily was sitting at Hazel's table of which consist of Hazel and Frank as usual, there was also Nico, Arabella, Percy and Dakota. Emily figured that Dakota was only there to welcome the new recruit, Emily looked at Dakota wondering of how he managed to get inside and sit down. With the sunken state that Dakota was in hat it was a mystery, of course he was almost always in this state.
"So. Welcome to the Percy, party. Party, Percy. Whatever." Emily couldn't believe that Dakota could drunk with that Koop aid, of course he was a son of Bacchus, so it wasn't surprised if he has a drinking problem. Emily was surprised he didn't get drunk by drinking diet coke or diet Pepsi.
"Um, thanks." Than Percy looked at Emily, Arabella and Nico. "I was wondering if we could talk, you know…about where I might have seen you before."
"Sure. The thing is, I spend most of my time in the Underworld. So unless I met you there somehow—"
"Ambassador from Pluto, they call him. Reyna's never sure what to do with this guy when he visits. You should have seen her face when he showed up with Rachel and Arabella. Um, no offense."
"None taken. Dakota was really helpful, standing for Hazel."
"Yeah, well…She seemed like a good kid. Turned out I was right. Last month, when she saved me from, uh, you know."
"Oh, man! Percy, you should have seen her! That's how Hazel got her stripe. The unicorns decided to stampede—"
"It was nothing."
"Nothing? Dakota would've gotten trampled! You stood right in front of them, shooed them away, saved his hide. I've never seen anything like it." Emily smiled slightly, Emily could tell Hazel was uncomfortable with the way Frank was talking about her. Emily knew it was more of an embarrassment to Hazel than a heroic act in her eyes, Emily told her that she has to start somewhere even if it seems embarrassing. Emily knows of how Hazel did that, that act was something that Hazel didn't expect to make her a full member of the legion before she was there for a full year, it seems that Percy noticed Hazel studying Nico.
"Did you and Nico grow up together?" Nico was the one that spoke
"No, I found out that Hazel was my sister only recently. She's from New Orleans." Emily just told Hazel to say she was from New Orleans, but not to mention that she was from the past. Emily knows that it hasn't been easy for Hazel to get adjusted to this modern world, Jennifer helped Hazel with that. It was just like with Emily and Steve in the first few months that he woke up from after being in the ice for so long. But it is mostly Lauren that is teaching Steve the modern world though there is little for him to learn now. Emily has been helping Bucky with that and he was just as adjusted to this world as he was in he 1940s. Though Emily only needed to cover half of the things with Bucky as oppose with Steve, since Bucky was let out a few times
"There aren't many of us, so we have to stick together. When I found Hazel ... "
"You have other sisters?"
"I have five sisters besides Hazel. Jennifer, Rachel and Arabella are three of my other sisters. But my fifth sister is died. I saw her spirit a few times in the Underworld, except that the last time I went down there... She was gone. She used to be in Elysium ... like, the Underworld paradise ... but she chose to be reborn into a new life. Now I'll never see her again. I was just lucky to find Hazel…in New Orleans, I mean." Than Dakota spoke up.
"Unless you believe the rumors. Not saying that I do."
"Rumors?" Than from across the room that Don, a faun, yelled.
"Hazel!" Emily smiled as Don tried to make his way across the room, more than once Emily tried to have the praetors, past and present, to do something about the fauns instead of them being beggars. Emily was disgusted with how the Romans treated the fauns and how they were living as beggars just outside of New Rome and Camp Jupiter. It was unlike with Camp Halfblood of where the satyrs worked for the camp, Emily thought of asking Chiron to help but that wouldn't do her any good. For Chiron doesn't have any say in Camp Jupiter, not only that but he has no idea of where it was either. When Don managed to get to their table that he leaned over the chairs. "My favorite girl! Say, new kid, you going to eat that?"
"Aren't fauns vegetarian?"
"Not the cheeseburger, man! The plate! Hey…what's that smell?"
"Don! Don't be rude."
"No, man, I just ... " Just than the house god Vitellius shimmered into existence standing half embedded in Frank's couch.
"Fauns in the dining hall! What are we coming to? Centurion Dakota, do your duty!"
"I am, I'm having dinner!"
"Man, you've got an empathy link with a faun!" Percy leaned back from Don, Emily started to panic when Don said that. Emily was aware of Percy's empathy link with Grover but she din't expect anyone to notice it. There was a chance that a faun might have noticed but she hoped beyond hope that none of them would say anything about it.
"A what?"
"An empathy link! It's real faint, like somebody's suppressed it, but ... " Thankfully Nico stood up.
"I know what! Hazel, how about we give you and Frank time to get Percy oriented? Dakota and I can visit the praetor's table. Don and Vitellius, you come too. We can discuss strategies for the war games."
"Strategies for losing?"
"Death Boy is right! This legion fights worse than we did in Judea, and that was the first time we lost our eagle. Why, if I were in charge—"
"Could I just eat the silverware first?"
"Let's go!" Emily watched as Nico grabbed Don and Vitellius by their ears, other than Arabella and Emily, Nico was the only other one who could touch the lares.
"Ow! Man, watch the 'fro!"
"Come on, Dakota!" The centurion got up reluctantly and wiped his mouth of which was pointless since it was permanently stained red.
"Back soon." He shook himself, like a dog before he staggered away.
"What was that about? And what's wrong with Dakota?"
"He's okay. He's a son of Bacchus, the wine god. He's got a drinking problem."
"You let him drink wine?" Emily chuckled when Percy said that.
"Gods, no! That would be a disaster. He's addicted to red Kool-Aid. Drinks it with three times the normal sugar, and he's already ADHD—you know, attention deficit/hyperactive. One of these days, his head is going to explode." Emily looked over at the praetor's table, most of the senior officers were talking with Reyna. Nico and his captives stood just outside of the circle at the table while Dakota was running back and forth along a lone of stacked shields. He was banging his goblet on them like they were a xylophone.
"ADHD, You don't say." Hazel was trying to laugh as well as Emily. Hazel was doing a much better job that Emily was.
"Well…most demigods are. Or dyslexic. Just being a demigod means that our brains are wired differently. Like you—you said you had trouble reading."
"Are you guys that way too?"
"I don't know. Maybe. Back in my day, they just called kids like us 'lazy.'"
"Back in your day?"
"I wish I was ADHD or dyslexic. All I got is lactose intolerance."
"Seriously?" Emily smiled slightly as Frank's shoulders slumped, Frank was one of the few other Romans that didn't seem fully roman. However Frank hadn't been here long and she doesn't know him as well as Hazel. Emily knows that Frank and Hazel heard this, of which was Emily never brought up, that they would be a good couple since they fit so perfectly with each other.
"And I love ice cream, too.…" Percy laughed, Arabella, Jennifer and Hazel joined in the laughing as well, Frank did also join in after a few moments. Emily felt like she was back at the bar with the howling commandos when they were not doing missions or going against HYDRA. The only things missing was beers, music and dancing, there are times when all the howling commandos get together and do that now a days. But it was mostly at Emily's cabin and that is the one reason she still keeps the cabin up now a days for meeting up with the howling commandos. For the cabin became the new base for the howling commandos now that Emily moved into the tower. But they still, at times, go to that one bar and do what they did in the war, Arabella would join them since Emily told Arabella about the bar as well as showed it to her and taught we her the different drinking games that the howling commandos played.
"Okay, so tell me, why is it bad to be in the Fifth Cohort? You guys are great."
"It's…complicated. Aside from being Pluto's kid, I want to ride horses."
"That's why you use a cavalry sword?"
"It's stupid, I guess. Wishful thinking. There's only one pegasus at camp—Reyna's. The unicorns are just kept for medicine, because the shavings off their horns cure poison and stuff. Anyway, Roman fighting is always done on foot. Cavalry…they kind of look down on that. So they look down on me."
"Their loss. What about you, Frank?"
"Archery. They don't like that either, unless you're a child of Apollo. Then you've got an excuse. I hope my dad is Apollo, but I don't know. I can't do poetry very well. And I'm not sure I want to be related to Octavian."
"Can't blame you. But you're excellent with the bow—the way you pegged those gorgons? Forget what other people think." Frank's face turned as red as Dakota's kool-aid,
"Wish I could. They all think I should be a sword fighter because I'm big and bulky. They say I'm too stocky for an archer. Maybe if my dad would ever claim me…" Percy looked over at Arabella and Jennifer, Arabella had spoke first.
"Acutely, I not part of the legion, I spend most of my time in the underworld with Rachel and Nico." Than Jennifer spoke.
"I was mainly put in the Fifth cohort because I am also a daughter of Pluto. I am sure that you heard that children of Pluto are bad luck." Than Percy looked at Emily.
"I was in fifth cohort. However that was before the bad reputation started. After leaving camp that I fought in World War II before I become immortal. Back than the Fifth Cohort was the best." After that, that they ate in silence for a few minutes. Emily could relate of how it felt not to be claimed by your godly parent, it had took two weeks for her mother to claim her. She knows Percy could relate even though he couldn't remember and Hazel could relate as well.
"You asked about the Fifth. Why it's the worst cohort. That actually started way before us, at least for myself, Jennifer and Frank." Hazel pointed to the back wall where the legion's standards were.
"See the empty pole in the middle?"
"The eagle." Emily raised an eyebrow when Percy said that, it was amusing at times he will say something stupid but than he will say something unexpected and smart. Hazel was stunned when Percy said that.
"How'd you know?"
"Vitellius was talking about how the legion lost its eagle a long time ago—the first time, he said. He acted like it was a huge disgrace. I'm guessing that's what's missing. And from the way you and Reyna were talking earlier, I'm guessing your eagle got lost a second time, more recently, and it had something to do with the Fifth Cohort."
"You're right. That's exactly what happened."
"So what is this eagle, anyway? Why is it a big deal?" Frank looked around as he looked around that Frank spoke in a whisper. So that the ones at the table were the only ones that could only hear.
"It's the symbol of the whole camp—a big eagle made of gold. It's supposed to protect us in battle and make our enemies afraid. Each legion's eagle gave it all sorts of power, and ours came from Jupiter himself. Supposedly Julius Caesar nicknamed our legion 'Fulminata'—armed with lightning—because of what the eagle could do."
"I don't like lightning."
"Yeah, well, it didn't make us invincible. The Twelfth lost its eagle the first time way back in ancient days, during the Jewish Rebellion."
"I think I saw a movie like that."
"Could be. There have been lots of books and movies about legions losing their eagles. Unfortunately it happened quite a few times. The eagle was so important…well, archaeologists have never recovered a single eagle from ancient Rome. Each legion guarded theirs to the last man, because it was charged with power from the gods. They'd rather hide it or melt it down than surrender it to an enemy. The Twelfth was lucky the first time. We got our eagle back. But the second time…"
"You guys were there?"
"I'm almost as new as you. Just got here last month. But everyone's heard the story. It's bad luck to even talk about this. There was this huge expedition to Alaska back in the eighties.…" Emily went on.
"I am sure you notice that prophecy, the prophecy of the eight and the doors of death? The senior praetor, at the time, was Michael Varus, from the fifth cohort. It was during this time that the fifth cohort was the best and had been for many years. Foolishly, he thought he could figure out the prophecy of the eight and make it come true and safe the world from storm and fire. He spoke with the augur at that time and the augur said that the answer was in Alaska. The augur had warned Michael that it wasn't time for the prophecy of the eight and that it wasn't for him."
"But he went anyway. What happened?" Emily lowered her voice and went on.
"Long, gruesome story. Almost the entire Fifth Cohort was wiped out. Most of legion's Imperial gold weapons were lost, along with the eagle. The survivors went crazy or refused to talk about what had attacked them. Since the eagle was lost, the camp has been getting weaker. Quests are more dangerous. Monsters attack the borders more often. Morale is lower. The last month or so, things have been getting much worse, much faster. This happened after I left the camp, I was present when the augur warned Michael about it wasn't time for that prophecy and wasn't for him. But I wasn't present when the eagle was lost."
"And the Fifth Cohort took the blame. So now everyone thinks we're cursed." Hazel took a sip of a her gumbo before she spoke.
"We've been the outcasts of the legion since…well, since the Alaska disaster. Our reputation got better when Jason became praetor ... " Emily sighed when Hazel brought up Jason, the romans know he was safe, but that was all she told them about Jason. She never told the romans of where Jason was and how close he was of coming to Camp Jupiter.
"The kid who's missing?"
"Yeah, I never met him. Before my time. But I hear he was a good leader. He practically grew up in the Fifth Cohort. He didn't care what people thought about us. He started to rebuild our reputation. Then he disappeared."
"Which put us back at square one. Made us look cursed all over again. I'm sorry, Percy. Now you know what you've gotten yourself into." Percy sipped his blue soda and gazed thoughtfully across the dinning hall, Emily wondered if there was anything he could remember.
"I don't even know where I come from…but I've got a feeling this isn't the first time I've been an underdog. Besides, joining the legion is better than being chased through the wilderness by monsters. I've got myself some new friends. Maybe together we can turn things around for the Fifth Cohort, huh?" A horn blew at the end of the hall, the officers got to their feet, even Dakota of which was surprising considering his state.
"The games begin!" The campers cheered before rushed to collect their equipment.
"So we're the attacking team?Is that good?"
"Good news: we get the elephant. Bad news—"
"Let me guess. The Fifth Cohort always loses." Frank slapped Percy on the shoulder as Emily and Arabella got up from where they were sitting.
"I love this guy. Come on, new friend. Let's go chalk up my thirteenth defeat in a row!"