Chapter 19 - Romans Revealed

The next three days seemed to last an eternity.

Luke stayed by Annabeth's side whenever he could, casting humour on the situation at every opportunity. Campers passed to share rumours and hopes regarding Percy's whereabouts, and Kronos' absence was worrying for everyone. All of them knew what he could do to get what he wanted.

It was when Annabeth got a dream-message from Hera telling her to go to the Grand Canyon that everything kicked off.

Jason, Leo and Piper.

Three demigod enigmas who were supposed to know where Percy was, but whom knew nothing. And then there was Jason getting the Greek gods mixed up with the Roman. Honestly, Annabeth didn't know what to do other than send Jason to Chiron and hope that the old centaur knew what was going on.

Luke wasn't taking his eyes off Jason though. He looked like he was ready to attack the un-known alpha for even stepping foot into the Camp.

"I don't trust him," Luke said fiercely. "He's hiding something." He glanced down at Annabeth. "I'm going to see if I can contact Kronos again."

And the ever-loyal demigod trotted off to find a convenient hose to make a rainbow with.

"Come on," Annabeth said to Piper. "Let me show you around."

Everything was going well until Rachel was possessed and knocked Piper out. Annabeth and the Oracle rushed the unconscious demigod into the Big House in the hope that Chiron would know what to do.

Just was they were starting to get somewhere, there was a pounding on the porch outside and a slamming of doors. Luke barrelled into the room, taking a brief glance towards Piper before fixing his gaze on Jason. "I got through to him," the alpha said curtly, not looking away from Jason as he spoke to Chiron. "Kronos said he'd fly over."

Jason frowned slightly at Luke. "Do I know you?" He questioned. "You look like you know me."

Luke's nose crinkled in distaste. "Yeah. I know you. I guess your memory really has gone if you don't remember." He nodded stiffly to Annabeth, Chiron and Rachel. "I'd better get ready for the campfire," he said sourly.

Annabeth's gaze flicked between Luke and Jason. "Luke, how do you know him?"

Luke just snorted. "See you later, Annie."

The beta bristled. "Don't call me Annie," she snapped at his back.

Jason frowned after the son of Hermes. "What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know," Annabeth admitted with a scowl.

She didn't at the time, though it became incredibly clear when Kronos graced them with his presence during the campfire, almost immediately after Jason's lightning trick with the javelin and Chiron proclaiming him the son of Zeus.

Jason's lightning was overshadowed by Kronos' arrival through the camp boundaries, burning through them as if they were nothing. He landed across the campfire from Jason in a cloud of dust and his wings crept back into his shoulders.

He looked different, Annabeth noted. He looked like the immortal version of a mortal running on nothing but fumes, haggard and worn. Annabeth suspected that he hadn't stopped looking for his wayward alpha over the past three days.

But the omega Titan took one look at Jason before falling still.

"Ah, shit," Luke muttered from next to Annabeth. "Not good."

"Jason Grace," Kronos seethed, looking utterly furious as he drew himself up.

"Wait a minute," Annabeth quickly said, "Grace? As in Thalia Grace?"

"You know who I am?" Jason asked curiously. Apparently the alpha demigod was either stupid or brave to not consider a Titan – even an omega – a danger.

Kronos growled, starting to stalk around the campfire towards the demigod – looking every bit the deadly predator that he was. "You think I could ever forget you and your Roman friends?" He snapped.

"Kronos!" Chiron exclaimed in shock and horror. Annabeth had the sudden feeling that Kronos had just revealed something that was supposed to be a secret, something that Chiron never wanted them to know.

"What?" Kronos snapped back at the centaur. "I'm not playing along with this secrecy. I am sworn to no oath."

"This is not for them to know," Chiron warned.

"What isn't for us to know?" Annabeth demanded sharply.

"Annabeth-"

Annabeth ignored Chiron, turning to Kronos the same as every other demigod present.

"How do you know me?" Jason repeated.

"Kronos-"

Kronos cast a glance of amusement towards Chiron before speaking. "It would be foolish of me to forget one of my brother's killers." He stepped towards Jason, suddenly angry again. "The infamous slayer of Krios," he announced, whipping around with a laugh. "Oh how proud you must have been to have killed a Titan! You see, mongrels," the ancient immortal drawled. "This boy is a Roman. But not just any Roman – no." He trembled slightly in a visible attempt at withholding his anger. "He is the Roman who destroyed my throne." Kronos growled, looking ready to rip the demigod before him apart. "While you were defending Olympus from me, the Roman war machine marched up Othrys and assaulted us."

There was complete silence for several seconds, before the demigods erupted. "Romans?" Annabeth demanded. "How is that possible?"

Kronos glowered at Jason. "When Greece fell to Rome, Romans took the goods and changed them. Began worshipping different aspects. Athena became Minerva the goddess of wisdom and crafts, losing her domain of war and becoming nothing but a goddess of handicrafts. All of the gods became more warlike, more disciplined. War became more refined than the standard Greek chaos, more organised."

Annabeth realised that Kronos' hatred of Jason extended to all Romans, and it was undoubtedly personal. "And you?" Kronos' eyes narrowed. "It seems personal with you," Annabeth explained. "If the gods changed, what about you?"

Jason suddenly frowned. "Saturn?" He asked, looking completely confused.

Kronos flickered before returning with a sharp glare. "Kronos," he corrected with a fierce snarl.

Luke coughed. "Maybe just call him Kronos," he suggested. "For good reason."

"You knew?" Annabeth demanded. "You knew about the Romans and you didn't say anything?"

Luke frowned. "Of course I knew," he said, looking briefly wary of Annabeth's frustration. "Kronos told me years ago. He told every recruit, since Camp Jupiter isn't too far from Othrys we all had to be aware of them. And he had a few Romans recruited too, though they were very quickly indoctrinated in the Greek ways before they started being too annoying for Kronos."

Kronos sighed. "The myth of Saturn ends on a slightly more positive note than mine," Kronos said.

Annabeth crossed her arms, aware that every other demigod was listening too. "And?" She prompted.

"In the Roman's era a son of Jupiter – Zeus – decided to mock me by starting a rumour. He claimed that I had not been sent to Tartarus, but instead to Italy." Kronos trailed a hand through the flames of the campfire, the colour a bright orange. "Dethroned and fugitive, I nevertheless brought agriculture and civilisation to Italy, and Laws and – apparently – another Golden Age. As things tend to occur, the rumour spread and Saturn was created. A god, not a Titan. A god enslaved and only released from his bindings on Saturnalia," Kronos snapped, whipping back around to face Jason. "And you wonder why I hate them."

Luke hummed. "Yes, well. We have a lead on Percy now at least. If Jason Grace, son of Jupiter and Praetor of the Twelve Legion, is here. Then Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, and Leader of Camp Half-Blood is-"

"In Camp Jupiter," Kronos finished, his expression souring. "When I get my hands on Hera she'll wish I never met her mother," he growled furiously.

"Actually," Annabeth said, "we think we know where she is now. Or, at least, where she isn't. She's been taken by something."

Kronos' lips twitched up slightly. "She has?" He murmured. "How… satisfying."

"You wouldn't know anything about that, would you, Kronos?" Chiron asked, finally speaking up since Kronos had decided to reveal Olympus' best-kept secret since the American Civil War. "Where Hera is?"

"No. Why would I know that?"

"You aren't exactly in the same circles as the gods. Perhaps one of your friends has heard a rumour."

Kronos merely smiled. "And even if I had heard anything, I wouldn't say. Hera deserves to spend this time wherever she is. It'll be my revenge for her taking Percy from me." The Titan's lips twitched into a smirk. "I have done what I'm here for," he mused. "I hope your quest leads you to Percy," he said.

"Wait – you're not going to find him yourself?" Annabeth demanded.

Kronos shrugged. "No," he said. "Why should I? I'll sit back and watch the explosion that always occurs whenever Romans and Greek try to work together. I'm interested to see what the gods intend to make from this chaos."

"But Grace?" Annabeth prompted. "As in Thalia Grace?"

Jason frowned. "Thalia?"

The Titan smirked. "Exactly like Thalia Grace. They're full-blooded siblings."

"But… she never told me," Annabeth murmured.

Kronos shrugged. "Of course not. Why would she? You're not that close."

Annabeth bristled. "What do you mean?"

"Kronos," Chiron said tiredly. "I think you should go. You've done enough damage."

The omega chuckled. "Yes, of course." He hummed as he held a hand out to Luke. "Castellan, come with me?"

Luke leapt forward eagerly. "Yes, sir."

"Wait a minute," Annabeth quickly said as she started forward, but by the campfire Rachel suddenly swooned.

Kronos' gaze flicked towards the Oracle as his wings grew out. "Have fun on your quest, mongrels," he said before he leapt into the sky with a screaming alpha demigod hanging onto him.

Annabeth wanted to scream after the two, but knew that it wouldn't do anything. "Chiron-"

"Child of lightning, beware the earth,
The giants' revenge the seven shall birth,
The forge and dove shall break the cage,
And death unleash through Hera's rage."

The giants' revenge… Annabeth frowned slightly at Chiron, wanting to speak to him but not wanting to terrify the demigods.

"Is that normal?" Piper questioned. "Does she usually spew green smoke?"


Well. Congratulations, Kronos. You have caused chaos! xD. So TLH will pretty much continue as it does in the book, until the Wolf House. So I'm just going to skip all of the boring-canony-stuff and just go straight to the Wolf House next chapter, because all of us knows what happens in TLH.

ghostfall: Yeah, I've been off work the last 3 days because of my results day. So I've had lots of time to write. Yes, never piss off an omega.

AgitatedDog9288: Yup. He's mad.