Welcome to Gloria Regali!

This story is based off of the Heroes of Olympus book series. I've made many attempts to write a story for the Riordan-verse in the past, but I've always failed. Hopefully, this time I will have written it well and done it justice.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Riordan-Verse characters. Only the OCs included are mine and any original plots.

The Son of Neptune

( I )

As Malcolm stared into his reflection in the mirror with smoky gray eyes, he could not help but feel the familiar coil of misery tighten around his waist. His curly dark hair was swept back away from his face, revealing three scars that ran diagonally down his face. His imperial gold armor was decorated with countless medals to signify all his achievements, though the greatest of them hung from his shoulders. A purple cloak that seemed to glitter under the streaks of sunlight that peeked through the open curtains.

If one were to look at him now, they would never believe that he had once been an exuberant and joyous youth. They would never believe that he was a demigod who strove for victory, a warrior who trained until he dropped, a boy who would grit his teeth and fight tooth and nail to reach his ambitions which were as vast as the sky itself. There was a time he had been fury, chaos, havoc incarnate. That time had long since passed. Tragedy, stress, weariness...Malcolm had burned in the flames of tribulations that all demigods face sooner or later and arose a young man, sullen and cold and distrusting of nature.

It had been a slow change, one that started during the war against the Titan King Saturn and his ilk and finally culminating just six months ago with the disappearance of the former Praetor and his best friend, Jason Grace.

The Son of Jupiter had always been his better in every sense of the word. Kinder, braver, stronger, a true leader. To say that Malcolm had not been jealous would have been a lie; he wanted to hate him for it. Unfortunately, he never could. Jason was perhaps the most humble demigod that he had ever met. He never made an attempt to hold his accomplishments over Malcolm's head, something the scarred demigod knew that he would have done had the roles been reversed. It was impossible not to like him. It was during a particularly bloody game of Siege, Malcolm finally acknowledged him as a friend. After that, they were rarely seen apart. Until, of course, he had been found missing from his bed one morning in the days following the Battle of Mount Othrys.

Camp Jupiter had almost fallen into anarchy following the Son of Jupiter's disappearance. Legionnaires panicked and searched high and low for five whole months. Malcolm, more often than naught, found himself leading those searches, desperate to find his best friend. Unfortunately, they turned up empty. If that wasn't bad enough, the Senate decided that – while they would continue the search – they could not leave the seat of Praetor empty for too long. Thus, after weeks of migraine-inducing arguments and potential candidates being thrown left and right, they finally settled on whom they thought was the best possible choice: Malcolm Hawker.

Most in his shoes would have seen it as an honor. Perhaps, at a time, he would have as well. But now, he could only see it as a curse. A constant reminder that his best friend, his brother, was gone. He had wanted to refuse it so badly, but he didn't. He knew what would happen if he denied the seat: Octavian – the runner up candidate – would have taken it instead and if that were to happen, the camp would fall to pieces within days. Maybe even hours. What's more, the Augur would have made Reyna's life a living hell and Malcolm would let himself be run over by a stampeding horde of centaurs before letting that happen. Reyna had been through more than enough. She didn't need a little weasel making her life any harder.

Speaking of the devil...

"It suits you. Praetorship, I mean." A voice commented from his doorway and Malcolm turned his head to see Reyna leaning against his doorframe, her black hair tumbling past her shoulders and a weary look in her glittering obsidian eyes. Her gaze swept over his room, taking note of the bare walls, before returning back onto him, a glint present within them. The only pieces of furniture he had were his bed, a desk and a chair, and a bookshelf.

"I don't want to get too comfortable." Malcolm answered her unspoken question, trying to ignore the tightening in his chest as he set his pale green eyes on her. "These are Jason's quarters, not mine and I reckon when he returns, he will need them back."

"I have a feeling he won't. He never wanted to become Praetor in the first place, it was thrust on him." The Daughter of Bellona said drily as she ventured further into the room. As always, she was followed closely by her faithful and loyal companions, Aurum and Argentum.

Malcolm eyed the gold and silver dogs with a hint of jealousy present in his pale green eyes. Reyna had been gifted the two pups by Vulcan, the God of the Forge, after she and Malcolm went on a quest for him. The scarred demigod would be lying if he said he wasn't jealous that she had gotten the puppy treatment. Sure he had been given an assortment of wicked weapons but he would have been far happier had he received a pair of dogs to cuddle with.

"Do you ever wonder if he's still out there? If he's still alive?" Reyna questioned as she came to a stop in front of him, a mere few feet being the distance that separated the two.

"He is alive, Rae." Malcolm stressed his words out, turning to look at his fellow Praetor. "Until I see a body, I'm not giving up."

Reyna pursed her lips but said nothing. Over the course of her stay in Camp Jupiter, she had perfected the art of maintaining a stony front and keeping her guard up at all times. But Malcolm knew her. Not so much about her past, but he knew her character. He knew what thoughts were running around in her head; he knew what made her tic. He could see things about her that she refused to show anyone else in Camp Jupiter.

And right now, he could see how vulnerable and scared she was. Not just for the fate of the Son of Jupiter but also for the fate of the camp. Of New Rome. After all, before he had taken up the empty mantle, Reyna had been running the entire camp on her own, shouldering a burden meant for two. The amount of stress she would have likely been under was something he couldn't even begin to fathom.

The scarred demigod reached one hand out and placed it on the black-haired girl's right shoulder. "You know, you aren't dealing with all this shit alone anymore, right? I...I know I wasn't there for you all those months I was looking for Jason, but I'm here now, Rae. A little late, I know but..."

"Better late than never." Reyna finished his sentence, shaking her head slightly. A ghost of a smile appeared on her face as she glanced up at him, obsidian black meeting smoky grey. "Thank you, Mal. I...appreciate your support."

The scarred demigod opened his mouth to respond to her words – preferably with a witty remark or a smart-aleck quip – but before a single word could leave his lips, the sounds of commotion reached their ears. The two Roman demigods exchanged a look of confusion before they gathered themselves and rushed out of the Principia. Outside they found a sea of campers clad in golden armor charging towards the Decumanian Gate.

Malcolm growled as he took the lead, shouldering legionnaires to a side roughly with Reyna stalking close behind him. Once he and his dark haired friend reached the front of the crowd, they found themselves met with a rather peculiar sight.

Out on the banks of the Little Tiber stood a raven-hared teen his age next to Hazel Levesque, a legionnaire of the Fifth Cohort and the Daughter of Pluto as well as an old woman. But that wasn't what had grabbed his attention. No, high in the air over the waters of the river, Frank Zhang – a demigod on probation – was being manhandled by a pair of...

"Gorgons." Malcolm whispered his smoky grey eyes widening in shock as he watched the infamous sisters of Medusa lift the buff boy higher and higher into the air, relishing in the screams he let out.

"Malcolm!" Reyna shouted and the scarred demigod gave a nod before immediately leaping into action. He clicked his imperial gold boots together and, through the magic imbued in them by Vulcan, a pair golden wings sprouted from his ankles. The wings twitched twice as if getting a feel for the environment around them before they sprung into being and began flapping while lifting him into the air.

The demigods hanging around only just noticed their Praetor and began whispering amongst themselves though Malcolm paid them no mind. Keeping his eyes trained on the gorgons in front of him, he twisted the wolf ring on his right finger and a seven foot long javelin materialized in his hand. He brandished the weapon in his hands before he bent his knees and sprung forwards, gliding through the air until he reached them.

By the time the sisters of Medusa had noticed him, he had already let out a roar of effort and plunged the tip of his javelin into one of the sister's chest, forcing her to let go of the unclaimed demigod and throwing her back. The gorgon shrieked in fury as Malcolm grabbed her by her snake hair and drove his weapon further through her chest. The gorgon gasped as the scarred demigod stared into her serpentine eyes without fear before wrenching the Imperial Gold javelin out of her chest and pushing her away. By the time the monster reached the waters of the Little Tiber, she had already vaporized into dust.

The campers began to cheer for his victory but he had no time to join in as an agonized wail reached his ears and he whirled around, batting away the second gorgon with his javelin. The monster hissed at him as she regained her bearings and prepared to lunge at him again in a fury but before she could, a large watery hand raised over her and slammed her into the water below.

Malcolm flew back and watched in stunned awe as the raven haired boy manipulated the Little Tiber as if it were a weapon. The boy let out a grunt as he made a smashing gesture with his hand and slammed the second gorgon into the water hard. As soon as the remaining monster hit the bottom, she broke into dust and struggled to reform, but the Little Tiber pulled her apart like a blender. The first gorgon that Malcolm had dispatched had been met with the same fate after she tried to reform herself. Soon, every trace of the monsters was swept downstream. The whirlpools in the waters vanished and the current returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.

The young Praetor kept a narrowed stare trained on the mystery demigod as his winged shoes brought him back down to the earth, the golden wings receding into the ankle pockets as soon as his feet touched the ground. He could hear the sloshing of water behind him as Frank Zhang was helped out of the Little Tiber by Hazel but he kept his eyes trained on the raven haired boy who was looking confused and disoriented.

A light-hearted chuckle from the old woman who had accompanied the boy suddenly sounded throughout the area, breaking the silence that had fallen. "Well, that was a lovely trip. Thank you, Percy Jackson, for bringing me to Camp Jupiter."

"Percy...Jackson?" Malcolm blinked as he heard someone choke out the boy's name and turned his head to the right, just in time to see Reyna break through the front of the crowd, her obsidian eyes widened in shock. The scarred demigod frowned at her, taking in her horrified expression. She appeared as if she recognized the kid and the memory was anything but pleasant.

The old lady threw her head back and laughed with delight. "Oh, yes. You'll have such fun together!"

Then, before their very eyes, the woman began to glow and change form. Malcolm's breath hitched in his throat as he stepped back slightly, clenching his right hand tightly around his javelin, as he watched the old lady grow until she was a shining seven-foot tall goddess in a blue dress, with a cloak that looked like goat's skin draped over her shoulders. Her face was stern and stately and in her left hand, she held a staff which was topped with a lotus flower.

"Juno." Hazel voiced out loud, breaking the stunned silence.

Malcolm was the first to kneel before the goddess, his weapon returning to its ring form. He was quickly followed by Reyna and then the rest of the campers. One kid got down so hastily, he almost impaled himself with his own spear. The only one who was still standing was the raven haired boy – Percy Jackson. Instead, he directed a narrow stare the goddess' way.

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

There was a moment of silence and Malcolm couldn't help but wonder how exactly the Queen of the Gods would go about murdering the mysterious demigod. Maybe she'd curse him as she did Hercules. Or turn him into a cow and throw him to a pack of hungry wolves. Or perhaps, she would simply smite him out of existence using her godly wrath.

She did none of those things, however. Instead, Juno simply smiled at the boy. "In time, Percy Jackson, if you succeed here at camp. You've done well today, which is a good start. Perhaps there's hope for you yet." She then turned to the congregated campers. "Romans, I present to you the son of Neptune. For months, he has been slumbering, but now he is awake. His 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 with her piece said, Juno's form began to glow with all kinds of different colors before she vanished in a shimmer of light. As the campers all rose to their feet once more, Malcolm exchanged looks with Reyna before both of them turned to face the raven haired boy in unison. Reyna made the first move and took a step closer to Percy.

"So..." She began coldly. "...a son of Neptune, who comes to us with the blessing of Juno."

Percy blinked. "Look, my memory's a little fuzzy. Um, it's gone, actually. Do I know you?"

For a split second, Reyna seemed to hesitate before she spoke. "I am Reyna, Praetor of the Twelfth Legion. And no, I don't know you."

As Percy continued to stare at the female Praetor and then his surroundings in confusion, Malcolm quietly moved over to Reyna's side. He didn't know why the daughter of Bellona was lying about knowing the kid, but he was sure she had her reasons. He knew that she would fill Malcolm in eventually. In the meantime, they had other – more serious and urgent – matters to deal with.

"Hazel," Reyna called out to the girl who immediately snapped to attention. "bring him inside. Malcolm and I will question him at the principia. Then we'll send him to Octavian." The scarred demigod had to resist the urge not to gag when Reyna uttered the little weasel's name. "We have to consult the auguries before we decide what to do with him."

"I'm sorry, decide what to do with me?" Percy frowned, looking back at her. "The hell do you mean by that?"

It was Malcolm who answered his question, lifting his chin as he stared intently at the kid. "Before we accept anyone into camp, we have to interrogate them and read the auguries. Juno said that your fate is in our hands. We have to know whether the goddess has brought us a new recruit..."

"Or..." Reyna interjected more hopefully. "...if she's brought us an enemy to kill."

No matter how many times Malcolm walked into the principia, the magnificent sight he would be met with never failed to take his breath away.

On the ceiling glittered a mosaic of Romulus and Remus nestled under the Wolf Goddess Lupa. The floor was built of polished marble and the walls were draped in velvet. Along the back wall stood a display of banners and wooden poles studded with bronze medals. And finally, in the center of the large spacious room was an empty display stand. Malcolm felt shame and anger well up inside him every time he looked at the place where the Twelfth Legion's pride and joy – the Golden Eagle – was supposed to be propped up.

Tearing his eyes away from the empty display stand, the scarred demigod made his way over to one of the two high-backed chairs standing behind a long wooden table. Aurum and Argentum were dutifully flanked on either of side of table and Malcolm brushed his fingers over the silver greyhound's head before he sunk into his seat. Reyna took a seat in the chair next to him before they both directed all their attention to the Son of Neptune and Hazel.

Percy cleared his throat. "So..."

Instantly, Aurum and Argentum bared their razor sharp teeth at him and began spitting out a series of snarls and growls. The raven haired boy instantly froze and eyed the two automatons warily.

"Easy, guys." Reyna commanded her loyal companions and they stopped growling but still eyes Percy as if he were a tasty KFC meal. "They won't attack unless you try to steal something or unless I tell them to. That's Argentum..." She gestured to the greyhound on the left and then nodded to the one on the right. "...and this is Aurum."

"Silver and Gold." Percy stated almost robotically and then blinked as if he was confused as to how he knew that. Pursing his lips, the Son of Neptune stared at Reyna calculatingly. "You and I, we have met before. I don't remember when. Please, if you can tell me anything—"

"First things first," Reyna held up her hand and instantly silenced him. "I want to hear your story. What do you remember? How did you get here? And don't lie. My dogs don't like liars."

Percy inhaled deeply before he began to recount his tale. He told them about how he had woken up at the ruined mansion – the Wolf House – in the woods of Sonoma. He described his time with Lupa and her pack, learning their language of gestures and expressions, learning how to fight and survive. It was the normal story for a majority of the demigods who were accepted into Camp Jupiter. But there was one part of his story that Malcolm found out of the ordinary.

"No memory at all? You still remember nothing?" The scarred demigod questioned.

"Fuzzy bits and pieces." Percy replied as he glanced at the greyhounds as if he was scared how they'd react. Malcolm narrowed his eyes; he was withholding information, there was no doubt about it. The raven haired boy then turned his attention to him. "I'm sorry, I don't know who you are."

Malcolm blinked before letting out a sigh. "Right, I never introduced myself. My name is Malcolm Hawker and like Reyna, I am a Praetor of the Twelfth Legion."

Percy nodded thoughtfully. "Right. So I guess you two are in charge of deciding my fate?"

"That depends on how this conversation goes." The scarred demigod replied with a shrug.

Reyna spun her dagger. "Most of what you're describing is normal for demigods. At a certain age, one way or another, we find our way to the Wolf House. We're tested and trained. If Lupa thinks we're worthy, she sends us south to join the Legion. But I've never heard of someone losing his memory. How did you find Camp Jupiter?"

Percy told them about everything that had gone down during the last three days – the gorgons who wouldn't die, the old lady who turned out to be a goddess, and finally meeting Hazel and Frank at the tunnel in the hill. Hazel took the story from there, describing Percy as being heroic and brave which visibly made him feel uncomfortable.

Malcolm studied him carefully. "How old are you, Percy?"

The raven haired boy frowned, his eyebrows knitted together. "Um...sixteen, I think."

"That's...old for a new recruit." Reyna muttered. "If you spent that many years on your own, without training or help, you should be dead. A Son of Neptune? You'd have a powerful aura that would attract all kinds of monsters."

"Yeah, I've been told I smell." Percy said sarcastically.

Malcolm snorted at his remark and even Reyna almost cracked a smile.

"You must have been somewhere before the Wolf House." The scarred demigod stated.

Percy shrugged. "Probably. But like I said, I don't remember anything."

Reyna sighed. "Well, the dogs haven't eaten you so I suppose you're telling the truth."

"Great. Next time, can I take a polygraph?"

Malcolm watched with slight worry as the Daughter of Bellona stood up and began pacing in front of the banners, an agitated look on her face.

"Even if I accept that you're not an enemy," Reyna started to rant, "you're not a typical recruit, either. The Queen of Olympus simply doesn't appear at camp, announcing a new demigod. The last time a major god visited us in person like that..." She shook her head. "I've only heard legends about such things. And a Son of Neptune...that's not a good omen. Especially now."

"What's wrong with Neptune?" Percy inquired, sounding offended. "And what do you mean, especially now?"

Malcolm leaned forward in his seat, placing his arms on the table. "Percy, you've fought Medusa's sisters – who haven't been seen in thousands of years. You've agitated our Lares, who are calling you a graecus."

"And you wear strange symbols." Reyna picked up where her fellow Praetor left off. "That shirt, the beads on your necklace...what do they mean?"

The scarred demigod had not paid much attention to raven haired boy's accessories and clothing but now that Reyna had mentioned it, he had to admit that they did seem strange and out of place. His shirt clearly had something written on it but the words were too faded to read. As for the necklace, he noticed that the four clay beads hanging from the thread were each decorated with a different symbol. One showed a trident. Another displayed a miniature Golden Fleece. The third was etched with the design of a maze, and the last had an image of what looked like the Empire State Building. That thought didn't sit well with Malcolm. Romans had always avoided the East like the plague. It had always been synonymized with Greece.

"I don't know." Percy finally said after a moment of silent pondering.

"And your sword?" Reyna questioned.

Malcolm blinked as he watched the dark haired boy hesitantly pull out what appeared to be a regular ballpoint pen. But then he uncapped it and a glittering bronze, leaf-shaped and double-edged sword sprang to full form in his hands. Malcolm's breath hitched in his throat and his eyes widened as the greyhounds began barking apprehensively.

"What is that?" Hazel asked in amazement. "I've never seen a sword like that."

"I have." Reyna said darkly. "It's very old – a Greek design. We used to have a few in the armory before..." She stopped herself. "The metal is called Celestial Bronze. It's deadly to monsters, like Imperial Gold, but even rarer."

Percy frowned in confusion. "Imperial Gold?"

Malcolm stood up as well and twisted his wolf ring. Immediately, his gleaming golden spear materialized in his hands and he brandished it for the raven haired boy to see. "The metal was consecrated in ancient times, at the Pantheon in Rome. Its existence was a closely guarded secret of the emperors – a way for their champions to slay monsters that threatened the empire. We used to have more weapons like this, but now...well, we scrape by. I use this spear. Hazel has a spatha, a cavalry sword, and Reyna uses a dagger. Most legionnaires use a shorter sword called a gladius."

"But that weapon of yours is not Roman at all." The Daughter of Bellona remarked. "It's another sign you're not a typical demigod. And your arm..."

"What about it?" Percy asked.

Malcolm tapped the tip of his spear against the wooden table and it reverted to ring form before he unlatched his golden armguard and revealed his forearm to Percy at the same time Reyna did. Whereas they both had the letters S.P.Q.R. tattooed on their forearms, Malcolm had the image of a caduceus emblazoned on his skin with five parallel black marks underneath while Reyna had the symbol of a crossed sword and a torch and under that, four black score marks.

"We all have them." Hazel explained as Percy glanced at her. The Daughter of Pluto put her own tattoo on display for the dark haired boy to see. "All full members of the Legion do."

"Your arm is bare." Reyna pointed out. "Which means you've never been a member of the Legion. These marks can't be removed."

Hazel leaned forwards excitedly. "If he's survived as a loner all this time, maybe he's seen Jason." She turned to Percy. "Have you ever met a demigod like us before? A guy in a purple shirt, with marks on his arm—"

"Hazel." Malcolm cut her off before she could say anything else. "Percy's got other things to worry about right now."

Percy touched the point of his sword, and the blade shrank back into a pen. "I haven't seen anyone like you guys before. Who's Jason?"

Reyna gave the Daughter of Pluto an irritated look. "He is...he was my colleague. Before Malcolm took up the mantle, Jason Grace, the Son of Jupiter, was our Praetor until he disappeared last October."

The Son of Neptune frowned. "You mean he's been gone for eight months, and you guys are still looking for him?"

"He's not dead." Malcolm almost growled his words out and Percy jumped slightly at the ferocity in his voice. "And we won't give up until he's back home."

"Malcolm was elected as Praetor a few weeks after Jason went missing." Reyna explained. "Normally, elections happen only in two ways. One way is if the Legion raises someone on their shields after a major success on the battlefield and the other is when we hold a ballot on the evening of June 24, at the Feast of Fortuna. That's in five days. But since Praetorship is a job meant for two, the Senate held an emergency election five months after Jason's disappearance and Malcolm was picked for the job."

Percy nodded in understanding before he suddenly blinked. "Wait, you guys have a feast for tuna?"

"Fortuna." Hazel corrected him. "She's the Goddess of Luck. Whatever happens on her feast day can affect the entire rest of the year. She can grant the camp good luck...or really bad luck."

"The Feast of Fortune..." The dark haired boy murmured, his sea green eyes narrowing. "The gorgons mentioned that. So did Juno. They said the camp was going to be attacked on that day, something about a big bad goddess named Gaea, and an army, and Death being unleashed. You're telling me that day is this week?"

Malcolm and Reyna exchanged looks. They had been warned about an oncoming attack on their camp a few weeks ago, by the Ambassador of Pluto – Nico Di Angelo. However, neither he nor Reyna bothered to listen to him. He remembered when the kid had first shown up in camp with Hazel in tow. That was back before Jason had gone missing. He gave off a somewhat mysterious vibe and even though Jason and Reyna had decided to let him stay at camp, neither them nor Malcolm trusted him.

Now, however, things had changed.

"You will say nothing about that outside this room." Reyna ordered. "I will not have you spreading more panic in the camp."

"So it's true." Percy deduced. "Do you know what's going to happen? Can we stop it?"

Reyna pursed her lips. ""We've talked enough for now. Hazel, take him to Temple Hill. Find Octavian. On the way you can answer Percy's questions. Tell him about the Legion."

"Yes, Reyna." Hazel replied.

"Good luck with the augury, Percy Jackson." The Daughter of Bellona said. "If Octavian lets you live, perhaps we can compare notes...about your past."

Once Hazel led the raven haired boy out of the principia, Malcolm sunk back in his seat and looked at Reyna. "You know him, don't you?"

Reyna pursed her lips and picked up a dagger that was sitting on the table, studying it intently. "Let's just say he's an unpleasant part of my past. I just hope he's not here for the same reasons he was before, when he last visited me."

The scarred demigod mulled over her words for a few seconds before speaking. "He reminds me of Jason. Not his...personality, but the aura he gives off. He's powerful, really powerful."

"Yes, as well as dangerous." The Daughter of Bellona voiced letting the dagger in her hands clatter onto the surface of the table. "He proved that during his little water show in the Little Tiber." She lifted her head and met Malcolm's eyes. "We need to keep an eye on him."

"We will." Malcolm agreed. "And if he turns out to be a threat..."

"We end him." Reyna finished his sentence, a cold and dark look in her eyes.