A/N: Hello ladies and gents. Here is Immortalized: One Footprint Behind, part two of the Immortalized series. This is going to be fun. If you're new please go read the first one so you know what's going on. Updates every other Thursday as I am writing a different fic that you guys might enjoy. Though I won't be posting it any time soon as it's not ready. Favorites and reviews appreciated. Thanks guys.

Also shout out to my guy Nerds4506 who's been helping me from the beginning, making sure I make sense even if he doesn't know what's going to happen next. So you can thank him for the quality of the stories.

Reyna skimmed through the various reports scattered around her desk. The candle lights around the room provided enough room for her to read by. If she were being honest with herself, she needed an assistant. She could ask Percy for help, but the man could never focus long enough to get through more than a handful of reports. She picked up one report, her eyes scanning over it. The First Cohort had helped the Amazons clear out a monster infestation in Yellowstone. No legion casualties, just some minor injuries. However, it seemed several Amazonians died, and others maimed. Seems they had become eager to show up the cohort and paid the price. Reyna rubbed her head and put down the report. Another was from Camp Half-Blood. They defeated the giant Enceladus with the help of Percy in Chicago. Reyna was thankful that Chiron had taken over writing the reports for the Director nearly a century prior. After the first couple decades, she wasn't sure how if she could take anymore of Percy's scribbles. She picked up another report and groaned. The senate proposed a new bill to try and make New Rome a tourist attraction to the mortals. How these people get elected Reyna had no idea. Percy had already shot down the suggestion that they reveal themselves. It's like they do this just to make her read it. Actually, she was sure that's what they were doing.

The door to her study opened suddenly and Percy walked through in his normal casual wear. "Morning Reyna," he said with a smile, the candlelight reflecting in his eyes. "Getting an early start on the reports?"

Reyna glared at the god whose smile grew before he went to examine one of her many bookcases. "Never went to sleep. These reports are endless."

The god merely shrugged. "Give it to the Praetors then. That's what they use to do anyways. They could filter out the stuff that they can deal with and send you only the things that need your approval or that they deem important enough to send."

Reyna raised an eyebrow at him. "I guess that would work. Would it be too much though? They already spend all day drilling the legion."

"Hey, you literally ran all of Camp Jupiter and New Rome through a war. I think they can handle some reports added to their plates," he reasoned as he grabbed a book from the shelf. "The Adaptations of Roman Strategies and Tactics," he read aloud. His face scrunched in mock disgust before putting the book back. "Gross."

Reyna rolled her eyes. "You literally grab that book all the time just so you can say gross," she claimed with a small smile. "So, you dropped Zoe off with the Hunt?"

Percy nodded. "Safe and sound. Thalia swears she's going to convince her to join this time," he told her.

Reyna smiled at the thought. "She says that every time," she responded. Percy walked to the desk before collapsing into a chair. Pain flared in his chest at the sudden movement. Percy rubbed his chest with a wince. "Diana get you again?" Reyna asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Hades no," Percy chuckled. "Her arrow would have smash straight through the breastplate I was wearing. No, Thalia said I overstayed my welcome."

Reyna nodded. "You do have an innate ability to annoy immortals. Especially the immortal girl scouts."

"I resent that statement," Percy pouted, crossing his arms across his chest. "I prefer to think of it as destabilizing my enemy's cognitive functions."

"That's probably the longest string of syllables you have used in a decade," Reyna laughed at his offended look. "It is also a complicated way to say you anger your enemy in hopes they do something stupid."

Percy simply shrugged. "If it works. So, what news do you have?"

Reyna huffed before picking up a report. "Our last count of the legion puts us at just over twelve hundred legionaries and one hundred auxiliary units. We also finally passed the Citizens Cohort bill. Early estimates are that we will have around three hundred retired legionaries that will be willing to be reactivated if, gods forbid, we need them." She scribbled onto the report before placing it aside and grabbing another. "The Second Cohort took out a cyclopes forge in Detroit," her eyes narrowed as she read the report. "Apparently it was led by Ma Gasket and her sons, Sump and Torque, all of whom were killed."

A chuckle left Percy's lips. "They came back just to be killed again? They have as bad a break as the Minotaur."

Reyna ignored her paramour and grabbed another report. "Preparations are on track for our annual Olympic games, to be hosted here in New Rome this year. The Fields of Mars is being restructured for the games, including the War Games."

"Is it the Legion's turn or the Greek's turn to defend?" Percy asked quickly.

"Greek's," Reyna answered simply. "Legion defended two years ago. They lost."

Percy nodded in recollection. "That was when Liam first conjured a lightning bolt right?" Reyna nodded her head in affirmation. "Boy, the look on his face when that bolt struck the tower was hilarious. I thought he was going to collapse in glee."

Reyna scribbled onto a report before setting it aside. "Yes, well, this time the legion will be ready for his bolts. What I am worried about is Zoe throwing hurricanes at them."

The god waved her off. "Zoe knows to hold back. As you know, she has been learning to reign in her output since Olympus. The gem might absorb her the excess, but when she wants to dial it up I am not sure anything less than a god can stop her." He scratched his beard in thought. "Maybe you, The Seven, or Nico could, but it'll be by experience and not outright power."

"So, you think the Greek's are guaranteed to win?" Reyna challenged.

"No," Percy answered honestly. "Like I said, she will be holding back. It's a common tactic among superior militaries to tie their hands behind their backs when running drills with the lesser because you gain more experience, and often better experience, from losing rather than winning. So, Zoe knows to keep it in check regardless of the state of the game. It's good training too, learning to restrain herself."

Reyna smiled fondly at him. "Sounds like you got it all figured out."

He simply shrugged. "A century and a half of training demigods and watching the wars of mortals will do that for you." His mood quickly becomes sour as he gets lost in thought.

Reyna read through several more reports and writings before noticing her paramour's expression. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Huh?" he questioned as if noticing her for the first time. "Nothing just...it feels like we are getting closer you know?"

Realization crossed Reyna's face. "Closer to all-out war? Yes. Thankfully we have been proactive instead of reactive this time around." She stood and made her way around the desk to Percy before sitting in his lap. "Are you afraid?"

"I'm terrified," Percy confessed to her, wrapping his arms around her. "I know I told you what happened in The Pit, but words don't do it justice how powerful Tartarus and Nyx are. That plus Zoe's vision..."

Reyna grabbed his face gently in both hands. "Hey, it's okay. We will get through this."

Percy nodded his agreement, though with some reluctance. "Yeah, I just...I wish I was stronger. Strong enough to protect you both."

"I know," Reyna told him gently, her voice barely above a whisper. "Your path of destruction is behind you. Our daughter is unpoisoned with your hatred. Let her path guide you." She decided to leave it there, given Percy's seeming lack of response. "What I can't figure out is what's taking so long. A year and a half and we are still unclear about their plans. They have roaming bands of monsters attacking our patrols, they've been testing our forces. But why are they holding back?"

"Because they are waiting," Percy said cryptically.

Reyna looked at Percy with a mixture of confusion and concern. "Waiting for what?"

Percy swallowed thickly. "Tartarus cannot step foot on Gaea without risking being cut off from his domain. The same for Nyx during the day. They need a champion. Someone who can lead their forces in their stead. Someone the Olympians would truly fear."

"You mean..." Reyna trailed off with widening eyes.

"Could be wrong," Percy deflected with a shrug. "Typhoon is in Tartarus. So maybe they are just trying to figure out how to get him to the surface...or maybe I'm just paranoid."

Reyna gives him a light kiss on the lips. "Whatever happens, we will get through it together. As a family."

"Yeah, you were wrong about one thing though," he informed her. Reyna raised an eyebrow in question. Percy seemed to look out into nothingness with a glowering anger. "My path of destruction has just start."

Reyna looked at her god in concern. "Just promise me you'll come back?"

Percy nodded and took a deep breath. He shook himself and gave Reyna a soft smile. "Come on, let's get you some food and then you need a nap." He took hold of Reyna and stood, carrying her by her thighs. Reyna yelped as she was lifted into the air without warning. He gave a quick sniff, his nose scrunching up. "Maybe a shower before we go anywhere."

For a few moments, there silence stretched throughout the room, when suddenly, a loud smack could be heard followed by an indignant cry.

"Hey Erica, Patrick," Percy called out to two armored teenagers as he and Reyna approached them at the top of a hill. The two praetors stood watching over the Fields of Mars, half of which was under construction, the other half was for the legion to run drills. The morning sun brought a pleasant heat to the otherwise cold winter day. "What brings you two out on this wholly unpleasant day?" Down below them, several cohorts were busy performing their assigned tasks for the day. What looked to be two cohorts were constructing the various structures needed for the Olympic Games, and another cohort was split up and appeared to be moving in battle formations.

"Second and Fifth are building. Fourth Cohort is running through drills," Patrick stated as a matter of fact. He bore a split lip and a bandage around his arm, his armor still bearing the scuffs of an engagement. His blonde hair cut short and dark red eyes gazed out at the field with a rare intensity.

Reyna's eyes lit up in interest. "Who's leading who?"

"Dillion is leading centuria one and two," Erica informed them, Her chestnut brown hair and delicate features a stark contrast to her armaments. She clutched at her grey cloak and clung to it for warmth. "Karina is leading three and four." The two praetors were a stark contrast from each other. However, maybe not quite like their parents, they formed a formidable duo.

The god nodded in understanding. "We doing the whole, 'if the centurions are killed,' thing again?"

The two praetors nodded in unison.

Percy smiled. "Who's winning?" he asked as he and Reyna drew even with the praetors.

"They just started," responded Erica. The two formations separated, putting an adequate distance between them before the drill could begin. "The centurions were providing the rules of engagement."

"Standard spell swords?" Reyna questioned, sure of the answer.

Patrick nodded. "Affirmative. Don't want anyone getting hurt."

"Two hundred troops per kid is a bit much for them right now isn't it?" Percy asked his charges.

Reyna stared out at the formations with a blank expression. "Commanding two centuria isn't much different than one. Just gives you more variety of tactics. They need the experience." She gave the god a coy smile. "I would think a God of War would know that."

Percy met her smile with his own grin. "As you know my dear Consul, my domain of war more centers on the human element. Courage, fear, determination, pride, that kind of thing over bloodlust and strategies."

A horn called out. The two formations began moving. The left one moving straight for the other, the right one seemingly trying to flank their opponents. "Which one is which?" Percy asked, squinting at the two forces.

"No idea," Erica answered. "Better to not know which is which so we form no biased opinions-"

Thoom.

A wall of ice towered over the Fields of Mars, separating the two formations. A thick fog pushed out from the right formation, hiding them from sight and wrapping around the wall. "Guess that answers it," Reyna quipped.

Percy looked on curiously. "She's gotten much better. That's genuinely impressive." The first formation stood still, seemingly confused as to what was occurring. The shock seemed to wear off and they veered off to the side, clearly to try and round the wall.

Erica winced. "This will end badly."

"You didn't bless her, or anything did you?" Reyna questioned Percy with a look of mock accusation.

Percy looked mildly offended. "You would be the first to know if I was going to bless someone, so no. Trivia mentioned taking a more active role in her training though. Not directly of course but, sending her books, some older siblings, things like that." The first formation paused at the edge of the fog, as if waiting for the second to come and fight them.

"How does that work anyways?" Erica asked as silence creeped over the hill. "Your blessing, I mean. Why don't you just bless everyone?"

"Do you want to swear an oath of loyalty and become one of my Heralds for all of time?" Percy asked seriously.

Erica's eyes widened a bit before turning back towards the fields. "No thanks, I want to go to college."

Percy smiled at the girl. "Don't we all."

"Any perks?" Patrick asked, his eyes glued to the battlefield.

Percy thought about it momentarily. "Similar to the Hunters, but replace speed and agility with durability and strength. Also you can emit what I like to call the 'aura of heroes.' Boosts the abilities of heroes around you. Zoe actually does it without even knowing. It's like breathing for her."

Erica looked at him quizzically. "That actually sounds pretty cool."

"Right?" Percy exclaimed, happy someone was interested in part of his duties as the God of Heroes. "Jobs can be crap though. Frank has been babysitting Ares since he nearly started World War Three."

"Don't you mean Mars?"

Percy shook his head. "Nope, even Mars was mad at him."

"Something is happening," Patrick interrupted their back and forth. The group watched as metal reflected the sunlight from with the fog. The second formation came out of the like a wall of steel. They clashed with the first in a barrage of shields and swords.

"That's only half of Karina's forces," Reyna realized, her critical gaze wandering over the battlefield. "Oh, that's good."

"You give her that book I don't like at some point or something?" Percy chuckled. Rounding the other side of the ice wall was the second half of Karina's forces. The line of shields collided with the unprepared legionaries and wedged them between their comrades. Quickly the horns sounded, ending the drill. The ice wall collapsed, and the fog dissipated just as quickly. They would do an official count of 'wounded' and 'dead' but from their vantage point, it was clear who won.

"Impressive," was all Patrick said.

Erica nodded her agreement. "Guess we will start her training to be an officer."

"That won't be necessary," Reyna overrides Erica's assessment. "I've been grooming her to be an officer for years."

"Dillion never stood a chance, did he?" Patrick raised an eyebrow.

Reyna shrugged. "Of course he did. If he had stayed back, he could have taken advantage of Karina's youth and overeagerness, like she did to him. Karina may be one of the most leveled headed legionaries we have but she's still susceptible to our innate battle reflexes. If he had anticipated the splitting of her forces, then he could have better positioned himself. There are always options," she explained as they watched the cohort form up. "Hopefully this has been a learning experience for both of them."

Erica shivered in the breeze and turned to the god and consul. "Third Cohort should be back shortly," she said, gesturing towards the hills leading into the valley. "Want to come with?"

"Unfortunately, no," was Reyna's response before she remembered her and Percy's conversation. "I still have a mountain of paperwork to do. Which, by the way, you two will start helping me with come Monday."

The two praetors stared in disbelief as Percy and Reyna departed.